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  • March 8, 1884
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  • LODGE DUTIES.
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    Article CONSECRATION OF THE RAYMOND THRUPP LODGE, No. 2024, AT HAMPTON COURT. ← Page 2 of 2
    Article THE RECENT FESTIVAL OF THE ROYAL MASONIC BENEVOLENT INSTITUTION. Page 1 of 1
    Article LODGE DUTIES. Page 1 of 1
    Article LODGE DUTIES. Page 1 of 1
Page 4

Note: This text has been automatically extracted via Optical Character Recognition (OCR) software.

Consecration Of The Raymond Thrupp Lodge, No. 2024, At Hampton Court.

all present , as first W . M . of the lodge ; hc himself afterwards , in a manner worth } ' of imitation , and proving that nothing on his part will be wanting as regards the working of the lodge during his year of oflice , investing his officers as follows : M . ' Mildred , S . W . ; J . Sadler Wood , J . W . ; Raymond H . Thrupp , Treas . ; and Bro . J . W . Baldwin , Sec . Votes of thanks were passed to the Consecrating Officers , who were unanimously elected honorary members of thc lodge . The names of several candidates for initiation and joining were given in for next meeting .

The brethren adjourned to a banquet , which did great credit to the host , Bro . Sadler . The customary toasts were given by the W . M . in an appropriate manner , and duly responded to , being interspersed with some admirable singing by Bros . Jinkinson , H . Prenton , M . Hallams , and H . Dutton . '

The Recent Festival Of The Royal Masonic Benevolent Institution.

THE RECENT FESTIVAL OF THE ROYAL MASONIC BENEVOLENT INSTITUTION .

' 1 here arc sundry lists outstanding , so lhat we are not yet in a position to give the ultimate total of thc amounts subscribed on the 26 th ult . to the Benevolent Institution . However , additions have been made to several of thc items then announced , while the following fresh lists have bcen received : London—Unattached , Bro . Abncr Torkington , £ 40 ; Chapter 3 , Comp . John Webb , ^ , ' 13 1 is . ; Chap . 749 , Comp . Jno . Godwin , £ 22 is . Provinces—Warwickshire , Lodge No . 93 S , Bro . XV . B . Marshall , £ 31 ios .. These raise thc total to date to £ 14 , 476 13 s . 6 d ., namely , London ^ 8310 lis . 6 d . ; Provinces , / 616 O 2 s .

Thc following Ictler , which speaks for itself , has been addressed by Bro . Allcroft to thc brethren who acted as Stewards at the Festival . It is a fitting conclusion to a most successful episode in the history of thc Royal Masonic Benevolent Institution : 10 S , Lancaster Gate , W ., 27 th February , 1 SF 4 .

Dear Sir ancl Brother , — Ileing confined to my room by illness , I was prevented last evening from presidio , at the Festival of our Benevolent Institution , and having the pleasure of meeting the Stewards and large number of brethren there present . The Secretary was so gcod as to telegraph to mc thc large amount announced as the result of the exertions of the Stewards . I wish I could then and there have thanked

you all , and congratulated you on the increased means for help to our poorer brethren thus placed at thc disposal of our Committee . Pray accept , as an imperfect substitute , this wiittcn expression of my feelings of thankfulness , and also of joy at the increasing amount of contributions flowing in to our Masonic Charities . " All praise to the Most High . " Believe mc to remain , with fraternal regards . Yours faithfully , J D . ALLCROFT , Grand Treasurer .

Lodge Duties.

LODGE DUTIES .

A LECTURE D __ IVKRI . _ BRO . T . 11 . WHYTEHEAD , P . M . 1611 , PROV . S . G . W . N . AND E . YORKSHIRE . ( Coin ! tided from page 98 . ) It is not every brother received into Masonry who can qualify himself lo occupy the Master ' s chair , and in some cases , even where the brother is most worthy deficiencies exist of an insuperable character . It is a common

, remark , when thc health of a newly-initiated candidate is proposed , to say lhat the assembled members hope to see their brother soon occupying the Chair of the Lodge , and no doubt the ambition to occupy that distinguished position is in the highest degree laudable . Yet 1 have no hesitation in s-iyin- - lhat the qualifications necessary to fit a man for thc Chair of K . S . are many and are possessed collectively by few . Let us run through thc

personal characteristics that we are annually toltl should belong- to every ruler , and then let us ask ourselves in how many cases are these existing in the person of thc candidate presented for installation ? Hc should be of irood report , true and tntslv , nnd held in high estimation by his brethren and fello-. es , veil skilled iii the noble art , exemplary in conduct , courteous in demeanour , east' of address and s . ' eady and firm iu principle , and well

skilled in the ancient landmarks and Constitutions of our Order . How many Worship ful Masters , of ihe many hundreds annually installed , come up to this level ? You will probably say that it would be impossible to find a succession of men answering to such a description , and that if these qualifications were rigidly insisted upon there would be an end ol the whole thintr ; and I grant you that very few men who arc placed , year by year ,

amongst our rulers in the Craft answer to the pattern laid down , bull , if wc cannot ( ind perfection in this world , even in our Craft , we can at any rate strive to come as near it as wc possibly can , and even if an amiable and loveable brother who has bcen elected to the Chair has not all the virtues named , he may have a sufficiency to render him a fairly successful Master . Vet , brethren , there is one qualification , the last 1 have named , which

every brother may acquire . Most of the qualities mentioned are gifts of the Great Architect , or the result of early training ; but there is one which is in every brother ' s hands . 1 allude to the knowledge of our landmarks and Constitutions , an acquaintance with which , I very much fear , is a most exceptional accomp lishment . 1 fearlessly say that it is the absolute duty of every brother , before he takes the Master ' s gavel in his right hand , to and make himself well

master our Book of Constitutions , fairly acquainted with thc laws and regulations which govern our Society , ft is not only from a sciT-e of duty that he should do this , but because of ihe feeling of security and comlorl that such a knowledge will assuredly impart lo him whilst in the execution of the duties of his important trust . Nothing derogates more from the influence and position of a Master than an exhibition of ignorance of Masonic law : and the spectacle of a Master who is compelled on every

trilling point that arises in his Lodge to appeal right and left to the Past Masters , or even , as I have sometimes myself witnessed , to Visiting Past Masters , is in the highest degree pitiable . I am afraid lhat a very wide de'TCC of ignorance exists as to our Constitutions , and I hope that the issue of '" the present revised code will induce more interest to be taken in their study , 'l'he numerous instances constantl y occurring of Lodges and brethren limited is the knowled

transgressing our laws proves how ge respecting them ; and although the brethren below thc Chair may be pardoned for not possessing an intimate knowledge of the Constitutions , there can be no excuse whatever for the Master of a Lodge , who knows quite well lhat hc will be , for his year of office , the interpreter of the rules of the Order , and the source to which every member of the Lodge should be able to look for assistance and instruction .

Lodge Duties.

Lodges differ in town and in the provinces , but , as a general rule , I think it should be the duty of every Master to lay himself out to secure the personal esteem and Masonic friendshi p of every member of his lod" -e . None but those who have had considerable experience in the Craft , anefwho have gone through the chair , have any notion of the influence for good that may be exercised , and grow up , around an amiable and discreet Master , who has

done his best to secure thc confidence of thc members of liis lodge . If he succeeds in his endeavours he may be able to prove himself a friend in need to some distressed brother in a way least expected by him . A Master will often find it in his power to exercise the very highest gifts of charity . A friendly word of counsel , a judicious hint of warning , a kindly whisper of advice , will sometimes come with more force from ihe Master of a lodge than from a narent or a relative . Masnnir- ii-nnKlne - > nr ) m . c ,,,.. ! ..,. ¦ ..- nr i ;„_« . _ . -- --- _ . _ uu iivuu ci 11 Llif Utl i

, 1 __ ___ , _ , ... . J \__ IIIIJUIIULIO I I _ " O may be chiselled away , even family discords may be harmonised . In my own brief knowledge , I have known of several cases in which a kind and wise word , coming calmly from a brother Mason , has averted serious trouble . But this cannot be done unless the brother who interferes is known intimately to his brethren , and so I say that if a Master desires lo pass a useful and pleasant year , and to carry awav with him some hnnnv

reminiscences of his official career , he should cultivate the acquaintance of thc members of his lodge . And this may very easily and properly be done without infringement of any of the social obstacles lhat always have existed , and always will exist in all countries , races , and ages of history . Masonry , let it be remembered , does not interfere with society as it exists . It rather

accommodates itself lo the condition of the society in which it is found . " We meet on the level and part on the square " is a hackneyed phrase , but none the less true . When wc meet upon the chequered floor wc arc all equal ; there is no distinction of rank , save in Masonic excellence , and it is an un-Masonic lodge in which thc members pay respect to social position rather than to personal worth . As Masons , we may pride ourselves noon the fact

that many of our members of high social position in thc outer world arc also men of high mental attainments and moral character , and are well worthy of the high poisitions in which we rejoice to place them . Amongst these are men who have suddenly been called upon to occupy important posts in thc Craft without previous service or experience ; and greatly to the credit of such brethren be it said that I do not remember an instance in

which such a brother has failed us . In every case the choice of thc brethren has becn more than justified . Vet although these illustrious brethren meet with us upon the level floor , and accord us thc cordial and fraternal grip in all heartiness and good fellowship , when we leave thc lodge we resume our respective positions , feeling all the better and all the stronger for thc knowledge that we possess the mutual respect and esteem of one another .

It is a matter for sincere regret when a brother aspires to thc chair of a lodge when hc isboth by nature and training quite unfilled for such a position . Hc may be an excellent fellow at heart , and in the body of the lodge would no doubt prove a pleasant and useful Craftsman . Such a brother ' s ambition , blameless though it be , is very inconsiderate , not to say selfish , and places his brethren upon thc horns of a dilemma . They must cither sit upon his

aspirations and run the risk of offending his sensibilities , or they must do their lodge an injury . I have alread y said that first impressions are everything , and no lodge can expect to secure good candidates , that is , men of education and ability , or , if enrolled , can hope to keep them , if the Master of thc lodge be a man of little or no culture , or whose manner or appearance is inconsistent with thc dignity of thc chair . I am quite sure that instances

arc within the knowledge of all of us where brethren have occupied the chair in lodges , who , on the face of it , have been utterly unqualified , and who , having attained the object of their selfish ambition , have been completely careless as to thc lodge and its members . A year under such a Master means five years' retrogression to any lodge , because the remembrance of his faults and follies will hang round the chair long after hc has left it to more suitable men .

Ihe amount of real and genuine interest taken in Freemasonry by any Master may usually be guaged by the attention he pays to his lodge after he leaves the chair . The man who simply goes in lor the sake of sticking P . M . after his name will seldom be seen except at banquets , or when any great Masonic gun is likely lo be present . On such occasions hc will in nil probability be the busiest of thc busy , and a stranger would deem him to be thc most active and useful member of thc lodge . But show me thc brother

who docs not work in fits and starts . Let me know thc Past Master to whom thc working brethren refer in time of difficulty , who is constantly seen in his place on the dais , and who has always got his eye open for the interests of the Craft in general and Ins own lodge in particular . When you point out that brother I will then show you a genuine Mason , whose Masonry has not been of a selfish character , and who has done , and will again do , honour to his lodge .

Masters and Past Masters have alike two objects to keep in view—the happiness of their brethren and the prosperity of their lodge , and the two cannot be divorced . If a lodge is prosperous its members will be proud to belong to it . If it falls into diilicultics or becomes a field for bickerings and petty and unworthy strife , its good members will avoid it and its bad members will get worse . Almost everything depends upon the firmness and discretion ol the Master and those who have preceded him . If the Master is

weak , acts feebly , and is blown about by every wind of doctrine , the unruly members , of whom there are sure to be a sprinkling in every lodge , will soon get the whip hand of him and will make his Masonic lite a burden to him , and will render the lodge unbearable for quiet members . On the other hand , if a Master be rude , tyrannical , or rash , he may soon drive away all his peaceable subjects , and leave himself to rule over bare benches . Everything depends upon discretion and unanimity amongst lodge rulers .

And now , brethren , I have given you some of my ideas roughly upon Lodge Duties , and I will bring my sermon to an end . Not that I have exhausted the subject—far from it . The points that arise in my mind that might be used to illustrate the subject in its many bearings arc innumerable ; but I will not weary you , lest you should take a prejudice against Masonic sermonising . I hope you will agree with mc in thc necessity for

pointing out sometimes to Masons , in different language to lhat which has becn stereotyped upon our memories , some of the multifarious duties lhey owe to one another and lo their Lodges . Vou may perhaps think that so much moralising is bill barren talk . 1 hope it is nol so , but that wc shall each of us endeavour to use his influence to bring about in our Craft a revival of interest

, not only in our history and kindred subjects , but in the actual teachings and doctrines of the Order . Depend upon it , if Masonry is to be elevated , if we arc to save ourselves from falling into disrepute , or from sinking into a mere friendly society of mummers , we must exercise in our persons , as well as enforce upon others , the more diligent observance of our Lodge Duties .

“The Freemason: 1884-03-08, Page 4” Masonic Periodicals Online, Library and Museum of Freemasonry, 2 Aug. 2025, django:8000/periodicals/fvl/issues/fvl_08031884/page/4/.
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Title Category Page
CONTENTS. Article 1
Untitled Article 1
UNITED GRAND LODGE. Article 2
CONSECRATION OF THE RAYMOND THRUPP LODGE, No. 2024, AT HAMPTON COURT. Article 3
THE RECENT FESTIVAL OF THE ROYAL MASONIC BENEVOLENT INSTITUTION. Article 4
LODGE DUTIES. Article 4
A NEW LODGE OF INSTRUCTION. Article 5
AN EXCELLENT EXAMPLE. Article 5
South Africa. Article 5
New Zealand. Article 5
Obituary. Article 5
THE CALCUTTA EXHIBITION. Article 5
Untitled Ad 6
Untitled Ad 6
Untitled Ad 6
Untitled Ad 6
Untitled Ad 6
Untitled Ad 6
Untitled Ad 6
Untitled Ad 6
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Untitled Ad 6
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Untitled Ad 6
Untitled Ad 6
Untitled Ad 6
Untitled Ad 6
Untitled Ad 6
Untitled Ad 6
Untitled Ad 6
THE Freemason Article 7
REVIEWS. Article 8
Masonic Notes and Queries. Article 8
ROYAL MASONIC INSTITUTION FOR BOYS. Article 8
THE HUGHAN TESTIMONIAL. Article 8
DINNER TO THE G COMPANY 21st MIDDLESEX RIFLES. Article 8
REPORTS OF MASONIC MEETINGS. Article 9
INSTRUCTION. Article 10
Royal Arch. Article 11
Mark Masonry. Article 12
Ancient and Accepted Rite. Article 12
Knights Templar. Article 12
Red Cross of Constantine. Article 12
THE THEATRES. Article 12
MASONIC AND GENERAL TIDINGS Article 13
METROPOLITAN MASONIC MEETINGS, Article 14
MASONIC MEETINGS IN WEST LANCASHIRE AND CHESHIRE, Article 14
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Note: This text has been automatically extracted via Optical Character Recognition (OCR) software.

Consecration Of The Raymond Thrupp Lodge, No. 2024, At Hampton Court.

all present , as first W . M . of the lodge ; hc himself afterwards , in a manner worth } ' of imitation , and proving that nothing on his part will be wanting as regards the working of the lodge during his year of oflice , investing his officers as follows : M . ' Mildred , S . W . ; J . Sadler Wood , J . W . ; Raymond H . Thrupp , Treas . ; and Bro . J . W . Baldwin , Sec . Votes of thanks were passed to the Consecrating Officers , who were unanimously elected honorary members of thc lodge . The names of several candidates for initiation and joining were given in for next meeting .

The brethren adjourned to a banquet , which did great credit to the host , Bro . Sadler . The customary toasts were given by the W . M . in an appropriate manner , and duly responded to , being interspersed with some admirable singing by Bros . Jinkinson , H . Prenton , M . Hallams , and H . Dutton . '

The Recent Festival Of The Royal Masonic Benevolent Institution.

THE RECENT FESTIVAL OF THE ROYAL MASONIC BENEVOLENT INSTITUTION .

' 1 here arc sundry lists outstanding , so lhat we are not yet in a position to give the ultimate total of thc amounts subscribed on the 26 th ult . to the Benevolent Institution . However , additions have been made to several of thc items then announced , while the following fresh lists have bcen received : London—Unattached , Bro . Abncr Torkington , £ 40 ; Chapter 3 , Comp . John Webb , ^ , ' 13 1 is . ; Chap . 749 , Comp . Jno . Godwin , £ 22 is . Provinces—Warwickshire , Lodge No . 93 S , Bro . XV . B . Marshall , £ 31 ios .. These raise thc total to date to £ 14 , 476 13 s . 6 d ., namely , London ^ 8310 lis . 6 d . ; Provinces , / 616 O 2 s .

Thc following Ictler , which speaks for itself , has been addressed by Bro . Allcroft to thc brethren who acted as Stewards at the Festival . It is a fitting conclusion to a most successful episode in the history of thc Royal Masonic Benevolent Institution : 10 S , Lancaster Gate , W ., 27 th February , 1 SF 4 .

Dear Sir ancl Brother , — Ileing confined to my room by illness , I was prevented last evening from presidio , at the Festival of our Benevolent Institution , and having the pleasure of meeting the Stewards and large number of brethren there present . The Secretary was so gcod as to telegraph to mc thc large amount announced as the result of the exertions of the Stewards . I wish I could then and there have thanked

you all , and congratulated you on the increased means for help to our poorer brethren thus placed at thc disposal of our Committee . Pray accept , as an imperfect substitute , this wiittcn expression of my feelings of thankfulness , and also of joy at the increasing amount of contributions flowing in to our Masonic Charities . " All praise to the Most High . " Believe mc to remain , with fraternal regards . Yours faithfully , J D . ALLCROFT , Grand Treasurer .

Lodge Duties.

LODGE DUTIES .

A LECTURE D __ IVKRI . _ BRO . T . 11 . WHYTEHEAD , P . M . 1611 , PROV . S . G . W . N . AND E . YORKSHIRE . ( Coin ! tided from page 98 . ) It is not every brother received into Masonry who can qualify himself lo occupy the Master ' s chair , and in some cases , even where the brother is most worthy deficiencies exist of an insuperable character . It is a common

, remark , when thc health of a newly-initiated candidate is proposed , to say lhat the assembled members hope to see their brother soon occupying the Chair of the Lodge , and no doubt the ambition to occupy that distinguished position is in the highest degree laudable . Yet 1 have no hesitation in s-iyin- - lhat the qualifications necessary to fit a man for thc Chair of K . S . are many and are possessed collectively by few . Let us run through thc

personal characteristics that we are annually toltl should belong- to every ruler , and then let us ask ourselves in how many cases are these existing in the person of thc candidate presented for installation ? Hc should be of irood report , true and tntslv , nnd held in high estimation by his brethren and fello-. es , veil skilled iii the noble art , exemplary in conduct , courteous in demeanour , east' of address and s . ' eady and firm iu principle , and well

skilled in the ancient landmarks and Constitutions of our Order . How many Worship ful Masters , of ihe many hundreds annually installed , come up to this level ? You will probably say that it would be impossible to find a succession of men answering to such a description , and that if these qualifications were rigidly insisted upon there would be an end ol the whole thintr ; and I grant you that very few men who arc placed , year by year ,

amongst our rulers in the Craft answer to the pattern laid down , bull , if wc cannot ( ind perfection in this world , even in our Craft , we can at any rate strive to come as near it as wc possibly can , and even if an amiable and loveable brother who has bcen elected to the Chair has not all the virtues named , he may have a sufficiency to render him a fairly successful Master . Vet , brethren , there is one qualification , the last 1 have named , which

every brother may acquire . Most of the qualities mentioned are gifts of the Great Architect , or the result of early training ; but there is one which is in every brother ' s hands . 1 allude to the knowledge of our landmarks and Constitutions , an acquaintance with which , I very much fear , is a most exceptional accomp lishment . 1 fearlessly say that it is the absolute duty of every brother , before he takes the Master ' s gavel in his right hand , to and make himself well

master our Book of Constitutions , fairly acquainted with thc laws and regulations which govern our Society , ft is not only from a sciT-e of duty that he should do this , but because of ihe feeling of security and comlorl that such a knowledge will assuredly impart lo him whilst in the execution of the duties of his important trust . Nothing derogates more from the influence and position of a Master than an exhibition of ignorance of Masonic law : and the spectacle of a Master who is compelled on every

trilling point that arises in his Lodge to appeal right and left to the Past Masters , or even , as I have sometimes myself witnessed , to Visiting Past Masters , is in the highest degree pitiable . I am afraid lhat a very wide de'TCC of ignorance exists as to our Constitutions , and I hope that the issue of '" the present revised code will induce more interest to be taken in their study , 'l'he numerous instances constantl y occurring of Lodges and brethren limited is the knowled

transgressing our laws proves how ge respecting them ; and although the brethren below thc Chair may be pardoned for not possessing an intimate knowledge of the Constitutions , there can be no excuse whatever for the Master of a Lodge , who knows quite well lhat hc will be , for his year of office , the interpreter of the rules of the Order , and the source to which every member of the Lodge should be able to look for assistance and instruction .

Lodge Duties.

Lodges differ in town and in the provinces , but , as a general rule , I think it should be the duty of every Master to lay himself out to secure the personal esteem and Masonic friendshi p of every member of his lod" -e . None but those who have had considerable experience in the Craft , anefwho have gone through the chair , have any notion of the influence for good that may be exercised , and grow up , around an amiable and discreet Master , who has

done his best to secure thc confidence of thc members of liis lodge . If he succeeds in his endeavours he may be able to prove himself a friend in need to some distressed brother in a way least expected by him . A Master will often find it in his power to exercise the very highest gifts of charity . A friendly word of counsel , a judicious hint of warning , a kindly whisper of advice , will sometimes come with more force from ihe Master of a lodge than from a narent or a relative . Masnnir- ii-nnKlne - > nr ) m . c ,,,.. ! ..,. ¦ ..- nr i ;„_« . _ . -- --- _ . _ uu iivuu ci 11 Llif Utl i

, 1 __ ___ , _ , ... . J \__ IIIIJUIIULIO I I _ " O may be chiselled away , even family discords may be harmonised . In my own brief knowledge , I have known of several cases in which a kind and wise word , coming calmly from a brother Mason , has averted serious trouble . But this cannot be done unless the brother who interferes is known intimately to his brethren , and so I say that if a Master desires lo pass a useful and pleasant year , and to carry awav with him some hnnnv

reminiscences of his official career , he should cultivate the acquaintance of thc members of his lodge . And this may very easily and properly be done without infringement of any of the social obstacles lhat always have existed , and always will exist in all countries , races , and ages of history . Masonry , let it be remembered , does not interfere with society as it exists . It rather

accommodates itself lo the condition of the society in which it is found . " We meet on the level and part on the square " is a hackneyed phrase , but none the less true . When wc meet upon the chequered floor wc arc all equal ; there is no distinction of rank , save in Masonic excellence , and it is an un-Masonic lodge in which thc members pay respect to social position rather than to personal worth . As Masons , we may pride ourselves noon the fact

that many of our members of high social position in thc outer world arc also men of high mental attainments and moral character , and are well worthy of the high poisitions in which we rejoice to place them . Amongst these are men who have suddenly been called upon to occupy important posts in thc Craft without previous service or experience ; and greatly to the credit of such brethren be it said that I do not remember an instance in

which such a brother has failed us . In every case the choice of thc brethren has becn more than justified . Vet although these illustrious brethren meet with us upon the level floor , and accord us thc cordial and fraternal grip in all heartiness and good fellowship , when we leave thc lodge we resume our respective positions , feeling all the better and all the stronger for thc knowledge that we possess the mutual respect and esteem of one another .

It is a matter for sincere regret when a brother aspires to thc chair of a lodge when hc isboth by nature and training quite unfilled for such a position . Hc may be an excellent fellow at heart , and in the body of the lodge would no doubt prove a pleasant and useful Craftsman . Such a brother ' s ambition , blameless though it be , is very inconsiderate , not to say selfish , and places his brethren upon thc horns of a dilemma . They must cither sit upon his

aspirations and run the risk of offending his sensibilities , or they must do their lodge an injury . I have alread y said that first impressions are everything , and no lodge can expect to secure good candidates , that is , men of education and ability , or , if enrolled , can hope to keep them , if the Master of thc lodge be a man of little or no culture , or whose manner or appearance is inconsistent with thc dignity of thc chair . I am quite sure that instances

arc within the knowledge of all of us where brethren have occupied the chair in lodges , who , on the face of it , have been utterly unqualified , and who , having attained the object of their selfish ambition , have been completely careless as to thc lodge and its members . A year under such a Master means five years' retrogression to any lodge , because the remembrance of his faults and follies will hang round the chair long after hc has left it to more suitable men .

Ihe amount of real and genuine interest taken in Freemasonry by any Master may usually be guaged by the attention he pays to his lodge after he leaves the chair . The man who simply goes in lor the sake of sticking P . M . after his name will seldom be seen except at banquets , or when any great Masonic gun is likely lo be present . On such occasions hc will in nil probability be the busiest of thc busy , and a stranger would deem him to be thc most active and useful member of thc lodge . But show me thc brother

who docs not work in fits and starts . Let me know thc Past Master to whom thc working brethren refer in time of difficulty , who is constantly seen in his place on the dais , and who has always got his eye open for the interests of the Craft in general and Ins own lodge in particular . When you point out that brother I will then show you a genuine Mason , whose Masonry has not been of a selfish character , and who has done , and will again do , honour to his lodge .

Masters and Past Masters have alike two objects to keep in view—the happiness of their brethren and the prosperity of their lodge , and the two cannot be divorced . If a lodge is prosperous its members will be proud to belong to it . If it falls into diilicultics or becomes a field for bickerings and petty and unworthy strife , its good members will avoid it and its bad members will get worse . Almost everything depends upon the firmness and discretion ol the Master and those who have preceded him . If the Master is

weak , acts feebly , and is blown about by every wind of doctrine , the unruly members , of whom there are sure to be a sprinkling in every lodge , will soon get the whip hand of him and will make his Masonic lite a burden to him , and will render the lodge unbearable for quiet members . On the other hand , if a Master be rude , tyrannical , or rash , he may soon drive away all his peaceable subjects , and leave himself to rule over bare benches . Everything depends upon discretion and unanimity amongst lodge rulers .

And now , brethren , I have given you some of my ideas roughly upon Lodge Duties , and I will bring my sermon to an end . Not that I have exhausted the subject—far from it . The points that arise in my mind that might be used to illustrate the subject in its many bearings arc innumerable ; but I will not weary you , lest you should take a prejudice against Masonic sermonising . I hope you will agree with mc in thc necessity for

pointing out sometimes to Masons , in different language to lhat which has becn stereotyped upon our memories , some of the multifarious duties lhey owe to one another and lo their Lodges . Vou may perhaps think that so much moralising is bill barren talk . 1 hope it is nol so , but that wc shall each of us endeavour to use his influence to bring about in our Craft a revival of interest

, not only in our history and kindred subjects , but in the actual teachings and doctrines of the Order . Depend upon it , if Masonry is to be elevated , if we arc to save ourselves from falling into disrepute , or from sinking into a mere friendly society of mummers , we must exercise in our persons , as well as enforce upon others , the more diligent observance of our Lodge Duties .

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