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SATURDAY , FEBRUARY Q , IQOI .

Masonic Notes.

Masonic Notes .

It has been officially announced that on Thursday the 14 th instant , his Gracious Majesty the King will open Parliament in person . It is several years ago since her late Majesty bore her part in this important

State function , while one must be fairly well advanced in years to call to mind thc last occasion on which the Queen attended for the purpose in full State , surrounded by her Great Officers and the chief officers of her household .

» » * The Quarterly Convocation of Supreme Grand Chapter was held at Freemasons' Hall , on Wednesday , the 6 th instant , Comp . John Thornhill Morland , M . A ., G . Supt . Berkshire , presided , and there was a fair

Masonic Notes.

attendance of Present and Past Grand Officers and the representatives of private chapters . For particulars of the proceedings , we refer our readers to the report which appears in another column . » * *

We most sincerely congratulate Bro . the Venerable Archdeacon Stevens on his appointment to be Bishop Suffragan of Barking , in the diocese of St . Albans . Our reverend brother during the period of his Archdeaconry of Essex has proved himself an able dignitary of the Church of England , and in his new and more

exalted office — his appointment to which has just been approved by the King—will render still more valuable services to the Church . The new Bishop was appointed Grand Chaplain in conjunction with the Bishop of Llandaff in 18 9 6 , while there are no less than four other Past Grand Chaplains of episcopal rank on

the roll of our Grand Officers , namely , the Bishop of Barrow-in-Furness , who was appointed Grand Chaplain in 1894 ; the Bishop of Bath and Wells and the Bishop of Perth , Western Australia , who had the rank of Past Grand Chaplain conferred upon them in 18 97 ; and the Bishop of Bangor , who , when Dean of St . Asaph , was appointed Grand Chaplain in 18 9 8 .

* * * Margate has recently had the misfortune to lose one of the most respected members of its two lodges —Bro . Crosoer , who was a P . M . of the Union Lodge , No . 127 , in which he was elected two years in succession to preside as Master : and a founder , first

S . W ., and the W . M . at the time of his death of the St . John ' s Thanet Lodge , No . 2753 , which was consecrated by Earl Amherst , Pro G . M ., Prov . Grand Mastor of Kent , in June , 1899 . It was Bro . Crosoer who took the lead in formulating the scheme for the

erection of the handsome and commodious Hall in New Cross-street , and his death at the comparatively early age of 46 will be greatly deplored by the brethren , to whom , and to the family , we tender our most respectful sympathy .

» * » We heartily congratulate the Lodge of Justice , No . 147 , on having at length been able to celebrate its centenary . We say " at length , " because a reference to our Grand Lodge Calendar shows that the lodge was originally constituted in 1777 , and brethren may

wonder how it is that that this auspicious event was not celebrated years since . But the Grand Lodge authorities have very wisely provided that , in order to become entitled to obtain a centenary warrant and enjoy the privileges attaching thereto , a lodge must be in a position to prove that it has been working

continuously for a period of 100 years . The warrant that was granted in 1777 by the Grand Lodge of the "Ancient" or "Athol " Masons was in abeyance for many years , nor was it till 1801 that it revived . Since then it has gone on uninterruptedly , and hence the M . W . Grand Master has granted it a centenary

warrant , and those of its members who care to do so are entitled , so long as they remain subscribing members , to wear the centenary jewel . We trust the lodge may go on prospering even more abundantly in the future than it has done in the past . It

has worked strenuously for the honour it has just received , and we have every confidence that its members will endeavour to show themselves in every way worthy of that honour . * a a

Wc call particular attention to a communication which we have received from an esteemed correspondent who signs himself " P , " and which will be found in another column , under the very appropriate heading " A Risk we all Run . " We cannot call to mind an

instance of a similar kind having occurred anywhere within the jurisdiction of our or any other Grand Lodge ; but the facts are vouched tor , and occurred , as we are informed , not more than a fortnight since . The intruder appears to have been suffering from what the writer of the communication very gently describes as

"intermittent madness , " and were it likely that similar intrusions might occur frequently , his suggestion that the Outer Guard should be a man of nerve and muscle and well able to cope with an aggressive person in a state of "intermittent madness" would have to be

adopted . But , as we have said , no such case has , so far as we know , occurred before , and there is , we think , no fear that our lodge Tylers will have to put themselves in training in order to deal with such aggressors as they deserve . » » «

The Transactions ot the Provincial Grand Lodge and Provincial Grand Chapterof Durham , for a copy of which weareindebtedtothecourtesyofthe Prov . Grand Secretary , is a more bulky annual than usual , and will

Masonic Notes.

prove , as regards its general contents , very attractive ; while as regards that portion which relates to the deceased Bro . Sir Hedworth Williamson , Bart , Prov . Grand Master , the interest will necessarily be of a painful character . The Transactions include , firstly ,

a full report of the special meeting of the Prov . G . Lodge held at Wolsingham on the 18 th July last , when Bro . the Rev . Canon Tristram , D . D ., acting Prov . Grand Master , consecrated the Hudson Lodge , No . 2791 , and Bro . Robert Hudson , P . G . S . B ., Prov .

G . Secretary , after whom it is named , installed Bro . R . W . Wraith as the first W . M . Then follows a report of the annual meeting , which was held at Durham on the 24 th September , at which a vote of condolence with Lady Williamson and her family was

passed . The report of the annual meeting of Prov Grand Chapter , at Durham , on the ist December , at which Comp . Canon Trislram , but for his illness , would have been installed Grand Superintendent ,

together with the usual statistical tables , statements of account , and full particulars of the Provincial Charities , their condition , and their work during the past year , complete the ordinary record .

* * In addition , there is a long and circumstantial account of the proceedings which took place in the Masonic Hall , Durham , on the 3 rd February last , when Bro . the Rev . Canon Tristram , Past G . Chap .,

Dep . Prov . G . Master , and Mrs . Tristram , were presented with a handsome service of silver plate as a mark of the love and respect in which they are held throughout the Province and as a memorial of their golden wedding . The remainder of the year ' s record

is occupied with an account of the career of the late Prov . Grand Master , Bro . Sir Hedworth Williamson , Bart ., who died on the 26 th August , together with a full report of his funeral . In connection with this , there is inserted what strikes us as being a life-like

portrait of the late Prov . Grand Master , who , throughout his whole career as a Mason , but more especially as Dep . Prov . Grand Master , from 186 7 to 1885 , and as Prov . Grand Master from 1885 till his death , took the deepest interest in Durham Masonry and contributed very largely to its development .

» * We have said that included in the contents of these 'Transactions " will be found certain statistical Tables , and from these we learn that during the year ending 31 st December , 18 99 , the 37 lodges then on the

roll of the Province comprised 3350 subscribing members , or more by 130 than in the preceding year . This gives the large average of 90 per lodge . On turning to the Table for Prov . Grand Chapter we find that the 13 chapters on the roll comprised 554

subscribing members , the average per chapter being not far short of 43 . But , on comparing the aggregate of the latter with that of the Craft Masons , we remark that the proportion of Royal Arch to Craft

Masons is only about one to six . We pointed out last week that the same proportion , or rather disproportion , exists in the Provinces of Hertfordshire and Kent . So that in Durham , as in those Provinces , there is plenty of room for improvement .

* * * We have also received copy of the report of the Proceedings at the annual meeting of the Provincial Grand Lodge of Leicestershire and Rutland , which was held at Leicester on the 31 st October . This is a

compact , but well-organised , Province , and , though it musters only 14 lodges , carries out its duties well , and at times does more than mig ht reasonably be expected from it . According to the report of the Committee of General Purposes , the number of subscribing brethren

comprised in the 14 lodges on the 24 th June last , after allowing for those who belonged to two or more lodges , was 748 , giving an average of 53 per lodge , and showing an increase upon the previous year ' s return of 32 . We regret , however , to learn from the same

report that the financial condition ot the lodges is somewhat less satisfactory than in the previous year , while the Committee of the Kelly Memorial Fund express their regret " that this deserving Fund still

lacks support , the contributions , both in Capital and Income Account , showing a total of only ^ 47 as compared with the , £ 56 of the previous year . We trust the next report will show an improvement .

We have been asked to correct two errors in Bro . Dr . Forshaw ' s Sonnet on the death of her Majesty the Queen . The 13 th line which was printed : " To dry the tears and hush the throbbing breasts , " should read" So dry thc tears and hush the throbbing breast . "