Grand Lodge Of Tasmania

accorded to their elected chief by all sections of the English Craft , from his Royal Highness the Grand Master downwards . Nor can the brethren in this distant part ol the British Empire have been otherwise than deeply impressed with the picture

their Grand Master gave of the principal Alasonic gatherings to which he had been invited . No doubt they had heard long before he returned home how he had visited United Grand Lodee and our Institutions ; how he had been present at thc

Centenary of our Boys' School and sundry of the principal functions which are celebrated annually ; and how , wherever he attended , ho had been heartily and enthusiastically received , not only as an honoured guest from a remote colony , but also as

the Graud Master , and , therefore , in his own person the representative , of one of the many British Colonial Grand Lodges which have come into existence during the last half century , and which , though they severally exercise supreme authority

over the Masons in their respective countries , are , nevertheless , part and parcel , so to speak , of our own Masonic kith ancl kin . All this must have lent additional interest to the proceedings at the recent annual communication at Launceston .

We have said that thc reports forthe year iSg . S , as presented by the Boards and executive officers of Grand Lodge , were most encouraging . At lirst sight this remark might not seem to apply to that of the Board of Benevolence , from which we learn that

" early in the year thc liabilities attaching to the Tasmanian Masonic Benevolent Fund were assumed by the Board , the Fund having previously been vested in Trustees for the benefit of thc Grand Lodge Fund . As these liabilities at the present time

largely exceed the income derived from the investments in thc securities held by the Trustees , some time must necessarily elapse before the full advantage accruing from the transfer ol

this important Fund can be realised . " But this is only a temporary drawback , nor does it seem to have affected the prosperity of the Fund of Benevolence generally , seeing that , after accounting for the interest received from the Trustees of thc Fund thus

taken over and for expenditure amounting to , £ 15 6 7 s ., there remained a balance in hand of over / , 132 . One incident is mentioned , which , as it illustrates the spirit in which the Committee of the Masonic Benevolent Fund discharged their duties , is

well worthy of being repeated in our columns . Assistance had been rendered to a well-known brother by the said Committee , and in order to save certain liie assurance policies ,

it took them over , and " regularly paid the premiums for several ycars , und made an advance to the brother , who was in some distress al the time . " The brother has recently died and " it fell to the ht of the Trustees of thc transferred Fund to hand

over to the widow the substantial sum of £ , 145 14 s . 2 d ., after allowing for advances previously made and for thc premiums paid ; and in addition , to restore , paid up to date , a policy on the

widow ' s own life for £ 100 . Without the timely assistance given by thc Committee these policies would have lapsed absolutely , and thc widow aud family of au esteemed and deserving brother would have been left in exceedingly poor circumstances . " Il remains for us to add that in the course of the meetiner

Bro . C . E . D .-WIES was re-elected and re-installed M . W . Grand Master for the ensuing year , that hc appointed the same brethren as last year his Pro and Deputy Grand Masters , and invested the rest of his Grand Officers . We may also state that a petition

was presented during the Grand Master ' s absence from home for the constitution of a new lodge to be opened at Oueenstoivn and to be named , in all probability , the Mount Lyell Lodge , aud in

the event of the Grand Master having been able to carry out his intention of visiting the west coast of the island for the purpose of inaugurating it , that lodge now ranks as No . 24 on the roll of the ( irand Lodee of Tasmania .

Lodge No. 228.

LODGE No . 228 .

Bro . G . B . Abbott bas written an interesting sketch of the " Lodge of United Strength , No . 2 J . H , " and has almost literally proved himself to be a manufacturer ; for the period covered by him , viz ., 179 8 to 1 S 1 5 has been entirely made up by researches apart from the minutes which have been lost for those years . Those familiar with Bro . R . Grigg ' s historical address delivered at the Centenary celebration of the lodge will be aware how badly off No . 228 is

Lodge No. 228.

in respect to its early records , yet both Bro . Grigg and Bro . Abbott were not daunted thereby , and have traced a number of facts as to the lodge from its advent in 1798 onward , which has placed the members in possession of a mass of information quite wonderful under the circumstances . The sketch by Bro . Abbott has been neatly printed in book form by

Bro . George Kenning for private distribution , and has my dear old friend James Terry , looking as well preserved and hearty as ever , as the appropriate frontispiece , that zealous Masonic veteran being VV . M . for the third time , and looking as if he could fill it acceptably , as doubtless he would , if needs be , for many more years yet .

Bro . Abbott furnishes two corrections , apparently , to Bro . Jno . Lane s invaluable " Masonic Records , 1717-1 S 94 "; the place of meeting in 1 S 03 being at the " Red Lion , Five-fields , " not " Five Bells , " and it was the " Three Tuns" in which the Lodge assembled a little later on . Apparently , the name was selected in 1816 , viz ., " United Strength , " or even sooner , and probably , in consequence of the union of the two rival Grand Lodges , No . 22 S being under the "Atholl Masons , " or "Ancient , " from 1 79 S to 1813 , as No . 314 .

The roll of principal ollicers from the origin of the Lodge to the " Union , " of Dec , 1 S 13 , is a most useful compilation , as also the Roll of Members for the same period , thus bringing the brethren of the present time acquainted with their forbears , and completing the Register for a century . It is much

to be desired that other competent brethren would be equally diligent in making the histories of their Lodges so happily and accurately known to their members , especially those of last century constitution ' . What could be better than such a digest of the facts , as thus presented , being printed as a preface to the By-Laws and presented to all new members ? W . J . HUGHAN .

Devon Masonic Educational Fund.

DEVON MASONIC EDUCATIONAL FUND .

The annual meeting of this Institution , ot which Bro . the Hon . Sir Stafford Northcote , C . B ., M . P ., Prov . G . M ., is President , was held at the White Hart Hotel , Okchampton , on the 5 th inst ., under the banner of Obedience Lodge , No , 1753 , for the purpose of electing a child on the fu .. ds of the Institution . Until last year it had been the custom to hold the meeting alternately at Exeter and Plymouth , but last year there was a departure , the meeting being held at Torquay , the object being to secure greater interest in the funds .

Prior to the meeting the executive ofiicers of the Institution and representatives of various lodges were entertained by Bro . G . J . Gibson , W . M . 1753 , and the brethren of the lodge . Mr . and Mrs . Heywood served an excellent repast in the dining-rODm of the hotel . On the motion of Bro . C . MUTTEN , seconded by Bro . STEBBING , a cordial vote of thanks was passed to Bros . Gibson and Charles l'iper , Charity Steward ; and to the brethren of the lodge for their kind hospitality , and the arrangements they had made for the meetine .

The brethren present were Bros . E . H . Shorto , P . M ., 39 and 2659 , P . P . J . G . W . ( who presided ) ; C . Stebbing , P . M . 155 and 1212 , P . G . Treas . ; H . R . Grover , P . M . 1135 , P . P . J . G . D . ; J . R . Lord , P . M . 1247 , P . P . G ., Treas ., P . G . D . C . ( Treasurer to the Fund ); J . B . Goi-er , P . L AI . 70 , P . P . A . G . Sec . ( Secretary to the Fund ); W . A . Gregory , P . M . 1753 , P . P . G . Treas . ; J . W . Cornish , P . M . 223 , P . P . G . Treas . ; Charles Piper , P . M . i 7 si , P . D . G . D . C . ; W . Allsford , P . M . 202 ,

P . P . G . Treas . ; G . J . Gibson , W . M . 1753 ; T . H . Channing , 1753 ; A . R . Bray , ' 753 ; W . T . Hockin , P . M . 70 , P . P . G . Std . Br . ; E . G . Dyke , P . M . 1246 , P . P . G . Org . ; A . S . Henty , P . M . ISQ , P . P . S . G . D . ; Andrew Hope , P . M . 39 ; F . W . Payn , P . M . 2025 , P . P . S . G . D . ; \ V . L . Lavers , P . M . 1255 , P . P . G . Std . Br . j Charles Mutten , P . M . 1550 ; R . Douglas Renwick , P . M . 32 S ; J . C . Elliott , P . M . 1212 and 265- ;; W . Powell , P . M . 1205 , P . P . G . Treas . ; B . S . Johns , P . M .

159 , P . P . G . Std . Br . ; J . Griffin , P . M . 2025 , P . P . S . G . D ., and James Coombe , 1753 . The Treasurer ' s report showed that the bilance brought forward from last year , 1897 , was £ 595 6 s . 3 d ., and the subscriptions ar . d other receipts amounted t ° ^ 329 19 s . Sd ., while the interest on the deposit account was , £ 32 io > , making a total of i . 957 16 s . The subscriptions and other receipts for 1897 were

X 529 bs . 4 d ., so that they would see there was a regrettable falling off of nearly J _ . 2 oo as compared with the previous year . This was in a great measure due to the failure of the annual concert at Plymouth . There was in the bank on current account the sum ol i . 558 , and with £ 26 in the Treasurer ' s hands , made a total of / . 5 S 4 . There was also the sum of . £ 1300 on deposit , making their total funds l . ttSs . ( Hear , bear . )

Uro . Ai . i . sroKn said he had no doubt that his action in advising that the proceeds of the concert should be divided had led to a great extent to the falling off in the receipts of at least ^ 100 . He felt now that it was a mistake , and he would endeavour by his future energies to do all he could to rectify it . The CHAIRMAN said he was very sorry to hear the Fund was , £ 200 worse off than it was in the previous year . He trusted that during the coming year all the leeway would be more than made up . He would move the adoption of the report ,

and commended the hard and u-isellish labours of the Treasurer ( Bro . Lord ) , and the Secretary ( Bro . Gover ) , whose work was a labour of love . Bro . P 0 WKI . 1 . seconded the motion , which was carried . The Guardians of the Children having presented their reports , a vote of thanks was passed to them . The following officers were then cordially thanked for their past services , and re-elected : Bros . J . R . Lord , Treas . ; J . B . Gover , Sec ; and W . H . Dillon , Asst . Sec .

On the motion of Bro . CHARI . ES PIPER , seconded by Bro . C . MUTTEN , the Secretary ( Bro . Gover ) was tendered the sincere thanks of the subscribers for the valuable services he had rendered the Fund , of whicii he was one of the founders , and for which Bro . Lord bad done so much . The motion was carried , and in reply , Bro . COVER said he felt very proud of the work done by the Institution . He had held his present post 20 years . He thanked the brethren very sincerely for his re-election . Bros . Allsford and Stanbury were elected Auditors .

The Dep . Prov . G . Master ( Bro . D . ivie ) and the Prov . G . Secretary ( Bro . John Stocker ) were elected on the Committee of Management . Bro . C . MUTTEN moved , and it was resolved , that . £ 5 be voted towards the advancement in life of the son of a brother . It was reported that there were at present 23 children on the fund , the guardians of each being paid an annual sum ol £ 15 .

The brethren then proceeded to elect a child on the Fund . There were two candidates , both of whom were unsuccessful at the last election . The candidate nominated by the llfracombe Lodge was the son of a late brother of Concord Lodge , and brought forward 1086 " votes , and the candidate supported by the