Consecration Of The Dene Lodge, No. 2228, Cookham.

advocate the claims of the Charities—he referred to Bro . Binckes and Bro . Terry , both of whom he would call on to respond . Bio . BINCKES briefly replied , and Bro . TERRY , in relerring to the Festival not far off , viz ., that of the Benevolent Institution , hoped that , notwithstanding the efforts put forth on behall of the Girls' and the Boys ' , the Benevolent would come in as a little bit of meat to season the whole .

The toast of " The Officers " followed , which was responded to by the S . W . ; and , as most of the brethren had elected to return by an earl y train , a most enjoyable meeting was summarily brought to a close . Bio , Dr . Lott , assisted by Bros , Groom and Stanley Smith , discoursed sweet music during the evening , in addition to the very efficient aid rendered by them in the consecration ceremony .

Provincial Grand Chapter Of West Yorkshire.

PROVINCIAL GRAND CHAPTER OF WEST YORKSHIRE .

At a Convocation ot Grand Chapter , holden in Freemasons' Hall , Surrey-street , Sheffield , on Wednesday , 2 nd November , 188 7 , at 4 p . m ., by the invitation of Chapters Paradise , No . 139 , and Loyalty , No . 29 6 , there were present : Comps . Thomas William Tew , J . P ., P . G . Prin . Soj ., G . Supt . ; John Wordsworth , Prov . G . H . ; Frederick Laxton , Prov . G . J . ; William Longden , P . Prov . G . H . ; William Henry Brittain , Past G . S . B ., P . Prov . G . H . ; Henry Smith , Past G . Prin .

Soj ., Prov . G . S . E . ; Dr . W . R . Thomas , Prov . G . S . N . ; Robert Arnison , P . Prov . G S . N . ; Thomas Harrison , Prov . G . Tieas . ; George Marshall , P . Prov . G . Treas . ; ] ohn F . Mess , P . P . G . P . Soj ., as Prov . G . Reg . ; Edmund Lord , Prov . G . Prin . Soj . ; Thomas Richard Vaux , Prov . G . 1 st Assist . Soj . ; William Watson , Prov . G . 2 nd Asst . Soj . ; Henry Joseph Garnett , P . Prov . G . Soj . ; William Skinner , P . Prov . G . Suj . ; John Shaw , as Prov . G . Swd . Br . ; Win . Fredk . Tomlinson , as Prov . G . Std .

Br . ; John E . Wordsworth , as Prov . G . D . of Cers . ; Thos . B . Edwards , as Prov . Asst . G . D . of Cers . ; W . F . Smithson , P . P . G . D . of Cers . ; Joseph Mellowes , P ., as Prov . G . Org . ; Herbert G . E . Green , Prov . Asst . G . S . E . ; Thomas Leighton , as Prov . G . Janitor ; Fredk . Cleeves , as Pvov . G . Stwd . -, W . Uidgard Massie , Prov . G , Stwd . 5 Clement C . Carr , as Prov . G . Stwd . ; Wm . Chas . Ellisdon , Prov . G . Stwd . ; and others ; and companions of the following chapters , viz .: 139 , 154 , 20 S , 242 , 275 , 2 S 9 , 200 , 296 , 302 , 304 , 306 , 495 , 521 , S 37 , 904 , 1019 , 1042 , 1214 , 1513 .

Comp . Thomas William lew , J . P ., Grand Superintendent , and Officers opened Provincial Grand Chapter at 4 o ' clock , when the roll of Royal Arch Chapters and of Present and Past Prov . Officers was called . The minutes of the meeting held at Leeds , April 30 , 1887 , were read and confirmed .

The GRAND SUPERINTENDENT then delivered the following address;—Excellent Companions , —1 thank you for the salutation and cordiality with which you have received the Provincial G > and Chapter 01 Royal Arch . Vlasons of West Yorkshire , surrounded by ihe banners of the Twelve Tribes of Israel . It is a great pleasure , I can assure you , to come to Sheffield , and to meet so many representa . ives of the chapters under my jurisdiction in this noble hall , devoted to Freemasonry in its various Degrees . It is a fortress of "Loyalty and Chanty , " and a " Home and Rest "

for those who seek peace within its \ va ls , and who prefer the fellowship of brotherhood of civilization and humanity to the enmity of agitation so prevalent around us . I am glad to realize the feeling that it is the firm belief of Royal Arch Masons that our vital interests arc concealed in the maintenance of this spirit of " fence , Love , and Unity , " and that we are determined to do all that in us lies to love our Sovereign and Supreme Grand Master and our Order ; therefore , we have the greatest reason to-day to form the double Great Triangle to mediate on its signific ant symbolism to work in " Love and

Unity , " to venecate the wisdom of the Sacred writings , to keep the " Sacred Word , " to do unto others as we would wish to be done by ; and so to study virtue as to hand down to our successors in Royal Arch Masonry names unspotted by unlawful demonstrations and our conduct worthy by all men of imitation . Hence the advocacy of the Symbolic Degree and beautiful Order , founded on universal wisdom , unfolding its gates to receive the worthy professors of genuine religion and knowledge , and so conspicious by the example set us in the lives and ancient characters of the nine great officers

representatively formed in the chapter by the Principals and the figure of an Arch , and typical to us of the '' Sanhedrim of the Jews . " studying to comprehend the beautiful allegori s of this Institution of Masonry we meet in this G'and Chapter to foster and strengthen the Order attached to our lodges , and to encourage Craftsmen to enter therein ihat they may becume wiser and better men by their admission to Royal Arch mysteries . You have this year so generously responded to the topics named in my address to Convocation in April last at Leeds , in the events connected with the commemoration of the Jubilee of

Her Most Gracious vajesty Queen Victoria in London , | une 13 th , and at York on the 6 th Way , at Lord Zetland ' s installation as Grand Superintendent of North and East Yorkshire , and in sanctioning a donation of fifty guineas from the chapter funds towards the purchase of two permanent presentations to the Widows' Fund of the Royal Vlasonic Penevolent Institution ; three guineas to the Imperial Institute of the United Kingdom , the Colonies and India , and besides so nobly contributing , each in your several capacities as companions of chapters , or by chapters to the support of the Festivals of our

Charitable Institutions , as well as responding to other innumerable calls for celebrating the fiftieth year of the reign of our Queen , that , without going over the whole of these interesting events in detail , it remains simply for me to-day to refer to the accomplishment of our schemes and the success of candidates at our eledions , and labours in all these works of rejoicings in which Royal Arch Masonry has assisted and played its part . The Queen , in a letter to her subjects on the 24 th June , and our Supreme Grand Master , have acknowledged the generosity , loyaltv , and devotion of the Craft and of

Royal Aich Masons in various ways most gratifying to ourselves and to the cherished principles of our various Orders . " We pray , therefore , Almighty God , the sole Architect of the Universe , at whose command the world burst forth from chaos , and all created matter had its birth , to crown them with every blessing from His inexhaustible store , and finally give them possession of an immortal inheritance in those heavenly mansions , veiled as yet from mortal eyes , where all secrets will be opened never to be closed . " The progress which Royal Arch Masonry has made in England from the year 1837 to the

year 1 SS 7 is as remarkable as the progress of Craft lodges which I quoted at Heckmondwike . The statistics of the L . rand Scribe E . of ;> upreme Grand L hapter show that in the year 1 S 3 7 there were 215 chapters . In the year 1 SS 7 there ae 700 , being an increase of 4 S 5 chapters during the past 50 years . This marvellous addition of chapters must show that the essence of virtue with which the Queen has enshrined the throne , and which has exalted the nation- she , as the beautiful Rose of Sharon , in conjunction with that Lily of the Valley , the Princess of Wales , have exalted by their lives our

intellectual parts and the prosperity of Masonry and of the people in the Empire . I have to inform you that at the Quarterly Convocation of Supreme Grand Chapter , on the 3 rd August , 1 SS 7 , "Companion Colonel Shadwell H . Clerke , G . S . E ., stated that the companions were aware that , at a recent meeting at the Royal Albert Hall , his Royal Highness the Prince of Wales , M . W . G . M . of the Grand Lodge of England , was pleased to grant special rank in honour of Her Majesty ' s Jubilee . As First Grand Principal , His Royal Highness has been pleased to declare that those brethren appointed

as t ast Grand Craft Officers should have Past Grand rank in Grand Chapter , provided , of course , that they were duly qualified according to the Royal Arch regulations . 1 have , therefore , to announce , by his Royal Highness ' s command , the names and rank of those companions on whom he had conferred Past Grand rank . '' Amongst these , Comp Henry Smith had received the rank of Principal Sojourner , and Comp VV . H . Brittain , Sword Hearer , in Supreme Grand Chapter of England . West Yorkshire is highly complimented by the Supreme Grand Waster ' s recognition of the merits of these

esteemed members of this Prov Crand Chapter . May they long enjoy their offices in Grand Chapter . I cannot refrain from expressing before Sheffield companions the admiration I feel for one of their most prominent Craftsmen ; one who was initiated into Masonry in Lodge No . 139 on 10 th February , 1 S 59 , exalted into Paradise Chapter 21 st May , 1 S 60 ; was Z . in the year 1 S 6 7 and iSCS ; joined Loyalty Chapter , No . 296 , on 22 nd April , 1 S 61 ; was Z . in 1 S 66 and Prov . G . H . in 1 S 7 S . He has consecrated three chapters in West York , viz , 904 , 14 G 2 , and 1513 . He is also an honorary member of Chapters No . 242 , 904 , 1513 , avid 1661 , Newark . He has installed most of the Sheffield P . Z . 's ., as well as a good number of the Z . ' s of the above-mentioned chapters , He is ,

Provincial Grand Chapter Of West Yorkshire.

as you all know , a deeply read Mason , and an authority in rites and ceremonies , and beloved b y all > n Sheffield , and , indeed , by every one in South Yorkshire who come in contact wnh him , but so modest and so sensitive that he will not permit this day of any outward recognition of our great appreciation of his services to the Craft and to Sheffield . He is , as you know , Comp _ . Ensor Drury , the learned Registrar at Firth ' s t ollege I can only ask you to join with me by this mention of his social and Masonic

qualifications in expressing the obligations of this Province towards himself and his varied labours , and that the Most High may preserve his valuable life to every one of us for many years to come . Since addressing you at Leeds much laborious work has been done in the revision of the By-Laws of frov . Grand Chapter , and we owe a debt of gratitude to those excellent Companions Watson , Mason , Smith , Green , and Smithson , who have given much time to this business . The record of old chapters up

to the present time has taken their assiduous attention for several months to complete . You are aware that in 1 SS 5 there was appended to the account of the installation proceedings at Leeds a record of the chief transactions in Masonry since 1 S 21 . These companions have thought fit to compile a similar record of the events of Royal Arch 1 VIasonry , and to bind these " Notes " up with the By-Laws and the R . A . Regulations as well . This work is complete and in the printer's hands , and before the meeting ot

this Grand Chapter in 18 S 8 will be distributed to the 3 S chapters of this province . You will , I hope , join with me in congratulating these brethren who have brought this work and history to so satisfactory a termination , and I venture to say I know of no other province which will possess like West Yorkshire such an historical compendium of Royal Arch Masonry as ours . I wish to point out an important modification in these revised By-Laws . That of By-Law XV ., " every chapter shall , on or before the first day of

February in each year , transmit to the Prov . brand Scribe E . a list or return of all its members up to the 31 st December , " & c . It used to be on or before the 1 st March in each year . I ask your attention to this alteration in order to lighten the already too heavy secretarial duties at Wakefield . During the past six montns death has carried off Comp . J * seph tiinns , of 30 G , and J ames Allott Woodhead , the Z . of 1452 . He died in luiy , but the Prov . G . Scribe E . was not advised of it . Mrs . Woodhead has returned his

post card of this meeting endorsed , "Died 4 th July , 1 SS 7 . " Had the S . E . of 1462 written to Wakefield , to unfortunate an incident would have been avoided . The other death is Comp . Ed . Sewell , of Chapter No 302 , who died at Fulneck , near Leeds , on the 20 th October , aged 68 years . He was elected on the Annuity Fund last May , and he only enjoyed half a year ' s annuity . To the family and friends of these departed

companions our sympathies are with them in the sorrows and griefs with which the "Most High , " has thought fit to visit them . " Companions , as we have assembled in the name of the '' Most High , " to acknowledge His power , His wisdom , and His goodness , so let us implore now His blessing to enable us to trace out His wonderful works , the desire of every companion in this Convocation of Royal Arch Masonry .

Comps . Henry Smith , Prov . G . S . E ., Past Grand Prin . Soj . ol England , and Wm . Hy . Brittain , P . P . G . H ., Past Grand Sword Bearer of England , were saluted . Comp . Moss , acting Registrar , presented the revised Prov . G . Chapter By-Laws , which have been carefully written out in the minute book of Provincial Grand Chapter , to which the Grand Superintendent attached his

signature . ( He also called attention to the roll of chapters , with short history attached , which had been printed in sheet form , lor the purpose of being framed , and advised each chapter to possess a copy ; and stated that printed copies of the revised By-Laws , with roll of chapters and history , a limited number , which has been bound up with the Royal Arch Regulations , would shortly be ready . )

Moved by Comp . Moss , P . Z . 296 , seconded by Comp . ARNISON , P . Z . 296 , and resolved , " That the best thanks of this Grand Chapter are due and are hereby given to the By-Laws Committee , and more especially the companions who had laboured so successfully in compiling the Roll of Chapters and History . "

Comp . SMITHSON , P . Z . 28 9 , P . P . G . D . of C , Chairman of the Charity Committee , staled that the Queen Victoria Jubilee Presentation Fund onl y required about £ 16 to complete it , and urged the 15 chapters which had not as yet contributed to make the amount up . Moved by Comp . F . LAXTON , P . Z . 275 , Prov . G . H ., seconded by Comp . J WORDSWORTH , P . Z . 154 , Prov . G . J ., and resolved , "That a hearty vote of thanks be accorded to the M . E . Z . ' s and companions of the Sheffield chapters for their kind invitation and excellent arrangements . "

Comps . FREDK . CLKEVES , Z . 139 , and CLEMENT C . CARR , Z . 296 , briefly acknowledged the compliment . There being an application for the May ( 1888 ) Convocation , the Grand Superintendent said he should fix the meeting for Rotherham . Prov . G . Chapter was closed according to antient custom .

Provincial Grand Mark Lodge Of West Yorkshire.

PROVINCIAL GRAND MARK LODGE OF WEST YORKSHIRE .

The annual meeting of the above Provincial Grand Lodge was held at Barnsley , on Monday , the 24 th ult . The Portal Lodge , No . 127 , having been opened , the Prov . G . M . and Officers entered . There were present—Bros . C . F . Matier , P . G . W ., as Deputy P . G . M . ; G . Althorp , Prov . S . G . W . ; J . H . Gration , Prov . J . G . W . ; W . F . Tomlinson , Prov . G . M . O . ; Darling , as Prov . S . G . O . ;

Dr . Pugh , as P . J . G . O . ; Rev . Dr . Smjth , G . C . Eng ., as Prov . G . Chap . ; W . R . Massie , Prov . G . Reg . ; Wm . Cooke , P . G . O . Eng ., Prov . G . Sec ; Geo . Hill , Prov . S . G . D . ; Bennett , as P . S . G . O . ; H . A . Styring , Prov . G . I . of W . ; E . J . Massie , Piov . G . D . C . ; F . Smith , Prov . A . G . D . C . ; C . Greenwood , P . G . Swd . Br . ; Henry Smith , P . G . Std . Br . ; G . Wragg , P . G . Org . ; F . Barber , P . G . I . G . ; Ackroyd , Howden , Locking , and Dewhurst , P . G . Stwds . ; and Barraud , as P . G . Tvler .

The PROV . GRAND MASTER , having been saluted in accordance with ancient custom , said it was not his intention to address the brethren at any length ; but first he desired to welcome their distinguished visitor , the R . W . the Prov . G . M . M . of Lincolnshire , who had come at no small inconvenience to himself to take part in their proceedings , to show that kindly good feeling existing amongst them . The R . W . Bro . C F . Matier , P . G . VV ., " A G . Sec ,

had come down speciall y from London to say a few words of encouragement ; and to all their visitors they gave a hearty welcome . The Provincial Grand Master staled that it was with very great regret that he had received from Bro . Lukis his resignation as D . P . G . M . He was quite sure that during the four years that Bro . Lukis had held that office he had proved himself to be a true man and brother ; one who had taken a great interest

in the Order , and in every way endeavoured to promote its usefulness . He mig ht say he was the chief promoter of the Prince Leopold Lodge at Ripon . It was not only in Masonry that Bro . Lukis had distinguished himself , he was also a great archaeological scholar of no mean repute . He desired most heartily to thank Bro . Lukis for all his kind services , and he lelt sure the whole province would also join

in expressing their thanks , and they all trusted that the rest that Bro . Lukis was taking , would tend to restore his health and preserve his life for many years to come . Whilst sincerel y regretting the loss of Bro . Lukis ' s services , he had p leasure in stating , as no doubt they were already aware , that he had offered the DeoutvshiD to V . W . Bro . Dr . Smvth . G . Chan , of Eng land ,

and that he had most kindl y accepted it . He knew that Bro . Dr . Smyth possessed the esteem of every Mason in West Yorks , and that he vyas a learned and erudite brother , who would bring with him the experience of a 40 years' connection with Mark Masonry . During the yp ar they had lost one of the Provincial Grand Officers , Bro . James Gooding