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London Rowing Club and the Thames Rowing Club , the two principal amateur clubs , which have now acquired a world-wide reputation . The progress of the lodge since its commencement has been steady , but not rapid , and it does not appear to be so well known among amateur rowing clubs as it should be , seeing that itwas specially designed for increasing by means of Masonry the friendship between the rowing fraternity which always exists so strongly . The Iodge is suitable for them in every way ; it meets at Putney , a generally-acknowledged rowing locality , and its days of meeting are the second Monday in January , March , October , November , and Decemberthe first two

, months being before the boating season commences , and the last three after it closes . It has only rowing men in it , and it has now broadened its bas s by accepting members of other than the London and Thames Clubs . Its present members are Bros . Eugene Monteuuis , P . M . 14 , 2060 , P . G . S ., P . G . S . B ., P . M . and D . C . ( L . R . C ); John Charles Radford , P . M . 1420 , P . M . and Treas . ( T . R . C ) ; Gordon Smith . P . M . 2041 , 14 , P . G . S „ P . M . ( T . R . C ); George Daniel Lister , P . M . 4 S 2 , 1361 , P . P . G . Supt . of Works , G . Stwd ., P . M . ( L . R . C . ); Thomas William Willis , P . M ., Stwd . ( T . R . C ); Ernest Theodore Smith , P . M . 176 S . P . M . ( T . R . C . ); William Ernest Smith ( T . R . C . ); Frank

Richardson , P . M . 14 , P . G . D . ( L . R . C . ); Cuthbert Walter Mapleton , P . M . 256 , P . M . and Sec . ( T . R . C ); Herbert Henry Woodroffe ( L . R . C . ); Percy Stinsfeld Smith ( T . R . C . ); Charles Wylde Hughes ( T . R . C ); Lieut .-Col . Herbert Burrows Adcock ( L . R . C . ) j A . Thorn ( L . R . C . ) j C . Val Hunter ( T . R . C . ); H . Murray Watt ( T . R . C . ); P . A . N . Thorn ( L . R . C . ) ; F . H . Willis , Stwd . ( L . R . C ); Arthur John May ( T . R . C . ); Herbert C . Arthur ( T . R . C . ); William Dick Barclay ( T . R . C . ); A . S . Falconer

( T . R . C . ); D . Lyell ( T . R . C . ) j and W . G . Fidge ( Vesta R . C ) . Its first Master was Bro . Eugene Monteuuis ( 1 SS 8 ) , who was followed by Bro . Charles Radford ( ISSQ ) , and Gordon Smith ( 1891 ) , George Daniel Lister ( 1 S 92 ) , Thomas William Willis ( 1893 ) , Ernest Theodore Smith ( 1894 ) , Cuthbert Walter Mapleton ( 1895 ) , and Herbert Henry Woodroffe ( 1 S 96 ) . With such Past Masters and such a list of members as that given above there ought to be no difficulty in making the lodge a numerous lodge .

The brethren who attended the installation meeting were Bros . H . H . Woodroffe , W . M . j P . Stansfeld Smith , S . W . j C W . Hughes , J . W . ; J . C . Radford , Treas . ; C W . Mapleton , Sec . ; A . Thorn , S . D . ; H . M . Watt , J . D . ; P . A . N . Thorn , l . G . ; A . S . Falconer ; Alfred Williams ; T . W . Willis , P . M . ; E . T . Smith , P . M . ; Frank Richardson , P . G . D . ; W . G . Fidge , H . C Arthur , A . J . May , and D . D . Barclay , Visitors : Bros . Ralph Langton , 1657 j H . W . Prior , P . M . 90 ; Walter Oldlield , 2328 ; J . Maples , 144 ; J . Anderson , 2319 j E . Hallowes , P . M . 33 j C . O . Haas , Stwd . 1777 j H . Massey , P . M . 619 and 192 S j C Smith , F . H . Attwater , and W . J ,

Dyer , 2030 . The lodge was opened by the W . M ., Bro . Herbert Henry Woodroffe , and , after the minutes had been read and confirmed , the report of the Audit Committee was submitted and passed . It showed a balance of £ 41 in hand , and 10 guineas of this amount was transferred to the lodge Charity account . When the ceremony of installation came on , Bro . J . C . Radford , P . M ., Treas ., was placed in the S . W . 's chair and Bro . T . W . Willis , P . M ., in the J . W . 's chair . Bro . Woodroffe installed as W . M . Bro . Percy Stansfeld Smith , and was himself invested as I . P . M ., afterwards receiving a handsome Past Master's jewel , in recognition of his services during the past year as W . M . The

officers of the new W . M . for the year were Bros . C . W . Hughes , S . W . ; Alexander Thorn , J . W .: J . C Radford , P . M ., Treas . j C . W . Mapleton , P . M ., Sec ; H . M . Watt , S . D . j P . A . N . Thorn , J . D . j F . H . Willis , I . G . ; Eugene Monteuuis , P . M ., D . C . j T . W . Willis and A . J . May , Stewards ,- and F . G . Mitchell , Tyler . The address to the W . M . was delivered by Bro . J . C . Radford , P . M . ; that to the Wardens by Bro . Woodroffe ; and that to the brethren by Bro . Willis , P . M . A vote of sympathy in his illness was passed to Bro . Eugene Monteuuis , which the Secretary was directed to convey to him by letter , after which the lodge was closed , and

the brethren adjourned to banquet . At the conclusion of the banquet , the usual toasts were proposed , and a beautiful vocal and instrumental musical entertainment was given by Bro . R . B . Hopkins on the silver bellsj Mr . T . Detmar , Mr . Josef Claus , and Mr . Wallis Arthur . Bro . Frank Richardson , P . G . D ., returning thanks for "The Grand Officers , " said good masters made good servants , and as the Grand Officers had had a really good Master in the Prince of Wales , he supposed that was the reason they had had such good men at the head of Freemasonry . The Prince of Wales was never tired of doing

food in Masonry , and about a month ago , on one of the wettest and most miserable ays ever experienced , he drove from Longton to Staffordshire to lay the foundation stone of a Mechanics' Institute . How it was he did not catch his death with cold he ( Bro . Richardson ) did not know . In Loid Lathom the brethren had a man who did his duty , and although , there were more than 100 lodges in his province , in the course of the year he managed to attend the installation meetings of each . He had put in writing that he would attend the installation meeting of a lodge named after himself which met

at the Surrey Masonic Hall next month ; but , unfortunately , the day happened to be Good Friday , and the meeting would not be held on that day . Lord Amherst was one of the oldest Provincial Grand Masters in the country and he was a good worker . Those brethren who were at Grand Lodge on the 3 rd inst ., were able to see how he ruled overit and brought the business to a close . As regarded the other Grand Officers he believed they did their duty ; wheneve r called upon they did it to the best of their lights ; they did it to show they had not been pitchforked into their honours , but that they were entitled to the distinction conferred upon them .

Bro . Herbert Henry Woodroffe , I . P . M ., proposed "The W . M ., " a toast which always met with a cordial reception , but in a Iodge like the Argonauts , where the W . M . was such a good friend to all the brethren as Bro . Percy Stansfeld Smith was , it was likely to be most enthusiastic . Most of the brethren had seen him work up from the position of I . G . For the last few months Bro . Smith had worked for the duties he had now to perform . As one who knew Bro . Smith thoroughly he could say that what he undertook to do he carried out successfully , and when he undertook the Mastership of the Argonauts Lodge he wou'd be as successful in that sphere as he ahvavs had been

in former efforts in other walks of life . Bro . Percy Stansfeld Smith , I . P . M ., in acknowledging the proposal and the reception of the toast , said he did so with a very tremulous feeling , inasmuch as his predecessors in the chair had performed the duties of that position so perfectly . However , the brethren had taken him for good or for evil , such as he was . He wished to express his thanks for the cordial way he had been received , and as he was going to conduct the speeches with brevity throughout the evening , he would simply thank the brethren for their kindness , and assure them that he should endeavour to conduct the affairs of the

lodge with credit to himself and to the happiness of all the members . Bro . Piior , replying to the toast of " The Visitors , " said it was very pleasing to be present to see his partner in business installed in the W . M . ' s chiirj but that was not the only reason for his pleasure j there was another and as forcible a one ; Bro . Percy Smith was such a thoroughly good fellow . He wished him every prosperity and happiness in the chair of the Argonauts Lodge . He was at Bro . Smith ' s initiation , and also at that of his brother Charles . Bro . Percy Smith and Bro . Charles Smith entered very heartily into the ceremony , and at the time he ( Bro . Prior ) knew they would make good

Masons . He congratulated the W . M . on having Bro . Frank Richardson present . There was no brother in the Craft who had done so much for the Charities as he ; he was an honour to Freemasonry ; he had been through many ceremonies—250 he thought —and it was a thing for the Argonauts Lodge to be proud of that he was a member . He ( Bro . Piior ) had always taken a great interest in Masonry , and as a proof that he had , he might mention that on the previous Monday he sat down to his 114 th meeting of his St . John's Lodge , No . go ; he never had missed a single meeting of that lodge , and he mentioned this as an incentive to members who were coming on in the Argonauts Lodge .

When he was in the chair of St . John ' s Lodge he felt as proud as King Solomon , but the W . M . of the Argonauts Lodge looked better , and worthy to be the Master in the Diamond year of Queen Victoria . Long might he live to enjoy that prosperity in Masonry and the hospitality of all connected with this lodge ! Bro . E . Hallowes also responded . As an old P . M . of No . 33 he did not think from what he had seen that evening that the provinces and the suburbs had much to learn from the London lodges . The work had been carried out from start to finish perfectly . Bro . Percy Smith was following brethren in the chair who had set a good example which he would be proud to follow . The Argonauts Lodge had a future before

't of great prosperity . Long might it continue . Bro . Percy Stansfeld Smith , W . M ., next said he really hardly knew how to begin in proposing the toast of " The Past Masteis . " There were five or six of them present that evening .- This young lodge had been proud of its Past Masters , for a more indefati gable crowd he had never met . They had all been hard workers , and he felt in the chair very much indebted to them . He was going to couple with the toast Bro . Woodroffe , I . P . M ., and Bro . Radford , the Treasurer , a most worthy individual , and IUJ S ' '" dispensable officer j and Bro . Mapleton , Secretary of that lodge and of several lod ges of improvement—a regular rat for work j he never missed a meeting of the latter ,

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and was as keen as any brother . He took particular pains in polishing up a rough diamond , and for some time past , he ( the W . M . ) had been like a bee in a bottle . For the very arduous and able way in which the P . Ms , had pushed him ( the W . M . ) on to the chair of K . S ., he had to express his thanks , and he hoped that when he went out of it it would not be found he had been so very bad . They were perfectly right—if anyone wanted to do anything in Masonry he must work at it .

Bro . Woodroffe said he had been a P . M . so short a time that he could hardly be considered to be included among the P . Ms , who had worked so hard . However , he hopfd to do his best in the future , and it would be one of his pleasantest duties . Although the P . Ms , had passed the chair , they had not lost interest in the lodge , and if any one of thc officers should at anytime be unable to be present , the P . Ms , were always ready to fill his place .

Bro . Radford , P . M ., Treas ., said he considered it a great honour to be a P . M . of the Argonauts Lodge , although he had the honour to be a P . M . of other lodges . The conviviality and joviality of the Argonauts Lodge surpassed anything he had experienced . That night they were able to report a balance in advance of anything they had been previously able to report , notwithstanding they had carried a sum to their Special Charity Fund , to which Bro . Ernest Smith had contributed five guineas . They carried forward — £ 28 . He was pleased to follow in the steps of Bro . Frank

Richardson . The brethren were indebted to that brother for the founding of the lodge . It was first mooted in the Thames Rowing Club , and their dear Bro . Monteuuis joined most heartily in it . But there was a difficulty at that time in getting warrants for class lodges , but Bro . Monteuuis said that if there was anyone who could put them in the way of getting one , Bro . Frank Riclurdson was the brother to dj it . Bro . Richardson did so , and they succeeded in making that lodge practically an exclusive lodge for rowing men .

Bro . C . W . Mapleton , P . M ., Sec , also replied , and said that the W . M . had said he was a rat to work , but he wished the W . M . to remember that rats were connected with sewers . The W . M . had also said that he himself had been like a bee in a bottle on account of his ( Bro . Mapleton ' s ) assisting him in the work . Well , as a P . M . of the lodge , he had great pleasure in keeping it going or in helping it in any way . lt had then been in existence nine years , and with one exception all the Past Masters of the lodge were still with them . That was a great thing to say . Most of the Past Masters

held office in the lodge , like the Treasurer and D . C ., and himself ( Bro . Mapleton ) , anl that showed the great interest of the Past Masters j they kept it going , and it gave stability to a lodge , for very often if they got a number of young initiates , especially among rowing men , they were a little gasyj they might have bald heads and wear spectacles , but still they were young ; they wanted helping along and advising . But any time they wanted advice the Past Masters were pleased to see them . The brethren

knew his address in the City and also at Putney , and at any time at either place he was glad to see them to give them any advice in his power . The lodge was then round the signal . The brethren heard from the report that it had a good balance , and he asked the brethren to put their backs into the work of the lodge , and keep it going , and it would hold its own with any of the lodges . The toast of "The Officers" was then honoured and responded to . The Tyler ' s toast closed the proceedings .

Bisley Lodge , No , 2317 . A regular meeting of this lodge was held at the Masonic Hall , Woking , on Thursday , the 4 th inst . The W . M ., Bro . Capt . J . Hay , occupied the chair , and was supported by Bros . J . H . Askham , P . M ., S . W . ; I . Tomlinson , S . W . ; J . B . S . Lancaster , P . M ., Sec ; R . Clamp , S . D . ; H . Whitburn , J . D . ; H . W . Gloster , Steward ,- J . VV . H . Littleboy , I . P . M . ; J . Webb , P . M . ; C . F . Passmore , P . M . ; W . A . Shaw , P . M . ; Gale , Honner , Wilkins , Dadge , and Gunning . Visitors : Bros . R . F . Gould , P . G . D .,- H . J . Bidwell , P . M ., Sec . 2120 ; A . Gibbs , P . M . 2101 ; and

E . G . Gale , 2521 . After the formal opening of the lodge and the confirmation of the minutes of the last meeting , Bro . H . Honner was raised to the Third Degree , the ceremony being most ably performed by the W . M . Notice of motion was given from the chair that at the next meeting it would be proposed that the sum of five guineas should be contributed from each of thelodge funds ( Ordinary and Benevolent ) tothe scheme ' for commemorating her Majesty ' s Diamond Jubilee by the erection of a hospital for Woking and the neighbourhood .

Apologies for non-attendance were received from Bros . Major G . Collins , P . M ., Treas . j the Rev . E . R . Parr ( vicar of Chertsey ) , andothjrs . The lodge was then closed , and the brethren dined together under the presidency of the W . M .

The usual toasts followed . Bro . R . F . Gould replied for " The Grand Officers . " " The Health of the W . M . " was proposed by Bra . Lancaster ( in the absence of tha

I . P . M . ) The W . M . suitably responded . Other toasts succeeded , and a very pleasant evening was spent , the enjoyment of the brethren being much enhanced by the excellent musical programme which had been provided for them , and in which Bros . Wilkins , Webb , Bidwell , Whitburn , Gibbs , and Gloster took the leading parts .

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Earl of Carnarvon Lodge , No . 211 . The installation meeting of this Iodge was held at Anderton ' s Hotel , Fleet-street on the 25 th ult . Among those present were Bros . Dr . H . Kiallmark , P . G . S ., W . M . ; G . Larter , S . W ., Master elect ; E . Beard , J . W . ; R . Lawson , P . M ., P . G . S ., M . O . ; J . Rossdale . S . O . j J . N . Frye , P . M ., Treas . ; Mij . T . C Walls , P . M ., P . G . S . B ., Sec ; P . Monson , P . M . ; and J . N . Huish , P . M . Bros . H . J . Lardner . P . M .. P . S . G . D ., and J . D . Wilde , 3 S 7 ( I . C ) , were visitors . The minutes of the previous meeting having been read and confirmedthe ballot

, was taken on behalf of Bros . F . N . Hardinge , P . M ., P . Z . ; G . Wales , P . M . ; and George Strevens . They , being in attendance , were duly and impressively advanced by the W . M . Bro . H . J . Lardner then presented Bro . G . Larter , S . W ., Master elect , and he was impressively installed by the W . M . Among the oflicers appointed and invested were Bros . Beard , S . W . ; Rossdile , J . W . j R . LawsJn , P . M ., M . O . ; Richards S . O . ; G . Hardinge , J . O . ; J . N . Frye , P . M ., Treas . ; Maj . T . C Walls , P . M .. Sec :

G . Wales , S . D . ; G . Strevens , J . D . ; and Ellis , Tyler . A Past Master ' s jewel was presented to the VV . M ., and a vote of thanks passed to him for his services as Installing Officer . The audit report was received and adopted . It having been reported that Bro . J . Taylor , P . M ., had died , a vote of condolence was passed to the widow and family , and the Secretary was directed to forward same to them . Bros . F . C Frye , P . M ., and Dr . E . F . Pocock , P . M ., sent apologies for non-attendance . The lodge was then closed , and a banqust followed .

The W . M . made an excellent chairman , his manner was genial , and his respective utterances were not too long . Bro . H . J . Lardner responded in a neat speech on behalf of " I'he Grand Officers . " A very pleasant evening was spent . Several of the brethren contributed selections both of a humorous and sentimental character .

A l'ANCY DRESS HALL will be held at the Crystal Palace in commemoration of the Queen ' s Diamond Jubilee on April 28 th , in aid of the Nursing Division of the Soldiers ' and Sailors' Families Association , under the immediate patronage of the Duke and Duchess of Connaught , Princess Christian , and the Marchioness of Lome . AMONG THE GUESTS present at the second reception held by the Countess Stanh ipe at her residence in Grosvenor-place , on Saturday evening lastwere the Austro-Hungarian

, and Spanish Ambassadors , the Danish Minister , the Earl and Countess of Romney , the Earl and Countess of Dundjnald , Bio . Viscount and Viscountess Ebrington , Lord and Lady Clinton , Bro . Lord and Lady Ampthill , Lord and Lady Morris , Bro . Lord Norton , Lord Colchester , Bro . Lord and Lady Methuen , Sir Edward Poynter , P . R . A ., Bro . Lord Loch , Bro . Sir Michael and Lady Lucy Hicks-Beach , Sir Francis and Lady Jeune , Bro . Victor Cavendish , M . P ., and Lady Evelyn Cavendish , and Sir John and Lady Lubbock ,