Royal Masonic Benevolent Institution.

which were addenda to the annual New Year ' s Entertainment inaugurated by jjro . James Terry , after he succeeded to the Secretaryship of the Institution , have lite their pioneers always proved a source of great enjoyment to the annuitants , and they take as great an interest in them , and endeavour to contribute to their success as much as those who are only too pleased to once more renew their acquaintance with their old friends . Each unit , therefore , exercising the best of its own force in the harmonious whole , the power which is brought to bear

on the work of entertainment makes the whole affair an easy production , and no one was ever heard to hint that the meetings had been failures . There is , of course , this to be borne in mind , that the originator of these annual assemblies is one of the best and most hospitable of hosts , and has that invaluable gift of manner which makes every one feel perfectly at home whether he or she is a complete stranger appearing on the scene for the first time , or a regular participator in these gatherings .

The compasy arrived shortly after four o clock in the afternoon , and consisted of-. Bro . James Terry , P . G . S . B ., Sec ; Bro . J . G . Stevens , Mr . and Mrs . H . Kemp , Miss Raiker , Mrs . Skinner , Bros . W . Cook , John Oldis , Bro . and Mrs . Vickers , Bro . H . Massey and Miss Lizzie Massey . Miss Davies , Miss Annie Bartle , Bro . Stephen , Patron , and Mrs . Stephens , Bro . H . Times , P . M . and Sec . 165 , and Mrs . Times , Bro . David Hills and Mrs . Hills , Bro . Crutch and Miss Crutch , Bro . G . F . Cook , Airs . Cook , and Miss Cook , Bro . Hubbert , Bro . Hickman , Bro . T . Hastings Miller , C . C , H . M . L . ; Bro . Edward James Anning , C . C , Mrs . Anning , and Miss Anning , and Bro . E . M . Roper and Mrs . Roper .

Great regret was expressed that Mrs . and Miss Terry were not present , as they always form an important item in the general hospitality of the reception . The company of visitors lirst sat down to a prettily-arranged tea , over which the genial Bro . James Stephens , P . D . G . D . C , was called upon to preside , and with the aid of the equally genial Mrs . Stephens he certainly performed the role of host to perfection .

The tea was followed by visits to the residents , and a most pleasant walk in thc grounds , where the residents who practice horticulture took delight in expatiating on the results of their following of the occupation , and in presenting to ladies and gentlemen specimens of the fruits of their exertions . A good hourand-a-half was spent in this . agreeable pastime , and then the residents were summoned by bell to the hall of the Institution to witness an excellent entertainment . Bro . Herbert Schartau conducted , and he had for his assistants Miss Annie Bartle , Miss Jenkins Colyer , Mr . William Fell , Mr . Albert Archdeacon , Mr . Arthur Smith , and Miss Helen Mar . The entertainment was divided into two parts .

Part I . consisted of part song— " Look in mine eyes , beloved , " ( Smart ) ; song— " When the heart is young" ( Dudley Buck ) , Miss Annie Bartle ; ballads —( a ) " Devotion" j ( Monk Gould ) , ( b ) "The Happy Farmer" ( arranged by Somervell ) , Mr . Albert Archdeacon ; new song— "In Maytime" ( Buck ) , Miss Jenkins Colyer ; cornet solo— "Alpine Echoes , " Mr . Arthur Smith ; ballad" When the world is fair" ( Cowen ) , Miss Annie Bartle ; old song— " In this old chair" ( Balfe ) , Mr . Wm . Fell ; cornet obligato , Mr . Arthur Smith ; humorous song , Bro . Herbert Schartau .

In a 20 minutes' interval refreshments were handed round by the visiting brethren to the annuitants and the ladies .

Part II . was as follows : Quintet— " I hear the soft note , " Patience , ( Sullivan ); song— "The Spring is come " ( Mr . White ) , Miss Jenkins Colyer ; song— "Long ago in Alcala , " " Mirette , " ( Messuger ) , Mr . Albert Archdeacon ; "Some American Stories , " Miss Helen Mar ; old ballad— " Annie Laurie " ( Scotch ) , Miss Annie Bartle ; horn solo— " The Post Horn Galop " ( Koenig ) , Mr . Arthur Smith ; ballad— " The Scent of the Lilies" ( Cobb ) , Mr . Win . Fell ; humorous song , Bro . Herbert Schartau ; part song— "Swectand Low" ( Barnby ) . In both parts there were several encores .

Bro . HASTINGS MILLER proposed a vote of thanks to the entertainers , expressing the great enjoyment which everyone had experienced in the performances , and hoping that entertainers and entertained might long live , the one to give and the other to partake of the pleasure . Bro . J AMES STEPHENS seconded the vote in very happy terms , conveying the very pleasurable feelings that he and Mrs . Stephens had experienced , not only in listening to an unrivalled performance of music , but in coming among the annuitants and seeing the care which was taken of them , and their appreciation of the benefits conferred by the Royal Masonic Benevolent Institution .

Bro . HEKUERT SCIIAKTAU having acknowledged the compliment , and conveyed the satisfaction of himself and his corps of assistants in always coming down to thc Institution to perform , reiterated the hope of Bro . Thomas Hastings Miller that both the artistes and the company would live long to participate in these agreeable gatherings . The company , after bidding " good-bye" to the annuitants , returned to town . 1

Masonic Service At Stanmore.

MASONIC SERVICE AT STANMORE .

UNVEILING THE MEMORIAL TO THE LATE BRO . CHARLES VEAL .

An interesting service was held at the Parish Church of St . John the Evangelist , Great Stanmore , on the 4 th inst ., when a brass memorial tablet in commemoration of the late Bro . Cnarles Veal , P . M . aid Secretary , which had been erected by the oliicers and members of the Abercorn Lodge and Chapter , No . 1549 , was unveiled by Bro . Frederick Stuart Winkley , W . M . The brethren assembled in the churchyard shortly after six o ' clock , and ,

preceded by the officiating clergyman , Bro . the Rev . A . R . T . Eales , M . A ., P . G . Chap . Kshcx , Rector of Elstree , the Rev . J . O'Reilly , and the choir , entered the church , the choir singing processional hymn No . 540 . The brethren present included the following , viz . : Bros . F . S . Winkley , W . M . ; Edward Winterbjttom , I . P . M . ; R . E . H . Fisher , KP . G . S ., P . G . R ., S . W . ; Dr . Findlater , J . W . ; W . W . Mansfield , P . M ., P . Z .. P . P . G . S ., P . G . D ., Sec . ; William Truslove , S . D . ; Eli Bull , J . D . ; S . W . Hunt ,

D . C . •F . W . Provost , I . G . ; James A . Webb and W . B . Woodman , Stwds . ; C j . Veal , P . M . ; C . T . Tolman , P . M ., P . P . G . S . B . ; J . Perceval , P . G . Tyler Herts ; J . Henry Leter , G . Rutty , G . W . Aust , G . H . Baggally , II . Bleaney , E . ! '' •Jones , F . H . Ing , F . Gurney , A . E . Halliday , F . Pinder , W . M . Aschwauden , W . J . Overhead , F . L . Moir , VV . Taylor , G . W . Dixon , and William Fenton . Visitors : Bros . R . W . J . Meye , 1693 ; J . H . lirown , P . M . ( Mayspring ) ; Edward Stark , J . W . ; M . J . Pecharde ( Conscidcrs ); G . Brown , I . P . M . ( St . John ' s );

Masonic Service At Stanmore.

W . Halliday , Stwd . 254 S ; Reginald Groome , 2190 ; Henry Hill , 2218 ; J . C Lake , 2272 ; A . H . Warden , 1987 ; J . H . Denman , 1853 ; G . A , Keen ( Skelmersdale ) ; W . Billows , 2548 ; W . H . Curtis , 2271 ; VV . A . Cox , P . M . ( Jersey ); A . A . Hardy , P . M . ( jersey ); and W . W . Read , P . M . ( Jersey ) . The choir included Bros . Reginald Groome , W . F . Veal , S . Bleaney , F . L . Moir , E . Winterbotton , Charles Billows , C . J . Veal , G . A . Baggally , and John Denman . Bro . A . E . Denman , A . R . C . O ., A . R . A . M ., presided at the organ .

When the congregation were seated , the officiating clergyman repeated certain collects specially appointed for occasions of this kind . Bro . Reginald Groome next sung with considerable expression the well-known tenor solo from Mendelssohn ' s " St . Paul , " " Be thou faithful unto death , " after which the Rev . A . R . T . Eiles , accompanied by Bro . F . S . Winkley and the Senior

and Junior Deacons ( Bros . W . Truslove and Eli Bull ) , proceeded down the nave , nearly to the west door , close to which the tablet has been placed . Here , an additional collect was repeated , and the curtain veiling the brass was pulled on one side , and the tablet unveiled by Bro . F . S . Winkley , W . M . It bore the following inscription :

" To the Glory of God . " Sacred to the memory of Charles Veal , who died December igth , 1 S 9 8 , in his Goth year , and was interred opposite to the west door of this church , of which he was the people ' s warden for 21 years . ' Be thou faithful unto death , and I will give thee a crown of life . ' Erected by the officers and members of the Masonic Lod ge and Chapter No . 1549 . "

Bro . the Rev . A . R . T . EALES , M . A ., P . G . Chap . Essex , and Rector of Elstree , then delivered a short address , taking his text from the ioth verse of the second chapter of the Revelation of St . John , " Be thou faithful unto death , and I will give thee a crown of life . " After dealing with the text from a theological point of view , the preacher said he would speak of it Masonically for a moment . This Craft of theirs was a system of morality ,

veiled in allegory and illustrated by symbols , although of a very different nature to vyhat some people thought it was . It brought men nearer to God , and explained to them better than anything else the greatness of Almighty God . They valued their profession very hi ghly . It meant something removed from their business . It was the voice of the Great Architect saying , "My faithful peoplebe

, faithful unto death . " He was speaking to them bidding them to be faithful . At the beginning of their Masonic course they were reminded of tli 2 necessity of being men of prayer , and that was one of the things which they did fear to make public . This came to them at a very important mjmant in their Masonic lives . They were also bidden to be faithful to their brethren . Did they know of any society more anxious to carry out the great Christian

duty to let brotherly love continue ? This was impressed upon them in a way which they could not forget until the end ol their lives , viz ., the duty of being true to each other . It was their profession and privilege to show themselves worthy of their brethren , and to stand by one ano . her whenever the occasion arose ; but they must be faithful to God first Hundreds and thousands in that Church had made promises of faithfulness and of good

works . Let them not forget , therefore , that they had made definite promises which if kept would make better Masons and Christians of them . Tney had come there that evening , the preacher went on to say , to pay a tribute of respect and love to the memary of one who had served his Gjd and his generation aright , and who had been exalted to a hi gher life thin thsy in this world could ever know or see . The record of his life showed it was

something more than the membershi p of a great society . First upon that roll he ( the preacher ) saw that he ( Bro . Veal ) for 21 years served his parish as churchwarden—the hi ghest position in the church a layman could hold . He was faithful not only for a little while , but for a long period . This was faithfulness unto the uttermost , but he was something more ; he was a guardian of the poor , and what mire honourable offi : e was thsre in the world ?

He was one who was sent to care for those who had lost the power of caring for themselves . This was love for the brethren , exercised for a long period , which found its expression in the care of the brethren . He ( the speaker ) need not speak to them of his duties in connection with their great saciety , as they were well-known to all of them . He filled the hi ghest as well as the lowest offices—the office of honour and of laborious service—consistentlv

and well . He was a faithful brother amongst them right up to the time of his illness . He was faithful to the brethren around him and to God . He ( the speaker ) knew little of him . Once he met him and heard something of his record , and what a blessed record it was to leave behind him , enshrined upon the walls of his parish church . The example of a useful life was never wasted . It came to them as an encouragement to do

likewise . Hundreds , thousands , and tens of thousands , since the words of his text were spoken , had heard them , and had resolved that they would not fall into the net , but press forward to the glorious mark of their hi gh calling , which was in Cririst Jesus . The preacher concluded by entreating his hearers to be faithful to their God and to the world around about them , so that it mi ^ ht be seen that they were men to be trusted to the utternwst .

At thc conclusion of the address hymn No . 257 , " I heard the voice of Jesus say , " was sung , and the brethren then left the church , not , however , before they had inspected the tablet with considerable interest . The musical arrangements of thi service were ad Tiirably carried out bv Bro . Moir . '

Instruction.

Instruction .

ROYAL ALFRED LODGE , No . 7 S 0 . A meeting wis held on the 12 th inst ., at the Star and Garter Hotel , Kew Brirlo * Present : Bros . I ' . ^ M . Ridley , W . M . ; H . II . Worth , S . W . ; E . C . St . Aubyn IW visitor ' * * ' ' ' " " E- D 0 VVlinjr * ' - - Bf ° - * w « The W . M . rehearsed the ceremony of initiation . The Preceptor worked the i « f Section of the Lecture . at

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