Craft Masonry.

his fr t impression of him as a Mason had turned out a correct one , and he was confident that he would make an excellent ruler . Bro . Lancaster also responded . The W . M . gave "The Past Masters , " and saidhe was honoured by bavin ? such a goodly array of them present . He mentioned each by name , eulogis'n ? the great things they had djne for the lodge , but making special reference to Bro . F . W . Buxton , P . M ., who , by his efforts , had resuscitated the lodge .

Bro . Ludwig Lichtwitz , the senior P . M . and father of the lodge , responded . In eloquent terms , he advocated the ca = e of Bro . T . Holland , a candidate at the next election of the Old People , and he urged the brethren to support it , as they could not have too many workers . He was proud to see Bro . Ham in the chair , and he would have a pleasant year , which he deserved . He had eight visitors that evening but he would not have invited them if the lodge was not a good one . He was pleased his son , Bro . Albert Lichtwitz , was coming on , and when his time arrived to go into the chair , he would make a better W . M . than his father had been .

Bro . P . P . Perry , P . M ., also responded and referred to the case of Bro . T . Holland . He was sorry that Bro . Geo . White , one of the founders , was not present . It was the first time he had ever been absent at an installation meeting of the lodge . The visitors had stated that the lodge was one worth coming to , and it was gratifying to the Past Masters that the lodge had achieved the great success it had . Bro . F . W . Buxton said that he was the bashful P . M ., but he was delighted to see the W . M . so ably installed . Every member congratulated the W . M . on his renewed good health , and they wished him everything he could wish himself , and he felt that it went without saying that he would have a brilliant and happy year as Master of the St . Ambrose Lodge .

Bro . J . C . Conway , P . M ., stated that his health prevented him being present at the last installation meeting , but he was glad to be there that evening , and it redounded to the credit of the lodge the way the VV . M . had been installed , and he paid a tribute to Bro . F . W . Buxton for his great services to the lodge . Bro . W . Hoggins , P . M ., said that he was more than proud to be a Past Master of such an important lodge , and he was glad that they were again so well favoured in having such a gocd W . M .

Bro . J . W . Morley , P . M ., observed that brevity was the soul of wit , and might he add that he was proud of the St . Ambrose Lodge and to find that the officers were all capable and would hereafter doubtless distinguish themselves . The W . M . would shine as those who had gone before him . " The Treasurer and Secretary " and " The Officers , " having been honoured , the Tyler ' s toast terminated the happy and successful proceedings . The musical entertainment was under the direction of Bro . Clement Harris and was contributed to by Miss Edith Yorke , Bro . George Thatcher and A . White , and Mr . Lennox Chandler and Mr Morell . The portrait of the W . M ., Bro . Ham , appears in our portrait gallery of this issue .

Board Of Benevolence

BOARD OF BENEVOLENCE

The last meeting of the Board of Benevolence for the year 1896 was held on Wednesday e \ ening at Freemasons' Hall , when Bro . James Henry Matthews , Past Deputy Grand Director of Ceremonies , the newly-appointed President of the Board , took his seat as head of the Board for the first time . Bro . D . D . Mercer , P . G . P ., the re-elected Senior Vice-President , occupied the Senior Vice-President's chair , and Bro . C . J . R . Tijou , P . A . G . P ., took the chair of Junior Vice-President , in the absence of Bro . C . A . Cottebrune , re-elected at Grand Lodge of December 2 nd .

Before the Board commenced business Bro . J AMES HENRY MATTHEWS said he took his seat for the first time as President of the Board , and it was impossible , of course , to carry out the duties of President with effect without the assistance of the Vice - Presidents and of the Board generally . He knew that the brethren would accord to him that assistance as heartily as they had given it to his predecessor . He was not going to pose as " a new broom , " doing the work as it had not been

done hitherto , but he was asking the assistance of the brethren to hel p him in making the work good , and keeping it up to its previous standard . There was one point he would direct attention to—the getting through the work quickly . There were no less than 54 cases on the list that night , and no doubt several brethren had come to speak to many of them , travelling very probably long distances , and at great inconvenience to themselves . He would ask them , if they

addressed the Board , to put their remarks in as small a compass as possible . If they would bear in mind that one minute's speech on each case would make a total of 54 minutes , he was sure they would do their best not to say more than was absolutely necessary . He asked that they should be brief on behalf of the Board , but not only on their account , but for the sake of the poor brethren who were without the door of the room , waiting in a state of anxiety to know what grants were going to be made to them .

The brethren then proceeded to deal with the list of business before them . They first confirmed the recommendations made at the November meeting , that the Grand Master should approve of grants to the amount of . £ 400 . The new list of 54 cases were qualified through lodges in the London district , and at Manchester , Barrow-in-Furness , Croston , Scarborough , Croydon , Princetown , Chester , Delhi , Sunderland , Eccles , Port Louis , Lahore , Thame , Newport ( Mon . ) , Teddington , Shepton Mallet , Blackburn , Norwich , Tredegar , Kingsbridge , Canterbury , Plumstead , Newton Abbot , Hong Kong , Jersey , Ashby-de-la-Zouch , Cheltenham , Nottingham , Feltham , Dinapore , Wigan , and Birkenhead .

Of these cases one was dismissed , and seven were deferred . The remainder were relieved with a tctal of jfi 145 . One case was recommended to Grand Lodge for . £ 50 . Eight were recommended to the Grand Master for . £ 40 each , 13 for , £ 30 each , and one for £ 2 $ each . Fifteen cases were relieved with , £ 20 each , four with , £ 10 each , and four with £ 5 each .

Obituary.

Obituary .

BRO . HENRY JOHN GILLER , P . M ., & c . Bro . Giller had been many years a Mason , and was much beloved by all who knew him . He was a P . M . of the Watford Lodge , No . 404 , and a P . P . G . P . of Herts . He joined the United Northern Counties Lodge , No . 2128 , in March , 1 S 86 , soon after its consecration in December , 1885 , and was Worshipful Master in 1892 ; he was also a lounder of the Bolingbroke Lodge , No . 2417 . Bro . Giller was a Governor of all the Masonic Charities , for which he had served

several Stewardships ; he was also a Life Governor and a liberal supporter of the Commercial Travellers' Schools , & c . He lived beloved and respected and died regretted . The funeral took place at the Elmers End Cemetery on Wednesday , the 23 rd inst ., when several membersof the United Northern Counties Lodge attended to pay the last tribute of respect to departed merit . The lodge sent a beautiful wreath , attached to which was a card as follows : " F . A . A . M ., United Northern Counties Lodge , 2128 , in ever loving memory . — 'BROTHER . '"

BRO . GEORGE S . SMITH , P . M ., P . Z . It is with very great regret we announce the death of Bro . George S . Smith , P . M ., P . Z ., P . Prov . G . Organist in both East and West Lancashire , who for many years past had occupied the responsible position ot manager of the Manchester branch of the business carried on by Bros . George Kenning and Son . The deceased was a most enthusiastic Mason , and was a P . M . of the St . George ' s , Newall , and Doric Lodges , of the last of which he was a founder and first W . M .,

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a founder of the Palatine Lodge , P . Z . of the Humphrey Cheetham Chapter , No . 6 45 ; P . M . of the St . Andrew ' s Mark Lodge ; P . E . P . St . Joseph Preceptory of Knights Templar ; Prov . G . S . M . of Prov . Priory ; W . C . N . Manchester Lodge of Royal Ark Mariners ; a member of the Allied Degrees , the Rose Croix , and the Secret Monitor , as well as an honorary member of many lodges and chapters . He was , indeed , highly respected , and at the funeral , which took place on Monday , there were present to pay the last tribute of respect to his memory Bros . J . H .

Sillitoe , P . M ., P . P . G . Std . Br . Eng . ; J . Walker , W . M ., P . P . G . D . C , J . M . Veal , I . P . M ., A . H . Boothroyd , P . M ., T . Payne , J . Lawrisch , and Metcalf , Tyler , all of 23 S 9 ; R - Martin , W . M ., B . Eckersley , P . M ., J . Ogden , and Fetherston , all of 1134 ; Milbourn , 1170 ; C . Shaw , J . W . 1147 ; W . Cole , P . M . 1588 , Prov , G . Org , W . Lanes . ; F . R . Kenning , 192 ; J . Hardwicke-Marsh , P . M , 1730 ; and W , Ash . worth , 1730 ; the St . Andrew ' s Mark was represented by the W . M ., Bro . J . M . Veal ; the St . Joseph Preceptory of Knights Templar by the E . P ., Sir Knight J . Hardwicke-Marsh , and the E . P . elect , Sir Knight G . A . Myers .

Our Portrait Gallery.

Our portrait Gallery .

BRO . WILLIAM HAM , whose installation as Worshipful Master of the St . Ambrose Lodge , No . 1891 , is fully recorded in another column , is 46 years of age , was born at Tipton , Devonshire , receiving his elementary education in his native village and afterwards at Ottery . In 18 76 he married Marion , the second daughter of Captain John Steward , of Ryde . For years he carried on a very successful business at Fulham ,

but over application to it caused his health to break down , and he was ordered by his doctors to South Africa , and he sailed in October , 18 95 , for Cape Town . He watched the Jameson excitement nearly 1000 miles up country , and later , the beginning of the Matabele revolt . He visited many African lodges and all those at Kimberley , and while in that town was shown every detail of the diamond mining industry by a brother and a director of the mines . Our brother

was initiated into Masonry by his old schoolfellow and friend , Bro . E . W . Carter , P . M ., in the South Middlesex Lodge , No . 858 , in 1884 .. In 18 91 he joined the St . Ambrose Lodge , being invested with a collar the same night of the installation for the second year in succession of Bro . F . W . Buxton P . M ., and he was appointed S . W . while in Africa , Bro . Buxton being invested in his behalf . On his return from under the Southern Cross—having been absent from the lodge exactly 12 months—he was

unanimously elected W . M . Bro . Ham is an enthusiastic Mason , a section worker and a Life Governor of all the Charities . He is now living in retirement at the lovely seaside resort of Exmouth , in Devonshire , near the scene of his boyhood days . We have had the pleasure of knowing Bro . Ham for many years and we have no doubt that the St . Ambrose Lodge will be quite safe in his hands and that he will be one of the very successful Worshipful Masters in the annals of that important lodge .

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