Mark Grand Lodge.

MARK GRAND LODGE .

The following is the business to be transacted on Tuesday next , the 30 th instant : 1 . Read and , if approved , conlirm minutes of Quarterly Communication of 31 st August . 2 . Report of the General Board . 3 . A motion will be made that the report be taken as read . 4 . A motion will be made that the report be received and entered on the minutes .

5 . Recommendation arising out of the report—That the rate of interest on loans from ( lie Benevolent Fund to the General Fund be reduced to 2 V" / .. 6 . A motion will be proposed that the report be adopted . 7 . Nomination of the M . W . Grand Master for the ensuing year . 7 . Nomination of Grand Treasurer for the ensuing year .

Provincial Grand Lodge Of Cambridgeshire.

PROVINCIAL GRAND LODGE OF CAMBRIDGESHIRE .

At the annual meeting of this Prov . G . Lodge , held at the Subscription Rooms , Newmarket , on the iSth inst ., the attendance included : Bros . Col . R . Townley Caldwell , Prov . G . M . ; Rev . J . H . Gray , D . P . G . M . ; Rev . G . B . Finch , B . Chennell , H . C . Knott , E . F . Rogers , T . Watts , T Hunnybun , Oliver Papworth , P . H . Young , F . Dewberry , C . H . French , W . J . Fernie , J . W . Carr , W . Briggs , A . E . Chaplin , W . Pollard , F . VV . Potts ,

Rev . L . R . Tuttiett , A . S . Bell , F . H . Potts , G . F . Cartwrtght , H . C . Pullin , S . J . Freeman , W . Sindall , H . W . Wheaton , J . G . Chennell , J . Dempster , C . H . Davey , G . Barrow , J . W . Metcalf , W . P . Spalding , G . W . Whitehead , W . J . D . Ward , C . E . Hammond , T . Leader , J . G . Cowell , J . Laxton , H . S . Davison , and 11 . Waugh . Visitors : Bros . R . D . Cummings , 216 S , and W . H . Lomas , 1741 .

In the course of the proceedings , the Prov . G . Treasurer ' s accounts were shown to be in a satisfactory condition . There was a balance of , £ 88 17 s . 6 d . in addition to what was invested . The Prov . G . Registrar ' s return of the lodges for the past year showed the total number of subscribing brethren to be 432 , as against 423 last November , an increase of nine . There had been 44 initiations , three joining members , three deaths , and 35 withdrawals . The withdrawals included 25 students of the University who had finished their course and " gone down . ''

Bro . Thos . Watts , P . M . 441 , having been re-elected Prov . G . Treasurer , the Prov . Grand Master appointed and invested the Prov . Grand Ollicers for the year , as stated in last week ' s Freemason . The annual report of the Cambridge Masonic Association was presented by Bro . Oliver Papworth , its energetic Secretary . It showed that ^ 379 is . 3 d . was subscribed to the Masonic Charities through the Association during the year , making £ 4613 16 s . 3 d . paid through the Associaiion since its eslablishment in 1 S 83 .

In this connection votes of thanks were passed to Bros . B . Chennell , T . B . Hope , and W . Briggs , for acting as Stewards . Bro . Oliver Papworth was again nominated for election on the Board of Management of the Royal Masonic Institution for Boys . The PROV . G . TREASURER proposed , and it was agreed to vote 10 guineas to the Cambridge Masonic Charity Association for current expenses . A grant was made to the widow of a late brother of No . SS .

Bro . W . P . SPALDING , P . M ., P . P . G . S . of W ., proposed— " That a sum of 100 guineas be voted to the Royal Masonic Institution for Boys , on the occasion of the Centenary Festival of the Institution , to be paid through the Cambridgeshire Masonic Charity Association "—and , in doing so , reminded the Provincial Grand Lodge that Charity , being the distinguishing characteristic of a Freemason ' s heart , he made no apology for introducing a

motion which might require them to sell out some ot their invested capital ; but , from the balance-sheet just read by the Provincial Grand Treasurer , it was satisfactory to learn that the income of Provincial Grand Lodge regularly exceeded its expenditure , and that there was now so considerable a balance in hand upon the revenue account , that a very small call would have to be made upon their capital . Had it , however , been otherwise , he would

not have hesitated to ask Provincial Grand Lodge to give a generous support to the Royal Masonic Institution for Boys on the present occasion . In years gone by , the Province of Cambridgeshire had not been unmindful of the calls of Charity , and had substantially assisted not onl y the Masonic Charities , but local Charities as well . They had , too , it was to be hoped , proved that the true Masonic spirit existed amongst them by having sent up

from time to time their fair share of Stewards to the great Masonic Festivals , but whatever inducements they may have had in the past to support one or other of their noble Institutions , there had never been a stronger claim upon their generosity than was made by the Royal Masonic Institution for Boys at the present time . He would not allude to the special advantages which would be obtained by brethren who acted as Stewards at the

Festival 111 June next—he placed the claim of the Boys' Institution upon far h gher gtounds . It was a grand and noble work on which it was engaged , viz ., that of laying upon a solid basis the educational and moral foundation-stones of the future lives of the sons of brethren who had been less fortunate than themselves in the struggle of life . How well that work had been done was a matter of history , and the Board of Management , the

head Master , snd indeed the whole Masonic Fraternity might well be prcud of the high position taken by the School in the Cambridge Local Examinations . The results of those examinations placed the School in the very foremost rank for efficiency , and not only had live boys from the Province ( f Cambridgeshire received great benefit from the Institution , but it

was pleasing to know that one boy now at the Institution had for his attention snd good behaviour been recommended by the Head Master for a longir stay than usual . The Most Worshipful the Grand Master of England , his Royal Highness the Prince of Wales , had maiked his appreciation of the work of that Institution by having promised to preside over the festival in June next , and it was with

Provincial Grand Lodge Of Cambridgeshire.

great confidence that he ( the speaker ) now asked the Province of Cambridge to make the grant which was proposed in the motion . Bro . H . C . KNOTT , P . M ., P . P . S . G . W ., had great pleasure in seconding the the motion , and be would remind Prov . G . Lodge that its generous help at the present time would be specially useful to the Royal Masonic Institution for Boys as the removal of the School to a new and larger

building in the country would involvea heavvexpenditure . Hecould fully endorse the remarks which had been made by Bro . Spalding as to the efficiency of the School work , which was admirable in every way , and a close personal knowledge enabled him to speak very highly of the ability , tact , and method of the Head Master , and of their effect upon the boys under his care .. The motion was adopted .

At the banquet which followed , Bro . O . PAPWORTH responded for " The Masonic Charities , " in the unavoidable absence of the Secretaries , and Bro . CVMMINGS for " The Visitors . "

Consecration Of The Calcaria Lodge, No. 2677, At Tadcaster.

CONSECRATION OF THE CALCARIA LODGE , No . 2677 , AT TADCASTER .

An addition to the roll of lodges in the Province of We 5 t Yorkshire was made on the 17 th inst ., when the above lodge was consecrated by Bro . J . C . Malcolm , Dep . Prov . G . Master . For some time past the brethren residing in the Tadcaster district have been actively engaged in trying to form a new lodge , and through their efforts a charter was granted to the following brethren , who are the first officers of the lodge : Bros . W . Sykes , W . M . ; W . Callum , S . W . ; J . Crow , J . W . ; H . H . Riley-Smith ,

Treas . ; F . W . Halliwell , P . M ., bee . ; H . Bromet , S . D . ; C . N . Goode , J . D . ; R . Pickersgill , I . G . ; T . Dunlop , Tyler ; W . Ii . Cockerlyne , P . M . ; and J . Rickards , P . M . The petition for the charter was supported by the Philanthropic Lodge , No . 304 ; the liboracum Lodge , No . ilin ; and the Olicana Lodge , No . 1522 . A convenient lodge room has been secured , which has been handsomely decorated under the direction of Bro . W . Watson , P . P . G . S . W ., of Leeds .

The ceremony was regarded with considerable interest by the brethren of West and North and Fast Yorkshire , and there was a large attendance , there being the following ' among other brethren present : Bros . J . Best , 303 , D . P . G . D . of C . ; 11 . G . E . Green , 1019 , Prov . G . Sec . j W . Blackburn , 306 , P . S . G . D . ; J . H . Hartley , Sio , P . A . G . D . of C . ; G . Thompson , P . S . G . D . ; W . Watson , 45 8 , P . P . S . G . W . ; E . Hind , 45 S , P . G . Reg . ; F . E .

Egerton , 710 ; G . Dyson , 306 , P . P . G . D . C . ; W . Smith , 1211 , P . G . Treas . ; D . Young , P . P . G . R . N . and E . Yorks ; the Rev . H . R . Harrison , P . G . Chaplain ; C . Cromack , P . G . P . ; W . C . Monkman , 1018 , P . P . G . D . of C ; J . R . Fawcett , 1214 , P . G . D . C ; H . Smith , 302 , P . P . D . G . M . ; J . Matthewman , 1019 , P . P . A . G . Sec ; T . W . Ilelliwell , LP . At . 1611 ; W . Callum , 304 ; R . Pickersgill , P . M . 1611 ; Richard Waide , 1042 ; W . Whitaker , 1522 ; C . B . Balfour , P . M . IS 22 ; W . Wilkinson , 566 ; T . S . Brogden , P . P . S . G . W . ; G . Heskett , 1462 , P . G . S . ; H . Evers , 1522 ; J . Rennard , 734 , P . P . G . S . Std . Br . ; C . Nicholson ; W . H .

Banks , I . P . M . 2230 ; F . G . Brogden , 1522 ; G . Woolford , 1991 ; J . H . Hill 1991 ; T . B . Wilson , 1542 , P . G . S . B . ; J . II . Scott , W . M . 1901 ; F . H Vaughan , P . M . 1611 ; James Bucks , 1611 ; W . N . Cheeseman , 566 , P . P . G . D of C . ; W . A . Johnson , 1522 ; F . S . Tomlinson , 734 ; John Tapp , 250 ; D Mullins , 904 ; F . McDonald , 660 ; B . Kilmington , C . A . Plluger , VV . H . Daw son , J . Horner , A . Humphries , Henry Scott , 23 6 , G . Chilman , M . Monaghan , andT . Welburn , all of 1611 ; W . S . Child , P . P . G . O . ; F . Atkinson , 1531 ; S Buxton , 304 ; and others .

The lodge room not being sufficiently capacious for the large number of visitors , it was resolved that the consecration ceremony should be carried out in the Court House , which was arranged as a Masonic lodge room . The brethren having assembled , the Provincial Grand Officers entered the lodge .

Ihe chair was occupied by the Deputy Provincial Grand Master of West Yorkshire , Bro , J . C . Malcolm , Bro . W . Watson , P . P . S . G . W ., acting as S . W ., and Bro . J . Dyson , P . P . G . D . C , as J . W . Bro . J . R . Fawcett , P . G . D . C . 1214 , and ] . Best , D . P . G . D . C . 302 , ' were the D . rectors of Ceremonies .

The devotional portions of the ceremony were taken by the Rev . F . R . Harrison , Prov . G . Chap . The anthem " Behold how good and pleasant" was excellent sung by Bro . W . H . Diwson , of York Cathedral . The DEP . PROV . G . M ., in an address to the brethren , remarked that Freemasonry was making satisfactory progress in West Yo-kshire so far as the establishment of new lodges was concerned . That was the fifth

consecration ceremony which had been performed since the present Provincial Grand Master took charge of the province . So far the new lodges had shown that there was a necessity for their establishment , for they had not interfered with the proper working of the pre-existing lodges , and what was of more concern to them as Freemasons the social position of the brethren had been maintained . With regard to that lodge , the Prov . G . M ister was

fully satisfied on the point of necessity . In t \\" . town of Tadcaster there was a population of 2300 , while in the surrounding district the inhabitants numbered 10 000 , among whom were many Masons who found it difficult to attend to their Masonic duties at Leeds or York , which were the nearest towns in which lodges were held . There was an impression that there was formerly a lodge at Tadcaster , but no record of it is known to exist . Strange

as it might seem , the earliest lodge in the district was held at Harewood in 1762 , but that no longer existed . Anolher was constituted at Knaresborough in 1769 , which ceased loexist in 1792 , and another lived from 1795 to 1851 , while the Alfred Lodge at Wetherby was formed in 1780 , and died in 171 ) 7 . f [ would be an interesting study lor the Masonic historian to discover the reason those lodges had such a briel tenure of life . The Deputy Provincial Grand Master reviewed the historic connection of Tadcaster with

various stirring epochs of the country , and concluded by congratulating the brethren on this peculiar and fortunate position in which they were placed . 'I he are ' ent ceremony of consecration was most impressively performed by the Dep . Prov . G . M ., who at the conclusion proceeded to instal Bro . W . Sykes as the first Worshipful Master of the new lodge . The solo , " Be thou faithful , " was effectively sung by Bro . Monaghan .

The officers as above were then invested with their insignia of office . A banquet was afterwards held in the Girls' School room , at which the newly-elected W . M . presided .