Correspondence.

Correspondence .

We do not hold ourselves responsible for the opinions expressed by our correspondents but vve wish , in a spirit of fair play to all , to permit—within certain necessary limitsfree discussion .

ROYAL MASONIC INSTITUTION FOR BOYS . To the Editor of the " Freemason . " Dear Sir and Brother , I have much pleasure in informing you of further successes gained by our boys at recent public examinations . LONDON UNIVERSITY MATRICULATION .

( Three boys entered . ) H . W . Roberts , aged 16 years 9 months . H . D . A . Maidment , aged \ 6 \ years . L , W . Croft , aged i 6 . \ years . All passed in thc First { highest ) Division .

TRINITY COLLEGE , LONDON—MUSICAL THEORY . W . D . Coales , Intermediate Honours , with 84 per cent , of the marks . P . S . Coleman , Junior „ 72 „ „ F . H . Gabbutt „ „ 73 ,, > . Three boys have also gained third-class certificates , and one a second-class , in Pitman ' s shorthand .

The ex-pupil Groombridge has passed the Intermediate Examination of the Institute of Chartered Accountants . The ex-pupil Leeming has passed the Final Examination of the Institute ot Bankers . During the last five years , 10 boys have been entered , and all passed , in the

London University Matriculation , nine of them in the First and one in the Second —the average being under 17 years . —Yours faithfully and fraternally , J . M . McLEOD , Secretary . 6 , Freemasons' Hall , London , W . C . 25 th July .

THE R . A . AND OTHER MATTERS . To the Editor of the "Freemason . " Dear Sir and Brother 1 am sure your correspondent , Bro . T . Taylor , cannot have been in earnest , when he suggested to make P . Ms , by paying for it . Your other

correspondents of last week , in reference to that suggestion , vvere all of one opinion , that something has to be done to make R . A . more attractive and more popular . I am a very old active Mason , and work and visit a great many chapters . I have the opportunity to observe all " pros and contras " of the different working and the lack of attending or otherwise supporting the chapter .

I have come to the conclusion that Grand Chapter must come to the rescue , Grand Chapter must take the initiative in order to make R . A . dignified and popular . Grand Chapter ought to make the same rules as the other G . bodies . First of all , 1 would suggest that the Book of Regulations be altered . 1 give you only one case in point for the present . Book of Regulations , 72 , lines 9 1011 and 12 says that any companion can join a chapter if he is , or VVAS ,

, , , a member of a chapter . This does not seem to be very dignified . A companion , who paid his exaltation fee , perhaps , 20 years ago , but never paid any subscrip . tion or attended a chapter , is admitted without any question , perhaps , even without being a subscribing member of a Craft lodge , or he remembered he was so fortunate as to have been a W . M . of a lodge in bygone days , and having been exalted in R . A ., might just as well join a chapter again .

Then as to the admission into Grand Chapter . A companion , with a red collar , goes in the ante room , signs his name and the number of a chapter where he is , or was , a subscribing member ; perhaps the chapter might not be any more in existence .

In point of fact , I have seen a companion entering and signing his name , and the name of the chapter , which he resigned 15 years ago , and never joined another chapter , " until it was found out" and he was compelled to do so . So much for the Grand Chapter , now the duty of the Craft Lodges . The lodges to which chapters are attached ought to work hand to hand with them , and support each other . The former should consider the chapter attached

as their offspring , they ought to inform each candidate on being raised M . M ., that the chapter is attached to the lodge , and that it is desirable and expected that he should join it us soon as possible , while as an » inducement he may join at thc minimum fee , according to Rule 72 , it might even be a condition to obtain office in the lodge . 1 shall be obliged by your inserting this letter , and remain . —Yours fraternally , A MASON OF 44 YEARS' STANDING .

July 17 th . To the Editor of the "Freemason . " Dear Sir and Brother , Bro . May ' s request for information in your issue of the 7 th instant meets with most uncharitable . sneers and irony from those supercilious brethren " P . M . and P . Z . " and " Cynicus , " who seem to think that the wiy to encourage

honest inquiry and genuine zeal for the welfare of the Craft u to chill the enthusiasm of young inquirers with a pompous display of rank and wit . I notice Bros . Lovegrove and Milledge reply in a sensible and courtcou ., manner , as brethren should , and would like to add a word 011 the subject with a view to giving Bro . May such light as 1 have , and seeking further information from betterinformed brethren than myself .

In a history of Lodge of Antiquity , No . 178 , Wigan , I find among some minutes dated September 13 th , 17 SG , the following entry .

" A Night of Emergency . "Bro . Morgan passed the chair un his emergency , there being a sufficient number of Past Masters present . This occurs very frequently , brethren from Leigh , Chorley , and other p laces coming to Wigan to pass the chair . A fuller account is givtvv November 19 th , 17 87 . "

Again" April aHth , 1787 . " Lodge of Emergency . " llro . John Green passed the chair , am ] was duly declared Master for a certain space of time . "

At this time no brother could Income an Arch Mason until he had passed the chair , lhat is , become a regularly instilled Master of a lodge , and this was a ccrtn ' ionv Rune through to enable a brother to become an Arch Mason , out it did not tiitille ' him to rank as a Past Master of a lodge . However crude " P . M . and P . Z . " may think Bro . May's idea it is undoubtedly ancient . If we look at Canadian chapters and those in U . S . A . we lind the idea still

Correspondence.

carried out . In U . S . A . a brother first becomes Mark Master , then Past Master then Most Excellent Master , before he can take the R . A . The Past Master is simply used as a Degree preliminary to advancement to R . A . and carries no " rank . " They are termed virtual Past Masters as distin . guished from actual Past Masters , and have no status in lodge . In most States the Degree is worked in the chapter . In Pennsylvania , however ( where they still retain a beautiful ritual differing from the other States , and termed " Ancient

York " work , owing no doubt to its having been carried over by the Puritans during the time of the division in England ) , a different method obtains . While the chapter Degrees are the same as in the other States , the Grand Lodge jealousl y maintains its right over everything connected with the lodges or " Blue Degrees , " and Past Masters { virtual ) are made on application by the chapter to the Grand Master for a dispensation for the candidate to " pass the chair . " On dispensation being issued , the Blue Lodge having jurisdiction installs the candidate , who gains no rights or rank as actual P . M .

While there is no ( transatlantic ) law that the three chapter chairs shall be occupied by Past Masters only , it is an unwritten rule to elect only actual Past Masters to the highest office in chapter , except under unusual circumstances , of no P . M . being qualified to give the Degrees of the R . A . Chapter . Perhaps Bro . May ' s idea vvas that P . M . requirements might be treated as a degree without rank , as in the above illustrations , and I cannot see what harm is done since no privileges of rank go with it .

As "P . M . and P . Z ., " and "Cynicus" seem to think "rank" essential to knowledge and are highly offended that Bro . May without " rank " should aspire to the knowledge they deem sacred to the superior beings of their Order , perhaps you will kindly vouch to them for my " rank " being sufficient to justify my speaking on a subject they have condescended to touch . In haste . —Yours fraternally , ONE WHO SEEKS LIGHT . July 17 th .

Tothe Editor ot the " Freemason . " Dear Sir and Brother , As " P . M . and P . Z . " ( Leeds ) , says , in reply to your correspondent , T . May , the idea of buying the title of " Past Master " is " delicious . " But why stop short there ¦ Having got so far why not pay four guineas and become a Past Third Principal , five guineas for Past Second Principal , and for six guineas

blossom into a P . Z . at once ? By the way , can there be any connection between Bro . May ' s suggestion and the query in last week ' s Freemason by " P . M . 872 . " It is possible that the " Shiners " mean dollars and the " working " as suggested by Bro . May ? I am afraid Bro . Lovegrove ' s proposal as to electing to the Third Principal's chair others than Installed Masters would not work well ; for once numbered among the Principals a companion would , naturally , expect to proceed to the Second and First chairs , and yet might not be elected W . M . of his lodge

As " An Officer " remarks , the R . A . does not need the commiseration that is being bestowed upon it . It consists of the pick of the Fraternity , and , I think , can hold its own . There is , however , one suggestion for the good of R . A . Masonry in general , which I should like to make for the consideration of the companions , especially those who are working up to the chair of their lodge . It is that when a W . M ., who is a R . A . Mason , is selecting his lodge officers , let him

carefully consider whether a brother who has proved his interest in Masonry by completing his Third Degree , and is otherwise proficient , will not make a more zealous officer than he who has not . This would remove the present unfortunate custom of brethien waiting until they are Past Masters before joining the R . A ., as they would probably bc R . A . companions before they were installed as W . M . — Yours fraternally , ROYAL ARCH .

title is Order of the Mystic Shrine , and members are Nobles of thc Mystic Shrine , It claims to be based on an ancient Arabian Order , which was conferred on an actor in the East , who adapted it to Western ideas . It uses elaborate regalia of Oriental character , and has long ceremonies , which , however , contain nothing edifying or Masonic , however amusing . Its chief object is to cultivate sociability among its members , and the elaborate banquet with which it concludes is its chief claim to merit . —Yours fraternally , ONE OF THE "NOBLES " - ' July 17 th .

"SHINERS . " To the Editor of the , f Freemason . " Dear Sir and Brother , P . M . S 72 probably means " Shriners , the Ancient Arabic Order ol Noliles of the Mystic Shrine , a social and benevolent society with a ritual and history linked to Arabic traditions , in which Oriental mysticism , names , legends ,

and titles are freely employed . "It originated , apparently about 1871 , and on January 1 st , 18 99 , its total membership vvas about 50 , 000 , distributed among 7 'i temples in as many cities . " Full particulars are given in Bro . Stevens ' Cyclopa- 'dia of Fraternities published last year , from which the only " Shiners " 1 have ever heard of are , I believe , androgynous , and can hardly be called . 1 " order . I have only heard thc word from Cornish people , and probably some Cornish brother can better explain the meaning of the term . —Yours fraternally ,

LEX SCRIPTA Kversltut , Dorchester . July 19 th .

MASONIC JURISPRUDENCE . To thc Editor of thc "Freemason . " Dear Sir and Brother , The communications in the last two publications on this subject aio very instructive , and read with great interest . lt instructed us to submit and obey ; if any wrong or irregularity is done , all you can do is either to leave the lodge or enter your protest in the minutes , anil there the matter ends .

But let me state to you two facts in my experience , and ask you how should a brother act . if he takes great interest in the welfare of the lodge . ist . The Secretary , who always acts on his own opinion , has the by-laws reprinted and altered without the knowledge of the members . Let me tell you in existenceand

they were over 10 years , approved of by the late ( Jrand Secretary , Bro . Shadwell Clerke . I remonstrated , but all the answer I could get , was , that he submitted to ( Jrand Secretary , the , minutes , and pointed 011 : sotne of t ' by-laws not being according to the Constitutions , which I am sure vvas not On truth .

THE SHRINERS . To the Editor of the " Freemason . " Dear Sir and Brother , Replying to " P . M . S 72 " in your issue of thc l . | lh instant , thc socalled Masonic f Degree of " Shriners " which exists in U . S . A . has no claim whatever to the term " Masonic " other than through the fact that its founders made it obligatory that all applicants must be Knights Templar or 32 Masons . Its full