Consecration Of The Eccentric Lodge, No. 2488.

were not perhaps so much impressed with the importance of Freemasonry , must have been greatly impressed by the excellent way in which the ceremonies were rendered both by the Grand Secretary and those by whom he was assisted . It had been a memorable day , and he hoped the Consecrating Officers would , when they had time , come again among the Eccentrics , who would show them their appreciation of the good work of that afternoon . Bro . Hawkins concluded by proposing " The Consecrating Officers . "

Bro . E . LETCHWORTH , G . S ., in reply , said as the W . M . and brethren had been compelled to listen to his voice that evening for a considerable time he would not be so ungenerous as to attempt anything in the nature of a speech , but he wished in the fewest possible words to tender to the I . P . M ., the W . M ., and the brethren , the warmest thanks of the Consecrating Officers for the extremely kind reception they had given to this toast . It had

afforded the Consecrating Officers the greatest amount of pleasure to attend to launch a lodge which he was confident had a great future before it . He would now ask the brethren to join with him in drinking the toast of the evening , " The Health of the W . M ., " whom he had had the honour and privilege of installing in the chair of the Eccentric Lodge . In addressing those he saw around him he felt it was needless to dilate on those many qualities which had endeared the W . M . to all now present . As a member

of the Drury Lane Lodge—an honorary member—he could testify to the fact that that lodge owed its exceptional success in no small measure to the munificence and the kindness of heart of Sir Augustus Harris and he could point to the fact that by the consensus of the Craft he was not long since appointed to the most esteemed position of Grand Treasurer of England . Hefelt confident that under Sir Augustus Harris ' s genial and able rule the Eccentric Lodge would attain to a position which all the brethren desired it should have .

Bro . Sir AUGUSTUS HARRIS , W . M ., in acknowled ging the toast , said : Grand Officers , Officers of the Lodge , and Brethren ,- -It is my duty to say something , but what I shall say is at present " in the deep bosom of the ocean buried " ( quotation from a brother author ) . But on the princip le that the living donkey is belter than the dead lion , I suppose I am in a better position than he is ; and when I think that I am here as your W . M ., 1 can

say with confidence that he never was and he is never likely to be . The I . P . M ., I mean the Master who preceded me in the chair last year , told you that some have greatness thrust upon them . I don ' t know if this was meant as a sneer , because certainly my ( present position has been thrust upon me , and when a deputation of the brethren—who were not brethrencame and asked me if I would be their W . M ., I told them at the time that

I was very rusty in my ritual . 1 hat was a very pleasant way of putting it , because when I left the W . M . ' s chair ol the Drury Lane Lodge all the brethren most justly , and above all generously , stated that I had gone through my year of office with great distinction and credit . It is not the time to go back on that time , or to criticise what I did or did not , and as long as I gave satisfaction , nobody has now a right to question whether I

could not have given more satisfaction had things been different ; but they were not , they were thus . And when the other day these gentlemen came lo me , and when I had explained to them my rustiness and still they persisted that I should be the right man in the right place , I had no alternative but to acquiesce in their very nattering proposal , and here I am to-day with all the greatness of your lodge thrust upon me . I must say that I have had

at manytimes great kindness thrust upon me from all sorts and conditions of men ; of men , of men—and children ; men and children ; ladies , of course ; that is neither herenor there , it is somewhere else . But I have always , I trust , come out with credit to myself . I trust , brethren , there is no misunderstanding ; and when I remember the great kindness of the brethren of the Craft , and the Arch , and the Mark , and all the other Degrees , Allied and

otherwise , I must say that I have to acknowledge at the hands of Freemasons kindness which is unique , and which I thoroughly appreciate , and one of the things that it is my proudest boast to look back upon . I believe that I have the proud distinction of having been the only person within the memory of the record which goes back before So ] omon , of an } ' brother having gone through the three chairs of Grand Treasurer of the Craft ,

Grand Treasurer of the Arch , and Grand Treasurer of the Mark . I believe that is so , and , therefore , it is a record that one may feel a little bit " cocky " about . And when I say this , I can assure you that I say it with no spirit of levity , but feeling as I do all the gratitude that 1 owe to this splendid Brotherhood—a Brotherhood that princes and kings are proud to belong to—and that . English Masonry is the finest Masonry in the world .

Of that there is no question . Therefore , when I say that I thank you heartily for your forbearance for overlooking my many shortcomings , and , notwithstanding that you know of my rustiness , that you have still put me in your chair , I can only say if I do not come up to the high mark which is laid down by the Grand Chaplain to-day it will not be my fault , but yours in having put me there . I can onl y say one thing—that it is true I did

endeavour to make Drury Lane Lodge a success , and , with the assistance of many friends whom I see here to-night , and others I regret are not here , it did make a great success , and perhaps one of the most lightning successes in the history of the Craft . And if only we can follow up that success with another , I can assure you it would be a very proud thing for me . I have often been told that - "Well , this is a wonderful thing you have

done ; you will never do anything better . " But my proud endeavour has always been to do something better , and if wc all put our shoulder to the wheel , remembering that we have , as proved by words and work to-day , the influence of brethren in the Craft high placed , there is no reason why the Eccentric Lodge , composed of good men and true—it is not composed , but it will be composed—I mean to say that we have at present a large

number of brethren who have expressed their desire to join it-, and I think that in three months the lodge will be full , and the others will have to wait . I am not going to make you tired or myself tiresome , but l will simply thank you from the bottom of my heart for your kindness , and although I have expressed myself in light comedy form , the tragedian exists . Bro . T . FENN proposed " The Visitors . "

Bro . Sir J . R . SOAIKRS V INE , P . G . D ., replying , said the visitors had been pleased to co-operate in the consecration of the lodge . The Savage Club Lodge had had much p leasure in recommending the Eccentric Lodge . He was sure they would find they had not done wrong in so doing . Bro . EIIIIUTTS , who also replied , said the visitors had never seen the

consecration ceremony done so magnificently as it had been done that evening . He was very proud indeed that his name should have been on the petition for the lodge , for he was sure it would be a very great success , and an ornament to the Craft . He hoped to enjoy the hospitality of the lodge on a luture occasion . Bro . F . OSMOND CARR , S . W ., in reply to the toast of " The Officers of the Lodge , " said that having been chosen as the first S . W . of the lodge ,

Consecration Of The Eccentric Lodge, No. 2488.

he felt it was his duty in a certain sense just to try and explain what they were going to attempt to do in this Eccentric Lodge . The brethren must have noticed that among the Masonic Brotherhood of the lodge there was another brotherhood . They were known to one another from the very beginning , and when they started this lodge they did it with the best ability they had . They were going to try to make the Eccentric Lodge , for their sakes

own , one of hard work . They had in their first Master one to whom they were enormously indebted for being their head . That being so , the head directing them , they were willing to work and to make the Eccentric a successful lodge . With regard to their own individual work , they had that day had shown to them an example of great importance ; they had seen the work done in a way which could never be obliterated from their memory . All the officers did their work in a way which was perfectly

irreproachable . The officers of the Eccentric Lodge were going in their simple way to equal it . They were going to have good people to join them , and in a short time he hoped they would be able lo have as many initiates as they had in his Isaac Newton Lodge at Cambridge . There they had never less than live ; sometimes they had eight , sometimes nine . They did the initiation , the passing , and the raising the same day ; they worked as hard as they possibly could , and they were going to do the same here .

Bro . W . E . CHAPMAN , Sec , said the officers of the lodge should not enjoy a monopoly of laziness ; they were going to follow the shining and brilliant example set them that day by the Grand Officers . They had a large field in the Eccentric Club to work in . Before entering the Club a man ' s

antecedents and qualifications were thoroughly enquired into , and only the best members of the Club would be able to conic into the lodge . It had started under the most brilliant auspices , having had the encouragement of the attendance of the most shining lights among the Grand Ollicers . The T yler ' s toast concluded the proceedings of a most successful day .

Supreme Grand Chapter.

SUPREME GRAND CHAPTER .

The following is the business lo be transacted on Wednesday next , the ist prox . : The minutes of the last Quarterly Convocation to be read for conformation ,

Tin : REPORT of THE COMMITTEE OP GENERAL PURPOSES . To the Supreme Grand Chapter of Royal Arch Masons of England . The Committee of General Purposes beg lo report that they have examined the accounts from the 19 th July , to the 17 th October , 1 S 93 , both inclusive , which they find to be ' as follows :

lo Balance , Grand Chapter £ 4 61 4 5 t By Disbursements during the 1 , „ Unappropriated Quarter £ 21 ) 0 10 10 Account 1 S 7 10 4 „ Balance 424 iS 2 „ Subsequent Receipts .. 253 17 7 „ „ Unappropriated Account 1 S 7 3 4 £ 00312 4 £ 002 12 4

which balances are in the Bank of England , Law Courts Branch . The Committee have also to report that they have received the following petitions : 1 . From Comps . Col Gerard Noel Money , Grand Superintendent for Surrey , as Z . ; Charles Thomas Tyler , as H . ; Henry Currie Leigh-Bennett , as J . ; and seven others , for a chapter to be attached to the Abbey Lodge , No . 2120 , Chertsey ; to be called The Chertsey Abbey Chapter , and to meet at the Masonic Hall , Chertsey , in the County of Surrey .

The foregoing petition being in all respects regular , the Committee recommend that the prayer thereof be granted . 2 nd . From Comps . Philip Moore Callow Kermode , as Z . ; William Morris , as H . ; John Craine , as J . ; and 20 others , for a chapter to be attached to the St . Maughold Lodge , No . 1075 , Ramsey , Isle of Man , to be called the St . Maughold Chapter , and to meet at the Masonic Rooms , Ramsey , Isle of Man .

Of the companions who signed the petition for the above proposed chapter , 10 are not registered , in consequence of the returns not having been made by Chapters No . 1004 and No . 1242 , Douglas , of which those companions claim to be members . The Committee therefore recommend that the consideration of this petition be deferred until the returns have been made .

The Committee have also received a memorial from the Principals and members of the Port Natal Chapter , No . 738 , Durban , Natal , South Africa , praying for a charter of confirmation , the original having been destroyed by the fire which burnt down the Masonic Hall . The Committee recommend that a charter of confirmation be granted .

The Committee have likewise received a memorial from the Marlborough Chapter , No . 1399 , Woodstock , Oxfordshire , with the consent of the Grand Superintendent , praying for permission to hold the meetings of the chapter alternately at Woodstock and Witney , owing to removals and other causes rendering it difficult to keep the work up to a satisfactory standard at Woodstock alone .

The Committee , nfter due consideration , recommend that the request con . tained in this memorial be not entertained , as being calculated to establish a very inconvenient precedent . The Committee have further received a memorial , with extract of minutes , for permission to remove the following chapter ; The Gilbert Greenall , No . 1250 , from the Masonic Rooms , Sankey-street , Warrington , Lancashire ( West Division ) , to the Assembly Rooms , Lion Hotel , Bridge-street , in the same town . The Committee recommend that the removal of this chapter be sanctioned .

The Provincial Grand Scribe h . of Hampshire and the Isle of Wight , has returned the charter of the new Forest Chapter , No . 319 , Lymintrton , Hampshire , which has made no returns since the 15 th September , 1871 . The Committee beg to recommend that the chapter be removed Irom the list of ch ipters . In pursuance of the report of the Board of General Purposes , the banking account of the Grand Lodge has been transferred from the Western Branch , to the Law Courts Branch , ot the Bank of England .

The Committee report that the banking account of the Grand Chapter has been transferred to the same branch . The Committee beg to recommend , and the President will move : That brethren may be exalted into the Degree of Royal Arch after the expiration ol four weeks from the time they have received the Master Mason ' s Degree , instead of 12 calendar months , as provided by Rule 73 of the Royal Arch Regulations ; that rule 73 be altered accordingly , and Rule 74 expunged .

( Signed ) ROBERT GRP . V , President . Freemasons' Hall , London , W . C , October 18 th , 18 93 .