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CONTENTS . PAGE . L EADERSSouth Africa , Western Division ... ... ... ••• 3 ° 5 The West Lancashire Masonic Educational Institution ... ... 3 ° 6 United Grand Lrdge of EnglarVd ( Agenda Paper ) ... ... ... 3 n 7 Provincial Grand Mark Lodge of North and East Yorkshire ... ... 307

District Grand Lodge of Barbados ... ... ... ... ... 3 » S Annual Social Gathering of Relief Lodge , No . 43 ... ... ... 3 ° 9 M ASONIC NOTESAgenda Paper of Grand Lodge ... ... ... ... 3 'i Agenda Paper of Grand Mark Lodge ... ... ... ... 311 Consecration of the Travellers' Lodge , No . 2 G 09 ... ... ... 311 Great Ptioiy of England and Wales ... ... ... ... 311

Correspondence ... ... ... ... ... ... 312 Presentation to Bro . H . J . Garnett , P . M . 139 ... ... ... ... 312 Grand Maik Lodge Agenda Paper ... ... ... ... ... 312 Craft Masonry ... ... ... ... ... ... 313 Royal Arch ... ... ... ... ... ... ... 314 Mark Masonry ... ... ... ... ... ... 314 The Craft Abroad ... ... ... ... ... ... 314 Masonic and General Tidings ... ... ... ... ... 316

South Africa, Western Division.

SOUTH AFRICA , WESTERN DIVISION .

It is evident from the reports we have received of thc District Board of General Purposes both of tlie District G . Lodge and District G . Chapter of South Africa , Western Division , that the Craft is making very considerable progress in

this part of thc British Empire . There are , it is true , but 12 lodges on the roll of District G . Lodge , and of these only onethu British , No . 334 , Cape Town , which vvas warranted in 1 S 11—can be said to have a history . The second senior on the roll is thc Worcester , No . 1603 , meeting in the town from which

it takes its name , and warranted only 20 ycars ago—m 18 7 6 . Tlie Carnarvon , No . 1 735 , which meets in Cape Town , dates from the year 1 S 77 , and the Phcenix , No . i 860 , Simon ' s Town , from two ycars later . Thc St . Blaize Lodge , No . 193 8 , Mosscl

hay , ancl the Beaufort West Lodge , No . 194 6 , meeting in the ( own bearing the same name , received their Warrants of Constitution in 1 S 81 . Then , after an interval of four years , we come to thc Phcenix of Namaqualand , No . 20 S 2 , O ' okicp , and

the Cango Lodge , No . 2088 , Oudtshoorn . In 1 S 90 , was founded the Woodstock , No . 2379 , while of ( he three remaining lodges the St . George ' s , No . 2537 , and the Metropolitan , No . 2538 , both meeting in Cape Town , were warranted in 18 94 , and the

Wynbcrg , No . 2577 , Wynberg , last year . It will thus be seen Hint of all these lodges only one is indebted for its constitution lo a former G . Master , thc other 11 having been constituted by onr present M . W . G . M ., his Royal Highness the Prince of

WALES . Moreover , South Africa , which was organised as a Bistrict , or rather as a Province in 1 S 01 , was in 18 77 , subdivided , the Eastern Division being placed in charge of Bro . CHARLES J . EGAN , M . D ., while the Western Division remained

'iiuler thc government of Bro . ROBERT SOUTHEV , who had presided over the whole body of lodges in South Africa from ^ 63 . In IH JQ , Bro . SouTHEV was succeeded by Bro . CHARLES A- KAIRBRIDGE , ancl in 1 S 90 , the present District G . Master ,

Bro . the Very Rev . C . W . BARNETT CLARKE , Dean of Cape Town , VVr 's appointed his successor , nor . are we in any way guilty exaggeration when we say that it is under the auspices of our V ( , 'y rev . brother that Freemasonry has been making such sure

¦ ind certain progress . Four of the lodges have : been consecrated S 1 'i ' -c hc became District Grand Master , while it is mainly , if not '¦ I'lircl y , due to his efforts that , in 18 94 , a District Grand Chapter ^ s organised , with Comp . the Rev . CLARKE as Grand Superinleil 'lcnt , and four chapters on its roll . Again , as regards the

South Africa, Western Division.

condition of the lodges , the reports seem to be generally satisfactory . Nothing of vcry great importance happened during the year 1 S 95 , but , as a whole , thc loelges appear to be substantially stronger , ancl lhat , too , notwithstanding a reduction in the

aggregate number of members . I litis , in 18 94 , when there were only 1 r lodges in existence , thc number of members was returned as 714 , but of these as many as 101 were returned as being " in arrears , " leaving a balance of members in good

standing of 613 . On the 31 st December , 18 95 , when the Wynberg Lodge had been added to the roll , the aggregate membership was only 692 , but the number of those " in arrears " had been reduced in the meantime from 101 to 57 , so that the members in

good standing was 635 , or 22 in excess of the number at the corresponding date in 18 94 . On turning to the District Grand Treasurer ' s statement of account , vve find , as regards the Fund of General Purposes , which opened with a small balance in

hand , that there was a slight balance on the right side at thc close of the account , and there is no doubt that , hatl it not been for thc expenditure of upwards of £ 40 in purchasing the balance of the regalia required for the use of District Grand Lodge , there

would have been a substantial sum in hand . However , District Grand Lodge is now in possession of a complete set of jewels , collars , and furniture ; and , as it will not be necessary to renew them for some time , we may look to . sec a

good round sum to its credit at the . close of each year ' s account , instead of thc nominal balance in this . The Benevolent Fund is also in a satisfactory state . The balance from 1804 was , £ 962 16 s . 3 d ., and the receipts from all sources

amounted to £ 128 9 s . 5 d ., giving a total on the debit side of ; rjlogr 5 s . Sd . The expenditure , which included £ 15 to thc Masonic Educational Fund , and a loss through the Cape of Good Hope Bank of £ 12 8 s . 2 d ., amounted to £ 124 12 s . 8 d ., the

balance remaining to the credit of the Fund at the close of the : year being , £ 966 13 s ., which is , indeed , a very large sum , considering that the number of brethren in good standing in the whole District is only 635 . We are told also in the body of the

Report that the Masonic Educational Fund " still ' continues its good work , and every year finds itself in a better position to meet Educational requirements . The growth of its area may be only gradual , but it is sure and steady , and the management of

the Fund reflects the greatest possible credit on those connected therewith . " So much for Craft Masonry . As regards the Royal Arch , the Report of the General Board speaks of only Vhrere chapters , namely , the British , No . 334 , Cape Town , which was

constituted in 1829 ; the Phcenix , No . i 860 , Simon ' s Town , which dates from 188 7 ; and the Woodstock , No . 2370 , Woodstock , warranted in 18 93 . But , according to Grand Lodge Calendar , there are four private chapters in the District , the fourth being the ; Albion

Chapter , No . 2220 , Woodstock , the warrant for which is said to haver been granted in 1893 . However , laking the three enumerated in the Report for last year , we : lind the aggregate : membership set down as 1 S 7 , ol" whom , however , ( il are returned

as being "in arrears . " Still ,, even wilh the total of 126 in good standing , as compared with the 6 35 in a similar position in the Craft , the proportion is a good oner , ( . 'specially as ihe period covered by the rejiort is the lirst year thai has elapsed

since ther District Grand Chapter was organised . It is , however , to be ; hoperd that " the question of companions in arrears " will , as the Report suggests , be kept constantly before thc chapters : "The annual subscription is very low , but , if allowed to run into a matter of years , the amounts prove hard to collect and com-