Consecration Of The Portland Lodge, No. 3159.

Consecration of the Portland Lodge , No . 3159 .

rpHIS interesting function took place at Pagani ' s Restaurant , J Great Portland Street , W ., on Friday , 27 th April , 1906 , in the presence of a number of distinguished visitors , including , in addition to the Consecrating Officers , V . W . Brothe Rev . Canon Horsley , G . Chap . ; W . Bro . C J . Knightley ,

P . G . S . B . ; and R . W . Bro . Wm . Chambers , D . D . G . AL , 5 th District Grand Lodge , Manitoba . The ceremony was perfmined by V . W . Bro . Sir Edward Letchworth , Grand Secretary , assisted by W . Bro . Sir T . H . Brooke-Hitching , P . G . Deacon , as S . W . ; W . Bro . James

Stephens , P . Dep . G . D . C , as J . W . ; V . W . Bro . The Rev . Sir Borradaile Savory , Bart , P . G . Chap ., as Chaplain ; V W . Bro . Frank Richardson , P . Dep . G . Reg ., as D . C . ; W . Bro . Edward White , P . A . G . D . C , as I . G . The W . AI . Designate was W . Bro . F . Trehawke Davies ; S . W . Designate , Bro .

Arthur Frederick Austin , and J . W . Designate , Bro . Ernest Harry Richards . In his opening address the Consecrating Alaster stated the pleasure he and his colleagues had in consecrating the lodge , and congratulated the Founders upon having so

distinguished a Brother as W . Bro . F . Trehawke Davies to preside over them , as he was confident ( hat he would conduct the affairs of the lodge with credit and dignity .

W . URO . F . THKHAWKK DAVIKS . An eloquent oration was delivered by V . W . Bro . Sir Borradaile Savory , Bart ., P . G . Chap ., in the course of which he said they had met to perform a solemn and interesting rite to consecrate a lodge which they desired to start well

upon its career . They might ask themselves what had done the most in the woiid's history in the cause of civilisation , and in answering the question they would find it was not war or science , although essential , not art , although elevating , not politics , although necessary . If they read the pages of

history carefully ( hey would find the greatest factor had been brotherly love , which had a tendency to suppress war , assist art , walk hand in hand with science , and raise politics from wrangling to measures for the well-being of our fellow men . This new lodge would be a new centre for promoting

brotherly love which carried with it relief and truth . Such would be a guide to their members and he wished them God speed . In an adjoining room he had seen written ujion the wall some of the names of the greatest men and women in their walk of life , some of whom had been called to their rest

but their work remained . All good work selves to lighten our jioor lives and therefore could not jiass away , and if the affairs of that lodge were conducted in a true Masonic sjiirit

their work also would not pass away but would conduct them to that Great Architect who lives and reigns for ever . At the conclusion of the Ceremony of Consecration the Grand Secretary installed Bro . F . Trehawke Davies , who invested his Wardens and Treasurer , and ajijiointed and

invested the other Officers as follows : —Bros . Hy . John Ahem , Secretary ; Alfred Edwards , S . D . ; Henry Copley , J . D . ; Ed . Eyre Greenwell , D . C . ; Thomas Dudley Wakefield , I . G . ; George Chapman , Organist ; Henry R . Bright , 1 st . Stwd ; and Horace Bantick , 2 nd Stwd . The Consecrating

Officers and His Grace the Duke of Portland , K . G ., Prov . G . AI . Nottinghamshire , were elected lion , members , and the Founder ' s Jewel of the lodge , embodying the unique bookplate of the first W . M ., three encircling hawks , with his monogram in the centre , was jireseuted to the Consecrating Alaster .

The sum of £ \ o 10 s . was voted for the W . Al . ' s list , who was serving as Steward for the R . M . I . Girls . At the banquet which followed the usual loyal and Afasonic toasts were dul y honoured . In proposing the toast of "The Grand Officers , " the Worshipful Alaster described

them as realty hard workers , and alluded to the task of the committee recently ajijiointed to arrange a club or other home for Alasons in London , worthy of the Craft . He called upon Bro . the Rev . Canon Horsley , G . Chajilain to respond . Bro . the Rev . Canon Horsley , in rejilying , sjioke of the

pleasure it gave him to be present at a Consecration for the first time . It had been both pleasure and profit , and he hojied shortly to take jiart in such a ceremony which had been perfectly performed by the Grand Secretary , assisted by that veteran Mason , Bro . Frank Richardson , and ably

supported by the others . For some time he occupied the unique position in his lodge of the only man who was not a Grand Officer , and he found it a great pleasure to notice the reverence and respect paid by the Craft to their Grand Officers , and also to notice that the spirit of Alasonry was one

of unity . Unity was the essence of the Godhead . Sir John Sloan had said with truth that , no two blades of grass , no two drops of water , and no two grains of sand were alike , yet , in that , as in Masonry , there was unify , not harsh uniformity , and differences , though they existed in every other walk of life , were practically unknown in Alasonry .

1 he \\ orshijiful Master in proposing the toast of " The Consecrating Officers , " congratulated the lodge upon having so jierfect a ceremonialist and so able a Consecrating Master as Sir Edward Letchworth , not only to consecrate their lodge but to remain with them at the festive board , which he esteemed a great compliment . He ( Sir Edward ) had already

consecrated two hundred lodges during his term of office . On behalf of the Founders he tendered him their hearty thanks . Bro . Sir Edward Letchworth , replying , thankfully acknowledged the more than kind remarks of the Worshipful Alaster . He had in the lodge already thanked them for their

kind recognition of the services the Consecrating Officers had rendered to the Lodge . Nothing gave them greater pleasure than starting into existence a new lodge , and in the present case one which he was certain would have a successful future . It had been a great pleasure to him to instal into the Chair

an old friend and exjierienced Mason , under whose rule the lodge would be bound to jirosjier . A reference had been made to the duties of the Committee appointed to deal with the future of Freemasons' Tavern , a question which jireseuted great difficulties . They had many suggestions before them ,

one of which , that a large hall should be built , capable of seating thousands ; another , that it should be turned into a huge Club for English Freemasons , with all the luxuries of a modern Club . The Committee would approach their task with the one desire of jiromoling the interests of the Craft . He again thanked them on behalf of the Consecrating

Officers . The Acting I . P . M ., Bro . Siegmund Lichtenfeld , jirojiosing the toast of "The Worshijiful Alaster , " said the Founders ajijireciated Bro . Davies taking the important office of first