Note: This text has been automatically extracted via Optical Character Recognition (OCR) software.
Skelmersdale Lodge, No. 1729. —Reception Of The Earl Of Lathom.
an interview with lws lordship , and went so far as to ask that he would allow them to use his name in the lodge and accord them his patronage , both of which requests were acceded to , in addition to which they received his permission to use his arms and armorial bearings . His lordship took a deep and lively interest in the lodge , as correspondence with
its members would show . As time passed on the name Skelmersdale was lost in the more exalted rank of Earl of Lathom , this reward being given for long and meritorious services as a distinguished servant of her late Majesty ' s household . On the lamented death of the Earl they asked
the further favour of their guest that evening that he would continue the patronage of the Earl of Lathom , which , as they knew , he had graciously accorded . They , however , did not expect to have the personal presence of his lordship , and he
could assure him that they appreciated his presence very much . They knew that his lordship took a practical interest in dispensing charity in the principal Masonic Institutions in England , and he might remark that during the existence of that lodge they had endeavoured to practise charity both at home and abroad . They had relieved directly through the
lodge and indirectly through the District Grand Lodge . They had also contributed not only to the Royal Masonic Institutions of England , but also to the local Charitable Institutions of Maritzburg , and it might interest his lordship to know that throughout the war that lodge furnished and
maintained a ward of six beds in the Assembly Volunteer Hospital . In conclusion he assured his lordship that they heartily appreciated his presence amongst them that evening .
His lordship s health was drunk with musical honours , while three hearty cheers were given for his countess , and his son , Lord Skelmersdale . The Earl of Lathom in reply said : —To say that I thank 3 'ou heartily for the reception you have given me is to put my feelings into very poor words indeed . Brethren , I have
had , I am happy to say , many receptions , and I am happy to say also that not through my own merits , but through the merits , I believe honestly , of my father I have always had good receptions ; but , brethren , your reception this evening excels them all . I thank you most heartily for welcoming
me here this evening , and I can assure you , brethren , that if ever it should be my good fortune to visit South Africa and this Colony of Natal again , I shall not wait to be asked to visit the Skelmersdale Lodge , but I shall write and say that I am coming , because I know I shall be heartily received .
Brethren , it is well within my recollection that my father took a great interest in this Skelmersdale Lodge , and a great pride in the fact that he was patron of the lodge , and I can assure you , brethren , that I have always taken a great pride in the knowledge of the fact that my name , the name of my father , has held such a honoured record in South Africa and in Natal . I have often thought about not merely my father ' s
career m Masonry , but about my own . My father began as a very young Mason , and he has told me that for a certain time after he was lirst initiated in the old Apollo Lodge at Oxford , he did not take that interest in it which he did in after years . Then when he grew perhaps a little older and a little wiser , he began to see what a great good Masonry
was doing , not merely in England but throughout the whole of the world . He then took to Masonry , and worked at it until he attained eventually that high position which he held at the time of his death . You all know , brethren , I feel sure , from what I have heard this evening , the distinguished record
he held . Then Jet me tell you , brethren , that for some years after I attained full age I held aloof from Masonry because my father would not try improperly to persuade me to become a Mason . I questioned him sometimes about it , but he would never give me an answer . Well , brethren , that
lasted until my marriage , and then , I am glad to say , that one evening when I was not present he spoke rather more openly to my wife and to my sisters than he would ever have done to myself , and he expressed his regret to them that I was not a Mason , whereupon they , knowing my feelings , told him that I had only held back from Masonry because I thought he did not approve of it . I became a Mason almost
shortly after I became a benedict , and I can assure you I regret the one step as little as I regret the other . In all my steps in Masonry I have always felt , and I daresay your District Grand Master has heard me say so , that whatever position I may have in the Craft I owe to the high esteem in which my father was held by the brethren ; and , brethren ,
he was held in high estimation . I have tried , as far as in me lies , to follow in his footsteps , but , brethren , the way in which I have tried to follow that is by always revereing Masonry myself . I cannot tell you , brethren , how much I think of our Craft . I have passed through the three Degrees .
I have been in the chair in several lodges . I have also passed into the other higher Degrees as they are called , but this I will say that nothing in Masonry do I love so much as the lirst three degrees . And , therefore , brethren , loving Masonry as I do , I am very jealous about Masonry . I do
not like to see , as I regret to say I have seen , brethren made in Masonry who are not worthy of that high honour . We have in Masonry what in my mind I feel to be a very line exposition of true religion , and though I would that all men were Masons who are worthy of being Masons , I cannot but feel that sometimes Masonry is rather degraded . I have seen it , unfortunately , in England , and I have spoken to
those who I know to be brethren , not in this Colony , for I have only just arrived as I may say in this Colony , but elsewhere I have spoken with brethren where I have stayed lately , and I have been told by men who respect the true tenets and principles of the Craft that they will not join certain lodges because they do not wish to combine business
with Masonry . Brethren , I have made some enquiries while I have been seated at this table , and I am glad to hear that in this Colony of Natal , here in this town of Pietermaritzburg , you try to keep these two matters entirely separate . I do believe that Freemasonry helps everyone , but there are
different ways of being helped , and I do not think it right that anyone should come to another man and say , " I am a Mason and therefore you must help me . " I do not think it right even that people should join Masonry simply for the purpose of being helped , either in business , or because they
think they may be about to become successful in business . We have many instances of that in England . I get letters in England from men claiming assistance because they are Masons , but how- am I to know what sort of Masons they are . Brethren , do you remember how a brother is questioned when he proceeds from the first to the second Degree , and he is asked where he was lirst made a Mason ? The answer
to that is "in my heart . " We all give that answer , and I hope we all give it rightly . I trust that when I gave that answer I did believe it thoroughly . But is that the case with all Masons ? I am afraid not . We trust that to worthy men and worthy men alone are our privileges granted , but—I am not speaking to the brethren of this lodge or the other lodges
I am speaking to this evening—you meet other lodges , and I am sorry to say that this is a thing I have heard about , this business being combined with Masonry . I assure you it is wrong , and you all know it . I love the Craft , and I love the lessons it teaches , and I trust , brethren , that we shall all
uphold the great watchwords of the Craft—Brotherly Love , Relief , and Truth . I know full well what good you have clone , brethren , to Masonry . I have had occasion already to thank the Skelmersdale Lodge for the help they gave me when I was presiding over the Girls' School Festival in
London the other day . For that relief I again tender you my most warm and hearty thanks , but , brethren , Charity is not the only watchword of the Craft . Brotherly Love I trust we all have , and again we seek the truth . We have , as you well know , at the present time , only the substituted words .
Brethren , the object , to my mind , of a Freemason ' s love , should be such as to merit , when he at last ascends to the Grand Lodge Above , the honour , the privilege , of being given the great watchwords from Him who lives and reigns supreme Above .
The proceedings terminated with the National Anthem , and as his lordship drove away from the lodge , the brethren who had congregated in the porchway , appropriately struck up " Auld lang Syne , " and " Will ye no come back again . "
Note: This text has been automatically extracted via Optical Character Recognition (OCR) software.
Skelmersdale Lodge, No. 1729. —Reception Of The Earl Of Lathom.
an interview with lws lordship , and went so far as to ask that he would allow them to use his name in the lodge and accord them his patronage , both of which requests were acceded to , in addition to which they received his permission to use his arms and armorial bearings . His lordship took a deep and lively interest in the lodge , as correspondence with
its members would show . As time passed on the name Skelmersdale was lost in the more exalted rank of Earl of Lathom , this reward being given for long and meritorious services as a distinguished servant of her late Majesty ' s household . On the lamented death of the Earl they asked
the further favour of their guest that evening that he would continue the patronage of the Earl of Lathom , which , as they knew , he had graciously accorded . They , however , did not expect to have the personal presence of his lordship , and he
could assure him that they appreciated his presence very much . They knew that his lordship took a practical interest in dispensing charity in the principal Masonic Institutions in England , and he might remark that during the existence of that lodge they had endeavoured to practise charity both at home and abroad . They had relieved directly through the
lodge and indirectly through the District Grand Lodge . They had also contributed not only to the Royal Masonic Institutions of England , but also to the local Charitable Institutions of Maritzburg , and it might interest his lordship to know that throughout the war that lodge furnished and
maintained a ward of six beds in the Assembly Volunteer Hospital . In conclusion he assured his lordship that they heartily appreciated his presence amongst them that evening .
His lordship s health was drunk with musical honours , while three hearty cheers were given for his countess , and his son , Lord Skelmersdale . The Earl of Lathom in reply said : —To say that I thank 3 'ou heartily for the reception you have given me is to put my feelings into very poor words indeed . Brethren , I have
had , I am happy to say , many receptions , and I am happy to say also that not through my own merits , but through the merits , I believe honestly , of my father I have always had good receptions ; but , brethren , your reception this evening excels them all . I thank you most heartily for welcoming
me here this evening , and I can assure you , brethren , that if ever it should be my good fortune to visit South Africa and this Colony of Natal again , I shall not wait to be asked to visit the Skelmersdale Lodge , but I shall write and say that I am coming , because I know I shall be heartily received .
Brethren , it is well within my recollection that my father took a great interest in this Skelmersdale Lodge , and a great pride in the fact that he was patron of the lodge , and I can assure you , brethren , that I have always taken a great pride in the knowledge of the fact that my name , the name of my father , has held such a honoured record in South Africa and in Natal . I have often thought about not merely my father ' s
career m Masonry , but about my own . My father began as a very young Mason , and he has told me that for a certain time after he was lirst initiated in the old Apollo Lodge at Oxford , he did not take that interest in it which he did in after years . Then when he grew perhaps a little older and a little wiser , he began to see what a great good Masonry
was doing , not merely in England but throughout the whole of the world . He then took to Masonry , and worked at it until he attained eventually that high position which he held at the time of his death . You all know , brethren , I feel sure , from what I have heard this evening , the distinguished record
he held . Then Jet me tell you , brethren , that for some years after I attained full age I held aloof from Masonry because my father would not try improperly to persuade me to become a Mason . I questioned him sometimes about it , but he would never give me an answer . Well , brethren , that
lasted until my marriage , and then , I am glad to say , that one evening when I was not present he spoke rather more openly to my wife and to my sisters than he would ever have done to myself , and he expressed his regret to them that I was not a Mason , whereupon they , knowing my feelings , told him that I had only held back from Masonry because I thought he did not approve of it . I became a Mason almost
shortly after I became a benedict , and I can assure you I regret the one step as little as I regret the other . In all my steps in Masonry I have always felt , and I daresay your District Grand Master has heard me say so , that whatever position I may have in the Craft I owe to the high esteem in which my father was held by the brethren ; and , brethren ,
he was held in high estimation . I have tried , as far as in me lies , to follow in his footsteps , but , brethren , the way in which I have tried to follow that is by always revereing Masonry myself . I cannot tell you , brethren , how much I think of our Craft . I have passed through the three Degrees .
I have been in the chair in several lodges . I have also passed into the other higher Degrees as they are called , but this I will say that nothing in Masonry do I love so much as the lirst three degrees . And , therefore , brethren , loving Masonry as I do , I am very jealous about Masonry . I do
not like to see , as I regret to say I have seen , brethren made in Masonry who are not worthy of that high honour . We have in Masonry what in my mind I feel to be a very line exposition of true religion , and though I would that all men were Masons who are worthy of being Masons , I cannot but feel that sometimes Masonry is rather degraded . I have seen it , unfortunately , in England , and I have spoken to
those who I know to be brethren , not in this Colony , for I have only just arrived as I may say in this Colony , but elsewhere I have spoken with brethren where I have stayed lately , and I have been told by men who respect the true tenets and principles of the Craft that they will not join certain lodges because they do not wish to combine business
with Masonry . Brethren , I have made some enquiries while I have been seated at this table , and I am glad to hear that in this Colony of Natal , here in this town of Pietermaritzburg , you try to keep these two matters entirely separate . I do believe that Freemasonry helps everyone , but there are
different ways of being helped , and I do not think it right that anyone should come to another man and say , " I am a Mason and therefore you must help me . " I do not think it right even that people should join Masonry simply for the purpose of being helped , either in business , or because they
think they may be about to become successful in business . We have many instances of that in England . I get letters in England from men claiming assistance because they are Masons , but how- am I to know what sort of Masons they are . Brethren , do you remember how a brother is questioned when he proceeds from the first to the second Degree , and he is asked where he was lirst made a Mason ? The answer
to that is "in my heart . " We all give that answer , and I hope we all give it rightly . I trust that when I gave that answer I did believe it thoroughly . But is that the case with all Masons ? I am afraid not . We trust that to worthy men and worthy men alone are our privileges granted , but—I am not speaking to the brethren of this lodge or the other lodges
I am speaking to this evening—you meet other lodges , and I am sorry to say that this is a thing I have heard about , this business being combined with Masonry . I assure you it is wrong , and you all know it . I love the Craft , and I love the lessons it teaches , and I trust , brethren , that we shall all
uphold the great watchwords of the Craft—Brotherly Love , Relief , and Truth . I know full well what good you have clone , brethren , to Masonry . I have had occasion already to thank the Skelmersdale Lodge for the help they gave me when I was presiding over the Girls' School Festival in
London the other day . For that relief I again tender you my most warm and hearty thanks , but , brethren , Charity is not the only watchword of the Craft . Brotherly Love I trust we all have , and again we seek the truth . We have , as you well know , at the present time , only the substituted words .
Brethren , the object , to my mind , of a Freemason ' s love , should be such as to merit , when he at last ascends to the Grand Lodge Above , the honour , the privilege , of being given the great watchwords from Him who lives and reigns supreme Above .
The proceedings terminated with the National Anthem , and as his lordship drove away from the lodge , the brethren who had congregated in the porchway , appropriately struck up " Auld lang Syne , " and " Will ye no come back again . "