The Grand Lodge Of Canada.

The Grand Lodge of Canada .

THE Grand Lodge of Canada assembled recently in Massey Hall , Toronto , for the Fifty-first Annual Communication . The " Toronto Freemason " states that over 1 , 000 delegates from all parts of the province were in attendance . On the opening of the Grand Lodge , Controller Shaw and Aid . Graham , with local brethrenwelcomed

, the delegates to Toronto on behalf of the city . The Grand Master , on behalf of the Grand Lodge , expressed his thanks for the civic welcome . An illuminated address of welcome to the M . W . Grand Master was presented by the various Masonic Lodges of the city . W . Bro . A . E . Hageman , W . M . St .

Andrew ' s Lodge , made the presentation and read the address . Then followed the presentation of a gold medal on , behalf of the Grand Lodge to the M . W . Bro . Col . Stevenson , Past Grand Master , on his 50 th anniversary as a Mason . For 3 8 years of the 50 years he has been a member of the

Grand Lodge . The medal bore the inscription : " Presented to the M . W . Col . A . A . Stevenson by Grand Lodge of Canada , on his 50 th anniversary . " The presentation was made by Hon . Senator J . K . Kerr , who referred to the devotion of Col . Stevenson to Masonry and the great services he had rendered to the Order . Col . Stevenson thanked the donors

very warmly and referred briefly to his connection with the Grand Lodge M . W . Bro . Burritt then read his annual address , from which we give the leading features : —Our Semi-Centennial year has passed into history , though not forgotten , and we are again assembled , in our Fifty-first Annual Communication

, to review the work of the past year , deal with such matters as are brought before us for present action , and prepare for the future , and I extend to you all my sincere and fraternal greetings . Before going into the record of the year , so far as my part of the w'ork therein is . concerned allow me to say

how greatly I appreciate the honour you conferred upon me last year by electing me to the position of Grand Master . The position of Grand Master is the summit of Masonic ambition , and the highest in your gift to bestow , and no one has been able to adequately express his appreciation of it ; and when it comes with such a lavish hand as it came to me ,

you can readily see how hard it is for me to cover the ground with thanks . Our jubilee year closed with a record of unexampled prosperity . I was preceded in this high office , for the last 50 years , by men whom it is very hard to follow , if our record is to be even preserved , if not advanced ; and for

this reason , if no other , I have felt the magnitude of the position . My sole object is and shall be the general welfare of the Craft , and in the administration of the office it shall be my constant effort to deal with persons and matters with justice and impartiality and with the one object before stated .

The general state of the Craft in the jurisdiction is healthy ; our net membership has increased by about 2 , 000 , making our total membership over 37 , 000 . Our income for the year , to the 31 st of May last was 34 , 377 . 19 dols ., as against 33 011 . 18 dols . last year , showing a net increase ol

, 1 , 3 66 . 01 dols . This is very gratifying , as our jubilee year was the largest in our history to that time evidencing that we are making that progress which we all desire . There is now , I believe , absolute uniformity in the authorised work throughout the jurisdiction , and the ancient landmarks were never

more strictly adhered to than at the present time . There is one matter , however , which is not one for an expression of thankfulness ,, and one which is difficult of reasonable solution to do justice to the lodge and to the brethren concerned : I refer to the large accumulation of arrears for dues . From the statistical information . returned

by the District Deputy Grand Masters and published in our Annual Proceedings , it would appear we are not making much progress towards better conditions , and I would ask each Worshipful Master to make this question one of prominence during his terms of office . My own opinion is , if you can be assured of any brother's inability to pay his

indebtedness , it would be better to remit his arrears and retain his membership . A Mason suspended from his lodge for non-payment is in a very regretable position ; probably from no fault of his , he is ostracised from a society whose associations for good are unquestioned , and it is far more in accordance with our teachings of charity to give him the benefit of the doubt and still call him brother .

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" HISTORY OF CRESCENT LODGE , No . 25 , CEDAR RAPIDS , IOWA , 1906 " ( Republican Printing Company , Cedar Rapids , Iowa ) . —This is a line volume , of considerable interest , especially to the members of the Lodge , and has been written by Bro . J . E . MORECAMBE , the Historian of the Grand

Lodge , " prepared under the supervision of the Committee on History , and published by authority of the Lodge , " so the work is well attested and most reliable , " true and square . " Numerically the Lodge is strong , having 334 on the register at the end of 1905 , with total assets of some . £ 470 .

The membership of the American lodges usually runs into several hundreds , not a few being over a thousand each ; in this respect being quite different to the usage in this country , so that ( here are fewer lodges in proportion to the number of members in the U . S . A .

The Historian has had to piece out his work from various sources owing to "the ruthless hand of time , " aided by the carelessness of men , " have wrought destruction of such early documents as would have made the narrative complete . Crescent Lodge has reason to be proud of its history . Upon

its past and present lists of membership are to be found the names of those best known and most highly honoured in the community . In the dark days of civil strife one-half its membership gave willing patriot service , and some of these returned no more to the altar where they had made pledge of

loyalty . " We agree with Bro . Morecambe in the opinion that " Masonry has been a strong factor in the life of Cedar Itopids , " and in the belief that " the future history of the

Lodge and of the fraternity will reveal yet greater and nobler things . " The volume is divided into eighteen chapters , in which the " Rise of the Fraternity , " " Masonry in America , " " The Grand Lodge of Iowa , " and the organization and progress of

the Lodge from its organization on 23 rd November , 1850 , by dispensation , are duly treated . The Warrant was issued 4 th June , 1851 . An excellent illustration appears of the first Masonic Hall in which the brethren assembled , and a view of the interior ,,

which at that time was severely plain but roomy . A portrait is given of the first initiate , who was W . M . in 1853 . In fact , there is quite a portrait gallery of the Masters from the first—Bro . G . Greene—to the present time , as well as other officers and prominent brethren , including the lamented Grand

Secretary , M . W . Bro . T . S . Parvin , P . G . M ., and a number of views of the several homes of the Lodge , etc . The " Rise of the Fraternity " is ably sketched by the Author , who utilizes the researches of Bros . Hughan , Gould , and othersand gracefully refers to their value and importance .

, The second chapter deals with " Masonry in America , " but far too briefly , and is followed by one on "The Grand Lodge of Iowa , " after which the History of the Lodge occurs in several chapters . In evidence of the thoroughness of the work , it may be

stated that nearly 150 pages are devoted to biographies of the members , and nothing is omitted from the History that could possibly be furnished . It needs , however , a full Index tomake it perfect . W . J . H .