History Of The Emulation Lodge Of Improvement, No. 256.——(Continued).

and lectures , for no other purpose than that of instructing others . It is with peculiar pleasure that we note the survival of this very laudable practice clown to the present clay . The earliest attendance book now in possession of the Lodge was begun on the 7 th of August , 1857 , from which date until his

decease we find that Bro . Pike has a record of 5 82 attendances , while his colleague and fellow worker , S . B . Wilson , from the same date to the 22 nd of December , 1865—his last appearance at the Lodge—made 292 attendances . As senior

LORD ELIOT ( AFTERWARDS EARL OP ST . GERMANS ) , P S . G . W ., Chiiiro ,: i ) i of / he R-rlini ! in 1 SHS . member , he naturally succeeded Wilson in the leadership of the Lodge , although the office of President was discontinued at the death of that brother ; hence , apart from his having

been for many years a member of the Committee of General Purposes , Bro . Pike does not appear to have held any permanent office in the Lodge , which is probably the reason he did not receive the usual Testimonial . On the 24 th of June Bro . Thomas Fenn resumed his

attendance at the weekly meetings , and was appointed Junior Warden for the following Friday . A sum of Five Guineas was voted on the 2 nd of September , towards the Murton Testimonial . On the 4 th of November the following proposition by Bro . Murton was carried

unanimously : — " That in order to ensure correctness in the work , and to prevent unnecessary interruptions , it is expedient that the Past Master ' s chair be occupied by a member of the committee , who shall act as Preceptor for the evening . " Previous to the passing of this resolution , the Past Master's

chair had been occupied by the brother who had filled the Master ' s chair on the preceding lodge night , but in the absence of such brother , one of the committee took his place . The Annua ! Festival was held on the 25 th of November , when five sections of the First Lecture were worked by Bro .

John Hervey , as W . M ., assisted by Bros . T . W . Boord , H . V . Crassweller , A . Green , H . W . Lindus , and J . A . Rucker , there being 10 = 5 members and 78 visitors present on this

. Thirty-six brethren having been proposed for joining , the company adjourned to the banquet , at which Bro . Horace Lloyd , Q . C ., Senior Grand Deacon , presided . In the course of the evening the chairman presented to the Secretary , C . A . Murton , a Secretary ' s Jewel , voted from the funds of the

lodge , for his services as Secretary for seven years , and a silver Epergne as a testimonial , subscribed for by the members as a mark of their esteem . Bro . Murton was deservedly popular in the Lodge , and , in the absence of any other member of the Committee , always

acted as Preceptor , frequently eliciting the admiration of the brethren by his readiness to correct and instruct the officers , even while engaged in his secretarial duties . 1871 . On the 31 st of March the decease of Bro . John Daly , who had acted as Tyler for a number of years , was reported to the lodge by Bro . Hervey , and an expression of

regret was ordered to be recorded on the minutes . It was resolved : " that Bro . Daly , Junr ., be appointed Tyler pro / cm ., and that the Committee be requested to enquire and report to the brethren as to a fit candidate for the office . " April the 21 st : Bro . Fenn gave notice of motion to make

certain alterations in the By-Laws . One of the alterations proposed was an addition to By-Law 4 , which had for a number of years read as follows : " That no Brother shall be eligible to be elected to the Office of Master unless he is fully acquainted with the method of opening and closing the Lodge

in the three Degrees and of working the Ceremony intended for the occasion on which he is to preside , agreeably to the recognised system of this Lodge . " Bro . Fenn proposed to add the following : " That this By-Law be read by the Secretary at each meeting , immediately before the election of Master . "

In those days it was a common practice for brethren to repeatedly work through the subordinate offices up to that of Senior Warden , and then retire , declining election to the office of Master on account of their inability to comply with the fourth By-Law . Occasionally , however , it happened that a brother , endued with more zeal than discretion , or being

ignorant of what was expected of him as a Master of the Lodge , allowed himself to be elected to the chair , much to the regret of the committee and the members generally . Hence the proposed addition was obviously intended to prevent such occurrences , or , at all events , to render them

less frequent , and no doubt it had the desired effect . Strange to say , when brought before the Lodge on the 12 th of May as a recommendation of the Committee , the addition was strongly opposed by two of the most regular attendants , and an amendment was moved that it be omitted ; the

original motion was , however , carried by a considerable majority . The Annual Festival was held on the 24 th of November , Bro . Fenn as W . M ., who worked the Second Lecture , assisted J . F . Huggins , J . A . Rucker , T . E . Hardy , J . Steward , and

A . Green . There were present on this occasion 90 members and 83 visitors , besides several invited guests . Thirty-one brethren were proposed as members and duly elected at the following meeting .

JAMES PIKE , P . M . No . < : c . . 1 MruAer of tlir COM mi 11 iv . The Grand Treasurer , Samuel Tomkins , presided at the banquet in the absence of Sir Francis Burdett , Provincial

Grand Master for Middlesex , who was prevented from attending in consequence of a domestic affliction . This meeting was not reported . On December the 15 th , it was " Proposed by Bro . Hervey , seconded by Bro . Fenn , and carried unanimously , that the