The Board Of General Purposes.

The Board of General Purposes .

r OHE Board of General Purposes , the portraits of whose J _ members we have the pleasure to present to our readers , may be described as the governing bod y of the Grand Lodge , and its functions are both administrative and judicial . It is composed of the Grand Master , Pro Grand Master , Deputy

Grand Master , the Grand Wardens of the year , the Grand Treasurer , Grand Registrar , Deputy Grand Registrar , Past Presidents , President of the Board of Benevolence , and the Grand Director of Ceremonies , as ex officio members ; six members , in addition to the President , are appointed by the

Grand Master , and eighteen , all of whom must be either actual Masters or Past Masters , are elected by Grand Lodge at the Quarterly Communication in June . A Vice-President is

selected out of the bod y by the Board . The meetings take place on the third Tuesday in every month , and it is needless to say that with the growth of Masonry the duties of this body have become both onerous and important , serving at once to protect the land marks of the Order and the rights and

privileges of individual members of the Craft . A glance at the origin and early constitution of this body may not be uninteresting to our readers : On the union of the two Grand Lodges in the year ISIT ,, at its meeting on the 27 th December , the first business undertaken after the

appointment of Grand Officers was the formation of four Boards "for tlie Administration of Finances , of the Works , of the Schools , and of General Purposes . " At first no President was appointed to preside over these Boards or

Committees , the senior Grand Oflicer present at anv of its meetings taking the chair ; but in 1815 a President was appointed to preside over each ; this appointment , as now , being in the hands of the Grand Master . Subsequently the Board of General Purposes absorbed all the others , the

Board of Schools and Works ceasing to meet after 1818 , and that of Finance after 18 3 8 , a survival of the two latter remaining in the shape of the Finance and Premises Committees , and the former becoming separate Institutions , with a governing bod y and appointed Secretaries .

Undoubtedly the most important work undertaken bv the Board was the preparation of a code of laws for the government of the Craft , which was submitted to the

consideration of a Special Grand Lodge , held on 1 st February , 1815 . After a series of weekly meetings extending over a period of several months , these Laws were adopted at a meeting of Grand Lodge . On the 23 rd August following they were unanimously

approved , and it was resolved that thev should be in force for three years , from the ist November , 1815 , " and then lie subject to revision . " It is needless to say that numerous revisions of the Book of Constitutions bv the Board have since taken place , the latest of anv great importance being

in 188 4 , during the Presidency of Sir Joint Monckton , whose successor in the following year was Bro . T . Fenn , to whom also the Craft is largely indebted for man } - carefully considered additions and improvements .

Provincial Grand Lodge Of Worcestershire.

Provincial Grand Lodge of Worcestershire .

The annual meeting of the Provincial Grand Lodge of Worcestershire was held on the 29 th September at Halesowen , and was largely attended . R . W . Bro . Sir A . Frederick Godson , M . P ., Provincial Grand Master , was unable to be present , and the Deputy Provincial Grand Master , W . Bro . William Thomas Page , presided . The Perseverance Lodge

at Halesowen , which celebrates its fiftieth anniversary this year , received the Provincial Grand Officers with the customary honors . Reports were presented showing that Freemasonry was making great progress throughout the Province . The report of the Masonic Charity Organisation Committee showed that the receipts amounted to . £ 3 62 , and that £ 42

had been given to the Royal Masonic Benevolent Institution , £ 31 to the Institution for Boys , and . £ 284 to the Institution for Girls . The accounts were adopted , £ 10 10 s . was voted from the Provincial Grand Lodge Fund oi Benevolence in aid of the Royal Masonic Institution for Girls . The officers for the ensuing year were appointed , and it was desided to

hold the annual Provincial Grand Meeting at Oldbury next year . The Brethren subsequently attended the Parish Church , Bro . the Rev . T . H . Tatham , M . A ., and Bro . the Rev . J . C . Hill , M . A ., Provincial Grand Chaplains , officiating . In the evening a banquet was held in the Drill Hall .

Consecration Of The Abiff Lodge, No. 2810.

Consecration of the Abiff Lodge , No . 2810 .

At Saxntundham on the 21 st September the Rev . C . J . Martyn , Deputy Prov . Grand Master , in the unavoidable absence of the Prov . Grand Master , Lord Henniker , consecrated the Abiff Lodge , No . 2810 . Upwards of sixty Prov .

Consecration Of The Abiff Lodge, No. 2810.

Grand Oflicers and brethren were present . The Oration was delivered by the Prov . Grand Chaplain , the Rev . W . E . Fletcher . The Worshipful Master , Bro . G . H . Garritt , was duly installed as Worshipful Master and appointed his officers for the year . At the close of the proceedings a banquet was held in the Parish Hall at which about 55 brethren sat down .

The Worshipful Master presided , and was supported on his right by the Deputy Grand Master , and on his left by the Prov . Grand Treasurer , Bro . Tracy . It is interesting to note that a Lodge of Freemasons was held at Saxmundham early in the century . It was held under

a warrant from the Ancients , elated June 2 nd , 1808 , at the White Hart Tavern , Fnimlingham , and after some vicissitudes , was erased bv Grand Lodge in 1832 . We have reason to anticipate a much better fate for the Abiff Lodge , which presents every sign of healthy infancy and long lite .

Wisdom, Strength, & Beauty

WISDOM , STRENGTH , & BEAUTY

SPECIAL OFFKR .

By the late W . Bro . C . N . MCINTVKK NORTH , Architect . This useful work , the result of years of labour and careful . stud } - of ours , deals in a master )} - manner with the plans , forms , and architectural details of King So ) omon ' s Temple in a pleasant and readable style never before attempted , culled from Holy Writ ,

the Works of Josephus , Perrot , C'hipiez , 'foxier , Ferguson , Warren , Condor , I . ortet , Donaldson , Kenan , Loftus , Daniels , Wilson , and many others . Profusely illustrated . Invaluable to the proper understanding of the lectures , a useful book of reference . Published privately by the late W . Bro . Mclntyre North , in cloth

at JOS . 6 d . SPENCER & Co . having purchased the remainder from the . Executors , offer them at the low and popular price of 4 6 . Masonic Depot , 15 Great Queen Street , London , YV . C .