Note: This text has been automatically extracted via Optical Character Recognition (OCR) software.
India.
that our R . W . Bro . John Jacob Louis Hoff , who has , for a period of not less than seven and thirty years , devoted his time , energies , and , I may say , his heart , to the welfare of the Craft , lias expressed his intention of withdrawing himself from all open connection with Masonry , and his absence from our meetings will cause a blank that cannot easily be replaced . Bro . Hoff is well known to every one of us , and , being respected and loved by every Mason in Bengal , will carry with him into
his retirement the hearty good-will and wishes of the entire Masonic community of India . I do not , however , think that a mere verbal declaration from this chair , that Bro . Hoff has eminently succeeded in gaining to himself the esteem and respect of his fellows , will serve as sufficient on the present occasion , but that the Craft would wish him to have some solid aud substantial proof of their love , and I have therefore asked a few of the chief Grand Officers to form themselves into a
committee to consider the best form which a handsome testimonial should take . I have also addressed a circular-letter to all lodges within the province , asking the brethren attached to them , who may , either collectively or individually , be desirous of subscribing to the testimonial , to communicate with our R . W . Bro . Howe , who has kindly consented to be President of the committee . I would propose , in the event of a testimonial being got ready in timethat R . W . Bro . Hoff be invited to attend Grand
, Lodge on St . John ' s Day , and that the presentation be made to him in this room , accompanied by those marks of honour which are due to our brother ' s long services and his position in the Craft . Touching the present position of Freemasonry in this province , I find that there are eight lodges working in the town of Calcutta , and nineteen in the provinces , viz ., in Bengal Proper , three ; in the N . AV . Provinces , including Oude , eight ; in the Punjaubfour ; and four in the Burmese Provinces . The
Cal-, cutta lodges are , generally speaking , working well and prosperously , as also are some of those in the Mofussil , which , it must be remembered , are always open to great fluctuation by the frequent changes which took place among the residents of outstations , by removal to other places , by retirement , or by casualty . Mofussil lodges labour under very great difficulties , as I am able , from personal experience , to testify ; they have to make up numbers from a limited society , to obtain a house and to purchase
furniture and fittings with scanty funds , and constantly to replace brethren who remove , or who are ordered from the stations at all seasons of the year . The state of Mofussil lodges is always , therefore , a matter of uncertainty and anxiety . There are five lodges in abeyance , and should these not be resuscitated within two years from the date of their last meeting , their warrants will be returned to the Grand Lodge of England , in conformity with custom . The returns of many of the lodges are in arrears .
For this there is some excuse , viz ., that for some months there has been no legal Masonic authority to whom they could be transmitted , but I am sorry to say that there are five lodges that have returned up to the end of 1860 only , and two only to the end of 1859 . Every endeavour is being made by the Provincial Grand Secretary to bring up those arrears . I should mention that , under the Constitutions of the Grand Lodge of
England , and under the by-laws of this District Grand Lodge , any lodge that does not make returns for a twelvemonth , is liable to erasure , and its officers are disqualified from attending the District Grand Lodge , or sitting upon any committee . I cannot refrain from noticing the great number of " demitted " Masons in Calcutta , and indeed in all India ; I mean those Masons who havein many cases to suit merely their own . tastes
, or convenience , withdrawn from all open connection with our Order , by ceasing to bear their names upon our rolls . Seeing that it is impossible for any man to cancel his Masonic obligation , and that the true maxim is , " Once a Mason always a Mason , " it is not pleasant to hear Masons admit that they have not visited a lodge for years , or that they have " quite given up " Freemasonry . AVhen a candidate is admitted into our Order ,
lie gives a solemn assurance that he will ever abide by the landmarks of the Craft ; and one of those primary landmarks is that every brother should belong to some lodge , so as to be subject to its by-laws and the general rules and regulations of the Craft . This applies even to the Entered Apprentice , while the Fellow-Craftsman and the Master Mason are still . more solemnly pledged to obey all si and summonsesto plead only the most urgent
gns , necessity for absenting themselves from regular attendance at a lodge , and to maintain the principles inculcated in the first degree . I should be glad to see those brethren who are constant in their fidelity to the Craft use their endeavours to reclaim to our lodges those Masons who have set aside the allegiance that
they voluntarily took upon themselves at their initiation . It is my intention , after having disposed of business which requires more immediate attention , to visit officially , from time to time , the several lodges in and near Calcutta , not only for the purpose of inspecting their books and observing their modes of working , but of making myself more generally acquainted with my Masonic brethren . Many essential benefits frequently arise from this custom of periodical visitation . I shall he glad to see some decisive action taken in the matter of a Masonic Hall . I believe that the
feeling of the Craft generally is undivided on this one point , that it is not dignified for us , as a large and influential body , to hold our meetings in a hired building , from which we are , at any time liable to be ejected upon the expiration of a lease . There are , undoubtedly , obstacles in the way . There is the difficulty of obtaining a suitable plot of ground at anything like a reasonable outlay , and the high prices of all building materials and of labouras well as the scantiness of our fundshave to be
, , considered , added to the fact that the residence of the majority of our number in this country is , more or less , ephemeral ; these are , doubtless , great obstacles , but surely not insurmountable , and a plan might not improbably be devised for raising , by debentures or by other means , such funds as would enable us to erect a building sufficient for our own immediate purposes , and likely to yield a remunerative return by being made partly
available to the public for meetings of a general nature . I purpose forming a select committee for the consideration of this important subject , and I have no doubt that our worthy brother the G . Supt . of AVorks will give the members of It the benefit of his co-operation and advice . I am confident that it would be gratifying to every Masou to feel that we had a building which we could call our own , and much good might be derived by establishing within its walls a good library , reading room , aud
" coffee shop , " all being placed under the care of a resident Tyler , who might , at the same time , be clerk to the Prov . G . Sec , and have charge of the archives of the District GrancT Lodge . The next point to which I solicit your attention is to our bye-laws . The last edition was printed in 1858 , after a lapse of five years . Five years have again now nearly elapsed , and the edition of 1858 is out of print . It will therefore be to reprintbut before doing thisit wouldperhaps
necessary ; , , , be advisable to consider the present edition very carefully , so that the opportunity may be taken of making any alterations that may appear suitable or necessary . A committee will be formed for this purpose , and their report laid before a communication of the District Grand Lodge for consideration . There
is one innovation in the system of working in this District Grand Lodge which I would like to see introduced , and which is founded upon the system which obtains in England . It must be remembered that , in this Hall , we are legislating for Masons scattered over a vast area of country , and that questions of considerable general interest and of importance are frequently discussed . It is but proper , therefore , that no member of the District Grand Lodge should ever be taken by surprisebut
, that he should be enabled beforehand to know what questions are to come forward at each meeting . I propose , therefore , at least ten clays before each communication of the District Grand Lodge , to forward to the Master of every lodge a printed paper showing the business to be brought forward , and a copy of this paper will also be put into the hands of every brother on his entrance into the hall . I will also suggest to the committee
who will sit upon the bye-laws , whether provisions might not be made to the effect : — 1 . That all notices of motion must be made either at one communication of the District Grand Lodge for consideration at the next , or to the Prov . G . Sec . iu reasonable time for incorporation iu the printed paper of business . 2 . That all notices of motion once made shall stand upon the
printed paper of business in their order of precedency . 3 . That no motion or other matter shall be brought into discussion iu the District Grand Lodge unless it shall have been entered upon this paper , except in very special cases , when the unanimous assent of the District Grand Lodge may be given to depart from the rule . Should the District Grand Lodge concur with me in this
suggestion , some clauses on the subject might be intioduced in the revised edition of the bye-laws under the head of " Motions ia District Grand Lodge , " and , in the meanwhile , I will have agenda papers circulated for the next quarterly communication as an experimental measure , in order that we may be able to judge from experience how the principle will act , and how far it will be advisable to introduce rules into our bye-laws confining
Note: This text has been automatically extracted via Optical Character Recognition (OCR) software.
India.
that our R . W . Bro . John Jacob Louis Hoff , who has , for a period of not less than seven and thirty years , devoted his time , energies , and , I may say , his heart , to the welfare of the Craft , lias expressed his intention of withdrawing himself from all open connection with Masonry , and his absence from our meetings will cause a blank that cannot easily be replaced . Bro . Hoff is well known to every one of us , and , being respected and loved by every Mason in Bengal , will carry with him into
his retirement the hearty good-will and wishes of the entire Masonic community of India . I do not , however , think that a mere verbal declaration from this chair , that Bro . Hoff has eminently succeeded in gaining to himself the esteem and respect of his fellows , will serve as sufficient on the present occasion , but that the Craft would wish him to have some solid aud substantial proof of their love , and I have therefore asked a few of the chief Grand Officers to form themselves into a
committee to consider the best form which a handsome testimonial should take . I have also addressed a circular-letter to all lodges within the province , asking the brethren attached to them , who may , either collectively or individually , be desirous of subscribing to the testimonial , to communicate with our R . W . Bro . Howe , who has kindly consented to be President of the committee . I would propose , in the event of a testimonial being got ready in timethat R . W . Bro . Hoff be invited to attend Grand
, Lodge on St . John ' s Day , and that the presentation be made to him in this room , accompanied by those marks of honour which are due to our brother ' s long services and his position in the Craft . Touching the present position of Freemasonry in this province , I find that there are eight lodges working in the town of Calcutta , and nineteen in the provinces , viz ., in Bengal Proper , three ; in the N . AV . Provinces , including Oude , eight ; in the Punjaubfour ; and four in the Burmese Provinces . The
Cal-, cutta lodges are , generally speaking , working well and prosperously , as also are some of those in the Mofussil , which , it must be remembered , are always open to great fluctuation by the frequent changes which took place among the residents of outstations , by removal to other places , by retirement , or by casualty . Mofussil lodges labour under very great difficulties , as I am able , from personal experience , to testify ; they have to make up numbers from a limited society , to obtain a house and to purchase
furniture and fittings with scanty funds , and constantly to replace brethren who remove , or who are ordered from the stations at all seasons of the year . The state of Mofussil lodges is always , therefore , a matter of uncertainty and anxiety . There are five lodges in abeyance , and should these not be resuscitated within two years from the date of their last meeting , their warrants will be returned to the Grand Lodge of England , in conformity with custom . The returns of many of the lodges are in arrears .
For this there is some excuse , viz ., that for some months there has been no legal Masonic authority to whom they could be transmitted , but I am sorry to say that there are five lodges that have returned up to the end of 1860 only , and two only to the end of 1859 . Every endeavour is being made by the Provincial Grand Secretary to bring up those arrears . I should mention that , under the Constitutions of the Grand Lodge of
England , and under the by-laws of this District Grand Lodge , any lodge that does not make returns for a twelvemonth , is liable to erasure , and its officers are disqualified from attending the District Grand Lodge , or sitting upon any committee . I cannot refrain from noticing the great number of " demitted " Masons in Calcutta , and indeed in all India ; I mean those Masons who havein many cases to suit merely their own . tastes
, or convenience , withdrawn from all open connection with our Order , by ceasing to bear their names upon our rolls . Seeing that it is impossible for any man to cancel his Masonic obligation , and that the true maxim is , " Once a Mason always a Mason , " it is not pleasant to hear Masons admit that they have not visited a lodge for years , or that they have " quite given up " Freemasonry . AVhen a candidate is admitted into our Order ,
lie gives a solemn assurance that he will ever abide by the landmarks of the Craft ; and one of those primary landmarks is that every brother should belong to some lodge , so as to be subject to its by-laws and the general rules and regulations of the Craft . This applies even to the Entered Apprentice , while the Fellow-Craftsman and the Master Mason are still . more solemnly pledged to obey all si and summonsesto plead only the most urgent
gns , necessity for absenting themselves from regular attendance at a lodge , and to maintain the principles inculcated in the first degree . I should be glad to see those brethren who are constant in their fidelity to the Craft use their endeavours to reclaim to our lodges those Masons who have set aside the allegiance that
they voluntarily took upon themselves at their initiation . It is my intention , after having disposed of business which requires more immediate attention , to visit officially , from time to time , the several lodges in and near Calcutta , not only for the purpose of inspecting their books and observing their modes of working , but of making myself more generally acquainted with my Masonic brethren . Many essential benefits frequently arise from this custom of periodical visitation . I shall he glad to see some decisive action taken in the matter of a Masonic Hall . I believe that the
feeling of the Craft generally is undivided on this one point , that it is not dignified for us , as a large and influential body , to hold our meetings in a hired building , from which we are , at any time liable to be ejected upon the expiration of a lease . There are , undoubtedly , obstacles in the way . There is the difficulty of obtaining a suitable plot of ground at anything like a reasonable outlay , and the high prices of all building materials and of labouras well as the scantiness of our fundshave to be
, , considered , added to the fact that the residence of the majority of our number in this country is , more or less , ephemeral ; these are , doubtless , great obstacles , but surely not insurmountable , and a plan might not improbably be devised for raising , by debentures or by other means , such funds as would enable us to erect a building sufficient for our own immediate purposes , and likely to yield a remunerative return by being made partly
available to the public for meetings of a general nature . I purpose forming a select committee for the consideration of this important subject , and I have no doubt that our worthy brother the G . Supt . of AVorks will give the members of It the benefit of his co-operation and advice . I am confident that it would be gratifying to every Masou to feel that we had a building which we could call our own , and much good might be derived by establishing within its walls a good library , reading room , aud
" coffee shop , " all being placed under the care of a resident Tyler , who might , at the same time , be clerk to the Prov . G . Sec , and have charge of the archives of the District GrancT Lodge . The next point to which I solicit your attention is to our bye-laws . The last edition was printed in 1858 , after a lapse of five years . Five years have again now nearly elapsed , and the edition of 1858 is out of print . It will therefore be to reprintbut before doing thisit wouldperhaps
necessary ; , , , be advisable to consider the present edition very carefully , so that the opportunity may be taken of making any alterations that may appear suitable or necessary . A committee will be formed for this purpose , and their report laid before a communication of the District Grand Lodge for consideration . There
is one innovation in the system of working in this District Grand Lodge which I would like to see introduced , and which is founded upon the system which obtains in England . It must be remembered that , in this Hall , we are legislating for Masons scattered over a vast area of country , and that questions of considerable general interest and of importance are frequently discussed . It is but proper , therefore , that no member of the District Grand Lodge should ever be taken by surprisebut
, that he should be enabled beforehand to know what questions are to come forward at each meeting . I propose , therefore , at least ten clays before each communication of the District Grand Lodge , to forward to the Master of every lodge a printed paper showing the business to be brought forward , and a copy of this paper will also be put into the hands of every brother on his entrance into the hall . I will also suggest to the committee
who will sit upon the bye-laws , whether provisions might not be made to the effect : — 1 . That all notices of motion must be made either at one communication of the District Grand Lodge for consideration at the next , or to the Prov . G . Sec . iu reasonable time for incorporation iu the printed paper of business . 2 . That all notices of motion once made shall stand upon the
printed paper of business in their order of precedency . 3 . That no motion or other matter shall be brought into discussion iu the District Grand Lodge unless it shall have been entered upon this paper , except in very special cases , when the unanimous assent of the District Grand Lodge may be given to depart from the rule . Should the District Grand Lodge concur with me in this
suggestion , some clauses on the subject might be intioduced in the revised edition of the bye-laws under the head of " Motions ia District Grand Lodge , " and , in the meanwhile , I will have agenda papers circulated for the next quarterly communication as an experimental measure , in order that we may be able to judge from experience how the principle will act , and how far it will be advisable to introduce rules into our bye-laws confining