Masonic Mems.

The Board of Benevolence held its monthly meeting at Freemasons' Hall on Wednesday , 22 nd ult ., Bro . James Brett , P . G . D ., Senior Vice-President , in the chair . Bro . C . A . Cottebnme , P . G . P ., Junior Vice-President , acted as Senior Vice-President , and Bro . ITenry Garrod as Junior . The Board having confirmed grants at the December meeting to the amount of ^ 3 80 , proceeded to

consider the petitions of forty-one applicants , hailing from London , Cheshire , Berks and Bucks , Cornwall , West Lancashire , Bombay , West Yorkshire , Nottinghamshire , and other provinces . Of these forty-one cases , one was dismissed , four deferred , and thirty-six relieved with grants amounting in the aggregate to £ 775 , namely , three with grants of ^ 50 each , three of £ 40 , seven of £ 30 , five of . £ " 20 , five of £ 15 , eleven cf £ 10 , and two of £ 5 each .

An event of considerable importance in Masonic circles took place in Glasgow on the 4 th ult ., when Major Crombie , Aberdeen , was installed as the Grand Master of the Supreme Body of Knight Templar Freemasons in Scotland , following upon the recent honors conferred upon him as Honorary Grand Master of the Royal Masonic Rite in America , Canada , Italy , and France . The title of

the Governing Body for Scotland of this important branch of Freemasonry is the Early Grand Mother Encampment of Knights Templar . The Early Grand , as it is more familiarly known , has quite a unique history , and claims , not without a certain show of truth , to be the body in Scotland that has " an apostolic

succession " of Knight Templarism , as adopted by the Masonic body throughout the world . Major Crombie was installed by the retiring Grand Master , Bro . Matthew H . Thompson .

* * * To the deputation of Poole Freemasons , introduced to the Prince at Poole , when he visited Lord Wimborne for the purpose of opening the public park presented by his Lordship to the town , H . R . H ., the Grand Master , in reply to an address , said : — " Worshipful Master and Brethren , I have received with great

pleasure your fraternal address of welcome to this town , and I thank you sincerely for the kind and loyal terms in which you allude to my visit . I assure you that my interest in the Craft continues unabated , and it will always be my earnest endeavor to promote to the best of my ability the main objects of our order—religion ,

loyalty , and universal and enlightened charity . I fervently trust that the great Architect of the Universe may ever watch over and protect your Lodge . "

* * * The foundation-stone of a new Masonic Hall at Kingsbridge , for the use of the Buncombe Lodge ( 1 , 4 86 ) , was laid on the aist ult . * * * The Sheffield Masonic Amateur Dramatic Society are arranging to

give two performances on behalf of the local Masonic Charity Fund . The dates fixed are Friday and Saturday , March 14 and 15 , and the plays chosen are "Cyril's Success" " Meg's Diversion , " and " A Dead Letter . " The performances of the Society have so long formed an enjoyable feature of the winter ' s engagements that their discontinuance , as recently seemed probable , would have been a matter for general regret .

* * * The architectural features of Mirfield have recently received an important addition in the shape of a new Masonic Hall . The local Masons are not a numerous body , but what they lack in numbers they seem to more than atone for in enterprise . The handsome building-, in which for the future the mystic rites appertaining

to the order of Freemasonry will be performed , has been erected at a cost of ^ 2 , 200 , and towards this sum the members , who only number about fifty , after forming themselves into a limited liability company , have raised about ^ 1 , 100 in shares . With a view to still further improving the position of the new company the lady

members of the families of the respective members of the Lodge have been busily engaged in providing the necessary articles for a bazaar , which was opened in the hail on the 23 rd ult ., by Jiro . E . T . Ingham , J . P ., of Blake Hall . The sale is expected to realise at least = £ 300 ,

A warrant for a new Masonic Lodge for London , to be called " The Grafton , " No . 2 , 347 , has been granted by the Prince of Wales . It is to represent sport , art , and literature . Bro . C . Fitzgerald Matier will be first Master , and Bro . ex-Sheriff Newton the first Senior Warden . Augustus Harris is the first Treasurer .

Bro . J . D . Collier , for many years Secretary of the Highgate Lodge , and one of its founders and early Masters , has been presented with a very handsome silver salver on resigning his position in the Lodge . For the past seventeen years Bro . Collier—who is also a P . M . of the Montague Guest Lodge—has devoted a deal of time to Masonry , in the Royal Arch and Mark , as well as in the Craft . He

has been Preceptor to several Lodges of Instructions and has served numerous stewardships . On his retirement from active work he carries the good opinion and well wishes of a very large number of personal friends . He has finally settled down within the shadow of Rochester Cathedral , but he has no children to follow in his Masonic

footsteps . * # # The annual entertainment to the pupils of the Girls' School , who remain in the school building during the Christmas vacation , was given on the 7 th ult ., when many of the Brethren of the Craft , more immediately connected with the welfare of the little ones , attended with their ladies to amuse them . Bro . Frank Richardson presided .

# * * Says the Freemason of the 18 th ult .: — " The name of Bro . Stephen Barton Wilson seems almost a part of Masonic history to the majority of the present generation of Masons , although to many the memory of the well-known Preceptor of Emulation is still green ;

but it will surprise a good many to hear that Bro . Stephen Barton Wilson , the younger , was on Monday last invested for the thirtieth year in succession as Treasurer of the Royal Naval Lodge . We trust the annual investiture will continue for many years to come , and that it will be long before the worthy and well-known name will disappear from contemporary Masonic records . "

* * * The adjourned meeting of the Committee of Management of the Royal Masonic Benevolent Institution was held at Freemasons ' Hall , on Wednesday , the 29 th ult . Bro . Jabez Hogg , P . G . D ., occupied the chair , and there were present Bros . A . H . Tattershall ,

Samuel Brooks , IT . Garrod , P . G . P . ; James Brett , P . G . P . ; G . Bolton , John Buhner , W . B . Daniell , Hugh Cotter , H . Smith , T . W . Hubbert , G . E . Fairchild , A . Mullord , C . A . Cottebnme , P . G . P . ; John Larkin , W . H . Ferryman , P . G . P . ; C . F . Hogard , P . G . Std . Br . ; CharlesBelton , G . Dep . D . C . ; C . J . Perceval , ThomasCorbitt , P . G . P . ;

C . Kempton , Rob . Grigg , C . H . Webb , W . Belchamber , J . S . Cumberland , W . F . Smithson , C . G . Dilby , George Mickley , George Jones , G . Marsden , W . J . Murlis , W . Masters , and James Terry , P . G . S . B .,

Secretary . The proceedings were of a conversational character , and in the result it was arranged that the members of the Committee of Management should severally state their opinions in writing on the subject of the proposed changes as to the eligibility of candidates for admission into the Institution , and address them to the Secretary on or before the last Jay of the current month . Those

various opinions and the changes then proposed to be made in the present rules , placed ' side by side with the latter , having been printed and circulated , a meeting was arranged to be held on a day in March , other than that appointed for the regular meeting ( the second Wednesday ) , when those opinions would be considered , with

a view to the recommendations made therein being submitted to a special meeting of the Governors and subscribers , to be hereafter summoned . A vote of thanks terminated the proceedings .

* * * Special interest was attached to the regular meeting of the Cedewain Lodge , No . 1 , 594 , ' ' ^ Thursday , the 16 th ult ., because the brethren of this prosperous Lodge met for the first time in their new home . Last summer the Lodge purchased an iron church ,