The Masonic "Poet's Corner."

The Masonic "Poet's Corner . "

{ Original and , Selected . ) THE MASON'S VACANT CHAIR .

By Bro . JOHN FAWCETT SKELTOX , P . M . 140 ( Bolton ) . P . Z . ( Tune- — "The Vacant Chair . " ) AVE shall meet around our altar . In the Lodge , upon the square . But our bravest words will falter .

As we sec his Vacant Chair . 'Twas as yesterday wo met him , Hand in hand , and heart to heart ; Oh . not soon shall we forget him !

Oh . 'twas hard for us to part ! Chorus—AVe shall meet around our altar , In the Lodge , upon the square , But our bravest words will falter , As we see his A acant Chair .

A belov'd and cheerful Brother AVas he who now has gone ; Hard to find we such another 'Neath our fix'd meridian sun . Bright for him the same will glisten , AVheresoc ' er his steps may roam ; In his dreams oft may he listen

To the voices dear , of home . Chorus—AVe shall meet , kc . May he prosper ' mong the living—May he never lack a friend—May he have no dread misgiving When his life draws to an end . Like a good and faithful Mason .

May he join his Lodge above , When his raptur'd soul shall hasten From this world to worlds of love ! Chants—AVe shall meet . kc .

D E A D ! By Bro . JOHN FAWCETT SKHI . TOX , P . M . 140 ( Bolton ) . P . Z . ( ' /•„ , „ . _« The Ar acant Chair . "' ) AVE shall meet around our altar , In the Lodge , upon the square , But our bravest words will falter .

As we see his A acant Chair . Clad in gloom are all our spirits , For our Brother dear , is dead ; But his mi morv richly merits

All our praises , sung , or said . Chorus—AVe shall meet around our altar , In the Lodge , upon the square , But our bravest words will falter As we see his A acant Chair .

He hath done a Mason ' s duty , He hath kept his jewels bright : In yon Lodge of Heavenly Beauty , May his spirit see The Light . ' In the grave we all bewail him , —

Here his Lodge is left in woe ; May the Great Grand Master hail him , AVhere all good Freemasons go ! Chorus—AVe shall meet , & o . !('/•(«( n for the . \ UsoMC ST A li ; M ' ords mag be reproduced ( " with credit "I .

Masonic Poet's Corner.

MASONIC POET'S CORNER .

To the Editor of THE MASONIC STAR ... DEAR SIR AND BROTHER , Your correspondent , " Friar Tuck , " seems fond of hard words . AVhat is the meaning of " Zenodochy , " and why is there no " X " in

the " Masonic ABC " . ' I suppose he thinks a Mason shouldn't be on the cross ! Yours fraternally , Camberwell , June 28 th , 1889 . JONAS SJVIITH . % * The word was unfortunately misprinted . It should , he Xenodochy , " which means " hospitality f —ED . M . S .

Provincial Grand Lodge Op Mark Masons Of Middlesex And Surrey.

PROVINCIAL GRAND LODGE OP MARK MASONS OF MIDDLESEX AND SURREY .

The annual meeting of this important Province was held at the Ship and Turtle , Leadenhall Street , on Friday , the 21 st June . Nearly all the lodges were represented . The treasurer ' s accounts were received and adopted , showing a good balance in hand . The warrant of re-appointment of the Prov . G . Mark Master , Sir Francis Burdett . Bart ., was read . Bro . F . Davison was re-appointed Deputy

Prov . G . M . M ., but was too unwell to be present . Sir Francis Burdett appointed and invested his officers as follows : —Bros . Henry Lovegrove . G . S . AV . ; J . F . Griffith . M . D . G . J . AV . ; G . II . AVilkinson , G . M . O . ; J . II . Thompson . G . S . O . ; Nelson Flower . G . J . O . ; Rev . R , AV . J . Cator . M . A ., G . Chaplain ;

Rev . G . H . Weldon , G . Chaplain ; Charles Hammerton , G . treas . ; P . Snillard , G . Reg . ; AV . G . Brighten , P . G . W ., G . sec . ; AV . Heath , S . G . D . ; J . H . Clare . J . G . D . ; AV . Lloyd AVise , G . I . of AV . ; T . C . Edmunds , G . D . C . ; F . R . Hales , G . A . D . C . ; AV . F . Potter , G . S . B . ; R . J . Chitson , G . Std . Br . ; Charles Lee . G . Organist ; II . Tipper , G . I . G . An excellent banquet followed , after which Bros . Egbert Robert ;; and G-. J . Duuklev gave some excellent songs .

Irregularities In Lodges.

IRREGULARITIES IN LODGES .

We quote the following instructive paragraphs from the Minutes of the Proceedings of the District Grand Lodge of the Punjab of the 13 th April last . In addressing District Grand Lodge , the Right Worshipful the District Grand . Master . Bro . E . AVoodall Parker , alluded to the examination of candidates before admission into the higher degrees

and said " that a sham examination , in which the answers were prompted to the candidate , was worse than useless , and made the candidate , as well as other brethren present , think lightly of our duties and obligations . The usefulness and impressiveness of our ceremonies were destroyed if candidates were not required to possess a thorough knowledge of one degree before they passed into the

next ; and any candidate who neglected the duty of submitting himself to instruction , should be remorselessly sent down , and his proposer and seconder reprimanded for their neglect . Indeed the Master was bound to insist on the candidate being properly prepared , mentally as well as physically , before entering the Lodge . The District Grand Master spoke at some length on the irregularities of procedure which has occurred of late in some Lodges in the

district . He mentioned that in one Lodge the ballot had been omitted , by mistake , lie / ore and taken after the ceremony of Initation had been performed . The excuse offered was that the Master in the Chair thought the ballot had been taken at a previous meeting , which was absurd , as the Minutes were present for reference . The re-admission of the candidate concerned in due course had removed the disability as regards him , but such an omission as that of the ballot should have been impossible . "

In another case , which had come to light , a candidate had been Initiated with only three brethren present , viz ., the Master and two Master Masons . The brethren concerned were old and not undistinguished Masons , and it was astonishing to find them pleading ignorance of the simplest laws and usages of the Craft . Had the AVorshipful Master asked himself the question usual for candidates of the Fellow Craft Degree— 'AVhere were you made a

Mason . ' the answer— 'hi the body of a Lodge just , perfect and regular . '—must have suggested itself to his mind . The volume of the Sacred Law makes it just , the number seven or more makes it perfect , and its warrant of constitution makes it regular . Not less than three Master Masons , two Fellow Crafts ( or Master Masons ) , and two apprentices ( or Fellow Crafts or Master Masons ) , must be present . In this case also , after due submission made by the Lodge , the candidate was re-admitted in a regular manner . "

Bro . Parker said that the last case which had been brought to notice was that of a Lodge which had . during the working , divided itself into tiro Lodges , and worked as such in different rooms , —thus forming an inq > erium in imperio of the most curious description Certain brethren had been told off by the Lodge to go into another room and confer one degree , while the Lodge proper was working

m another . Here also the question whether the second Lodge so formed was just , perfect and regular , must at once have settled its fate to any reflecting mind . Even supposing it had been made just and perfect , it could not have been ' regular , ' with reference to Articles 120 , 125 and 120 of the Book of Constitutions , as it had no warrant and had not been formally constituted ;

nor was the degree given in the ' body' of a Lodge just , perfect and regular . It has been urged that the plan has the sanction of former practice , but no authority can lie quoted . Now whether the brethren who went into the other room had been working in the same degree as the Lodge proper or independently in other degrees , their action was most unwarranted and improjier ,

as there can be but one AVorshipful Master and one AVa . rra . nt for one Lodge , and the Master being present and the Lodge open in the Lodge room , all action elsewhere was irregular and void It having been reported that at a subsequent Regular Meeting the candidates concerned had been re-obligated in a regular manner , and the Lodge having submitted an explanation and apology it was unnecessary to move further in the matter than to bring it to the

notice of the Grand Secretary who would doubtless inform District Grand Lodge upon the rights of the matter . The District Grand Master was fully assured that the action of the Lodge in question was taken in good faith and without any intention to break through the laws and usages of the Craft , and was gratified to find that efforts had been made to repair the error and to avoid the disqualification of the candidates concerned . "

SINCE many of our forms and operations are necessarily secreted from common inspection , the uninitiated will doubtless be apt to measure the worth of our Institution by the deportment of its members . This should serve as an incentive to every one of us uniformly to display in the lodge and out of it those virtues so earnestly and beautifully inculcated in it . Our Institution would

be but weakly commended , and our professions of excellence but empty boasts , if our lives give not corroborative evidence to our assertions and prove the propriety of our encomiums . Masonry teaches , and has always commended the highest standard of moral excellence , yet sometimes a standing reproach presents its :. df to the Craft in the abuse by its members of the best faculties with which

God has endowed man . It presents ltscli" m various formsprofanity for instance , vulgarity , ingratitude , back-biting , intemperance , and even absolute drunkenness , and many other evil forms which br ng the blush of sin . mo to the good Mason ' s cheek . These things should not be , and I assert most positively that these vices are not learned or acquired in the lodge room . Temperance ,

prudence , fortitude , justice , brotherly love , relief and truth , are virtues that strengthen our moral natures when properly st'vlied and practiced , and make the resistmca of temptation easy and enable us to avoid excess . Yes , brethren , the lodge room is intended to make us wiser and better men and Masons , and our conduct in all the relations of life should convince the world of its crood effects . —The Grand Mas s es ^ f Arkansas , U . S . A .