Consecration Of The Richard Clowes Lodge, No. 2936.

and if we carried out the precepts of the Order , it would be impossible for discord to find a place there . In a large body of men , as in Masonry , many would succeed and some would fail , and it was our duty , whenever possible , to take those brethren by the hand and give them a fresh start , and as a charge to the officers he would remind them that their candidates would be attracted or repelled by the manner in which thev performed the duties of their office .

HRO . RICHARD CLOWES . At the conclusion of the ceremony of installation , the Woishipful Master Designate , Bro . Gregory Hast , S . W . 1706 , was installed into the Master ' s chair by the Deputy

Provincial Grand Master , Bro . Egerton-Green . The Officers were invested as follows : —Bro . Richard Clowes , Acting I . P . M . and Treasurer ; Henry Billinghouse , S . W . ; J . O . Notcutt , j . W . ; Charles Lewis , P . G . D . Essex , Secretary ; J . A . Wood , S . D . ; Arthur H . Smith , J . D . ; J . C Lyell , I . G . ;

M . B . Cassal , D . C . ; P . M . Ibbs , Organist ; and Bros . Heaton , Barnes , Pitman , and Bates , Stewards . Bro . J . W . Freeman was elected Tyler . The Consecrating Officers and the Prov . S . G . W . rind f . G . W . of Essex were elected hon . members . A vote of

thanks was passed to the Deputy Grand Master for having honoured the lodge by himself consecrating it . Bro . Hubert Ivan Clowes was proposed as a joining member . Master Richard Norman Clowes ( age three-and-a-half years ) , grandson of Bro . Richard Clowes , was elected Steward

to represent the lodge at the Festival of the Royal Masonic Institution for Boys , and the sum of ten guineas , voted from the funds , to be placed upon his list . A founder ' s jewel , with suitable inscription , was presented to his father upon his behalf .

A letter was read trom the M . W . Grand Master , H . R . H . the Duke of Conuaught , accepting hon . membership of the lodge , and placing live guineas upon the list of Bro . Clowes ' grandson . It was proposed that a letter be sent to the M . W . Grand Master thanking him for his kind interest in the lodge .

A letter was read from VAV . Bro . Sir Edward Letchworth , Grand Secretary , regretting his inability to attend , and placing i \\ e guineas upon the list of Master Clowes . Bro . Percy Clowes thanked the brethren on behalf oi his little son for the honour conferred in making him first

Steward , and for the jewel . Many handsome presents were made to the lodge , including a rich silk velvet cushion embroidered in gold , from the Countess of Warwick ; a handsome embroidered

banner , designed by Bro . Charles Lewis ; a bible , by Bro . Richard Clowes ; a box of working tools from the Clowes family ; a set of silver mounted gavels by Bro . Woodall Woodall , P . G . T . ; a set of ivory gavels presented by Bro . Ward in memory of his father , the late Bro . Horatio Ward ; and many other useful presents .

The lodge was then closed and the brethren adjourned to a banquet . In proposing the toast of " The Grand Master , " the Worshipful Master alluded to the signal honour done to the lodge by H . R . H . the Duke of Connaught having accepted

hon . membership . In proposing * ' The Grand Officers , " the Worshipful Master said the lodge felt highly honoured by being consecrated by the Deputy Grand Master , and these who had witnessed his work would realise what a splendid Mason he was , and the compliment he had paid them by being present that evening .

In the course ot an eloquent speech , the Earl of Warwick , Deputy Grand Master , in reply , regretted that he was suffering from inlluenza , a condition not conducive to oratory . They all realised the longer they were associated with Freemasonry what a power it was in the world , for good or evil , according to how that power was wielded . It was in the

reach of every Master to exercise that power for good , and he believed they invariably did so . Although bound by the strongest of bonds they yet were free . They were loyal to the King and to the ruling powers , and the King had recentlymarked his appreciation of Freemasonry by conferring the

honour of knighthood upon that splendid Mason , the Grand Secretary , with whom he had been so frequently associated on behalf of the Craft . He was delighted to find himself among Essex Masons , in whose midst he had spent manypleasant years , and amongst whom he had never had a more

real or energetic worker than Bro . Clowes . He therefore wished the lodge which bore his honoured name many years of success .

HRO . GKEGOIJV HAST . The next toast was " The Provincial Grand Master of Essex , Colonel Lockwood , M . P ., and the rest of the Provincial Grand Officers , Present and Past , " which , in the absence of

the Provincial Grand Master , was coupled with that of Bro . Claude Egei ton-Green , Deputy Provincial Grand Master . Bro . Egerton-Green , replying , regretted that the Provincial Grand Master had not been present ( o see the Earl of Warwick consecrate the lodge , but it had been a great pleasure lo him to take his place in installing the first