At The Sign Of The Perfect Ashlar

During the " sixties " there was a revival of an Order that , since the early part of the nineteenth century , had dropped out of remembrance . We refer to the Masonic and Military Order of Knights of the Red Cross of Constantine , with its appendant grade of the K . II . S . and St . John the Evangelist . Although the revival was fairly under way , in 1868 , when the late Earl

of Beclive ( at- that time Lord Kenlis ) was elected Grand Sovereign , it was two years later ere the Order began to gain popularity by leaps and bounds . But there can be no doubt that the new era was very much contributed to by the ciscovery of an important document amongst the archives of the Grand Lodge of England , namely , the declaration of the principles of

the Order , written in 180 ( 5 , by Judge Walter Rodwell Wright , its then ruler and Provincial Grand Master of the Ionian Isles , under the Grand Lodge of England .

< S > < s > <© All at once conclaves were chartered in many parts' of England and Scotland , as well as in the United States , Canada , India , Australia , and New Zealand . Eventually , however , Scotland and the United States established independent Grand Conclaves , which depleted the subordinate conclaves under the

authority of Lord Bective to the tune of sixty-six . Still there remained a strong following , and for some years all was ct'itli'iir tie roue in the fortunes of the Order , till , tit hist , the tide of prosperity began to ebb , and last year ' s official returns show only nineteen Conclaves in " good standing . " It is difficult to understand the second decline in interest , inasmuch

as the ritual is ornate and beautiful to a degree . The present Grand Sovereign is the Earl of Euston , and his lordshi p ' s predecessors , following Lord Bective , were Sir Frederick Martin Williams . Bart .. M . P .. and Sir Francis Burdett , Bart .

• 3 > < j < S » It is now very rarely that one sees in the Masonic papers any account of the doings of Conclaves in connection with this particular Order of Freemasonry , indeed , we were mainly induced to comment on the foregoing incidents through a notice of the recent meeting of Dykes Conclave , No . 36 , at the

Masonic Hall , Millom , in Cumberland . This conclave was opened at Cockermoutb , in the same county , in 1870 , and , though it has had its vicissitudes , like many others in different parts of the country and abroad , it is clearly very much alive at present , thanks to the energy of one of its earliest rulers , V . 111 . Sir Knight W . II . Lewthwaite , the Recorder , who , in

181 ) 1 , was made Grand Senior General in Grand Conclave in recognition of his services . At the meeting in question three candidates were admitted to the Order by . Y . Em . Sir Knight Chas . Gowan , Past Grand Sword Bearer in Grand Conclave , and an interesting feature of the proceedings was the receipt of fraternal greetings from III . Sir Knig ht W . F . Lamonby ,

Intendant-General ( unattached ) , who isone of the very , very few original members of the conclave left to tell the tale of events that happened thirty-five years ago .

© © .- & The Royal Masonic Institution for Boys , as usual , promptly issued its statement of accounts for the year 1904 , which shows that the income for 1904 amounted to £ ' 35 ,-101 14 s . Sd ., this being the second highest in the history of the Institution apart from the centenary year . The Board

ol Education grant on science and art examination has yet to he received . The number of boys receiving benefit in 1904 was 335 : the numbers will be increased to 310 this month , and there will be a further increase in August next . The total invested capital in 1904 amounted to £ 133 , 208 7 s . ( id ., and there was on deposit with the bankers £ 8 , 000 , these figures showing tin increase of £ 123 , 708 7 s . ( id . in 14 years .

An interesting dual function took place recently at the Masonic Hall , Halifax , under the auspices of St . . lanies ' s Lodge of Freemasons , No . 448 . This was the presentation to W . Bro . J . H . Whadcoat , of an illuminated address , followed by a complimentary banquet , in recognition of the large hearted support he had given , during a series of years , to

charitable and philantrophic institutions , especially to those belonging to the Masonic Order . W . Bro . Whadcoat was initiated into Freemasonry , as a member of St . James ' s Lodge , in 1880 . A few years afterwards , for business purposes , he left Halifax for London , where he was eminently successful , with the result that , some years back , be was enabled to retire

into private life into Dorsetshire a wealthy man . Evidence was soon afforded that he had not realised an abundance for himself alone . The Masonic charities benefited greatly hy his

numificance , and generous financial support was received from him for orphanages and similai well-deserving organisations , national education and research societies , and commercial and industrial associations . Besides doing what he could for Masonic charities , he was very active in advancing the cause of Freemasonry generally , and appreciation of his efforts was

belittinglv shown by his appointment as a member of Grand Lodge . In municipal and country work , too , ho became prominent , obtaining election , whilst a non-member of the Council , tis Mayor of Poole , and securing a return as a member of the Dorset County Authority . He is a Justice of Peace both at Poole Borough and for Dorset County . Some of the

Masonic benefactions have been given through his Mother Lodge of St . James ' s , which he some time ago re-joined , and generous donations to the Halifax Infirmary and the Tradesman ' s Benevolent Institution have also been received from him

in its name . « & <& Bro . John II . Salter , P . G . 13 ., whose appointment as Deputy Provincial Grand Master for Essex we announced in our last issue , has been dul y installed in that office , and both

lilto . . 1 . H . SALTKIt , IIK 1 ' . 1 'IIOV . ( Lit . KSSKX . the province and its popular Provincial Grand Master are to be congratulated on having such an efficient officer and so excellent a Mason to take part in the administration of affairs .

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