Festival Of The Royal Masonic Benevolent Institution.

number ot annuitants . He asked them with all cordiality lo chink success to the Royal Masonic Benevolent Institution . Bro . Colville Smith then read the list of subscriptions , the total of which was as follows : — London—403 Stewards ... £ 13 , 994 J 5 6 Provinces—267 Stewards ... 10 , 44 8 14 6 Durham—185 Stewards ... 6 , 750 o o

Grand Total ... £ 31 , 193 10 o Bro . James Stephens , P . D . G . D . C , as Treasurer of the Institution , said he was incapable of finding sufficient words to express the gratitude of the Committee to the chairman for presiding . When Lord Barnard ' s name was put forward ,

his reputation had gone before him , and it was well known that everything he took in hand was worked well and success was ensured . The occasion that evening was an epoch of record making or breaking . He ventured to say that another record had been established , because , although last

year the handsome sum of £ 15 , 000 was brought up from one province ( the previous record being £ " 8 , 000 ) , he must tell them that that province had something like 120 lodges , whereas Durham only numbered forty odd lodges . It , therefore , established a record for a province of that size . The

chairman had told them of the excellent work of the Institution , and the Committee had thought proper to recognise the munificence of the Craft by increasing the annuitants by thirty . The number was increased in the lirst year of his Treasurership by his casting vote , but last week when an

additional thirty was proposed they wished to see that number increased , which showed the progress made . They wished to relieve the poor who were with them rather than go on increasing their capital . The result that evening would gladden the hearts of the 600 old people , who would know that their little income was assured for several years to come .

In the name of those old men and women , he thanked them for the energy displayed and the total collected . The chairman had been east and west doing the best he could , and never had a chairman served the Institution better . Next year Bro . T . F . Halsey , Deputy G . M ., would preside . Bro . Sir E . LetchworthG . Secretary , proposed " The

, Chairman , " to whose kind interest and inlluence he felt the great result that had been achieved was in a great measure clue . He would take this opportunity of tendering his testimony to the memory of the brother to whose loss reference had been made , and whom they all mourned , and

he could assure the brethren of Durham that his many good qualities had endeared him , and will long linger in Freemasonry . In response , the Chairman said he had been so gratified at the news he had heard that he could hardly brace himself to reply . He thanked them for the hearty support given him

on this great occasion on which he had presided , and wished to express his indebtedness to the Province of Durham , for they had always responded to any request with exemplary loyalty , and he hoped it would long continue . He would take the opportunity of expressing the very great debt of gratitude he felt to that other province with which he

wasnot Masonically—connected , but in which he had great interest—Shropshire . For a small province of twelve lodges it had sent up £ 561 . He was sure they would agree that the whole Festival had been a great success , and in consequence of the large numbers they had to be guilty of what might be

discourtesy , and ask the ladies to dine in another room , but — " What mortals can more the ladies adore , than a Free and an Accepted Mason . " He again thanked them for thensupport , and assured them that he had always been ready t > do what he could for Freemasonry in the past and would continue to do so in the future .

A New Masonic Hall For Devonport.

A New Masonic Hall for Devonport .

Opening Geremony .

'pHE Provincial Grand Master of Devonshire R . W . Bro . I Colonel G . C Davie , P . G . D .,- dedicated a new Masonic Temple in Tavistock Road , Stoke , Devonport , wn March 13 th . The building , which is entirely new , has been erected by Lodge St . Aubyn , 954 , which has hitherto met in a room at Morice Town , the accommodation of which

it had long outgrown . There was a large gathering , the Prov . Grand Master being supported by ( lie Deputy Prov . Grand Master , W . Bro . F . B . Westlake , P . D . G . D . C , Bros . C . W . Brereton . Prov . S . G . W . ; C E . Russel Rendle , Prov . J . G . W . ; Rev . H . Basil Martin , Prov . G . Chap . ; John Stocker ,

Prov . G . Sec . ; W . H . Treasure , Prov . G . Std . B ., and many other Provincial Grand Officers and brethren . The lodge having been opened , the secretary of Lodge St . Aubyn ( W . Bro . J . Smale ) , in the name of the W . M . and the members of the lodge , asked the Provincial Grand

Master to dedicate the building . For many years , Bro . Smale said , they had waited for that building , and it was with very sincere satisfaction that they welcomed the Prov . Grand Master and his officers into it . The Prov . G . Master said he acceded to their request with

the greatest of pleasure . They must have long felt that in their old room their lodge was working under difficulties , and he was glad they had been able to erect so line and commodious a building . The dedication ceremony was then proceeded with , and before the Prov . G . Master solemnly declared the building dedicated to Freemasonry , virtue , universal benevolence .

and friendship , an oration on the occasion was delivered by W . Bro . Rev . J . H . Jones , vicar of St . Petrox , Dartmouth , P . P . G . Chap . He took as his subject the building of King Solomon ' s temple , as recorded in 1 Kings , vi . 7 , in which we are told that all the stone and woodwork was prepared beforehand , and that the building rose without any

sound of hammer , or axe , or any tool of iron . Bro . Jones congratulated the brethren of Lodge St . Aubyn on the splendid temple they had erected for Masonic work in that district . The subject of the building of Solomon ' s temple was a fascinating one to every Freemason . The rising of that great

building in silence presented to the mind's eye a most singular and impressive feature . The lirst lesson they learnt from the building of the temple was to put their very best into their work—to offer of their best ; secondly , that the best was given , and the temple rose in silence ; and thirdly , that in

that building beauty was added to strength . He believed intensely in the positive teaching of Masonry . All true life consisted in doing and giving one ' s best . Then the best and most enduring work generally went on silently . Generally speaking , it was the work of destruction which made the

great noise . They could not clearly realise that the making of their characters went on silently day by clay . Let them take heed how they built . And then endeavour to add beauty to strength . Let them guard the doors of their lodge with zealous care . The reputation of Freemasonry might be

upheld by tens of thousands of members ; but it might be upset by half a dozen bad ones . The world was anxious to know what Freemasons were ; let them show it by their lives .