History Of The Emulation Lodge Of Improvement, No. 256.——(Continued).

labour of love—labour more arduous and exacting than is generally supposed . It may not prove uninteresting if I to-night mention , and in a very few words deal with , a criticism that now and again is given expression to in connection with our mode of conducting the business of the Lodge . You might reasonably imagine , in view of the fact

that this Lodge has been in existence for nearly 80 years , and that absolutely no material change has been made in its aims or in its methods during this long period , that nothing like criticism would have a place . But , as I have already hinted , such is not quite the case ; our critics say that the

Past Masters of the Lodge—and I believe I am considered the greatest culprit—are unnecessarily severe in requiring absolute perfection in the working of our ceremonies ; they do not recognise , in other words , the necessity of our interrupting

W . ALFRED DAWSON , P . A . G . D . C , Member uf the Committee , 1 SHI-1890 . a brother in his work if the mistake made is a trivial one . Now , let me say at once if this were an ordinary Lodge

of Instruction , or even a regular Lodge , I should cordially agree with and heartily endorse the criticism .. It is not necessary—and in many cases it is impossible—in a Lodge of Instruction to correct every verbal slip , and in a regular Lodge nothing , in my opinion , can be more unfortunate than

to hear , as one often does , corrections given to the W . M . Surely it is inadvisable to say a word unless the mistake is a serious one , and likely , if uncorrected , to lead to disaster . Interruptions at once suggest to the candidate , for whom after all the ceremony is being performed , that the speech of the Master is not altogether out of the abundance of his heart , and the impression which might

otherwise be secured is to a very great extent lost . But applied to the Emulation Lodge of Improvement the criticism is not a just one , and for this reason : It must always be borne in mind that our system of working , adopted and approved by the United Grand Lodge soon after the union , is virtually a standard , and if a standard is

to be of any real value , it must be absolutely unaltered and unalterable . I will not , brethren , press this point , because I am quite sure it will be at once conceded . It therefore behoves the Past Masters of this Lodge to guard most jealously this system of working from any change , and we

have the satisfaction of knowing that while we maintain the traditions of this Lodge , while we are faithful to the very important trust committed to our care , we at the same time are very helpful to every brother who comes to our meetings . "

1900 . No change was made this year in the Committee or the executive officers . The Annual Festival on the 2 nd of March was , we believe , a record meeting , upwards of 300 brethren being present , 112 of whom were proposed as members . A probable reason for this large gathering may be found in the fact that the Earl of Warwick , Dep . Grand

Master , had consented to preside at the banquet , but almost at the last moment was prevented by illness , and his place was ably filled by Lt .-Col . A . R . Mark Lockwood , M . P ., Past S . G . Deacon , his Lordship ' s Deputy in the Province of Essex . The sections of the Second Lecture were worked by Bro . R .

Clay Sudlow , as W . Master , Bro . W . G . Kentish acting as I . P . M ., and Bros . Charles Lewis and George Rankin as Wardens . The following brethren answered the questions in the various sections : —

1 st by Bro . J . H . Jenks , I . P . M . No . 8 , P . G . Steward . 2 nd „ ,, W . R . " Bennett , P . M . No . 1965 . 3 rd „ „ Major R . L . S . Badham , No . 21 . 4 th „ „ Charles Lewis , P . M . No . 1706 , P . P . G . D . Essex . 5 th „ „ T . W . Allsop , P . M . No . 88 , P . P . G . D . C . Bucks . At the close of the work Bro . Col . Lockwood , who said

it was the first time he had witnessed the working of the Emulation Lodge of Improvement , proposed a hearty vote of thanks to the brethren who had worked the sections . The motion was seconded by Bro . Thomas Fenn , P . G . W . who said that having formerly occupied the position held

that evening by Bro . Sudlow he might perhaps be allowed tobe a judge of the work , and in that capacity he could say that during his long experience he did not recollect having seen the work clone more perfectly . Every word of it came back to him ; it was absolutely correct .

The motion was unanimously carried , and Bro . Sudlow briefly acknowledged it . After the closing of the Lodge the brethren adjourned tosupper . The number was so large that in addition to the Great Hall of Freemasons' Tavern , the Crown Room had to be utilised for the accommodation of the company .

The usual toasts having been given and responded to in due order , the V . W . Bro . Edward Letchworth , Grand Secretary , Treasurer of the Lodge , proposed " The Chairman . " Whether as a soldier , a legislator , a sportsman , or a Mason , Col . Lockwood had won the esteem and respect of those who had been fortunate enough to be brought in

contact with him , and on behalf of the Committee of the Emulation Lodge of Improvement , he tendered his warmest thanks to him for presiding that evening . Col . Lockwood warmly thanked the brethren for their cordial reception , and then proceeded to the toast of

" Success to the Emulation Lodge of Improvement , " prefacing his remarks by a sympathetic allusion to the illness of the Earl of Warwick and expressing a hope that his lordship might soon return to our shores completely restored tohealth .

Then followed a brief sketch of the history of the Lodge ,, with which our readers are doubtless familiar , and a referenceto the munilicient support given by it to the charities of the Order .

The Chairman included in his remarks a dissertation on Secret Societies , and their doings in bygone days , which ,, though undoubtedly interesting , forms no part of our history ,, and concluded as follows : —But what was the end of all these societies ? They perished and fell away ; and for this reason—the principles they worked on were wrong ; they

were principles of bloodshed and of working against the laws of the land ; while Masonry—a great guild founded on principles of religion and virtue—remained , and ever would remain , as long as she followed her present course , a great instrument for good in the world . It was only when

men were initiated and began to know the work Masonry carried on that they fully appreciated the duties of Freemasonry . Long might that Craft llourish , long continue to increase , and , intimately connected with it , long might the Emulation Lodge of Improvement continue to llourish and to set the standard of excellent working . ( To be Continued ) .