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

They felt that they had lost a great friend and a great Mason . He felt in taking Bro . Farnfield ' s position he was a poor substitute for such a Master as he was in the Craft .

WITHAM M . BYWATER , P . G . S . B , Joined the Emulation Lodge of Improvement in 181 " . Bro . W . G . Kentish , Past G . St . Br ., proposed " The Secretary and Stewards , " and said it would ill become the company to pass over this toast which recognised the

labours that resulted in such a magnificent gathering that evening . He spoke very feelingly about this , having been Bro . Russell ' s predecessor , and he knew exactly what enormous work such a meeting as this entailed . As every one recognised this labour , there was no necessity for him

to say more . Bro . Joseph Russell , Past G . St . Br ., said , on behalf of the Stewards and himself , he begged to tender his own very hearty thanks for the kind reception given to the toast . As his worthy predecessor had said , it was an enormous work ,

but that work was sweetened by being keenl ) appreciated . The appreciation one always found from the Stewards and the Committee encouraged them to go on from year to year . He , therefore , thanked them for saying the work was so thoroughly ar . d ably done .

Growth And Membership Of The Emutation Lodge Of Improvement.

Growth and Membership of the Emutation Lodge of Improvement .

H AVING brought the history of the Lodge clown to the close of the last Festival , thus showing an unbroken record of eighty years of successful work , we purpose presenting a few facts culled from the Lodge Register bearing on its growth and membership during that period . From the 2 nd of October , 1823 , to the end of that year

, were entered on the Register , including the Founders , 4 6 members . In 18 33 , 58 brethren joined . There appears to have been a falling off in 18 43 , only 44 having joined during that year . The year 18 53 evinces a marked increase in numbers , 85 new members being enrolled , and in 186 3

82 were added to the Roll . Thus far the Lodge Register or List of Members . We have now arrived on firmer ground , when the whole of the

Lodge records are available , and are enabled to furnish the following facts : — In 1870 , at 51 meetings , attendances 1296 , joinings 105 „ 1880 „ 51 „ „ 1788 „ 127 „ 1890 „ 37 ,, „ 1430 ., 173 ,, 1900 ,, S <• 11 jSoy „ 200

^ These figures speak for themselves and will doubtless be deemed ample evidence of the continued growth and popularity of the Lodge . During the years last quoted the Craft has certainly grown enormously , and general Lodges of Instruction , especially in the metropolis , appear

to have increased in proportion , not a few of them emanating either directly or indirectly from the Emulation Lodge of Improvement ; these , however , will be dealt with hereafter . In the course of conversation at various times the writer has been asked : What Lodge of Instruction is considered to belong to the Grand Lodge ? To the ordinary English

Mason this enquiry may appear somewhat strange , but in view of the fact that our sister jurisdiction , Ireland , has a Grand Lodge of Instruction , and that most , if not all , of the Grand Lodges in the United States of America and out-Colonies and dependencies have either a Grand Lecturer , or a Ritual Committee whose chief business is to supervise the

esoteric working , the question will not be at all singular . The practice of Grand Lodges supervising the work of their subordinate Lodges is by no means of modern growth or adaptation , for we learn from our official records of the ancient regime that so far back as 2 nd September , 1752 , it

was resolved "That this Grand Committee shall be formed immediately into a working Lodge of Master Masons , in order to hear a Lecture from the Grand Secretary , Laurence Dermott . The Lodge was opened in Antient form of Grand Lodge , and every part of real Freemasonry was traced and explained , except the Royal Arch . " Next in order we

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SIR ALIIERT \ V . WOODS , K . C . B ., K . CM . G . ( Harter ) , Joined Ihe Emulation Lodge of Improvement in 185 ( 1 . From a photograph taken in hh SHIh year IIIJ Ihe Elite Vorlyail Co . The antoijroph tea * icrilten at the mine time . have the Nine Excellent Masters , familiarly known as " The

Nine Worthies , " instituted by the same body about 1792 , who were elected annually to assist the Grand officers in visiting the Lodges , in order " that the general uniformity of