At The Sign Of The Perfect Ashlar.

M . W . Bro . Frank H . Robinson , Grand Master of Masons in the State of New York , sounded a timely note of alarm in his address to the Grand Lodge . " It is not a pleasure , he says , to sound an alarm ; but some times it is wise to clo so , to prevent misfortune or destruction .

More than ten thousand brethren were initiated during the year 1905 , in the lodges of this State . Truly a great army , the initiations of a single year . Masonry is popular , and because of its present popularity many are knocking at its doors for admission . The time has come when it is

absolutely necessary to exercise the closest scrutiny in the character and qualifications of those who seek membership with us .

The year following the Civil war saw the greatest number initiated during any one year of the existence of this Grand Lodge . That growth was not a healthy growth , as subsequent unaffiliations three or four years thereafter for non-payment of dues amply testified .

All our lodges , with few exceptions , are strong numerically , and therefore , in the additions to be made to membership quality alone should be the standard . If this rule be observed the admissions to our Home in years to come will be fewer in number , and the candidates accepted

become contributors to that Home rather than inmates . Why compel yourselves to apologize for brethren admitted through inefficient and careless examinations ? Why not daily elevate the standard of the fraternity in which , in spite of all our mistakes , membership is sought by the wise , the good , and the great ?"

©> © © " No thinking Mason will deny for a moment that a great many lodges are making Masons altogether too fast and that in certain localities this has proved a great detriment to the Craft , and has considerably lowered its prestige .

The remedies for this condition are obvious and need not be dwelt upon ; but another and , it seems to me , equally deplorable condition arises from the fact that the majority of Masons are ignorant in regard to the history , philosophy , ethics and laws of the fraternity . The average brother is

supposed to learn , and I feel sure does learn his lectures , but beyond that his ignorance regarding our institution is in many cases appalling . It may be , and probably is , a Utopian idea , but I would like to see every Entered Apprentice required to pass an examination on the above subjects before being passed . It would be a comparatively easy matter for

each grand lecturer to prepare a series of questions and answers covering most of the important points , and if each candidate were required to at least get the gist of the answers , we would in a few years have raised the standard of Masonic education to a very considerable degree . As an alternative to this plan , special communications might be

held with compulsory attendance on the part of the Entered Apprentices and lectures given by competent instructors . If either of these courses were followed , a reaction , I believe , would be noticed very quickly on the part of the old membersfor very few Master Masons would care to have Entered

, Apprentices better instructed than they were . As I said before , this idea may be Utopian , but we must certainly sooner or later adopt it , or something like it , if we are to have lodges composed of brothers educated in Masonry rather than to allow the Craft to drift into a state wherein

lodges will be simply organizations devoted to social purposes in which the history and traditions of the Craft will be largely lost sight of . —Bro . Geo . C . Baker in the " Tyler-Keystone . "

There is a Freemasonry of a sort amongst motorists , and one will go to the others assistance unhesitatingly . There is a delightful little story told of an heroine stranded with ignition troubles . To rescue this Andromeda from the claws of the monster of mechanical difficulties came a motoring

Perseus , clad in all the regalia of the chauffeur . Afterwards telling the story at a club tea-table , the heroine said to her friends : " When he had made the thing buzz , you know , he then said in his most gentlemanly manner , ' Now what are you going to give me for all the trouble I have taken ? ' "

The ladies in the party looked shocked , and the gentlemen glanced at one another with comprehending smiles . " And so I gave him twopence , " concluded la chauffeuse , with a delightful air of innocence .

« $ > ©> < $ > We understand that the design initiated by the German Freemasons of striking a medal to commemorate the Masonic Jubilee of Mr . Robert Freke Gould , of Woking , has been very beautifully and artistically carried out ; and that

presentation copies of the medal will be formally handed over to Mr . Gould at the next meeting of the Quatuor Coronati Lodge , on October 5 th .

O O O The Grand Lodge of Iowa , U . S . A . is unique among its fellows in one respect in that it possesses a Library , which , according to the legend gartered around a view of the structure printed on the cover of its Grand Lodge report is " the only

Masonic Library Building in the world . " The brethren of that jurisdiction are fairly entitled to be proud of such a structure , and it does them immense credit , but " the Book ' s

MASONIC LIHHARY , CKDAli RAPIDS , IOWA . the thing , " and the possession of the largest and best selected Masonic Library is , we think , the greater achievement . There appears to be no particular virtue in a Library being housed in a building '' all to itself . " It would be

equally useful and imposing when forming a part of the Hall or other official head-quarters of Freemasonry . < fj < JJ < s > The New Palace Steamers Limited announce that their daily sea trips by the ; i Royal Sovereign " and " Koh-i-noor "

to Southend , Margate , Ramsgate , Deal and Dover will terminate for this season on Monday , the 10 th Septemberthe Husband's boat , which has proved popular with city men and others , will make her last trip to Margate on Saturday , the 8 th September .

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