Masonry Over The Border.

whole of the candidate ' s Masonic career before them , and as far as the Secret Monitor is concerned that career has to be a particularly unblemished one to justify admission . The constitutions are few in number , but the last article provides that in all ¦ cases not specially met in the rules , the Order shall be bound by the Craft Constitutions , and the rights and privileges

¦ of members and the proceedings of conclaves shall be regulated thereby as nearly as circumstances will permit . The social board is usually in evidence . The jewel of the Order ,

which , as explained , is the only official clothing , might ibe mistaken in the distance for that of the Royal Arch . It is made up of super-imposed equilateral triangles , into which are worked three arrows . Inside are the initials " D . J . "David and Jonathan . An interesting feature of the ritual is the employment of the bow . In this connection irreverent

outsiders have been heard to ask how a society could be said to be founded on the eternal principle of truth , which was addicted to drawing the long bow at every meeting .

Provincial Grand Lodge Of Hampshire And The Isle Of Wight.

Provincial Grand Lodge of Hampshire and the Isle of Wight .

^ pHE annual meeting of Provincial Grand Lodge of Hamp-I shire and the Isle of Wight was held at the Guildhall , Winchester , on July 25 II 1 , and was very largely attended . The P . G . Master , R . W . Bro . Sir Augustus Webster , Bart ., presided , and was supported by the D . P . G . M . ( W . Bro . ¦ Goble ) , W . Bro . Le Feuvre , P . D . P . G . M ., and a large array of

past and present Prov . Grand Officers . Col . du Pre Powney , P . P . G . S . W ., acted as S . W ., in the absence of Major Seeley , M . P ., Dr . A . B . Wade , of Southampton , filling his own chair as J . G . W . The roll of beiges was called , and all but four responded .

The minutes of the P . G . Lodge held at Gosport were taken us read , and duly confirmed . The Prov . Grand Treasurer submitted his accounts , and the D . P . G . M . proposed that the same be received and adopted . He said he could not but congratulate Provincial

Grand Lodge on the satisfactory condition of things shown , for whereas the balance at the bank at the beginning of the year was . £ 116 13 s . id ., it amounted at the end of it to ^ 408 14 s . 1 id ., and this though they had not stayed their hands in grants to the charities and in other ways . He

thought their warmest thanks were due to the Provincial Grand Treasurer for the services he had rendered in that office for many years , and for the excellent statement of . accounts he had now placed before them . Bro . Le Feuvre , P . D . P . G . M ., seconded the motion , which ~ was agreed to .

Bro . Gieve was unanimously re-elected Prov . G . Treas . on the proposition of Bro . Le Feuvre , seconded by Bro . Franklin Simmons , and briefly returned thanks . The Prov . Grand Secretary reported that the Provincial ¦ Grand Lodge Committee had held three meetings during the yeara fourth not being convened , as there was no business

, to bring before it . Three boys , two girls , one aged brother , . and one aged widow had been elected to the Royal Masonic Institutions . Two of the boys were elected by the efforts of military brethren in London and the Provinces . One of the girls was a case also of a military character , and she was

given the Beach Presentation , the case being a last chance ¦ one . In addition to these there were two cases carrying forward over a thousand votes towards their future election . The total increase of members for the year , after allowing for the reduction made under the automatic action of the

Rule was ^ r , the total subscribing members on the roll numbering 5 , 019 . The Prov . Grand Master nominated Bros . Le Feuvre and Cecil Powney as extra members of the P . G . L . Committee , and Bros . F . C . Simmons and Powney as members of the

Executive Committee . Bro . Le Feuvre was nominated to represent the Province on the Board of Management of ( he Iioy . il Masonic Institution for Boys , and the nomination was duly accepted .

The Provincial Grand treasurer , m view of the presidency of Sir Augustus Webster at the annual Festival of the Royal Masonic Benevolent Institution in 1908 , moved that the sum of . £ 500 be voted from P . G . L . funds to be placed on deposit •—this was seconded by Bro . Le Feuvre , and carried . The Provincial Grand Master s : iid he had received letters ¦ of apology for non-attendance from many brethren . He

reminded the Secretaries of certain lodges of some remarks he made at a former P . G . L . meeting of the importance of keeping in their minute books the printed code of instructions . He suggested that the management of the Hampshire and Isle of Wight Masonic Benevolent Institution should now be vested in Provincial Grand Lodge . It was an excellent

Institution , but the amount administered by it was very small , and if his suggestion was adopted it would save time and trouble to brethren who were called together now and again to discuss matters which sometimes were comparatively trivial . He did not mean that any change should be made

in the secretarial or ordinary routine work of the Institution . He then appointed his officers for the year . The Deputy Prov . Grand Master said he had now in the name of the Lodges and Chapters of the Province to perform

a most pleasing duty , and that was to make a presentation to the R . W . the Provincial Grand Master , on behalf of his daughter , Evelyn Webster . They had for some time thought how they might give to their worthy chief something which would be acceptable to him for the work he had done in the Province since 1901 , when he was so nobly installed by Earl

Amherst as Provincial Grand Master . He was pleased to say they had now been given that opportunity , for a daughter had been born to him and Lady Webster . They had a great Masonic affection for their Provincial Grand Master , and had the greatest possible pleasure in asking him

to accept on behalf of his beautiful little daughter miniatures of himself and of Lady Webster , the child herself being also shown in Lady Webster ' s picture . He was sure they all hoped that the young lady would be preserved , and grow up a worthy daughter of her parents .

Bro . Sir Augustus Webster , who spoke with some emotion , said he thanked the Deputy Provincial Grand Master and the brethren generally on behalf of Lady Webster , himself , and their youngest daughter for the very kind gift they had made his daughter through him , to commemorate her birth while he was Grand Master and Grand Superintendent of the

Province . Their kindness was an honour to him , which he greatly felt , and he hoped , having been at the head of the Province for only a comparative short time , that he should be able to conduct its affairs as always to be worthy of their confidence . He again thanked them on behalf of Lady

Webster and his ltttle daughter , and he hoped in due course when the young lady had learned to walk and to talk , and to behave herself properly , she would have ( he opportunity of expressing her own grateful thanks to the brethren for their kindness .

The Prov . Grand Secretary said there was a sum of about _ £ 20 in hand in this Presentation Fund , and he would propose that this be made up to 25 guineas to qualify their Grand Master ' s daughter as a Vice-President of the Royal Masonic Institution for Girls . It would be a fitting climax to the gift they had made her father for her that day .

Bro . Lancaster seconded the proposition , which he said was a very happy one , and it was carried unanimously , and with acclamation . After some formalities , Provincial Grand Lodge was closed in ancient form .