Lodge Benevolence, No. 666, Princetown (Devon).

Lodge Benevolence , No . 666 , Princetown ( Devon ) .

THE Annual Installation Meeting of the above Lodge was held at Piincetown , on July nth , when Bro . Harry Halfyard , S . W ., was duly installed as Worshipful Master for the ensuing year , which is the Jubilee of the Lodge , the Warrant dating from 1856 . The brother of the

W . M . Elect being the retiring Master , most ably presided at the Installation , being assisted by W . Bros . Gill and Ellis , and supported by a numerous company of Past and Present Prov . Officers , Past Masters and Brethren of the Province , who are always accorded a most cordial welcome on visiting

this moorland lodge , as although the brethren cannot claim to be the richest lodge , they can certainly claim to be the u highest lodge" under the English Constitution , being

11 U 0 . HAKUY HAI . FYAltn . 1 , 400 feet above sea level . One of the founders of the lodge is still a resident in Piincetown , and although through age he was unable to be present at the meeting , did not forget to send congratulations to the W . M . elect , whom he has known

from childhood . After the ceremony the W . Master and several P . M . ' s visited the W . Bro . at his house with something substantial that gave the W . Bro . very great satisfaction . The banquet was held as usual at W . Bro . Rowe's Duchy Hotel , a most sumptuous repast being provided . The usual

Masonic toasts were duly given and honoured . Before separating , the visiting brethren , of which to many it was their first visit to Princetown Lodge , heartily thanked the W . Master and brethren for the kind hospitality extended to them , and trusted to be present with them on other occasions .

Masonic Festival At Ghester.

Masonic Festival at Ghester .

A JOINT Festival on behalf of the Cheshire Benevolent Institution and the Cheshire Educational Masonic Institution was held at Chester on the enclosure on the Roodee in front of ( he County Stand on Saturday , August 18 th , the Right Worshipful Grand Master the Hon . Alan cle Tatton Egcrton , presiding . Among those present were Bro .

F . K . Stevenson ( Secretary of the Cheshire Masonic Educational Institution ) , Bro . T . H . Annctt ( Treasurer of thei Benevolent Institution ) , Bro . Lilley Ellis , P . A . G . D . C . ( Chairman

of the Executive Committee ) , Bro . James Cookson , P . P . G . W . ( Vice-Chairman ) , and Bro . George Ibeson ( Secretary of the Festival ) . The local arrangements of the festival were carried out by a committee of the members of the four Chester lodges , the Chairman of the Committee being Bro . J . Mayers , and the Secretary Bro . G . W . Haswell .

Between live and six hundred sat down to the banquet , which was served in a marquee erected in front of the stand .

Bro . Ibbetson announced the contributions received from various lodges in the provinces on behalf of the charities , amounting in the aggregate to £ 3 , 921 18 s . 6 d ., and he hoped that by the next provincial meeting , at Stalybridge , it would be made into £ 4 , 000 . This was in addition to . £ 613 received for Stewards' fees .

The Chairman , in proposing " Success to the Cheshire Masonic Charitable Institutions , " referred to the growth of the festivals , the first of which was held in 1865 . At the last festival , at Knutsford , a sum of over _ £ 2 , ooo was subscribed , whilst this year a sum of nearly ^ 4 , 000 would be divided between the two charities . At the time of the first festival

there were only fifty-five lodges , whilst at the present time there were sixty-seven , and no less than eighty-two children were receiving education and clothing at an annual cost of £ " 700 . They also had several annuitants receiving £ " 20 a year . Bro . Stevenson and Bro . Annett responded on behalf of

their respective institutions . Other toasts were " The President , " proposed by Bro . Lilley Ellis , and " The Festival Committee , " proposed by the Chairman , and " The Chairman and the Directors of the Roodee Company , and the Educational Committee of the

Chester City Council , " proposed by Bro . John Mayers ; responded to by Councillor George Barlow . A splendid musical programme had been arranged under the direction of Bro . Butterworth , and the following artistes took part : —Madame Agnes Croxton , Bro . A . M . Proctor , Bro . Loni Parry , and Bro . A . J . Armstrong .

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The Annual Meeting of the British Association , at York , this year recalls the memorable Masonic gathering which took place on the last occasion of the Association visiting that ancient city . On that occasion , as on the present , great efforts were made by the local lodges to do honour to those of its members who were also Masons , and to justify the

claims of York to pre-eminence , not only on architectural and other grounds , but to be considered as the city of all others the most suitable to tender a Masonic reception to its visitors , and the meeting was wholly successful from beginning to end . <& * < s »

The previous few years had witnessed great advances in Masonic criticism , thanks to the zeal and erudition of a school of masters of whom Bros . W . J . Hughan , R . F . Gould and Rev . A . F . A . Woodford were among the pioneers , and in consequence many of our cherished idols had then already

began to topple over and cast aside among the rubbish . The real and the good , however , have not departed , and tradition of York being the home of English Freemasonry lias still its many defenders and numerous witnesses .

" The Old Charges of British Freemasons " generally speak of York as the place of the Ancient Assemblies of the Craft according to a Charter granted many centuries ago . Then , again , York was the headquarters of the "Grand Lodge of all England " until its extinct ion about the end of the

eighteenth century , and it still possesses in the custody of the York Lodge , No . 23 6 , the old records and other MSS . of almost priceless value , among which are no less than {' we out of the six copies of the MS . Constitutions which were in possession of the Grand Lodge of all England in 1779 .