At The Sign Of The Perfect Ashlar

he was initiated . Never having been in a position to assist Masonry , he had no real claim to assistance from the Craft . Therefore , it would be unfair to admit men into the Craft under such circumstances , as they would find that one of the objects for which they joined would turn out a disappointment .

i he late Bro . Colonel George Lambert was in his day an enthusiastic volunteer as well as an ardent Mason , and his interest in both was shown by his services in connection with the Queen's Westminster Rifles and the Lodge attached to the corps , of which he was a founder and first Worshipful Master . On the 14 th September two gavels , the gift of our late brother ,

were competed for at Bisley by the members of the following lodges : —The London Rifle Brigade , No . 1962 ; the Queen ' s Westminster , No . 2021 ; the Bloomsbury Rifles , No . 2362 ; and the Paddington Rifles , No . 2807 . The winners of the first gavel were the London Rifle Brigade Lodge with a

score of 6 3 6 , and of the second the Bloomsbury Rifles Lodge with a score of 54 6 . The score made by the Queen ' s Westminster Lodge was 535 , and by the Paddington Rifles 520 . The following lodges were entitled to compete , but failed to obtain teams , viz .: —The Fitzroy , the Victoria Rifles ,

the South Middlesex , the London Scottish , the London Irish , and the Surrey Rifles . ® »§> ©

It will be seen from the above that no less than eleven lodges in London are connected with the auxiliary forces . The first , the Fitz-Roy , No . 569 , composed of the members of the Honourable Artillery Company , of which body the Prince of Wales was for so many years the Colonel , was formed so long ago as 18 49 . Then followed the Victoria Rifles , No .

822 , in i 860 , and the South Middlesex , No . 858 , in the following year . After an interval of twenty years the London Rifle Brigade applied for a warrant , which was granted , and lodges were successfully established in connection with the following corps : —The Queen's Westminster , the London Scottish , the London Irish , the Bloomsbury Rifles , and the Paddington Rifles .

«> - ©> ¦& On the 17 th October the Cotteswold Lodge , No . 592 , celebrated the interesting occasion of its jubilee , when R . W . Bro . the Right Hon . Sir Michael Hicks-Beach , M . P ., Provincial Grand Master for Gloucestershire , attended the meeting . The Chancellor of the Exchequer is not only the

senior member of the lodge , but its senior Past Master , having been elected in 18 5 6 , and passing the chair in 1861 . Sir Michael's son , Bro . Michael Hugh Hiclcs-Beach was during the evening elected a joining member of the lodge , having been initiated in the St . Helena Lodge , No . 4 88 , during his period of service in that island with the 4 th Gloucestershire Regiment .

»» s » «> * We tender our hearty congratulations to Bro . Henry Smith , P . G . D ., on his attainment , on the 5 th October , of his 80 th birthday . As a zealous upholder of the principles of Freemasonry and a staunch supporter of its Charities , it is not too much to say that not only in the Province of West

Yorkshire , but in the whole body of the Craft there is no name better known amongst us . Created a Past Grand Deacon in the Jubilee year of Her late Majesty ' s reign , Bro . Henry Smith acted as Deputy Provincial Grand Master for West Yorkshire from 188 5 to 18 9 6 , and it is interesting to

note in commemoration of this fact that forty votes from each of the three Institutions are annually at the disposal of the province . Our worth } - brother is a Vice-Patron of the Boys ' , Girls ' , and Benevolent Institutions , having served as Steward fourteen times in each . We trust that Bro . Smith may be spared to see many more such anniversaries of his birthday and that we may be privileged to chronicle them .

<©> «•» # » The Mayoralty of Bro . W . J . Crump , P . A . G . D . C , has given so much satisfaction to the borough of " merry" Islington , that at a special meeting of the Aldermen and Councillors he was unanimously requested to again allow himself to be

nominated . Bro . Crump has , we understand , acceded to the request , a decision which has given much pleasure to all concerned . Judging from the accounts which have already reached us

on this side of the water , Bro . Sir Henry Irving's seventh American tour , which commenced on the 19 th October at the Knickerbocker Theatre , New York , will , it is not unsafe to prophesy , eclipse his previous records . The distinguished actor is one to whom the world does not grudge success , and

the reason , we think , was not unhappily summed up by his life-long friend , Bro . John L . Toole , when he said that " He was the same good fellow at the height of his success as he was when he was not sure where the next dinner was to come from . "

It is interesting to note , states the Echo , that at last the services of Bro . Herr Meyer Lutz , who was associated with the Gaiety Theatre for twenty-eight years , are to be recognised . The veteran composer was born on May 6 th , 1829 , in Bavaria , and he made his first public appearance as a pianist wlien only eight years of age . At seventeen he came to England with an

orchestra as a pianist . The undertaking proving a financial failure , Bro . Meyer Lutz was left in Birmingham , after having succeeded in securing an appointment as deputy organist at St . Shad ' s . > S » »@ « S "

It was here he met Cardinal Wiseman , who was instrumental in procuring for him the post of organist and choir-master at St . George ' s , Southwark , a post he held for forty years . In 1841 he became conductor of English Opera at the Surrey , and , in 1868 , he was appointed chef d ' orchestre at the Gaiety Theatre , under the management of Bro . John Hollingshead .

« s » © « s > Bro . Theodore S . Parvin , Past Grand Master of the Grand Lodge of Iowa , U . S . A ., who has recently died , had probably the longest record of really active Masonic work in the world of Masonry , covering as it did , a period of sixty-three years . He was initiated in the twenty-first year of his age , received the Master Masons Degree in 18 3 8 , and

TJIK LATK IIIIO . T . S . I ' . HlVl . V , has ever since been an active member of the Craft . He filled the office of Grand Secretary for fifty-eight years , and will always be remembered in connection with the formation of that great Masonic library of which the Masons of Iowa are so justly proud .