History Of The Emulation Lod Ge Of Imp Rovement, No . 256.——(Continued).

History of the Emulation Lodge of Improvement, No . 256 . ——( Continued ) .

( By Bro . HENRY SADLER , Sub-Librarian to the Grand Lodge of England ) .

AN unusually large number of brethren attended the Lodge on the 2 nd of July , 44 members and 12 visitors being present , a majority of the latter being from the Colonies and sister jurisdictions . Many others were expected to have attended , but , owing to some misunderstanding as to the hour of meeting , they failed to put in an appearance'until

too late . It was for the instruction and enlightenment of the visitors that a departure was made from the ordinary routine work of the weekly meetings . Tlie ceremonies of the three degrees were worked by Bros . A . A . Richards , W . A . Dawson , and Thomas Fenn respectively .

On the 24 th of September Bro . A . A . Richards retired from the Committee , and proposed that the vacancy caused thereby should be lilled up by Bro . F . R . Spaull , which was carried , and a vote of thanks was ordered to be entered on the minutes to Bro . Richards for the many services he has

rendered to the Lodge during the 27 years he had been a member of it . Bro . Richards had been a member of the Committee for a period of twenty years .

I . 0 J 1 D HEXXIKKU , P . S . IS-AV ., PROV . G . MASTER , SUFFOLK , Chairman of the Frtlical in 187 s . On this occasion the Lodge was honoured by the presence of four distinguished brethren from the Grand Lodge of

Ireland , headed by Bro . \ Y . J . Chetwode Crawley , LL . D ., who was proposed for membership and duly elected . John W . Jones , St . Geo . and Corner Stone Lodge , No . 5 , was elected Secretary on the 1 st of October . At the meeting on the 12 th of November Bro . Fenn

proposed several alterations in the By-Laws , amounting , indeed , to a general revision , the purport of which was to discontinue the meetings during the months of July , August , and September , and to alter the clay of the election of the executive officers and the Committee of General Purposes from the last Friday in September and tlie iirst Friday in October to the lirst Friday in January of each year . These

alterations being approved by the Committee , the By-Laws were ordered to be reprinted in conformity therewith . 1887 . The 21 st of January witnessed a strong muster of "Emulation" members , no less than 65 , with 3 6 visitors , being present ; nearly half of the latter were proposed as joining members . The reason for this unusual gathering was that

the Third Annual Festival of the Gavel Club was to be held after the Lodge work was ended . This club was formed in 188 4 , by members of the Emulation Lodge of Improvement , with the object of providing refreshment , combined -with amusement , for those

brethren who , being members , had attended the working of the Lodge the same evening . At these gatherings harmony and good-fellowship reigned supreme and a jocular practice of lining each other to the extent of one penny for various , offences , real or imaginary , mostly the latter , resulted in

considerable sums finding their way into the coffers of the Masonic Charities in the course of the year . The Annual Festival was held on the 25 th of February ,, and , as usual , was well attended , there being upwards of 240 present . The work was the Sections of the First Lecture by

Bro . Fenn as W . M ., and Bros . C . W . Blaxland , J . D . No . 709 : ; . G . L . Kennaby , S . W . No . 1420 ; W . H . Kirby , No . 1965 ; H . Pritchard , W . M . No . 1415 ; W . S . Lee , W . M . No . 1768 ; . A . Combes , I . G . No . 1471 ; and C . W . A . Trollope , P . M . No . 1826 .

Thirty-eight propositions for membership were received , including that of the Chairman of the evening , the Earl of Milltown , Past Senior Grand Warden .

On the 15 th of April the sum of 1 en Pounds was voted for the third highest unsuccessful candidates for the Royal Masonic Benevolent Institution , the same as last year , and as this vote appears to have been regularly passed each subsequent year no further mention of it need be made . 1888 . A change in the Secretaryship was made in

January this year , consequent upon the retirement of Bro . J . W . Jones , owing to his inability to give that constant attention to the duties which he felt to be incumbent on all holders , of the important office of Secretary of the Emulation Lodge of Improvement . Bro . William G . Kentish , P . M . of No . 1293 .

and W . M . of No . 1768 , was elected Secretary , the Committee ,. Treasurer , and Tyler being re-elected . On the 27 th of January a resolution was carried to the purport that the Lodge in future should be opened at Six o ' clock instead of at Seven as heretofore .

A presentation of a Perfect Ashlar , with tackle , sheer legs , and a triangular platform for the same from Bro . Henry Sadler , is recorded in the minutes of the 17 th February . The sheers were made of a portion of the original fittings of the Freemasons' Hall or Grand Lodge Room , now known

as the Temple , and the platform is from the old roof of the Guildhall of the City of London . A vote of thanks was passed to Bro . Sadler for " his very interesting present , and a brass plate was ordered to be affixed thereto with an inscription recording the particulars of the presentation . "

At the Annual Festival , on the 24 th of February , Bro . Thomas Fenn presided as W . Master , having as his Wardens Bros . R . C . Sudlow and C . A . Murton , P . G . D . The work was the Second Lecture , by Bros . Charles E . Cassal , J . J Black , W . S . Lee , C . W . A . Trollope , and J . E . Terry . Total number present 262 . Fifty propositions for new members

were received . Sir Reginald Hanspii , Bart ., M . P ., Past Grand Warden , presided at the banquet and subsequent proceedings with characteristic geniality .