Consecration Of The Guildhall Lodge, No. 3116.

Consecration of the Guildhall Lodge , No . 3116 .

rpm , ; Mansion House , as the official residence of the I Lord Mavor of London , has been the scene of many and varied functions , but for the first time in its history it was used on November 14 th , for the purpose of consecratng a new lodge . Nothing could have been more lilting and appropriate , seeing that the

newlyinstalled Lord Mavor , Alderman Walter Yaughan Morgan , had been designated the first Alaster . The Lodge , which is named the Guildhall Lodge , and is numbered 3116 , has been formed for the use of members of the Corporation , and its conception was due to a '' happy thought " on

the part of Bro . George H . Heiibuth , who is himself a membei of the Corporation , representing the Ward of Walbrook . The founders comprised many of the leading Aldermen and Councillors whose names are household words both in City circles and in Alasonry , which is , in itself a guarantee of a prosperous future .

URO . S 1 U JOUX CILAllLKS I ' . KI . L . f - The consecration ceremony was performed in that impressive and faultless manner which distinguishes all the ceremonial work of the Grand Secretary , and on its completion the installation of the Lord Alayor as Worshipful Alaster

took place , who appointed his officers as follows : —Bros the Right Hon . Sir Joseph Dimsdale , P . G . W ., P . G . Trcas ., Acting I . P . M . ; Sir Horace Brooks Marshall , P . G . Trcas ., S . W . ; Sir John Charles Bell , J . W . ; Alderman Aliiston , P . G . D .. Treas . ; George H . Heilbuth , Sec . ; Sir John Runt / ., S . D . ; Alderman

Howard C . Morris , P . G . S ., J . D . ; Sir Homewood Crawford P . G . D ., D . C . ; George Briggs , Assist . D . C . ; Harvey Preen , I ' -PJ . D ., I . G . ; James Bell and Alexander Ritchie , Stewards ; G . John Tollitt , P . AI ., Tyler , At the subsequent banquetin the Egyptian Hall , the toasts

, "f His Majesty the King , the AIAY . Grand Alaster , H . R . H . the Duke of Connaught , having been duly honoured , the Lord Mayor , in proposing the health of ( he Deputy ( irand Alaster , who was present , remarked that the AIAY . Grand Master had been good enough to confer upon him ( the W . AI . ) that clay

tlic position of Past Grand Warden . Hro . the Right Hon . T . F . Halsey , Af . P ., Deputy Grand Master , in his repl y , said that whatever his merits or demerits

as Deputy Grand Master of the Craft might be as lime went on he found it an increasing difficulty each time he attended a Alasonic gathering to find words adequate to the response for the toast . One bad little to say , and it was the same , thing— that the Grand Officers did their duty , and he believed that it was through tluir inlluencc that the Craft uncler

tiie English Constitution maintained the high position it did . Having said that it was difficult to lind anything fresh . to say—for what more could be said ? It that was the case at an ordinary Alasonic gathering , he left it to them to consider how far greater was the difficulty he felt in replying for such a large body of Grand Officers , and on such

a unique occasion as the present . If he should lail adequately to do justice to the toast they would make some excuse for him . This he might sav , in the name of all the

Grand Officers who had been able to enjoy the hospitality of the Lord Alayor , that they would to the close of their career feel proud of having taken part in what he thought he might call the first Alasonic gathering that had ever taken place in the Mansion House . He might be called in question , but he said it advisedly . It was true there had

been gatherings—and he had been present—of members of the Craft when previous Lord Mayors have been brethren of the Order , when they enjoyed ( hat hospitality for which the City was celebrated , but he thought they would agree that was a different thing that had taken place on the present occasion , for this was the first time that a lodge of

Freemasons as a lodge of Freemasons had ever met to perform its ceremonies and enjoy its banquet within the Mansion House walls . If that was so , they should all be proud to have taken part in this gathering and they should

liliO . OKOilOi : II . UKII . BUTil , c . c . all be glad at the success of the gathering and congratulate the Lord Alayor in having been installed as AI . W . of that lodge in such an auspicious manner and on such an auspicious occasion , coinciding as it did with the high

honour which the AI . W . Grand Master had conferred upon him by appointing him Past Grand Warden . After all , he thought it was not unfit that the Freemasons of England should be present within the walls of the City of London .