History Of The Airedale Lodge, No. 387.

was entirely unexpected on my part ( in fact , I had to attend in travelling dress , for I had come from London the same evening , and it was therefore by no means certain that I should be present at all ) , I could not fail to appreciate their goodness , especially as I have always felt during my Masonic career that the esteem and goodwill of my brethren were infinitely preferable to any gift of whatever intrinsic value . There were present the W . MasterBro . William

, Parker , the W . M . elect , Bro . John Hey , ten Past Masters , and . twenty-three members of Airedale Lodge , besides representatives of seven other lodges , viz ., Amp hibious , 258 ; Three Graces , 408 ; Truth , 521 ; Harmony , 600 ; Eccleshill , 1034 ; Wharncliffe , Penistone , 1462 ; ancl Bailclon , 1545 . The presentation consisted of a beautiful gold Past Master ' s Jewel of special design , and a very handsomely framed address , most artisticall y executed .

In the Lodge circular dated 28 th February , 1877 , I inserted a foot-note as follows : — "The 11 th April being the fiftieth anniversary of the lodge , in which all should be interested , you are specially desired to attend and assist the W . M . in deciding what steps should be taken to celebrate that important event . "

The announcement took the brethren by surprise , but there was an unmistakable desire generally shown to commemorate the event in a fitting manner , and a committee was at once formed , - with Bro . John Morrell as secretary of same , to decide upon and carry out a suitable programme ; and at a meeting of that committee on the 8 th March , 1877 , it was decided to give a banquet to the W . Master , Bro . John Hey , on the 11 th April ; and , in order permanently to

commemorate the fiftieth anniversary of the constitution of the Airedale Lodge , a bookcase and the foundation of a Masonic library , for the use of the members , should also be inaugurated . Accordingly , a lodge of emergency was called for the 11 th April , 1877 , at four o ' clock in the afternoon , at which twenty-seven brethren were present . After the usual preliminary business of the lodge , a letter and " Reminiscences " of our first W . Master , Bro . Wainman Holmes ,

were read . As these , with the proceedings on this occasion , have been already published , it is unnecessary to reproduce them here . On the 25 th A pril , 1877 , several matters in connection with the library were settled , books being presented by members of the lodge on 30 th May '; and on June 27 th , 1877 , "Laurie ' s History of Freemasonry in Scotland , " b y our late Bro . Thomas Murgatroyd , P . M ., also a portfolio of music by the W . M ., Bro . John Hey .

On the 26 th September , 1877 , the sum of five guineas was voted to the Indian Famine Fund ; and the W . M . was empowered to treat with the owner of the lodge premises for their alteration according to plans already passed by the Shi pley Local Board . Trustees on behalf of the lodge were appointed , on October 9 th , to sign a ten years' lease of the premises at an increased rental , and the circumstances gave me an opportunity of reviewing the financial

position of the lodge for the seven years preceding , and warning the brethren that the _ proposed undertaking would require increased solicitude about lodge affairs , and a more general anxiet y for progress on the part of all . A full report of this is in the minute book . It had a beneficial result , although , as a consequence of an investigation into the Treasurer ' s ledger , five more members were erased . However , difficulties arose with the owner of the lodge premises , and under

the circumstances it became imperative that other premises should be secured as soon as possible . On the 24 th , " Bro . Hey , W . M ., presented to the library a handsomel y bound copy of my so-called " History of the Airedale Lodge . " Similar copies he was good enough to present to me , also to the B . -W . Prov . G . Master ancl to the D . P . G . Master , whose acknowledgments for the same are ied in the minute bookIt was practicalldecided 21 st

cop . y , November , 1877 , that in future the duties of T yler should be the first step to ofhce in the lodge , there being a general wish amongst those more nearl y affected by it—viz ., the junior brethren—that it should be so . L