Contents.

CONTENTS .

E UITORIAL : MILITARY - MASONS 07 ETHICS OF FREEMASONRY { concluded ) 08 ST . MICHAEL ' S LODGE , NO . 211 08 "T SEVEN AGES OF FREEMASONRY" 08

MASONIC POET ' CORNER— "SONG "— "OUR WORK" ... 0 ' . ) OUR TRESTLE BOARD 09 ORIGINAL CORRESPONDENCE 70 THE ROYAL MASONIC INSTITUTIONS 70 NOTIFICATIONS 70

HIGH TWELVE 71 MASONIC INSTALLATION AT SWANSEA 71 COLONIAL CLIPPINGS 71 POINT—LEFT—RIGHT—By The Druid 72 REPORTS OF LODGES AND CHAPTERS 73 METROPOLITAN AND PROVINCIAL LODGE AND CHAPTER

MEETINGS FORTHCOMING 74 , 57 , 70 METROPOLITAN LODGES AND CHAPTERS , OF INSTRUCTION ... 77 ADVERTISEMENTS Front cover , 00 , 78 , 7 !> , 80

Military Masons.

Military Masons .

HERE have lately appeared in our columns several letters relating to the connection of Freemasons who are attached to the Army of our Sovereign with a lodge holding its

meetings , almost as it were , under the shadow of one of our large military stations . They set forth particulars as

yet , notwithstanding efforts m that direction , uncontradicted , and which constitute a grievance requiring the early attention of a properly constituted authority , with a view to prevent dissension and to do justice .

before more fully referring to the information the above mentioned letters afford , it may be worth while to note what " the General Laws and Regulations for the

Government of the Craft " say on the subject of Military Lodges . The only sections which treat of these are Numbered 155 , 150 , 157 , and 188 . By the first it is declared that " When

any Military Lodge under the constitution of England shall be out of England , it shall be conducted so as not to give offence to the Masonic authorities of the country or

place in which it may sojourn , never losing sight of the duties it owes to the Grand Lodge of England , „ c . " As we are considering circumstances in connection with a

Lodge at homo , either that existing or that proposed , we need take no further account of Bee . 155 . Sec . 15 ( 1 defines the constituency of a Military Lodge thus : — "No

Military Lodge shall initiate into Masonry any inhabitant <> r sojourner in any town or place at which its members may b ,- stationed , or through which they may be marching ,

nor any person who does not at the time beluiuj to the military profession , nor any military person below the rank of a corporal , " and then follow certain reservations which

Military Masons.

do not affect the present question . The italics in the foregoing transcript of the law are ours . Then Sec . 157 merely directs what should be done in case of a military

body to which a lodge may be attached being disbanded or reduced , and what may be then done with the warrant to make the Lodge a Civil Lodge . Sec . 188 states that " No

other Lodge shall initiate any non-commissioned olliccr or corporal belonging to a regiment or battalion to which a Military Lodge is attached , nor shall any Lodge initiate

any military person below the rank of a corporal , " except under certain reservations which are understood . Beyond these four sections the Constitutions of the Order make no

reference to Military Lodges , which , if desired , must therefore be created and constituted in like manner to all private ( civil ) Lodges , no other authority being expressed .

~ Now , what is submitted by our correspondents for consideration ' ? That , in the immediate neighbourhood of a large military station , there is a lodge numbering some

eighty members , of whom some thirty are soldiers . For many reasons , which it is not necessary to comment upon , for any one of them is good enough , and the mere wish is

sufficient , the soldiers desire to establish another Iodide . We are not informed whether or not it is suggested that it shall be attached to any particular regiment , or shall be

universal in so far as the military station and military element is concerned . What we do learn is , that some fifty " soldier masons" being desirous of joining a new

lodge , if formed , and knowing of some other twenty comrades fitted and wishful to enter the Order , amongst them being " Officers , Warrant Officers , Staff Sergeants ,

& c „ " selected certain brethren to formulate and forward a petition to the M . W . G . Master , which did not have the

approval of the R . W . Prov . Grand Master , through whom it was required it should be transmitted , and met with an unqualified refusal .

We cannot believe that such a result would have ensued unless there were most pertinent reasons for refusal . But these do not appear to have been communicated , and the

rejected petitioners , as well as those ol the Craft who have been made acquainted with the application and its refusal , are equally at a loss to opine on what ground the latter

was made . There are many true , loyal , disciplined and obedient men serving under the colours , who possess all the qualities necessary in good Freemasons , and who must be interested in the ultimate result of this endeavour

to promote the general interest of Soldier Masons . We have thought it but fair to them , and to the Craft generally , to give this much prominence to the question

which has arisen , pending the endeavour to elicit further information , and preliminary to discussing it more thoroughly .