FREEMASONRY GRAND LODGE

Evening Post, Volume LXXXIX, Issue 112, 13 May 1915, Page 4

FREEMASONRY GRAND LODGE

INSTALLATION OF THE GRAND MASTER Afc yesterday's sitting of the Masonic Grand Lodge, the reports of the various Boards of Management, already published, were considei*ed at length and adopted. An important resolution bearing upon finance was adopted, empowering the executive to invest the funds of Grand Lodge otherwise than through the Public Trustee— viz., in the debentures of local bodies or other approved securities; also, requesting the Board of General Purposes to consider the question of setting up a consultative committee, consisting of representatives of the different provincial districts, to advise it with regard to local investments. Only matters of domestic interest were considered at the afternoon sitting, the agenda paper being very nearly cleared. One election of the master of a lodge, the legality of which had been questioned, was approved on division by a large majority. INSTALLATION PROCEEDINGS • NEW PRINCIPAL OFFICERS. There was a very large assemblage in the evening in the Town Hall proper, when M.W. Bro. Dougall was reinstalled as Grand Master of New Zealand. The ceremony was carried out with imposing spectacular and musical surroundings, M.W. Bros. Maurice Thompson and Slalcolm Niccol, Past Grand Masters, being the installing and investing officers. An interesting and interested visitor of distinction was M.W. Bro. Emery, Past Grand Master of the Grand Lodge of Victoria. After his installation, the Grand Master announced his appointment of the principal officers of Grand Lodge for the year, as follows : — Deputy Grand Master, R.W. Bro. J. H. Harkness (Westport). Provincial Grand Masters. — Auckland district, M.W. Bro. 0. Nicholson ; Wellington district, R.W. Bro. T. A. Peterkin ; Southland district, R.W. Bro. Timpany ; Otago district, R.W. Bro. J. J. Clark ; Hawkes Bay district, R.W. Bro. H. L. Harston ; Taranaki district, R.W. Bro. R. W. Sargent; Nelson and Marlborough district, R.W. Bro. W. E. Redman; West Coast district, R.W. Bro. R. H. Richmond; Ruapehu district, R.W. Bro. D. J. M'Farlane. M.W. Bro. Binns is Provincial Grand Master of Canterbury as head of the Provincial Grand Lodge. Senior 1 Grand Warden, R.W. Bro. Joseph Barton, Dunedin; Junior Grand Warden,' R.W. Bro. M. J. Harris, of Paeroa, Auckland. Grand Lecturers, V.W. Bros. T. W. Rowe, W. G. Mehaffey, and ' H. B. Bridge. These officers, together with those elected by Grand Lodge earlier in the day, were duly invested. GRAND MASTER'S ADDRESS. The semi-jnbilee address of tlio Grand Master was a very fine historic review and oratorical effort. It traced the history of Grand Lodge from the inception of the movement in the 'seventies, through all the vicissitudes of hopeful promise and depressing disappointment, up to the time when 41 lodges took the matter definitely in hand, and in 1890, at Chnstchurch, inaugurated the Grand Lodge of New Zealand. Conspicuous mention was made of the prominentpart taken by tho late E. T. Gillon, of Wellington, and the present Grand Secretary (M.W. Bro. Niccol) and M.W. Bro. Williams, of Wellington, among the leaders of the movement in those earlydays, when courage and resolution were needed to direct it in the face of dissension and warm opposition. "To-day," said M.W. Bro. Dougall, " Grand Lodge celebrates its semi-jubi-lee. For twenty-five years it has swayed the destinies of Freemasonry in this Dominion, Through evil report and good report, through storm and calm, through impecuniosity to comparative affluence, it has steadily persevered in sowing the seed of Masonic knowledge, and in propagating the ideals and traditions of the fraternity. ' It has not only survived the labour _of what may be deemed a premature- birth, but stands to-day an emblem of the foresight of its progenitors, at peace with tho work!, a peer among peers, a triumphant vindication of tho sacred fight of free government." After reviewing the history of the insiittition, he proceeded: "Eminently satisfactory as has been the progress of Grand Lodge, remarkable as has been the wise adpministration, the distribution of charity, the accumulation of wealth, and the increase of membership, still more remarkable would have been the result had Freemasonry in this country been a united body. One can only hope that the results already achieved may in the. near future convince those brethren who do not as yet see eye to eye with us, that the future of Freemasonry in Now Zealand is indissolubly wrapped up with the progress of Grand Lodge. If it does well, New Zealand receives the credit; if it does badly, the discredit will be New Zealand's. The only desire of Grand Lodge is to foster Freema-sonry | in strict accordance with the Masonic tradition. Grand Lodge wants every Freemason in the Dominion to assist in this laudable objects "Tho accretions to the Annuity Fund, and the relief afforded to the distressed, . constitute the brightest jewel in the crown of Grand Lodge, and give a complete answer to those opponents ,who contended that any hope of permanently establishing a benevolent fund of a sur> stantial kind from so small a body of Masons was fallacious. Tho fund has increased in the most creditable manner. On 31st March, 1903, the credit balance was £2265 ; on 31st March, 1905, £5037 ; on 31st March, 1910, £13,638; on 31st March, 1915, £24,447." Referring^ further to the work done by the national Masonic institution in the relief of distress, the .Grand Master showed that up to 1905 tho amount .provided by lodges through the medium of circular appeals was not recorded in Grand Lodge office, as the funds were controlled by the originating lodges. It was, however, estimated that £10,000 had been raised by that means since the inauguration of the Grand Lodge of New Zealand. 'Taking that amount as a basis, and adding on the known amounts of the last ten years, the grants from' the central Benevolent Fund, and the annuities, it was found that Grand Lodge since its inception had disbursed in charity a total sum of £25,728. Tin's was quite apart from the private benevolence of lodges, which could fairly be set down at considerably over £5000 in ! addition. Notwithstanding this heavy expenditure, the benevolent funds now showed a cash balance of £30.924. whilethe general fund was in credit. £4450, making a gross credit of £35,374. Further comment was needless. Concluding his address, the Grand Master asked : — "Has Grand Lodge, as the lesult of twenty-five years of labour, justified its existence? Surely, no one will say nay. We may not have achieved all that was hoped. It may be that

some things could have been done better. But it must be remembered that we have had many obstacles to surmount, and many difficulties to overcome. Whatever success has attended our proceedings has been achieved at much sacrifice and self-denial. At present Grand Lodge placidly floats in a sea serenely calm. All omens favourably smile. The future seems assured. But let us not forget that our early brethren had to contend against a very siege of troubles ; that their action was viewed by the majority of their fellows with intense disfavour, and that their object was gained only by incessant perseveranco and unremitting toil. To them belongs all credit. To them we give all praise. It may be that the success attained is largely due to the strenuousness of the early fight for existence; that we have been chastened and refined by the trials through which we have passed ; that the measure of our success is tho sum of the toil and self-sacrifice of tho brethren who so faithfully laid the foundation of Grand Lodge. May tho edifice erected in that foundation prove worthy of Freemasonry. May it be instrumental in diffusing the light of wisdom, aiding the strength of reason, dispensing the beauties of virtue, and lessenihg the aggregate of human vice. May the Great Architect guide, protect, and prosper the work."