MASONIC IDEALS

Dominion, Volume 13, Issue 73, 19 December 1919, Page 3

MASONIC IDEALS

A STRIKING TESTIMONY SPEECH BY SIR EDWARD CLARKE A strong testimony.to the itflue—in. its ethical sonse-of Preemnaonry was roeontly paid at the installation meeting of tho Canada Lodge, held in London, by Sir .Edward Clarke, K.C. (writes the London correspondent of the "Chnetiaa Science Monitor"). Sir Edward who ja a voteran both in Masonry and tho law, said the trial of the last five years had strengthened the ties o ' Maeojuc brotherhood. Aβ they looked back, they must feel there had been many occasions when "brother had gripped the hand of brother in tho tTue-spirit of brotherhood, and that spirit would be o ,') of mankind in this sorely tried world. If they tried to think of a aolu ion for those troubles, they could not think of anything tetter than the brotherhood of Freemasonry. Kβ ideals tended lo make every one of its members better.

Freemasonry Universal, He was followed by Colonel Sir Hamar Greenwood, K.C, who Panted out that in that large gathering they had Lcid Fairfax, whose ancestors were given tho whole of Virginia by Charles I, and the present Grand Master of Vn'pnm Mr G. S. Laidley, the Grand Master of West Virginia followed. He said that lie had often wondered, when ho road the tales of long .ago, whether he should ever really stand on the shores of old England, from which his ancestors came years ago. The lesson ho had learn from' & visit to England *«"««* Freemasonry was universal. V™™™}* he thought it was a theory; now he knew it for g- fact . Onaofichf most inspiring sneeelifs was that delivered by Mr. G. Schoonover, who lies ust relinquished the Grand Mastership of lowa. .Seven thonennd miles away, he said, m tho pjeat State of California was his mother who was an .Englishwoman, and the) '.-Mild hardly imagine what a. plewniw it was to him to come and.«njoy. not onlv ■■tW Motherland .but hie motl er land. Citizens were thinking deeply.that the coming of this peace was but; the beginning of a new wm «ar for humanity, and were wondering bd W to play their part m reconstruct ing ine worC' The Anglo-Saxon imjis roa mj that each nation under which he U ed must tear , full responsibility for he £ace of the world yet to come. Having that view each and every man, no ] mottar what flag he was under, must pledge Mmself to the-peace so justly, won. Wtat Wβ they Win? *•«««"»' -The spirit which i« bringing natfon after nation togetlier is, not .the writing of'more laws, but the extension of the spirit Qf brotherhood. .Masonry must come into, closer association; «s•*?«[ the Anglo-Saxon race must bmld the foundation of the future brotherhood.

Amending Book of Constitutions. During the lost decade them have heen , maiiy amendments to the Book of Constitutions of the United Grand Lodße of England. Proposals and resolutions whieh havo teen embodied at the.quarterly Communications, have, at rrst, met. with local opposition, but when brought into being hare been hailed with acclamation and their promoters have wen praised for their foresight.. One of ;ihese reformations, for it was the remedying of a defect, was the provision made to secure efficient representation of the provinces on the board of general purposes, which way, in other words, be described as the cabinet council of the craft. It may also be regarded as n compliment that this reformation has now heen adopted by the Tasmanian Grand Loilro, mid is under consideration by other daughter constitutions of the Grand Lodge of England. ■ •. ' ' ■ ■■TliP: movement ajainst lavjri* nncl nnwieldly lodges, continues, and that also is spreading to other constitutions. The natural outcome of this'will be the formation of a large number of new lodges, many of which will doubtless miet in places where hitherto the craft has had no direct representation. The decision to- build a new largo- central home for Freemasonry in the metropolis will, in ffil "probability, now that thn Pro-Grand Master has been freed from his military duties, reviro thfl suspended decision- to effect, tho division of London, which has some 800 lodges within its-borders, ii to 10 provincial grand lodges. When put into operation, this proposal will doubtless moan, in the near future, tho election of Freemasons' halls in each of the districts, apart from the central hall or home. <»■

Bishops as Freemasons. The. gibe that is sometimes cast at Frwransonry by its opponents, who sto generally least cijnvirsanfc with its (fundamentals nnd. tenets, that it is "anti-Christian, is .best refuted by an examination of the roeisfar of the Grand 'Lodge officers of England. No fewer than U bishops of English dioceses or suffragan sees are on the roll of grand chaplains. But this is tho 'case in other lands as well—in other grand lodges, daughter constitutions, of the Grand Lodge'of England, for it must ever reniain England's proud boast that it was here that Freemasonry was first organised. Not only, moreover, is the Church in her leading officials represented in the craft, but in court and dinlomntic circles and Parliament, in the Jfnvy and .Amy and the law, ther* is scarcely a name of any notability who is not also to.'be found in the registers' of 'Freemasonry. Viscount Cave, until lately Home Secretary, is the present, senior grand warden of tho Grand Lodge, and Sir ITamar Greenwood and Col. L. S. Amery—to quote only two instances from a very, long list —two tinder-Secretaries of Stnte, are the .two wardens of the Cannda Lodge.

Even a cursory glance at the. Teuister of the Grand Lodge officers, past nnd nreF«'t, reveals some interesting facts. The oldest living senior grand warden o£ England is Lord Balfnur of Burldgh, who, was appointed in 1873. r.nd. who is four' years the senior in that office of the present Grand Master, the Pule of Connanpht, who was appointed grand warden in 1877. i Almost tho oldest jnnior grand warden is Lord Beresford, better known bv his former nnnie and title of Lord Chnrles.Beresford, who was appointed in 1886, nnd next to him in seniority comes Viscount Knollys, appointed in the following year, vho wna for 40 vpars private fieeretary to King Edward VIT. Still one of the hardest workers in the cause of »ew*onn', and holding the position of third irrnnd principal of the Suprr-ie Grarid Chapter is Bean Brownriug; the dnyen of gi'nnd ehaplntns, who was appointed .to that offico in 1871. And so the •list might be extended among the many holders of various offices in the Grand Lodge of Englnnd, but in these four nnmes alone are men renowned in both Houses of Parliament, tho State, and tho Cliurch.