MASONIC GRAND LODGE.

New Zealand Herald, Volume XLIV, Issue 13483, 9 May 1907, Page 7

MASONIC GRAND LODGE.

THE ANNUAL COMMUNICATION, PROGRESS OF THE NEW ZEALAND • CONSTITUTION. [BY TELEGRAPH.— REPORTER.] . Invercaroill, Wednesday. The' annual parliament of Freemasonry is being held this year at Invercargill. As regards the Grand ■ Lodge of ; New .. Zealand, only its own initiates are admitted. From the fact, however, that there is a serious proposal,- headed by some of the leaders of the craft, for the admission of their lady friends to the brilliant installation ceremonial, and that the principal, argumentwhich prevails against its adoption is the difficulty of ootaiiiing adequate accommodation, it is evident that in this respect at least the exclusion of the outer world is not regarded as one of the ancient landmarks of Freemasonry, and sooner or later this innovation , may be.accepted. •

MASONIC FINANCE. -.v The progress- of the institution is best illustrated . by a review ■of its annual balance-sheets. The end of its first financial period in April, 1891, showed a- modest cash balance of £72; by tho end of 1894 this amount had .been increased to £945; four figures were reached in the following year, and the i accumulation went on by rapid stages, until in 1902 ft sum ; of; £4651 had been reached. Every year now sees from £1000 to £2000 added to the funds. In the last 12 months the increase has amounted to £1672, and the total credit balance shown by the Grand Treasurer in his present balance-sheet is £12,425, which is appropriated as follows: General fund, £2142 fund of benevolence, £2744; widows and orphans and aged Masons' funds, £6842; representation fund, £317; circular appeals, £380. Another evidence of the ) healthy condition of the craft is the progress made . in the; erection of new lodges. When the Grand Lodge was erected in 1890 its roll consisted of only about. 40. lodges; to-day it numbers 150. The new. lodges chartered in the last 12 months are Victoria, Southland (formerly 471, 1.C.), Teviot (Roxburgh), Puketoi (Pongaroa ■ and Waihenga), and. another shortly to be opened at Martiuborough, Wellington district. Movements are also on foot for the creation of new lodges at Rotorua, Hampden, and Duntroon. '■' As regards the excellent financial position of the lodges throughout the territory, it is interesting to observe that; for the fourth year in succession the Grand Secretary is able to report that every lodge in the . colony paid up to the last penny the amounts due by it.

| GRAND LODGE. Probably the greatest fillip the .Grand | Lodge-of New Zealand has received since it i was, instituted 'was the acceptance ' of the ; office of Grand Master last year by His Exj cellency the . Governor. • Previous Governors I who happened to be members of the craft ; had not seen- fit to shoulder the responsibility. His Excellency, however, who was a past officer of the Grand Lodge of Ireland, took up Masonic work very enthusiastically upon his arrival in the colony; He has indeed distinguished himself amongst the viceregal holders of Masonic dignity. ; Usually their part in the work of the institution is that of the official figure-head. This, indeed, is all that is expected of them. - Lord Plunket,: however, has thrown himself heart and soul into the personal'direction" of the business of '■> the; Grand Lodge, and . shirks not even the smallest of the duties that fall to his office. Already he has come into perI sonal contact with the lodges in the principal centres; and his hand is" felt in all the matters' of Masonic diplomacy that engage the attention of the central boards of the craft, which for the past and the coming years are located, in Christchureh. .Lord Plunket, in short, is a real live Grand Master in every sense of the term. ■<■■.-. . •;■■ ■■■" I HELP FOR THE AGED AND NEEDY. ; The . most beneficent institution of the ; craft jq, recent years, has .been the-establi-sli-l mehfc. of ■ a ; system of annuities to aged and ' indigent Masons. ■> At the present time 14 persons, nine Masons : and five Masons' ] widows and .';' daughters, ;. are. in ; receipt <■ of '< these pensions in amounts ranging- from £12 to £25 a year, the total sum 'thus disbursed ' amounting to £217 per annum. It accrues from the interest earned by the accumulated widows and orphans and aged Masons' fund. The . capital sum is wholly made up by voluntary contributions from lodges and from individual members, and by various special efforts.; The total sum raised in this manner, during the past 12 months has amounted to £1150. His Excellency the Grand Master has moved the craft to a special effort to augment the fund during the -continuance -of the present prosperous times, and in many of the districts active steps are : being taken to organise schemes [ of various kinds for. raising money, each Grand Superintendent being given' practically a free hand as to the method to be employed. : It is to be hoped that the next 12 months will see a very.material accretion. ; THE BUSINESS SESSION. The annual communication was opened at the Invercargill Masonic ; Hall at -. half-past two o'clock yesterday afternoon. ; The M.W. Grand Master occupied the throne, and was supported on the dais!by M.W. Brothers Niccol, Barron, and Burton (Past Grand •Masters), M.W. Brother Binns (Pro. Grand Master), R.W. Brother, J. M. Brown (Deputy Grand Master). W. Brother Keeping (Wanganui), S.G.W., occupied his own chair, and W. Brother Kearsley (Auckland), ; P.G.W., that of the J.G.W. The assemblage of representatives of lodges, near, and far, was probably;the largest ever held in New Zealand, and there was also a large gathering of members of ■ the -, Southland lodges. ; y FINANCIAL. The first business was the presentation of the : annual financial statements. These showed the receipts for the year under all heads to have amounted to £8474, of .which, however, £2400 figures as fixed dc, posits matured. The accumulated ; funds, which, as already stated,' 1 now amount to £12,424, are mostly invested in Government four cent, debentures. . / . ;.'.,. The ibalance-sheets,, and the various reports were adopted. - . ELECTION OF GRAND MASTER AND ' - • OFFICERS. The re-election of M.W. Brother Lord Plunket as Grand Master was proposed by M.W. Brother W: Barron, P.G.M., and seconded by R. W. Brother the Hon. Geo; Fowlds, and carried with - enthusiasm. M.W. Brother Fred C. Binns, of Christchurch, was re-elected Pro. Grand Master. The other elective offices were filled as, follows : '—Grand Chaplain, V.W. Brothers the Revs. McK. Gibson (Canterbury). and T. M. Johnson (Wellington); Grand Treasurer, V.W. Brother F W. Hobbs (Canterbury) Grand Registrar M.W. Brother J. J. Dougall (Canterbury); President of Board of General Purposes, R. W. Brother C. A. C. Hardy (Canterbury); Grand Secretary, M.W. Brother M. Niccol (Canterbury) President of Board of Benevolence, W. Brother G. W. Hulme (Canterbury); Senior Grand Deacons, W. Brothers Ernest Page Lee (Oamavu) and P. S. Brodie (Invercargill;; Junior Grand Deacons," W. Brothers ■: Adam Moore (Auckland) and James Godber (Wellington); Grand Super-1 intendent of Works, M. Brother Joseph! Little (New Plymouth) : Grand Directors of Ceremonies, M. Brothers G. J. Dennis (Canterbury) and N. R. Martin (Auckland); Grand Bible Bearers, W Brothers I Augustus Thompson (Wellington) and Alfred A. Andrews (Hokitika), Grand Sword Bearers, W. Brothers E. E, Papprill (Canterbury) and O. H. Moller (Dunedin) ; Grand Standard Bearers, W. Brothers Walter ' Strang (Invercargill) and Richard Bestall (Napier); Grand Organist, W. Brb. A. M. Bartley (Auckland); Grand Pursuivants, W. Brothers C. Albertson (Wellington) and Alfred Anderson (Dunedin); Grand Stewards, W. Brothers T. H. j Davies and D. Grant (Canterbury), Anthony May and A. Pollard (Auckland), G. j T. 'Stutter and H. A. Parkinson (Welling- .1 ton) T. Gallagher, jun. (Otago), H. J. Ridell (Southland),; Win. Haines (Hawke's Bay), J. H. (Blenheim), ,W. E. Williams (West, Coast), and C. A./Larcombe ■

/-Taranaki); Members of Board of General Purposes, It. W. Brothers 11. I. Hobden, E. J. Smith, T. J. Witsers. W. Brothers F. E Jones and, H. Hopkinson (Canterbury), B. W. Jones and Hugh Gray (Auckland), James/Mackay and Walter Norrell (Wellington), W. H, Hopkins (OtagoL F. H. Johnson (Southland), J. R. Russell (Hawke's - Bay), J. E. Middlebrook (NelI son), Joseph Noble (West Coast), and H. Caplin: (Taranaki); Members of Board of Benevolence, W. Brothers W. A. Tribe, W. Cuming, H. Hepburn, Wm. Brown, and A. H. Webb (Canterbury), A. T. Ellis, R.v W. Gallaugher (Auckland), C. Robert-' ! son, M. C. G. B. Wright (Wellington), John McKnight (Otago), James Walker (Southland), W. A. Carter (Hawke's Bay), ; L. V. ; Easton (Nelson), E. A. 1 Scott (West i Coast), and J. Winfield (Tarauaki). BOARD OF BENEVOLENCE. .;The report of the. Board of Benevolence shavved that £175 had been granted during the year in sums yarying from £35 to £5, | for the relief of distressed brethren or their relations. Besides this, two sums of £170 each had been raised by means of circular appeals to ' lodges, and £40 for a less ; poignant case, in. which the appeal had; been confined to the lodges in the Canterbury diftrict. This report, and. that of the "Board of Management of the widows and orphans' fund, the gist 'of Which has | already been' given, were adopted. ' BOARD OF GENERAL PURPOSES. The report of the Board of General Purposes ; dealt with a variety of matters of purely Masonic interest, including the delicate negotiations that are proceeding with the Grand Lodges of England' and Scotland with reference to; tho definition of their respective rights within New Zeai land territory.. V One .subject to which. ' sympathetic reference is made is the death, i of the late Mr. Seddon, who was Grand , Master of New Zealand for two years. "The mourning for our illustrious departed ! brotner," the report says, "was world- ! wide and sincere. :■■.... His memory will over be revered as • a philanthropist, . a- patriot,arid a lover of his fellow man, arid a consistent and upright Freemason." The proposal made by the Grand Lodge last year ; for a conference of: the Grand Lodges of Australasia was .endorsed by all the- States except Victoria and : Tasmania, which for certain reasons concerning Masonic affairs in Australasia, considered the time inopportune; delay is • therefore recommended,. and the Board of General Purposes asks for authority to send three accredited representatives to any • such conference as j may be arranged. _ ' . On the subject of fcne status in the Grand j Lodge of those • who have held , high, rank j in other constitutions, it is recommended, j that the rank of Past Grand Superintend- j ent ■ be conferred upon every brother who. has held the office of provincial or district I Grand Master under any constitution, or 6 Master under any constitution, upon suoh j brother becoming a member of the Grand j Lodge; arid that past provincial or. dis- i trict grand officers of any .constitution who have or shall become members of the Grand j Lodge, be allowed to attend Grand Lodge j in the regalia appertaining to their past provincial or district grand rank, and that such rank be recognised by tho Grand Lodge. ; It was recommended by the Board that the next annual communication, be held in Auckland in May, 1908. ■The clauses of the report were discussed in ; detail, and - there were still' some > minor matters to 'be dealt - with 1 when the dinner' adjournment took place. THE INSTALLATION. ~~~ A BRILLIANT CEREMONY.' | For the purposes of the installation ceremony, the Grand Lodge' assembled in the evening at the Victoria Hall, a .larger building, which was crowded with local and visiting Freemasons. M.W. Brother. Burton, P.G.M. (Dunedin), occupied' the; throne in the capacity of Installing Grand' i Master. With the usual accompaniments; ;of ! the ; orchestral arid vocal music, 5 ;, and; much flourishing of trumpets, and a. pic-. v turesque ceremonial, the.. Grand Master-' elect was ushered into the hall, inarching surrounded by the customary concourse of 'Worshipful"■Master-;"and''' Grand Stewards.V | M;W. Lord Plunkefc was then invested and j enthroned. - - ■■■. ..-..-.-... INSTALLING MASTER'S ADDRESS.' j M.W. Brother Burton, in performing the j installation ceremony, addressed'the Grand I Master elect as follows :—" Noble and most worshipful Brother, For the second time, it is iny duty,; and certainly my great pleasure, to "instil you in. this"cha:r.as the representative of Israel's wisest king.; For a very brief space ,I have occupied it, and I have wielded this gavel. I now give way to you, «nd place you on that throne to which you have again been called by the unanimous voice of the brethren of the territory, and I hand to you once more the symbol'of power. All I know trust that your tenure of the Grand Mastership will be continuous with that of your position as representative of the King in this colony. You have made a point, of meeting the brethren in all directions, and your enthusiastic reception by them must have verified to yon the sincerity of their, attachment. Not the least important of these meetings was the. one" held in this very • town, when you had the gratification xof receiving under your sway the only lodge: in this . district of Southland, ; and, which 'had hitherto remained outside the Grand Lodge. The craft will, there is no doubt, fully appreciate and. with, alacrity act upon, the stimulus you have given, to the en-; hancement of that- most important fund, which is devoted to the amelioration of the lot of! the bereaved and the unfortunate, the widow and the fatherless, and the aged and infirm. Mast .Worshipful- Grand Master, when I had the great pleasure a year ago in Christchurch of performing the ceremony of installation, it was not inappropriate, in fact it was my duty, to address you in j terms of admonition and advice. . But to adopt such a tone on this occasion would I be unnecessary, and out of place, and now I as in all likelihood there will remain to me but few further opportunities, if; indeed, any at all,' of addressing my brethren: at large, perhaps you will permit me to say just two or three words in a fraternal, perhaps- a somewhat paternal, spirit.. Worshipful, brethren, by all means take delightin degrees- impressively rendered, conduct i all ceremonies with . fitting reverence, but remember,- I adjure you, that before all in importance comes the cultivation ,- of , a spirit of true brotherliness. Promote the dissemination of .the principles, of a lofty i morality, urge upon all within your, influence, .'.not only to keep down the base in man, but teach high thoughts, and amiable works, and love of truth, and all that makes a man.'" ; Hereupon the,- installing master made' his personal obeisance. -The formal proclamation, and trumpet call were made, appropriate, odes being sung at each stage of the proceedings. M.W. Brother Bines was also invested and inducted as Pro Grand Master, and his investiture proclaimed in like manner. ■ .. GRAND MASTER APPOINTMENTS. The Grand Master then announced his appointments of senior grand officers, as follows ':— Deputy Grand Master, W. Brother Murdoch McLean (Auckland); Grand Superintendents, R..W. Brother O. Nicholson (Auckland), R.W. Brother R. Fletcher (Wellington), R.W. Brother S. C. Bingham (Canterbury), R.W. Brother C. J. Ronaldson (Otago), R.W. Brother Moves (Nelson and Marlborough), R.W. Brother Mooricc Thompson (Southland), R.W. Brother J. W. McDougall (Hawke's Bay),: R.W. Brother P. J. Uorkill (Taranaki), R.W. Brother J. H. Harkness (West Coast); Senior Grand Warden, R.W. Brother W. C. P. Callaghan ; Junior Grand Warden, R.W. Brother W. D. Smith. These several officers were duly invested and inducted, as were also the other officers elected earlier in the day The Grand Master delivered his address, and representatives of other Grand Lodges having offered their congratulations the proceedings terminated.