MASONIC GRAND LODGE

New Zealand Herald, Volume XLV, Issue 13744, 8 May 1908, Page 6

MASONIC GRAND LODGE

YESTERDAY'S PROCEEDINGS. j ■.■■,■■'■'.■' ;>-'.•'■'■' ' ' .'-..- .""' : ; ; ;"' ; .,';' : .:■'.'.•■■ --— ' ..' ■ r :Wlsl IMPORTANT CHANGES. :": j Havjsv,, disposed of .ill its < en-isMni;,jf* ■ ', 1 work on Wednesday pv*>ning, th« M<.t;t\w '.'■! Grand Lodge devoi-d tin- "hoe of yfJJ terday to, solid business. M.W. Brother ,v it] Lord Plunk*;, presided. R.W 5 «>?':■>' Monenejf . was in Ids pla*-e as K-r>u, I Grand Warden, and R.W. Btnther Kearv ley again filled the .Junior Grand War- I den's chair, with \V. Bvothcr Bag* a & "j Grand Director of Ceremonies. ".- Brother R. N. Blemx-rbasseu, A.1.A.-, ' j was elected auditor for she en-out,; year, ' and M.W. Brother Nicholson U.W., .'• Brothers Powh-y, Citdh-r. I'-urth-it. j,. n( j " ] Rhodes were elected trustees. j The. representation levy for 8.309 want- ;'i fixed at. fld per member a - heretofore. < Some discussion arose upon t. h»- motion I by K.W. Brother Ross (Dunedin), loanitijtj '%] the constitution in the, direction of aliyltjh. iiig power of plural voting, now given uj' : representatives of lodges. EventualU ffo motion was rejected by a large majority. An undertaking was tjrven by thriistv;; president of he Board of General Ywt. : pore-, 'that- during the year the Board will endeavour to devise an impvuvvnient in' the method o; recording .representative!' votes. ' " ' . .-",'- A motion by R.W. Brother Powlcj j n favour of locating the Grand Lodge uffit* for three years instead ol two, in ■' p;,,;, of the principal ' centres, did riot meet '; with favour, and was negatived, ~':.! W. Brother \V. .1. Gibbons (Hawked ' Bay) moved the rescinding of power giv#n Jf; to lodges to recommend to the Grand Mas. tcr candidates for oll'ue of Grand Superintendettt. Tins also was defeated by, % - large majority. ~?:~ The principal question of the day «» it proposal by the Board of General Pur-■ ■ poses to enable an application for a war- ; rant to form a new lodge to be signed: by seven Master Mason.-, and to he considered by (.'.rand Lodge, even though ' the endorsement of one of lite two nearest lodges be not obtained, After being extensively debated the motion was carried by 115 to 95. An important change was arrived at |)y carrying a motion by R.W. Brother J. .1. Oougall, Past Grand Registrar, that the title of Grand Superintendent of ■ Dis- ' ■tricts be abolished, and thai of Provin- > cial Grand Master substituted, with totresponding rank to past, holders «of th« o!lii:e. A motion by W. Brother .1. W. Warren■;•■'• in favour of the creation,of district board* to make nominations to -Grand f-odp;* . office Was, after dissension, referred to tin General Purposes Committee. Another motion, in favour of the per. manent location .[of the Grand liodgc oflicf in Wellington, which was expected to provoke .strong opposition, was with- ? drawn. ". ■ ■ ' , .-■•■■■':■ Resolutions were passed in favour of. the Board of General Purpose!! pracnrjng a design for Muster Masons' certificates,;, more characteristic, of tin* craft and titsDominion than now in use, and aW approving the "establishment of Boards of Inquiry throughout the Dominion. The business session concluded with avote of thanks-to the Auckland brethren for their hospitality, WIDOWS AND ORPHANS FUND. J The completed, return of the state of tint'; widows and orphans and aged Masons'-!-fund shows that the amount raised within the last two years, in answer tilth- "•-■ Grand Master's appeal i- £1002 16i Id. The amounts subscribed by the jscverdl . districts was as follows:—Auckland, - £1226 Olago, £824; ; Canterbury, £807; Wellington, £636; Southland, £532; Haw he's Bay and Gjsborne, £203: West Coast, £172;. Taranaki, £1.43; Nelson and Marlborough, £65. The capital value of the fund is now £10,660. This will mo-} bably yet be supplemented by another £200. still in transit. THE CONVERSAZIONE.

The Royal Albeit Hall was the cccn« of a brilliant gathering last-night, whan conversazione in connection with tin- Gram! Lodge session was held. The hall had been most tastefully decorated by the lady friends of the Auckland Masons with ui- , k'.ui, lycopodinm, tings, and Masonic de-...,. vices, and its • eastern end bad been lor- . nished as a drawrngtoom for the accommodation of the Government' House party. ; Between 900 and 1000 ladies and gentle- ■ men were present, (ill the members "of tha -~. craft'being in 'full-dress regalia, which, ;. in." contrast With the dresses of the ladiefl ; and the bine, green and gold which fann- „ ed the bads of the decoration schdme, produced a very striking 'effect. Her* Excellency Lady Plunket entered the halloa the firm of M.W. Bro. Nicholson, l'r». Grand Master, and .Mis.* Cresweil WtW escorted by M, W. Bm. "Nit-col, Pact Grand Master, the Grand Lodge officers forming a guard of honour for their entrance. A Masonic procession wan then formed h'l the entrance of M.W. Lord Plunket, a* Grand Matter, at the head of the Grand Lodge office! preceded by the standards of thss Grand Lodge of New Zealand, the whole making ah extremely picturesque;;';' spectacle. ' When His Excellency and pari J" ' were seated, the whole company filed y'**v . their dais in older of Masonic rank, caen,. ' gentleman and hie partner being present*! . to Lord and Lady Plunkei. An excel- _ lent programme was gone through, cow; sitting of an overture by the bind, sbtioE■ed in the gallery, recitations by W. Kr<» F. J. Whitaker, and Bio. (Dr.) Buck, aonga by Bros, l.'ha.-.. Way, A. <;. Fogeriy, aud P.'Ditfatir,' a Mute fob.. l>\ Hi<>. < ; - -''.. K. Poore, a trombone solo In Bro. H. Taylor,'and selection* by the Lyric Quartette, XV. Bio. A. M. Bar!ley,"-land organist, played the accompaniments. Afterwards an enjoyable dance was held,, K.W. A. Bro. Bartlett. V.W. Bio. W. li. Goodie, W. Bro. A. Honey Walker. J«« Bro. H. A. Marriner acting as Ml'.'*. In the arrangement of the Masonic procession W. Bio. C. Page acted aa director; of ceremonies. ■■':';'■£.-'';