MASONIC.

New Zealand Mail, Issue 745, 11 June 1886, Page 6

MASONIC.

Having re-opened the Masonic column in the Mail, under the supervision of a Master in the Craft, tve shall be glad to receive from Secretaries of Lodges, and brethren generally, short reports of Lodge meetings and Masonic events of all kinds lilcely to be of interest to members of the craft. All correspondence for this column to be addressed to the Masonic Editor, New Zealand Mail. ANSWERS TO CORRESPONDENTS. 1. M.M.—You will find the desired information in Bro. Robertson’s ‘ Masonic Direc tory for New Zealand.’ 2. Fellovvcraft. —You are in error. Bro. Robert Burns was elected Depute Master in 1754. FAVORS RECEIVED. The Freemason, Liberal Freemason, Sunday Times, and Luce e Concordia. GOOD WORK. The New Zealand Pacific Lodge of Instruction is doing good work. We were present the other evening when Bro. Hudson, of the Wellington Lodge, 1521, E.C., gave a most interesting lecture on 4 astronomy.’ The subject was treated in a very able and lucid manner, and at the conclusion a unanimous vote of thanks was accorded to the lecturer. These lectures are a pleasing variation from the ordinary routine, and foster an excellent spirit of study, which will, we feel sure, make all the better Masons. MASONRY IN THE SOUDAN. We read in the Freemason that Bro. Dr Josiah Williams, F.R.G.S., who recently visited Kassala, was initiated into the mysteries of Freemasonry in that town by a Greek, to whose son he had rendered some service. Bro. Williams gives an interesting account of the initiation ceremony, which was performed in a very impressive manner, and next day a certificate written in French was handed to him. On his returning to England some months later, the Grand Lodge decided that there was no doubt as to his being a Mason, but as it would be better for him to have his Mother Lodge where he resided, he should go through the ceremony de novo.’ The foregoing shows how Masonry is spread over the whole surface of the globe. MASONRY VERSUS SLAVERY. The Grand Orient of Brazil is working hard in order that slavery may be abolished in Brazil. Its incessant efforts are, we are glad to say, already bearing good fruit. PROGRESS. Important advances are being made in some of the Provincial Lodges of the ancient Craft. The Folkestone Freemasons have recently accepted a tender for upwards of L 2500 for the erection of a handsome Masonic Hall in that town. We also hear that

the Dover Masons have a similar project in view. FACTS. . The ancient Operative Masons had three ceremonies : the first, an open ceremony, in which the apprentice was sworn in at fourteen years of age or thereabouts, and entered on the Guild record by the Master of any private Lodge or meeting of his workmen ; the second, a ceremouial of Freedom with au oath of secrecy, conferred upon examination of skill, when the apprentice had attained twenty-one years of age, and proved his capabilities ; the third degree was conferred upon such Craftsmen as had merited to become the masters of a work, or act as foreman or warden under some Master Mason.—Kneph. GNOSTICISM. The Catholic prelates of Rome hive a far better knowledge of Gnosticism than English Masonic Protestant prelates. They have hidden works in the Vatican library on the secret system, and that is why they dislike and anathematise Freemasonry. A NOTED M a SONIC OCCASION. We read in the Liberal Freemason, an excellent Masonic paper, that the initiation into Royal Arch Masonry of three well known and respected Generals took place at Chicago recently. To witness the interesting event there were, during the afternoon and evening, not less than 1200 members of the Order present. The ‘Washington Chapter,’ where the above ceremony was performed, is the oldest Chapter in the States, and one of the largest in the world. GERMANY. In Germany there are eight Grand Lodges, situated as follows : Three in Berlin, one in Hamburg, one at Bayreuth, one at Leipsic, one at Frankfort and another at Darmstadt. These form a confederation named ‘ Deutche Grosslogenbund.’ Last year these Grand Lodges spent over 50,000 francs in charity. THE BROTHERHOOD. In the book of Peter there is a command, ‘Love the Brotherhood,’ which seems to apply directly to Masonry. If we read history carefully, and cull out the extracts that reftr to societies of this nature, we will be rewarded with the information that such organisations did exist in those far off days, and that those nations were not as far behind us in progress as we are apt to imagine. We feel confident that the apostle referred to a brotherhood something like ours when he said ‘ Love the Brotherhood.’ Oliver is somewhat condemned because of his oveizealousness. He, In his own imagination, traced Masonry along through the ages even to the Garden of Eden, and in his ruminations he saw Tubal Cain and his associates assembled in a Masonic Lodge, and at work almost the same as in our day. Oliver believed that Masonry is coeval with man ; that it is the pure worship ; that in after years it became spurious, but finally reached its original purity. We must think that David referred to a brotherhood when he said, ‘ B hold how pleasant it is for brethren to dwell in unity.’—Sunday Times. MASONIC FOOD. ‘ The Lodge of Israel,’ at Birmingham, re quires that all food at its banquets shall be ‘ prepared according to Jewish Rites,’ and grace after meat shall be said in Hebrew. NEW SOUTH WALES. His Excellency Bro. Lord Carrington was entertained a few weeks ago by the Freemasons of New South Wales. The tables were laid for 500 persons, and the affair passed off with great £clat. The galleries of the Exhibition Building were thronged ladies, who were rewarded, as far as banqueting went, with an insight into the mysteries of the Masonic Craft.