FREEMASONRY

New Zealand Times, Volume XL, Issue 9042, 13 May 1915, Page 7

FREEMASONRY

GRAND LODGE OF NEW . . ZEALAND SEMI-JUBILEE CELEBRATION IN WELLINGTON A singular fatality lias hung over those of the Masonic national celebrations appointed to be held in recent years in Wellington. When the last annual Communication took place in the capital city, in 1910, it was overshadowed by the death of King Edward, which occurred only a few days before the date filed for the annual Communication, and necessitated the abandonment 6f the festivities -which had been arranged for the occasion. This year the Grand Lodge of New Zealand would, in the ordinary course, bo celebrating its semi-jubilee, seeing that it has been established for just twenty-five years, but while some prominence is being given to the event, the critical condition of the affairs of - the Empire are considered to make special jubilation unseemly. There will consequently be less than usual done in the way of entertainment. The proceedings of Grand lodge were opened in the Town Hall ’ yesterday morning, M.W. Bro. J. J. Bengali, Grand Master (of Christchurch), presiding, and some 300 members of Grand Lodge arid representatives of local lodges being present. BOARD OF BENEVOLENCE. The report ■ of the Board of Benevolence showed that £350 Had been granted during the year in the relief of oases of distress, mostly to members of other constitutions and to the distressed families of deceased members- Three circular appeal funds have been raised during the year. One of these had realised £259, and two others, which are yet incomplete, have realised respectively £224 and about £2OO. Xhero are sixteen circular relief funds standing over from previous years, with £1064 to their credit. THE ANNUITY BOARD. The report of the hoard of management of the Widows and Orphans andAged Masons’ Fund showed that out of the fund annuities to the amount ,of £845 are being paid to thirty-five persons, in amounts ranging from £52 a year downwards. The capital value of the fund on March 31st was £34,448.' The increase during the’ year amounted to £lßl3. .Towards this the voluntary contributions of lodges in the Auckland district were , £386.. Canterbury , lodges £297. Wellington £258, and Otago £144. .Over and, above the present annual charge' bn the fund-' there Is. a margin of £216 foi the creation of new annuities. GENERAL. The report of the Board of General Purposes stated that three new lodges had beep opened during the year, name-, ly, Erewhbji, .at Mount Somers, Canterbury;! Whetu-Eairanga, at Seatonn,, Wellington; and Takapuna. at Takapuna, Auckland, -■ - It was proposed to. create a new Masonic district, to be named the -Ruapehu district, extending . from, the. Manaimtn, river to the boundary of Taranaki. The question of also subdividing the Auckland district bad been under consideration but, up definite proposals bad, yet been arrived at. - . ' - In May, 1916, the grand office would be removed from Christchurch to Auckland, and in , the ordinary course of affairs the next annual Communication would.’be, held in Auckland.;: , ELECTION OF OFFICERS. After the transaction : of preliminary ■ business the election of such officers oi Grand. Lodge as aro elective by general vote of the representatives took place, ■ With the following results:— Grand Master ; M.W. Bro. J. J. Dougall. .Christchurch. 1 Canterbury Province.—Grand Chaplain, W. Bro. Rev.- A. J. 8. Beaton; Grand Treasurer, W. Bro. U. J- Otley; Grand Registrar, V.W. Bro. Edward Darker Moseley; President of tho Board oi General Purposes, K.W, Bro. Sydney Chiton Bingham; President of the Board oi Benevolence, V.W. Bro. John Thornton; Grind Director of Ceremonies, W. BrO. J, N. Du Feu;' Grand Organist, W. Bro. T. L. Crooke; Grand Steward, W. Bro. W. C. Brydon; Members- of the Board of General Purposes. W: Bros, F. C. BBishop, B. Hopkinson, H. B, Sorenson and M. B. Wright; Members of the Board of Benevolence, W. Bros. O- h. Whiteside, T. Compton, J.-W. Roberts, A. H. Webb, arid W. M. Robinson. Auckland District.—Junior Grand Deacon. W. Bro. D. Jamieson; Grand Standard Bearer. W. Bro. H. D. Bunby; Grand Pursuivant, W. Bro. C. -N. Flyger;- Grand Stewards, W- Bros. S. L. Bygravo and. E. W. Mears: Members of the Board of General Purposes, W. Bros. F. A- Balcke and Joseph Wooler; Members of the Board of Benevolence. W. Bios. J. C. Woodward and G. F. Lovcgrove. Wellington District.—Grand Chaplain, Bro. Rev. W. Shirer; Junior Grand Deacon, W. Bro. James Rod; Grand Director of Ceremonies, W. Bro. W. H. Jones; Grand! Sword Hearer, W. Bio. James McIntyre; Grand Stewards, W- Bros. H. J. T. Jaggard and R.' Jenkins'; Members of the Board of General Purposes, W. Bros. C. W, Nielsen and T. W- Kirk; Members Of the Board of Benevolence, W. Bros, A. W. Chapman and H. J. Booth. ' Otago District-—Senior Grand Deaeon, W. - Bro. T. Gallagher; Grand Sword Bearer, ,AV. Bro. Shirley B. W. Baker; Grand Standard Bearer, W. Bro. D. Harris Hastings; Grand Stewards, W. Bro. Alex. Allan and Bro. J. L. Miller; Members of the Board of General Purposes, E-W. Bro. A. Fieldwick and W. Bro, D. C. Cameron; Members, of the Board; of Benevolence, ; \V. Bros. H. E. Holier and It. BainSouthland District.—Grand Bible Bearer, W. Bro. B. J. K- Jamieson; Grand Pursuivant, W. Bro. G. A. Reid; Grand Steward, W. Bro. Edward Frobarth; Members of the Board of General Purposes, W. Bro. Edward • Parker; Member of the Board of Benevolence, 'W- Bro. Charles CamphellHawko’a Bay District.—Senior Grand Deacon! W- Bro. Louis Freedman; Grand Steward, W. Bro. W. A. Chambers; Member of the Board of General Purposes, W. Bro. Fred Craven; Member of the Board of Benevolence. IV, Bro. R. S. Chadwick.- > -■ v Nelson and Marlborough DistrictGrand Bible Bearer, W. Bro. Hoy P. Furness; Grand Steward, W. Bro- Malcolm McKenzie; Member of the Board of Benevolence. W. Bro. Walter-Cowiu. West Coast District—Grand Superintendent of Works, W. Bro. E. Warues; Grand Steward, IV. Bro. 6. W. Jones; Member of. the Board of General Purposes, >W. Bro. R- Colligan; Member of the Board of Benevolence, W. Bro- ESohafer. . ~ . - , „ . , Taranaki District.—Grand Superintendent of Works. W. Bro. A. B. Surrey; Grand Steward. W. Bro. W. _H, H. Young; Member of the Board of General Purposes, W. Bro. J. B. SimINVESTMENTS. A resolution wag passed enlarging the powers of the Board of General Purposes with regard to investments of funds, viz., enabling it to invest its moneys in debentures issued by local bodies or other approved securities, it w'as also agreed that the Board of General Purpose* , should consider the question of setting up a consultative committee, represented in the cities distant from the Grand Lodge office, to give advice with regard to investments available. The election of the Master of a Canterbury lodge, the legality of which had

been challenged. was confirmed by a largo majority. GRAND MASTER’S INSTALLATION. At the evening assemblage tliero wak an enormous gathering of Masons in the Town Hall proper, when M.W. Bio. Bengali was installed for his second term of office according to time-honoured ceremony. SEMI-JUBILEE ADDRESS MASONIC HISTORY AND PROSPECTS The Grand Master, in his address to the assemblage after his installatiou. gave an exceedingly interesting review of the history of the Grand Lodge of New Zealand from the date of the commence ment of the movement in 1876, sketching the difficulties which confronted its promoters for many years, but which were finally overcome in April, 1890, when the late M.W. Bro. Henry Thomson was installed at Christchurch as the first Grand Master of the territory. "To-day,” said the speaker. "Grand Lodge celebrates its semi-jubilee. For twenty-five years ic has swayed the des tinies of Freemasonry in, this Dominion. Through evil report and good report, through Storm and cairn, through impeouniosity 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 on emblem of the foresight of its progenitors, at peace with the world, a peer among peers, a triumphant vindication of the sacrod right of free go-eminent. . "Eminently satisfactory as has been the progress of Grand Lodge, remarkable as has been the wise administration, 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 maj( in the near future convince th/se brethren who do not os yet see eye - to eye with us that the future of Freematonry in New, Zealand is indissolubly wrapped up with the progress of Grand Lodge. If it does well New Zealand receives the credit; if ” does badly the discredit will be New Zealand’s. The only desire, of Grand Lodge is to foster Freem..BCmry in strict accordance with the -Masonic tradition. Grand Lodge wants every Freemason in the Dominion to assist in this lauciabm ° b n Making of the growth of the annuity fund, ho said :— "The accretions to, this 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 substantial character from so small a body of. Masons was fallacious. iho fund has increased in the most, creditable manner- On March 31st, 1903. the credit balance was J&2265; on March. 31st, ,190 j, £5037; on March 31st, 1910, £13,638; ou March 31st. 1915. £2-4,447.” , Referring further to the work done by the national Masonic institution m the relief of .distress, the Grand Master showed that up to 1905 the 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, but ifc was estimated that *210,000 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, 1 the grants from the _ccntral benevolent fund, and tlio annuities, it was found, that Grand Lodge, since its inception had disbursed in chanty a total sum of £25,728. This was quite apart from the private benevolence of lodges, which could fairly, bo sat down at considerably over £sooo'ip addition. Notwithstanding this heavy expenditure, the benevolent funds now showed a cash balance of £30.924. while the general fund was in credit £4450, making a gross credit of £35.374. Further -comment was his address,, the Grand Master grid: "Has the Grand, Lodge ee the result of twenty-five years of labour justified its existence P Surely no one will say nay. \V o 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 wo have had many obstacles to surmount, and many difficulties to -overcome. Whatever success lias attended our proceedings has been achieved at much sacrifice and self-denial. At present the Grand Lodge placidly floats on a eea- 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 sea of troubles; than.their action was viewed by the majority of their fellows with intense disfavour, and that their object was gained only by m T cessont perseverance and, iinrenutting^tOUTo them belongs ail credit. To them we give all praise. It may he that the success attained is largely due .. to the strenuousneas of the early fight for existence; that we have, been chastened and refined by the trials through wnioh we have passed; that the, measure of our success is the sum of the toll aud, selfsacrifice of the brethren who so taubfully laid the foundation of iho Grand Lodge. May the edifice erected on 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 lessening the aggregate of human vice. May, the : Great Architect guide, protect, and prosper the work.’ H GRAND LOiXxE OFFICERS APPOINTED. The appointments to the highest positions in Grand Lodge were announced by the Grand Master as iollow ir-Lejmty-Grand Master, R.W. Bro. J. H. Meekness (Westport); Provincial Grand Masters, M.W. Bro. O. Nicholson (AuckUtuu), R~W. Rios. T. A. Reveritiu (Wellington). J. J. Clark (Otago), Tirapany (Southland). B- L- Hareton (Hawke sB. yl, R,. w. tangent (Tarapuiai, W. R. Re - man (Nelson and Marlborough),-B. HRichmond (West Coast), and D._J. MCt Farlane (Ruapehu): M.W. Bro. Binns is Provincial Grand. Master .of Canterbury as head of the Provincial Grand Lodge; Senior Grand Warden, RW-. Bro. J, Barton (Dunedin); Jumo rGrand Warden B.W. Bro. M. J. Harris (Paeroa); Grand V.W. Bros. T, W. Rowe (Christchurch), W. G. Mebaffey (InverJcarvim, and H. B. Bridge (Wellington). M.W. Bros, Thompson and Niocol acted as installing and ■- invesUng . Grand Masters. - ' ■" ~