MASONIO

Otago Daily Times, Issue 9343, 6 February 1892, Page 5 (Supplement)

MASONIO

A special service out of respect to 'the memory of th^ ate Right Worshipful Brother the Duke of Clarence and Avondalo was held latfao Masonic Hall, Moray place, on Wedts representative gathering of the craft/including officers of the District Grand Lodge New Zealand South, S.C., aud the V.W. Bro?D: 7. M'Nicoll, P.G. Supermteudent, Irish Constitution. After the transaction of the ordinary business of the meeting, the R.W.D.G. Mastjbe, addressing the brethren, said as a loyal subject of her Majesty the Queen, the patroness of the ■?hT MaDf we, . re P r,esenta «TO in the chair of the Most Worship'ul the Grand Master of England, ho had to call their attention, by a special service m their District Grand Lodge, to the loss to the craft sustained by the death of their august brother the Duke of Clarence andl Avondole, B.W. Provincial Grand Marter of Berkshire. Thmv deceased brother was the favourite grandson of the Queen, the future heir to the throne, engaged in marriage to one ot tbe most charming women in'-England ■' a young man whose life was blameless' whose every action was kind and gentle, and he was sure that on the receipt of the cablegram conveying the sad tidings every Freemason in this district was filled with sorrow. The silver cord was loosed, and the golden bowl was lorokcai The spirit was called back by the 1.Cx.A.0.T.U., and when the call comes it has » be responded to. whether by prince or peasant/ Let them look on this as a reminder from the Allwise Being that he spares not any one However deep the anguish to the Royal houselold and the loving parents must be at login* heir eldest son, who had in all human probabihty such a glorious prospect before him, it was for those present now to join with countless others in expressing their deepest sympathy in this great and trying bereavement and respectfully offer their fraternal sympathy under the painful circumstances which have touched the hearts of all Freemasons and parents. After remarks, he added, from other brethren a resolution would be submitted for the corisideraThe W. Bro. C. de L. Graham, P.B.G.P. said the death of H.R.H. the Duke of Clarence would be keenly felt by all classes of her Majesty's subjects, and by none more so than the Masonic fraternity. Their late august brother was ] the junior. Provincial Grand Master of fson v ' Vu^i bee? installed 'ate in the year 1890% his illustrious father as Provincial Grand Master of Berkshire, in succession to the 'ate R,W..-Bro. Sir Daniel Gooch, in the Town Hall at Reading, the county town of the province, and it was worthy of remark that the tost public Masonic act performed by His Royal Highness the Grand Master was that of laying the foundation stone of the Reading Grammar School in the presence of .the Provincial Grand Lodge of Berkshire 20 years ago. The late Prince was near to the throne of this realm he was also near to the Masonic throne'so ably failed by his Royal father, and in the ordinary course of events might have been expected to succeed him in that exalted position, had it not pleased the Master of all Things to call him to Himself. The W. Bra J. A. X. Riedlo, D.G., organist, .played the " Dead March in Saul." t> '£ faA ?V» and Rev> Bro- B- LichtbnsteiW, I.D.G.S.W. and district grand chaplain, next delivered the following oration:—Brethren,— In the death of so young and noble a brother we are taught to contemplate upon this awful lesson: "As for man, his days are as grass As a flower of the field, so he flourisheth; for the wind passeth over it and it is gone, and the place thereof shall know it no more." Thus are we reminded that man's greatness is not everlasting, and a mortal's foresight cannot save him from destruction. Human wisdom is constantly turned to naught, and though "wo do bloom like the opening flower in the morning, before the sun goes down we may be cut off and left to wither. Often has this melancholy fact been presented to our consideration. Daily is our attention arrested. But we-hide our face from the unwelcome sight. We wish not to be disturbed by . those harrowing intruders, painful reflections, upon the ills which.befall others and may reach us. We banish such thoughts from bur minds simply because they teach us our own insignificance and point out but too surely what our end will be. Were it that banishing thought could turn aside tho evil, could want of reflectiou render our body, initnprtal and ever-returning youthfulness, then indeed might we be justified in living forgetful of our end: ' But not thinking, not caring, not heeding, render us not exempt from change and grief, and the evil not apprehended will nevertheless come'and fulfil its errand. Thus we learn that there is no stability in life, no '• certainty iv worldly possessions, whilst we" rejoice we arc hastening unto death, and.the delights we fondly crave pass away like the vision of the night. Brethren, a thousand' instances crowd 04 themmd as examples which ci?Eli^e4fet}}eg(Li:eroavW '**&■ a:->aaarnnistr have lived without any reflection;.an<rtb but little purpose, whose recollection is" not stored with several instances of thisiiaiure. ;. : i By desire of the R.W.D.G., Bro. LicirrENstjsin, Grand Chaplain, then offered a most impressive prayer. ■ ' . j The Masonic Choir then sang " God bless tho Prince of Wales," and during the course of the evening the following vocal solos were effectively rendered:—" Angels ever bright and fair," Bro. J. Blenkiusopp; " He wipejs the tear from every eye," Bro. H. S. Eeunert1; "Eternal rest," Bro. F. L. Jones. ; . : W. Bro. Sjtdnbi-James, D.D.G. Blaster, said that after tht remarks which had fallen from the R.W.D.G.M. and other brethren, he could only endorse those sentiments, aud would move the following resolution .—"The District Grand Lodge of Otago and Southland had heard with great regret of the death of R.W. Bro.Kthe Duke of Clarence and Avondale, and beg to express to the M.W., the Grand Master; its deep sympathy with H.R.H. and the Princess of Wales in their great affliction." . j Seconded- by the W. the P.8.G.P., and unanimously carried. .- . • -I ! In .relation to the question of the right of minorities- of lodges to retain their warrants in cases where the majorities of members had seceded from them, the R.W.D.G. MaStou stated that no doubt the attention of/the brethren had lately been drawn to a cablegram appearing in the newspapers in connection with a decision (no doubt » private one) expressed by the Grand Registrar to the Grand Secretary, and which had leakei out by some means, to the effect that minorities had no right to hold the warrants. Now clause 119 of the Book of Constitution was very; definite on this point, and the Grand Registrar had since then, as they all knew, reconsidered his decision, and they had heard the result. The R.W.D.G.M. went on to say "•! that Grand Lodge alone could alter or rescind its constitutions, and up to the present time he had not been made aware of any desire on the part of the governing body to make such innovation in its constitutional laws. When the subj"ect was under consideration the District Grand Masters throughout New Zealand were as one in the decisionthey gave on the matter^, and they could see now they were heartily supported in their actions by the recent decision of Grand Lodge. j The Grand Chaplain having offered prayer the choir sang the Natioual Anthem, and the District Grand Lodge was closed in due form at 10.15 p.m. , j