BANQUET.

Otago Witness, Issue 2201, 7 May 1896, Page 24

BANQUET.

At the banquet held after the lodge meeting there was a very largo attendance. The newlyelected Grand Master presided, the vice-chair being filled by M W. Bro Thomson, P.G.M. The first toast, thab of " The Queen and the Craft." having been duly honoured, M.W. Bro. H. Thomson proposed the toast of " The Grand Master, M.W. Bro. W. Barren." He said it had fallen to his lot to propose the . most important toist of the evening — namely, that of thß newly-installed M. W.G. St., and he had the greater pleasure, inasmuch as he had known Bro. Barron for 14 or 15 years. He would dare say there were some present, particularly from the north, who probably did not know Bro. Barron as well as they did. For their informatioa lie would »»$ thufcEr^ Smcm

was an old Mason of many years' standing, an old Fast Master of Lhe Celtic Loige, and, as had been mentioned that evening, had had the honour of initiating the late Bro. H. T. Gillon. You all know that Bco. Barron is a man of sterling character, and th-it ho is esteemed and,, respected by everyone who knows him.— (Hear, hear.) Ha had also oae qualification not ' adverted to by, our W.M. the installing oflber — ha had plenty of time at his disposal, and tlie ability to make use of that time. Sotne o£ the brethren would remember a meeting held in Duaediu just about seven years ago — one of those meetings that were got up for the purpose of establi -hing the Grand Lodge of New Zealand. He was not present at that meeting, bub had read tbe accouut of its proceedings with a very great deal of interest. The utmost harmony and unanimity prevailed, somewhere baween 200 and 300 Past Masters and Wardens being present, and, ho thought, only about three or four J who did not approve of the Grand Lodge being established.— (A Voice : " Four.") He remembered that the members gave in afterwards when he heard thai there was such a majocity. Well, he wa3 sorry to say that that unanimity did not last very long, and he was not going advert to bha reasons, but he, would lik*j to say that the present meeting seemed to be a very fitting sequel to the one held seven years ago. It spoke well for the brethren of Dunedin who did not belong to them, bub whom they hoped would soon be with them. Ho hoped the brethren would drink with enthusiasm to the Mosb W.G.M. Bro. Barron. The Geand Mastrr said : Brethren, — Bro. Thomson has referred to a meeting which took place in Dunedin soma seven years ago, at the inception of the movement which led to the ejtabU«hmeafc of the Grand Lodge of New Zeslaad. For five - and - twenty years until that night, when he. had had the honour of being placed in the chair, he had not occupied the chair in a lodge. Twenty-five years ago he had been, a very active Freemason. He considered he had done his duty at the time, and later his public and private engagements did not. allow him to continue active in Masonic life. Biit if he had not boen identified 1 with. the movement which led to the establishment of the Grand Lodge — if he had not been a pillar of the 'structure— ho had endeavoured to be a buttress, baeause he had always felt a desire to see New Zealand Masons self governing and showing vigorous Masonic life, and the supreme executive within reach of and in close tonch with the subordinate lodges. To-night they had oon f erred upon him an honour he did not m-'irii; and which many brethren associated with the movement could have filed with more satisfaction to them. He wished particularly to mention" Bro. Burton, whose services and right to the position no brother wonld dispute. . Bat he had found — and he had no doabfc it was - thasscret of their success— that the most absolute self -negation, the most absolute self-sup-prassion, characterised all tho/io promiaenb as offica-bsarers in the Grand Lodge of Now Zealand. They had only one object in via/r — the advancement of the craft uuder their csre. Well, as they knew, a buttress must be outside, and consequently had not the opportunity that a pillar in the inside had of observing the Masonio work which appertained to thy position of thoae within. He frit that he was what was btst expressed by the term "iu&ty " when he took up'the position. For the last few dajs he had been studying such light literature as was to be found in the Book of Constitution, and he had at least managed to grasp one very comfortiug rule, and as he knew that one day they might discover that he did not deserve all the kind things that Bro. Thomson had said of him, he had read tk*t rule with a feeling of great satisfaction. It had evidently been framed -with the greatest wisdom and keenest foresight to suit cases that might arise such as his own. It wa3 Rule 128. He remembered distinctly the very number. It laid down that no one ■should approach the Grand Master — thab he should not ba applied to on any subject concerning Freemasons or Freemasonry — except through the Gaud Secretary. This • rule would tend to the effectual concealment of his shortcomings fcom all save one. Instead of being open all day long to being found 1 out by any brother who chose to approach him, ha was only to be found out by one worthy brother who had known him for such a long time that he was probably prepared for such discoveries, and they would not give a great shock to him. — (Laughter.) Time were certain physical and mental conditions necessary to the proper understanding and discharge of Masonic duties, as well as c!o3« application. In this connection he was reminded of a fable which he had come across in his early youth. He recollected there was a nymph who used to disappear — she had the magic power to disappear from the eyes of her friends,— and a swain who was enamoured of her thought he could discover the -secret she possessed. Following her to hsr chamber, and looking in, he saw her anointing herself with a precious ointment ; and then she was transformed into a dare and flaw oofc of the -window. Well, he also anointed himself with the ointment, but instead of being chapg d into a dove and soaring above the world as he expected he was suddenly converted into an ass, and he brayed most lustily, and those in the vicinity, hearing the noise, came wondering how such an &sa had got into such a position. He (Bro. Barron) would allow the brethren to apply thiß. — (Heir, hear, and laughter.) He would liko, if they would permit him, again to impress upon them tbe necessity of being vecy jealous of the honour a»d reputation of the lodges under the New Zealand Constitution, so that when anyone was known as a Freemason who acknowledged allegiance to that Grand Lodge, it should be an undoubted proof that he was also in every respect a worthy citizen. He regretted that the Grand Lodge had not been established 20 or 30 years- ago when things were prosperoas ; if it had what a noble record they would have been able to produce if Va affairs conld have been so well attended to as they had 1 been during its six yesrs existence. After j adverting to some other subjects of interest, the speaker thanked those present for the way they had received th?e toast. — (Applause.) Tbe following toasts were also du'yhonoured : "The Installing Officer, Bro. Malcolm Niccol, P.G.M." (proposed by the Grand Master), " The Newly Appointed and E'ected Grand Officers" (aropoted by W. Bro. Corkill, P.G., Superintendent of Works, and responded to by RW. Bro. Dr Boor, D G.M. ; R.W. Bro. F. W. Francis, S.G.W. ; R.W. Bra. Dr Walker, J.G.W. ; R W. Bro. Hamilton, Grand Superintendent, Canterbury ; R.W. Bro. Beilby, Grand Superintendent, Hawke's Bay ; R.W. Bro. K'rby, P.G. Superintendent, President Boatd of Benevolence ; RW. B™ A. G. Cre-igh, Grand Registrar; mA W Bo Smith (Grand Director of C<sreinouics) ; " The Retiring Grand Piaster, Bro. H. D. Bell " (proposed by RW. Bro. H. J. Williams, P.D.G.M ) ; "The Retiring Grand Officers" (proposed by R.W. Bro. Bree, Grand Superintendent, Southland, and responded to by W. Bro. Algie, P.G. Deacon, aud W. Bro Wotherilfc, P.G Superintendent of Work*) ; " The Orchestra and Choir and the Installation Coaamitfcees " (proposed V-y W. B:o. Inglis, Grand Treasurer, r.nd rerponded to by W. Bro. Bfttth, F.Gr.O.; W. Bro. Lipperl*

P.M.; W. Bro. M'Pherson, W.M. 5 W. Bro. Laing, W.M. } W. Bro. D. Harris Hastings, P.M.; and Bro. Jackson, S.M.) j "Sister Grand Lodges and Freemasonry - all oyer the World" (proposed by V.W. Bro. Ronaldson, Grand Seoratary.) Songa were contributed at intervals during the evening by Bros. Moss, Ronaldson, Oarcoll, Fenton, Knight, Ivory, and Bree, and Bro. Birth presided at the pianoforte. * * ■ — ■