MASONIC GRAND LODGE.

Press, Volume LXIII, Issue 19172, 1 December 1927, Page 11

MASONIC GRAND LODGE.

SESSION IN CHRISTCHURCH

NEW OFFICERS FOR YEAR

Representatives of the Masonic Grand Lodges of the New Zealand Constitution, to the number of upwards of 300, were present at the annual communication, held at tho Christchureh Masonic Temple yesterday. Mr George Bussell, Pro'-Grand Master, presided, and many other wearers of tho Masonic purple were present. The reports of tho administrative boards, containing information already published, were received and adopted. Officers for the new year were elected, on the recommendation of tho Board of General Purposes, as follows:—ProGrand Master, Mr G. Eussell, Wellington; Grand Chaplains, Rev. W. Stent (Wellington), Rev. C. W. I. Maclavcrty (Canterbury); Grand Treasurer, Mr A. A. George (Wellington); Grand Registrar, Mr K. H.Webb (Wellington); president of Board of General Purposes, Mr H. H. Scaton (Wellington), President of Board of Benevolence, Mr E. J. Guiness (Wellington); Grand Directors of Ceremonies, Messrs G. F. Browno (Wellington), W. G. Mason (Auckland), J. E. Dunstan (Canterbury), and W. R. Brugh (Otago); Senior Grand Deacons, Messrs B. A. McKeown (Canterbury) and W. T. Fothcrgill (Hawke's Bay); Junior Grand Deacons, Messrs A. M. McLeod (Auckland) and G. M. Procter (Otago); Grand Superintendentß of Works, Messrs W. Mundy (Ruapehu) and T. Richardson (Taranaki); Grand Bible-bearers, Messrs W. F. B. Taylor (Auckland), and J. J. Griffiths (Southland) ; Grand Sword-bearers, Messrs R. Cameron (Otago) and W. B. Hamblcton (West Coast); Grand Standard-bearers, Messrs T. G. Short (Auckland) and J. Williams (Nelson and Marlborough); Grand Organist, Mr P. W. Tombs (Hawke's Bay); Grand Pursuivants, Messrs W. K. Francis (Auckland) and C. W. Wilson (Southland); Grand Stewards, Messrs W. H. Melhuish (Wellington), T. Parker and H. Nutt (Auckland), H. B. Billens and J. Moyes (Canterbury), G. E. Price and C. J. Foley (Otago), E. B. Patrick (Southland), C. lo F. Henore (Ruapehu), C. R. Babbitts (Nelson and Marlborough), S. Groom (West Coast), and F. S. Johns (Taranaki.

Elective members of the two administrative boards were returned as fol- j lows:—Board of General Purposes, j Messrs A. Burgess, C. N. Cathie, H. Hatch, A. H. Herbert, and A. E. Kennard (Wellington),. Messrs W. L. Cartmill and J. Budge (Auckland), MessrsP. H. Harris (Canterbury), C. F. J. Bell (Otago), J. I. Dixon (Southland), W. D. Carson (Ruapehu), W. Dobson (Hawke's Bay), H. F. Pickett (Nelson and Marlborough), H. Lawn (West Coast), and W. H. L. Roberts (Taranaki). j Board of Benevolence: A. T. Wells, R. J. Foss, A. Greening, G. L. F. Lcnzini, P. Levi, J. S. Martin, A. W. Rowlands, and P. J. Shakes (Wellington), Messrs J. W. Barker and J. H. Hodge (Auckland), Messrs E. W. Brown (Otago), G. J. Yule (Southland), F. E. Robinson (Ruapehu), W. R. Wright (Hawke's Bay), T. B. Salmon (Nelson and Marlborough), S. Strachan (West Coast), and E. Evans (Taranaki). Legislative Business. The matter of appointing a Juridical Bo'ard was discussed at some length, the Board, of General Purposes recommending the appointment of a Board of seven members, consisting of seven members with the Grand Registrar as chairman, and three members resident in the city in which the Grand Lodge was located, and three members being those who last held the office of Grand Registrar"™ each of the other three divisions. After a lengthy discussion Mr W. G. Hay submitted a proposed constitution for B Juridical Board, together with suggested functions, and it was decided to defer further consideration of the matter till the next annual convocation, the Board of General Purposes in the meatimo to give consideration to Mr Hay's proposals. In connexion with the Widows' and Orphans' and Aged Masons' Fund, it was decided to make this fund applicable to the wives and children of mentally infirm brethren, and to any brethren mentally incapacitated. The matter of the location for ,the next annual communication was left to the Board of General Purposes, Mr W. G. Hay, of Dunedin, expressing the opinion that although it was proposed to hold the meeting in Dunedin it would probably be better to wait till 1929 as the new Town Hall would then probably be completed. At present there was no hall in Dunedin suitable for the meetings of Grand Lodge. Tho other matters dealt with by Grand Lodge were purely of a machinery nature and referred to the internal organisation of the Craft. Installation Ceremonies. Grand Lodge resumed its sitting in. the evening, for the institution into their new rank of the officers nominated by the Grand Master, and those elected at tho morning sitting. The Pro-Grand Master-cleat, Mr George Russell, of Wellington, was reinstalled, and Mr W. R. T. Leigh ton, of Auckland, who had been designated by the Grand Master as Deputy Grand Master for tho year, was duly invested. Provincial Grand Xasters were appointed by the Grand Master as follows, and all who were present were invested —Auckland, Mr 0. • Nicholson, Past G.M.; Wellington, Mr H. G. Teagle; Otago, Mr W. Lishner; Southland, Mr E. C. Smith; Ruapehu, Mr A. J. Graham; Hawke's Bay, Mr C. H. Critchley; West Coast, Mr E. D. Dunn; Nelson and Marlborough, Mr W. J. Girling; Taranaki, Mr G. W. Rodgers. Mr J. N. Du Feu is Provincial Grand Master of Canterbury by virtue of his position as head of the Grand Lodge of Canterbury.

The Assistant Provincial Grand Masters appointed were: Auckland, Mr S. S. Allen; Nelson and Marlborough, Mr H. H. Edwards; Otago, Mr J. H. Moir; Southland, Mr A. Derbie. The Grand Wardens for the year, appointed by the Grand Master and invested, were —Senior, Mr T. H. Williams, Christchurch; Junior, Mr J. M. Forrester, Oamaru.

After the investment of the further officers elected by Grand Lodge earlier in the day, the Pro-Grand Master addressed the gathering, chiefly in review of the occurrences of the year, and also conveying a message from the Grand Master expressing his regret at his inability, through illness, to be present. The officers who carried out the installation ceremony were:—M.W. Thos. Ross, P.G.M. (in the chair); M.W. Bro. S. Clifton Bingham, P.G.M.; M.W. Bro. Rankin, P.D.G.M.; R.W\ Bro. J. H. Harkness. P.D.G.M.; R.W. Bro. J. J. Clark, P.D.G.M.; R.W. Dro. E. W. G. H. Watts. PD.G.M.: and R.W. Bro. R. H. Richmond, P.D.G.M. The Grand Chaplains were V.W. Bro. Rev. Hoam" Parata and V.W. Bro. Rev. Canon J. H. Sykes. The Grand Directors of Ceremonies were: —V.W. Bros. J. Hurley, H. M Thorpe, J. M. Rodger, and J. C. Riddell. Bro. J. F. Laughlin acted as Herald, and a choir under Bro. V. C. Peters, and an orchestra under Bro. H. Glaysher provided an excellent musical programme appropriate to the occasion.