MASONIC GRAND LODGE

Dominion, Volume 4, Issue 1124, 11 May 1911, Page 6

MASONIC GRAND LODGE

ANNUAL COMMUNICATION. A YEAR OF STEADY PROGRESS. (By Telegraph—Press Association.) Christchurch, May 10. The Grand Masonic Lodge's Annual Communication opened this afternoon in the Choral Hall, and was the latest gathering of its kind yd held in (he Dominion. About -JSO members were present, including tin- direct representatives of IS3 lodges from towns as far north as Mongonni and as far south as InvcrcarBitl. The Grand Matin (M.W. Hi , ". C , . .1. \V. Gritlilhs, of Blenheim) occupied the Ihru.ie.

The propyl transfer of .WOOD from the capital of the I'm"! of JJencvolonco to the Widows iinil Orphans and -Aped Masons' l-'lind was unanimously approved, and it was promised that the.Board of General Purposes would consider the riuc.-lioii of devising menus for regularly and sy.-tomalir:illv raising weans tor the augmentation of the annniiy fund. Hie suggestion that Hie next annual Communication he held nt. Dunedin was ncreed to. Bi-o. Arthur T. Clark. A.C.A.. was appointed auditor for the ensuing year. Officers for the ensuing year were elected. Those liiiiliiiß from Wellington district'arc:—Grand Treasurer, liro. IK <... Tewley; Grand Registrar, ]3ro. A. h. Herclt'nan ; •I'lr-irfent of Bnnrd cf General Purposes, Bro. Herbert .1. Williams; President of the Boiri of Benevolence, Bro. Robert Fletcher; Junior (hand Deacon, Bro. Richard Slothes: Grand Director of Ceremonies, Bro. H. 11. fciton; Grand Stewards. Bros. G. G. Schwartz unci Walter Rutherford; Members of Board of General Purposes, Bros. J. .1. Ksson, .1. 11. Worhoys, .1. G. Elliott, G. K. Smith. A. Y. Knapp; Members of Board of Benevolence, Bros. J. Rod. N A. Veitch, (.'. J. B. .Norwood, T. .). Bush, and A. N'ocly.

The attendance in the evening was considerably increased l,y an influx of mem-' bers of "the crnfl frorii the Chris-tchurch lodges, and I hose- in tho other lovrns of the provincial district. The hull was well filled, both-on the floor and in thn gallery, when the Grand Lodge resumed, M.'\Y. Bro. Malcolm Niccol, senior, I'ast Grand Master of the Dominion, assuming the Ihrone.nt the reopening of the proceedings. The Provincial Grand Lodge of Canterbury was ■ ,-lrongly represented and the K.\Y. Hvo. SI. Brown, Deputy District Grand Master of Canterbury Freemasons, under the English Constitution was present, attended by a retinue of district grand officers. The roinstnlialion.of M.W. Bro. C. .1. W. Griffiths a< Grand Master was carried mil with dignity-by M.W. Bro. H. J. Williams, Vast Provincial Grnnd Master, ,the musical contributions of a strong choir and orchestra materially enhancing the impres-iiveness of the ceremonial. ' Announcement: was made by the Ma4er of his appointment of R.W. Bro. I J. .1. Dougall, of Chvistclnirch, to the office of Deputy Grand Master, K-.\\. Bro George Barclay (Auckland) as Senior Grand Warden, and R.W. Alfred Fiddwick (Duuediii) as .Tuniw- Grand W arcten. These several officers were duly invested and inducted. • ■ The Grand Master, in his address to the gathering said the Grand Lodge had now nearlv 12.000 members, and possessed acciimiilated funds to the amount of • between .5!24-,000 and .£25,00(1. Without bein" ostentatious, they might fairly say that these facts were matters for fraternal congratulation. The iiast year had been on? of peaceful, steady, and uninterrupted promts, both numerically and financially. The opening of twelve• new lodges willlin twelve months established a "word, and the fact that for the ninth year in succession every lodge wns dw on the- books spoke volumes for. . the healthy conditions of the cralt.