MASONIC.

Hokitika Guardian, 1 December 1925, Page 4

MASONIC.

(: lIA XDM A STK IF S APDK KSS. DUNEDIN. Nov. '23. Alt r Sir Charles Fergus.son was installed at the exhibition Festival Jlall a- (.'rand Master of tile Masonic Grand bulge of Xew /tea'aud. it ml the investiture of o(licets his Kxeull.m y addressed 1 1...., assemblage at some length. lie had. he said, not sought the position of Grand Master, nor did he accept i lightly, but tli(> representation that his assumntion of office would he generally sifteplahle. and that he would he able to render useful service to the craft, had overcome bis scruples as to hitiiuuliheiilioiis. ll caused him to pin e himself unreservedly in the hands • tin Grand Lodge. ITis Excellency made

ivTi •l'H'-u tii i in- death nf tin' (,hn.cn Mi.t.h.r. :uul paid ;i triinuo to .Mc.-sr-\V. 1' Massey ami M. Xiceol. leader.-. o» the ora It, w ho had died during the year. Advciting In the uscfulm< tlio Widows anil Orphans and Aged Mas-ins' Fund, la- strongly urged the i.oocs-ily of placing it upon :i sounder financial looting by means of regular and systematic contrilmiions. , The remainder of his Kxcclleney 1 addro-s was a dissociation on the fmbj i • • t of loyally. In ibis won], lie thought. could ho .summed up tlio need of tlio world to-d.ay. H was tlio particular pride of Freemasons that they ] wore above all things loyal, hut loyal ' ly was .something far higher than passive ac(|uieseence in law and order, or an iii'kiiowh'ilLn nint of allegiance in I lie .supreme power set over us. Service was the only form of loyally that was sincere and genuine anil practical. In the world to-day wore to he semi two .distinct features; on one hand a distinct striving among men and women to give service to their fellow creatures, a general awakening to the respowsihlilies of social service; on the other hand in some parts of the world sedition had raised its head, the common good was forgotten find only selfish interests were considered. Sedition wa.s the negative of service, whether it was aimed directly against the King and constitution, or generally against the interests of the country and the well-1 oittg of our fellow men. It behoved all Freemasons to throw their whole weight and inlluenee into the scale and show their loyalty hy service. Freemasonry aimed at moulding the lives and characters of its members and bringing them to live up to their responsibilities, leaving them individually to put into practice tbs’ ideals

they learned in the lodge"! Every individual. whatever his walk, in life*, could influence those with whom ho came in contact. The great need of thc present day was to bring influence to hear upon the generation now growing up. on whom the future of the race depended. The steadying influence of the million young men who gave their lives in the Great War was lost, so on the older people had fallon the task ol shielding the voting from evil influences and guiding them aright. Hero was a great mission for the individual I'lecmnsim, By personal example, lr, active and generous supnort of all movements for the training of youth ii Christian principles and in the dutie.ol citizenship each could do much to help. By so doing thev would he living tip to the highest ideals of the ci,lit. His call then to the brethren for the coming year was for lovaltv loyalty t„ the craft, to their' fellow men. to our King and country, loyalty givtui In generous and ungrudging service.