ODDFELLOWS HALL, HAMILTON.

Waikato Times, Volume XIV, Issue 1188, 7 February 1880, Page 2

ODDFELLOWS HALL, HAMILTON.

Yestebday the veiy interesting ceremony took place of opening the handsome new Hall erected by the Loyal Hamilton Lodge of the Independent Carder of Oddfellows', Manchester Unity, at Hamilton East. It was expected that District Grand Master Brother Mahon would have come up from A^kland to have conducted this imposing ceremony, but circumstances prevented this, and his place was occupied by the Deputy Grand Master Brother Allen. At half -past 2 o'clock the brethren met in the old Lodge-room at the Royal Hotel, where the Lodge was formally opened, by the N.G-. ajad. permanently closed. The brethren then proceeded to the new Hall in the following order : — Two Guardians with drawn swords, Two Members. [ The Warden with Dispensation, Two Members, Past Grand with Bible aud cushion, Two Members, Secretary, Two Members, N6ble Grand and Vice-Grand, Two Members, Grand Master, Two Members, Three Past Grands with scroll, Two Members, Chaplain, Two Members, Visiting Members, two-and-two, Deputy Grand Master and Past Grjind. On entering Lodge-room they faced inward opened six paces, guardians at entrance forming an arch of steel, the procession then entered in reverse order, i »n entering the Hall they moved in a circle round the building, the N.G. Bro. Eobert Harris, standing in the centre of the room, and facing the East said " Most Worthy Deputy Grand Master, the work in which we have been engaged is nowcompleted, and this Temple of Oddfellowship is ready to shelter us within, its walls, but first we desire that you should set it open, for onr use and dedicate it to the purposes of jnstice, benevolence and charity, according to the rites of our Order. On behalf of my brethren, I therefore deliver it into your hands." The Deputy Grand Master Allen then replied, " Brethren, I congratulate you f er the zeal you have displayed in obtaining this commodious meeting place, which. we are about to dedicate to those cardinal virtues, which ought to adorn and elevate humanity, and whose names we have selected lor the watchword and motto of our beloved Order. Beneath this roof we are to encourage one another in the duties of benevoleneo and purity. Before the Altar erected here, the good worda of friendship, love and truth are ever to be considered the only sacrifice. Hence, as from a perennial fountain is to flow the gentle rtreams of friendship to gladden and make greeu many waste place 3. In this retreat are to be cultivated those flowers, which love unfeigned should scatter on this rugged pathway of life, and beneath many Weeding feefc. Here is to be sown the good seed of truth in many parts, to spring up and yield its hundred fold harvest. It is, therefore, not so much this Temple made with hands that should occupy your attention, as the great principles which are herein to be disseminated, and I hope that our united efforts with those of our brethren throughout the world may fit us for adorning a still nobler Temple conducted by the Supreme Grand Master of the Universe, without the invocation of whose blessing t no work of man should be undertaken. In the nbsence of the Chaplain, Bro. Calder, Pasb «>raud Master J Combes, read the following prayer : — "Wilt God in every deed dwell with men on the earth ? Behold ! Heaven and the Heaven of Heavens cannot contain '1 hoe. How much less this house which I have built ! Have respect therefore to the prayer of thy servant and to his supplication O Lord my God! To harken unto the cry and prayer which thy servant prayeth before Tuee that Thine eyes may be opened upon this house day and night upon the place whereof Thou hast said that Thou wouldst put Thy name there to harken unto the prayer which Thy servant prayeth toward this place ! Hearken, therefore, unto the prayer of Thy servant, and of Thy people Israel, which they shall make toward this place ! Hear Thou from Thy dwellingplace, even from Heaven, and when Thou nearest forgive." The Deputy Grand Master (Bro. Allan) and the Acting Chaplain (Bro. James Coombes) read alternate verses of the 122 nd Psalm. After this the First Herald, advanciug to the centre of the hall, said: La the name of Friendship, as pure, refreshing, and life-giving as this water (sprinkling it from a silver cup), I dedicate this hall to the practice of that enobling virtue, which, while unitiag men as brethren, teaches them to sustain that relation at all times, each in his turn helping and being helped, blessing and being blessed." 'i he Second Herald then, in his turn» advanced to the centre of the room, and said : In the name of Love, which, like these flowers (strewing them), fills the common atmosphere with fragrance, and beautifies everything whatsoever on which it falls, I dedicate this hall to the practice of that highest virtue, which is within itself the fulfilling of the Law. It teaches us to visit the widow and the fatherless in their affliction, to bind up the brokenhearted and to set the oppressed free. I he Third Herald then advanced to the centre of the room and scattered the wheat around, saying: In the name of Truth, which, like the grain sown broadcast on the earth, springs up again ono hundredfold for future use and blessing 1 , 1 dedicate this hall to the practice of that most enobling virtue, which lies at the foundation of all others, and which (devoid of all guile and hypocrisy), teaches! us sincerity in our communications, and earnestness in tho inculcation of whatever is good and true. The Deputy Grand Master then declared the dedication of the building to be complcto, aud handed it over to the JNoblo Grand with an cxUmporc address — that they felt proud that the Hamilton Odd- | fellows had shown so much energy and ! zeal in erecting so worthy a Lodge-room for tho requirements of the Order. Tho Noble Grand returned thanks on bohalf of the Lodge for the attendance of the Deputy Grand Master, and regretted the absence of the Worthy Grand Master himsalf. The honors of the Order were then , given, and the Benediction by Past Grand Master Coombes, Acting Chaplain, closed | the ceremony.