Only one obituary was noted and that was of Bro. H. A. Stone of Sheffield, who was Grand Primo 1941. The year, interesting, for the Editor is able to record that he was D.P.G.P. when Bro. Stone was Provincial Grand Primo 1948.

*   *   *

A lengthy report was given on Headquarters Administration. The total cost of Salaries and Wages including the Grand Secretary was stated to be approx. £6,000 per annum and that it was almost impossible to reduce this figure. 

*   *   *

Increases in the volume of work carried out by headquarters staff were reported to have doubled since pre-war period and likely to further increase. An increase in the salary of the Grand Secretary was recommended to the amount of £1,250 per annum.

*   *   *

Two Motions from Edinburgh (a) to dispose of Grove House and (b) that provision be made for a new Convalescent Home in the North of England were proposed. Both were heavily defeated.

*   *   *

Two questions were answered by the then Editor. Should the Lodge Secretary have possession of the cheque book? Answer YES. (b) Should blank cheques be in the cheque book bearing the signatures of the Trustee and Treasurer? Answer NO - a thoroughly bad practice.

*   *   *

A report is given of Bro. L. Loake of Northants having raised his son to the Fourth Degree. Bro. Loake senior still writes the Journal when the spirit moves him.

*   *   *

We read on page 4 of the September 1954 Journal of a Brother who was at the time “recuperating” at Bath. It was confidently anticipated that during this period Bro. Ben Whitcher would teach him to play the Oboe. We’ve heard about the saxophone, but the Oboe is a new one.

*   *   *

A request by the Editor. In 1954 the story was told on the history in the Order of Bro. John Zetterstrom, a member of the Merthyr Province. At that time he had been a member of the Order for fifty-five years and had done about everything a Brother could do. He was P.G.P. of Merthyr in 1908 and was appointed a Grand Lodge delegate in 1910. Two years later he was elected to the G.L. Benevolent Committee and was President of the now long discontinued Grand Council of the G.L.E. In 1916 he became a member of Grand Lodge Executive and held the office of Grand Chamberlain in the same year. He attended 14 Conventions and was very much involved with the Orphanages and Convalescent Homes. At the time of his retirement from the office of P.G. Secretary of the Merthyr Province after 46 years service, he was succeeded by Bro. Tom Jones, a Brother who will still be remembered by most of our readers. More could be added to the story of Bro. Zetterstrom, but the puzzle to us is “Why did he never attain the office of Grand Primo?”.

*   *   *

A letter is printed from the P. G. Secretary of Rotherham Province , giving a resume of the recent efforts, which included a Church Parade, a Summer Dance, a Bank Holiday Angling Match and a trip to Southport taking in the Ladies Convalescent Home. His name is given as a Bro. Cyril Milnes. At the Church Service, Bro. Harry Charlesworth (who was to be the next Grand Primo) read one of the Lessons. 

 *   *   * 

Bro. Thomas A. Butler (TAB if you like) in a long letter to the then Editor, recounts that, already having two daughters, was certain his next child would be a boy, and his name would be “Robert Arthur Owen Butler”, which if you think about it a moment seems to give a nice sequence of Buffalo initials. Mrs. Butler was well satisfied with this arrangement, the Buffs were happy and in general everybody was happy. But the stork made a mistake with the request and when the new baby arrived, bless us if it wasn't another girl. But they were not daunted and that she was “as welcome as any June rose”. But it did call for a round‑table conference (some of it in the home of Bro. Tom’s Lodge, the Brent Valley 4382) ending with a decision to call the new arrival Brenda Valerie, which received the approval of all with the exception of the girlie herself, who never had the chance to express her own opinions. 

*   *   *