An ancient and honorable fraternity celebrates today a notable anniversary; it erects a commemorative mile stone where two centuries meet; it seeks wisdom and guidance for the future in a review of the historic past. The beginnings of Freemasonry in Lebanon are almost contemporaneous with the beginnings of the town. The institution, however, has its individuality and its sepa rate history, which may well be considered in the abstract, and it has, at the same time, relations with the progress of the municipality. From the community it has taken character, and with the community it has advanced in honorable achievement. These relations are appropriate for consideration on this occasion. An institution necessarily takes to itself some of the features of its environment. Therefore, in the review of the century, which is made a feature of this day's exer cises, the fraternity cannot fail to pay homage to the towns and people, with whom the Lodge had its original establishment and its later development.