The Candidates For The Boys' School.

THE CANDIDATES FOR THE BOYS ' SCHOOL .

THE ballot paper for the October Election of the Eoyal Masonic Institution for Boys contains particulars in regard to seventy-seven candidates , but of this number two—Nos . 12 and 75—have been withdrawn , the former , Arthur Hughes Crane , by reason of an improvement in his circumstances ; and the latter , Joseph Ashe Day , in consequence of his

having been selected lor presentation by the Province of Cheshire . We thus have a total of seventy-five candidates who may be expected to go to the poll for the next Election , which will take place on Friday , the 26 th inst ., on which occasion twenty-one vacancies are to be filled up ; thus allowing about two

vacancies for each seven applicants . It is very gratifying to know that so many of those eligible can be admitted , for a proportion of two in seven is a large one to provide for , in view of the ever increasing list of candidates which appear ready to come forward ,

and deserving of admission . We can only hope that the most deserving will be the most fortunate in the coming contest , and that each of the candidates may in turn reap the benefits which the Institution is able

to offer . Of the seventy-five who will go to the poll nine are last applications , and although it may be wxong to say that any one of these is more deserving than the others on the list it must not be forgotten that with them it is now or never . The Question is . can the /

4 . Institution afford to take on the whole of these last chance candidates and still have room for a fair proportion of the others ? There are twenty-one vacancies , and nine candidates of full age . It certainly appears that all of them might be admitted , for even then there would remain twelve vacancies , and the candidates who were not successful in securing one of them would at least have another chance , a privilege denied to the nine of whom we are now speaking . These last applications are , No . 1 , Joseph Wood , who

comes forward for the seventh time , with a total of 1049 votes to his credit . He is one of six children left to the care of a widowed mother . His father was a member of the Finsbury Lodge , No . 861 , London ,

to which he subscribed until the time of his death , in March 1885 . No . 2 , Harold Gray , is a sixth application case , for whom 1024 votes have already been recorded . His father was initiated in the British Kaffrarian Lodge , No . 853 , King William ' s Town , and

rose to tne dignities ot Secretary and Junior Warden therein . He died in 1880 , and his widow now has the child who is a candidate for the Boys' School dependent upon her . No . 4 , Charles William Green , has been

very successful m tne lour elections he has already taken part in , having secured on those occasions 2299 votes . He is one of two children dependent on their mother , the widow of a Mason initiated in St . Peter ' s Lodge / No . 1024 , Essex . The father died

The Candidates For The Boys' School.

in 1880 , after having subscribed to his Lodge _ for three years and a half . No . 6 , Frederick William John Scott , is also a fifth application case , but unfortunately for him his friends are not so many , or have not been so active on his behalf as was the case with the lad just referred to . Scott goes to tho poll on this occasion with but 119 votes to his

credit , a number which will go but a very short way towards securing him a home in the Institution . He is one of three children now dependent on their mother ,. who was left a widow in December 1885 . His father was initiated under the Scottish Constitution , and became an English Mason , through the

St . John ' s Lodge , No . 828 , Cape of Good Hope . No . 20 , Arthur Henry Grimsey , has received grand support in the past , and goes to the poll this month , for the third time , with 2151 votes recorded on his behalf from past elections . He is one of two

children left to a mother ' s care . His father was initiated in the Prudence and Industry Lodge , No . 1953 , Somerset , in 1882 , and died four years later . There appears to be every chance of this lad's being successful at the coming election , when his friends will have good reason to be proud of the

father's short' association with the Masonic Order . No . 32 , Edmund Arnold Greening Lamborn , was a candidate in April last , and at that election 72 votes were nolled on his behalf . Both his narents are

living . The father , a sufferer from paralysis of the brain , was admitted a Mason in October 1876 , in the Alfred Lodge , No . 340 , Oxfordshire , and subsequently joined the Abbey Lodge , No . 945 , Berks and Bucks . At the present time there are two children

dependent , a condition oi anairs wmcn we sincerely hope will be altered ere long by the Masons of England undertaking the care of one . The father has been associated with two important districts , and we feel sure the brethren thereof will do all that lifts in thp . ir nnwp . v for this nnov ln , d—now WOTSR tho . rt

fatherless . No . 34 , Walter Land , now makes his last application , —by what we may term the irony of fate . He will be eleven years of age on the day of election in April next , so that , had no alteration taken place in the days of election which have been in force for some years past , He would have been eligible for that contest , but the alteration which was recently decided upon robs him of the privilege of competing after this election ; still we hope it Avill not be the means of shutting him out from the School .

He was a candidate m April last , and on that occasion 1177 votes were polled on his behalf , a number which gives evidence of his having many friends and supporters working for him . Still we fear it will take all their energy to secure one of the

much coveted scholarships . He is one of four dependent children who have neither parent living , so that we may say he is doubly deserving of support . His father was initiated in the Perseverance Lodge , No . 213 , Norfolk , and died after a Masonic membership of 4 i year ?* . We trust the claims of this lad