R. M. I. Boys.

R . M . I . BOYS .

THE monthly meeting of the Council was held on Friday , 30 th ult ., at Freemasons' Hall , Bro . Richard Eve

Patron and Trustee in the chair . Amongst those in attendance were Bros . Everett , LeFeuvre , A . J . Thomas , Campbell-Johnstone , W . H . Kempster , M . D ., Thos . Taylor , H . A . Tobias , J . W . Burgess , R . D . Cummings , R . Manuel , G . M . E . Hamilton , E . Hobbs , W . Rule , H . L . Davis , Geo . Chapman and J . M . McLeod Secretary .

On the report of the Petitions Committee twenty-four new . cases were accepted , and the list for the October election was closed with thirty-six candidates for fifteen vacancies . The Secretary mentioned that it was probable two of the cases would be withdrawn to fill vacant presentations , leaving thirty-four to proceed to election .

The report of the result of the 101 st Anniversary Festival was received , and a hearty vote of thanks accorded to the Treasurer of the Institution Bro . Charles E . Keyser , for his able and generous presidency .

An interesting autograph letter of the late Duke of Sussex M . W . G . M . ' , President of the Institution , was presented by Bro . Trehawke Davies , of the Drury Lane . Lodge , and a hearty vote of thanks was accorded to him for same . The letter is as follows : —

To the Committee of the Eoyal Masonic Institution for Boys . GENTLEMEN * , In acknowledging the receipt of certain Resolutions passed at your late meeting , and which have been forwarded to rnc by your direction , and concurring with you in the regret expressed on that occasion as to the retirement of the W . Bro . Moore from the office of Treasurer , which he has

filled for so many years with equal credit to himself and advantage to the Charity , I have to observe that the post of Treasurer is elective , and therefore it becomes the duty of the supporters of the Institution in virtue of such right to exercise that power , while it behoves me only to suggest the name of an individual whom I conceive may be a fit and proper person to discharge

the duties of that office ; under this impression I venture to propose the name of the W . Bro . the Bev . Mr . Rodber , as one fully qualified for the purpose . I am , Gentlemen , " ( Signed ) , Augustus Fk . G . M . Pt . Kensington Palace , Sth February 1841 .

A Masonic Trip.

A MASONIC TRIP .

A BIG Masonic event is promised in the land of " big " ideas , as the following , cut from a Kansas paper , explains : "The most unique . event in the Masonic history of the west will be the pilgrimage we are arranging for next August ,

when we will take about 3 , 000 Masons from all over the country to Colorado , and confer the Cryptic degrees while on the summit of Pike ' s Peak , " said Edward Wellington , of Ellsworth , Kansas .

" While all of the work will not be done at the summit , the Masonic obligations will be assumed by the candidates there , in a complete revival of the ancient customs of the Craft , when the degrees were conferred either in some lonely valley or in the mountain retreats .

" The plan was arranged first for the pleasure of the Kansas Masons , but when made public it attracted such widespread attention it became even more than national . I

have already on hand over 300 applications , scattered from California to St . John , New Brunswick , and Montreal , Canada . During this week I will issue the invitation to join the party , and I expect to send out 20 , 000 of them .

"The pilgrimage will start from Kansas City on the morning of 6 th August , and will last eight days . We go to Colorado Springs , then to Denver and up to the Peak . For the two days we will be there we will own the Cogwheel road and can handle over a thousand a day to the Peak . There

will be an address by the Grand Master of California on the ancient customs . A big vault will be cut in the solid rockthere , and in it will be placed the record of the event , the list of candidates and a lot of souvenirs . On top of the vault will be set a triangular plate bearing a suitable inscription that is

being prepared by Dr . W . F . Kuhn , of Kansas City . The plate and vault will be put in charge of the war department signal station corps stationed there , and remain in its charge . After the ceremonies the party will return to Denver , where the remainder of the ceremonies will take place in the Tabor

Grand Opera House . The fifty men who will have charge of the ceremonial work will be clad in ancient , cryptic costume , with full scenic effects , and an orchestra of thirty Cryptic Masons will furnish the musical programme . " It will be as imposing an event as has ever been seen

A Masonic Trip.

in Masonry . A banquet at the Brown Palace will follow , and later a special programme at the Tivoli gardens . Then we have a trip on special trains around the loop , and to other places , and back to Kansas City about 15 th August . " Kansas City will be the gathering place of the Masons

for the trip , and we expect to take out four or more special trains with dining and commissary cars . I feel safe in saying no such interesting and pleasant trip has ever been planned before for Masons , and Kansas City will have a big delegation , I expect not less than 3 , 000 people to go , and expect a class of fully 1 , 200 to take the degrees . "

It reads strange to see it recorded , as it is in the Masonic column of the " Glasgow Evening News , " that two daughters of Bro . D . Murray Lyon Grand Secretary of Scotland were married in the Freemasons' Hall , Edinburgh , last Friday

evening . Bro . Lyon is so respected by the Brethren of his Jurisdiction that we can well understand special arrangements being made in this case to pay him and his family a compliment . Our . hearty good wishes to the chief figures in the interesting ceremonies .

Recently the Prince of Wales very properly discountenanced the appearance in public of "Masons clothed with the badges of the Order , " but His Royal Highness relaxed this draconic but necessary command in favour of a fund which is now being raised for building a tower to the parish

church of St . Mary , Hornsey . To aid this object a Masonic service was arranged , a dispensation having been granted for the Brethren to appear in Craft or Royal Arch "clothing , " and the service was held on Sunday , 25 th ult ., by permission of the rector , the Rev . J . Jeakes , M . A-., who is not a Mason .

Some 1 , 500 persons , the majority being ladies , attended . The arrangements were admirable . The Brethren " clothed " in the old church , and marched in procession through a covered way to the new edifice , which is built in' the same churchyard . Grand Lodge was represented by Bros .

Littler , C . B . * , Q . C , W . J . Crump , J . Boulton , and James Terry ( who acted as Director of Ceremonies ); Mr . H . C . Stephens , M . P ., represented Parliament ; and , among others ,

Mr . Osterstock and Mr . J . Tollworthy , the City . A choir of seventy voices—forty-four of them boys—sang the processional , recessional , and offertory hymns and the anthems . — " Daily Telegraph . "

"A Sprig Of Acacia."

"A SPRIG OF ACACIA . "

A LARGE section of the community in North Wales , Freemasons especially , will learn with regret of the death , which occurred soon after ten o ' clock on Saturday morning , at his residence , High Street , Bangor , after a short but severe illness , which , however , was practically hopeless

from the first , of Bro . E . W . Thomas , professor of music , at the age of 61 years . Bro . Thomas was a quiet , unobtrusive man , but of the most genial temperament , and was loved as well as respected by " a great number of people . He had at the time of his death the appointment of organist at St . Ann ' s

Church , Bethesda , which he had held for forty years ; the local Secretaryship of the Trinity College musical examinations , and registrar of marriages . In Masonry , Bro . Thomas was a Past Master of St . David ' s Lodge , No . 384 , Bangor ,

the oldest in the Province , and he held rank as Provincial Grand Organist . He was W . M . of St . David ' s thirty-one years ago . He leaves a widow and four children to mourn his loss .

npHE death of Bro . Thomas Barnes occurred somewhat J _ suddenly at his residence , Heathercliffe , Walton Park , Clevedon , on Saturday afternoon , at the age of eighty-six . Bro . Barnes was appointed manager of Messrs . Stuckey ' s Banking Company , Clevedon branch , when it was opened

in 1874 ( having been m the company ' s service since 1842 ) , which appointment he held until March 188 4 , when through advancing years he retired , much regret being felt at this decision . He was a prominent member of our Order , which he joined in 18 3 8 , being a member of the Grand Lodge of

England , a P . P . G . W . of the Province of Somerset , P . M . of the Clevedon Coleridge Lodge ( of which he was Secretary and Treasurer , and which he was largely instrumental in founding ) , P . Z . of the Adair Chapter ( Clevedon ) , a' member

of the Knights Templars , & c . He was a director for many years of the Clevedon Gas Company , was a churchwarden of St . Mary ' s , Walton Park , for seventeen years , and took a great interest in the maintenance of that church , at which touching references were made to his death .