The Craft And Parish Affairs.

THE CRAFT AND PARISH AFFAIRS .

ITtREEMASONRY was brought into prominence at a recent meeting of the Egremont District Council , when the letting of the Market Hall for a banquet in connection with the Provincial Grand Lodge of Cumberland and Westmorland came up for consideration . It appears

from a local account of the proceedings , which we reproduce elsewhere , that the instructions of the authorities are that the Hall shall not be let for any purpose

connected with which there is to be consumption of intoxicating liquors , and as a consequence the Masons were not satisfied with the accommodation .

How the matter ended we have not yet heard , but we think our readers will agree with us that it is somewhat of a misfortune that the Craft should be brought so prominent ! } ' into the discussion , when , as a matter of fact ,

any other body of men might have desired the Hall for a like purpose . The . event has provided the means of administering the usual back handed slaps at Freemasonry ,

whose members are certainly no worse , and probably far better , than the majority of the Societies whose patrons can enjoy a little refreshment as well as a large amount of -work .

The Schools Quarterly Courts.

THE SCHOOLS QUARTERLY COURTS .

GIRLS SCHOOL . THE Quarterly Court of the Subscribers of this Institution was held on Thursday , at Freemasons' Tavern , when Sir Reginald Hanson , M . P ., Past Grand Warden Treasurer of the Institution presided . Sir John Monckton moved the acceptance of 1 , 100

guineas from Bro . George Heaton , of Heckmondwike , to purchase a perpetual presentation of one girl to the School , but the motion was opposed on the ground that the cost of a girl was more than the income of the capital sum , and that 1 , 200 guineas for the same privilege was refused by the Boys

School . An amendment b y Bro . Richard Eve Past Grand Treasurer was carried unanimousl y , referring the consideration of the subject to a Committee consisting of three Brethren to represent the Girls School , three to represent the Boys School , and three to represent the Benevolent Institution , and to report to a future meeting .

Fifteen girls , out of a list of twenty-six candidates , were afterwards elected into the Institution , the result , so far as successful candidates are concerned , being given elsewhere in this issue , while the following were the unsuccessful , with particulars of the votes recorded on behalf of each , these latter being carried forward for the next election , providing the children are then eligible :

Votes . No . on List . Name . Forward . Polled . Total . 1 Stephenson , Victoria Florence ... 1541 1332 2873 7 Brown , Annie Mabel ... ... 1078 1483 2 S 61 6 Orr , Ethel May ... ... ... 806 1716 2522 12 Pate , Gladys Leonora ... ... — 1555 1555

21 Deans , Francis Clara ... ... — 1080 1080 9 Tremlett , Violet Louise ... ... — 951 951 17 Fisk , Lucy Cana ... ... — 878 878 3 Stickland , Gwynedd Mary ... 79 798 877 25 O'Neill , Elizabeth ... ... — 808 808 2 Scholes , Alberta ( last ) ... ... 30 169 199 11 Jacobs , Josephine Charlotte ... — 142 142

The Schools Quarterly Courts.

A letter from the Home Secretary was read , in which the Queen ' s gracious reception of the Institution ' s address of congratulation on her completing sixty years of her reign was conveyed , and the communication was ordered to be entered on the minutes .

BOYS SCHOOL . rr-iHE Quarterly Court of this Institution was held _ 1 _ yesterday ( Friday ) , at Freemasons' Tavern , Bro . Richard Eve Past Grand Treasurer Patron and Trustee Chairman of the Board of Management presiding .

In the course of introducing a motion by the Chairman for giving extra votes to Stewards for the Centenary Festival of the Institution in 18 9 8 , it was stated by Bro . C . E . Keyser , one of the supporters , that it was hoped that the sum subscribed on the occasion of the Centenary celebration next year , under the presidency of H . R . H . the Prince of Wales Grand Master would enable the Board of Management to

erect a building at Bushey , m lieu of the school now at Wood Green , worthy of the Institution and commensurate with the requirements of the Masonic Order for many years to come . It was stated by the chairman that several architects were competing in the preparation of plans , and that the Board trusted to lay them before the next Quarterly Court , so that arrangements might be made for laying the first stone .

After transacting some other business , sixteen boys were elected into the Schools , the result of the poll being given in our advertisement column . The following is a list of the unsuccessful : Votes . No . on List . Name . Forward . Polled . Total .

48 Colwell , Francis Joseph — 3638 3638 13 Thompson , Thomas James ... 1169 1715 2884 17 Carroll , Frederick Sheridan ... 435 2109 2544 10 Mansell , Colston Thomas ... 1944 560 2504 33 Hibbs , Ronald George ( last ) ... — 2318 2318 6 Manley , Leonard Oliver ... ... 1506 673 2179

18 Calf , Reginald Frank ... ... 327 1515 1842 45 Roach , Lewis ... ... ... — 1569 1569 2 Oldham , George Harold ... ... 1217 330 1547 15 Burnett , James Murdoch ... ... 437 879 1316 49 Potter , Charles George ... ... — 1268 1268 19 Osmond , Frederick William ... 334 750 1084

4 Brinjes , Frederick Edgar ... ... 461 516 977 38 Colman , Ernest Charles ... ... — 885 885 27 Blake , William Worthy Atkinson ... 28 659 687 28 Downes , Gilbert George ... ... 337 324 661 3 Wright , Charles Philip ... ... 329 294 623 47 Moir , Sydney Herbert ... ... — 488 488

11 Moulton , Ronald Verlow ... ... 423 55 478 8 Hatchwell , Leonard Douglas ... 267 178 445 22 Delahaye , William Arthur ... 129 303 432 32 Fallot , Thomas Turner ... ... — 144 144 20 Sherman , Harold Mackenzie ... 55 48 103 36 Bascombe , Edgar Hardy ... ... — 93 93 44 Nichols , Herbert Wilfrid ... ... — 91 91

21 Hartley , Bernard ... ... 5 14 19 24 Glover , Geoffrey Ravenhill ... 8 5 13 35 Price , Edmund Roy ... ... — 9 9 43 Hardy , Harold Richard ... ... — 6 6 37 McLeod , Lewis Arthur Alexander ... — 5 5 23 Broben , Gerald Grant ... ... 3 1 4 7 Bales , Arthur Douglas ... ... Withdrawn 12 Peel , Gilbert William ... ... Withdrawn

Lincolnshire.

LINCOLNSHIRE .

THE Provincial Grand Chapter was held at Gainsborough , on Thursday , 30 th ult ., in the Masonic Room at the Old Hall . The Officers for 18 97-8 were invested by Comp . William Harling Sissons , J . P ., D . L ., Provincial Grand

Superintendent . The customary banquet was subsequently held at the White Hart Hotel , after which the usual Loyal and Arch toast list was honoured .