Ar00903

H^^^^^^^fl 23 GREAT QUEEN STREET , W . C .

Committee Meeting Of The Boys' School.

COMMITTEE MEETING OF THE BOYS' SCHOOL .

THE usnal monthly meeting of tho General Committee of the Roynl Masonio Institution for Boys was held last Saturday afternoon , at Freemasons' Hall . Thero wero prosent Bros . William Roebuck in the chair , A . J . Dtiff-Filer , G . Bolton , Donald M . Dewar , Arthur E . Gladwell , H . Massey , C . H . Webb , Raynham W . Stewart , F . Arllard , J . G . Chancellor , W . F . C . Moutrie , W . H . Ferryman

W . H . Saunders , Leopold Rnf , George Cooper , Thomas Meggy , ' and Frederick Binckes Secretary . The minutes of the last meeting having been read and confirmed , and the minutes of the Quarterly Court iu October , and of the House Committee read for information . Bro . Raynham W . Stewart gave notice of tbo following motion for the December meeting : — "That it be an instruction to the House

Committee to obtain plans and estimates for the erection of a schoolhouse , with convenient offices , on the vacant space of ground in front of the present building , for the purpose of ultimately accommodating 150 children , but that only so much as will accommodate 50 children be erected at the present . " He said the reason he should bring forward this motion at next meeting was , the great demand by

candidates for admission to the Sohool . Sixteen boys were elected in October , bnt about 60 were left out in the cold . The Committeo would have before them , in a few minntes , another four or five , and still more might come before the list for next April was closed . It was quite clear then that the Institution should do something more for the Craft , which had supported it so liberally . The Institution had

reduced the age for keeping the boys at the Sohool—from 16 to 15—and some of the money saving effected by that alteration should be appropriated to the advantage of other children . His scheme was that a building should be erected , capable of accommodating 150 junior boys , bnt that at present only so much should bebuilt as wonld accommodnte 50 . The School might be a preparatory school ,

separate from the old building , and the children taught by ladies , till 8 , 9 or 10 years of age , when they would be drafted into the other School . The employment of ladies would not be so expensive as that of masters , and he thought this scheme wonld be approved by the Craft . Several brethren expressed their' concurrence with Bro . Stewart ' s views , and the notice of motion for the December meeting

was given in . The minutes of the Audit Committee were read for information , and Bro . F . Binckes informed the Committee that the £ 5 , 000 authorised to be invested in consols had been invested , the accounts of which he produced . Bro . Binckes also informed the Committee that the special committee appointed to enquire into the allegations with respect to the circumstances of the case of Arthur

Collingwood ( which have already appeared in the FKEEMASON ' S CHRONICLE ) , met that day , at two o ' clock , and after a long sitting and due enquiry , adjourned for a month , for the production of further documents . Petitions for four candidates were afterwards examined , and three boys were placed on tho list for the election in April 1881 .

One case was adjourned till January , for better reading . Ontfits to the amount of £ 5 each were granted to five boys , who had obtained situations since leaving the School , and £ 100 was ordered to be transferred to the Sustentation Fund from the General Fund . The authorisation of the Chairman to sign cheques for accounts , & c , terminated the business of the clay .

Committee Meeting Of The Benevolent Institution.

COMMITTEE MEETING OF THE BENEVOLENT INSTITUTION .

THE Committee of the Royal Masonic Benevolent Institution held its monthly meeting in . the Board Room , Freemasons' Hall , on Wednesday afternoon . There were present Bros . Lient .-Col . John Creaton Grand Treasurer , Vice-Patron and Trustee , ( in the chair ) , Ravnham W . Stewart , James Brett , John G . Stevens , Richard Herve Giraud , C . G . Dilley , Frederick Adlard , Charles G . Hill , C . A . Cottebrune , S . Rawson , J . Newton , John Henry Leggott , Thomas

Cubitt , E . J . Barron , W . Stephens , C . H . Webb , Charles John Perceval , A . H . Tattershall , W . F . C . Moutrio , Charles Atkins , and James Terry Secretary . Bro . Terry announced that Bro . Sir Henry Edwards , Barfc ., Provincial Grand master for West Yorkshire , wou / d preside at tho next Annual Festival of the Institution , to be held on the 23 rd of Febrnary 18 S 1 ; also that there were at present 150

Stewards for that Festival , which was fifty in excess of the number of Stewards this time in 1879 for tho Festival of the present year . Bro . Terry announced the death of one male and two female annuitants . He had received tho papers of the transfer of £ 300 stock by Grand Chapter to the credit of this Institution . On the 5 th ultimo Dr . Adams , of Croydon , presented eighteen fruit trees for

the garden of the Institution . On the 2 nd inst . Messrs . Hall , of Croydon , sent in G 2 sacks of coals . £ 2 , 000 was required to be transferred from deposit to current account , in order that annuities and bills might be paid . The Committe ordered this transfer , and also the investment of £ 1 , 000 . The Chairman was authorised to sign

cheques for annuities , salaries , and bills . Nine petitions were placed on the list for the election next May . Bro . Terry having informed the brethren that he would be happy to receive the names of any other brethren as Stewards for the next Festival , tho proceedings closed with a vote of thanks to the Chairman .

A Dissertation On Freemasonry.

A DISSERTATION ON FREEMASONRY .

Delivered at the Mrodejiore Loihjc , A ' o . 101 / , h y Bro . Br . Morilnuiit Sigismwul . WouTttiPFur . MASTER , OFFICERS AND BKETHKKN , —Many of you will , I fear , consider it somewhat prpstimptunnson the part of a novice —a novico in the truest sense , being scarcely throe months in the Craft—to undertake tho arduous task of addressing old and

experienced members on a subject with which they aro undoubtedly thoroughly versed . I am , however , under tho impression that onr art—nay , onr religion , for such I consider the beautiful tonets of our Fraternity , for are we not taught to glorify and worship the Deity in the purest and simplest manner ?— demands our most arduous endeavonrs to inculcate in the disciple of this our religion

not only a desiro to divo deeply into tho hidden mysteries of our art , but to glean knowledge wherever and whenover it is to bo found , and to impart the same—no matter of how mediocre a naturo—to others ! Tho basis on which our Order is founded—is it uot sublime ? The foundation upon which our edifice stands—is it not firm as a rock ? Cau thero be anything grander than the principles inculcated upon every

one of us upon first seeing tho light of Freemasonry ? At our very birth are we not impressed with tho fact that we are all equal in the sight of our Creator ? When we stride onwards , are not the divine and glorious principles upon which our Order rests—Truth , Brotherly Love and Relief—indelibly impressed on us ? The first needs no comment . The second is the very essonce of onr whole fabric . The

last—what is there more sublime , aye , more acceptable to the Great Architeot of the Universe , than that one man should hold out the hand of friendship , the fraternal grip , the supporting arm , to a brother in distress ; to a brother requiring aid ? And yet , in this short Masonic career of mine I have met with men—and I must beg you to note that I now refer to men of intellect and of high

social standing—who have said to me , Sigismund , I assure yon that although I have been twelve years in the Craft , I doubt whether I could enter a Lodge on the merits of an examination , so little do I know , so little do I remember ; time did not permit my attending Lodge , and , to tell you the truth , I take but little interest in it . Another has said to me , The time yon spend on Masonry is entirely

thrown away ; it is rot from beginning to end ; the whole thing is effete . To the former I answered , Yon resemble a capital lying dormant , bringing no interest to its owner , and doing not the slightest good to any one else . To the latter I said , The Craft would have been richer without such an acquisition as yon . I ask you , therefore , ought we not to foster in our young members a love for research ,

and in every way promote that desire to acquire , a 3 well as to impart knowledge ? Even amongst ns here are there not many who are tolerably good Masons for the short time they spend in the Lodge , but much better Masons , far moro assiduous , in the degree which usually follows ? I mean tho knife and fork degree . 1 now

come to the subject of my dissertation . During a recent ramble on the Continent , a strong desire arose within me to see something of our brethren at Breslau . I learned that a Lodge would meet on a certain day , when the ceremony of initiation would be gone through . I presented myself , and was admitted .

( Here followed a description of the working , which , for obvious reasons we omit . ) Might we not emulate our Continental brethren in many things . Some of you will perhaps say , to emulate them would be an errornay , a weakness . Granted—but do yon not know the beautiful words of Horace : " Vellem in amicitvl sic erraremus' el isti Errori nomen

virtus piosmsset honestum . I would that we erred in a similar way where our friends are concerned , and that virtue would give to this kind of weakness some honourable name ; bnt I will not , my brethren , reverse the picture . It is with a sad , sad heart that I approach a very painful subject . At the Lodge I visited at Breslau I asked , are all denominations received here as members ? Oh , yes , was the

response , this is confessionalhaus—all confessions are received here , except Jews , Even in this country , my brethren , the horizon is not always bright and clear ; clouds , although slight and insignificant ones—bnt nevertheless clonds—are occasionally to be met with . Well do I remember , at the banquet given upon the occasion of my initiation into the Craft , the brother who sat by my side—an

Officer of the Grand Lodge—alluding to a few remarks of mine in reply to the toast of the Brother Initiate , said , I thank and congratulate you , my brother , upon the excellent speech you have made ; I am sure that you are a good Christian , otherwise you could , not have made so good a speech . My brother , of coarse , meant to pay me an undeserved compliment .

Notwithstanding these shadows , have we not every reason to be grateful that we are in a country where intolerance is unknown , where a man—no matter what his religions belief may . re—if he acts and condncts himself as a man , is treated as such ? I feel convinced that my brethren , be they Jew or Gentile , will unite with

me in tendering our most heartfelt thanks to tho Great Architect of the Universe for having cast our lot on these shores . May the Most High continue to keep the Craft tinder his a ) gis ; may He itnbne us with thoso glorious principles our Order teaches us , and may He guide and lead us in all our undertakings—that we may praise and worship Him ! Glory to the Most High I

Hor . r . owAY ' s Prr . r . s . —Wrongs made Rijrht . —Kvcry day that any bodily suffering is permitted to continue renders it moro certain to become chronic or dangerous . Holloway's purifving , cooling , and strengthening Pills aro well adapted for any irregularity of the human body , and should bo taken whoa the stomach is disordered , tho liver deranged , the kidneys inactive , the bowels torpid , or the brain muddled . With this medicine , every invalid can cure himself , and those who are weak and infirm , through imperfect digestion , may make themselves strong and stout by Holloway ' s excellent Pills . A few doses of them usually mitigate the most painful symptoms caused by undigested food , from which they thoroughly free the alimentary canal , and completely restore its natural power and action .