The Approaching Festival Of The Boys' School.

find himself first , second , or third , but Brother Hedges must be either first or second , and Brother Terry either second or third . Here , then , it will be seen , the fluctuations in tbe positions held by tbo several Institutions are considerable as from one year to another , and it would

appear to bo Bro . Binckes ' s turn to occupy the first or second placo on the list . However , a few clays will suffice to determine this point , and tberefore it is needless to pursue it further . Ono important consideration , however , must not be lost sight of . Wo refer to the fact of the

permanent income of this School being considerably below that of either of its sister Institutions . That of tho Benevolent exceeds £ 2 , 600 per annum , while that of the Girls' School , though a long way behind that sum , is , after all its recent outlay in the erection of additional

premises and the purchase of Lyncombe House , still greatly in excess of tho Boys' School income in this particular . This will be shown more particularly if we remind our readers that when it was resolved on building a new School at Wood Green for the accommodation of one hundred boys

—there are now over two hundred clothed , fed , and educated—the -whole of tho funded Stock , amounting to £ 13 , 100 , was sold in order to assist in defraying the cost . This funded Stock has been replaced to the extent of £ 10 , 000 , so that there yet remains a sum of £ 3 , 100 to be

made good in order to bring this portion of the School ' s resources to what it was some eighteen years ago . If we turn to tbe Benevolent , which is tbe youngest of the three Charities , we find that while in May 1862 tbe invested moneys amounted to little short of £ 22 . 000 , they now

exceed £ 57 , 000 ; aud , as we bave said , there is an excess , though not so considerable as in the case of the Benevolent , on the part of the Girls' School in this respect over that of tbe Boys' School . Here , then , is a principal ground on which to rest our advocacy of the Boys' School in the

present year , namely , because it is weakest in what should be one of its strongest points—its permanent resources . Its responsibilities are very great . Nearly the whole of the £ 10 , 000 which is required to defray the actual cost , to say nothing of the respectable balance there ought

to be always in hand to meet unforeseen contingencies , must be raised annually by tbe voluntary contributions of the Craft . At the time to which we have gone back for tbe purpose of this comparison , the permanent income of

tbe School was rather over tban under the one-fourtb part of its total income , which was about £ 2 , 000 ; now it may be somewhat over the one-twentieth part . This is a feature which we trust will not be without its influence on the

result of next Thursday ' s Festival . We have now toucbed on most , if not all , of tbe leading points in connection with the approaching anniversary of the Royal Masonic Institution for Boys—the last that will be held in the current year—and as we have said , it is not

without many and substantial reasons that we are hopeful of a more than usuall y triumphant success . There is a deservedly popular President for tbe day , with one of our strongest Provinces to back him up . There is a strong body of Stewards , -which in point of numbers has been

rarely exceeded , and which includes the names of several of our representative Masons . It is about time that , in the natural order of things , Bro . Binckes should come to

the front once again , and lastly , but chief reason of all , there is serious need why tbe permanent resources of the School should be increased . May our hopes be realised on one and all of these grounds !

Royal Masonic Pupils' Assistance Fund.

ROYAL MASONIC PUPILS' ASSISTANCE FUND .

THE APPROACHING BAZAAR AND FANCY FAIR .

DURIN G tbe whole of the four days of next -week , beginning witb Tuesday and ending with Friday , the Freemasons' Tavern will be given up to a Bazaar and Fancy Fair in aid of tbe funds of the Royal Masonic Pupils' Assistance Fund . This Fund , which owes its

origin to certain views expressed by tbe Earl of Rosslyn , Past Grand Master Mason of Scotland , when presiding last year at the Annual Festival of the Boys' School , has thus far proved a great success , chiefly through the unwearied exertions of its Honorary Secretary , Bro . Dick

Royal Masonic Pupils' Assistance Fund.

Radclyffe , who has laboured as few men know how to labour , in order to secure the means necessary for giving practical effect to his lordship's suggestion . So energetically has ho worked , that tbe Fund appeals to the support of the wholo Craft , under auspices such as Bro . Radclyffe ,

even iu the utmost fervour of bis enthusiasm , could hardly have anticipated . It has secured the patronage of His Royal Righness tbe Grand Mastor , nnd his brothers the Dnke of Connaught , Past Grand Senior Warden , and Prince Leopold , Past Grand Junior Warden and Prov .

Grand Master Oxon . Pro Grand Master the Earl of Carnarvon , Prov . Grand Master Somersetshire , has lent the influence of bis name to tbe scheme , as also has the Deputy Grand Master tho Earl of Lathom , Prov . Grand Master West Lancashire , who has taken an active part in the

preliminary steps in connection with the Fund , and will show himself in a still more prominent capacity on Tuesday next . With these are associated tbe Duke of Abercorn , Grand Master of Ireland , Sir M . R . Shaw-Stewart , Bart ., Grand Master Mason of Scotland , the

Earl of Rosslyn , Past Grand Master of Scotland , who has taken , and will again take , a foremost place in the organisation of tbe Fund ; tbe Chiefs of , including tbose already mentioned , over twenty Masonic Provinces—some of them Scotch—and tbe Deputy Chiefs of as many more ,

together with a strong array of Grand and Provincial Grand Officers Past and Present ; and numerous influential hretbren in tbe metropolis and in tbe country . Indeed , five-eighths of the English Provinces are represented by their respective Prov . Grand Masters and Deputy Prov .

Grand Masters—one or other or both of them ; so that tbe extent and distribution of the patronage shown augurs well not only for tbe success of next week ' s proceedings at Freemasons' Hall , but , what is still more important ,

for the future of tbe Fund . It will be strange , indeed , if , after next week and all these promises of support , the Royal Masonic Pupils' Assistance Fund does not find itself a most tangible entity when the Bazaar and Fancy Fair held in its aid are events of the past .

The opening ceremony , wbicb is fixed for one p . m . on Tuesday , will be attended witb some pomp and circumstance , and will be carried out by the Earls of Lathom and Rosslyn , accompanied by their respective Countesses , while the Lord Mayor , Sir F . Wyatt Truscott , Grand Junior

Warden , and the Sheriffs of London and Middlesex are to attend in state . During the ceremony a concert will be given under the direction of Bro . C . King-Hall . The patronesses include , in addition to the two ladies we bave named , tbe Duchess of Athole , the Countess Sidney

Inverurie , the Viscountess Doneraile , the Ladies Richard Grosvenor , Henniker , Arthur Hill , Mary Wilbrabam Egerton , Londesborougb , Daniel Gooch , H . St . John Halford , Ridley , F . Perkins , the Baroness Ferrieres , and the Lady Mayoress , as well as Madame

Fontaine-Beason , Mrs . J . Studholme Brownrigg , Mrs . C . J . Martyn , Mrs . T . W . Tew , Mrs . Gambier , Mrs . Langtry , Mrs . Cornwallis-West , & c . As for tbe entertainments wbicb will be given , there will be no lack of them ; indeed their number is legion , and the chief

difficulty wbicb tbe visitor will experience will doubtless be to see and enjoy them all , if his mind is a comprehensive one and bis energy and tbe time at his disposal proportionate ; or if the heig ht of bis ambition is less formidable , to discover which of the entertainments he can venture to

leave unnoticed so as to experience the minimum loss of enjoyment . We bave already mentioned the concert during the opening ceremony under Bro . C . King-Hall ' s direction . In addition an Orchestral Band , under Bro . W . J . Kent , will play selections in the large Hall from three to five p . m .

daily . A series of Recitals will be given under the direction of Bros . Edward Terry and Walter Joyce , who will be assisted by Bros . Charles Warner , Soutar , McLean , Charles Tinney , Messrs . Harry Paulton , Edward Righton , James Fernandez , Miss Violet Cameron , Miss Nelly Farren ,

Mrs . Keely , & c . The name of the last mentioned lady may be singled out for special notice without the slightest chance of exciting any feeling of jealousy on the part of the other artists . She is known to tbe present generation only by repute , as a veteran actress of years gone by , who was

almost , if not quite , without a rival in tbe class of characters she essayed . Only on rare occasions has she emerged from the life of retirement she has chosen to live for many years , so that tbe compliment she pays tbe Fraternity by assisting Bro . Terry is all the more worthy of our appreciation . Those wbo bave enjoyed the good fortune of hear-