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Festival Of The Boys' School.
FESTIVAL OF THE BOYS' SCHOOL .
rpHE third of the Masonic Charity Festivals of 1385 has - * - been celebrated , and the total contributions of the Craft for the year show a result which reflects the greatest credit on tho Order , find those who are enrolled under its
banner . The threo "Festivals which have been held during * the lash six months have produced a total of - £ 4-5 , 000 , which sum represents tho free offerings of the Craftsmen of England , on behalf of the three
Institutions founded for tho relief of the aged and the young of both sexes who , through calamity or misfortune , are compelled to seek assistance from their brother Masons , or from the brothers of their deceased parents . It is not
our present intention , however , to devote any lengthened remarks to the whole of this year ' s Masonic Charity work , that we reserve for a more convenient occasion ; we have more particularly to speak of tbe result of this
week ' s Festival , held on Wednesday , at the Crystal Palace , Sydenham , under the presidency of the Most Hon . the Marquis of Hartington , M . P ., Provincial Grand Master Derbyshire , on behalf of the Royal Masonie Institution for Boys .
Speaking generally , the Festival was a grand success ; but the result—in the form of the total contributions
announced—was somewhat disappointing , although in many quarters it was expected that a falling-off would be shown in this year ' s returns , as compared with those of the last . We have had occasion in recent issues to refer
to the causes which it was expected would affect the total of the Boys' School , and it is almost universall y admitted that the success of the other two Institutions is the main , if not tbe sole cause of the falling-off experienced
this week : —in other woi'ds , that there is " a limit to the means , if not the will , of the Masons of England , " in regard to the amounts they subscribe for tho Masonic Charities .
It must , as a matter of course , happen that one of the Institutions is each year lowest as regards total subscriptions—this year the turn has fallen to the Boys , next year it may be the Girls or the Benevolent : wo do not know of
the existence of any preference in the minds of Craftsmen generall y which should accord to one of the Institutions either a run of undue prosperity or the reverse . Certain it is that no real prejudice exists in the minds of English
Fremasons ; while it is also cerfca n that the Boys' School has lost none of that prestige whicb has played so important a part in raising it to its present high position . The lull of this year in the enthusiasm which has been . shown on behalf
° f the Boys' School is , we trust , hot the calm which proceeds the storm ; the storm which , if it does not come next year , will at least prove to us ere long that the sympathy of the Craft is still strong on behalf of the lads who look to English Freemasons for assistance in their hour of need .
The total of this year ' s contributions was announced ^ the Festival as £ 11 , 746 10 s , as compared with ~ H ° 60 subscribed last year , a falling off of some *^ , 300 odd , which can ill be spared at the present time , when
a large addition to the accommodation of the School 1 S all but completed and , as a consequence , an increased amount is needed to render the resources of the Institution available to their fullest extent . We are afraid that under ^ circumstances it will not be possible for the Preparatory ° hooI to be opened as early as was anticipated , so that
Festival Of The Boys' School.
the falling off will almost immedtnt ily make itself felt throughout the country , thus leading to the hope that it will be more than counterbalanced at the corresponding Festival of 1886 .
This year ' s Board of Ste . vards comprised the names of 275 brethren , of whom 87 representel London Lodges , 30 were unattached , 156 acted on behalf of Provincial Lodges ,
one represented the Royal Order of Scotland , and one the Foreign Stations . Small as these numbers are in comparison with what we have been accustomed to in tho past ; the number of small lists among them is even
more conspicuous , but small as many of the individual totals undoubtedly aro , they arc not to be despised . Certain it is each Steward has done his best , and all Ave can ask them to clo is to serve again , —and do better . We wovild ,
however , respectfully point out to those Stewards whose lists consist of their own donations only that it Ought to be comparatively easy to secure at least a similar donation to their own with which to swell their totals . If this had
been accomplished in each ease where a Steward ' s own donation stands alone on the record this year ' s result wonld have beon a different one . We heartily approve the principle which induces a brother who decides to
quality as a Life Governor also undertaking the duties of a Stewardship , but hope it will never come to be recognised that those dnties cease as soon as a personal donation is entered on the list . Let every Freemason qualify as Life
Governor , or otherwise , of each of the Masonic Institutions , and let as many of them as choose give their names as Stewards for the Anniversary Festivals , but in doing so Set it be remembered there are responsibilities attached to
a Stewardship which have been recognised by the Institutions , each of which gives votes in return for " services rendered , " for it must be distinctly understood that the
Stewardship votes are in no way associated with the Stewardship fee , which is in every way distinct from the Institution itself , being appropriated solely to the actual expenses of the Annual Festival .
There are , however , a large number of lists which give evidence of wide and persistent efforts , and we may briefly refer to the highest of these . Among the London Lists there are thirteen of three figure totals ; Mrs . Cama
( 1642 ) £ 220 10 s , Wm . Roebuck ( Committee Dinner Club ) £ 210 , James Willing Jan . ( 1987 ) £ 169 17 s , W . A . Scurrah ( 167 ) £ 157 70 s , G . A . Barclay ( 1608 ) £ 136 10 s , Robert Pierpoint ( 177 ) £ 133 Is , W . Burdett-Coutts ( 2030 ) £ 126 5 s , Adolphns Stong ( 141 ) £ 110 10 s , W .
Williams ( 1791 ) £ 110 5 s , C . H . Phillips ( 1986 ) £ 106 lis , James Chapman ( 194 ) £ 105 , Horace B . Marshall , CO ., £ 105 , Millner Jutsum ( 95 ) £ 101 17 ? . The Provinces show 16 three figure lists ; amoig them Geo . Rice Bolton ( 1314 , Kent ) £ 432 12 s , A G Prince and
W . H . Bailey ( Province of Staffordshire ) £ 338 2 s , J . K Curteis ( Devonshire ) £ 257 10 s , Percy Wallis ( 850 , Derby , shire ) £ 250 , D . C . Jones ( Province of South Wales , East ) £ 200 , Joseph Pym ( 7 S 7 , D-rbyshire ) £ 170 , T . Young
Strachan ( Province of North u nberland ) £ 102 15 s , H . W . H . Elwes ( 1452 , Suffolk ) £ 143 17 s , W . J . Nosworthy ( Province of Somersetshire ) £ 136 10 s , Fitzherberfc Wright and J . Allen ( 1324 , Derbyshire ) £ 182 2 ?
J . MacLeod ( 1661 , Nottinghamshire ) £ 120 , John H . Lawson ( 1235 , Derbyshire ) £ 110 5 s . The Steward of the Royal Order of Scotland also figures for a three-figure total , in a round £ 100 . We give elsewhere a full list of the Stewards , and the amounts collected by eich , while
Note: This text has been automatically extracted via Optical Character Recognition (OCR) software.
Festival Of The Boys' School.
FESTIVAL OF THE BOYS' SCHOOL .
rpHE third of the Masonic Charity Festivals of 1385 has - * - been celebrated , and the total contributions of the Craft for the year show a result which reflects the greatest credit on tho Order , find those who are enrolled under its
banner . The threo "Festivals which have been held during * the lash six months have produced a total of - £ 4-5 , 000 , which sum represents tho free offerings of the Craftsmen of England , on behalf of the three
Institutions founded for tho relief of the aged and the young of both sexes who , through calamity or misfortune , are compelled to seek assistance from their brother Masons , or from the brothers of their deceased parents . It is not
our present intention , however , to devote any lengthened remarks to the whole of this year ' s Masonic Charity work , that we reserve for a more convenient occasion ; we have more particularly to speak of tbe result of this
week ' s Festival , held on Wednesday , at the Crystal Palace , Sydenham , under the presidency of the Most Hon . the Marquis of Hartington , M . P ., Provincial Grand Master Derbyshire , on behalf of the Royal Masonie Institution for Boys .
Speaking generally , the Festival was a grand success ; but the result—in the form of the total contributions
announced—was somewhat disappointing , although in many quarters it was expected that a falling-off would be shown in this year ' s returns , as compared with those of the last . We have had occasion in recent issues to refer
to the causes which it was expected would affect the total of the Boys' School , and it is almost universall y admitted that the success of the other two Institutions is the main , if not tbe sole cause of the falling-off experienced
this week : —in other woi'ds , that there is " a limit to the means , if not the will , of the Masons of England , " in regard to the amounts they subscribe for tho Masonic Charities .
It must , as a matter of course , happen that one of the Institutions is each year lowest as regards total subscriptions—this year the turn has fallen to the Boys , next year it may be the Girls or the Benevolent : wo do not know of
the existence of any preference in the minds of Craftsmen generall y which should accord to one of the Institutions either a run of undue prosperity or the reverse . Certain it is that no real prejudice exists in the minds of English
Fremasons ; while it is also cerfca n that the Boys' School has lost none of that prestige whicb has played so important a part in raising it to its present high position . The lull of this year in the enthusiasm which has been . shown on behalf
° f the Boys' School is , we trust , hot the calm which proceeds the storm ; the storm which , if it does not come next year , will at least prove to us ere long that the sympathy of the Craft is still strong on behalf of the lads who look to English Freemasons for assistance in their hour of need .
The total of this year ' s contributions was announced ^ the Festival as £ 11 , 746 10 s , as compared with ~ H ° 60 subscribed last year , a falling off of some *^ , 300 odd , which can ill be spared at the present time , when
a large addition to the accommodation of the School 1 S all but completed and , as a consequence , an increased amount is needed to render the resources of the Institution available to their fullest extent . We are afraid that under ^ circumstances it will not be possible for the Preparatory ° hooI to be opened as early as was anticipated , so that
Festival Of The Boys' School.
the falling off will almost immedtnt ily make itself felt throughout the country , thus leading to the hope that it will be more than counterbalanced at the corresponding Festival of 1886 .
This year ' s Board of Ste . vards comprised the names of 275 brethren , of whom 87 representel London Lodges , 30 were unattached , 156 acted on behalf of Provincial Lodges ,
one represented the Royal Order of Scotland , and one the Foreign Stations . Small as these numbers are in comparison with what we have been accustomed to in tho past ; the number of small lists among them is even
more conspicuous , but small as many of the individual totals undoubtedly aro , they arc not to be despised . Certain it is each Steward has done his best , and all Ave can ask them to clo is to serve again , —and do better . We wovild ,
however , respectfully point out to those Stewards whose lists consist of their own donations only that it Ought to be comparatively easy to secure at least a similar donation to their own with which to swell their totals . If this had
been accomplished in each ease where a Steward ' s own donation stands alone on the record this year ' s result wonld have beon a different one . We heartily approve the principle which induces a brother who decides to
quality as a Life Governor also undertaking the duties of a Stewardship , but hope it will never come to be recognised that those dnties cease as soon as a personal donation is entered on the list . Let every Freemason qualify as Life
Governor , or otherwise , of each of the Masonic Institutions , and let as many of them as choose give their names as Stewards for the Anniversary Festivals , but in doing so Set it be remembered there are responsibilities attached to
a Stewardship which have been recognised by the Institutions , each of which gives votes in return for " services rendered , " for it must be distinctly understood that the
Stewardship votes are in no way associated with the Stewardship fee , which is in every way distinct from the Institution itself , being appropriated solely to the actual expenses of the Annual Festival .
There are , however , a large number of lists which give evidence of wide and persistent efforts , and we may briefly refer to the highest of these . Among the London Lists there are thirteen of three figure totals ; Mrs . Cama
( 1642 ) £ 220 10 s , Wm . Roebuck ( Committee Dinner Club ) £ 210 , James Willing Jan . ( 1987 ) £ 169 17 s , W . A . Scurrah ( 167 ) £ 157 70 s , G . A . Barclay ( 1608 ) £ 136 10 s , Robert Pierpoint ( 177 ) £ 133 Is , W . Burdett-Coutts ( 2030 ) £ 126 5 s , Adolphns Stong ( 141 ) £ 110 10 s , W .
Williams ( 1791 ) £ 110 5 s , C . H . Phillips ( 1986 ) £ 106 lis , James Chapman ( 194 ) £ 105 , Horace B . Marshall , CO ., £ 105 , Millner Jutsum ( 95 ) £ 101 17 ? . The Provinces show 16 three figure lists ; amoig them Geo . Rice Bolton ( 1314 , Kent ) £ 432 12 s , A G Prince and
W . H . Bailey ( Province of Staffordshire ) £ 338 2 s , J . K Curteis ( Devonshire ) £ 257 10 s , Percy Wallis ( 850 , Derby , shire ) £ 250 , D . C . Jones ( Province of South Wales , East ) £ 200 , Joseph Pym ( 7 S 7 , D-rbyshire ) £ 170 , T . Young
Strachan ( Province of North u nberland ) £ 102 15 s , H . W . H . Elwes ( 1452 , Suffolk ) £ 143 17 s , W . J . Nosworthy ( Province of Somersetshire ) £ 136 10 s , Fitzherberfc Wright and J . Allen ( 1324 , Derbyshire ) £ 182 2 ?
J . MacLeod ( 1661 , Nottinghamshire ) £ 120 , John H . Lawson ( 1235 , Derbyshire ) £ 110 5 s . The Steward of the Royal Order of Scotland also figures for a three-figure total , in a round £ 100 . We give elsewhere a full list of the Stewards , and the amounts collected by eich , while