The Festival.

services xendm * W & - ^^^! ne Master , and the manifest interest displayed by other members of the family . Tue next toast was that of the Pro Grand Master , the Deputy , and the ocher Grand Officers present and past . The Chairman felt he need not tell those assembled that the ordering and governing of a rapidly increasing organisation like the freemasons of England was no light task . The Earl of Lathom and his supporters had brought an amount of zeal

to the work that was highly appreciated . Both Lord Lathom and Lord Amherst were very old and valueu friends of his , but he was afraid he had had little opportunity of personally testifying to the way in which they performed their Masonic task ; yet he knew by repute that it had been well done . Friction occasionally arose and insubordination had to be curbed with , a strong hand , but he thought he was right in saying that there had been little or no need for the exercise of that power by the heads of

the English Craft . Brother Bramston Beach Provincial Grand Master of Hampshire had just been telling him—although he did not know that use would so shortly be made of the information—that he had been for a very long number of years a constant attendant at Grand Lodge , and , in the absence of the Grand Master , the Pro Grand Master and the Deputy , he had probably filled the chair of Grand Lodge more frequently than any other member of the Order . He was justified , then , in coupling the name of Brother Beach with the toast .

Bro . W . W . B . Beach , M . P ., replying on behalf of the distinguished Brethren with whose names he had the honour of being associated , returned thanks for the toast . It was a great distinction to be associated with such distinguished Masons as those mentioned by the Chairman . The Officers of Grand Lodge had a high function to perform , and in trying to fulfil their duties in the Order—no matter in what position they might be—they would have done something in their generation to advance the interests of the Eoyal Craft .

The next toast was that of Success to the Eoyal Masonic Institution for Boys . The Chairman , in proposing it , said he regarded it as the principle toast of the evening , and while he gave it with great pleasure , he assured the company he approached it with some amount of diffidence . They might easily imagine he approached at the present moment any question connected with schools or education with a certain amount of reluctance . The Government of which he had the honour to be a member , and

especially the department of which he was the official head , had lately made an attempt to reform and re-organise the system of both elementary and secondary education in our country , which had not met with unqualified success . He hoped that on a second attempt they might be more successful in those efforts ; but he thought that , after all that had passed during the last three weeks , they would understand with what a sense of relief it was , when looking over the Eeport of that Institution ,

he found it was not necessary for him to enter on any controversial questions connected with education , with which during a recent period he had only been too familiar . He was glad that that night he should not be called upon to say anything about county educational authorities or school boards , or about the intolerable strain of financial and other difficulties . He gathered , reading between the lines of a brief historical sketch of the Institution , which had been placed in their hands that

evening , that the management of the Institution had not always been so prosperous as he was happy to see it at the present time . The difficulties had been overcome and were now passed , and he thought they might now say that in recent years the progress of the Institution had not only been constant , but had also been rapid . During the period that had elapsed since he last had the honour of taking the chair on behalf of this Institution—in 1885—the number of boys upon the foundation had risen from 215 to

278 , an increase of 63 in the eleven years . He thought that the report of the Cambridge University Syndicate , which the Board of Management had wisely invited to examine into the whole of the School , showed that the education given there was of an eminently satisfactory character . It showed that the character of the education had been as progressive as the number of the boys who were availing themselves of the Institution , and it also showed that the boys in the School were receiving an excellent

middle-class education , including many branches of technical instruction , all being well qualified to ensure their success in any career which they might undertake of an industrial or commercial character . There had been , in recent years , a great improvement in the management of the School ; arrangements had been made to keep some of the boys beyond the age of 15 , and he was pleased to know that two Derbyshire lads had been found worthy to receive this privilege , which , it was hoped , would enable them

to take a higher position m the world , and would prove not only of value to the boys , but likewise creditable to the Institution . He thought the position of the Institution , if not exactly without a parallel , was at least a remarkable one . They were providing for the gratuitous education and the gratuitous maintenance of 278 boys , at an expenditure of between £ 12 , 000 and £ 13 , 000 a year . That was being done by an Institution possessing no assured income beyond some £ 1 , 700 or £ 1 , 800 a year derived from investments . The Board

of Management , however , were able to look forward to its continuance and its extension , because it was backed up the great organisation of the Masons of England . By means of that organisation the Institution had been in receipt of an income which not only had been amply sufficient to provide for its immediate needs , but had enabled it to make a gradual but constant addition to its invested funds , until now they had an investment of £ 60 , 000 , as against £ 17 , 000 when he presided on a similar occasion eleven years ago .

This was a record that did no small credit to the energy and benevolence of the Freemasons of England . The outside world might sometimes indulge in smiles at our symbols and our secrets , at our alleged convivial tendencies , or even , sometimes , at the peculiar costumes in which we appear , but a Society that can not only carry on such an Institution as he had referred to , but also other funds of equal or little less importance , might claim not only the respect , but the gratitude of the country . Like many

other Institutions this was outgrowing its home and its surroundings , and the claims made upon it taxed to the fullest extent the building it at present occupied . The ever increasing requirements of education have shown that the present quarters are too small , and the question arises , is it wise to expend more on the present site . The neighbourhood in which the School is situated is becoming more and more crowded , and the conviction has been rapidly growing that the Board of Management may at some future period have to consider the question of removing to

another site , and they cherish the hope that new buildings on a new site will enable them to carry on the work on more economical lines . There could be no doubt that such an emigration as he had suggested as possible in the near future would involve increased exertions on the part of the Masonic body , and he was very pleased it did not devolve upon him to make the appeal that would have to be made by one of his early successors in that chair . It was most essential that , prosperous as the Institution was , they should continue to persevere on its behalf , and ha would point to the facts he had mentioned to show there was no excuse for

The Festival.

any of them to relax their efforts in its interest . While wishing continued success to the Institution he felt their most sincere thanks were due to the Board of Management , whose labours alone had enabled the munificence of English Freemasons to produce the excellent results they had seen . Bro .. Eichard Eve P . G . Treas . Chairman of the Board of Management responded . He felt he was called upon to undertake a duty that he could but hope might have been in better hands . After the able , eloquent and

statesman-like speech of the noble Chairman ho felt he had little to say . He had often heard it said that in adversity it was very well to struggle , but there were few men who could bear prosperity . They were in a prosperous position , and the success of their Boys School had placed them in a difficulty to know how to uso the success they had won , in order to meet the approval of the Brethren of the Order throughout the country . It had been rightly said by the Chairman that they had out-grown their

house and surroundings , and that since he had previously the honour of presiding over one of their Festivals they had increased their funded property from £ 17 , 000 to £ 60 , C 00—but this increase had occurred in reality during the last seven years . Ihey had the tame School as before , but had constantly increased the number of their scholars and could not squeeze any more in . They had succeeded in boarding out some twenty of the children because they could not give them accommodation in the

School , and that was one of the difficulties of their success . The difficulty was for the Board of Management to know how to carry out the desired extension without a certain amount of loss . They had authority to sell the existing property and buy another site for the School , but they hesitated in performing that duty as they felt there might be some of the Brethren who believed they ought not to lose the present building . Far be it from him to desire to leave the old house , which had been the home of the boys of for

Freemasons over thirty years , but it was evident the School was not equal to the present requirements . He had the pleasure of being present when the foundation stone was laid , in 1863 , and it was then deemed quite ample for all the requirements of the period , but look upon Freemasonry as it was in 1 S 63 and as it is to-day—why , the Lodges had increased in hundreds and the Brotherhood in thousands . In 1863 there were seventy boys being educated by the Institution—to-day they had 278 . He might

point out that the house that contained a Brother and his wife would hot contain them when they had a large family grown up around them . He remembered it was a beautiful little spot when the foundation stone of the School was laid . It was a gentleman's house and they purchased it for £ 3 , 500 , but did it meet their requirements of to-day ? They could not add to the existing Institution , and were even then cramped for a playgroundon the occasion of a recent usit of Bro . Penley they were obliged to send

" Charley ' s Aunt" and his friends a mile away for a cricket field . He did not wish to trouble them with figures . He would rather keep the old house and even have another one , except that it was felt other plans would he more economical . They did not wish to take any step hastily , and wished to act in such a manner as to secure the good feeling of all the Brethren .

They would not depose of their present home unless they secured good remuneration , and at the same time he felt they were not fulfilling their trust unless they provided further means of accommodation . At the next election for boys only fourteen could be chosen , and at present there were fifty applicants . The Boaid ot Management were grateful for the thanks ten'dereu tLem , and asked for suggestions for developing the School .

Bro . J . M . McLeod , Secretary of the Institution , then announced the lists of subsciiptions . He said the Board comprised 512 Stewards , of whom 192 represented Louden Lodges , and 320 Provincial and outside ones . The London Stewards included 177 Brethren , 14 Ladies and 1 Lewis ; the other section 18 Ladies and three representatives from Foreign Stations . From London the principal list was that of Bro . Blanchard , who , as representative of the Star Lodge of Instruction , had secured a total of £ 250 ; he being followed by Bro . Meyers , acting for the Albion Lodge , No . 9 , whose list was

£ 241 10 s ; next in order was Bro . Arnold , of the Piccadilly Lodge , No . 2550 , who contributed £ 200 lis . After these , he was pleased to say , followed a large number of Stewards with , lists of upwards of £ 100 , among the number being Mrs . Penley and her son , Master W . A . S . Penley , each with personal donations of one hundred guineas . The result of the Festival was a total of £ 18 , 777 10 s , made up of £ 8 , 931 10 s from London and £ 9 , 846 from the Provinces and Foreign Stations . The announcement , it is hardly necessary to mention , was received with the heartiest applause .

Bro . W . W . B . Beach , M . P ., Provincial Grand Master Hants and Isle of Wight proposed the toatt of the Chairman . I heir noble President had many claims on their support and their good feeling . From his very earliest years he had devoted himself to public affairs , and had won high honour lor himself . Bro . Beach said he was one of the few remaining who witnessed the Ohaiiman ' s advent into the Commons of Parliament , where he won a position in public estimation thafc rank alone would never have secured

for him . His sensible judgment had found ready testimony in public opinion , and the Brethren might congratulate themselves most heartily that ; amidst the affairs of State , he found time to give up for the benefit of the Order , and to rule over one oi the most important Provinces of Freemasonry . The Chairman had placed before them the affairs of their School in a most able manner , and they should be grateful to him for the way in which he had advocated the claims of the Institution that day , and further congratulate *

him upon the success of his efforts . The toast was well received , three hearty cheers being given , with an extra one for the Duchess . The Duke of Devonshire replied . He would detain them for only a few minutes , to thank them most heartily for the toast and its reception , and particularly for the concluding cheer just given . He was glad of the opportunity of saying that although he was unfortunately unable to attend the School the day before , yet he was able to assure them that what the

Duchess saw at the Boys School afforded her the utmost satisfaction , and gave her the very highest opinion of what the Institution was doing for the boys in the School . Eeferring to the personal observations of Bro . Beach , he felt that whatever he had tried to do in other directions he had been but a very indifferent Freemason ; still , he thought that Freemasonry in Derbyshire had not suffered through any shortcomings on his part , for he had always been blessed with a Deputy who had done much more for it than he could ever have hoped to do .

The remaining toasts included "the other Institutions , " acknowledged by Bro . F . "R . W . Hedges , Secretary of the Girls School , " the Stewards " and "the Ladies , " these latter being coupled with the names of Bro . Major C . W . Carrell and Hugh E . Diamond respectively . The whole of the arrangements for the Festival were well carried out , and general success resulted . Bro . John Sayer had the provision of tha

banquet , and his efforts were also successful ; the company numbered some 500 Brethren and Ladies , and it may be imagined that the resources even of the Eoyal Pavilion were severely taxed , yet we think all were well supplied and thoroughly satisfied—if they were not it was certainly nofc the fault of Bro . Sayer , who carried out the duties of caterer with a most lavish liberality .