The Approaching Election For The Boys' School.

THE APPROACHING ELECTION FOR THE BOYS' SCHOOL .

THE candidates approved for the April election of the Boyal Masonic Institution for Boys—which election •will take place on Monday , the 16 fch proximo—are , as usnal , far in excess of the number eligible to compete at

the corresponding contest of the Sister Institution , for ¦ whereas in the latter case there are forty-two approved candidates , in that of the Boys' School there are sixty-five . Fortunately , however , on this occasion the number of

vacancies is also greater in the case of the Boys' School , the number of candidates to be elected thereto being fifteen , while for the Girls' School , as we stated lasfc week , there are but eleven places to fill . But even with this

large number of declared vacancies for the Boys School , it will be seen that fifty of the candidates approved of as deserving must be rejected at the coming contest , because the funds of the Charity will not allow of an increase

being made in the number of pupils . This is the subject of regret in many quarters , but it must not be forgotten that the Institution already supplies education , food and

clothing to 258 sons of Freemasons , and thafc the sum annually required to meet the expenses in connection with this large family is nearly * £ 13 , 000 .

Among the sixty-five candidates eligible to compete at the election next month are two whose age will exclude them from further contests , if they are nofc then successful .

These are No . 33 , Arthur Oswald Crompton , and No . 37 , Sydney Hammersley Wakefield . Both of these lads come forward for the second time , the former with 348 votes to his credit , and the latter with 8 . Crompton is one of four children now dependent on the widow of a

brother initiated in the St . John ' s Lodge , No . 104 , Cheshire . The father , one of the founders of Prince Leopold Lodge , No . 1588 , and of the Urmsfcon Lodge , No . 1730 ; rose to the dignity of Pasfc Master , and received the collar of Provincial Grand Pursuivant in West

Lancashire . He once acted as a Steward for the Institution for

which his son is at present a candidate . The lad Wakefield is from Warwickshire , his father having been initiated in the Faithful Lodge , No . 473 , of which he became Senior Deacon . There are now three of his children dependent

on their mother , who was left a widow at the beginning of last year . The father was a Life Governor of the Boys ' School . We thus see that in each of these last application cases the fathers had made personal efforts to support the

Charity from whence aid is now sought , a fact thafc should not be overlooked by those subscribers who may yet have votes undisposed of . Both of these lads have the advantage

of strong Provinces at their backs , and we hope to find their names among those declared successful at the close of the poll .

The ballot paper for the Election contains a large number of those cases we have always considered as deserving of first consideration at the hands of the Craft , cases in which the applicants have neither parent living .

The present list contains five ; No . 29 , Charles Irwin Mossop , is one of two dependent children , left hy an initiate of the Sun , Square and Compasses Lodge , No . 119

m the Province of Cumberland aud Westmoreland , who also joined Kenlis Lodge , No . 1267 , in the same district . The lad was a candidate in October last , and on that occasion 2145 votes where polled on his behalf , thafc

The Approaching Election For The Boys' School.

number being only 84 shorfc of tho total credited to the thou lowest successful . We can bufc regret his application was unsuccessful after such a splendid result on a firsfc appeal , but his case was thereby rendered comparatively easy for the coming contest—his friends will doubtless be

able to make sure of his return nexfc month . No . 35 , Noel Chandos D'Oyley Foote , is likewise one of two parentless children , and , also makes a second application , coming forward with eleven votes to his credit . His father was

an initiate and Past Master of the Phoenix Lodge , No . 904 , West Yorkshire , and continued a member of the Craffc for close on twenty years . No . 49 , Walter Land , is one of

four left parentless ; his father was initiated in Perseverance Lodge , No . 213 , Norfolk . No . 60 , John Herault de Caen is one . of three dependent . The father was an

initiate of the Eoyal Alfred Lodge , No . 877 , Jersey , and subsequently joined St . John ' s , No . 454 , Ceylon , rising to the dignity of a Past Master in the Craffc . No . 03 , Ernest Edward Whale , is one of four left parentless . His father was an initiate and Pasfc Master of the Harmony

Lodge , No . 309 , Hampshire and Isle of Wight . These three lasfc named cases are new to the present list , bufc

bearing in mind the awfully sad state in which they have been left , we hope they will , wifch those previously referred to , each receive such support as shall entitle them fco a place in the School within the nexfc few weeks .

Eighteen of the remaining cases are accredited to London , while other two are connected with Metropolitan Lodges in association with outside districts . No . 31 , Ernest Murley , is one of eight dependent children , both of

whose parents are living . The father was an initiate of the Grosvenor Lodge , No . 1257 , and passed the chair in that Lodge , as he did that of Z . in Chapter No . 77 . He is a Life Governor of the three Institutions , and has acted as Steward for each . His son was a candidate in October ,

and on thafc occasion 384 votes were polled on his behalf . No . 16 , Arthur Hughes Crane , is one of a family of seven , left to the care of his mother . His father was initiated in the Royal Albert Lodge , No . 907 , and subscribed thereto for 144 years . The lad was a candidate afc the last

election , and at that contest 552 votes were recorded for him . No . 23 , Harry Lawrence , is somewhat similarly circumstanced . He also is one of seven children dependent on a widowed mother , and was a candidate at fche

last election . He brings forward 748 votes , and bearing in mind thafc his father was an initiate and for nearly twenty years a member of the Neptune Lodge , No . 22—a Lodge famous for its benevolence—there is little doubt of

the lad s ultimate success . We hope his friends will bo able to secure his election ere long . No 59 , Fred Wilson , is one of a family of seven , of whom two are partially

provided for . Both of the parents are living . The father was initiated in the Temperance Lodge , No . 169 , and became a Past Master thereof ; he is credited with various

donations to the Boys' School and to tho Benevolent Institutions , and returned as a member of the Craft for upwards of twelve years . No . 1 , Joseph Wood , now makes his sixth application , bringing forward 928 votes

from the elections in which he has taken part . He is one of six children dependent on their mother , who is fche widow of a brother initiated in the Finsbury Lodgo ,

No . 861 . No . 11 , Charles Ball , is also one of six dependents . His father was initiated in the Londesborough Lodge , No . 1681 , and rose to the office of Senior Deacon therein . The lad has taken parfc in two previous elections , and