Contents.

CONTENTS .

LEADER— PAGE The Boys' School Festival ... ... ... ... ... 33 ' Festival of the Royal Masonic Institution for Boys ... ... ... 331 Distribution of Prizes at the Boys'School ... ... ... ... 336 Provincial Grand Mark Lodge of Cheshire ... ... ... ... 337

MASONIC NOTESH . R . H . the Piince of Wales ' s Hospital Fund ... ... ... 339 Festival of the Mark Benevolent Fund ... ... ... ... 339 Provincial Grand Lodge of Kent ... ... ... ... 339 Correspondence ... ... ... ... ... ¦•• 340 Reviews ... ... ... ... ... ... ... 340 Provincial Grand Lodge of Kent ... ... ... ... ... 340

Royal Masonic Institution for Girls ... ... ... ... ... 341 Masonic Thanksgiving Service at Battle ... ... ... ... 341 Craft Masonry ... ... ... ... ... ... 34 : Mark Masonry ... ... ... ... ... ... 343 Cryptic Masonry ... ... ... ... ... ... 343 Obituary ... ... ... ... ... ... ... 34 . ' Masonic and General Tidings ... ... ... ... ... 343

The Boys' School Festival.

THE BOYS' SCHOOL FESTIVAL .

That there would be a considerable falling off in the donations and subscriptions to the 99 th Anniversary Festival of the Royal Masonic Institution for Boys was very generally anticipated , and some there may havc been who doubted if the

same total would be realised as in 1892 , when thc Benevolent Jubilee obtained such a magnificent amount of support . But taking all thc circumstances into consideration—that it came last in order of the three Masonic Festivals of the year ; that

Jubilee Subscriptions for every kind of Charitable Institution have been thc order of the day during the whole of this present year , 1897 ; and last , but not least , that it is the Festival immediately preceding the Centenary of the School ,

when every lodge is anxious to be among the donors or subscribers and every brother among thc Stewards—we look upon the celebration on Wednesday as a considerable success . The Chairman pressed thc claims of the Institution upon his

audience very eloquently ; his Province did exceedingly well —better , indeed , than at any previous Festival with thc proceedings of which we are familiar—and London and several of the other Provinces supported Cumberland and

Westmorland both loyally and generously . Hence we congratulate most heartily on the result of Wednesday ' s gathering , the Right Hon . Lord IT . CAVENDISH BENTIKCK , M . P ., ancl his Province ; the Board of Stewards generally , and those who so readil y

responded to their efforts ; the presiding authorities and the Secretary of the Institution ; and if the total is small by comparison with some of those to which Bro . MCLEOD lias

accustomed us , we know well there will be ample compensation next year , when thc School celebrates the centenary of its foundation .

Festival Of The Royal Masonic Institution For Boys.

FESTIVAL OF THE ROYAL MASONIC INSTITUTION FOR BOYS .

The 99 h Anniversary of the establishment of the Royal Masonic Institution for Boys was celtbraled by a grar . d festival on Wednesday evening * , at the Holtl Cetil , when a con pany of neatly 700 ladies and brethren sat down to dinner , under Ihe presidency of B : o . Lord Henry Cavendish Bentinek , M . P ., Provincial Grand Master of Cumberland and Westmorland .

Among the brethren who supported his lordship were Bros . G . Richards , Dist . G . M . of the Transvaal ; Col . Sewell , D . P . G . M . Cumberland and Westirorland ; C . E . Keyser , P . G . D ., Treasurer of the Institution ; Dr . Jabez Hogg , P . G . D . ; J . E . Le Feuvre , P . G . D . ; Richard Eve , P . G . T . ; Major Woodall , P . G . T . ; George Everett , P . G . T . ; John Glass ; Lennox

Festival Of The Royal Masonic Institution For Boys.

Browne , P . D . G . D . C . ; V . P . Freeman , Prov . G . Sec . Sussex ; Stanley J . A'tenborough , P . G . S . B . ; James Stephens , D . G . D . C . ; F . R . \ V . Midges , P . G . S . B ., Sec . R . M . I . G . ; Rev . H . A . Hebb , M . A ., He id Mister ; aij J . M . McLeod , Secretary of ths Institution . The usual toasts followed the di' . ner , and between the speeches Miss

Clara Samuel , Miss Emily Foxcroft , Bros . Sexton , Hist , F . iringlon , and Norcross , the Mcister Glee Singers , and Bro . Arthur Srrugnell , enlfirtamed the company with some excellent singing . Mr . Frederic Upton told so ne stoiies , and Bio . G . T . Miles played thc harp . Bro . Arthur S . rugnell was director , and Bro . J . Turle Lee , pianist .

Bro . Lord HENRY CAVENDISH BEXTIXCK in proposing the ( At toast , " Her Most Gracious Mijestythe Queen , " said list week we witnessed in London , he should say , the most wonderful demonstration of loyalty thit this world had ever S 2 en . He thought the great love and devotion of the people of this country for their rulers wa ; not only a most won ierful but a most touching thing . To what was that love due 1 To his mind the peop ' e of England and the Colonies cf the Empire loved and trusted their O leen

simply because they felt her Majesty knew and trusted her peop ' e . Bit wondeiful as was the demonstration ef loyalty in loadon , it was eq ulled in enthusiasm all over the world . Whether they looked to India , Australia , Canada , or the remotest parts of her Majesty ' s Dominion ; , wherever Englishmen were gatheied together they g . we greit pars wal thank ; to the Oueen as being the ruler of the greatest and most beneficent Empire the woild had ever seen . The toast was drunk most enthusiaHic illy .

Bro . Lord HENRY CAVENDISH BENTINCK in proposing " H . R . H . the Prince cf VVales , K . G ., M . W . G . M ., President uf the ' institution , the Princess of Wales , aud the ether me'i'b rs of the Royal Family , " sa d great as was the popularity of H . R . H . the Prince of W . 1 A and also the Princess c » f Wales , he doubted whether there was any gum ring in England where their names would be received svith more tnthusia ; n thin they al v ws

were in gatherings of Freemasons . ( Applause . ) . Tae P . mee of Wiles was not only tire titular chief of Freemasons , but , considering tlie multiplicity < f his engagements the brethren wo nil all agree that he wis a wonderfully hard working chief as well . Masons were as a bodv vjry grateful to him , the Duke of Connaught , anrl the rust of the R iyal Ei . mil / for the support vvhich they nave the daft . B eihren had only lo go

abroad to any European nation and whnrsr the attitude whirh was takea up by a bedy similar to this to experience the support they gave the Order , and he was very glad that the Grar . d L * dgc w is p ' . e v ; ; 1 ; vs a sm \ 'l return for 1 lie very many kindnesses the brethren had rce \ iv ; d lorn the Prin ; e of Whles to grant £ 2 : 00 to the Prince of W . des ' s H ispiral Fan *! . This toast was like . vise enthusi is : ically received .

Lord HENRY CAVENDISH BENTINCK nrxt proposed " Toe Ri ght Hon . the Earl of Lathom , G C . B ., M . VV . Pro G . M . ; the Right Hon . the Earl Amherst , R . VV . Deputy G . M ., Patrons of the Institu ' . ioa ; and the rest of the Grand Officers , Present and Past . " Th . t was a toast which he knew was always well received in a gathering of M isons . Those who were ie ponsible for the government of that great body—Freemasonry—had no

easy task and no light duty , and he thought the brethren ought always to bear in mind that the Craft ought to look on them with feelings of gratitude . He should say Lord Lathom was quite one of the most popular Masons in England . Nobody did more for the cause , and nobody added greater grace and dignity to the proceedings of Ma * onry . Tne brethren were fortunate in having with them that night Bro . George Rchards , District Grand Mister of the Transvaal , and he was sute they would give him a most enthusiastic

reception . Bro . Richards had just informed him that luiglish Freemasonry in Africa was in a most flourishing condition . Besides the English lodges , there were Dutch lodges there . lie could not imagine any country in the world where Freemasonry had a better field for ils labours than in the Transvaal , and he hoped lhat Bro . Richards would soon return to Africa , and help to bring about a better feeling in that country , and brotherhood of all Masons and all while men .

The toast was cordially drunk . Bro . GEORGE RICHARDS , Dist . G . M . Transvaal , in acknowledging the toast , taid until he came into the hall that evening he was not aware that to his hands would be entrusted the honour of respoiding to that toast , and he must ask the brethren to bear with his shortcomings , because he was afflicted wilh that modesty which was characteristx of all Colonial Masons .

Under ordinary circumstances he would bave infinitely preferred to sit during the Festival and have been content to listen to what others slid . But as it was , he would like to show his gratitude by saying'a few words to that assembly , to thank the company for thc he . ir . y manner in which they had received the toast . He might feel himself in somewhat of an unique position , because he carried the badge of F lghsh Freemasonry in a Sate where the Erglish 11 ig did not fly . In returning thanks for the Grand

Ofiicers , he wished also to tender his gratef . il th inks to the Srewards of that Institution , and particularly to his friend and brother , Morrison McLeod , for the very kii d invitation and the great hospitality they had extended lo him and his wil ' s at the R iyal Masonic Institution for Boys . He was sorry his wife was not now present , because in the Transvaal she took a great inlerest in the cause of the Masonic Charities and Education , therefore , he begged to couple wilh his thanks for the Grand Ollicers those of his wife , which enabled him to feel more like a brother in a friend ' s house under the present invitation . The festival they were celebrating that