Oyal Masonic Institution

OYAL MASONIC INSTITUTION

FOR GIRLS . ST . JOHN'S HILL , S . W . OFFICE , 5 , FREEMASONS' HALL , GT . QUEEN ' -ST ., W . C .

Patron and President : H . R . H . THE PRINCE OF WALES , K . G ., etc ., M . W . G . M . Patroness : H . R . H . THE PKI . VCESS OF WALES . At a meeting of the House Committee , held on thc 20 th May last , it was resolved , on the motion of Bro . E . Letchworth , seconded by Bro . J . A .

Rucker"That , with the view of perpetuating in years to come the memory of one who , for considerably more than half a century , has most deservedly enjoyed the esteem and respect of all connected with this Institution , the success and prosperity of which is in no small measure due to her able management , as well

as her gentle and thoughtful influence and example , a subscription , limited to One Guinea , be set on foot for the purpose , with Miss Janvood ' s permission , of having that lady ' s portrait painted by an artist of eminence , to be placed on the walls oi the Institution . "

The valued services of Miss Jarwood are too well known to need further notice here . Admitted a pupil of the Institution as long ago as 1 S 19 , she has ever since remained a member of the Establishment . After having acted for nearly thirty years , as assistant to the late Matron , Mrs . F . Crook , she was unanimously

elected on that lady s death in 1 S 54 , to the post she now fills , and which it is hoped she may long continue to occupy . In the present proposal the Committee are but following a precedent established in 1 S 44 , when the very admirable portrait of the late Matron , which hangs on thc wall of the Dining Hall , was painted , pursuant to a resolution of the

then Committee " for the purpose of having some lasting memento of the services rendered by that lady . " Those who may desire to co-operate in raising the funds necessary to carry out the present proposal , are invited to forward their subscriptions to any one of the following brethren constituting the Committee , against whose name an asterisk is placed .

HONORARY TREASURER . * CREATON , Lieut .-Col . J ., J . P ., Treasurer and Trustee , 7 , Sidney Place , South Kensington , S . W .

HONORARY SECRETARY . * LETCHWORTH , E ., V . Pres ., SS , St . James's Street , S . W .

Aciams , H . J ., V . Pat . Ames , George A . * BaiIey , W . Barron , E . Jackson , I , S . A ., V . Pros .

Botton , T . Dolling , V . Pat . Bowyer , Edgar , V . Pres . Burdett , Lieut .-Col . Sir 1 •" ., Bart ., J . P ., Trustee . Burnell . i :. H . ^ Chancellor , J . C , V . Pres .

Clabon , J . _! ., V . Pat . * Clutton , R . G ., V . Pres . * Cutbush , James . "Dicketts , Herbert , V . Pres . ? Dubois , H . A . ? Faulkner , John .

Fen . , Thomas , V . Pat . Florence , Ernest B . Grcetham , Thomas . * Hamerton , Charles . * Hedges , F . R . VV ., Sec . to

the Institution . •Hill , Mr . Alderman Thos ., LP ., V . Pres . Hope , William , M . D . ? Kenning , George , V . Pat . ? Kingston , Thomas .

Lambert , George , V . Pat . * l , ev .. __ er , H . C , V . Pres . •Long , Peter de Lande . * Mat ' her , E . C , V . Pres . Matthews , J . II ., V . Pres .

Middlcton , John E . Moutrie , C . •Nunn , Joshua , V . Pres . •Pans , William . Parkinson , J . C , V . Pat . Peacock , T . F .

* Peters , Lieut .-Col . James . Ramsay , F . W . H ., M . D . * Ric ! iar _ son , Frank , V . Pres . Robbins , Rev . J ., D . D . •Roebuck , William . 9 Rucker , John A ., V . Pat .

•Smith , Griffiths , V . Pres . •Smith , Henry , V . Pres . Spooner , Edward . •Tattershall , A . H . •Tomlinson , W . II . B ., J . P .

•Venn , Henry . •Webster , R . B ., V . Pres . Wilson , Erasmus , V . Pat . Woodford , Rev . A . F . A ., M . A . 'Wordsworth , John .

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TO OUR READERS . THE FJ - EE . M . ISOX is j > i . b JJ . ^ Jjcd every Friday morning , price 3 . 1 ., and contains thc fullest ami latest information relating to Freemasonry in every degree . Subscriptions , including Postage : — ' United States . T ,. ,., . h . ,. United Kingdom . Canada , the Conti- In , 1 ' ?» i " ? ' ™ tra ,, a . ne » t , & c . Ncu-Zealand , & c . 13 s . 15 s . 6 d . 17 s . 6 d . Rcmittances may he made in Stamps , hut Post Olfice Orders or Cheoucs are preferred , th . ' farmer payable to T-KOKIIK KKSXINO , Chief OlVice , London , the Utter crossed London joint Stock Wank .

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TO ADVERTISERS . THE FKEESMMO . V has a large circulation in all part y of ihe Olnbe . In ittheollicial Reports of the Crnnd Lodges of Kngiand , Ireland , and Scotland are published with the special sanction of the respective Grand Masters , and it contains a complete record of . Masonic work in tin * CIMUIIM , our Indian Ijnpire , anil the Colonies . The vast accession to thc ranks of the Order during the past feu * years , and the increasing interest manifested in its doings , has given the Frevmasnn a position and influence which few journals can lay claim to , : u \ d tin ; proprietor can assert with confidence , that announcements appearing in its columns challenge the attention of . 1 very large and influential body of readers . Advertisements fnr the current week ' s issue are received up to six o ' clock on Wednesday evening .

Books, &C., Received.

BOOKS , & c ., RECEIVED .

"The Australian Freemason , " "The Freemason " ( Sydney ) , "The National Baptist , " "The New Zealand Freemason , " " First Report of the Devon Masonic Educational Fund , " "Sunday Times , " "The Masonic Herald , " "Allen's Indian Mail , " "Boletin Official del Grand Orient

de Espana , " "The Cosmopolite Cabinet , " "The Times of Natal , " "Der Long Islaender , " "Broad Arrow , " "Croydon Guardian , " "Hatters' Gazette , " "The Citizen , " "Bulletin du Grand Orient de France , " "Jewish Chronicle , " " Hull Packet , " " Morning Advertiser , " " The Canadian Craftsman , " "The Egyptian Gazette , " "New Yorker Bundes-Presse , " " The Masonic Review . "

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THEFREEMASON. SATURDAY , AUG . 7 , 1880 .

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WE think it is impossible but , from time to time , all who stud y the past and present history of Freemasonry , who realize its complex system or are conversant with its component parts , must feel how very peculiar and remarkable a Society it is , and

how much it really does in its own quiet and unostentatious manner for the welfare of the Brotherhood , for thc happiness of mankind . There have beeii those in past times , there are some at the present liour , who can and will see no good in Freemasonry ,

and who ever attribute to it the most unwholesome teaching , thc most hurtful practices , and the most nefarious designs . And yet , as a distinguished brotlier once remarked to us , " on how very little does it do a great deal . " We talk , for instance ,

often g libl y enough of tlie magnificent "outcome of our Charitable Festivals , and a very magnificent " outcome " it assuredly is . But do we ever sit down carefully lo calculate or consider what efforts , nay , what sacrifices , often have conspired to render

this or that festival such a wonderful success ? Wc thinly not , we trow not . On the contrary , b y a good many all these things are looked upon as almost a matter of course , part of the normal life of Rnglish Freemasonry to da ) ' ; and yet they

represent an " unknown quantity of mentallabour , of corporeal exerlion , of living and personal zeal for the honour , interest , benevolence of Freemasonry . Now , we do not mean to say that there are no " spots " on our feasts of charity , no weak

points in our armour , no anomalies which need redress , no reforms which ask for adoption . On the contrary , the Freemason has always sought to point out that , striking and salutary as is the example afforded by thc beneficent exertions

of Knglish Freemasonry , there arc yet undercurrents existent which seem to point to possible injury to the cause of true charity , influences at work which , unless checked and controlled , may do serious damage , not only to tlie

cause of Masonic charily generally , but lo the specific claims of our great metropolitan Institutions . One is , 1 system of lotteries much in vogue recently , which though on the face of it and at llie first flush beneficial to the Charities , as a mere

question of £ s . d ., must end in doing grave injury to them one and all , in that it saps and corrupts tlie true principle of Masonic giving , and is in itself positively a sham and a delusion , alike in

what it professes lo do as in what it actually accomplishes . The theory o giving to the Masonic Charities is twofold , first as an act of duty as a Freemason , secondly , as an act of legitimate qualification or interest in a certain well-known

Institution . And thus , for a certain sum , honestly given as an act of conscientious conviction , Bro . A B or Bro . C D receives a certain number of votes for his own kindly , and consistent , and loyal sup-. „ r _ .... 1 .. _ I . I „ M :.. r . :... 11 ... ... i ,... :.. of valuable Masonic But what is

port a Charity . the principle of the Masonic sweep ? Just tlie very reverse , l'or it appeals lo that innate selfishness of us all b y which , for a small venture , we hope to obtain exorbitant gains . It is the very

princip le condemned by tlie lottery act ; 111 that it is really nothing less than the action of gambling , per se , and brings with it much that is incongruous , and grotesque , and prejudicial to Masonic professions . I ' or we nole that votes are given to Bro . Q O ,

or R N , or S K , not because cither of them has paid his qualifying payment , but because , forsooth , he has won a prize in a lottery , for which he had paid two sliillings and sixpence , or even oue shilling . Can the force of absurdity any further go ? Were such a system as this to extend itself amongst

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us , we cannot shut our eyes to the certainty that tlie whole principle of Masonic g iving to the Charities will be most seriously affected . Wc are assuming here that thc arrangement is , as it often is , one of a mere' lottery per se . We are aware that

there is another system of procedure in vogue , which , perhaps , can only be fairly termed a quasi lottery . But wc object to the whole system , in that it subserves mainly individual notoriety . But here we stop to day ; we shall continue tliese "lucubrations " at an early date .

* * WE often talk of " contrasts " just now , in rebus Masonicis , and the " laudatores temporis acti " are always many in Masonry and out of Masonry . But , perhaps , there is no one point in which the

" contrast " is so great and noteworthy as in thc case of our metropolitan Charities . We were looking into the old Freemasons' Magazine , Vol . IX ., 179 8 , the other day , when we stumbled over the following paragraph , which wc commend to the

notice of our readers : " London , Wednesday , " July 5 , 1797- —This day the Society of Free " and Accepted Masons , under the Constitution " of England , ( His Royal Highness the Prince of " WALES being Grand Master ) , held their annual

" feast , at Canonbury House , under the direction " of the Lodge of Country Stewards . The lodge " was opened in the anti-chamber , whence the pro" cession in all due Masonic form , with splendid " regalia , passed into ( he large room , where a most

" numerous and respectable assembly of brethren " was collected . Thc chair was taken b y Alder" man NKWKHAM , supported on the ri ght by the " Worshipful Bro . Counsellor DOWNING , Provin" cial Grand Master of the Count ) ' of Essex ; and

" on the left by Bro . K . DoWLING , Senior Master " of the Lodge of the Three Grand Princi ples . " Bro . WiXGi'iRLD , Master of thc Lodge of " Country Stewards , and Bro . J DOWLING , " Past Master of the same lodge , officiated as

" Wardens . The exertions of the Stewards were " not confined to the present gratification of their * ' numerous friends then assembled , they opened " an additional source of pleasure by the produc" lion of several subscriptions to thc Female

" Charity School , under the protection of Her " Royal Highness the Duchess of CUMUKRLAND . " On this occasion thc Venerable Master of the " Jvnights Templar , Captain HANNAM , was re" spectably conspicuous in bringing the collection

" of ten guineas from his chapter . The meeting " was honoured with the presence of many Grand " Stewards , and the whole was conducted with all " that order , harmony , and friendship which the " princip les of tlie Royal (" raft enforce , and by

" which it is thc pride and the wish of every good " Mason to regulate Iiis life and actions . " The amount is not stated tlien collected—probabl y £ 50 would represent the whole . But as it is often remarked , tliough the observation is not new ,

" Times change and we change with them . " In this respect , at any rate , even thc most cynical and grumbling Bro . " Diogenes" amongst us will scarcely deny the fact that the contrast is both p leasant and to the good in every way . So mote it always be .

* * IT is vcrv odd iww tlie idea of "personality " clings to every movement , almost , and act of Masonic journalism . We cannot often propound a theory or carry on any argument ; we cannot

admit this report or insert that letter , but there immediately " crops up " thc fact or complaint of personality . Why should this be so ? Are Freemasons so thin skinned , so fidgety , so pugnacious , that they cannot endure the least criticism , or

tolerate the least opposition ? In the Freemason we have always tried to steer clear of personalities . But such is the tendency of all discussion in thc press , so "trenchant" are tlie remarks of one ,

so angry ( he sentences of another , that the best natured men in the world outside thc press , the moment they get pen in hand , and seek to appear "in print , " seem often to forget all forbearance , kindness , friendliness , Masonry , and

degenerate at once into captious critics , unreasoning partizans , hot blooded antagonists . Wc leave to Masonic philosophers and psychologists to tell us