Craft Masonry.

institution takes precedence of the others in our annual summary , not because it is the oldest . —for both « ur Masonic Schools were founded years before its establishment was thought of ; or because it is the first favourite—for the brethren impartially distribute their support among the three : but for the simple but sufficient , reason that its Anniversary Festival is celebrated first in order of date

during the year . As regards this important event , it is necessary we should remind our readers that , in estimating the value of the result obtained , they must bear in mind that the effects of the tremendous spurt which was made in 1892 , in respect of the Jubilee Festival have not wholly ceased to lie felt . Nevertheless , when the

day appointed for the celebration—the 27 th February—under the auspices of Bro . Viscount Dungarvan . Prov . G . Master of Somersetshire , came round , there was an ample gathering round the festive board in Freemason ' s Tavern of the friends and supporters of the Institution , and the Board of 326 Stewards had the satisfaction of learning that the total sum raised bv their efforts amounted to

£ 14 , 113 6 s ., which sum was increased by the subsequent receipt of outstanding lists and additional contributions to £ 14 . 000 1 . 3 s . This showed an appreciable advance on the final total of the previous year , when the donations and subscriptions , including £ 1260 for a Perpetual Presentation to the-Male Fund reached only £ 13 , 086 6 s . 7 d . London , with 174 Stewards , gave £ 7624 9 s . ( id ., while the principal contributions among the Provinces were—in round figures—the

Chairman ' s Province of Somersetshire , £ 1658 : Suffolk , £ ( io ( j ; Hcitfordshirc . £ 452 : Berkshire , £ 451 ; West Yorkshire , £ 441 ; Durham , £ 331 ; Essex . £ 324 : Sussex , £ 321 : Leicestershire and Rutland , £ 300 ; Derbyshire . £ 297 . and Kent , £ 254 . Such a result was , of necessity , most gratifying to all interested in the success of this splendid Charity , and later in the year , when the Annual meeting of

the Prov . G . Lodge of Somersetshire was held . Bro . V iseount Dungarvan was presented by Bro . James Terry , the Secretary of the Institution on behalf of its Committee of Management , with a beautifullyilluminated address of thanks in album form in recognition of his services as Chairman . But the Festival produced something more in the way of tangible benefit to the Craft than ' the mere gratification

which results from a successful celebration , and when , on the 17 th May , the Annual Genera ] Meeting of the Governors and Subscribers was held in Freemasons' Tavern , the Committee of Management recommended , and the Governors and Subscribers unanimousl y accepted the recommendation that five additional male annuities should be created . Hence it followed that when the poll was opened

there were 20 male annuities to be competed for on this Fund instead of 15 , the number of candidates being 61 , while on the Widows ' Fund there were 20 vacancies to be filled from a list of 51 candidates , what are known as the three " deferred " annuities being included in the foregoing numbers . And when the poll was closed the establishment for each Fund was as follows : 200 men at £ 40 per

annum , £ 8000 ; 2-10 widows at £ 32 per annum , £ 7680 ; total of the two funds £ 15 , 680 ; to which must be added the sum of £ 600 , distributed among 30 widows , in receip t of half of their late husbands' annuities , raising the total devoted to annuities during the year to £ 16 , 2 S 0 . One other question of importance was mentioned in the Report of the Committee of Management . An

attempt had been made the previous year to obtain the sanction of Grand Lodge to such an amendment of certain laws of the Institution as would allow of lodges , chapters , and other corporate masonic bodies becoming Patrons and Vice-Patrons , but objections had been taken that the votes proposed to be conferred were excessive as compared with those granted by the Scholastic Institutions , and the

matter was referred back for further consideration to the Governors and Subscribers . Thereupon the Committee proposed , and a General Meeting on the 13 th February approved , such an amendment of the laws as would make -Jieir meaning and intent more clear , but omitting any provision for lodges , chapters , Ac , becoming Patrons

and Vice-Patrons , and this amendment was approved by Grand Lodge at its Quarterly Communication on the 6 th March , as also was « ii entirely new law giving the Committee of Management power to fill up any vacancies that mig ht occur on the Finance and House Committees . The other occurrences of the year need only to be

mentioned , very briefly . The Festival Stewards paid then usual visit of inspection to the Asylum at Croydon , and the Xciv Year ' s and Summer entertainments were given as usual to the '" mates , to whom also Grand Lodge was p leased to vote its annual ''" nation of £ 70 towards providing them with fuel during the winter months .

The Royal Masonic Institution for Girls has been similarly fortunate both as regards the support it has secured and the manner in which it has fulfilled its duties and responsibilities . The 107 th Anniversary Festival was held on the Sth May , under the presidency "f the Karl of Mount Kdgcumbe , Deputy Grand Master of Kngland , ' ' fov . Grand Master of Cornwall , when donations and subscriptions '" thu amount of £ 1 ( 5 . 016 6 s . ( id . were obtained . London , with

' * Stewards , contributing £ 7231 2 s .. and the Provinces , represented ' > . y 189 Stewards , £ ' 8785 4 , s . 6 d .. the chief contributories among the 'alter being the Chairman ' s Province , £ 75 ( 1—about the same amount ; is it gave when Lord Mount Edgrumbe presided at t he Jubilee of the I ' i'iievoleiit Institution ; Northumberland , the exceptionally large " . '"ii of £ 2 : 51 . 5 5 s . ; West Yorkshire , £ 921 : Sussex , £ 418 3 s . ' ; Hert'' "'dshire , £ 353 5 s . ( id . ; Ksscx , £ 307 2 s . C , d . ; and South Wales , |; -l > . ) £ 300 . As compared with the Festival of 1894 . when the

, ¦ '"v . Grand Master of West Lancashire occupied the chair , then l ( | 's a falling off lo the extent of upwards of £ 200 ( 1 , but this is to hi

Craft Masonry.

accounted for b y the difference in the strength of the two Provinces with which the Chairmen were associated , and partly by the fact that immense efforts were made in . 1894 in order to make good lhe deficiencies which had been caused by the less productive Festivals of 1893 and preceding years . At all events , the sum raised this year iilmost exactly equals the average of the last three Festival tola Is .

J lie distribution of prizes , which is always associated with ( he Festival , took ' place on the Monday immediately preceding the celebration of the latter , in the Alexandra Hall of the . Institution at Battersea Rise , the chair being occupied in the unavoidable absence of Lord Mount Kdgcumbe . by Bro . lhe Karl of Knston . Prov , Grand Master of Northants and Hunts , whose niece . Miss Sybil Hurbord .

very kindly took upon herself the , task of distributing the pviy . es . a task which it is almost needless to say she performed most gracefully . As for the elections , ( hey were held as usual at the Quarterly General Courts in April and November , the nnmber elected in April being 22 from a list of 41 candidates , and in October 1 . 8 from a list of 34 . At the January and July Courts , the business transacted was for the

most part of the ordinary character , but it should be mentioned that at the former meeting Miss Kernot , after a service of 43 years in various capacities , but since . 1880 as Sub-Matron , was awarded a retiring pension of £ ( i 0 per annum . The motion was brought forward b y Bro . Sir John B . Moiiekton , of the House Committee , who explained that arrangements had been made bv which

it would be unnecessary to appoint a new member ol the staff , as Miss Kernot ' s duties would be taken over b y one of the ladies already in the service of the . Institution , who would at the same time discharge those which she had had allotted to her . The usual ' -Ex-Pupil ' s" Day was arranged for the 29 th June , and a large number of those who had been educated in the

School availed themselves of the opportunit y of revisiting an Institution in which they had spent so many happy years of theii childhood . But we must be careful not to omit from onr record the continued evidence which the year now approaching its close has afforded of the excellence of the training which the girls who pass through this Institution receive . At the distribution of prizes , the

interest on the sum presented by that generous friend of ( he School , the late Bro . Winn , was apportioned among 23 g irls , being the full number that had entered for the Cambridge ' Middle Class Examinations , of whom one was awarded Second Class Honours , and one satisfied the Examiners in the Senior Division of Candidates , while of the remainina 21 girls who were candidates in the Junioi

Division two were awarded First Class Honours , one with distinction in Religious Knowledge and Arithmetic , and the other with distinction in Reli gions Knowledge and French ; two Second Class Honours , one with distinction in Religious Knowledge , English and Drawing , and the other in Religious Knowledge and French ; and three Third Class Honours , one of whom obtained distinction in

Religions Knowledge . The other 14 satisfied the examiners . Other pupils were entered , and in the majority of cases were successful in passing in other public examinations , and while this evidence is forthcoming , as has been the case annuall y for many years past , there is little or no likelihood that the just popularity of the School among English Masons will suffer diminution .

For the third year in succession—and for the fourth time during the five years that have elapsed since the inauguration of the present ri-ifime , the Anniversary Festival of the Royal Masonic Institution for Boys was held in the Royal Pavilion , Brighton . Bro . Lord Egertou of Tatton , Prov . G . Master of Cheshire , " very kindly gave his services as Chairman , and the day chosen for the event was the

3 rd July , when in the presence of a company which numbered some 600 ladies and brethren , the Secretary had the satisfaction of announcing that the Board of Stewards , composed of 533 ladies and brethren had amongst them raised the grand total of £ 18 , 773 12 s . 6 d . These figures have since been materially altered , and the total as it now stands is £ 21 , 012 5 s . 7 d ., the number of Stewards being 539 .

But in this total arc included £ 1260 , provided b y Kent for a Perpetual Presentation in commemoration of the valuable services rendered to that Province b y Bro . J . S . Eivstcs , P . G . D ., D . P . G . Master and £ 525 from Warwickshire for a Life Presentation , so that the amount of donations and subscri ptions proper which the Stewards succeeded in raising for the Festival itself was £ 19 . 237 5 s . 7 d

London with 172 Stewards contributed £ 7475 , the Provinces with 367 Stewards , and including the presentations , £ 13 , 537 5 s . 7 d ., the principal items being the Chairman ' s Province of Cheshire , £ 2000 ; Kent with the £ 12 ( 50 for the Kastes Presentation before mentioned ! £ 1891 4 s . ; Warwickshire , with the Life Presentation of £ 525—£ 983 17 s . ; Essex , £ ' 639 19 s . ; Surrey , £ ' 599 14 s . ; Lincolnshire

£ 540 Is . lOd . ; Sussex , £ 51 ( 5 Os . ( id . ; Hampshire and Isle of Wi < "ht £ 510 2 s . ; Berkshire . £ 356 19 s . Id . ; West Yorkshire . £ 354 8 s . Hertfordshire , £ 333 7 s . lid .: and Gloucestershire , £ 324 9 s . As to the character of a result like this , there can be no question ; but when we bear in mind that the last live Festivals have produced an aggregate sum of about £ 1 . 05 , ( 1 ( 1 ( 1 , il is impossible we can speak in terms of exaggerated praise of tiie sustained efforts of ( he Executive

Ollicers of the Institution on the one hand , and the never-failing responsive generosity of the Knglish Craft on the other . Whether these efforts and the immense subscri ptions they succeed in obtaining can be continued for many years is a mallei- we need not trouble ourselves lo discuss . What we desire is that , they should be continued , at all events as long as possible , so that the funded property of the Institution , which has always , or nearly always , been inferior in amount to that of the other Institutions , may be further augmented