Approaching Centenary Of The Masonic Female Orphan School, Dublin.

APPROACHING CENTENARY OF THE MASONIC FEMALE ORPHAN SCHOOL , DUBLIN .

Our Irish brethren are leaving no stone unturned in order to ensure thc success of the Centenary Festival of the Masonic Female Orphan School , Dublin . The event will take the form of a Bazaar and Fancy Fair , which will beheld in Dublin during the week commencing from the 16 th May , and for months past the Craft in Dublin and throughout the Provinces have

been bus } ' accumulating all sorts and descriptions of material which will bc disposed of at the Fete in question . Moreover , thc Committee in charge of the arrangements have been very successful in obtaining such an amount of patronage and support as justifies them in the belief that the celebration will be a brilliant success . Her Majesty the OI ' , the Prince of WALES ,

who is Patron of the Order in Ireland , and the Princess of WALES , the Duke and Duchess of CONNAUGHT , his Grace the Duke of ABERCORN , Grand Master of Ireland , and the Duchess of ABERCORN , his Excellency the Lord Lieutenant and the Countess of ZETLAND figure in the list of Patrons , while among those who support and sympathise with the movement ,

and in very many cases are taking an active part in the preparations , nre many of the most prominent personages in the capital and the chief cities and towns in the F . merald Isle . The principal object which the promoters have in view is to raise a sum of money to be known as the Centenary Fund , which shall suffice to enable the authorities of the Institution to assist the

children on leaving in obtaining situations which will enable them to obtain an honest and honourable livelihood . There can bc no two opinions as to this purpose being a most laudable one , and we sincerely trust that the strenuous efforts which are being made in order to raise this Fund will prove as successful as the most sanguine well-wishers of this deserving Charity could desire .

There can , indeed , be no question as to the importance of the Institution in whose behalf the Festival wc refer to is about to be held . It was founded in 1792 , just four years after our own Girls' School was established by Bro . the Chevalier Rusi'iNi and his friends . We gather from an address delivered in the Ulster Minor Hall , Belfast , some six or seven weeks ago , by Bro . Lord

Justice FITZGIBBON , who is one of the Governing Committee of the Charity , that at the outset il was located in an obscure past of the Irish Capital , and was only capable of providing for a very small number of children . But in 18 52 , thanks to the efforts made by the late Duke of LKIXSTKU , who was Grand Master of Ireland from 1 S 13 to 1 S 74 , and the venerable Bro . Judge

lowssiiF . xn , who , though retired from active duty , is still a member of our Order , thc Institution was enlarged sufficiently to accommodate 3 6 children , while the system of education was very materially improved , a slight amount nf assistance being rendered to thc girls on leaving school and going out into the world . Thenceforward the School prospered abundant I v , but

though the number of applicants for admission kept on increasing , thc utmost the Governors , with thc accommodation at their disposal , found themselves ¦ I'jle to do in order to meet this pressure was to enlarge the establishment ( o 42 girls . In 1 S 79 , the question began to be discussed whether the Irish Vraft was not strong enough and wealthy enough to maintain a still larger

Institution , and it having been apparently resolved in the affirmative , the Present building , which is located at Ball ' s Bridge , adjoining the grounds of Ine Royal Dublin Society , and one of thc handsomest structures of its kind ' » f'ublin , was commenced , the foundation-stone being laid in 1880 by the '" en Duke of ABERCORN , M . W . G . M ., in the presence of his Kxcellency the

| ' ° ru Lieutenant ( Bro . Karl COUTKR ) and the Countess Cowi'HR , and the 1 iff of Irish society . Two years later a great Masonic bazaar was held in > e buildings now occupied by the Royal University , thc object being to tain the necessary funds for furnishing and fitting the School . The result „ en"nently satisfactory . Thc sum required was £ , 2 wm , and after clearing l J 1 AJ ' "" ft

q ' ° xpenses—which amounted to £ ioon the four days' bazaar was found to ' yielded a clear profit of £ 6400 . Since then thc Governors have become c-simp le owners of thc property at an outlay of between £ [ 4 , 000 . £ 15 , 000 , the Masonic Orphan Schools , with thc nine acres of I Unc ' which they are situated , forming , as wc have said , one of the . ^ "dsoniest structures of the kind in Dublin ; but what is of still greater ii nce l 1 c number of children clothededucatedand maintained

..... > ' , , of il '" ' ' ? wa "' ' ' , een increased to Si . As regards thc training 'net 1 S | l ' nlmost carc ' liken in order to make them useful chil 1 CrS ° ^ soc'c , y- " The capacity of each and every one of the .,.:.. " carefully studied , both bv the teachers and the Commiff —•¦ wiiui ^ . Tiuuii-iif I _ U _ * uy 110- n _ -i * i . _ it _ , i ¦ ' » mv * mi , » - >

JMI-. '" USUI , "' C ' 1 arfi : c ol tlle School . They never lost sight of them of , ^ " l them placed safe in the world in suitable situations . Many liw ° ccupied responsible and independent positions in various parts of ' antl upon their history they could look back with pride . " These

Approaching Centenary Of The Masonic Female Orphan School, Dublin.

results , so admirably described by Bro . Lord Justice FITZGIBBON , have been attained at an outlay of less than £ 25 per child , so that the School must be economically as well as efficiently administered . The present income appears to be about £ 2500 a year , but this is only sufficient for the maintenance and education of the girls , and leaves no margin for assisting them when they

have completed their career in the School . Hence the Fete which will be held in Dublin next month , and which , it is hoped , will furnish capital enough to allow of thc Governors rendering these orphans still further help ,

by procuring for them positions in which they will bc able to turn their talents to good account , and by generally doing what lies in their power to advance their interests at a lime when they stand most in need of assistance and encouragement .

The Fete has our heartiest good wishes for its success . In England we can point with pride to two brilliant successes—the Centenary Festival of the Royal Masonic Institution for Girls in 1888 and the Jubilee Festival of the Royal Masonic Benevolent Institution in February of the current year . Not very long ago , too , our brethren north of thc Tweed organised a grand

Masonic bazaar in Edinburgh for the purpose ol establishing a Grand Lodge Fund of Benevolence , the result being , after all expenses had been defrayed , the splendid sum of between - £ 14 , 000 and £ 15 , 000 towards the object in view . It is now the turn of our Irish brethren , who are desirous

of putting the Centenary Anniversary of the foundation of their Masonic Orphan School to good account by raising what will materially enhance the usefulness of their Charity ; and , as wc have said already , we sincerely trust the success which awaits the promoters of the Fete will far exceed their most sanguine expectations .

Provincial Grand Chapter Of East Lancashire.

PROVINCIAL GRAND CHAPTER OF EAST LANCASHIRE .

The annual meeting of the above Provincial Grand Chapter was held on Wednesday , the 30 th ult ., at the Mechanics' institute , Ashton-under-Lyne . There was a large muster of influential Royal Arch Freemasons present . Comp . Col . Le Gendre N . Starkie , G . Supt ., presided , and was supported by Comps . J . H . Sillitoe , Prov . G . H . ; A . II . Jefferis , Prov . G . I . ; I . Chadwick , Prov . G . S . E . ; and others .

The Grand Superintendent , along with the Provincial Grand Officers and Principals , having entered the Provincial Grand Chapter , the roll of Provincial Grand Officers was called over , and all were present , with the exception of three , who sent apologies . Thc roll of chapters of the province was called , and all , with one exception , were represented .

Comp . J Or unvir . K , Prov . G . S . I ' .., read thc minutes of thc Provincial Grand Chapter , held at Bury on March 19 th , 1 S 91 , which were confirmed . The excellent report of the Prov . G . H . and J . was read by Comp . J . H . Sir . l . iroi :, and was received with great satisfaction .

The GRAND SITKRIXTKXDKNT thanked Comps . Sillitoe and Jefferis for the report they had submitted , and congratulated the companions on the very satisfactory state of the province . He strongly exhorted them to throw more zeal into that noble Degree . He was pleased to know from the report just read there had been such a decided improvement in the general

working of the chapters , and he had not the slightest doubt it would continue . The Prov . Grand Treasurer's account was submitted , and adopted , the finances being in a highly satisfactory state , having - a balance of about £ 65 . Comp . Rev . J . E . Roberts was duly elected Prov . Grand Treasurer , and thc following were invested for the ensuing year :

Comp . ) . II . Sillitoe ... ... ... Prov . G . M . „ A . 11 . Jefferis ... ... ... Prov . G . J . ,, John Chadwick ... ... ... Prov . G . S . E . „ " Rev . Bigoe Bagot ... ... ... Prov . G . S . N .

„ R . Gornall ... ... ... Prov . G . P . S . ,, J . Stovold ... ... ... Prov . ist A . G . S . ,, Evan Williams ... ... ... Prov . 2 nd A . G . S . ,, Rev . j . K . Roberts ... ... ... Prov . G . Treas .

,, T . W . Bromley ... ... ... Prov . ti . Keg . ,, li . Moss ... ... ... Prov . G . S . B . ,, John Cliff ... •¦• ¦•¦ l rov . G . Std . Br . ,, Scott Young ... ... ... Prov . G . D . of C . „ W . I . Melling ... ... ... Prov . A . G . D . of C .

„ Sam . Smith ... ... ... Prov . G . Org . ,, James Newton ... ... ... Prov . A . G . S . li . ,, J . Higson ... ... ... Prov . G . Janitor . On the motion of Comp . J . STOVOLD , P . ist A . G . S ., the sum of 30

guineas was granted from thc Provincial Grand Chapter to the Iiast Lancashire Systematic Masonic Educational and Benevolent Institution . As no application was made , it was not arranged where the next annual meeting should be held . The Prov . Grand Chapter wns then closed , and terminated a most satisfactory and important meeting .