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SiiSSsiS SATURDAY , MAY 12 , rgoo

Masonic Notes.

Masonic Notes .

We mention elsewhere that at no previous Festival on behalf of the Royal Masonic Institution for Girls —excepting , of course , at its Centenary in 1888—has there been so strong a Board of Stewards as that which

has been enrolled to assist the Earl of Dartmouth , Prov . G . Master of Staffordshire , as Chairman at the gathering which will be held at Freemasons' Tavern on Wednesday , the 16 th instant . But what is . eeiually , if not still more gratifying , is to find that the area repre-

Masonic Notes.

sentee by the members of this Board is more exten sive than we have known it for some years . Certainly one-fourth of the lodges located in the Metropolis send Stewards , among them being a large proportion of those that make a point of being represented at two

of the three Anniversary Meetings of the year ; and although there is a gt-odly number of Unattached ladies and brethren , they are not excessively numerous when compared with the roll of Lodge and Chapter representatives .

* * As for the Provinces , we have seldom seen so fair a list . Of the ' 46 into which our extra-Metropolitan Masonry is parcelled out , quite three-fourths have furnished Stewards , the Chairman's Province of Staffordshire mustering very strongly , and many of the

lodges furnishing quite a number of Stewards . Indeed , it is not so very many years since that the Staffordshire contingent alone would of itself have been pronounced a strong Board . We wisely refrain from offering any opinion as to the amount that will be compiled by this formidable Board , but we feel

tolerably certain that Lord Dartmouth will have every reason to be gratified with the result , not only as regards his own Province , but likewise the other represented Provinces and London . One thing is beyond all question—that every one will do his utmost to ensure the success of the 112 th Anniversary ' s cele . bration .

* » * The elections to fill the vacancies on the two Funds of the Royal Masonic Benevolent Institution as declared at the February meeting of the Committee of Management will take place at the Annual General Meeting of the Governors and Subscribers which will be held in

the great hall of the Freemasons' Tavern on Friday , the iSth instant , when we are glad to say that a larger proportion than usual of the aged and indigent applicants will be chosen to' receive the benefits of the Institution , the number of applicants being somewhat smaller . The candidates are 105 as against 122 in

1899 , and 119 the previous year , therebeing 46 men compared with 55 in 1 S 99 , and 57 in 1898 , and 59 widows as against 67 and 6 ain theyearsiSpgand 1898 respectively . The decrease in the numbers on the two lists is an advantage which is further enhanced by the increase in the numbers to be elected .

# * Last year there were elected 23 men and 19 widows , or in all 42 out of a total of 122 candidates ; and in February 18 men and 23 widows are ordered to be elected , three additional annuities on the Male Fund and five on the Widows' Fund having been created .

But since then several annuitants have died , and probably about one-half of the applicants will be written off as successful in obtaining annuities either immediate or deferred , and the numbers left over for future ballots will be correspondingly reduced . For this we are indebted primarily to the generous support

given by the Craft at the last two Festivals , the total of the Donations and Subscriptions reaching over . £ 20 , 000 in 1 S 99 and . £ 22 , 000 in February last , and enabling the Committee of Management to augment the establishment by creating 16 fresh annuities —eight on each Fund .

* * * Glancing at the composition of the lists we find that ot the 46 applicants for the benefits of the Male Fund 20 have taken part in at least one previous election , while the remaining 26 have been placed on the list since May , 18 99 . Of the 20 old candidates

one poor old man has been before the electors for 17 years , another for 11 years , a third for five years , and five for four years . Of the 59 Widow Applicants , 40 remain over from May , 1899 , and 19 are new cases , one of the 40 having been on the list 17 veal's , a

second 15 years , a third 13 years , No . 4 for 12 years , and Nos . 5 , 6 , 7 , and 8 for nine , eight , seven , and five years respectively . Of these poor people only a very very few bring forward any appreciable credit in the shape of votes , and it is to be feared that the majority will never be anything else than candidates . '

* » * The regular meeting of thc Committee of Management of the Royal Masonic Benevolent Institution was held at Freemasons' Hall on Wednesday , under the presidency of Bro . John T . C . Winkfield , D . L .,

P . A . G . D . C , there being a full attendance of thc members . The draft report of thc past year was read and approved , and will be submitted in due course to the Annual General Meeting on Friday , the 18 th instant . The death of one widow annuitant was reported .

Masonic Notes.

We are glad to see that the South African Masonic Relief Fund is growing apace and still more glad to find that the English Craft in other parts of the Empire is joining freely in the subscription . Among the additional contributions that were announced last week were three sums from the District of Madras :

the District Grand Lodge sending £ 66 8 s . id ., and the District Grand Chapter and District Grand Mark Lodge ^ 33 4 s . id . each , the total from this one District amounting to close on ^ 133 . Among the other donors were the Provincial Grand Lodge of Northumberland , which was entered for 50 guineas ( £$ 2 ios . ); the Earl Egerton of Tatton , Prov . G . M

of Cheshire , . £ 10 ; and 27 lodges amounts ranging from £ 10 ios . to £ 21 . The list , in short , is an excel lent one and carried the total considerably beyond £ 4500 . Still a large sum will be needed , seeing that the number of brethren who will need relief will be very formidable . » » »

Among the most interesting articles in the April number of the Canadian Craftsman is one from the pen of Bro . John Yarker on the subject of " Ancient and Modern Masonry . " Without committing ourselves either to agreement or disagreement with the writer ' s views , we remark that in one part of the

article , in referring to the Ancient Masons of England , he evidently holds the same opinion as Bro . Crawley as to the sense in which Laurence Dermott uses the term " York Masons . " Says Bro . Yarker : " In England the tradition "—of the system of ancient rule existing at York and elsewhere in the North— "led to the establishment , in 1751 , of a rival body who termed

termed themselves Ancients or York Masons "—that is , they were York Masons merely because they were " Ancients ; " and he goes on to remark that " the Grand Secretary of the 1717 Grand Lodge , writing to one of those who applied for relief , told him that his Grand Lodge" —that is , the 1717 Grand Lodge" was neither Royal Arch nor Ancient . "

The sixth Festival in behalf of the Educational Fund of the Province of North and East Yorkshire will be held at Harker ' s Hotel , York , on Monday , the 21 st instant , under the presidency of the Most Hon . the Marquis of Zetland , Prov . G . Master . The chair will be taken at 6 p . m ., and it is greatly to be hoped that the gathering will be a successful one . The result

of the preceding Festival in 1897 was so satisfactory that the Committee charged with the administration of the Fund considered themselves justified in increasing the yearly grants by £ 2 per child , and in the event of the meeting on the 21 st instant being similarly gratifying , there will be a still further increase in the grants . # #

* The Fund was established in 18 77 , since when there have been 58 children in receipt of its benefits . Of these nine have been elected into the Masonic Schools ; 23 have ceased by age to be under its charge ; and the remaining 26 are still on the Fund . The grants to

the children vary according to age , from £ S , , £ 10 , to ; £ i 2 , the total outlay being , £ 271 , while the income derived from investments—that is , the permanent income—is only . £ 98 per annum . The whole of the money that is raised is appropriated to the objects for which the Fund was started , there being no

establishment charges whatever . Owing to the generous manner in which the Fund has been supported , it has been found possible to accept all applicants for its benefits , and consequently there has been no need to issue voting papers for the election of candidates b y ballot . * » »

By way of adding to the attractions of the Festival , brethren attending it are invited by the Lord Mayor of York to be present at the meeting of the Charities Association of the Province which , on his Lordship ' s invitation , will be held at the Mansion House at

3 p . m . They will thus enjoy the opportunity of viewing many objects of interest and curiosily . Application for Festival tickets ( price 5 s . 6 d . each should be made to the Hon . Secretary , Bro . M . C Peck , 2 , West Park-terrace , Hull , on or before thc 161 I 1 instant ; otherwise scats cannot be guaranteed .

* * » The annual convocation of the Provincial Grand Chapter of N . and E . Yorkshire will be held at thc Masonic Hall , Middlesborough , on Tuesday , the 2 J 111 I

instant , at 3 p . m ., under the auspices of the Marwood Chapter , No . 602 . Thc chief business will be the appointment and investiture of officers for the ensuing year , and afterwards there will be a banquet—tickets , price 3 s . fid . each—at the Grand Hotel .