Royal Masonic Institution For Boys.

educating the sons of indigent Masons . A meeting was held , and six boys were put on the fund . He had no doubt the brethren of those days thought it was a matter of very considerable importance , but that was a very small beginning and if those brethren could see nearly 300 boys on the Institution to-day it was fair to assume how glad they would be to note the proportions to which the Institution hid grown . ( Hear , hear . ) The

progress , he said , was slow , for as late as 1809 only 50 boys were admitted to the benefit of the Fund . But it seemed to have gone on progressing , although still very slowly , because when the Institution Jubilee came , in 1848 , there was no record ol any special celebration having been held . A few years later , in 1852 , a number of brethren met together , and after consideration thought it was time there should be a home for those selected ,

and a building fund was then started , and in 1 S 56 a piece of ground of ten acres was secured at Wood Green . The building was re-arranged , and for the first time 25 boys were installed there . Very soon afterwards 70 boys were found room for , and in 1 S 60 , 100 boys were to be taken in when anew school building was erected . Then took place a considerable pause , but under the exertions of the late energetic Secretary , Bro . Binckes , a

great effort was made to add to the school buildings . He remembered that occasion well . He went down to the Crystal Palace on a day which was hotter , if possible , than the present , and the company was slowly melted away . On that occasion there was ^ , 23 000 collected , which was a record , not only as regarded Masonic festivals , but in the histories of all Charities throughout the kingdom . After that , fresh buildings were put up at Wood

Green , and the number of boys was increased by 50 . In 18 S 8 , they came upon somewhat difficult ground . They remembered there was some dissatisfaction with the management of the Boys' School , and a very influential Committee of the Craft was appointed to investigate and report . Everything was investigated and reported upon , and the result was that the Boys ' School was put on the foundation on wnich it stood now . From that day to this the Boys' School never looked back . From six boys in 1798 it had now

become so large that in 1 S 9 6 the home at Wood Green was found inadequate , though there were 260 boys in it . They could not be accommodated , and 31 had to be boarded out as day boarders . They all knew the result of the Boys' School Centenary . The late Pro G . M ., Lord Lathom , had before that called attention to the inadequate accommodation at Wood Green , and the brethren took up that idea , but occupied

some time in considering it . The result , however , was that in 1896 a site was obtained at Bushey of 67 acres , which would be ample for all purposes of the school and playgrounds . Then there was the question of money ; but the centenary settled that eternal want , and _ £ 141 , 000 was collected . ( Cheers . ) That was no mean sum for any institution to bring up and collect at any one dinner ; ^ 141 , 000 was higher than any of ourgreat

charitable institutions could boast to have announced at their festival dinners , but that result the Craft brought up to £ 144 , , therefore , the difficulties vanished into thin air . They had now a site which would accommodate any possible or probable number of boys who might seek admission . They had now a site which would find room for playgrounds , which would supply the deficiency of the Wood Green

site , and which would not necessitate the boys going to a distance to sports which were dear to the hearts of all boys , and they would find room from time to time for those sports without a breach of discipline by going through bye-lanes and streets to cricket and football . ( Hear , hear . ) He thought they might congratulate themselves that whereas in the early sixties ^ 3003 or £ " 4000 was considered a large sum to be raised at these Festivals ; when

they got to ^ 10 , 000 they thought they could not be excelled ; when they obtained ^ 23 , 000 they plumed themselves on the amount , and thought it could not be done again ; but now they had got to the enormous amount of £ 144 , 001 } . It showed the great duties that were expected of the Boys ' School . ( Hear , hear . ) But there was one thing he should like to point out , which was the consistent duty of the Craft to the Charities . During

the year an unusual strain had been put on all Englishmen . They knew the strife in which they were engaged in South Africaa strife which they hoped happily would now very soon come to a victorious end —( hear , hear)—they knew that that strife had taxed patriotic Englishmen to the uttermost ; they had exhausted all possible forms of appeal to charity and to patriotic feelings—collections by bazaars and

processionsthey had done all they possibly could to extract the last shilling ; but during all that time of storm and stress he thought the subscriptions to these Masonic Charities had not fallen off to any appreciable degree ; if they had fallen off it was not in a way that would cause the managers to be ' at all anxious . ( Hear , hear . ) The subscriptions were sufficient to give satisfaction to Masonry . He had shown that Masonry had increased enormously ,

its funds and its accommodation had increased , but he was now speaking to men of influence , who could impress that influence on their brethren throughout the country , and who could carry out what he was about to say . They talked very often of the glory of their Masonic Charities , but they heartily wished that those who joined the Craft did so without any idea of the benefits to be derived

from it . Those who joined for the sake of the benefits they might gtt should abstain from joining it . ( Applause . ) Masonry never was , and never was intended to be , a great benefit association , and he begged to recommend all brethren of influence and wei ght in the Order to urge on their respective lodges and provinces that those who joined because they thought that some day they might get something should be

discredited ; let them join the Buffaloes , or some such body ; they were not the recruits that Masonry wanted . ( Hear , hear . ) Masonry would find quite sufficient for those who , fiom no fault of their own , had fallen and had not had time to make provision for their offspring and came and asked to be taken on the Institutions . ( Hear , hear ) . He felt that before sitting down he ought to say a word on a vacant chair at the table that evening . Bro .

Richard Eve had been chairman of the Baard of Management of this Institution ever since the re-constitution in 1891 . Bro . Eve took the chair at the laying of the first stone of the Institution at Bushey , and he would have been glad to see that day ; it would have been'his 22 nd annual appearance as a Steward . Bro . Eve had done great work for the Institution ; he had brought his business talent to bear upon it , and the brethren who supported the Institution would not within so short a period of his untimely loss forget

his memory . He was a good man , and he would be an enormous loss to the Board of Management . ( Hear , hear . ) Earl AMHERST then proposed " Prosperity to the Royal Masonic Institution for boys , " and coupled with it the name of Bro . C . E . Keyser , P . G . D ., Treasurer , a most liberal donor to all the Masonic Charities . Bro . CHARLES E . KEYSER , in responding , said he felt after the magnificent and exhaustive speech of the chairman there was really nothing left

Royal Masonic Institution For Boys.

for him to say , but speaking on behalf of the Institution , he thought he ought first to reciprocate the feeling of disappointment which they all had that his Royal Highness , the Duke of Connaught , had not been able to preside over them . But he was sure they would all wish him to say how grateful they were to the Pro Grand Master for coming forward and pleading the cause of the Institution .

He felt also , speaking as he did on behalf of the Institution , that he ought to reciprocate the words the Pro Grand Master had used about their lamented Bro . Richard Eve . Bro . Eve was a great factor in the Boys ' School ; he was one of the most active members , taking the greatest interest in their concerns , and he would have been present that evening . They would always remember that he was one of the pillars of the

Institutionone of those who when the foundation-stone was laid came forward and took the lead on the committee ; he had been one of its chief representatives ever since . He hoped that on Thursday , when the last tribute of respect was paid to him , as many brethren as possible would attend at Aldershot . Referring to the toast he thought it was a pity he should have to respond before the announcement of the lists was made ; he did not know whether

to be thankful or not . However , he believed they would have reason to be grateful . Of course they could not expect the phenomenal success of the year before last , or the large returns of the Sister Institutions this year . He was sure the brethren would be pleased with the appearance of the building as it now was . Great advance had been made with it . It would require a large amount of money , but he had no fear for the future , knowing the

generosity of the Craft . He could not speak too highly of his colleagues on the Board of Management , and of the Secretary . All the details were most carefully attended to . He had the greatest confidence in the ladies and gentlemen who gave their money , and was certain the announcement of subscriptions would be a good one . Bro . MCLEOD then read the following STEWARDS' LISTS

LONDON . Lodge jt S . d . 1 Bro . Percy Leftwich ... 26 5 0 1 „ Ralph Gooding ... 10 10 o 2 „ F . E . Bristowe ... 37 16 o 4 „ Wilson Crewdson ( see also Surrey ) 21 00 5 „ Reginald Harrison ... 47 14 6 6 „ George A . Williams . S „ A . W . Mellersh ... 36 15 o S „ ^ Clarence Beckford ... — 9 „ F . B . Smith ... S 3 o 6 10 „ Col . H . M . Hozier , C . B 12 10 o

12 „ F . Ponler Telfer ... 133 7 o 21 „ W . J . Lancaster ... 4 6 14 6 23 „ Joseph Husbands ... 30 9 o 26 „ W . Hastings Beaumont 15 1 o 27 „ J . E . Waters ... 21 o o 29 „ G . T . Langridge ... 2100 34 „ Gustavus Pratt ... 51 9 o 34 „ * F . H . Rake — 55 „ G . A . Robinson ... 6 3 o o 59 „ H . A . Tobias ... 10 ic o 60 ,, C . Howard Jackman ( see also Lodge

No . 2552 ) 1 S 2 3 6 fio ,, ^ Charles Robinson ... — " 65 » William Strong ... 11 o 6 91 „ A . J . Thomas ... 55 13 ° 101 „ Thos . W . Chapman 2 S o o 140 „ W . C . S . Burney ... 32 9 6 144 ,, J . H . Beauchamp ... 63 3 o 17 G „ Frank B . Dent ... 46 4 o 1 S 0 „ W . C . Parsons ... 48 6 o ) S 3 „ R . V . B . Best ... 33 12 ° ' 85 „ Joseph Gerson ... 40 S 6 197 » Charles E . Barry ... 30 4 o

19 S „ George Bavin ... 30 o o 259 >¦ C . Vincent Cotterell 2100 263 „ E . Lyon Keates ... 30 9 o 435 J > Charles Loram ... 94 10 o 534 »¦ I . E . Culverhouse ... 45 3 o 534 „ » W . E . Davis ... - 700 „ T . S . Smith 42 o o 720 „ C . J . Dilnutt ... 47 5 0 7 S 3 » E . W . Miller ... S 6 12 6

754 „ H . C . Cook 89 5 o 813 „ W . M . Johnson ... 21 o o 834 „ Henry Stokes ... S 5 o o S 71 „ F . E . Wright ... 31 10 o 8 79 „ Aithur G . Telling ... 105 o o 1017 „ F . Heilbronn ... 30 o o 1 3 21 „ E . L . Berry 90 6 o 1365 11 T . T . Gething ... 145 o o 1 . 1 S . 1 ,, F . Lincoln Bevan ... 151 0 o

1420 „ William Dodd ... 45 3 o 1 4 21 ,, W . Pallant ... 1 ,, o . „ „ 1421 „ G . M . E . L . Verlyck ) - * " ° 1 4 „ * W . K . Aitchison ... — 1 4 21 „ * W . E . Burgess ... — 1 4 21 „ * H . Digby — 1 4 21 „ * George Enser ... — 1 4 „ * A . D . Le Heup ...

—1 4 „ * Robert Stroud ... — 1426 „ James Boyton ... 171 3 o 1426 „ * Frank E . Bailey ... — 1426 „ * W . Edwards ... — 1426 „ * T . Halliwell ... — 1426 „ * F . R . Hopkins ... — 1426 „ * H . I . Huggett ... - 1426 „ * H . E . Maynard ... — ' 5 3 » i Rev- H . R . Cooper

smitn , u . u . ( see also Lodges Nos . 1731 and 2456 ) ... 137 11 o 1540 „ I . Genese 63 6 o « 5 & 3 11 H . J . Homer ... 126 o o 1563 » * T . H . Beach ... — ii <> 3 „ "Ernest Hart — 1563 „ * C . E . Homer ...

—' 503 11 "Jacob Hyams ... — 1563 „ * john Nanson ... — 1584 „ Mttsom Rees , M . D . 47 5 0 1584 „ * C . Hulton le Maistre — 15 S 6 „ I . G . Ohlson ... 63 o o 1608 „ George Victor Wood 100 o o

Lodge £ s . d . 1614 Bro . Henry G . Walker ... 55 17 o 16 73 „ J . Kellar Frost ... S 5 1 0 16 S 7 „ W . Schultz 30 o o ¦ 7 ° 4 11 John Brickwood ... 30 9 0 1716 „ T . H . Trainor ... 63 o o 172 S „ J . Lincoln Henson ... 102 7 6 172 S „ * H . W . A . Hislop ... — 172 S „ * J . Yardley Johnston — 172 S „ * J . R . Pakeman ... — 1728 „ * F . M . Smith — 1731 „ Rev . H . R . Cooper Smith . D . D . ( see

Lodge No . 1523 ) — 176 S „ W . Alfred Dawson ... 47 5 0 1772 „ Thomas Holmes ... 53 5 0 17 S 9 „ Major-Gen . F . T . Lloyd , R . A . ... 11 11 0 17 S 9 „ Capt . R . J . Wishart , R . A 100 o 0 1791 „ Thos . Sidney Melville 91 17 6 1 S 05 „ F . Thornton ... ? , , 1 S 05 „ A . S . Bird ... $ " 3 U 6 1 S 20 „ C . I . Gunyon ... 52 10 0 1820 „ * R . W . James ... — 1 S 20 „ * W . H . Dawson ... — 1 S 27 ,. Ernest Clarke . M . D . JO 10 0

1 S 39 „ F . Stollery 26 5 0 1910 „ John Lonsdale ... 3 g iS 0 2033 „ Fk . E . Lemon , M . A . 26 5 0 2060 „ Jules Oppenheim ... 38 iS 6 21 CS „ Robert Gregory ... Si iS 0 2233 „ W . Ashtun Ellis ... 5 6 14 0 2233 „ * YV . _ E . Home ... — 22 4 „ Maj . R . Sidney Ellis 10 10 0 2265 „ John Lionel Goldstein 113 18 0 2 3 12 „ Henry Thorpe ... 143 17 0 2399 11 James Wheatley ... 31 10 0

2410 „ Herbert George BlacUmore ... 42 o 0 245 C „ Rev . H . R . Cooper Smith , D . D . ( see also Nos . 1523 and 1731 ) — 2470 „ W . Oliver Smith ... 225 15 0 2470 „ * Dr . T . Wholey ... — 2 5 „ Edward G . Easton ... 55 13 0 254 „ Theodore G . A . Burns JJ o 0 2552 „ C . Howard Jackman ( see also No . 60 ) 2563 i ) John Smith 22 1 0 25 S 0 „ Aug . C . Dove ... 105 0 0 2 G 11 „ Col . Clifford Probvn 15 15 0 2612 „ Rear-Admiral W . H . C . St . Clair ( see

also Hants and I . of W . ) ... 25 0 0 2621 „ Rev . C . E . L . Wright ( see also R . A . C , No . 2 C 21 ) ... 26 5 » 2626 „ W . G . Shadrake ( see also Suffolk ) ... 34 1 6 2650 „ E . Sidney Standing 23 2 0 2675 „ F . Ranger 52 10 0 26 S 2 „ Dr . Hy . Pearce ( see also Lodge No .

1 797 , Sussex ) ... 21 10 d 26 S 6 „ H . Kottingham Newton , D . L . ... 305 5 0 2687 „ Giovanni Mentasti ... 53 11 a 26 9 8 „ W . George Coxen ... 59 17 ° 2698 „ * A . F . Hardyment ... 2700 „ E . Roehrich 130 14 " 2700 „ * G . R . Allison ( Old

Masoman ) ... — 2 7 „ Imre Kiralfv ... 52 10 * 2716 „ Cotterell E . W . Boughton-Leigh .. 21 0 ° 2 7 „ John Thomas Sweet . 141 15 ° 2729 „ C . C . Wakefield ... 15 » S ° 273 C „ Col . G . J . Parkyn ... 21 0 ° 2739 ,, John Renton Dunlop 121 16 °

2739 » *«*•W . Prior — 2751 « T . Stirling Lee ... 25 14 ° 2764 » J . O'Dea 63 o ° 27 C 4 „ * Samuel Isaacs ... — „ 2765 » J- Worth 36 15 °