Festival Of The Royal Masonic Institution For Girls.

upon him in his high position . ( Hear , hear . ) With respect to our Deputy Grand Master , he is comparatively new to the office , but he has filled the chair on many occasions in Grand Lodge , and he has sufficiently assured us of the way he discharged those duties , and the office assigned to him is peculiarly well filled by our Deputy , Earl Amherst . For the rest of the Grand Officers , present and past , I can only say , from an experience of upwards of 30 years , that they are always willing to undertake the duties

they are called upon to perform to the best of their ability , not only ¦ willing , but actually desirous on all occasions , such as we have had recently at the Royal Albert Hall , and again are to have on the 14 th June — the Grand Officers are always willing and desirous of helping and assisting to the best of their ability . I therefore venture to think , Right Worshi pful Brother in the chair , that the compliment it is usual to pay them on these occasions is not undeserved , a compliment which you have so gracefully repeated this evening .

Bro . Sir J B . MONCKTON , P . G . W ., next rose and said : Brethren , — You have received my name very kindly , as my brother Masons always do ; you will receive the toast I am about to propose to you even more enthusiastically : it is "The Health of our Chairman , the Right Hon . Lord Llangattock . " I hope the Welsh brethren will take notice that I have studied the pronunciation , and have got as near to it as a mere Englishman

can hope to do . ( Laughter . ) I may say we have two or three or more—halfa-dozen , little Welsh lassies in the School , and we on the House Committee are able to get a little Welsh for nothing now and then . ( Laughter . ) The subject of the toast is the most estimable nobleman , and one of the best and kindest-hearted Masons this country contains . ( Applause . ) When first , many years ago , I had the pleasure of making the acquaintance of his

lordship , before he was " his lordship , " it was at his own house , at his own hospitable board , at a gathering assembled by him to further and benefit the needs and the interests of one of our Masonic Institutions—I mean the Old People . He way forget it ; I do not . Well , here we have his lordshi p to-day complying most kindly with a request which is always a large order to anyone who has much to do in the country — a request that

he would preside this year at the festival of our Little Girls . He has kindly acceded and he has done it in a most thorough way . Not only did his lordship say he would attend with Lady Llangattock at the Stewards ' gathering on Monday , but he added like a man of business—a shrewd westcountryman— " I should like not merely to come down when all this gaiety and conviviality and so on are going on : I should like to eo down and look over

the place . His lordshi p did come down one day last week and he nearly ran our Matron off her legs ; he calculated they travelled two miles going through corridors and passages and over all parts of the building and the effect of all his lordship saw you will hear from him presently . It is now again my duty to propose his health , as I do most heartily and sincerely , as heartily and sincerely as you will receive it , and I thank him for his great kindness in being our Chairman in this notable year 1897 .

The toast was drunk with three cheers , and one more for Lady Llangattock . Lord LLANGATTOCK , in acknowledging the toast and its reception , said : Brother Masons , I am always at a loss for words to express my thanks when my health is drunk ; but how much more so must I feel it on this occasion , when you have received it with such kindness and heartiness , and , I may say , enthusiasm ? I only wish I was an oratorthat I miht in more fitting

, g words express my thanks to you , Sir John , for the kind manner you have brought my name before this great assembly , and you , brother Masons , for the warm and hearty welcome you have given me , and kindly signs on all sides . ( Hear , hear . ) I do not intend to say a word about myself to-night , except to tell you how proud 1 feel at the great honour which was so graciously conferred upon me as Provincial Grand Master of the distinguished

district—the Eastern Division of Sruth Wales . ( Applause . ) And I wish to tell you how prcud I am of my 21 lodges , and of the spirit and energy that pervade the whole province , and that we are all working so happily and harmoniously together . ( Hear , hear . ) One word more—although no words that I use can express my feelings of praise for my splendid Deputy Provincial Grand Master , Bro . Marmaduke Tennant . ( Applause . ) None

of you can imagine how loyal he has been to me , and what an immense assistance he is in the working of our province . I have often to thank him privately ; but I am glad of this opportunity of expressing to the brethren the wonderful assistance he has been to me , and my most devoted thanks to him . ( Cheers . ) I take this opportunity of thanking the Stewards of my province for the

great assistance they have been in bringing the money to this great meeting , and I also thank the Stewards of all the other divisions for their kindness and the woik that they have done . ( Hear , hear . ) I know that this has been a most difficult year—a year unhappily of famine , and happily of Jubilee ; and I know how generous you all have been and what great calls have been made upon you one and all , and I cannot expect that this festival

will be as successful as those of the past gone by . And now I come to the toast of the evening which is " Success to the Royal Masonic Institution for Girls . " ( Applause . ) Your applause is a great relief to n . e , for I feel it will not require from me many words of recommendation on this occasion . We all know we have an Institution which is an honour to the Society which maintains it with such loving care

and unbounded generosity . If you have read that little book which was published by the aid of our good Secretary , Bro . Hedges , I ask you , who can read that book without a thrill of joy and pride ? seeing that from such a small beginning it has grown to such splendid proportions at the present time . Founded in 1788 at the suggestion of the Chevalier Ruspini and opened in a small house , it contained 15 children . Then it was

removed in 1793 10 St . George ' s Fields , where it laboured with all sorts of difficulties , where it had ups and downs and all kinds of trials , until in 1852 it was founded on a rock at Wandsworth , and now it is one of the most useful and successful Institutions in the whole country . ( Applause . ) I had the great pleasure of going down to the School . I think no one has an idea what lhat School is until

they have visit * d it . I had the pleasure of going dawn on two occasions , and I nearl y killed poor Miss Buck , the Matron . She kindl y walked all over the place with me . We went into all the dormitories , the sittingrooms , the class-rooms , the laundry , the carpenter ' s shop , where they mend the ch . ldren " s walches —( laughter)—the kitchen , the scullery , and I thought we must have been all over the placeand I asked her whether she could

, show me the chamber of horrors—the switching-room . She said there was no switching-room . ( Laughter . ) How different from the old days—the good old limes when all the children used to be whipped every Monday mornirg . ( Laughier . ) That was why it was called black Monday . Then they said you should always whip a little boy , because if he had not done

Festival Of The Royal Masonic Institution For Girls.

any harm he would . ( Laughter . ) How changed it is _ all now ! What a wonderful change ! Now they are taught with loving care ; their lives are made happy ; their lessons are made a pleasure to them instead of a pain and penalty . ( Hear , hear . ) I cannot speak too highly of Miss Buck , of Miss Redgrave , of Mrs . Roworth , and Miss Gibson . I have seen them all at their different

tasks and their different ways of teaching j but their way of teaching is to make everything happy and pleasant ; the children enjoy their lessons and exercises just as much as receiving their prizes . It was exceedingly gratifying to see the prizes given away , and I am happy to tell the Welsh brethren that the last prize was taken by a chubby little girl from South Wales of the name of Norah Rhys . Now I wish to say one word

morethat the whole School , the teachers , the children , were like one large happy family , and I am sure you will all join with me in wishing that the career of this Institution may be one of increased and continued prosperity . ( Cheers . ) And now brethren I must not detain you , but I cannot resist saying one word which is to express what immense pleasure it has been lo me to be among you this evening and to see such a

splendid number of Masons . I am sure that such meetings as these cannot but be useful and profitable to us all , where we can throw aside all difference of opinion and meet with that unanimity and brotherly love , without which , Masonry cannot exist . ( Hear , hear . ) Let us continue to show what Masons are , that we do not merely meet together to put on our fine clothing and eat good dinners , but that we endeavour to carry out

the principles of the Craft , which we all know are founded on the Volume ot Sacred Law . Let us bear in mind , brethren , that we belong to a Society , the oldest on record , one which demands of us to be firm and faithful in our allegiance , walking uprightly in the world , respecting ourselves , and thereby insuring the respect of others . I give you " The Health and Success

and Prosperity of the Royal Masonic Institution for Girls , " and , in the unavoidable absence of Sir Reginald Hanson , the Treasurer , who is at the Festival of the Sons of the Clergy , I call upon Bro . Peter Long , the senior member of the House Committee to respond . The toast having been drunk ,

Bro . PETER DE LANDE LONG , P . G . D ., in reply to the toast , said : My Lord and Brethren , —I have made many speeches at festivals in years gone by , but I must confess that , before I say one word in reference to the toast , I must congratulate the R . W . Chairman on the very admirable manner in which he has proposed this toast to you , brethren . It is not the ordinary ad cabiandnm speech you occasionally hear from the chair ; but our

Chairman has shown and demonstrated pretty strongly that he has thoroughly identified himself with our Institution and its working before he addressed you in a very kind manner , so far as our School is concerned , to-night . We , brethren , have been carrying on that Institution for very many years past , and indeed it is most gratifying to myself and the other members of the House Committee to hear the Institution so well spoken of as our Chairman

has spoken of it to-night . ( Hear , hear , and cheers . ) We can only hope that , brilliant and satisfactory as has been its career , and the results of our work hitherto , our prospects are equally hopeful . Of course , I feelnow that it labours under a great disadvantage , for this reason . I should like to say a few words , perhaps many , with reference to the work and the curriculum of this great Institution , but I know that you are assembled here for a great purpose , namely , to provide us with the sinews of war , and as soon as I

sit down you will then have disclosed to you the results of your labours of love on behalf of the children of our great Fraternity . I express , as the mouthpiece of the Institution to-nig ht—and this is one I have taken great personal interest in for now a quarter of a century—that we thank you heartily and sincerely , my lord , for your efforts on our behalf , which I have every reason to believe will result in a great and unqualified success . My anticipations , I hope , will be realised and prompt us to make this great and good work greater and better and the future of this Institution , if possible , more brilliant than the past . ( Cheers . ) Bro . HEDGES then read the following STEWARDS' LISTS .

LONDON . HOUSE COMMITTEE . £ s . d . Bro . Ralph Clutton ( see also Lodge 1537 ) — „ Robert Grey 21 o o „ Alderman Sir R . Hanson , Bart ., M . P 10 10 o „ Charles Hammerton ... 105 o o „ H . A . Hunt 21 o o „ E . Letchworth , F . S . A . ... 55 13 o „ Peter de L . Long ... 63 o o „ R . Loveland Loveland ... 10 10 o „ James H . Matthews ... 58 15 o „ Sir John B . Monckton , F . S . A . ( see also Lodge „ p 535 ) — , 1 , Col . J . Peters 10 10 o ,, Frank Richardson ... 210 o o . „ A . C . Spaull 04 10 o „ Edward Terry .., ... 10 10 o Lodge 1 rtwnaacoat

aro . | . . , F . R . G . S 24 3 o 2 „ J . T . Firbank , M . P . 27 0 0 Chapter 2 Comp . C . E . Keyser , M . A ., J . P . ( see also 574 Berks , and 2518 Herts ) 31 10 o Lodge 4 Bro . W . R . Few 22 1 0 5 „ John Hallett 55 0 0 0 „ R . A . Gibbons , M . D . 21 0 o 8 „ Wm . E . Sanger ... 4 S 6 o 9 „ Walter Dennis ... 75 0 o 10 „ L . F . Everest ... 30 9 o 15

14 ,, Kev . n . _ n . e . owe ... 15 o 21 ,, C . W . Sawbridge ... 37 16 o 26 „ J . B . Fairbairn ... 10 10 o 2 S „ Albert F . Calvert ... 29 „ Geo . Grant 33 12 o 33 . » J"hn M . Wood ... , 55 12 0 34 „ Henry A . Rapkin ... 89 15 o 55 „ Edmund Freeman ... 53 11 0 ( 15 „ Gtotge Haller ... 63 o o 73 „ Morris Hart 53 11 o s 7 > i John Davidson ... 90 o 0 91 „ Leonard C , Best ... 30 9 0

Lodge £ s . d . 147 Bro . Walter E . Dilley ... 47 5 o 157 „ E . Cockerell ... 18 18 o 157 „ SamuelJ . Owers ... 18 18 o 165 „ Frank E . Rosher ... 20 o o 16 9 „ George L . Moore ... 50 8 o 171 „ A . A . Frigout ... 31 10 o 172 „ Richard Barrett ... 127 1 o 174 „ Hy . Magee 49 7 0 177 „ T . N . Morris ... 105 o 0 185 „ William Hinds ... 38 17 o 192 „ Arthur J . Rippin ... > 6 wiiiiams

192 „ n . ) 197 „ George L . Eyles ... 6 4 1 0 198 „ George Bavin ... 45 o o 217 „ James H . Edwards .., 26 5 o 222 „ Hy . A . Stenning ... 50 o o 231 » John A . Laing ... 10 10 0 235 „ E . Manville ... 10 10 0 259 „ Alfred C . Mitchell ... 2100 263 „ Albert Leighton ... 38 17 o 548 „ Walter Jones ... . 52 10 o 657 & Chap . 1293 Bro . James John Chapman ... 42 0 o 700 Bro . George IL Porter ... 120 15 0 715 „ J . Isaacs 37 ' ° c Chanter

720 Comp . W . John Songhurst 10 10 o Lodge 733 Bro . John Welford ... 3 O 15 o 7 66 „ Arthur E . Samuel ... 6 9 5 o 7 80 „ William J . Gomm ... 23 2 o 861 „ Henry Whitney ... 70 10 0 862 „ William Bradford ... 60 o 0 S 62 „ * F . H . T . Jarvis ... — 901 „ George H . Fisher ... . 52 10 0 Chapter 907 Comp . James Cook ... 61 19 o Lodge 917 Bro . William Smith ... 42 o o 1044 „ James Strong .. 34 ' 3 ° 1139 » Psrcy H . Horley ... 13 2 6 1150 „ Walter H . H . Jessop 73 10 o 1227 „ Henry Hyde 157 I 0 ° 1287 „ Charles Divis ... 152 50 1298 „ Fred . J . Humphreys 21 o o 1381 „ James Barry ... 57 ° ° 13 S 3 » Alfred H . Bevan ... 126 o o 1397 > J George P . Parker ... 51 9 q