Mark Benevolent Fund Festival.

Bro . Viscount DUNGARVAN proposed "The M . W . Pro G . M ., the Earl of Euston , and the rest of the Grand Officers , Present and Past , " in which he included Earl Egerton of Tatton , a generous donor to the Mark Benevolent Fund . They deplored the absence of the Earl of Euston , who was obeying his doctor ' s orders ; but the brethren hoped he would soon be able to resume his attendance at all their meetings .

Bro . Col . A . B . COOK , in proposing the toast of " The Chairman of the day , " said it hardly seemed 12 months since he himself was Chairman . What had surprised him that evening was that his duties as Chairman last year were not yet concluded . It was a point with the Mark Benevolent Fund that the Chairman of one year should be present the next year to propose the health of his successor . He did so that night with a great deal of

pleasure , and he hoped the brethren would extend to their present Chairman the same courtesy and cordiality which they gave him ( Col . Cook ) a year ago . He felt that that would be the case , because they must all feel they were indebted to any one who came to assist the Fund that year , taking into account the great efforts made last year , and also the enormous amount given away this year on the occasion of the Centenary of the Boys' School . f , .. w .. .... « , -...- _ , * .... w .. -. . .. w . ... v vu .. » w ..... j w . ... v . ^ . « JJ U w . WV ..

Those were all difficult es in taking the chair on an occasion like this . The CHAIRMAN , in acknowledging the toast , said he acknowledged that at the time Bro . Matier asked him to undertake this duty he felt that he was going—he would not say , to a forlorn hope , but that he was undertaking a work in which he had to face the difficulties which Col . Cook had mentioned . But as the first thing taught in Masonry was obedience , and

secondly that bearing in mind that one had to do his duty and the best he could for charity , he consented . He was well rewarded by seeing so many brethren and ladies around him . Further on they would learn the result of the support received in London and in the Provinces . He thanked them specially for coming and making such a grand success of this entertainment . The CHAIRMAN next proposed " Prosperity to the Mark Benevolent

Fund . " They were all well aware that the first duty of Masonry was Charity . The Mark Benevolent Fund carried out this first duty , and on this occasion in proposing this toast he did so with very great pleasure . When he reflected on ( he progress that had been made in Mark Masonry in the decade we were now completing—that from 3 S 6 Mark Lodges in England they had passed beyond 500 , and that with this increase in the number of

lodges that had been consecrated there had been a proportionate increase in benevolence , he could not but feel surprised . He had been told by outsiders who pretended to know a little about what was going on in the Masonic world and who studied the question of Charity and charitable Institutions , that the Mark Benevolent Fund was undoubtedly one of the

best managed of the Charitable Institutions of Masonry . Now that was from an outside source , and when he found and heard such an opinion as that he felt certain there must be a good deal of truth in it . It was for that reason that he could confidently ask the company to drink the toast , with all honours , of " Health and Prosperity to the Mark Benevolent Fund . " Bro . C . P \ MATIER then . read the following STEWARDS' LISTS

LADY STEWARDS . £ s . d . Mrs . Carrell ., 5 5 o „ Matier 5 5 0 ,, Wright 5 5 0 ,, Bevan 5 5 o Miis Bcvan 5 5 o

GENERAL BOARD . Bro . R . L . Loveland ( sec Hants and Isle of Wight ) — „ Frank Richardson 10 10 o „ * Right Hon . the Earl of Euston ( see Leicester and Northants ) ... — „ * Right Hon . the . Viscount Dungarvan ( see Kent ) —

„ ' SirTnos . G . Carmichael , Bart ., M . P . ( see London ) — „ Charles Helton 10 10 0 „ 'A . Stewart Brown ( see Middlesex ) — „ 'Major C . W . Carrell ... 21 o 0 „ "Richard Clowes ( see Sussex ) — „ ' Rowland Plumbc „ 'Richard Eve ( see Hants ,

< vc ; — „ * G . C . W . I'itz * illiam ( see Northants , & c . ) ... — „ Gordon Miller „ W . M . Stiles ( see Middlesex ) — „ ' Frederick West ( see Surrey ) —

„ * A . Woodiwiss ( see Derby ) — „ A . F . Church 5 5 o „ * T . P . Dorman ( sec Northants , & c ) — Lodge Grand Master ' s Bro . Jas . S . Eastes 31 10 o 4 Bro . Sir Thos . D . G . Car-• MtrViapl llnl M P r r- .-, ^^ »

, „ ,.. ., ..,.., ..... . j j . ' 7 „ Leopold G . Gordon-Robbins 21 o o 22 „ E . J . Day 5 5 ° 144 „ J . Paynter Hamilton 50 S o 224 ,, | orn Dimsdale ... 10 10 o 3 'ii „ \ i . Milner-Jones 3 'J ) » * Col . A . B . Cook ( see

Middlesex ) — 395 j , * Eail of Huston ( bee Ntrlhants ) — 39 'J » 'Viscount Dungarvan ( see Kent ) ... " ... — 395 » * G . C . \ V . Filzwilliam (^ ec Northants ) ... — 399 1 , * J . ' -. Fil / . Roy Tower i \ nauiecxl

( see :, •¦• — 3 'J 1 >> "Fail of Yarborou'ih ( sec Lincolnshire ) ... — 399 » 'Frank Richardson ... — 399 ,, 'Kail of Portarlington ( see Dorsetshire ) ...

—Lodge £ s . d . 399 Bro . A . H . Bcvan 10 10 o 400 „ Belgrave Ninnis ... 550 40 G „ Sir Jos . C . Dimsdale 10 10 o 40 G „ John Smith 10 10 o 406 „ William Briggs ... 10 10 o 411 „ John Dymond Vicary 10 10 o 454 ,, A . Escott Young ... 550 4 G 9 „ H . S . Wellcome ... 54 12 o 47 G „ Sir Simeon Stuart ,

ua" 5 5 0 UNATTACHED . Bro . Stanley 1 . Attenborough 550 „ R . Berridge „ Major-Gen . F . Gadsden 550 „ W . H . Kempster ... 550 „ W . 11 . Kempster , jun . ... 550 „ G . VV . Marsden 5 5 o

„ L .. r . Matier 31 10 o „ A . W . Orwin 550 „ E . St . Clair 5 5 o „ T . Blanco White „ Rev . C . E . L . Wright ... 550 THE PROVINCES . BERKS AND OXON . Province Bro . Charles Batting ... if . c n

, Lodge 27 Bro . Charles E . Keyser , M . A ., J . P 10 10 o 22 5 „ T . Robert Barnby ... 10 10 o BUCKS . Lodge St . Peter and St . Paul Bro . Rt . Hon . Lord Addington 550

CHANNEL ISLANDS . Lodge 425 Bro . J . B . Cockburn , M . D . 550 CHESHIRE . Bro . The Hon . A . de 'Tatton , P . G . M . ... 7 S 15 0 „ "Colontl C . S . Dean , D . P . G . M —

11 Bro . John Armstrong ... 12 12 0 31 „ Dr . C . S . Brewer ... 21 o o G 7 „ James Cookson ... S S o 1 O 5 „ L . Crosthwaite ... 21 o o KNIGHTS OK ROME AND RKU CROSS 111 ' i . ' ONSTANTINE . Conclave Ccbtrian Sir Knight A . Rutherford 550

CUMBERLAND & WESTMORLAND . Province llro . Rev . Wm . Cree ... 5 5 o CORNWALL . Bro . II . Sholto Hare .., 57 15 o Province Bro . Percy T . Chirgwin ... 50 o o

Mark Benevolent Fund Festival.

£ s . d . DERBYSHIRE . Province Bro . * A . Woodiwiss , J . P ., P . G . M 12 12 o „ J . R . Eastwood , J . P . 7 7 o „ T . C . Eastwood ... 5 5 ° „ Isaac N . Woodiwiss ... 770 „ Edwin S . Woodiwiss ... 550 „ A . W . Slack 5 5 0 .. SirThomasRoe ... 7 7 0

„ J . H . Lawson 10 10 o „ Aid . W . H . Marsden , J-P 5 5 0 „ J . A . Arnold , J . P . ... 550 ,, Edgar Home , J . P . ... 10 10 o Lodpe o . T \ I 3 . * n f 17 W / -. .-. lln ., l /\ II , f \ ' j t ^ iu . \ j . "oiu" •¦•

^ . . . ; »« « 246 „ J . E . Harrison ... 10 10 o 302 „ Chas . D . Hart ... 26 5 o 373 » Gilbert Wilkinson ... 21 o 0 414 „ ThomasW . Lumley ... 10 10 0 503 „ Frank Uiffe 660 DEVONSHIRE . Bro . Henrv Sholto Hare

( sec Cornwall ) ... — Province Bro . Francis B . Westlake . 31 10 o Lodge 15 Bro . Rev . Richard Peek ... 12 2 o DORSETSHIRE . Bro . the Right Hon . the Earl of Portarlington 550

EAST ANGL 1 A . Lodge 334 Bro . Arthur E . Chaplin ... 10 10 o 377 ,, Frank Landon ... 15 15 o GLOUCESTERSHIRE AND HEREFORDSHIRE . Province Bro . Richard V . Vassar-Smith , P . G . M . ... 550 „ Baron de Ferrieres ...

—HAMPSHIRE AND THE ISLE OF WIGHT . Bro . R . Eve , D . P . G . M . ... 550 „ R . Loveland-Loveland 550 Lodge 2 Bro . W . Gillman 5 5 o 17 „ Capt . G . Hearn ... 500 349 „ Sur .-Maj . J . G . Harwood S 13 o

HERTFORDSHIRE . Lodge 354 Bro . Rev . W . R . Finlay ... iG 16 o 354 „ G . L . Eyles 5 5 ° KENT . Bro . the Right Hon . Viscount Dunirarvan .

P . G . M 5 5 0 „ F . Hughes-Hallett ... 550 Lodge 22 G Bro . Edwin B . Hobson ... 10 10 o LANCASHIRE .

Lodge 34 Bro . J . M . Sinclair ... 10 10 o 15 C „ Nathan Heywood 7 , r , , r , 15 G „ R . Thomsom , M . D . ) IU I 0 (> 490 „ Rev . C . C . Bluett ... 10 10 o SUMMARY OF

£ s . d . Berks and Oxon 57 15 o Buckinghamshire 5 5 0 Channel Islands 5 5 o Cheshire 147 o o Cornwall 107 10 0 Cumbeiland and Westmorland 550 Derbyshire 1 G 6 9 0 ll . ti . tncliirii , 1 fl r . Ukllllllb

.,,., ... ... ... ,,, » - v Dorsetshire 5 5 o East Anglia 2 G 5 o Gloucestershire and Herefordshire 5 5 0 Hampshire and Isle of Wight 20 S o Hertfoidshire 22 1 o Kent 21 o o

, 2 3 STEWARDS J ^ -ES GRAND TOTAI

LEICESTERSHIRE AND RUTLAND . * Bro . the Right Hon . the Earl of Euston , P . G . M . ( see Northants ) — ,, Thomas Paget ... 5 5 0 Province

Bro . W . J . Freer 5 5 ° LINCOLNSHIRE . £ s . d . Bro . the Right Hon . the Earl of Yarborough , P . G . M . ... ... 5 5 0 „ Rev . E . M . Weigall ... 550 MIDDLESEX .

Bro . Col . A . B . Cook , P . G . M 52 10 o „ W . M . Stiles ... 5 5 0 Lodge 4 SS Bro . * A . Stewart Brown ... 15 15 0 4 < j 3 „ II . R . Graham , M . P . 14 14 o 504 „ * j . C . Fitz Roy Tower 5 5 °

NORTHANTS , HUNTS , AND BEDS . i : Bro . theRt . I Ion . the Earl of Euston , P . G . M . 5 5 o „ * G . C . W . Filzwilliam , D . P . G . M . ... 10 10 o „ H . Manfield 750 Province

Bro . * Rev . Vitruvus Wyatt 550 Lodge 245 Bro . Thos . Phipps Dorman 21 00 434 „ * Rev . Vitruvius Wyatt 10 10 o NORTH WALES . Bro . Major G . R . Ashley 550 SOMERSET . 41 Bro . George Norman ... 50 0 o

SUKKbY . Bro . * F . West , D . P . G . M . 550 Lodge 13 Bro . F . C . Van Duzer ... 15 15 o 4 ^ 2 „ C . F . Passmore ... 5 5 0 451 „ E . G . L . Anderson ... 11 iG o SUSSEX . Bro . * R . Clowes 5 5 0

STAFFORDSHIRE . 4 G 7 Bro . W . L . Southwell ... 10 10 o YORKSHIRE ( WEST ) . Bro . Chas . Letch Mason , " ) P . G . M „ G . H . Parke Lodge 14 Bro . 'James Simpson

53 ,, A . J . 1-orsdikc ... I 53 „ Thos . Rowbotham ... f ' ° ° ° 53 „ F . Clevees no „ W . A . Statter 137 „ T . G . Howell 39 S „ John Reed 501 „ James Simpson QUEENSLAND . Bro . 11 . Courtenay Luck

EGYPT . Bro . II . K . Idris Bey Ragheb 210 o o ( Largest individual list ever received by Mark Benevolent Fund ) . SOUTH AFRICA ( WESTERN DIVISION ) . Bro . Guy Weir Hogg

ARGENTINE REPUBLIC . Lodge 507 Bro . * C . S . Brewer ... — THE PROVINCES . I s . d . Lancashire 37 10 G Leicestershire and Rutland ... 10 10 o Lincolnshire 10 10 o Middlesex 03 o o

Northants , Hunts , and Beds ... 59 15 o North Wales 5 5 o Somersetshire 50 o o Surrey 3 S 1 0 Sussex 550 Staffordshire 10 10 o Yorkshire ( West ) 170 o o Queensland

Egypt 210 o o South Africa Argentine Republic £ ZOi 15 o 1342 4 G 4 . ' 735 19 6

The CHAIRMAN , in proposing " The Ladies , " said it was always a great pleasure where good work was being done to sec that they were assisted by the ladies , and he was glad to sec that spirit was growing up among Masons , that , whereas in former times ladies were not admitted to the less serious portion of the ceremonies at Masonic meetings , they were admitted now . In his Province of Cheshire , especially in Craft Masonry , ladies were

invited lo join the social board and to assist in the entertainments which took p lace there . That night especially he was pleased that the Board was graced by so many ladies , because the brethren felt they had the assistance of the ladies in the good work which they were encouraging . It would be invidious to connect any lady ' s name especially with that toast ; but in listening to the report Bro . Matier just read he noticed the names of several ladies connected wilh the collection of the Fund . The brethren were always glad that the harshness of men ' s meetings should be softened by the assistance of the ladies , who they were glad to sec around them .

Bro . RUIIAUI ) Evu responded , but he said he had not had the opportunity ol consulting the ladies first , but looking round the table he was convinced they had thoroughly enjoyed themselves , they endorsed the Chairman ' s lemark as to their presence on this occasion , and on like gatherings ; they leh that the time had not been too soon when they were admitted to the festive board of . Masons . The ladies were delighted to be with the brethren in their pleasures as well as in their pain and trouble , and they felt that , nothing cou'd give them greater pleasu-e than to be present wilh them ; the ladies believed thoroughly in tb "