Contents.

CONTENTS .

Royal Masonic Institution for Girls 4 £ i Royal Masonic Institution for Boys 452 Royal Masonic Benevolent Institution 4 $ a Provincial Grand Lodge of West Lancashire 453 Provincial Grand Lodge of Norfolk 453 Provincial Grand Lodge of Sussex , 45 * 4

Provincial Grand Lodge of Durham 4 S 4 Centenary of the Freemasons' Hall Medal at B * th 455 Provincial Grand Lodge of Gloucestershire 45 S AncveTrtand Accepted Rite 456 Provincial Grand Lodge of Peebles and Selkirk 456 Masonic Notes and Queries 457 Reviews 4 < 7

Consecration of the Hova Ecclesia Lodge 457 Obituary 457 Consecration of the Hova Villa Chapter 45 ; LEADERS 458 Freemasonry in Durliam 458 CORRESPONDENCEMasonic Cartes dc Visite 4 ? 8

Admission of Visitors 458 October Elections 458 The I Ast Boys' School Election 458 Craft Masonry 4 60 Roval Arch 402

Freemasonry in North Africa 4 62 Literary , Art , and Antiquarian Notes 462 Masonic and General Tidings 4 62 Lodge Meetings for Next Week I . Advertisements II ., III ., IV .

Royal Masonic Institution For Girls.

ROYAL MASONIC INSTITUTION FOR GIRLS .

The Quarterly Court of the Governors and Subscribers of this Institution was held on Saturday last at Freemasons ' Tavern . Col . Creaton , Grand Treasurer , presided ; and among the other brethren present were Bros . A . J . Duff Filer , VV . , H . Radley , C . E . Brown , 1 . Reeks , Georire

Wyatt , S . Rawson , J . P . Piatt , Edw . Dorling , II . A . Dubois , Jno . G . Stevens , J . J . Berry , C . H . Webb , J . Newton , W . H . Spraull , John Bodenham , John Constable , I . M . Bowden , J . Wordsworth , W . H . B . Tomlinson , H . Smith , Prov . G . Sec . W . Yorkshire , Thomas Hill , A . M . Stansfield , Charles John Perceval , J . Tycrman , G . P . Brockbank , Raynham W . Stewart , A . H . Tattershall , Geo .

Brown , John Sampson Pcirce , R . B . Webster , Andrew Middlemass , Carter Millbourne , A . Tisley , M . Hicks , W . B . Adamson , William Roebuck , Thomas \ V . Murley , John Chadwick , James A . Birch , John L . Hine , Brackstone Baker , C . F . Matier , Col . Henry Basevi , and H . Massey ( Freemason ) . I ^ The minutes of the Quarterly Court of July last were

read and confirmed , andthe minutes of the General Committees subsequently held were read for information . Bros . Tattershall , Webster , Tyerman , Matier , Constable , Berry , J . G . Stevens , Verry , Brown , Newton , Murlis , Nunn , Brootcbank , and Stewart were chosen scrutineers of votes for the election of 42 girls . Dr . F . VV . H . RAMSAY in moving , "That every candidate

for admission to the School shall , previously to nomination , present a certificate that the child can read and write English , and work one of the first four rules of arithmetic , signed by a clergyman in orders , or a certificated schoolmaster , " said that the motion would not require many observations . The subject involved in his motion was one which had for a long time been brought before the Committees of

the two Masonic Educational Institutions to which children were sent up thoroughly unprepared . It had occurred to him therefore to bring forward this motion in order that some arrangement might be made to check the evil . He had altered his motion as first given , by changing the wording from "the first four rules of arithmetic" into " one of the first four rules of arithmetic , " which would make the

test somewhat easier for the child . Bro . RAYNHAM W . STEWART , P . G . D ., seconded the motion . From his own experience he had found that children were sent up to the School who were hardly fit togo to an infant school . In the case of the Boys' School , after last election 11 it had not been for the distance the boys would have had t 0 go they must have been sent back to their homes after

flection . They could not write one word of the Lord ' s Prayer , and one of them could not spell the word " father . " aking such children into the School would be keeping out others who might come in , and who were kept out because influence was brought to bear in favour of the children from the country to whom a certificate had been given that they could read . If children were to be turned out of the School at

l 5 years of age they ought at least to come to the Institution a little prepared to do credit to it . ( Hear , hear . ) Bro . WYATT ( Newport , Isle of Wight ) opposed the motion . The Court should recollect that many of the brethren whose children were candidates , though they might nave been in affluent circumstances , had been reduced , and consequently could not afford to trive them an education

which would put them up to the standard required . There Were many children who had been educated to a certain ex-} : when their father and mother were taken away had not been keep at school , and lost the knowledge they had a 1 . 1 ^ ' ^ wen ' before a stranger , a clergyman , or a schoolmaster to read they were unable to go tnrough a « rict examination . The brethren ought not to raise the standard too high for the children . There were cases in

Royal Masonic Institution For Girls.

which illness had prevented children from going to school . He ( Bro . Wyatt ) thought the present motion would put the standard too high for the position of the parents , who might not have had it in their power to educate them , although the children were most deserving . Bro . A . J . DUFF-FILER ( P . G . S . B . ) seconded the amendment . It was with considerable surprise that he read in the newspapers the proposition now being made by

Dr . Ramsay , a brother whom he might call a friend , as there was neTone in Freemasonry he more respected . He could not imagine for a moment how Bro . Ramsay could have brought forward such a motion , as it seemed to be altering the fundamental rules of the Institution altogether . Looking at the rules at present a child might be elected , but could not be admitted to the Institution until certain conditions were complied with . If the Committee could

not manage that he should say they did not attend to their duties properly . It was their business to take only such children as could read , and who possessed the qualifications necessary . A child must be very precocious to be able to write at the age of seven . When he was a boy the education which Dr . Ramsay required was called a commercial education , and they gave nothing beyond that , and no doubt many children did not know till they got out UI 4 U UVS UUUUL lUUli J % -n *» v * tw »* UIV * ttvv iiilvi ? «•¦ t . i » w J t \ J t . ¦ _* V * L

. into the world the reason they were taught these rules . To take the case of the London Orphan Asylum , at Watford , to which he was a subscriber , their rules were on all-fours with the rules of the Masonic Girls' School . That school went on harmoniously and nicely , and he had not heard any good reason why the present rule should be altered . He was glad Dr . Ramsay had altered his motion from the first four rules of arithmetic to one of the first four rules

of arithmetic . He thought the law as it at present stood gave the Committee full and ample power to deal with the matter , because the children could not be admitted even if elected unless they complied with the rules . What would it amount to if the motion was carried , and a more stringent rule than the present was ' adopted ? There were many children who were not educated at all , and in those cases they were crammed to fit them for the School . Nature

gave them a capacity to understand things a little later on , and they picked up education very rapidly when they got into the School . He must oppose the motion . Bro . BRACKSTONE BAKER , P . G . D ., also opposed the motion . Unfortunate brother Masons who were reduced to a state of distress were obliged to ask for the education of their children at the Masonic Boys' and Girls' Schools . If

they had the means it was self evident they would educate them at their own cost . The test of whatjought , and ought nnt to be , a proper standard of education before admission to the Schools was a very difficult task to set , and was impossible . Different children had different idiosyncrasies , and different amounts erf intelligence . Fifteen or eighteen years ago , when he took a more prominent part on the

Committees of the Institution , he remembered that the children were brought up to read the Lord ' s Prayer , and that was considered sufficient . Presently they would be required to pass the Cambridge test . Obstacles should not be thrown in the way , and he hoped the brethren would not consent to a sort of dilettanti or virtuoso legislation , than which nothing could be worse , in altering or amending the laws which had been , as it were , consecrated by the test

of ages , and had worked satisfactorily hitherto . Bro . J OSHUA NUNN , P . G . S . B ., while admitting the value of Bro . Ramsay ' s motion , thought that if he looked into the laws of the Institution carefully he would find that provision was made to meet the purposes of his motion . Within the last two years a child was sent back to her parents for two months because her reading was unsatisfactory , although it had been certified to be good by a

clerjrvman before the child was placed on the list . The law as it at present stood was sufficient to meet the case . Dr . RAMSAY in reply , argued that his motion would relieve the Committee irom the necessity of sending a child back for further education after she had been elected . In the Boys' School there were two cases in which the parents , who were poor people , must have taken the child back 400 miles . They had not the money to do it with . As a mat ' er

of principle , and out of kind consideration to the children themselves , he could not conceive why there should be any opposition offered to his motion . The CHAIRMAN then put the amendment , which was carried by a large majority , and the motion was lost . Bro . A . H . ' 1 ATTERSHALL moved in alteration of Law 37 " That the members of the House and Audit Committees be elected for three years , and that one-third of the

members retire annually , but shall he eligible for re-election . " Bro . RAYNHAM W . STEWART , P . G . D ., seconded the motion , which was then put and lost . Bro . J OSHUA NUNN , P . G . S . B ., in moving in behalf of Bro . K . C . Mather , V . P ., "That the following words be added to Law 72 , after the word ' provision , ' viz ., * and in cases of exceptional merit and necessity the General Committee are authorised to increase the sum to an amount not

exceeding £ . | 0 , ' " said he was sure the brethren would agree with him that there were cases in which the Committee might give the larger sum with considerable benefit to the recipient . At present they could go as far as £ 20 , but if they had the power in certain exceptional cases to jjrant a larger sum , it would be a very great advantage to the children and to the School , and it would enable the

Committee to help particular cases in a manner which in after life would be of material service to the girls . Bro . FRANK RICHARDSON , P . G . S ., seconded the motion . The rule that as high as £ 20 might be given was made some years ago , when the price of money was much less than it was now , and when £ 20 would go as far as £ 40 at the present time . There were cases in which a little extra latitude would enable the Committee to effect great

Royal Masonic Institution For Girls.

good , and he thought it would be an excellent thing to grant exceptional sums in exceptional cases . Bro . HENRY SMITH , Provincial Grand Secretary of West Yorkshire , opposed the motion . The girls were now in the School twelve months longer that they formerly were , and he thought £ 20 was a very handsome sum to give an exceptionally deserving girl . There was , he was sorry to say , a desire to spend a great deal of money , and

he should certainly oppose it . He moved , as an amendment , that the motion be not adopted . Bro . C . F . MATIER seconded the amendment . Bro . BRACKSTONE BAKER , P . G . D ., asked whether it would not be possible to give exceptional power to the Committee to grant the sum to children . The CHAIRMAN replied that the amount of £ 20 was not given to every child that left the Institution . Much

smaller amounts were given , and it was only in extraordinary cases that the maximum amount was awarded . It would be just the same with the £ 40 . Bro . A . H . TATTERSHALL said the Committee merely wanted to do what the Masonic Pupils' Assistance Fund wished to do , and therefore it had been proposed that , instead of granting £ 20 , they should grant £ 40 in an exceptional case .

Bro . RAYNHAM VV . STEWART , P . G . D ., wished to put Bro . Brackstone Baker right . It was not for every child that had been in the Institution that the money was to be awarded , but only to such children as had shown exceptional merit and ability . It was quite true , as Bro . H . Smith had put it , that the children were now in the School a year longer than formerly , but the General Committee would use a good deal of discretion in voting the amount of

£ 40 , which was the maximum sum proposed . Bro . J OSHUA NUNN thought there seemed to be some little misunderstanding in the matter . It was the General Committee , not the House Committee , which had power in the matter , on the recommendation of the House Committee . Only once in three years had £ 20 been recommended . They had a case before them where they would have liked to give more than £ 20 , but they would have

made it £ 30 , and not £ 40 , if they had had the power . The Committees looked very carefully after the moneys of the Institution , and did not vote the money away because they had the power to do it . They felt themselves fettered when they would give a few extra pounds in an exceptional case . The sums usually given were £ 5 or £ 10 to apprentice the girls or give them an outfit , and " this

had never been objected to . He did not wish to alter the existing rule , but to add to it . After a few words from Bro . BRACKSTONE BAKER and Bro . G . R . SHERVILL , the amendment was put and carried , and the original motion was therefore lost . The brethren then proceeded to elect forty-two girls out of a list of fifty-four candidates , and at the declaration of the poll the following was found to be the result : —

SUCCESSFUL . Emily Alforel Cecil ... ... ... 1422 Emily Beatrice King ... ... ... 1403 Rose Agnes Bridgeman ... ... ... 1279 Eleanor Beatrice Wyatt ... ... ... 1162 Edith Mabel Lewis ( last ) ... ... ... 1117

Annie Adelaide Owens ... ... ... og 6 Rosa Pauline Pelham ... ... ... ... 980 Sarah Jane Bennett ... ... ... ... 850 Sarah Grace Kilvert Bartrum ... ... ... 842 Ada Edith Watson ... ... ... ... 826 Clara Eliza Coales ... ... ... ... 822 Annie Elizabeth Hill ... ... ... ... 800

Sophie Riley ... ... ... ... ... 800 Rcs ' na Carey ... ... ... ... ... 796 Mary Ann Elizabeth Skelton ... ... ... 792 Edith Evans ... ... ... ... ... 790 Gertrude Elizabeth Lee ( last ) ... ... ... 772 Jessie Madeline Hogg ... ... ... 7 6 4 Minnie Maude Cough ... ... ... ... 763 Elizabeth Gertrude Morgan ... ... ... 758

Ada Ellen Ashton ... ... ... ... 749 Alice Maria Louisa Stewini ( last ) ... ... 712 Elizabeth Sophia Smith ... ... ... 709 Eva Gray Gibson ... ... ... ... 701 Caroline Ada Crow ... ... ... ... 6 99 Charlotte Harlop ... ... ... ... 6 99 Mary Emma Spalding ... ... ... ... 682 Annie Louisa Ford ... ... ... ... 654

Margaret Eleanor Heaton ... ... ... 653 Nina Evelvn Prideaux ... ... ... ... 650 FloremeRiJdell ( as : ) ... ... ... ... 630 Kate Sarah Mee ... ... ... ... 618 Alice Lilian Pope ... ... ... ... 615 Gertrude Ashworth ... ... ... ... 609 Mildred Okell ( last ) ... 605

Florence Emma PopkUs ... ... ... 601 Fanny Maria Ignace Oberdoerffer ... ... 594 Ellen Jane Debfons ... ... ... ... 591 MaryCianch Drake ... ... ... ... 589 Inga Edith Wilkinson ... ... ... ... 584 Gertrude Edith Bradford ... ... ... 582 Ada Minnie Shelper ... ... ... ... 576

UNSUCCESSFUL Sarah Maria Walton Thomings ( last ) ... ... 542 Lelia Williamson ... ... ... ... 532 Anne Athalinda Allison ... ... ... 3 64 Emily Deacon ... ... ... ... 314

Emma Mary A . Townsend ... ... ... 305 Edith Brown ... ... ... ... ... 93 Elizabeth Minnie Parker ... ... ... 92 Augusta Helen Nicholls ... ... ... 77 Annie Elizabeth Turner ... ... ... 9 Margaret McKinney " . ' .. ... ... ... 8