Report Of The Boys' School Board Of Management.

REPORT OF THE BOYS' SCHOOL BOARD OF MANAGEMENT .

The statement ot account and balance-sheet for 1891 , which the Board of Management of the Royal Masonic Institution for Boys has published and the Council adopted at its meeting on the 5 th instant , are in the main satisfactory . There is an increase in the average cost per boy over 1890 , but this is accounted for partly by a serious epidemic of mumps during the

autumn , and partly by " some additional expenditure in cleaning , painting , and renovating the whole of the buildings . " There is also an item of / 718 9 s . 7 d . under the head of Special Expenditure , which has been incurred in " providing necessary class-room accommodation ( and other extraordinary requirements ) which the Board resolved upon rather than

erect new buildings at a much greater cost , as previously intended and sanctioned by the subscribers . " As for the receipts , they amount to the exceptionally large sum of £ 27 , 293 , of which £ 26 , 306 12 s . id . is in respect of donations and subscriptions . The Festival in June last , as our readers are aware , yielded a total of £ 29 , 680 , but of this sum £ 1500 was paid in

advance during the year 1800 , and the full amount will , no doubt , find its way into the coffers of the Institution in the course of the present year , or , at all events , as soon as the various Associations find themselves in a position to pay over the promised subscriptions . But the most satisfactory feature in these accounts is that by reason of the very great success

of last year ' s Festival , the Board has been enabled to make a very substantial addition to the invested funds , which now stand at upwards of £ 25 , , as compared with between £ 17 , 000 and £ 18 , 000 the year previous . There is also a sum of £ 5000 on deposit at the bankers , while the balance on the general account is considerably in excess of £ 2000 , so that for the time being there

is 110 lack of the sinews of war for carrying on the operations of the School . In short , the circumstances of the Institution as disclosed in these statements are most gratify ing . We regret the necessity whicli has arisen for the increased items of expenditure to which we have referred , but that the Board

of Management is actuated by a desire for economy may be gathered from the fact of its having contented itself with the outlay of a few hundreds of pounds for additional class-room accommodation when it was already armed with the authority of the Governors and Subscribers for expending thc far larger sum of £ 3000 .

The Approaching Festival Of The R.M.I For Girls.

THE APPROACHING FESTIVAL OF THE R . M . I FOR GIRLS .

We are now within view of the second Festival celebration of the year , that of the Royal Masonic Institution for Girls , which will be held in May , on a day as yet to be appointed , and under the presidency of H . R . H . the Duke of CONNAUGHT , M . W . P . G . M ., Provincial Grand Master of Sussex , and District Grand Master of Bombav . After thc magnificent contribution

° ' the Craft to the funds ol the Royal Masonic Benevolent Institution at its Jubilee Festival , we cannot , of course , expect more than at thc very outside an average result on this occasion , but we sincerely trust that the friends and supporters of this popular Charity will bestir themselves in its behalf , ant ! more especially that the brethren who have enrolled themselves on the

Board of Stewards will put forth additional exertions in order to secure a total of donations and subscriptions that shall be worthy of the Chairman - snip of our illustrious brother . Indeed , the circumstances of the Institution almost demand a more than ordinarily successful Festival this year . The Centenary in 1888 was a grand success , yielding as it did upwards of £ 5 1 , 500 , but

\ vc must bear * j nc i t - iat 0 f tnat sum £ 30 , 000 was expended ""lie erection of the Alexandra Hall and the extension and re-arrangement the School buildings . Moreover , when the result was known , an addition 0 20 children was made to the establishment , thus rendering it necessary tne governing body should make a permanent addition to the annual of

^ penditurc between £ 700 and £ 800 . But the Festivals which have been since 1888 have , of necessity , been less productive than in ordinary S ^ fn ' i In l 889 , w'lcn ^ r 0 - I'ord HENNIKEB , Provincial Grand Master of " ° ' k , was the Chairman , the total was £ 5350 ; in iSgo , when Bro . Sir [ , * ¦¦—¦ « . ¦« -. v ^ nairman , tne total was x . oo . *) "i > " < oy « i » n * . n mu , on URD

th AN " ^ T . Bart ., Provincial Grand Master of Middlesex , presided , j J , i us t turned £ 11 , 000 ; but last year , under the presidency of Bro , falli / AKUINGT ° > Provincial Grand Master of Bucks , there was again a fe ° ir , and the amnnnr mrcivod was within / 8700 . These three totals —

'llaKC im ' ¦ v-ils P an aggregate of £ 25 , , or about the same as two ordinary Fesf 0 re ' ) ' - ed , taking the average of the 10 years preceding 1888 . Thcrcavera-r ' ° ' that some special endeavours were made to reach the old « Re , so that the Institution may not ( ind itself under thc necessity of

The Approaching Festival Of The R.M.I For Girls.

trenching upon its modest capital . The present occasion is not perhaps the most favourable for such an effort . The amount subscribed last month to the Royal Masonic Benevolent Institution is already about £ 63 , , and the effect of such an unprecedented contribution cannot do otherwise than exert

an unfavourable influence on the proceeds of the two Festivals which have yet to come , but if , as we hope and trust will be the case , a special effort is made in their behalf , there is no reason why the Schools should not be able to tide over the present year without finding themselves in exceptionally straitened circumstances .

As regards the progress that has been made in constituting a Board of Stewards for the Girls' Festival , we believe we are within the mark in stating that the number of brethren who have given their services up to the present is about 100 short of an average Board in ordinary years . Therefore we strongly urge upon those lodges and chapters , both in town and country ,

which have not appointed representatives to lose no time in doing so . As far as we know , the Chairman ' s Province is fairly well represented , especially when we remember that in June of last year it subscribed £ 730 to the Boys' School , and about £ 1180 to the Benevolent Institution last month ; but we imagine that London is not very strong and that thc other

Provinces will require to be more numerously represented if a good average result is to be obtained . However , much may be done in thc two months that remain , especially if it is done forthwith while the lodges are in full swing , to make good the deficiencies at present existing . We feel sure

the brethren will regard it as a kind of stigma upon the fair fame of the Craft if the Chairmanship of the Duke of CONNAUGIIT is not attended with at least such a measure of success as may be reasonably expected after their tremendous efforts last month for thc Jubilee of thc Old People .

Grand Council Of Royal And Select Masters.

GRAND COUNCIL OF ROYAL AND SELECT MASTERS .

A Grand Council was held at Mark Masons' Mall , Great Queen-street , W . C , on Thursday , the 10 th inst ., when 111 . Comp . Lieut .-Col . A . B . Cook , D . G . M ., presided , in the absence of the M . III . Comp . the Karl of Kuston , Grand Master . There were also present 111 . Comps . C . H . Driver , Past

D . G . M . ; W . Vincent , P . A . G . D . C ; R . Berridge , G . Treas . ; C . F . Maticr , P . D . G . M ., G . Recorder ; F . Mead and R . Voisey , G . Marshals ; A . R . Carter , W . Maple , H . K . Cousans , G . W . Marsden , Capt . Donald Grant , L . Steele , F . Cleevcs , H . Burgess , P . Monson , and W . W . Lee .

The Grand Council was opened , and the minutes of thc last meeting confirmed .

A report of the progress of thc Cryptic Rite was read by the GRAND RECORDER , the number of certificates issued during the past year being 42 , making a total membership of 5 63 , which is the largest number ever recorded

in one year . On the proposition of III . Comp . H . E . COUSANS , seconded by III . Comp . W . VINCENT , the report was received , adopted , and ordered to be entered on the minutes .

The Grand Treasurer ' s statement of accounts was received , showing a balance of about £ 50 , and was adopted on the motion of 111 . Comp . COUSANS , seconded by III . Comp . DRIVER . III . Comp . F . MEAD then said he had thc greatest pleasure in nominating

the Earl of Eu . ston as the Grand Master for thc next three years . It would be needless for him to say one word in support of thc nomination , for the liar ) of Kuston was so beloved by everyone in Masonry , and always took such a deep interest in everything hc undertook in connection with it , that they could not possibly find a better Grand Master .

Comp . CARTER seconded the nomination , which was carried by acclamation and duly proclaimed . The DEPCTV GRAND MASTER said he would lake this opportunity of

saying that thc Karl of Kuston very much regretted his inability to be present , but having been elected a member of the Count } ' Council in his own district , and their first meeting being held that day , he felt it was his duty to attend .

111 . Comp . DRIVER proposed , and III . Comp . VINCENT seconded , the re-election of III . Comp . Berridge as Grand Treasurer , which was carried unanimously . 111 . Comp . BERRIIHJE returned thanks for this renewed mark of their confidence in him as Grand Treasurer .

The GRAND RECORDER announced that he was honoured by the commands of thc Grand Alaster to say that hc appointed Lienl .-Col . Cook as Deputy Grand Master , and that 111 . companion was proclaimed accordingly .