The Boys' School Festival On Wednesday Next.

THE BOYS' SCHOOL FESTIVAL ON WEDNESDAY NEXT .

The 93 rd Anniversary Festival of the Royal Masonic Institution for Boys will be held at the Royal Pavilion , Brighton , on Wednesday next , the 24 th instant , under the presidency of Bro . the Earl of LATHOM , Pro Grand Master of England and Prov . Grand Master of West . Lancashire . We have alreadv

enumerated the special circumstances under which the celebration will take place . We have pointed out on several occasions that the fortunes of the Institution are in a somewhat dilapidated state , and that though its responsibilities have been as great as ever , the means by Avhich it is

enabled to fulfil those responsibilities have during the last two or three years been very seriously curtailed . We have also shown that as compared with the other principal Masonic Institutions , its reserve , that is , the amount of its invested capital , is too small to be of any appreciable value . At the same time , its

scheme of government has been entirely remodelled and in accordance with the wishes of its supporters and the confidence in the wisdom of its administration , Avhich had been greatly shaken since 1888 , is in a fair way of being restored . We are , therefore , hopeful that the result of next Aveek ' s effort will be

such as will enable the Executive to carry on their beneficent work with a comparative freedom from anxiety as regards the important question of Avays and means . There is , we think , very little reason to doubt that the donations and subscriptions will suffice to clear the ordinary expenditure during the current

year ; to complete the extraordinary outlay Avhich the late Provisional Management Committee declared to be indispensable in order to place the School in a state of efficiency ; and to make some slight addition to the permanent resources

of the Charity . It is in order that these objects may be accomplished that such tremendous efforts have been made during the last 12 months , and it is to us and all friends of the Institution a source of the utmost satisfaction to know that the

appeal which will be made on Wednesday next in its behalf , supported as it will be by the labours of a Board of Stewards mustering upwards of 750 brethren , is likely to prove so favourable . We trust , however , that intending subscribers will not be induced at the last moment to postpone their good intentions

because the prospects of the Festival are known to be so encouraging . Let them bear in mind that the present exceptional needs of the Institution are very urgent , and that when they have been to a greater or less extent satisfied it will still be necessary to go on appealing year by year for the

requisite supplies in order to keep the School on its reneAved footing of efficiency . Therefore , let no Steward relax , even for a moment , in his efforts to obtain a goodly list , and then , Avhatever the result of Wednesday ' s gathering may be , both Stewards and contributors will have the satisfaction of knowing that

"otmng has been wanting on their part in order to make the success as complete as possible . We hope the report it will be ° ur privilege to publish next week will gladden the hearts of the many friends , both new and old , of our Hoys' School , and at the same time prove an enduring honour to all Avho have had a hand •^ rendering it a most essential service .

The West Lancashire Alpass Benevolent Institution.

THE WEST LANCASHIRE ALPASS BENEVOLENT INSTITUTION .

I he Report for the past year of this , the youngest of the West -ancashire local Charities , is in all respects most satisfactory . 0 festival was held in its behalf , nor Avere there received any inordinary donations , and vet the income has been verv

cond ' 6 owing to the generous contributions from the 1 eren * - lod ges and chapters and individual brethren . These er amounted to close on - £ 560 , Avhile the interest on investbr 1 , £ 10 7 > t * whole income , including the balance ght forward from previous account being only a feAV shillings

The West Lancashire Alpass Benevolent Institution.

short of - £ 872 . The number of widoAvs on the Fund is nine , and the total distributed amongst them in annuities £ 192 . The expenses are only a little in excess of £ 14 , so that the balance to be carried fonvard to the current account Avas - £ 665 . The investments reach £ 3330 / so that even if further candidates for the

benefits of the Charity should come forward and be elected , there is no present likelihood of the capital being trenched upon . Such a Report as this must be very gratifying to Bro . the Earl of LATHOM and our West Lancashire brethren , ancl makes it clear that the true purpose—Avhat many have described as the one

and only secret—of our Craft is thoroughly understood and appreciated by them . It is , indeed , an honour of Avhich they may justly be proud , that , in order to promote the well-being of their poorer brethren and the AvidoAVS and children of those AVIIO have died in poor circumstances , the Masons of West

Lancashire should have established three Charities—one for the education of the sons and daughters of , and one ( the Hamer ) Avhich gives annuities to , indigent brethren , and a third , Avhich Avas founded only as recently as 1886 , and which maintains , or , at all events , helps to maintain , in something like comfort

during their declining years , a certain number of AvidoAvs . In successive Analyses of our annual Festival Returns Ave have ahvays regarded it as a duty to cite this fact as affording a proper apology for the comparative smallness of the amounts received by our Central Charities from this large

and important province . But at the same time AA'e have shoAvn that on certain special occasions it has done its duty' admirably by these , and on Wednesday next , when its PROV . GRAND

MASTER takes the chair at the Boys' School Festival , we shall find that West Lancashire , while it takes care its Charity shall begin at home , is by no means unmindful of the claims upon its support of the great Central Masonic Institutions .

Gothic Architecture—Let It Be Pure.

GOTHIC ARCHITECTURE—LET IT BE PURE .

The cathedral at the ancient City of Winchester- is one of the largest in England . In point of historical interest it is second to none . The interior especially is much admired . It was enlarged and almost wholly rebuilt in the reign of Edward III ., by William of'Wyckham , Avho was Bishop of the See , and also ,

it is said , Grand Master of the Freemasons of England . Thus , like most of the great church edifices of Europe , it Avas the AVOrk of our operative predecessors . The style of architecture which prevails throughout the structure is the mediaeval Gothic . The

nave , the choir , the side aisles , the chapels , " all belong to this beautiful and picturesque order , and harmonise perfectly with each other . In short , everything in the building , down to the minutest ornament was fashioned after a Gothic design .

Early in the eighteenth century it was thought expedient to make some improvements in the grand old church , and , among other things , to remove " the old-fashioned Bishop ' s seat , Avhich William of Wyckham had placed in the choir , and to put a Greek Episcopal Throne in its place .

At the time there was a perfect craze for everything classic . The works of our fine old English poets and prose writers were made little of , and some of the very best of them , such as . the ancient Ballads and the Pilgrim ' s Progress Avere openly ridiculed

Avhile pompous highfalutin essays containing perpetual allusions to something Greek or something Roman , and flat , artificial verses filled Avith invocations to the heathen gods , Avere declared by the critics to be productions of the highest literary merit !

This mania for things classic Avas not confined to literature , it extended to architecture as Avell . Nothing Avas considered Avorth the attention of persons of refined taste unless it Avas fashioned after some Greek or Roman model . The grand and beautiful Gothic edifices Avhich the genius of our operative

brethren had designed and constructed , and Avhich they had bequeathed as a precious legacy to posterity , Avere pronounced by the learned asses to be mere monuments of barbaric ignorance —piles of stone and mortar without the least claim to architectural merit .