Contents,

CONTENTS ,

L BADKRS 281 provincial Grand Lodge of East Lancashire 282 provincial Grand Lodge of Wiltshire 283 Consecration of the Regent's Park Lodge , No . 2203 283 Consecration of Striguil Lodge , No . 2186 , at Chepstow 284

provincial Grand Chapter of Middlesex 285 Provincial Grand Chapter of North and East Yorkshire 286 The Jubilee Celebration at the Albert Hall 286 Prize Day at the Girls' School 286 Consecration f the Brentwood Mark Lodge , No . 311 , Brentwood 286

Board of Benevolence 28 7 Royal Masonic Benevolent Institution ... 287 Masonic Presentation to Bro . R . C . Else , P . G . D . of England 28 J Remarks on some Common Objections to Freemasonry 2 S 7 C ORRESPONDENCEAnnual Festival of the Girls' School ... 289

CORRESPONDENCE ( Continued)—The Year of Light 289 Great Pyramid Masonry 280 Notes and Queries 2 S 9 REPORTS OF MASONIC MEETINGSCraft Masonry 28 9 Instruction 293

Royal Arch 293 Instruction ,. 294 Mark Masonry 294 Ancient and Accepted Rite 294 Knights Templar 294 Grand Lodge of Scotland 295 Farewell Banquet 296

Retirement of Bro . Henderson , Dep . Chief Constable West Sussex 296 Funeral of the Late Bro . Jarvis at Bournemouth 296 Obituarv 296 The Craft Abroad 296 Masonic and General Tidings 296 Lodge Meetings for Next Week iii .

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One of the chief functions appointed to be held during the visittothe Jubilee Season has passed off most brilliantly . On Saturday last , the Q UEEN , in accordance with her promise , visited the

East-End of London for the purpose of formally opening the People ' s Palace , and laying the first stone of the Technical College which is to be connected with it . There vvas comparatively little of State pageantry about the proceedings . The Royal party journeyed from Paddington to Mile-End in five carriages , the last of them , which contained her Majesty and two

of her daughters , being attended by the usual escort of Household Cavalry . But if there was but little or none of that splendour which is usually associated with Royal progresses , there vvas more than compensation in the genuine outbursts of loyal and kindly feeling with which our gracious

Sovereign was received by the densely-packed lines of orderly spectators which extended throughout the whole of the long route traversed . The houses in the successive streets , moreover , had put on for the occasion their very bravest appearance , and there vvas little else to be seen , besides the

enormous masses of people , than flags and banners and gay pennons with innumerable devices of welcome , and an abundance of floral and other decorations , which were always effective and in many instances extremely tasteful . The reception accorded to her Majesty was in keeping with the decorations , that is to say , it was as spontaneous and hearty as it was

general , and the Q UEEN must have been deeply touched by the affectionate loyalty displayed by all classes of her subjects , and especially by those who were gathered to do her honour in the East of London . It vvas a grand

event , and for heartfelt enthusiasm could find a parallel in no other city in the world . We have no doubt the series of Jubilee celebrations so splendidly inaugurated last Saturday will be carried through to the end with an equal measure of success .

uo „ , * natural that the Prince of WALES , as a Norfolk landed tl . K . H . the wand Master at proprietor , should take a deep interest in whatever is likely to promote the welfare of the county in which he regularly

spends a considerable portion of the year . It is not surprising , therefore , that , in spite of the pressing demands upon his time , his Royal Highness should have readily acceded to the request to lay the foundation-stone of

tne Great Yarmouth Hospital with full Masonic ceremonial , or that on the occasion of his visit to Yarmouth on Wednesday to fulfil his promise , the ^ ception accorded to him both by the inhabitants generally and by the

asons of Norfolk particularly should have been characterised by unfitted enthusiasm . The brethren met in their full regalia , and to the umber of about three hundred , in the Town Hall , where a Provincial p ' and Lod ge of Norfolk was held under the presidency of R . W . Bro . ord SUVFIELD , P . G . M ., among the more distinguished visitors present

em g Bros . Lord HENNIKER , P . G . M . of Suffolk ; Lord CHARLES BERESFORD , MiP < j pas | . jGWi of Engiand . and Admiral Sir H . KEPPEL , . * ' ° ' \ who were in attendance on the PRINCE . Thence they proceeded e Slte of the new building , and when all were assembled there , and his AL HIGHNESS had received and acknowledged an address from the

an n . ounc " i 'he ceremony of laying the stone was carried out in accordnaf J * 'he ancient rites of the Craft , and the proceedings termi--p , . ' We must congratulate our Norfolk brethren on their good fortune , am msta " ' of Lord SUFFIELD as their Provincial Grand Master was ,. . g the earliest nubile Masonic acts done bv the Prince of WALES after

yea lnS p , llat 'on as M . W . G . M ., while as recently as the early spring of last 'nth , nnce ALBERT VICTOR of WALES was passed to the Degree of F . C . nti ,. Lod i ? eof Friendship , No . loo , Great Yarmouth . Of these and the

GR . * of favour they have received from time to time from the M . W , Mas " * ASTBR they must be very proud , and we have no doubt the W [ j other provinces , while not grudging Norfolk its good fortune , ver y much like to be in its shoes on these auspicious occasions .

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LAST week we placed before our readers in general terms the Boys' School present position of the Royal Masonic Institution for Boys , and its more immediate claims upon the generous support of the

brethren at the Festival , which will be held at the Crystal Palace on Tuesday , the 14 th June prox . This week it is our duty to lay before them the same claims , but in fuller detail , and fortified by other material

circumstances , for the enumeration of which we could not then find space . Briefly the case , as described in our former article , stands thus . The Boys' School has invested moneys amounting to only £ 17 , , or about two-sevenths of what the Girls' School and one-fourth of what the Benevolent Institution

has . Its permanent income , including the grants from Grand Lodge and Grand Chapter , is within £ 750 , and its expenditure in 1886 , taking both " Ordinary " and " Special" together , exceeded £ 10 , 800 , while the Balance due to the Bank on the Sustentation of Building Account and the Preparatory School Building Fund Account for the same year were , in the one case ,

—stated in round figures— £ 568 , and , in the other , £ 1632 ; or together £ 2200 . These facts show us the financial position of the Institution . As regards the numerical strength of the boys on the establishment , there will be in August next 258 children in the School , as against 242 in 1886 , and 215 in 1885 , successive additions having been made to the last stated

number at the various elections that have been held since the Preparatory School buildings became ready for occupation . On the other hand , the cost per boy for maintenance , education , & c , has been very appreciably reduced from £ 46 19 s . ojkA . in 1885 to £ 40 6 s . ? d . in 1886 , as shown by the Table appended to the published Statement of Accounts for the latter year .

This bears out what vve have always said as to the scrupulous care exercised by the authorities in the financial administration of the Institution , and should dispose , at once and for ever , of the assertions which have been so often , but so causelessly , made that the rule of the Executive is the reverse of economical . As to the value of the educational system adopted in the

School , the same remarks apply with equal force to this as to the sister Institution at St . John's Hill , Battersea , every year furnishing evidence as to the admirable character of the training from such authentic sources as the published results of the Cambridge Local Examinations , in which appear regularly the names of all , or nearly all , the boys who

present themselves as candidates . At the last Cambridge Examination in December , 1886 , for instance , of the nine boys who offered themselves as candidates from this School , seven obtained honours and the remaining two passes , and in every one of the preceding years in which Our Boys have submitted themselves to this ordeal , though the

numbers have been different , the result has invariably been the same , or nearly the same , the smaller numbers now offering themselves being in all probability due to the reduction in the age for leaving the School—from 16 years to 15 years . In short , the Institution morally , educationally , and financially is a pattern of good management , and the brethren are thus assured that

the moneys will be well bestowed which find their way into its coffers . But the question which must seriously engage our whole attention for the next three or four weeks is whether or not the Festival of the 14 th prox . will y ield a sufficient sum for all these requirements , that is to say , notonly tor the regular expenditure of the year amounting , with a small margin for

unforseen contingencies , tosome £ i 2 , ooo or £ 13 , 000 , but likewise for the aloresaid deficit of about £ 2200 and the extra cost of the 12 additional boys elected in April last , amounting at £ 40 per boy to £ 480 for the year ? Well , there is a Board of Stewards , some 250 strong , and there is reason to believe that it includes a fair proportion ot that particular class of irrepressible

canvassers who have no place for " No ! " in their vocabulary , vvould not understand its meaning if it were there , and certainly would not think of accepting it as an answer to their appeals for subscriptions and donations if they understood its meaning . But even if vve allow for more than a fair proportion of these worthy people the Board is by no means strong enough

to do what is required in the present position of things . The Benevolent Institution wanted money badly in the beginning of the year and it has had it ; the Boys' School is in a similar strait and the problem we are considering now is—Will it succeed in obtaining the wherewith to satisfy its needs ? With a Board of 250 Stewards we think its Festival receipts will fall short

of the amount , but we see no reason why it should not succeed if the Board is enlarged to about 300 and the by no means excessive average of £ 50 per list is reached . However , it is less our province to express an opinion on a matter of this kind than to lurnish the information on which such opinions

are formed . A return of at least £ 15 , 000 is needed on the 14111 June next and we must hope it will be forthcoming . The Chairman and the Stewards will do their part of the work , and Bro . BINCKES is deeply engaged in his ; and it is for the Craft , as a body , to determine whether their labours shall be as productive as is necessary .