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CONTENTS . L EADERSNext Wednesday's Festival ... ... ... ... 3 ' 3 The Western Division of South Africa ... ... ... 3 ' 3 Freemasonry in the Transvaal ... ... ... ¦•• 3 ' 4

Ccnsccration of Ihe Aldermaston Ledge , No . 2760 ... .. f ... 3 ' 4 Picvincial Grand Ledge of Suffolk ... ... ... - 3 l 6 Consecration of Ihe Excelsior Chapter , No . 1155 ... ... 3 ' Correlation of the Conovium Chapter , No . 256 9 ... ... ... 3 ' 7 P OETRY—Blank Papers ... ... ... ... ... 3 ' 7 The Craft Abroad ... ... ... ... ... ... 3 ' 7

M ASONIC NOTESProvincial Grand Lodge of Kent ... ... ... •¦• 3 J 9 Masonic Service at the Parish Church , Hornsey ... ... ... 3 ! 9 District Grand Lodge of Bengal .,, ... ... ... 3 ' 9 Correspondence ... ... ... ... ... ... 320 Board of Benevolence ... ... .,. ... ... ... 320

Surrmer Outing of the Quatuor Coronati Lodge ... ... ... 320 Craft Masonry ... ... ... ... ... ... 321 Order of the Secret Monitor ( Grand Festival ) ... ... ... 322 Royal Aich ... ... ... ... ... ... .... 323 Freemasonry in the Weit Indies ... ... ... ... ... 323 Masonic and General Tidings ... ... ... ... ... 324

Next Wednesday's Festival.

NEXT WEDNESDAY'S FESTIVAL .

The 101 st Anniversary Festival in behalf of the Royal Masonic Institution for Boys , will be held at the Royal Pavilion , Brighton , on Wednesday , the 28 th instant , Bro . CHARLES E . KEYSER , J . P ., P . G . D ., will occupy the chair and will be

supported by a Board of Stewards numbering about 250 ladies and brethren . No special efforts that we are aware of have been made in behalf of this annual fixture , the principal reason being that the Benevolent and Girls' Institutions , which reaped but a

moderate harvest of donations and subscriptions last year in consequence of the overwhelming attractions of the Boys' Centenary , might have the field left entirel y open to them to make up their lost ground . Moreover , a very urgent appeal for funds after the splendid result of last year ' s Festival would have

seemed out of place . Nevertheless , the fact of there being a Hoard already organised , of the strength we have mentioned , shows lhat "Our Boys" arc not being forgotten , and we hope we shall be in a position to report next week that Wednesday ' s

gathering has been successful to the extent of providing as nearl y as may be the amount required to cover the year ' s expenditure . The bulk of what was raised in 1 S 9 8 was subscribed towards a special object—that of erecting the new School

premises at Bushey—and must be held in reserve in order to meet that object , so that there is little , if any , difference between what is needed for the current 1859 , an ( l ' ordinary years . That the Chairman and his Stewards will , both

individuall y and collectively , do their level best in order to obtain lie supplies may be taken for granted , and we doubt not the lodges and Provinces that are represented will be equally zealous .

J he preliminary meeting at the Institution , Wood Green , J'l'l take place during the afternoon of Tuesday next , when Mrs . "ARl . ES E . KE \ SER will distribute the prizes to the successful l " ] " ^ and reports will be furnished of the educational nrocrress

'" u . e b y the School generally . As wc have remarked in our "nner articles on this Festival , these reports testif y unequivocall y to the excellence of the work that is being done bv the , "slilution , while the statements of account furnished vearhv venr

^ 'ur equall y emphatic testimony to the able manner in which ^ K j'oard of Management discharge their duties and responsi-, ! ' ies - Under these circumstanceswe trust the Craft will

, liond to the appeals which the Stewards have been addres-^ g to them during the last few weeks , and furnish what is "ceded with a generous hand .

The Western Division Of South Africa.

THE WESTERN DIVISION OF SOUTH AFRICA .

It is evident , from the printed Report of the Proceedings of the District Grand Lodge of South Africa ( W . D . ) at its annual Communication , at Woodstock , on the 21 st March last , and the several Appendices thereto , that the past year has been one of

steady , but substantial , progress . This , perhaps , is not to be wondered at , seeing that Bro . the Very Rev . C . W . BARNETTCLARKE , Dean of Cape Town , who is the District Grand Master , is one of the ablest and most zealous of English Craftsmen . It

is not a large District that he presides over , the number of lodges under his jurisdiction being only 15 ; but whether we have regard to the manner in which they discharge their duties or the benevolent funds they have established for different

purposes , we find that everything is , and , since 1890 , when our Very Rev . Brother was appointed to office , has been , going on most satisfactorily . The reports of the several lodges bear testimony to the excellence of the work that is being done , there

being only one case in which the visiting District Grand Officer , after briefly commending the lodge for the manner in which the officers did their work , and the members generally for their evident desire to increase their Masonic knowledge , appears to

have thought it necessary to address a warning to the brethren generally as to the " extreme caution which should always be exercised in the admission of gentlemen to our Order , pointing out that the admission of a new

member was no light matter , but one requiring care and foresight , lest unwittingly one should come amongst us who might later bring dishonour and not credit upon the Craft . " The District Grand Master ' s address was brief , and

for the most part he appears to have contented himself with referring to the loss sustained by the whole Craft through the lamented death of the Earl of LATHOM , and to that of the District itself by the deaths of two prominent brethren ; and

" exhorting the brethren to promote discipline and punctuality , and to live up to the high standard so fully insisted upon in Craft teachings . " He also , after the appointment and investiture of the new Dist . Grand Officers and the conclusion of the

other business of Dist . Grand Lodge , expressed his thanks to the \ V . Master and members of the Woodstock Lodge " for the use of their Temple and hospitable reception , " and extended a hearty welcome to the Secretary of the Boys' School and Bro . SPELLER , who at the time were on a visit to South Africa .

The District Board of General Purposes refer in their report to the part taken by the Dist . Grand Master , his officers , and the brethren in laying the foundation stone ( 1 ) of St . Michael and All Angels' Church , Observatory-road ; and ( z ) of St . Luke ' s

Church , Salt River ; to the attendance , on the invitation of the Dist . Grand Master , of the brethren at a Masonic service in St . George ' s Cathedral , Capetown ; and to the presentation to the R . W . and Very Rev . brother of a life-size portrait in oils of

himself and a gold watch and chain , which had been subscribed for by the lodges , chapters , and brethren in the District . The Board also exhorted the brethren to give a continued and increasing support to the different Funds established in

the District . As for these Funds , the Dist . Grand Lodge General Fund shows an adverse balance of over £ 18 , but this appears to be due to certain extra expenditure , and ,

nc doubt , the Account will be found to be satisfactoril y adjusted at the close of the current year . The Dist . Grand Lodge Benevolent Fund , which opened with a balance of £ 1017 , on the ist January , 18 9 8 , closed on the 31 st December with z