Royal Masonic Benevolent Institution.

the latter £ 96 12 s . In June , with a band of 43 Stewards acting for the whole body of lodges , a Royal Arch chapter , a Rose Croix chapter , and a Mark Iodge , it compiled a fine total of ^ 1436 17 s ., which with its previous contributions to this Institution and the Girls gives an aggregate for the year of £ 1697 Js . On Wednesday , three of its lodges—the Union , No . 414 , Reading ; the Loyal

Berkshire Lodge of Hope , No . 574 , and the Victoria , No . 2671 , Windsor—were represented by four Stewards , of whom Bro . C . E . Keyser , did duty for Nos . 414 . and 574 , the aggregate of their lists being £ 234 5 s ., and the most important items the £ 105 raised by Bro . Keyser , irrespective of what he contributed as one of the Stewards for the Province of Hertfordshire .

BUCKINGHAMSHIRE sent up a contingent ot six Stewards , of whom Bro . J . J . Simcox acted for the Province generally ; while four of the 19 lodges and the chapter attached to a fifth had each its own special Steward . The total from all sources reached . £ 156 18 s . 6 d . the principal item being , £ 63 by Bro . Simcox as Steward for the Province . Like its old associate and neighbour , of whose Festival record we have just

given a brief record , Bucks has proved itself an exemplary supporter of all the central Charities . In 1 S 91 , the first year of its existence as a separate Province , it subscribed in all £ 511 is ., of which the Girls' School , at whose Festivalits then Prov , G . Master presided , obtained . £ 300 . In 1892 , including £ 290 iSs . towards the Benevolent Jubilee , it subscribed £ 705 15 s . ; in 18 93 £ 479 16 s . ; in 1 S 94 ,

including . £ 429 15 s . to the Institution for Boys , £ 590 ; in 1895 , £ 43 8 14 s . od , ; in 1896 j £ 42 g us . ; and in 18 97 £ 489 17 s . 6 d ., of which this Institution had the satisfaction of securing more than half . Last year , after raising £ 145 19 s . for the Old People , and . £ 33 12 s . for Our Girls , it put forth all its strength , and subscribed no less than . £ 1143 iSs . 6 d . to the Boys' Centenary , thus placing the total for the year at £ 1323 gs . fid . Two of the seven lodges on the roll of

CAMBRIDGESHIRE are entered in the Returns for Wednesday , one being the Isaac Newton University Lodge , No . 859 , and the St . Audrey Lodge ,. No . 2727 , Ely , which was only consecrated the other day ; but which , notwithstanding , furnished a representative in the person of Bro . Henry Kempton , whose list reached the goodly total of , £ 84 . This is the total for the Province , as the 859 list has yet to be handed in .

Last year the Province was represented at the Benevolent Festival by Bro . Briggs , Unattached , with a list of . £ 10 ios . ; while in May Bro . W . J . Fernie , who , together with Bro . W . J . Armitage , did duty for No . S 59 , returned , £ 42 . In June , 13 Stewards , including the Prov . G . Master , the Prov . G . Secretary , acting for the Province , the seven brethren , representatives of five out of the six lodges then on the roll , a Steward from Chapter , No . 859 , and three

Unattached brethren , compiled amongst them a total of . £ 707 3 s . 6 d ., making the product of the whole year £ 759 13 s . 6 d ., the Bro . Armitage who took part in the proceedings on this occasion being the acting Steward for No . 859 , and compiling a list of 2 ' 3 i 5 s . In 1897 it raised £ 323 10 s . 3 d ., and in 1896 - £ 364 Ss ., this Institution obtaining the chief support in the former year , and the Boys' School in the latter .

Last year CHESHIRE , which , with its roll of 52 lodges , is among our strongest Provinces , acquitted itself splendidly , the total of its contributions amounting to £ -T ]_ 17 s ., of which all but the £ \ o IOS . subscribed to this institution , and the 2 ' 5 15 s . to the Girls ' School , was raised for the Boys' Centenary , the number of Stewards who took

part in the compilation of this total being 118 . This is the highest figure ever reached by this Province in any one year , and yet it has done great things from time to time of which its lodges and brethren have good reason to be proud . Thus , in 1891 , it subscribed . £ 1050 to the Boys' School , and the following year £ 19 88 to the Jubilee of this Institution . In 18 95 , when its Prov . G . Master

presided as Chairman at the Boys' School , it supported him with a contribution of £ 2000 . In addition , it morst generously maintains an Educational and Bene , volent Institution of its own . On this occasion one of its lodges furnished two Stewards , and there were also two who acted independently , the total returned by three of the four being £ 31 ios .

One of the 30 lodges in CORNWALL , the Molesworth , No . 1954 , Wadebridge , was represented by Bro . Sholto II . Hare , whose name , as the years roll on , is becoming tolerably familiar to our reiders , His list amounted to ^ 36 15 s ., and , in addition , , £ 42 was subscribed by thc Cotehele Lodge , No . 2166 , Calstock , and , £ 159 6 s ., raised by Bro . Lieut .-Col . G . 1 . Parkyn , Unattached , the total being , £ 238 is . Last year it raised the large sum

of £ 854 19 s . for the Boys' Centenary , in addition to . £ 26 5 s ., per Bro . Sholto Hare , for the Old Peop ' e , and , £ 43 is . for the Girls' School , Bro . Hare being or . e of the three brethren whose efforts produced this sum . Thus , the aggregate for last year reached £ 924 5 s ., which was substantially in excess of what Cornwall has ever previously accomplished , even in 1895 , when the Earl of Mount Edgcumbi , Prov . G . M ., presided at the Girls' Festival , and the total reached ^ 789 iSs ., of which . £ 750 was in respect of Our Girls' School . In 1892 his lordship presided at the Benevolent Jubilee , and the Province backed him to the extent of £ 776 15 s .

We are glad to see that DEVONSHIRE is once again among the contributing Provinces . True only two of its 58 lodges are represented , and Bro . F . B . Westlake is the only Unattached Steward , the total of their lists being £ 131 15 s ., but with this , as with all the other Provinces , the heavy work of that year is not without its influence on the Returns on this

occasion . In 1898 a contingent of 29 Stewards compiled the handsome total of £ 1875 2 s . iod ., while in February it raised £ 21 for this Institution , and in May £ 6 $ 2 s . for the Girls' Institution , Bro . Westlake being a Steward at all three anniversaries , the year's tctal being , £ 1961 4 s . iod . Its greatest successes previous to 1898 was in the year of the Girls' Centenary—1888—when the aggregate of its contributions reached £ 1013 5 s ., of which , £ 47 5 s . was in support of this

Institution and £ 126 for the Girls Centenary , the balance of , £ 840 falling to the lot of the Boys' School , for which the then Prov . G . M ., Bro . Viscount Ebrington , presided as Chairman . Again , at the Jubilee of this Institution , in 18 92 , Devonshire figured for a total of ^ 807 18 s . 6 d . We shall welcome with pleasure the appearance of the Province in the Returns next month for the Girls' Festival . Two of the K lodges in

DORSETSHIRE furnished Stewards to the gathering on Wednesday , the Lodgeof Amity , No . 137 , Poole , being represented by a member of the Whadcoat family ( Bro . W . H . Whadcoat ) , Bro . H . G . Kersley acted for the Lodge of Friendship and Sincerity , No . 472 , Shaftesbury , while Bro . J . If . Whadcoat , J . P ., and Lieut .-Col . W . Watts were Unattached , and the lists of the four together amounting to , £ 157 ios ,, of which . £ 105 was Bro . J . 11 . Wbadcoat ' s contribution .

Last year , thanks to thc munificence of Bro . J . II . Whadcoat , who at the time was Mayor of Poole , the Province surpassed all its previous achievements . In February and May that brother figured for £ 10 ios . to the Benevolent Institution and . £ 63 to the Girls' School , while st the Boys' Centenary in June the splendid sum of £ 20 54 0 ? . Gd . was credited lo the Province , of which ^ 1211 8 s ., including the splendid gilt of 1000 guineas announced at the Festival , was received from Bro . J . H . Whadcoat , there being [ nine other members of this family among the Dorse

Royal Masonic Benevolent Institution.

representatives , namely , Bro . W . II . Whadcoat , together with Mrs . J . H . Whadcoat and the three Misses and four Masters Whadcoat , all Unattached , all the nine as well as the ex-Mayor himself being Patrons of the Institution . But besides this splendid return from Bro . Whadcoat , there was a list of £ 420 raised by Bro . Col . W . E . Brymer , M . P ., P . G . D ., D . P . G . M . ; another of jfuo 5 s . obtained by Bro . W . James , representing the St . Mary's Lodge , No . 707 , Bridport ; and still

another o . f £ 105 compiled by Bro . C . H . Curtis , P . M ., representing the Lodge of Honour and Friendship , No . 1266 , Blandford . Its previous achievements prior to 18 9 8 belong to the years 1892 and 18 97 , in the former of which it raised . £ 521 6 s . * , of which . £ 500 6 s . was in support of the Benevolent Jubilee , while in the latter it subscribed 2 * 137 us . to the Benevolent Institution ; £ 72 9 s . to the Girls' School ;

an " * 375 to the Boys' School , making the aggregate for the year £ 585 . Such Returns as these are in the highest degree creditable to a Province which even now has only 15 lodges on its roll . In addition , there is a Dorset Masonic Charity , which was founded in 1880 , and which does an amount of good for the necessitous brethren of the Province and their widows .

As regards the Festivals of our Charitable Institutions and the Province of ESSEX , which can now boast of having as many as 41 lodges on its roll , its record is " a brilliant one , which culminated in June last , when , with 3 8 lodges , it raised by the medium of 7 S Stewards the splendid sum of £ 4122 12 s . fid , the amounts it had previously subscribed , namely , . £ 149 13 s . 6 d . to this Institution , and 10 guineas to

the Girls" School , making the total for the whole year £ 4282 16 s ., or not far short of 2 * 1700 in excess of what ifc had previously compiled during a single year . At the Girls' School Festival in 18 S 4 , when the present Prov . G . Master- —then Lord Brooke—occupied the chair , Essex , with only 22 lodges , subscribed £ 1000 , the total for the year being £ 1546 7 s . 6 d . In 1 SS 8 , when it mustered 26 lodges , its contributions to the three Festivals , including ^ 874 6 s . to the Girls' Centenary , reached £ 1297 3 s . 6 a . In 18 92 , it raised £ 2318 2 s . 6 d . for the Benevolent

Jubilee , and £ 2608 5 s . during the year ; while , in 1893 , when Lord Brooke was Chairman of the Boys' School Festival , it raised £ 2155 6 s . for that Institution , and during the year £ 2258 3 s . However , after such successful efforts as it put forth in 1898 , it is surprising it should have done so much , the total including £ 119 2 s ., per Bro . J . R . Johnson , of the Brooke Lodge , No . 2005 , and £ 105 , per Bro . J . Berry , Unattached , being . £ 413 8 s . 6 d . as compiled by these two Steward ? and others .

Three of the 17 lodges in GLOUCESTERSHIRE took part in this Festival , the Cotteswold having two brethren in charge of its interests , while Bro . R . V . Vassar-Smith , P . G . D ., the Dep . G . Master of the Province , acted independently . The total from the five reached £ 166 8 s . 6 d ., of which £ 63 was contained in the Deputy ' s list . Here , again , the record is a

splendid one , and more especially last year when it subscribed 247 5 s . to this Institution , £ 89 5 s . to the Girls' School , and . £ 3723 12 s . to the Boys * Centenary , the number of lodges being less by one than it is now ; and the year ' s aggregate ^ 2860 2 s . This is more than , £ 1000 in excess of what it has don- * " in any previous , its highest total for a single Festival having been in 1892 , when its Prov . G .

"Waster , Sir M . E . Hicks-Beach , Bart ., M . P ., presided at the Boys' Festival , and the Province raised ^ , 1645 » s ., while the year ' s aggregate was , £ 1729 1 is . At the Girls' Centenary , in 1888 , it contributed £ _ 2 o 18 s ., and a few weeks later 221 to the Boys' School , which with the 259 5 s- fid . subscribed to this Institution constituted a total of £ 621 3 s . fid . for that year .

We now come to that Province of HAMPSHIRE AND ISLE OF WIGHT . which , under the wise rule of its respected Prov . G . M ., Bro . W * . W . B . Beach , M . P ., has in all matters essential proved itself a very stronghold of Freemasonry . On Wednesday 10 of its 48 lodges , and the chapters attached to two of them , were represented by 10 Stewards—Bro . Commander Giles doing duty for Lodges

Nos . 257 and 1903 , and Capt . F . Powell for Nos . 903 and 2153 , in addition to No . 2612 , London , and No . 2404 , Kent , while Bro . Cutler represented Lodge and Chapter No . 195 , and Bro . John W . Gieve , J . P ., Prov . G . Treasurer , was Unattached . The total from all sources amounted to £ 406 2 s ., the principal items being ; £ ufi 16 s . by Uro . Cutler , of Lodge and Chapter ; No . 195 ; £ 112 7 s . by Bro . Steele . of Peace and Harmony , No . 859 ; and . £ 63 by Bro . J . W . Gieve , Prov . G . Treas . Last year , after raising . £ 36 15 s . for the Old People and £ 6 S 5 s . for the Girls , it

furnished a contingent ot 56 Stewards to the Boys' Centenary , who together com - piled Ihe formidable total of 2 * 3238 13 s . fid . For the year of the Queen ' s Jubilee — 1 SS 7—when the Prov . G . M . presided at the Festival of this Institution , the Province raised 2 i 7 H 5 9 ** - fid- for that Charity , the year ' s aggregate being 2 i 882 19 s . fid . In 1 S 8 S , when the Girls' School Cent enary was celebrated , the total was 2 ' 3 S 5 ' *• fi <* > of which " Our Girls " obtained £ ( 149 13 s . fid . In 18 92 , 2 * 345 19 s - 7 J - was raised for the Benevolent Jubilee , and duiing the year 21050 " 7 s-

HERTFORDSHIRE , as we pointed out in our Notes of last week , has now 23 lodges on its roll , its youngest lodge having been consecrated as recently as Saturday , the nth instant . Vet , with this moderate array of lodges , it has done great things under the auspices of its present chief—Bro . T . F . Halsey , M . P . In 1888 it raised 2 * 45 ' 5 s- fid * for this Institution ; and 2649 19 s . for the < Girls' Centenary ; or ,

together , . £ 795 14 s . fid . ; there being at the time 16 lodges in the Province . In 1892 , when the number had increased to 21 , it raised in all 22135 6 s . fid ., of which 2 iS 83 6 s . fid . was in support of the Benevolent Jubilee , while the following year , when one of its most distinguished members—Bro . C . E . Keyser--took the chair at the Festival of this Institution , the total was £ 2106 14 s . of which 2 i 455 iSs . fid . was in respect of this Institution . Last year it subscribed 2343 2 s . to this Institution ; 2 > fi 8 15 s . 6 d . to the Girls' School ; and 2 i 6 i 4 Ss * fid . to the Boys'

Gentenary , making the year ' s aggregate 22126 3 s . On Wednesday , six of its 23 lodges , including the newly-consecrated Grove Park Lodge , No . 2727 , and two of its eightchapterssentStewards . and , inaddition , there were three brethren Unattached , the total from the 11 representatives reaching 2377 19 6 A ., of which Bro . C . E Keyser ' s list of . £ 11 5 ios ., as Steward for Lodge No . 2518 , which bears his name , was the principal figure . This is not such a very bad beginning for the current year in the case of so moderate a sized Province .

KENT now has a muster roll of 64 lodges and a splendid organisation for Charitable purposes , while , to crown all , it has been for the last 38 years under the rule , of one pt the ablest and most popular members of our Order—Bro . Earl Amherst , who has recently been appointed Pro G . Master in secession to the late lamented Bro . the Earl of Lathom . But though these advantages have conduced materially to the splendid reputation which the Province has gained as a supporter of our Institutions

, we must not entirely overlook the generosity of our Kentish brethren who lnve themselves responded so handsomel y whenever a call upon them for support has been made . Thus , in 1888 , the total subscribed during the year including . £ 305993 . fid . to the Girls' Centenary , was 23688 us . In 1891 ! when the Prov . G . Master presided as Chairman at the Festival of this Institution , the total was £ 4018 6 s ., of which 234 « J 14 s . 6 d . was subscribed forthe Old People . In 18 93 , including 2 * 868 15 s . 6 J . to the Benevolent Jubilee , the product of the year was 229 6 9 6 j . 6 d ., but in 18 GS the total reached 25071 l 6 i ., ot vVltl ' ca