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CONTENTS . LRADBR— PAGE The Result of the Year ' s Festivals ... ... - ••¦ 445 Provincial Grand Lodge of Berkshire ... ... ••••••445 Provincial Grand Lodge of Essex ... ... ... ••••••447

Provincial Grand Lodge of Hertfordshire ... ... ••••••44 S Consecration of the Hudson Lodge , No . 2791 ... •¦• — 44 § Consecration of the Saint Bride Lodge , No . 2 S 17 ... ... ... 4 + S Provincial Grand Mark Lodge of Cornwall ... ... — •••449 Mark Masonry ... . ... ... ... ••••••4 W MASONIC

NOTESAgenda Paper of Supreme Grand Chapter ... ... ... 451 Summer Entertainment to the Annuitants of the R > yal Misonic Benevolent Institution ... ... ... •••¦••45 ' Quarterly Court of the Royal Masonic Institution for Bivs ... ... 451 Annual Meeting of the Provincial Grand Lodge of Suffolk ... ... 451 Annual Meeting of the Provincial Grand Lodge of Hertfordshire ... 451 Laying Foundation-stone of the New Masonic Hall at Leeds .. ... 451

Correspondence ... ... ¦¦•••••••¦¦•45 2 In Memoriam ... ... ••••••••••••453 New Masonic Hall , Leeds ... ... ... ••••••453 The Rev . F . B . N . Norman-Lee , P . G . Chap . ... ... ... 454 Supreme Grand Chapter of England ( Agenda Paper ) ... ... ... 455 Obituary ... ... ... ... - •••- 455

THE CRAFT ABROADAnnual Meeting of the Grand Lodge of Canada in O . itario ... ... 455 Science , Art and the Drama ... ... ... ... •¦•45 " Masonic and General Tidings ... •»••. ••••••45 s

The Result Of The Year's Festivals.

THE RESULT OF THE YEAR'S FESTIVALS .

Wc have no doubt that our readers arc as surprised as they must be gratified by tlie result of thc year ' s Anniversary Festivals . When at the close of last year and thc beginning of this we were looking forward to these annual fixtures and

speculating as to what the future might have in store for us , thc calls that were being made upon thc brethren in common with tlie rest of the public in connection with thc several War and Refugee Funds were both numerous and heavy , and it was only natural that the authorities of our Schlolastic and Benevolent

Institutions should be seriously anxious as to whether the amount required to meet the year ' s deficiencies of income should he forthcoming in the circumstances . No doubt ever existed in lheir minds as to the goodwill of the Craft to supply what was

needful , but many must have doubted il" the ability of thc hrethren would be equal to their will , in view of the more immediate and more urgent demands to which the war in South Africa had given rise . However , not only has all doubt upon

tlie point been long since set at rest , but to the gratification of the whole English Craft , the Anniversary Festivals of 1900 have proved successful far beyond the average of ordinary years , nor are there any cases in which the aggregate

uf thc three Returns has been exceeded except in 1888 , "'hen our Girls' School celebrated the Centenary of its foundation , in 1892 , when the Benevolent Institution held 'ts Jubilee ; and in 18 9 8 , when the Boys'School had its turn ,

•ui'l reaped such a harvest as has never been known in connection witli any Masonic or other Institution that is mainl y ° r wholly dependent for funds on the voluntary contributions "f ihe benevolent . The following are the leading particulars

1 , 1 illustration of this year ' s Festival campaigns . On Thursday , the 27 th February , the Royal . Masonic Bene v "lent Institution held its 5 8 U 1 Anniversary at Freemasons '' ' ivern under the presidency of the Right Hon . Lord ADDING

r ° \ l ' rov . G . Master of Buckinghamshire . A Board of upwards '' ' fioo ladies and brethren gave their services as Stewards , and l '" ' result of their labours appeared in a total of donations and s "' criptions which amounted , as announced on the occasion , lo

The Result Of The Year's Festivals.

, £ 20 , 220 , but which has since been augmented by the receipt of outstanding lists and additions to £ 22 , 298 , of which £ 12 , 774 was raised by the London brethren , and £ 9524 by the Provincial , the three largest items included in the latter sum being £ 1495

from the "Chairman ' s Province" of Buckinghamshire , £ 1381 from Essex , and £ 1800 from West Yorkshire . With such a result as this it is needless to say the Committee of Management was relieved of all anxiety on the subject of the necessary ways and means for the current year .

On Wednesday , the 16 th May , the Right Hon . the Earl of DARTMOUTH , the Prov . G . Master of Staffordshire , presided as Chairman at the 112 th Anniversary Festival in behalf of the Royal Masonic Institution for Girls . A Board of Stewards ,

composed of 7 6 3 ladies and brethren , supported his lordship , and the Secretary had the satisfaction of announcing a total of £ 3 > ° 37 > towards which London , with its 300 representatives , contributed £ 10 , 45 8 , and the Provinces , with 4 6 3 representatives ,

£ l 2 > 519 > tbe most important items contained in the latter amount being £ 1003 from Middlesex ; £ 8 7 6 from Worcestershire ; and £ 4034 from the " Chairman ' s Province " of Staffordshire . Such a result as this set at rest all anxiety upon thc subject of funds for the expenditure of the present year .

On Iuesday , the 10 th July , Earl AMHERST , M . W . Pro Grand Mastcr of England , and Prov . Grand Master of Kent , as the representative of H . R . H . the Duke of CONNAUGHT , K . G ., M . W . Past Grand Master , Prov . Grand Master of Sussex , and

District Grand Master of Bombay—who was prevented at the last moment b y his military duties from fulfilling his engagement—presided as Chairman at the 102 nd Anniversary Festival of the Royal Masonic Institution for Boys . His lordship was

assisted in his task by a Board of Stewards , numbering in all 481 ladies and brethren , and the amount obtained b y their united exertions was announced b y the Secretary as £ 16 , 8 34 , which , with the two outstanding lists and additions , may

probably be augmented to , in round figures , some £ 17 , 000 . Of the total , as stated on the occasion , London , with 233 Stewards , was responsible for £ 8506 , and the Provinces and Abroad , with 248

Stewards , for £ 8328 , the principal item included in the latter being £ 1365 raised by the Duke of CoNNAUCin ' s Province of Sussex .

Thus , during the year a total amounting to upwards of £ 62 , 000 has been subscribed by the brethren towards our ° reat Central Masonic Institutions ; and if we add to this the " record " return of £ 5113 lo the Mark Benevolent Fund Festival , and the

£ 315 6 raised by our Warwickshire brethren for their own Provincial Benevolent and Educational Fund , as reported in our last week's issue , we have a total which is known to have been

raised during lhe year amounting to considerably more than £ 70 , 000 . And . this is enlarged still further by the subscription lo the South African Masonic Relief Fund to about £ 80 , 000 !

Provincial Grand Lodge Of Berkshire.

PROVINCIAL GRAND LODGE OF BERKSHIRE .

Wednesday , the 18 th inst ., in the closing year cf the century , will be a red-letter day in the Masonic records of Berkshire . Never in the history of the province—excepting only at the installation ofthe late lamented Duke of Clarence by his father , the revered Grand Master of the Ordei—has there been such a numerous and influential gathering of members of the Oaft in this county as that which took place at Lockinge , on the kind invitation of I 3 ro . Lord Wantage , V . C , the present Provinc i al Grand Master , It was