Royal Masonic Institution For Girls.

ROYAL MASONIC INSTITUTION FOR GIRLS .

¦ ru Tpneral Committee met at Freemasons' Hall on "" , " , . J . H . Matthews , Patron of the Institution , Thursday < ¦ ^ fnon those prefent were Bros . Peter de 1 ° £ Long ' , Wm . Morley , W . H . Webb , Herbert Dic-Lande L-ODM , B fcr- Wm _ Ba ; , , < w . G . Kentish , H . r N * ash Henry Cox , A . E . Gladwell , S . H . Parkhouse , and

After the reading of the minutes , the following Report f the Toint Committee of the House , Audit , and Finance r mmittees was received and unanimously adopted : The Joint Committee have , as a result of several etin « s resolved upon an improved system of

book-Th ° v have called in chartered accountants ( Messrs . Schroder and Chappelow ) , and instructed them to open a new set of books , commencing ist January , 1889 , and make out a balance-sheet at end of year . They make the following recommendations : —That the Audit and Finance Committee be resolved

into a Finance Committee only , and meet monthly , or oftener , if necessary ; that their number be increased to 12 ; three to form a quorum . „ ^ hat in future the accounts be audited , and the annual balance-sheets prepared by a firm of

chartered accountants . -. —That cheques for all payments ordered by the General ° " Committee be signed by two members of the House Committeeand countersigned by the Secretary ; that the signatures be given to the bankers , who are to be

instructed accordingly . It was resolved that Bro . Dicketts give the necessary notice of motion at the meeting of the General Committee for the next Quarterly General Court , to carry out the various alterations in the laws rendered necessary by the recommendations of the Joint Committee .

( Signed ) PETER DE LANDE LONG , Chairman . 26 th June , 1 S 89 . Bro . Dicketts then handed in several notices , which were of a technical character . On the report of the Sub-Committee appointed to

examine petitions , 11 petitions in all were approved and one deferred , making 50 candidates in all for the October election , for which nine vacancies , caused by girls leaving , were recommended . A few other matters were dealt with , and the meeting closed with a vote of thanks to the Chairman .

Proposed New Scottish Lodge In London.

PROPOSED NEW SCOTTISH LODGE IN LONDON .

At the Summer Quarterly Court cf the Governors of the Royal Scottish Corporation , held on Wednesday evening , the 19 th inst ., in the Board Room of their hall , Fleurde-Lis Court , Holborn , and largely attended by members from the Metropolis and Scotland , Bro . Robert Hepburn , presiding in the absence of the chairman ( The Chisholm ) , a letter was read from Bro . Vero Shaw , stating

that a number of Scotchmen , including Bros . Peter Tocher , George Shaw , T . Masson , and other members of the l . aledonian Society , were desirous of founding a lodge in London , to which only Scotsmen would be eligible as members . Before , however , sending in their petition to Grand Lodge , it was necessary that they should decide upon the place at which their meetings should be held , as

it was imperatively laid down that the place of meeting be stated in the petition . They were most anxious that this Scottish lodge should reflect only credit upon their native country , and they were also desirous of gaining the permission of the Managing Committee to hold the lodge meetings at the Scottish Corporation Hall , in Crane Court , Fleet-street .

Bro . GEORGE HENDERSON , the Secretary , in reply to one of the Governors , said he had been assured by the writer of the letter that the objects contemplated by the brethren who promoted this undertaking were , first and foremost , to assist , not only Masonic , but the Scottish Charities of the Metropolis to the utmost in their power . Ihey should only meet about six times in the year , and they were prepared to give any reasonable undertaking that no

injury would be done to the hall or its contents , and no inconvenience caused to the Corporation or its officers . Bro . SHAW further said he could assure the Corporation > t was the intention of the promoters to elect only as ""embers Scotsmen of fair and good position in the Metropolis , and they should rigidly exclude all those who were likely to cast discredit upon the lodge , for the fiist Masteishi p of wbich they had reasonable hopes of securing | > r Archibald Campbell , or Sir Michael Shaw-Stewart ,

The SECRETARY said that since this application had oeen made by Bro . Shaw , Grand Lodge had favourably entertained and granted the prayer of the petition for the mounding of the proposed Scottish Lodge in London . it was also stated that Earl Euston had consented to become first Master . noM HENDERSON , however , informed the Court that the haH i . naine ^ was not eligible to the position , which he Roh Q" ty for stating would be occupied by Sir Michael fir „? " Shaw Stewart , who bad consented and had been "f « named for the office . Bm q . ° f 'he hall was then unanimously granted to ^ naw and his colleagues for the purposes of a meeting v > Ke for the proposed new lodge . Corn . HAIRMAN : It is , of course , understood that the ttieli ? ' - " J * ein noway liable for any liabilities that titie- ; m ' ' - ' ncur in connection with the excise

authothrf R " : J 0 RBES said that Bro . George Henderson , of Senl ^ lt Scottish Hospital , had been elected , and con'odge aCt ' as Sectetary " P ro tem - " t 0 the new With a 11 * ! AIRMAN wished it every success , as it was started TheT ' ' Patr'ot'c- ant * philanthropic object . to tho ^? . * Portly afterwards closed with a vote of thanks " Chairman .

, v by thf 1 , t ^" arc u -s Hartington was presented the Mn n ° * tl , e neighbourhood with an address at town omc rooms , Buxton , on his recent visit to that

Masonic Loyalty.

MASONIC LOYALTY .

Loyalty is a beautiful and suggestive word . It means steadfast devotion to law and order , to lawful government , to a lover , friend , or brother , under trying circumstances ; true to a cause or one's word . A man may be wanting in many respects , but this virtue hides a multitude of evil . Of all the nitiable elements of human nature none is more

despicable than baseness , dishonesty , and deceitfulness of character . How sad and humiliating it is to note the many instances of bad faith , treachery , disloyalty in business relations , politics , friendship , in domestic life . How fragrant and refreshing it is to come into the atmosphere of loyal souls , that are ever steadfast in their attachments , who will not abandon friends in trouble , or cast aside their

convictions when unpopular . The patriot is loyal to his country ; the lover is loyal to his wife , child , or friend ; the Christian is loyal to God . This virtue is the greatest charm of Masonic character . It warms the heart with love for the fraternity , and seeks to make it a blessing to society and the world . It stimulates devotion , and makes one viligant to his duties . It saves a brother from apathy ,

from neglect of his lodge , from indifference to charitable work . It makes earnest workers . It inspires one with obedience to that erand body that has a rightful claim on his allegiance . The loyal Mason is no obstructionist , is not given to fault-finding , to ctnsoriousness , to quibbling ,

over little things . He has the wide charity that hopeth all things , endureth all things for the good of the Order . He is not easily offended , is not fertile in inventing excuses for neglecting the meetings of the lodge . What we need is loyal Masons , men who love the Institution and are ready to land a hand . —New Zealand Mail .

South Africa.

South Africa .

DISTRICT GRAND LODGE OF NATAL The annual meeting—being the 13 th regular communication—of the above Grand Lodge was held in the Masonic Hall , Addington , on Tuesday , March 26 th , under the presidency of Bro . R . I . Finnemore , Dist . G . M ., and was well attended by members of the Fraternity from different parts of the Colony . Amongst the lodges represented were the following : Port Natal , 73 S ; Prince Alfred , 956 ; Inanda ,

1192 ; Natalia , 3665 ; Carnarvon , 16 S 4 ; Skelmersdale , 1729 ; Umvoti , 1867 ; St . John ' s , 18 S 6 ; Addington , 1937 ; Umlazi , 197 6 ; Biggarsberg Unity , 2084 ; Newcastle , 2097 ; and Umzimkulu , 2113 . The D . G . Lodge having been opened , the roll called , and previous minutes confirmed , Bro . FINNEMORE addressed the assembly as follows :

Brethren , —It gives me great pleasure to meet you again to-day in this our half-yearly gathering of the representatives of the Craft in this district , and in the seventh year of my tenure of office as your District Grand Master . I am glad to say that the District Grand Lodge is financially in a satisfactory condition , although the difficulty of obtaining a punctual rendering of returns and dues still continues ,

notwithstanding the strenuous efforts of our District Grand Secretary . The absence of returns renders it difficult for me to review the progress of Masonry in the district . So faras I can ascertain , there areabout 55 osubscribing Masons under my jurisdiction , and during ihe year there have been Co initiations , 60 passings , too raising - , 25 joinings , 43 resignations , 14 exclusions , and 2 deaths . My official

duties and other engagements have rendered it impossible for me personally to visit the different lodges under my jurisdiction , beyond paying three visits to the Port Natal Lodge , two visits to the Addington Lodge , and one visit to the Inanda Lodge during the year . On each occasion I met with a most cordial reception , and have every reason to be satisfied with the result of my observations . Bro

Francis , my Deputy , has also visited , on my behalf , some of theupcountry lodges with anequally satisfactory result . The usual work has devolved on me of perusing and considering amended by-laws , granting dispensations , and giving rulings on various points of Masonic jurisprudence , all of which have received my prompt attention as occasion arose . It is unnecessary that I should burden my addresses with

the details of work done ; but I may instance one or two matters that came before me . My decision was asked as to whether a brother who resigned membership of his lodge , and who , after a long interval , was anxious of being reinstated , must be again proposed , or could be allowed to cancel his resignation . On this point I ruled that reproposal was necessary . A question was also submitted

to me whether a candidate who had had the misfortune to lose his right arm , but who can write with his left hand , can be considered as a fit and proper person to be made a Mason . My ruling , based on that of the Board of General Purposes at home , was in the negative , the general rule being that a candidate is considered eligible for election who , although not perfect in his limbs , is sufficiently so to

comply with , and go through the various ceremonies required in the different Degrees . It is satisfactory to record that I have had no complaints to deal with , except one by a non-subscribing Mason , who has long virtually ceased to have any connection with the Craft , against a Mason who was not under my jurisdiction , which complaint could not , of course , be entertained . In the selection of officers ,

a difficult and onerous task , for whether in the government of a State or of an organisation such as ours , the question —Who shall be the officers ?—is one of primal importance , I have endeavoured to act solely with a view to the best interests of the fraternity and to sink all personal preferences ; and on this occasion each brother selected for office has been written to some time before the date fixed for our

meeting , informing him of his being selected for a particular office , enquiiing whether he was willing to accept the office , and intimating that , if so , his personal attendance for installation was expected . 1 his mode of procedure should , I think , tend to greater regularity in our meetings . The granting of a pecuniary allowance to the District Grand Secretary should also conduce to facilitate the transaction of office work . With these few preliminary remarks , I

will now proceed with the business on the agenda paper , which is not of a very arduous character , first invoking , according to our ancient usage , assistance in all our undertakings from that source whence alone permanent good can come—that , in entering upon a new Masonic year , the Great Architect of the Universe may strengthen us for the duties and trials that may be before us , and may so order and dispose the events that shall befall us that they

South Africa.

may conduce to the benefit of our fraternity , and to our advancement in true religion and goodness . So mote it be ! At the close of the D . G . Matter ' s address , a long printed report from the Board of General Purposes vvas presented , dealing with various matters of detail , which was received and adopted . The D . G . TREASURER reported balances in hand—General Fund , £ 159 7 s . 5 d . ; Benevolent Fund , £ 3 8 s . The following officers were appointed for the ensuing

year : Bro . Rev . J . Oxley Oxland , F . R . G . S . Dist . S . G . W . „ J . Crowe Dist . J . G . W . „ Rev . A . Ikin , LL . D ., Muc . Doc . 7 Dfct G Ch „ Rev . R . Morrison ... ... ) r „ S . Marriott , P . D . S . G . W . .. Dist . G . Treas . „ R . D . Clark , M . A Dist . G . Reg . „ G . Russell , P . D . S . G . W . ... Dist G . P . B . G . P . „ J . B . Cottam , P . D . S . G . W . ... Dist . G . Sec . „ J . Pardy Dist . S . G . D . „ t . S . T . Stantial Dist . J . G . D . „ T . N . Price Dist G . S . of W . „ G . H . Fowle Dist . G . D . C . „ S . Knox Dist . D . A . G . D . C . „ R L . Grant Dist . G . S . B . „ J . W . Mason * Dist . G . Std . Brs . „ T . Sanderson ... ... ... j „ G . Pullock Dist . D . G . Org . „ J . Fletcher ... Dist . A . G . Sec . „ A . W . Cooper ... ... Dist . G . Purst . ,, J- Wright Dist . A . G . Purst .

OUDTSHOORN . —Cango Lodge ( No . 2 o 88 ) e—A meeting was held on Wednesday , May ist , at the Masonic Temple , when there were present Bros . Dr . Smith , W . M . ; M . D . Savory , S . W . ; Dr . Russell , J . W . ; Rev . Hillyard , Chap . ; L . Field , Treas . ; G . Walliss , Sec ; W . Sanders , S . D . ; J . Thomas , J . D . R . Paterson , I . G . ; VV . Sullivan , Tyler ; H . G . Hicks , P . M . ; F . Salomon , P . M . ; J . T . Matchett , S . Orton , 1 . F . Lamb , R . Matchett , 1 . Strung ,

Mark Morris , ) . Keating , W . Sullivan , C . B . Black , E . O'Connell , A . Hoppe , W . Vallance , A . G . Bernhardt , J . F . Cooper , J . Bawden , J . R . Levy , W . H . Pickard , and M . Aschman . The lodge having been opened , and the minutes read and confirmed , Bro . Charles Boswell Black was elected W . M ., and Bro . Louis Field re-elected Treasurer . Bros . C . B . Black , Orton , and Walliss were elected as an Audit

Committee , Bros . Bawden , Hicks , and Salomon as a Benevolent Fund Committee , and Bros . Pickard , Cooper , and Keating as a Building Committee . Bros . M . Morris and W . Sullivan were passed to the Second Degree . An illuminated address was presented to Bro . Orton . The collection for the Benevolent Fund amounted to £ 1 14 s . An emergency meeting was held on Wednesday , May 15 th , when there were present Bros . Dr . Smith , W . M . j

M . D . Savory , S . W . ; Dr . Russell , J . W . j Rev . Hillyard , Chap . ; L . Field , Treas . ; G . Walliss , Sec . ; W . Sanders , S . D . ; J . Thomas , J . D . ; R . Paterson , I . G . J W . Sullivan , Tyler ; C . B . Black , Morris , R . Matchett , J . T . Matchett , J . Bawden , C . B . Blore , M . Aschman , and W . Vallance . The lodge having been opened , after the usual

preliminaries , Bros . Morris and Sullivan were raised to the Sublime Degree . The collection for the Benevolent Fund amounted to 12 shillings . An emergency meeting was also held on Saturday . May 25 th , when there were present Bros . Dr . Smith , W . M . i M . D . Savory , S . W . ; Dr . Ru-sell , J . W . ; Rev . Hillyard , Chap . ; L . Field , Treas . ; G . Walliss , Sec . ; W . Sanders ,

S . D . ; J . Thomas , J . D . ; R . Paterson , I . G . ; W . Sullivan , Tyler ; H . G . Hicks , P . M . ; F . Salomon , P . M . ; A . S . White , P . M . ; J . Bawden , R . Matchett , J . T . Matchett , M . Aschman , Hadfield , B . Wiggett , Morris , Cooper , PI ' aff , Pickard , Vallance , Orton , Paulntt , and M . Kaptau . Visitors : Bros . George Curtis and H . Kenner . This meeting was convened to attend the funeral of the

late Bro . Jonathan Fred . Lamb ( formerly of London ) . The W . M . addressed the brethren upon returning from the grave , pointing out how very suddenly the brother had been removed from their midst , and , though he had no relatives in that country , he thanked the brethren for attending the last tribute to a brother whom none ever spoke ill of , and one who never was known to speak ill oi another .

Mark Masonry.

MARK MASONRY .

At the close of the District Grand Lodge , a meeting of Provincial Grand Mark Lodge was held , at which Bro . Finnemore also presided in his capacity as Prov . G . M ., and the following officers were appointed : Bro . Dr . J . Schulz Prov . S . G . W . „ J . Crowe Prov . J . G . W . „ Capt . F . Dickinson ... ... Prov . G . M . O .

„ T . Minnie Prov . S . G . O . „ T . N . Price Prov . J . G . O . „ Rev . J . Oxley Oxland , F . R . G . S . . , " - Rev . P . F . Cadman j Prov . G . Chaps . „ R . D . Clark , M . A Prov . G . Reg . „ J . Fletcher Prov . G . P . C . G . P .

„ C . H . Dunn Prov . G . Sec . „ H . Rutherford , J . P Prov . G . Treas . „ G . Leask ... ... ... Prov . S . G . D . „ J . Wright Prov . J . G . D . „ T . L . B . Tuckett Prov . G . L of W . „ T . W . Bower Prov . G . D . of C . „ St . Clair Liston ... ... Prov . A . G . D . C .

„ L . Jewitt Prov . G . S . B . „ J . H . Upton Prov . G . Std . Br . „ G . Pullock ... ... ... Prov . G . Org . ,, H . Crowder ... ... ... Prov . A . G . Sec . „ R . Hammond ... ... ... Prov . G . I . G . In the the evening the brethren met at a banquet in the Masonic Hall , Smith-street , Durban .

The second State Concert of the season will be held at Buckingham Palace this ( Friday ) evening , when the Prince and Princess of Wales , attended by the great officers of State and the Royal Household , will be present with other members of the Royal Family .

Bro . Viscount and Viscountess Sherbrook , Bro-, Lord and Lady Balfour of Burlei gh , Bro . Lord and Lady Leigh , and Bro . the Lord Mayor and Lady Mayoresswere among the guests at the garden party given by ther Archbishop of Canterbury and Mrs . Benson at Lambeth-Palace , on Saturday last .