The Masonic Mirror.

That the said Provincial Committee be requested to hold a general meeting at least once a year , and to present to the Prov . Grand Lodge a report , showing the results of the labours of its members , individually and collectively . The chief point in these recommendations is , the formation of such committee by each Lodge electing a member ; and we deem it right to state fully the reasons which have induced us to recommend this mode in preference to that of election by the ProvGrand Lod

. ge . AA e believe there will always be found in each Lodge at least one brother willing to serve as member for the charities , and that such brother elected by , and consequently possessing the confidence of his Lodge , will have an influence both with the Lodge as a body and the individual brethren composing it which would never be attained by a member of another Lodge , residing perhaps in a different locality . AVe think also , that if the name of the member for the charities be transmitted by the Lodge to the secretary of each charityat its office in Loudonand if all reports

, , , documents , information , application for stewards , & c , & c , emanating from the office , be transmitted direct to such member , they will be much more likely to be effectually brought under the notice of his Lodge than when addressed to the presiding officer not by name , but simply as " The AV . M . " AA e believe such communications , when so addressed , are not lmfrequently lost sight of amongst a heap of other letters , some of them merely canvassing papers for votes , or applications for patronage similarly addressed to the W . M . AVe have every hope also , that this

plan , when in good working order , would give rise to some of that generous rivalry between the Lodges of a province which prevails amongst many ofthe metropolitan Lodges at the time of the festivals , each anxious to return a well filled list of donors and subscribers . AVe are inclined indeed to look for very important results upon the individual members of Lodges , from the appointment by each Lodge of a member for the charities . To all who have taken part in the management of the schools ancl have thus become acquainted with the sources whence their funds are derived , it is well

known that , valuable andjacceptable as are the contributions of Lodges , it is mainly to the donations ancl subscriptions of individual brethren that these institutions look for support . The charities member of each Lodge having in his possession the accounts of receipts and expenditure , with details of the sources of income , could not fail to perceive the importance of a fact which would seem to be not yet sufficiently appreciated in several of the provinces . AA e have reason to believe that an impression is not uncommon amongst many provincial Brethren of good social positionand holding hih Masonic honoursthat if their Prov . Grand Lod

, g , ge , and perhaps the particular Lodges with which they are connected , are already subscribers , or can be induced to subscribe , all has been clone that it is requisite to do , and that personal subscriptions may be dispensed with . It is only thus that we can account for the small portion of provincial as compared with London Brethren who contribute to the funds of the schools . Of the vice-presidents , donors , and annual subscribers to each school , we find that the number resident in the London district is about six times greater than in all the provinces combined .

Of thirty-nine Prov . Grand Masters , nineteen appear on the lists of the Girls School , twenty do not so appear ; twenty-one appear on thejlists of the Boys School , and eighteen do not so appear ; whilst only fifteen subscribe to both , and fourteen subscribe to neither . Of the thirty-eight Deputy Prov . Grand Masters , fourteen appear on the lists ofthe Girls School , twenty-four do not so appear ; eleven appear on the lists ofthe Boys School , twenty-seven do not so appear ; only nine subscribo to both , and twenty-two subscribe to neither .

Placing the most thorough reliance ou the fraternal feelings of our provincial Brethren , we cannot doubt that if committees , formed in the mode we recommend , were established in each province , the disparity in the numbers of provincial ancl London subscribers , and the small proportion of high-placed Brethren who appear on the lists , would soon be materially modified . The documents in the hands of the member for the charities would enable him speedily to dissipate the erroneous impression to which chiefly we ascribe this disparity , viz : —the sufficiency of subscriptions from Prov . Grand and private Lodges , and the consequent Heedlessness of personal subscriptions .