The Approaching Festival Of The Boys' School.

nificent chance of eclipsing all previous efforts on these occasions . We will content ourselves with adding , that an average of five shillings per Craftsman , if we sot down the number in England at 80 , 000 , means £ 20 , 000 , which will just suffice to replace the stock , pay for the additional premises , and clear the year ' s expenses .

Lodge Of Benevolence

LODGE OF BENEVOLENCE

THE practical working of the Lodge of Benevolence having lately undergone discussion , a summarised account of the various regulations adopted from time to

time by the Committees of Charity of the rival ( English ) Grand Lodges , prior to the " Union , " which Ave aro enabled to place before our readers this Aveok , may bo found interesting .

GEAND LODGE OP ENGLAND ( Regular Grand Lodge ) . COMMITTEE OF CHARITY . * 1725 . 21 st November . —Three years' membership of the Craft required of a petitioner ; £ 3 only to be disbursed without consent

of Grand hedge ; a standing committee of five—viz ., Grand Master , D . G . M ., S . G . W ., for tho time being-, and two other members of Grand Lodge , to bo named by the Grand Master ; contributions to be paid quarterly and voluntarily .

1727 . 24 th June . —A Committee of seven . 1720 . 27 th December . —Every new Lodge for their Constitution

shall pay two guineas towards the general Charity of Masons . 1728 . 2 Stli August . —Twelve Masters of contributing Lodges to bo added to the Committeo ; that tho first twelvo on'tho printed list shall bo succeeded by the next twelve , and so on .

1731 . 14 th May . —The Committeo empowered to give £ 5 . 1732 . 21 st November . —All former and present Grand Officors , with twenty Masters , added to tho Committee . 1733 . 13 th December . —All Masters of regular Lodges to be members .

1741 . 3 rd December . —A petitioning brother must , at the time , bo a member of somo regular Lodge . ( This restriction was evidently levelled at tho seceding brethren , who afterwards assumed the appollation of " ancient " Masons . ) GEAND LODGE OP ENGLAND , According to the old Institutions ( Secedcrs . )

REGULATIONS FOB CiuHiTY . f 1795 . York Regulations . —All present Grand Officers—Treasurer and Secretary , with the Masters of eight regular Lodges—who are summoned and obliged to attend in their tnrn . The method is , four of the oldest and four of the youngest Masters are

summoned monthly to hear all the petitions , & c , and to order such relief to bo given to distressed brethren as their necessity may appear , and prudence may direct . 1807 . Regulations same as above , except that five oldest and youngest

Masters summoned , instead of fonr . % The following regulations wore adopted at the Union , viz .: — THE FUND OP MASONIC BENEVOLENCE . S

The fund appropriated to the object of Masonic Benevolence shall nor be infringed on for any purpose , but shall be kept strictly and solely devoted to Charity . The distribution and application of this charitable fund shall be made monthly , for which purposo a Committeo or Lodge of Benevolence shall be holden on tho third Wednesday of every month , which

Lodge shall consist of thirty-six Masters of Lodges—within tho London district—three members of the Grand Stewards' Lodge , and nine Grand Officers , one of whom shall act as President ; the said Masters of Lodges , Grand Stewards , and Grand Officers to bo summoned by the choice and direction of the Grand Master , or his Deputy , otic week at least prior to tho day of meeting—not by rotation , but by discretion—so that the members shall not be subject to canvass or to

previous application , but shall have their minds freo from prejudice , to decide on the merits of each caso with tho impartiality and purity of Masonic feeling . No member , therefore , shall vote upon the petition of any person to whom ho is related , or who is a member of tho Lodge to which he himself belongs , though such brother may be hoard on tho merits of the petition . No Master of a Lodge shall be summoned a second time until all the Masters of tho Lodges in tho London district shall have been once summoned .

Since the Union , many alterations have taken place in the administration of the funds of the Lodge ( or Board ) of Benevolence , whilst still more have been proposed and negatived in tho " United Grand Lodgo of England . " The following is a sample of the latter , and occurred in 1814 : —

" Proposed alteration in the constitution of the Board of Bonevolence . || "That it should consist of twenty-five members , tho President and

Lodge Of Benevolence

ton thereof to be nominated by tho Grand Master , and the remaining fourteen by tho Grand Lodge . " Tllistory sometimes repeats itself . —ED . ] In the Constitution of 1867 , p 97 , the following appears : — " Three- Grand Officers shall be speoially summoned to each

meeting , by direction of the Grand Master , and tho brethren so summoned shall act as tho Master and Wardens . If either bo absent , tho brother senior in rank then present shall supply his place . " This gavo way in 1869 to the existing usage , viz ., a President appointed by the Grand Master , and two Vioe Presidents elected by Grand Lodge at the Quarterly Communication in each December .

The Freemasons' Life-Boats. Services Of The "Albert Edward."

THE FREEMASONS' LIFE-BOATS . SERVICES OF THE " ALBERT EDWARD . "

IT will be remembered that at a special meeting of Grand Lodge held more than a year ago it was decided that the sum of £ 4000 should be voted to the Royal National Life-boat Institution , for tho purpose of founding two Life-boat stations to commemorate the thankfulness of tho Freemasons of England for tho safe return from India

of tho Grand Master H . R . H . the Prince of Wales . On this decision being communicated to the Life-boat Institution it at once submitted to the Officers of Grand Lodge two places needing Life-boats ,

namely—Clacton-on-Sea , on the Essex coast , and Hopo Cove , near Salcombe , on the Devonshire coast . The Ear ! of Carnarvon , the Earl of Donoughmoro , Lord Skelmevsdale , and other members of the Craft fully approved of the selection of these two places for the memorial Life-boats .

Three or four months ago both stations were reported officially by tho Institution to be in working order , and ready to be publicly inaugurated , but , considering the season of the year , it was suggested that that ceremony might advantageously be postponed till the first or second

week in July next . Meanwhile , both Life-boats being on their stations , were ready to render at a moment ' s notice any service that might bo required of them by a shipwrecked crew . Thus the Clacton Life-boat , the "Albert Edward , " has had an early opportunity of saving nine

persons from a watery grave . The event clearly shows the wisdom of placing her on that important station previous to the public demonstration in July ; and , wo may add , tho wisdom also of selecting such appropriate and active memorials to commemorato an event that will ever be dear to H . R . H . the Grand Master and the Craft at

large Through the courtesy of Bro . Richard Lewis , Barrister , the well-known Secretary of the National Life-boat

Institution , we aro enabled to place the following particulars of tho service before our readers—particulars which show in this way alone how admirably and systematicall y the work of our great and National Life-boat Institution is carried on .

Royal National Life-Boat Institution.

ROYAL NATIONAL LIFE-BOAT INSTITUTION .

LIFE-BOAT "ALBERT EDWARD , " STATIONED AT CLACTON - ON-SEA . RETURN OF SERVICE ON TIIE 23 rd DAY or MAY 1878 . DATES AND CIRCUMSTANCES OF THE CASE . The brig " Garland , " laden with 500 tons of coal , bound from Sonth Shields to London , wont ashore on the Gnnflcet Sands , about S . S . W .

of Clacton-on-Sea Pier , in the early part cf the morning of 23 rd May . Tho wind was blowing hard , and although no signals of distress wero hoisted by the brig ( owing to her having nono on board ) , tho representatives of tho Local Committee considered it necessary for tho Life-boat to pnt off to her , feeling almost sure that she would not

come off tho sands again , and that tho crow must leave her . The " Albert Edward" was launched about 10 a . m ., and reached tho brig about 1 p . m ., and found her fast tilling with water aud breaking up . About 3 p . m . the crew , six men and throe boys , abandoned her , and were safely landed at Clacton-on-Soa Pier afc 5 p . m . A largo number of persons were on tho pier to welcome tho return of tho Lifo-boat . QUERIES . ANSWERS AND REMARKS . 1 Name of Vessel , and where Tho "Garland" of South Shields .

belonging to ? 2 Name of Master , and of George Gibson , George Gibson Owners ? sen . 3 Rig , Tonnage , Number of Brig , 283 Tons Register ; Nine .

urew , u , uu J . ersons on uoaru the Vessel ? 4 Where from ? Where bound Tyne to London , to ?

5 What Cargo ? or in Ballast ? Coal , 500 Tonsi . 6 Probable Value of Ship and About £ 2500 to £ 3000 . Cargo ? 7 Wind , Weather , and State of S . S . W ., Strong Wind , Sea Short . Sea ?