Annual Distribution Of Prizes At The Boys' School.

ANNUAL DISTRIBUTION OF PRIZES AT THE BOYS' SCHOOL .

A MOST interesting gathering of the friends and supporters of Ai . this Institution took place on Monday last , at Wood Green . These annual visits of the Festival Stewards aro considered red letter days by all who take part in the proceedings , and on Monday last the distinguished company wero especially favoured by the weather . The building and grounds of the Institution were thrown open at ono

o ' clock , and at this hour tho visitors began to arrive . The time fixed for beginning tho business on the programme was three o ' clock , and long ero this all the seats in the capacious school-room were oconpied . The energetic Secretary , Bro . Binckes , commenced the proceedings by making a few remarks in reference to a letter that had appeared

in a contemporary respecting the members of the Supremo Council . Ho then introduced those representatives of that distinguished body who were present , and referred to the good work the Council were doing in the cause of charity . He then called attention to the success that had attended the candidates from the Royal Masonic Boys '

School at the last Cambridge Examination , and drew a most gratifying comparison as to the per centage of those who had obtained prizes against scholars from similar institutions . After a few remarks from Bro . J . Montagu , tho actual business of the programme began with the part song , " God Bless the Prince of Wales , " which

was effectively rendered by the choir . Tho successful pupils then advanced , and received the several prizes that had been awarded by the Institution , a few cheering words being addressed to each recipient by the worthy brethren who had undertaken the duty of distributors .

FIRST CLASS . Classics W . Beaumont . Mathematics R . Bryant . " ¦"*¦• ¦¦• { SSSLI-ST * -

English W . Beaumont . Scripture W . Beaumont . Classics F . E . Ladd . Mathematics M . Bowlor . English M . Bowler .

SECOND CLASS . Classics W . Booser . Mathematics A . Bryant . " - ¦ w- { ££ , &*; English W . Booser .

TniED CLASS . Classics T . R . Clemence . Mathematics (^ Tr ^ - ( T . L . Mohneaux . English F . C . Gates . French J . B . Barrett .

This was followed by a song , " Speed on , my bark , " from Mr . Lyons , and the part song , " Men of Harlech , " by the choir . Dr . Morris , Head Master of tho School , then announced that the lads who were engaged in tho English Play were ready . After an overture had been played , the curtain was raised , and discovered a very neatly arranged

stago , and the farce , by Thomas J . Williams , Esq ., of " Ici on Parle Francais , " commenced . The characters were apportioned as follows : —Major Regulns Rattan , W . Beaumont ; Victor Dubois , W . R . Jones ; Mr . Spriggins , R . Bryant ; Mrs . Sprigging , W . R . Parker ; Angelina ( thoir daughter ) , E . E . Oatcs ; Julia ( wife of Major

Rattan ) , E . T . Sage ,- Anna Maria ( a maid of all work ) , W . S . Sparkes . Our Brother Samuel May had sent for the use of the performers everything requisite in the shape of dresses and wigs , and our boys readily availed themselves of tho facilities so kindly placed at their disposal . The farce was well sustained throughout ; special praise

must , however , be given to R . Bryant , who enacted his part with a smoothness that contrasted favourably with the energy displayed by tho gallant Major Rattan . A Part Song , followed by the Dnet" Broken Spells , " were the next items . After this came the distribution of prizes to the following classes : —

FOURTH CLASS . Arithmetic E . L . Price . French Harold Williams . Latin A . Pearson . English Lee Goodicr .

FIFTH CLASS . Arithmetic C . Jackson . English T . H . Murrant . Latin ... ... ... A . H . Stevenson , French T . H . Murrant .

SIXTH CLASS . General Proficiency ... 1 , Barclay ; 2 , J . T . Swallow . The Special prizes , presented by private donors , were awarded as under : — For general industry and improvement ( presented by Mr .

Brocklehurst ) , to F . Hodge . For French ( by Mr . Lyons ) , to F . J . W . Hughes . By Mr . H . C . Sylvester : For freehand drawing , to C . Lane ; for painting , to W . Haskins ; for shading , to W . B . Booser ; for geometry , to G . Croydon ; for perspective , to E . Bryant : for model , to E . G . L .

Sweet . By the members of " The Old Scholars' Reunion : " For science , to R . Bryant . A selection from Moliere ' s "Le Bourgeois Gentilhomme , " with the following characters , was then given : —Monsieur Jourdain , C . D . Green ; Le Maitre doMnsique , E . T . Sage : Le Maitrea Danser . H .

Annual Distribution Of Prizes At The Boys' School.

Bowler ; Le Maitre d'Armes , E . E . Oates ; Le Maitre de Philo sophie , W . R . Jones ; Un Laquais , W . S . Sparkes . The seleotion was capitally rendered . Further Special Prizes , the Rev . R . Morris , LL . D ., donor , were then presented : —First class , German , F . E . Ladd ; first class , French , R . Bryant ; second class , Divinity , A . Bryant ; third class , French ,

F . J . W . Hughes ; third class , Divinity , G . Barnard ; fourth class , French , M . Robinson ; fifth class , French , J . P . B . Mules ; efficiency as Monitor , E . G . L . Sweet ; Industry , Daniel G . Doswell ; first Choir , J . B . White ; second Choir , H . Wood ; third Choir , E . L . Railing . A piano solo , " Tarantelle , " by Daniel G . Doswell , and a duet " I would that my love , " by Stcddy and Battye , preceded the Special

Prizes presented by the House Committee , as follow : —Writing first , W . B . Booser ; second , C . Heeley . Dictation : first , Robert Bryant ; second , W . Ramsey Parker . History : first , W . Beaumont ; second , Malcolm Hawes . Geography : first , E . G . L . Sweet ; second , W . Beaumont . General attention to Studies : first , Robert Bryant ; second , E . T . Sage . Mental Arithmetic : first , Robert Bryant ;

second , E . L . Price . Proficiency in Drill : first , E . G . L . Sweet ; second , W . H . Packwood . Efficiency as Monitor , C . Lane . General Proficiency : first , R . Bryant ; second , W . Beaumont . Scenos from the German play , " Deralte Leibkutschor Peter des Dritten , " by F . E . Ladd and C . D . Green , three part songs , " Hardy Norseman " ( choir ) . " Little Sunshine " ( Steddy ) , and " You stole

my love" ( choir ) , followed by the National Anthem , brought the proceedings to a closo . The Silver Medal for Good Conduct , presonted by the Institution , was awarded to Henry Giles Shaw . The Canonbury Gold Medal , presented by Bro . Edward Cox , Vice-Patron , P . M . Canonbury Lodge , No . 657 , to William Harbottle Packwood .

Staffordshire Masonic Charitable Association.

STAFFORDSHIRE MASONIC CHARITABLE ASSOCIATION .

THE eleventh half-yearly meeting of this Association was held on Tuesday , 13 th June 1876 , at Alton Towers , which , by the kind per mission of the Earl of Shrewsbury , was visited by a Masonic party of gentlemen , accompanied by many ladies . From a report just issued by the Association , we learn that the Masonic charities pertaining to the province are ably managed , and the support given to the three

Royal Masonic Institutions for Girls , Boys , and Aged Freemasons is of the most encouraging character . Life subscriberships to each of the above-named Institutions are obtained for Staffordshire brethren by means of the Charitable Association , and the voting strength of the province is thereby considerably increased in favour of any Staffordshire candidates requiring aid . Twenty-nine of these life

subscriberships wero ballotted for at this meeting , as follows : — Bros . Frederick Brandon , Lodge 418 , Edwin Peake 637 , Frederick Arkinstall 662 , Senior Warden of 1520 , Edwin Hodson 624 , James Alcock 98 , T . G . Fellows 1520 , Arthur Barnes 1039 , K . Macrae 624 , W . G . Bagnall 662 , James F . Wileman 546 , James Miller jun . 469 , George Bennion 546 , Wm . Wykes 482 , David Griffith 460 , Wm .

Bentley 98 , Alfred Caddick 662 , C . Marsh 460 , Arden Hardwick 546 , Robert Plant 456 , W . R . Blair 546 , J . Clark M . D . 1039 , J . V . Barber 482 , Charles Trigg 1039 , J . Norris 451 , Silas Gibson 966 , Edward Corn 451 , T . C . Graham 624 , T . M . Humphries 539 . ( The two lastnamed brethren served as stewards at the festival , of the Royal Masonic Institution for Boys this week . ) A pleasing feature indicative of tho growth of this Association is found in the fact

that more than one-third of the Freemasons in the province are supporters of the Masonic charities through the medium of this organization . Much permanent good is likely to accrue from the efforts of its promoters , whose most sanguine expectations have been hitherto fully realized . The local education of the children of deceased brethren is undertaken by tho Committee of Management in addition to the assistance rendered to the London Institutions .

Obituary.

Obituary .

We have to record the death of Lord Harlech , the Deputy Provincial Grand Master of North Wales and Shropshire , who was raised to the peerage only la 8 t year . He was initiated in the St . Oswald Lodge , Oswestry , No . 1124 , in the year 1866 , and installed Deputy P . G . M . in February 1874 .

Brother Syers , of the Oxford Music Hall , whose improved state of health was last week announced , we regret to say , suffered a relapse , and died at Geneva , on Friday last , the 23 rd nit .

The death of Bro . J . Codner , P . M . Strong Man Lodge , W . M . of No . 23 , P . M . Marylebone Lodge , P . Z . of Chapters Nos . 25 , 382 and 946 , is also announced . It took place , after two days' illness , on 22 nd June .

Bro . G . Shalless , 140 and 1320 , who had been in failing health for some months , died last week , at the age of 48 . At his funeral , which took place at Shooter ' s Hill Cemetery , about 30 of the brethren were present , and Bro . Scard delivered a short and feeling address over his grave .

The fifteen sections will be worked on Wednesday next at the Confidence Lodge of Instruction , Masons' Hall , Masons' Avenue . The hour of meeting will be 6 . 30 p . m . and a strong muster of the Craft may be expected . Bro . Barnes , P . M ., & c , will preside as W . M .