The Festival Of The R.M.I.B.

inT . May , or together £ 145 8 s . On Wednesday , it made up a total of £ 161 14 s , thus carrying its contributions beyond £ 300 . Worcestershire ( eleven Lodges ) has bestirred itself of late , and figures this year at all three Festivals , its February contribution being

£ 176 8 s , that in May £ 42 , and that on Wednesday £ 169 Is , or , together £ 287 9 s . North Wales and Salop ( 27 Lodges ) began the year with £ 160 7 s 6 d towards the R . M . B . I ., and in May it made up a total of £ 352 10 s . On Wednesday it contributed only £ 24 3 s , but its total for

the year is considerably in excess of £ 500 , which is by no means an unworthy result . South Wales , Eastern Division ( 15 Lodges ) , figured for £ 200 in May , and on Wednesday handed over a total of £ 374 6 s 6 d , while its Western neighbour , with nine Lodges , raised £ 360 3 s at the

Benevolent Festival , the Chairman of the day being non e other than Col . Lloyd-Philipps , its Prov . Grand Master . This time it has sent up a Steward , but as yet there is no return . North and East Yorkshire , with twenty-seven Lodges , supplements its £ 42 of February , and £ 500 of

May with a comfortable £ 103 2 s on this occasion , while its powerful Western neighbour , with sixty-six Lodges , contributes £ 603 15 s , making , with £ 350 to tho Benevolent , and £ 650 to the Girls , a total of £ 1 , 603 15 s . Very much bravo , West Yorkshire . Two contributions from

abroad , one being Bro . •Broadley s list of £ 90 , and the other Bro . Windrieur ' s of £ 31 10 s , with Bro . Matier ' s , as representing the Mark Degree , to the tune of £ 74 Is , comp letes our survey . To sum up these results . The amount announced was

£ 11 , 588 , but as invariably happens , other sums drop in almost immediately after the Festival , and the figures as we publish them elsewhere give London , £ 5 , 646 17 s 5 d ;

Provinces £ 5 , 885 9 s 7 d ; Foreign Stations and Mark Degree £ 195 lis ; total , 11 , 714 5 s . We congratulate Bro . Binckes on having so nearly approached £ 12 , 000 , though we could have welcomed for him even better fortune still .

The Cheshire Educational Masonic Institution.

THE CHESHIRE EDUCATIONAL MASONIC INSTITUTION .

WE have before us the Nineteenth Report of this admirable Provincial organisation for the education and advancement in life of the children of distressed and deceased Freemasons . It contains no features of especial interest , there having been in the course of the twelve months to which it relates no efforts made out of

the ordinary course , either by Lectures or other entertainments , to increase the funds of the Institution . Yet it is satisfactory to note that the Avhole of the current expenditure has been defrayed out of the income derived from invested moneys , so that it has been nnnecessarv to trench

upon the sum received in fees , donations , and subscriptions . The property of the Institution consists of £ 3 , 720 6 s 3 d , invested advantageously in various approved securities , and there are balances in the North and South Wales Bank and hands of Treasurer , amounting together

to £ 401 2 s . It is to be regretted , however , that the Committee should have felt themselves under the necessit y of inserting in the Report tbe following paragraph : — " It is a matter of extreme regret that the majority of the Lodges and Chapters in the Province do not contribute

to this Institution . Surely the Worshipful Masters do not hring its importance sufficiently before their Lodges . Why they do not do so is an enigma . From experience your Committtee find that it is only when a Lodge has a candidate that they make any special exertion to augment the funds

of the Institution , whereas , Masonically speaking , the whole of the Lodges in the Province ought to contribute to this , their special home Charity . " ' We do not doubt that it must have been painful for the Committee to write in such forcible terms , but there are

occasions on which it , is as well to be outspoken . It is within the general experience of all Masons that , as there are some Lod ges and brethren who make a point of regularly , or , at . all events , frequently subscribing to our Charities , whether local or central , so are there others which are as

regularl y conspicuous by their absence from subscription ists , or , if they contribute at all , do so but very seldom . In Jps respect , therefore , Cheshire does not stand alone . Yet , if 'ere are in its ranks , as there are in London and the other Evinces , a number of members who are indifferent to the

The Cheshire Educational Masonic Institution.

claims of Charity , those who are otherwise minded have every reason to be proud of this Institution . The audited statement of accounts shows receipts for last year amounting to £ 586 16 s 9 d , of which £ 10 10 s 9 d was the balance brought forward from last year : fees ,

donations , and subscriptions from Lodges , Chapters , and brethren to the extent of £ 244 9 s , including £ 7 from Lord De Tabley P . G . M . and Lady De Tabley ; interest on investments £ 181 17 s ; and £ 150 , being the amount received in respect of a Mersey Dock Bond , expired lst July 1881 .

rho Expenditure reached the sum of £ 185 14 s 9 d , £ 135 3 s 8 d being for the education of twenty-two children , and £ 10 10 s for the advancement of two , leaving only a fraction of over £ 40 for all the expenses incidental to printing , audit and committee meetings , stationery ,

postages , & c . The Balance iu North and South Wales Bank at the close of tho year was £ 301 17 s 5 d , and in Treasurer ' s hands £ 99 4 s 7 d , making together , as already

stated , £ 401 2 s . Adding this to the £ 3 , 720 6 s 3 d invested in different securities , we find the available resources of the Institution amount to £ 4 , 121 8 s 3 d , a goodly sum , it must be admitted .

Having in previous years described at length the qualifications and privileges of Governors , and the qualifications which candidates for the benefits of the Institution must possess , we need not be at the trouble of repeating them . We shall merely add , thoreforo , to the foregoing remarks

our congratulations to Lord De Tabley and the brethren of the Province who support him , on the efficiency and success of the work they have been doing during past years , and the expression of a hope that those who have not hitherto done anything towards advancing the interests

of this Institution will take the words of the Committee to heart , and pluck up courage to lend a helping hand in the future . Let them follow the worthy example ,

mentioned in the report , of the Lodge of Instruction attached to the Lodge of Industry , No . 461 , Hyde , which has just contributed the sum of £ 5 5 s to the funds in order to constitute its Preceptor a Life Governor .

Colonel Creaton presided at a meeting of the General Committee of the Royal Masonic Institution for Girls , held on Thurday , 29 th June , when there were also present Bros . E . Letchworth , F . Richardson , J . H . Matthews , H . A .

Dubois , Joshua Nunn , P . de L . Long , R . Grey , J . A . Rucker , E . H . Finney , Edgar Bowyer , A . E . Glad well , F . W . Ramsay , H . Phythian , J . Terry , C . H . Webb . R . W . Stewart and E . C . Massey . After the minutes of the last

General Committee had been verified , and the minutes of the Special General Court and the House Committee had been read for information , the sum of £ 1000 was , on the recommendation of the Treasurer , ordered to be invested .

On the recommendation of the Honse Committee , Louisa Broadbent , the " next pupil , " was appointed at a salary of £ 20 a-year as an additional assistant in the clothing

department . Sixteen petitions were considered , of which fifteen were approved , and the names ordered to be added to the list of candidates for election .

The Secretary to the Royal Masonic Institution for Boys acknowledges a contribution of one hundred and fift y guineas , from a member of the Court of Common Council , at the Anniversary Festival , presided over by the Rt . Hon . the Lord Mayor .

We have already drawn attention elsewhere to Bro . Festa ' s List of £ 177 13 s lid for tbe Boys' Festival . We are glad , however , to note further that he was one of the

Reception Committee at Brighton on Wednesday , and what is still more to our purpose , as illustrating the keen interest he takes in our Institutions , that he gave a special prize at Tuesday ' s prize distribution at Wood Green for Short Hand .

We are very much pleased to find that the Royal Victoria Lodge , No . 1013 , Liverpool , has , after a long absence , reappeared in a list of Festival contributions . The amount

raised is entered as £ 40 , and we trust that Bro . Tomlinson , who acted as Steward , and who is taking great interest in his Lodge , will induce it to repeat this effort on future occasions with praiseworthy regularity .

The installation meeting of the Cornwallis Lodge , No . 1107 , will take place on Wednesday next , at the Lullingstone Castle Hotel , Swanley , Kent , Bro . H . Cleverly is the W . M . elect .