Another Royal Visit.

ANOTHER ROYAL VISIT .

Y ESTERDAY may well be recorded as another great day for the Boys School , the occasion being the annual distribution of prizes to the successful pupils , at which H . R . H . the Princess Margaret of Connaught officiated , in the absence of her mother , who was slightly indisposed . The Princess was

accompanied by her father the Duke of Connaught Past Grand Master of England , this year ' s Chairman of the Anniversary Festival of the Institution ; the Earl of Warwick Deputy Grand Master , and the Countess of Warwick .

The Royal party was received at the main entrance of the Institution by the Trustees , Treasurer and Board of Management , Bro . Richard Clowes ( representing the Province of Sussex , of which the Duke in the Masonic chief ) , the Secretary ,

Head Master , Medical Officer , and Matron of the Institution . Miss Keyser , daughter of the respected Treasurer , presented Her Royal Highness with a bouquet , after which the distinguished visitors were conducted to the Assembly Hall , and there took their seats .

The National Anthem having been sung Bro . C . E . Keyser , the acting Chairman , said he had been called upon to take the chair in the absence of their esteemed Bro . Richard Eve , who had been seriously ill for some little time , but who was , he

was pleased to say , now somewhat better . That was the tenth occasion on which he had been asked to take the chair , and he felt justified in saying they all welcomed the Princess , and that all connected with the School tendered their thanks to her .

He expressed the pleasure he felt in seeing that the corporation of Wood Green had decorated in honour of the Royal visit , and gave a brief resume of what the Institution was doing—there being 290 Boys on the funds , of whom 259 were at present in the School .

Bro . Rev . H . A . Hebb , M . A ., P . G . D ., Head Master , then made his yearly report , and explained he had had a hard halfhour when he sat down to prepare it , for the reason that he did not know what to say . He was pleased to announce—as

on previous occasions—that the work was improving , and that he and the staff gave every boy an equal amount of attention and care . He gave details of the various successes won by the boys who had entered for the different examinations ,

and next stated they had started upon two new enterprises during the year : one in connection with the Educational exhibit ( for the Paris exhibition ) , and the other Woodwork , a branch of education they were enabled to take up through the kindness of the West Yorkshire Brethren .

At the conclusion of the Head Master ' s report the prizes were distributed to the successful pupils , the Princess evincing a real interest in the task that had devolved upon her in the absence of her mother .

The awards having been made the Earl of Warwick Dep . Grand Master rose to propose thanks to the great lady who had honoured them by presenting the prizes that day . Pie was not

aware that Royalty had been in that room before , and therefore he regarded the day as a memorable one for the boys m their loyal sentiments . He particularly thanked the Duke of Connaught for coming so far to be among them , and to both

Another Royal Visit.

their Royal Highnesses tendered most cordial thanks for the interest they had displayed . Bro . C . E . Keyser then rose and said : Boys , I thin ^ that we mean it , so give three hearty cheers , a call which was responded to with all the enthusiasm and vigour of youth .

Past Grand Master H . R . H . the Duke of Connaught acknowledged the greetings . He thanked them all in the name of his daughter , and regretted that the Duchess had a slight attack of the influenza , which prevented her

presence among them . He was glad , however , that then daughter was able to attend . Pie was particularly pleased with the report they had heard from the Head Masaa : of the School , and considered it a very excellent one . They could

but be pleased at the achievements of the . winner of the Grand Lodge Scholarship—A . J . Coupland . As was doubtless known to most of them his father , the late Prince Consort , took a very great interest in technical education ,

and he was pleased to see that branch was not forgotten at their Masonic Institution . Before long they would be moving to the new Schools at Bushey , of which he recently had the pleasure of laying the foundation stone , and he felt

that the boys would there have better accommodation and a much more extensive playing ground . He considered the bchools to be erected there would be an ornament to Bushey

and in conclusion wished them every success and heartily thanked them for the reception they had given his daughter and himself .

Bro . Keyser again rose , . saying he had two things to announce : one was that Bro . W . S . Penley had invited all those who had won prizes to pay a visit to his new Theatre

and see his performance , and the other was that their old friend the photographer was present ; would they therefore all turn round and give a moment to the camera .

Among those present were H . R . H . the Duke of Connaught and the Princess Margaret of Connaught ; the Earl and Countess of Warwick ; Bro ., Mrs ., and Miss Keyser ( acting Chairman ); Bros . J . W . Burgess , R . Clowes , George

Corbie ( M . C . ) , R . D . Cummings , George Everett , John Glass , H . Manfield , W . Russell , W . A . Scurrah , J . Stephens , J . j . Thomas ( Board of Management ); Edward Terry Past G . Treas ., F . R . W . Hedges P . G . Sw . J ^ ., J . M . McLeod Past

G . Swd . Br . ( Secretary of the Institution ) , D . P . Cama Past Grand Treas ., the Sultan Mohamad Khan ( Mir Munshi of Afghanistan ) , Rev . PI . A . Hebb , M . A ., PastG . D . ( Head Master ) , W . P . Hood , M . D ., and many other Ladies and Brethren .

The London Military Band was in attendance , and gave selections of music on the lawn and during tea , which was served in the Gymnasium , by Messrs . Lyons and Co ., Ltd .

During the afternoon Mr . B . K . Gillon Mus . Bac . ( Music Master of the Institution ) gave an organ recital , and later officiated while the boys gave a most interesting display of vocal and instrumental music .

After tea the boys gave an exhibition of drill with carbines , which had been given them by the War Oiuce , but unfortunately this interesing item in the programme was spoilt by the unseasonable character of the weather .