The Boys School Festival.

THE BOYS SCHOOL FESTIVAL .

ANOTHER of the great charity festivals in connection with English Freemasonry has to be numbered with the events of the past , and once again we are able to voice the

gratification of the Craft at what must be regarded as evidence of continued interest on the part of the Brotherhood in the great work of Masonic Benevolence . In another part of this issue we offer our congratulations to the Secretary of the

Boyal Masonic Institution for Boys , and the Stewards who worked with him on behalf of the ninety-ninth Anniversary Festival of that Institution , and we take the opportunity of

here repeating those congratulations , for the reason that we regard the work that has been accomplished as worthy of great praise , as one must recognise it was performed under circumstances of exceptional difficulty .

The total realised at the Festival , which was held on Wednesday , under the presidency of Lord Henry Cavendish Bentinck , M . P ., Provincial Grand Master of Cumberland and Westmorland , was £ 15 , 031 6 s 6 d , which amount is about

£ 3 , 750 short of last year ' s subscriptions , and nearly £ 3 , 680 below the average of the last three years , and although , as we have already said , the sum is such as to call for congratulation , it is also a matter for regret that there is so

large a falling off as compared with the totals of the preceding years . As we have pointed out from time to time when looking forward to this celebration , the many claims on the benevolence of the Craft in connection with the recognition of

the Diamond Jubilee of Her Majesty ' s reign , and the fact that next year will witness the celebration of the Centenary of this Institution , were all expected to have a detrimental effect on the result of this Festival , but we do not believe it was

anticipated so large a falling off would occur as has actually taken place , and for our own part we must confess to a certain amount of disappointment on hearing the announcement , for

while we admit the strength of the counter attractions already referred to we can but wonder what other forces have been at work to influence this year ' s result .

As showing exactly how matters have stood during the last four years we give the totals announced at the several Festivals of that period : Benevolent . Girls . Boys .

1894 £ 12 , 658 14 6 £ 17 , 732 0 0 £ 18 , 582 16 7 1895 14 , 113 6 0 16 , 016 4 6 18 , 773 12 6 1896 ' 19 , 511 7 0 15 , 412 13 0 18 , 777 10 0 1897 18 , 198 0 0 16 , 026 6 6 15 , 031 6 6 These announcements give the following totals for the

several years : 1894 .... £ 48 , 973 11 1 1895 .... 48 , 903 3 0 1896 .... 53 , 701 10 0 1897 .... 49 , 255 13 0 .

From these figures it will be seen that the Queen ' s Commemoration had little 01 * no effect on the two earlier totals of the present year ; for while the Benevolent Institution

The Boys School Festival.

return showed a falling off of about £ 1 , 300 , that of the Girls School was £ 600 in advance of 1896 ; and arguing on the same basis it would seem that the Boys Festival has realised something like £ 3 , 000 short of what might have been expected

under nominal conditions . Are we to assume that the whole of this £ 3 , 000 has been lost in consequence of the Jubilee celebrations , or in anticipation of the great event to take place next year ; or must we look elsewhere for the cause of the

trouble ? Our opinion is that the latter course would be the correct one , although in adopting that line we can well believe we are touching upon most delicate ground , and

opening up a line of argument hardly likely to be popular among those who are just now supporting the management of the Institution .

It must not be imagined , however that we are dissatisfied with Wednesday ' s return ; on the contrary , we look with gratification on the result of the three Festivals of the

yeara total of close upon fifty thousand pounds—and can but repeat what has often been said before : the benevolence of English Freemasons is a marvel .

The Prince Of Wales Hospital Fund.

THE PRINCE OF WALES HOSPITAL FUND .

"T ^ vUEING the week the chief contributions of English ¦* -J Freemasonry towards the project of the Grand Master , to benefit the Hospitals of the metropolis , have been formally handed over , the items being £ 2 , 000 , as voted by Grand Lodge ; and £ 3 , 512 15 s 6 d , one half share of the fees of admission to

the Royal Albert Hall on the occasion of the special meeting of Freemasons held there in commemoration of the long and glorious reign of Her Majesty the Queen . This makes a total of £ 5 , 512 15 s 6 d , which sum , it must be remembered , is in

addition to the many contributions from individual Lodges and Brethren , not only direct to the officials -of the Fund , but through the " Daily Telegraph" Shilling Branch , the Lady Mayoress ' s Branch , and other supplementary channels promoted

to benefit it . When the complete figures are presented the total will appear as an even greater triumph for Freemasonry than it does at present , grand as that is , and we hope some official notice will yet be taken of the many Lodges from which

contributions have been made . We have a supplementary list of contributions sent to the " Daily Telegraph " Branch in type , and hope to give it , together with other matters relating to this

Fund , in our next issue . Meanwhile we append a copy of the official notification from Grand Lodge accompanying the cheques forwarded therefrom :

United Grand Lodge of England , Freemasons' Hall , Great Queen St ., W . C , 30 th June 1897 . DEAB SIE , —I have the pleasure to transmit to you the accompanying

cheques for £ 2 , 000 and £ 2 , 512 15 s Gd , making together £ 5 , 512 15 s Gd as a contrihution to the " Prince of Wales ' s Hospital Fund , " from the Freemasons of England , in commemoration of the long and glorious reign of Her Majesty the

Queen . I am , Dear Sir , Yours faithfully , E , Letchworth , Grand Secretary .