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Article THE APPROACHING BOYS' FESTIVAL. Page 1 of 2 Article THE APPROACHING BOYS' FESTIVAL. Page 1 of 2 →
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The Approaching Boys' Festival.
THE APPROACHING BOYS' FESTIVAL .
WE are now in a position to make the announcement which we have been looking forward to bring before our readers for a considerable time past , namely , that Bro . Binckes has at last secured the services of an eminent and highly popular brother to preside over the
Anniversary Festival of the Royal Masonic Institution for Boys , which is fixed to be held at the Crystal Palace on Tuesday , the 14 th of the present month . Although the intimation comes rather late , the delay is more than
compensated for by the gratifying character of the intelligence just imparted to us , and the friends of the Boys' School will unite most heartily in congratulating Bro . Binckes and the Board of Management upon having succeeded in
enlisting the services of so distinguished a Craftsman for President of the approaching Festival as the Right Worshipful Bro . Thomas William Tew , J . P ., Past Grand Deacon of England , and Provincial Grand Master for the
West Riding of Yorkshire . The fact that Brother Tew has consented to perform this service speaks volumes for the energy and spirit which he throws into all his Masonic working . It is well known to our readers
that the Province over which Brother Tew so ably presides is at the present time—and has been for several months past— engaged in raising a sum of
money for two Jubilee Presentations to the Widows ' Fund in connection with the Royal Masonic Benevolent Institution . It will be recollected that at the
annual Provincial Grand Lodge of West Yorkshire , held in April , at Huddersfleld , it was resolved that the sum of two thousand guineas be raised by subscription , to purchase the right of two Permanent Presentations to the Royal
Masonic Benevolent Annuity Fund for Widows , to be named "the West Yorkshire Queen Victoria Jnbilee Presentations ; " in addition to which they have decided to contribute the sum of at least three guineas from each
Lodge to the funds of the Imperial Institute of the United Kingdom , the Colonies and India . Such being the case , and the sources of generosity and benevolence havino- been drawn upon so largely , and in such a variety of ways , it
might be open to fear that the result of the coming Boys ' Fesl ival would in some degree suffer thereby . We are glad to be assured otherwise , and to anticipate that the Festival will be a success from every point of view . If there be any one thing more than another conducive to that desirable
result it is the noble and courageous conduct of Bro . Tew , in the face of so many contingencies , coming forward and throwing tho great weight of his own influence , and that of the extensive Province over which he rules , into tho
balance in aid of the Boys' Institution . In spite of all the laudable exertions that are being made by the brethren of West Yorkshire in the cause of Benevolence we believe they will rally round their chief with the aturdv
tenacit y which is characteristic of our northern race , and that the Stewards from West Yorkshire will testify , in the most substantial manner , not only the love and admiration which they recently expressed towards their chief , but also
Jj heir unabated interest in the welfare of the Boys' School . Ihere are so many movements and " schemes " just now before the public that even the most opulent ancl largehearted has need to look carefully before he gratifies too lavishl y his desires and ere he loosens his purse-strings too widel y . Undoubtedly the auspicious event of the Jubilee
The Approaching Boys' Festival.
has called into being a very large number of projects , most of them of a laudable description , but all calling for the expenditure of money ; and it is not to be thought for a moment that the few , however desirous of doing so , can
contribute to even a tithe of them . The freemasons of England have been foremost in giving tangible and lasting form to their sentiments of Loyalty to the Throne and Devotion to the Craft , as the munificent contributions at
the Festivals already held , and the additional good the two other Institutions—the Benevolent and the Girls' —have been able to accomplish , abundantly testify . Bufc for all this the eminently deserving character of the
Boys' School , and the peculiarly needy circumstances in which it is placed , —from a financial point of view , —render ifc absolutely necessary that some extraordinary effort should be made to strengthen tbe hands of the Executive in their efforts to maintain the
establishment in full efficiency . It has ever been our pride and boast that , amongst all the Institutions that are so nobly upheld by the Craft , the School at Wood Green bears very favourable comparison ; indeed , never so far as we
can remember has the slightest aspersion been cast upon the way in which the interior economy of that great and useful enterprise is administered . It is unnecessary fco remind our readers of the enormous advantages that have
been conferred upon the youthful orphans of deceased Masons who , through the considerate forethought and liberality of those who aro able to afford ifc , have gone forth into the world fully equipped for the struggles and the " stern realities " of life . Bufc for those benefits who
can tell what might have been the condition of the hundreds of young men now holding comfortable and prosperous positions in commercial and social life , and who are absolutely indebted for those blessings to the training
imparted to them in the curriculum of the School at Wood Green ? We need only refer , as an exemplification of this gratifying fact , to the meeting of " Old Masonians " in London , of which we gave a mere outline in our
columns last week . Of course , that assemblage was only a representative one , seeing that numbers of the " Old Boys" who have passed through the School are scattered far and wide in this and other countries . But , taking the
gathering of last week as a fair sample of the " men of the future " who are turned out of our Institution , there is reason for intense gratification at the results thafc have hitherto been achieved , and a strong incentive also to still
further strengthen the foundations and underpin the buttresses of that fabric from which have flown untold blessings upon families who , bereft of the breadwinner , are now receiving the collateral advantages of the support
accorded the Charities in their mote palmy days . The young men we saw clustered , like a " happy family , " around Bro . Binckes , their " father " and benefactor , were a splendid example of the fruits of a sound and efficient
training—of an education based upon the soundest moral principles , and of discipline which though firm , has been tempered by a judicious admixture of manly recreation . No one could look upon that cheerful group without
seeing in their br'ght countenances and well-developed frames all the benefits , present and permanent , which those sturdy young gentlemen are now enjoying . And it must
be recollected that our Schools are filled by hundreds more who will succeed , we hope , to like prosperity and social status ; and who will in years to come return and mingle with the " Old Masonians " of their day
Note: This text has been automatically extracted via Optical Character Recognition (OCR) software.
The Approaching Boys' Festival.
THE APPROACHING BOYS' FESTIVAL .
WE are now in a position to make the announcement which we have been looking forward to bring before our readers for a considerable time past , namely , that Bro . Binckes has at last secured the services of an eminent and highly popular brother to preside over the
Anniversary Festival of the Royal Masonic Institution for Boys , which is fixed to be held at the Crystal Palace on Tuesday , the 14 th of the present month . Although the intimation comes rather late , the delay is more than
compensated for by the gratifying character of the intelligence just imparted to us , and the friends of the Boys' School will unite most heartily in congratulating Bro . Binckes and the Board of Management upon having succeeded in
enlisting the services of so distinguished a Craftsman for President of the approaching Festival as the Right Worshipful Bro . Thomas William Tew , J . P ., Past Grand Deacon of England , and Provincial Grand Master for the
West Riding of Yorkshire . The fact that Brother Tew has consented to perform this service speaks volumes for the energy and spirit which he throws into all his Masonic working . It is well known to our readers
that the Province over which Brother Tew so ably presides is at the present time—and has been for several months past— engaged in raising a sum of
money for two Jubilee Presentations to the Widows ' Fund in connection with the Royal Masonic Benevolent Institution . It will be recollected that at the
annual Provincial Grand Lodge of West Yorkshire , held in April , at Huddersfleld , it was resolved that the sum of two thousand guineas be raised by subscription , to purchase the right of two Permanent Presentations to the Royal
Masonic Benevolent Annuity Fund for Widows , to be named "the West Yorkshire Queen Victoria Jnbilee Presentations ; " in addition to which they have decided to contribute the sum of at least three guineas from each
Lodge to the funds of the Imperial Institute of the United Kingdom , the Colonies and India . Such being the case , and the sources of generosity and benevolence havino- been drawn upon so largely , and in such a variety of ways , it
might be open to fear that the result of the coming Boys ' Fesl ival would in some degree suffer thereby . We are glad to be assured otherwise , and to anticipate that the Festival will be a success from every point of view . If there be any one thing more than another conducive to that desirable
result it is the noble and courageous conduct of Bro . Tew , in the face of so many contingencies , coming forward and throwing tho great weight of his own influence , and that of the extensive Province over which he rules , into tho
balance in aid of the Boys' Institution . In spite of all the laudable exertions that are being made by the brethren of West Yorkshire in the cause of Benevolence we believe they will rally round their chief with the aturdv
tenacit y which is characteristic of our northern race , and that the Stewards from West Yorkshire will testify , in the most substantial manner , not only the love and admiration which they recently expressed towards their chief , but also
Jj heir unabated interest in the welfare of the Boys' School . Ihere are so many movements and " schemes " just now before the public that even the most opulent ancl largehearted has need to look carefully before he gratifies too lavishl y his desires and ere he loosens his purse-strings too widel y . Undoubtedly the auspicious event of the Jubilee
The Approaching Boys' Festival.
has called into being a very large number of projects , most of them of a laudable description , but all calling for the expenditure of money ; and it is not to be thought for a moment that the few , however desirous of doing so , can
contribute to even a tithe of them . The freemasons of England have been foremost in giving tangible and lasting form to their sentiments of Loyalty to the Throne and Devotion to the Craft , as the munificent contributions at
the Festivals already held , and the additional good the two other Institutions—the Benevolent and the Girls' —have been able to accomplish , abundantly testify . Bufc for all this the eminently deserving character of the
Boys' School , and the peculiarly needy circumstances in which it is placed , —from a financial point of view , —render ifc absolutely necessary that some extraordinary effort should be made to strengthen tbe hands of the Executive in their efforts to maintain the
establishment in full efficiency . It has ever been our pride and boast that , amongst all the Institutions that are so nobly upheld by the Craft , the School at Wood Green bears very favourable comparison ; indeed , never so far as we
can remember has the slightest aspersion been cast upon the way in which the interior economy of that great and useful enterprise is administered . It is unnecessary fco remind our readers of the enormous advantages that have
been conferred upon the youthful orphans of deceased Masons who , through the considerate forethought and liberality of those who aro able to afford ifc , have gone forth into the world fully equipped for the struggles and the " stern realities " of life . Bufc for those benefits who
can tell what might have been the condition of the hundreds of young men now holding comfortable and prosperous positions in commercial and social life , and who are absolutely indebted for those blessings to the training
imparted to them in the curriculum of the School at Wood Green ? We need only refer , as an exemplification of this gratifying fact , to the meeting of " Old Masonians " in London , of which we gave a mere outline in our
columns last week . Of course , that assemblage was only a representative one , seeing that numbers of the " Old Boys" who have passed through the School are scattered far and wide in this and other countries . But , taking the
gathering of last week as a fair sample of the " men of the future " who are turned out of our Institution , there is reason for intense gratification at the results thafc have hitherto been achieved , and a strong incentive also to still
further strengthen the foundations and underpin the buttresses of that fabric from which have flown untold blessings upon families who , bereft of the breadwinner , are now receiving the collateral advantages of the support
accorded the Charities in their mote palmy days . The young men we saw clustered , like a " happy family , " around Bro . Binckes , their " father " and benefactor , were a splendid example of the fruits of a sound and efficient
training—of an education based upon the soundest moral principles , and of discipline which though firm , has been tempered by a judicious admixture of manly recreation . No one could look upon that cheerful group without
seeing in their br'ght countenances and well-developed frames all the benefits , present and permanent , which those sturdy young gentlemen are now enjoying . And it must
be recollected that our Schools are filled by hundreds more who will succeed , we hope , to like prosperity and social status ; and who will in years to come return and mingle with the " Old Masonians " of their day