East Lancashire Charity.

EAST LANCASHIRE CHARITY .

THE annual report of the East Lancashire Systematic Masonic Educational and Benevolent Institution , which has just been published , shows that the donations and subscriptions received during 1899 amounted to £ 030 . In

the previous year they amounted to £ 1 , 080 . The Committee believe that contributions to the various funds for the relief of the sufferers by the war materially affected the support to their Institution .

The payments for relief , education , and annuities during last year amounted to £ 1 , 011 2 s as against £ 8 4 6 19 s 6 d in the previous year ; 26 children benefited by education grants during the year , and 13 annuitants through the Annuity Fund .

The Institution mourns the loss by death of its late President Colonel Le Gendre N . Starkie Prov . G . Master , who was its founder and the most liberal contributor to its funds .

It has been decided to hold another Festival in aid of the Institution , and out of the proceeds to apply a sum of I ) 55 ° guineas in the purchase of a perpetual presentation on the Royal Masonic Benevolent Institution for Aged Freemasons , in memory of Colonel Starkie . The members of the

Association have , however , resolved : " That in view of the many calls on the generosity of the Lodges and Brethren on behalf of the sufferers by the war in South Africa , and also

in consequence of the absence , on military duty at the seat of war , of the President , the Right Hon . Lord Stanley , M . P ., R . W . Provincial Grand Master , the intended Festival be postponed until igoi . "

Dawlish Masonic Hall.

DAWLISH MASONIC HALL .

ON Saturday , in the Chancery Division , Mr . Justice Cozens Hardy heard a petition by the Dawlish Masonic Hall Co ., Limited , asking that the name of the Company might be restored to the list of Joint Stock Companies . Counsel explained that the Company was struck off the register , because default was made in sending in the annual

returns in May 18 97 . Mr . Ingle Joyce said the Registrar had no objection to the Company being again put on the list if the applicants undertook to comply with the sections of the Act . Counsel undertook to do so , and , in answer to his

lordship , stated that the Company had not only been carrying on business , but had distributed dividends . His Lordship said the Registrar would give the Company time to comply with the Act , and he would make an order restoring the Company to the list on the usual terms .

While the number of Freemasons in the Province of Gloucestershire is increasing but slowly , though steadily , the charitable work of the body shows remarkable progress ; a fact of which the little annual just issued by the Charity Secretary of the Province Bro . R . P . Sumner supplies

continued evidence . The " Calendar and Directory " of the Province for the year 1900 gives information as to the Lodges which is of concern only to the Brethren themselves , but the record of their generous support of the great Masonic Charities is one in which the uninitiated may also take an

interest . Thus we find that whilst the number of Masons subscribing to the seventeen Lodges in the Province is now just over 800 , it was only about 200 less when the record of the Calendar commences , some twenty-two years ago . Yet in the same time , the " charity votes " held in the Province

have increased from under 1 , 000 to over 6 , 000 . In no single year of the twenty-two has the number of votes shown a decrease upon that of its predecessor . The year of greatest increase was in 18 9 8-9 , when the Centenary of the Boys School stimulated English Masons to a supreme effort on

behalf of that Institution , and when the Prince of Wales was able to announce a subscription list of nearly £ 140 , 000 . In that year the " charity votes" in the Province were increased by upwards of a thousand . Even during the year last past

there has , however , been a substantial increase of about 250 votes , and Gloucestershire still maintains the position it has long asserted , among the foremost of the Provinces in the strength of its voting power . — " Cheltenham Examiner . "

Bro . A . J . Barclay having resigned the office of Secretary of the Hammersmith Lodge , No . 2090 , was specially honoured at a large assembly of members , the occasion being the installation of Bro . Thomas G . Hodgson as W . M . A

Dawlish Masonic Hall.

handsomely chased silver tea kettle was presented to Bro . Barclay . It bore the inscription , " Presented by members of the Hammersmith Lodge , No . 2090 , to Bro . A . J . Barclay P . M ., in recognition of his valuable services as Secretary

from the foundation of the Lodge in 1885 , and in token of their sincere affection and esteem . April 1900 . " Bro . Barclay , in acknowledging the gift , said it was with a

considerable amount of regret that he gave up the duties , but as his time was so largely occupied elsewhere , he thought he was rendering better service to the Lodge by making way for someone else .

The regular meeting of the Upton Lodge , No . 1227 , will be held on Thursday next , 10 th inst ., at the Great Eastern Hotel , Liverpool Street , at five o ' clock . There is the usual full agenda of work to be performed which we are

accustomed to in connection with this Lodge . A candidate , already balloted for , is to be initiated , two candidates passed , and four others raised . Supper will be served at half-past seven . We wish Bro . H . J . Rowberry W . M . and his fellow members a pleasant and enjoyable gathering .

We are pleased to hear our Bro . Dr . C . F . Forshaw , of Bradford , has been elected a Fellow of the Royal Society of Literature ; and we also take the opportunity of announcing that our worthy Brother will shortly publish

"Masonic Musings , " a volume of verse illustrative of the principles of Freemasonry . The work will be handsomely bound in cloth , will contain upwards of two hundred poems

entirely on Masonry , and will be issued to subscribers at 2 s 6 d a copy . Orders should be addressed to Dr . Forshaw , Hanover Square , Bradford .

A correspondent of the " Lancet" points out there are two " medical" candidates on the lists for the coming election of the Royal Masonic Benevolent Institution , No . 30

among the men—Bro . Charles Wyatt Smith , and No . 7 among the widows—Mrs . Dickinson . He rightly considers that in Masonry certainly not less than in other fields medical men should lend their Brethren a willing hand .

At the meeting of the Kendal Franks Lodge ( I . C . ) , at Jeppestown Masonic Temple , Dr . J . Taylor-Brown was elected W . M . for the ensuing year , says the " Lancet , " the

installation to take place as soon as possible after the termination of the war . Dr . Kendal Franks I . P . M . was elected Director of Ceremonies .

The special Railway tickets provided by the Royal Masonic Institution for Boys , for the visit to the new Schools at Bushey on the occasion of the laying of the Foundation Stone there , on the 12 th inst ., will be available from Broad Street and intermediate stations , as well as from Euston .

The dress circle of the Grand Theatre , Wolverhampton , was on a recent occasion mainly occupied by members of the Craft , who adopted this method of expressing their appreciation of a Brother associated with the establishment .

At a recent meeting of the Royal Leek Lodge , No . 1849 , a sum of five guineas was voted towards the Welsh Military Hospital , and eight guineas to the Prince of Wales Masonic Relief Fund .

Sonnets Of The Greek Mythology, No. 14.

Sonnets of the Greek Mythology , No . 14 .

TO ETA . HADST thou , sweet maiden , lived in ancient days Methinks each daughter of Mnemosyne Would envy thee thy brightly-laurelled bays , Which crown thee queen of truth and purity . High Jove has planted in thy pregnant brain The seeds he sows with such a careful hand ; The shoots have risen , and the flowerets grand

Wave here and there—making the barren plain Into a lovely Eden—for his rain Has nurtured them , and soon o ' er all the land The blossoms he so beautifully planned Will shed their odours , which will long remain . Sing on , blest Eta , there shall come a day When all the world is better for thy sway . Bradford . CHAS . F . FORSHAW , M . A .