The School Quarterly Courts.

THE SCHOOL QUARTERLY COURTS .

THE half-yearly election meetings of the two central Educational Institutions of the Craft will be held next week , that for the Girls on Thursday , and that for the Boys the following day .

The business is of a specially pleasing character , inasmuch as at both Courts resolutions will be submitted with a view to an increase in the number of declared vacancies , an addition being possible in the case of each

School , by reason of the withdrawal of a child from the respective Institutions . Of course these increases ouly appear at present in the form of recommendations from the respective Boards of Management , but there is little question that they will be agreed to , and in that

case there will be twenty-one vacancies to fill for the Girls School , and eighteen for the Boys , and we should not be at all surprised if it were found possible to

declare yet another vacancy in regard to the latter fund before the Election is started upon , but time must prove that question one way or the other .

We have already briefly referred to the constitution of the lists of candidates for these elections , but there has been a change in the case of the Boys , which

now stands with forty-three accepted candidates , one lad ( No . 9 , Holland ) having been withdrawn , he being selected as the first beneficiary under the Eastes Presentation from the Province of Kent . The Girls

list remains with forty-two approved candidates , so that there are a total of eighty-five candidates to compete for thirty-nine vacancies ( with the possibility of an increase to forty ) , or a very near approach to a possibility of admitting half the approved applicants .

There is a special Notice of Motion standing in the name of Brother Eve for the Boys Court , the members of which will be asked to confer the rank of Honorary Vice-Patron on Bro . W . F . Smithson P . G . D ., one of the most zealous workers the Institutions have ever

known . His special efforts—if with such general advocacy any part of his good work can be singled out as special—have been directed towards the proper

representation of West Yorkshire among the supporters of the Institutions , and it is only necessary to refer to past results from this District to see how successful he and others have been in their self-imposed task .

Bro . Smithson is already a Vice-President of the Institution , but he will noue the less appreciate the suggested compliment on that account . We are convinced the honour will be agreed to , and many

will share with us m regretting that an even more tangible " reward of merit" is not possible for one who has done ,. and is continuing to do , so much for the Boys School and the other Benevolent Funds of the Craft .

Concert At The Girls School.

CONCERT AT THE GIRLS SCHOOL .

ON Wednesday a very pleasant meeting took place at the Eoyal Masonic Institution for Girls at Battersea Eise , when a concert was given for the amusement of the children by Bro . W . S . Spaull and a few friends . The House Committee of the Institution

extended a cordial invitation to a number of supporters of the School who apparently greatly appreciated the attention . After a pianoforte solo by Mr . Gordon Graham Bro . Spaull gave " Sunshine above , " displaying his fine baritone voice to advantage , and winning an

encore in the second part by his rendering of Eoeckel s " The Charmed Cup . " Mr . Joseph O'Shaughnessy , who has a very nice tenor voice , of unusual range and power , gave " The Sunlit Highway" in the first part , and Blumenthal ' s " The Evening Song" in the second .

Miss Florence Stone , sang " The Promise of Life " and " Zuyder Zee , " which latter elicited a rapturous encore , to which she kindly responded with " Molly and I , and the Baby , " which was also well received . Miss Ada Bateman , whose beautiful contralto voice and clear

enunciation of the words were greatly appreciated , sang " The Gift , " and " By the Eiver , " both in excellent style . Eecitations were given by Mr . Will Gibson , and Mr . Oscar Berry , the latter being apparently an old favourite , as he was warmly greeted on his appearance .

Both parts of the programme were brought to a conclusion with violin solos by Mr . Eowarth , who was accompanied by Mrs . Eowarth , to whom the Institution is mainly indebted for a vast improvement in the singing of the pupils . Altogether the concert was a great success and was thoroughly enjoyed by the children .

Sir John Monckton proposed a hearty vote of thanks to the artistes who had provided the entertainment and his remarks were endorsed by the children in such a way as to show their appreciation of what they had listened to .

The Alexandra Hall , in which the entertainment took place , was then cleared , and the pupils of the School went through their calisthenic exercises , winning the usual praise for the precision and careful placing

they observed ; the whole of the exercises being carried out without a single error , and when it is mentioned that 168 girls of the 263 at present in the Institution took part in the drill it is proof that all receive the same kindly attention and consideration .

The members of the House Committee present included Bros . A . C . Spaull ( Chairman ) , Sir John Monckton , J . H . Matthews and H . A . Hunt .

Sir Michael Hicks-Beach has appointed Tuesday , Sth January next , for the consecration of the new Sherborne Lodge , at Stroud . The ceremony was originally intended to take place in November , says the " Cheltenham Examiner , " but has been postponed in

consequence of the probable absence from England during that month of the Deputy Provincial Grand Master Bro . Vassar-Smith , whose Brethren will be especially pleased to learn that there has been a considerable improvement iu his health of late , aud it is hoped that a Mediterranean trip this autumn will complete his recovery .