The Centenary Festival Of The Girls' School.

THE CENTENARY FESTIVAL OF THE GIRLS' SCHOOL .

WE are this week in a position to announce the completion of another stage in the arrangements for this all-important event , and in doing so we are sure of bringing npon the Institution the heartiest congratulations of its well-wishers . The

Most Worshipful the Grand Master of England , His Eoyal Highness the Prince of "Wales , has consented to preside at the Celebration of the Centenary of the Charity , and has fixed Thursday , the 7 th June next , as the date for the Festival , which will thus become , as we anticipated some time back , one of the greatest , if not the greatest Masonic event of the current year .

It has long been an open secret that the Committee of the Institution were in hopes of securing the patronage of the Prince of Wales in connection with this unique celebration , and to a certain extent the benefits arising from such distinguished presidency

have been in consequence discounted . Still this has not been the case everywhere , and we shall be much surprised if the gracious act to which our Grand Master has just given his consent does not produce a most beneficial effect on the Festival , which will take nlace at the Albert Hall , Kensington , a building

so intimately associated with His Eoyal Highness ' s career in Freemasonry . On this account alone we believe success is certain , for the brethren of England will unite in securing for our beloved Prince a repetition of the grand Masonic gatherings he has already witnessed in that Hall , and in doing so they will materially assist the Institution on whose behalf the gathering will take place .

The Eoyal Masonic Institution for Girls was founded on the 25 th March 1788 , at the suggestion of the Chevalier Bartolomeo Euspini , Surgeon Dentist to His Majesty King George IV ., then Prince of Wales , and the first fifteen girls were admitted to the

benefits of the School m the January following . Since that date upwards of fifteen hundred children have been provided with education , clothing and maintenance by the Institution , which now has 244 girls on its books , each receiving a good sound English education ., together with clothing and maintenance at the home of the Institution at

Battersea Eise . As an instance of the great extension of the Charity during recent years we have only to look back to 1872 , when there were but 100 children on the funds , so that , in the period of fifteen years which has since elapsed , 144 have been added , or , in other words , the benefits have been extended nearly one hundred ancl fifty per cent .

it may well be imagined that these very rapid extensions have made considerable additions necessary to the School buildings and general accommodation at Battersea . This has been accomplished , from time to time , through the generosity of the Craft , but

The Centenary Festival Of The Girls' School.

it was thought that some especial effort might be undertaken to mark the Centenary of the Institution , and a Committee was accordingly appointed , some time back , to consider and draw up a comprehensive scheme for the celebration . This Committee recommended alterations and additions , which were submitted to the Quarterly General Court in October

last , and then received the approval and sanction ot the governors and subscribers ; it was also decided that an earnest appeal be addressed to the Craft to furnish the necessary funds to carry out the j ) roposed schemes . The alterations agreed upon were divided under two heads . Scheme A was a plan for uniting

jLyncombe House and the two houses recently purchased , thus forming one enlarged Junior School , and providing accommodation for thirty-five additional girls , together with the necessary complement of domestic offices , & c . This was at once agreed upon , it being resolved to make the proposed alterations at a cost not exceeding £ 2000 . Scheme B—which is

really the Centenary Memorial—was of a much more comprehensive character , and provided , amongst other matters , for the erection of a large " Centenary " Hall , needed for assemblies of the whole School , drill and recreation ; the erection of new domestic . offices , and various other matters , entailing an outlay of about £ 20 , 000 . This proposal , as we have said , was

also approved of , subject to any modifications which might be deemed desirable by the Quarterly Court to be held this month . In accordance with this resolution revised plans will be submitted to the Court which will be held on Saturday next , and , as in all probability

these revised plans will be then adopted , we give full details of what they include , although our readers will recognise they are virtually the same as those adopted in October last . The design contemplates : —

( a ) Building a Large HaU , 100 feeb by 40 feet , for assemblies of the whole School , Drill and Kecreabion , to be called the Centenary Hall . ( b ) Bnilding new Kitchen Office ? , with Matron ' s Boom , Cooking

Class Room , House Dining Eoom , and Servants' Bed Rooms . ( The existing Domestic Offices , situate in the N . E . wing , having been arranged for a School of 80 girls , are now quite inadequate .

( o ) Converting the present Large School Room in the Alexandra Wing into a Dining Hall . ( d ) Converting the present Dining Hall and Cookery Class Room into School Rooms .

( e ) Building three Large Class Rooms having an average area of 722 sup . feet each . ( f ) Building six Large Dormitories over , on two Floonr , with neces * ary Governesses' Bed Rooms , Lavatories , and Bath Rooms .

( g ) Constructing New Wide Hard Wood Staircases in place of the existing ones , which , at present , inclnde a Small Cir . cnlar Staircase and one with many winders . ( h ) Erecting Day Lavatories , Boot and Cloak Rooms , and Latrines .

Tho increased accommodation must be considered relatively to the ncreased space demanded in the existing building , in order to give 30 feet area to each bed .