The Girl's School Festival.

THE GIRL'S SCHOOL FESTIVAL .

THOSE who anticipated a brilliant success for this year ' s Anniversary on behalf of the Royal Masonic Institution for Girls , under the presidency of Earl Amherst Pro

Grand Master of England , and the popular Masonic chief of Kent , have every reason to be satisfied with the result ; indeed , the sum subscribed on Wednesday must have exceeded the expectations of the most sanguine , for the total reached the

unprecedented amount—for an ordinary Masonic Festivalof £ 26 , 519 17 s 3 d , which splendid announcement has already been augmented by different additions made since the return

was made up , and no doubt will be yet further increased sufficiently to allow a round twenty-seven thousand pounds to be pointed to as the Festival return of 1901 . Truly a marvellous , and at the same time a most gratifying record !

This splendid result was achieved through the exertions of 689 Stewards , 279 of whom represented London Lodges and brought up £ 10 , 266 17 s , while the balance of £ 16 , 253 Os 3 d was collected by 410 Stewards representing the Provinces and Foreign Stations .

Foremost in this latter total must be mentioned the Chairman ' s Province of Kentj which was represented by 84 Stewards—nearly every Lodge in the county being on the roll—and who brought up a record sum for any individual

Province , the total from the " Garden of England" being £ 6 , 275 , ° f which sum fifteen hundred and fifty guineas was voted from the funds of Provincial Grand Lodge and Chapter , to purchase a perpetual presentation into the Institution , in

commemoration of the fact that the Earl Amherst presided at the Festival—and as an expression of esteem for his lordship , on the part of the members of the Province in which he has so long enjoyed love and respect as Masonic ruler . Earl

Amherst made a personal donation of eighty guineas , to complete his Patronship of the Institution ; and the Countess Amherst , who evinced so much real interest in the work of the

Charity when she presented the prizes to the pupils on Monday , also gave twenty-five guineas as practical proof of her appreciation of the work being done .

In view of such a magnificent record it seems almost superfluous to offer congratulations , but we most cordially compliment the Institution on its good fortune ; and feel that the Chairman of the year must be personally delighted at the

record created under his presidency . The Secretary of the Institution and others associated with the management also deserve the warmest praise for the part they took in securing

the result , and we hope some special recognition will be accorded the staff for the great amount of work they must have had to deal with to bring all the arrangements of the Festival into such perfect order as they proved to be .

The present good fortune of the Institution does not , however , appear to end with this record . It has been fortunate enough to enlist the services of the Earl of Lathom as its Chairman for 1902 , and with the very important Province of

West Lancashire at his back there is little fear of the result . Rivalry of a friendly nature is permissible in Freemasonry ; we can imagine the Brethren under the rule of Lord Lathom setting themselves the task of cutting out the record Kent has just achieved under its Provincial Grand Master , and if

The Girl's School Festival.

they thoroughly make up their mind to the task they will succeed ! Good luck to them , and to all who aim to support the cause of the Royal Masonic Institution for Girls . Elsewhere we give a report of the proceedings at the Festivaland a full list of the Stewards and amounts collected

by each . WE are pleased to hear , on the authority of Earl Amherst Pro Grand Master of England , that their Majesties the King and Queen have graciously consented to become

chief Patron and Patroness respectively of this Institution . Their Majesties have long taken the greatest interest in the Educational charities of the Craft , the Alexandra Hall of the Girls School , in particular , marking the intimate association of the Queen with the work of our Charities .

Benevolent Institution Election.

BENEVOLENT INSTITUTION ELECTION .

THE annual meeting of the Royal Masonic Benevolent Institution will be held on Friday next , when the usual elections for the benefits of the Institution will take place .

The lists of candidates are very heavy , while the number of annuities to be allotted is particularly small , there being fifty applicants and thirteen declared vacancies on the Male Fund ; and fifty-four candidates with only eight declared vacancies

on the Female Fund . The number of the vacancies may be increased to fill the places of annuitants who have died since the ballot papers were prepared , but in any case the contest will be very keen , and the number of disappointments particularly heavy . i

Royal Masonic Institution For Boys.

ROYAL MASONIC INSTITUTION FOR BOYS .

THE following reply to the address passed at the April Quarterly Court of this Institution has been received from the Home Secretary : —

Home Office , Whitehall , 6 th May 1901 . SIR , —I am commanded by the King to convey to you hereby His Majesty ' s thanks for the Loyal and Dutiful Address of the Governors and Subscribers of

the Royal Masonic Institution for Boys expressing sympathy on the occasion of the lamented death of Her late Majesty Queen Victoria , and congratulation on His Majesty ' s Accession to the Throne . I am , Sir , Your obedient Servant ,

( Signed ) CHAS . T . RITCHIE . The Chairman of the Governors Royal Masonic Institution for Boys , 6 Freemasons' Hall , Great Oueen Street , W . C . "

THE first meeting of Stewards for the 103 rd Anniversary Festival was arranged to take place at Freemasons' Hall , yesterday ( Friday ) , at 4 p . m ., when the various Officers of the Board were to be elected , and the locality for holding the Festival decided upon .

Mrs . W . W . Bramston Beach has kindly- consented to distribute the Prizes to the boys , and the annual speech day and Stewards' visit has been fixed for Monday , 24 th June . '

Sir Horatio Lloyd P . G . D . Deputy Provincial Grand Master of Cheshire this year celebrates his jubilee as a member of the Order . Referring to the matter at a recent

meeting at Chester His Honour said he had many pleasures to look back upon in the fifty years during which'he had been a Freemason , but he had to regret , that many who were Masons when he commenced his Masonic career were now no more .