The Boys School Centenary.

THE BOYS SCHOOL CENTENARY .

THE celebration of the Centenary of the Royal Masonic Institution for Boys—the event which has been looked forward to with so much interest by Masons in all parts of the country for many months past—took place last night ( Friday ) amid the heartiest enthusiasm : and with the most

satisfactory of results , indeed the total announced by His Royal Highness the Prince of Wales , who presided at the Festival , far exceeded the expectations of the most sanguine among the supporters of the Institution , and will not only

enable the Committee of Management to pay for the building of the new Schools and Premises at Bushey , and provide for the necessary expenses of the current year , but leave a handsome surplus to increase the invested funds of the Charity .

Even up to the last moment the feeling was general that the hope for £ 100 , 000 might not be realised , although some ventured the opinion that such a very

handsome total , would be exceeded . We do not think , however , there were many , even among the most sanguine , who would have cared to stake much in support of an estimate beyond the six figures . The first real intimation of what was in store came

with the distribution of the programmes of the evening , in which it was recorded that the number of Stewards enrolled up to Wednesday was no less than 3 , 885 , and a total of six figures was then regarded as almost certain ,

although even at that late moment it was pointed out that an average of £ 25 per Steward—considered a fair estimate with so large a Board—would produce an amount just short of the £ 100 , 000 , but all such estimates were

upset in the splendid announcement made from the chair , that the actual total was £ 133 , , increased a few moments afterwards by a donation of one thousand guineas from Bro . J . H . Whadcoat , Mayor of Poole ,

Past Master of Nos . 19 and 137 , many of whose splendid donations to Masonic and other charity funds have been . referred to in our pages from time to time . The Board of Stewards , at the announcement of the

lists , was 3 , 8 9 8 strong , 1 , 300 of whom represented the Lodges and Chapters of London , 2 , 576 acted on behalf of the Provinces , and the remaining 22 were identified with Colonial and Foreign Lodges . The total included

a donation of one hundred guineas from the Royal Chairman , the five hundred guineas voted by Grand Lodge * the thousand guineas just mentioned as given by Brother Whadcoat , and the very handsome contribution of five thousand guineas by Bro . Keyser , for the School Chapel .

The Provinces , apart from the special amounts mentioned , contributed £ 78 , 031 us 7 d , London £ 4 8 , 000 , and District , Colonial and Foreign Lodges £ 918 10 s 7 d , the actual total , including Bro . Whadcoat ' s donation after the announcement , being £ 133 , 775 2 s 2 d .

The Boys School Centenary.

The following summary shows the number of Stewards and the amount contributed from the several divisions : Province No . of Stewards . Amount . £ s d London ... ... ... 1300 48000 0 0 Yorkshire ( West Biding ) ... 358 6100 0 0

Kent ... ... ... ... 100 5349 1 6 Lancashire ( East Division ) ... 179 5253 9 0 Warwickshire ... ... ... 243 4769 7 0 Lancashire ( West Division ) ... 138 4200 0 0 Essex ... ... ... ... 82 3926 15 0 Surrey ... ... ... 89 3630 6 6

Staffordshire ... ... ... 191 3550 0 0 Cheshire ... ... ... 128 3000 0 0 Hampshire and Isle of Wight ... 58 2992 10 0 Middlesex 81 2603 19 0 Gloucestershire ... ... 91 2556 16 6 Sussex ... ... ... 128 2544 18 0

Derbyshire ... ... ... 86 2102 4 6 Devonshire ... ... ... 34 1775 8 0 Norths and Hunts ... ... 29 1575 0 0 Hertfordshire ... ... ... 50 1500 5 6 Berkshire ... ... ... 48 1393 4 0 Northumberland ... ... 5 1393 0 0

Suffolk ... ... ... 36 1292 11 6 Lincolnshire ... ... ... 54 1200 0 0 Shropshire ... ... ... 52 1173 2 6 Buckinghamshire ... ... 52 1127 16 1 Somerset ... ... ... 16 1108 3 0 Dorsetshire ... ... ... 14 1098 10 6

Monmouthshire ... ... 15 1046 8 0 Worcestershire ... ... ... 44 1044 4 6 North Wales ... ... ... 27 1000 0 0 Norfolk ... 16 813 13 6 South Wales ( East Division ) ... 8 799 15 0 Nottinghamshire ... ... 10 781 16 0

Cornwall ... ... ... 14 781 9 0 Cambridgeshire ... ... 12 679 3 6 Leicestershire and Rutland ... 8 585 3 6 Durham ... 13 527 17 0 Wiltshiro ... 10 525 0 0 Yorkshire ( N . and E . Hiding ) ... 15 498 2 6 Bristol ... 2 354 7 6

Herefordshire ... ... ... 3 288 15 0 Bedfordshire ... 7 276 12 6 Oxfordshire ... ... ... 18 237 17 0 Cumberland and Westmorland ... 7 158 11 0 South Wales ( West Division ) ... 4 143 19 0 Jersey ... ... ... ... 1 126 0 0 Guernsey and Alderney ... ... 3 79 16 0 Isle of Man ... ... ... 1 66 13 0

District , Colonial and Foreign Lodges 22 918 10 7 United Grand Lodge of England ( Special Grant ) 525 0 0 Bro . Charles E . Keyser Treasurer of the Institution ( Special Centenary Gift for the erection of New Chapel at Bushey ) ... ... 5250 0 0 Bro . J . H . Whadcoat , Mayor of Poole 1050 0 0

With such a result it almost seems superfluous to tender congratulations to anyone in connection with the event , and yet to omit to do so would be a distinct omission , for it is very certain the splendid total has only been secured by the most strenuous efforts on behalf of the large body of Brethren who have worked in the cause . First and

foremost the thanks of the Institution and the Craft at large are due to the Most Worshipful the Grand Master , whose advocacy of the claims of the Institution accounts for a very large part of the total subscribed , and next to His Royal Highness undoubtedly comes Bro . McLeod Secretary of the Institution , who has accomplished an amount of work which entitles him to the heartiest

thanks and the keenest appreciation it is in the power of the . Institution's supporters to accord . May both live for many years to see the result of the strenuous efforts they have put forth on behalf of this-splendid " record " celebration .