The Future Of The Boys School.

THE FUTURE OF THE BOYS SCHOOL .

WE were very pleased to receive the announcement last week that the Board of Management of the Eoyal Masonic Institution for Boys will shortly issue to the Subscribers a statement of the reasons for the proposed removal of the School from its present position , as sanctioned

by the last Quarterly Court , but we at the same time experienced a feeling of regret that such a course should be rendered necessary by anything approaching half-heartedness in regard to the project already decided upon . Yet , in face of

the state of opinion that exists , it is hardly possible to believe that any other line of procedure would be satisfactory . In any question involving , as this does , the expenditure of a very large sum of money on new buildings , and the

subsequent sacrifice of the existing property at a price far below its cost , it is bub reasonable to suppose vast differences of opinion are likely to exist , and this is considerably increased by the rapid development of the subject of State Education ,

a feature which calls for very careful attention in connection with this removal question , for it ia not very hard to imagine that within the next few years the Government will provide such facilities for the education of the growing generation as to make Schools such as those connected with the Girls and

Boys Institutions almost unnecessary , or even if they are desirable it will only be under conditions which it may be almost impossible to comply with in the then existing structures .

If the subscribers of the Institution were unanimously m favour of removal we should be among the foremost in supporting such a course , and should urge its being carried out as speedily as possible , but , as is well known , unanimity

does not exist , indeed we believe that even the most sanguine advocates of a change are by no means sure but that a careful canvass would produce such a display of opposition as would in reality make its advocates pause ere they attempted to

disregard it , as the mere fact of a majority being in favour of removal would hardly be a sufficient endorsement of so radical a change , as there would be so much risk of offending the

minority , while on the other hand , a continuance of existing arrangements , in face of a clearly expressed desire for removal , would probably cause trouble with the other section .

As we said some time back , once the removal is decided upon it will have our fullest support , because we believe that if a larger establishment is to be arranged for it will be cheaper in the end to start it on another site , but we have

always been averse to the expenditure of immense sums of money in bricks and mortar , because we believe the same , or nearly equal advantages may be obtained by the maintenance and education of children among their own friends , rather

than in a large central Institution , and that , too , at a cost considerably less than the present average spent on each pupil . For this reason we fully endorse the suggestion of our correspondent of last week , that a purchaser for the School premises at Wood Green should be found before any new

The Future Of The Boys School.

building is started upon , extension being meanwhile attempted by the creation of an increased number of outdoor scholarships . Possibly this phase oi the question will be dealt with by the Board of Management in their promised statement ,

but whether this is the case or not it is certainly worthy of consideration as an alternative proposition to that of sacrificing the existing premises and erecting new ones elsewhere , at a fabulous cost .

Mark Benevolent Fund.

MARK BENEVOLENT FUND .

THE twenty-eighth anniversary festival of the Benevolent . Fund associated with the Grand Lodge of Mark Master Masons of England and Wales was held on Wednesday , at Freemasons' Tavern , under the presidency of Bro . Charles Letch Mason Provincial Grand Mark Master of West Yorkshire . The Earl of Euston , Viscount Dungarvan , General Sayer , Sir Thomas

Eoe , Bros . Loveland Loveland , George Everett , Colonel John Davis A . D . C ., Bro . C . F . Matier Grand Secretary ,. Major J . Woodall Woodall , and a large number of other distinguished ladies and Brethren were present . The total amount of

subscriptions announced was the largest the Fund has yet had at its annual gatherings , viz ., £ 2 , 406 13 s 6 d ; and the Chairman ' s Province of West Yorkshire , with fifty-two Stewards , of whom fourteen were ladies , contributed £ 751 to this total .

West Lancashire Charity.

WEST LANCASHIRE CHARITY .

ON Friday , 3 rd inst ., a meeting . of the Court of Governors of the West Lancashire Masonic Institution was held under the presidency of Bro . Dr . J . Kellett-Smith P . P . G . E ., at the Masonic Hall , Hope Street , Liverpool , when there was a large attendance of supporters of the Fund . After transaction of the business of the various Committees

of the Institution , eight children were elected on the educational fund , four on the combined fund , and six children received grants for advancement in life after leaving school , in accordance with

the recommendations of the General Committee . A change in the bye-laws was adopted , on the proposition of Bro . E . H . Leake P . M . 1547 , and the proceedings closed with a vote of thanks to Bro . Dr . Smith for presiding .

We may remind our readers that the annual meeting of the Provincial Grand Lodge of Essex is to be held on Wednesday next , at Maldon , the proceedings commencing at two o ' cloek , and a banquet following at five . The two local Lodges , the St . Peters , No . 1024 , and the Blackwater , No . 1977 , are busy at

work making arrangements for the visit of the large number who are expected , and we anticipate a pleasant experience will fall to the lot of those who are present . As already announced in our columns , ladies are invited to the banquet , the Countess of Warwick being among those who have promised to attend .

We are pleased to record the fact that Bro . Edwin Styles P . M . of the Camden Lodge , No . 704 , and Secretary of the Instruction Lodge attached thereto , was last week installed M . W . S . of the Camden Eose Croix Chapter , No . 132 , at the Supreme Council 33 ° , 33 Golden Square , and then had one

candidate for perfection , Bro . E . Barnes , Golden Eule Lodge , No . 1261 . The banquet was subsequently held at Anderton ' s Hotel , Fleet Street . Bro . Styles also fills the position of M . E . Z . of the Camden Chapter , No . 704 , and displays marked ability in his several offices .