Analysis Of The Subscription List, R.M.B.I.

ANALYSIS OF THE SUBSCRIPTION LIST , R . M . B . I .

Confcinned from page 164 We will take the two Lancashires next . Tho Eastern Division , has 91 Lodges , and is numerically our largest Province . There is one list yet to be received ,-but the other five amount to £ 136 10 s . West Lancashire , with

eightyone Lodges , figures for £ 257 5 s . Those are small amounts , but the latter supported their Prov . Grand Master , the Earl of Lathom , at the Boys' Festival last year to the extent of £ 2664 18 s 6 d , and , in 1876 , when his Lordship presided at the Benevolent , it gave over £ 1500 . As to

East Lancashire , when its chief , Bro . N . Le Gendre Starkie , presided at the Benevolent Festival in 1879 , its eighty-six Stewards took up the sum of £ 3542 . With such splendid effortsas these we cannot feel any surprise at the smallness of their contributions at some Festivals . Returning ,

however , Metropoliswards , we come upon Middlesex with a total of £ 346 3 s 6 d , the result of the seven out of nine lists returnable , the Elliott , No . 1567 , Feltham , and the Royal Hanover , No . 1777 , of Twickenham , heading the roll each with £ 105 . This is another Province which

always shows- to advantage at these festive gatherings . Thus , in 1880 , it gave the Benevolent £ 356 6 s , there being one other list returnable . The Girls' were still more fortunate , and secured £ 408 6 s , -while the Boys' were almost on a level with them , the subscriptions to the latter

reaching £ 403 2 s 6 d . In 1879 it gave in the order of their occurrence £ 440 7 s at the Benevolent Festival , £ 347 0 s 6 d at that of tho Girls' School , and £ 122 7 s at that of the Boys ' School . An excellent record , forsooth , which stands out the more prominently when without any of the uncalled-for

accessory of praise . We must not pretermit our details , hov aver . Lodge No . 1777 was represented on Wednesday wee : by Bro . ' ftorace Marshall , whose first labour as an E . A . was to make himself a Vice-Patron of one of our Charities . He has done this again and again since in

respect of the others , and the amount of his present list is a fourth hundred guineas , but whether his own , or an aggregate of smaller amounts , we cannot say . Middlesex , be it added , has thirty-one Lodges on its roll . Monmouthshire , eight Lodges , sends £ 52 10 s by the hands of Bro . W . Watkins , the same who acted as Steward

at the Benevolent Festival last year , when his list was £ 46 15 s , and Avho , in conjunction with Bro . Pickford for the Province , made up a total of £ 105 at the Girls' Festival . At that of the Boys ' , Monmouthshire figured for £ 26 5 s . In 1879 , Bro . Watkins , with a Bro . ' Williams

for the Province , took up £ 136 10 s for the Benevolent . At the Girls' Festival , the indefatigable Watkins was again to the front , or , rather , represented the front , rear , and main bod y of Monmouthshire , his list being £ 63 ; and so he did for the Boys ' , when he gathered together for that

Institution a most useful £ 37 16 s . While paving due honour to compact Monmouthshire , we cannot refrain from uttering the short , but expressive , note of admiration , " Bravo , Watkins ! " Norths and Hunts , whose worthy chief , the ¦ Lmke of Manchester , is still , we rejoice to say , at his post

of Prov . G . Master , gives £ 191 7 s ; and a very good return " is , too , for the nine Lodges borne on its roll , especially ™ it gave £ 115 10 s to this same Institution in 1880 , £ 5 * 0 Jn 1879 , while , in 1878 , when the Duke of Manchester was chairman at the Benevolent , it ' made up , with his persona ' .

Analysis Of The Subscription List, R.M.B.I.

contribution , a round £ 300 . In 1877 it gavo the Boys' a turn to the extent of a hundred guineas . In 1876 the Benevolent was also fortunate in winning its attentions , the amount at that Festival being £ 121 . North Wales and Salop , twenty-six Lodges , has a single representative in tho

person of Bro . W . H . Foulkes , whose contribution being ten guineas makes us imagine it is his own gift . But at the Boys' Festival of last year it figured for £ 265 17 s , tho aggregate result of the labours of five Stewards . It sent a single representative at the 1880 R . M . B . I . Festival—Bro .

Corbett , whose amount would also seem to have been a personal contribution , while for the Girls' School it raised £ 164 7 s 6 d . To this last Institution it gave £ 66 3 s in 1879 , and there was still a list to be accounted for , while the other School benefited to the extent of £ 150 19 s ; and

in 1878 to that of £ 169 Is . Thus , North Wales and Salop , if not showing to great advantage in this instance , has some lists to which it can point with very natural pride . Oxfordshire , nine Lodges , likewise shows well , one of the Stoward's lists beinjr returned as £ 108 14 s , Bro .

Cooper-Smith being the Steward , and the Lodge represented the Apollo University , No . 357 . Last year its total contributions to the Benevolent were £ 231 18 s Gd , three of its Stewards acting for Apollo University , and one of

the three being Bro . Cooper-Smith , with £ 106 9 s 6 d . When its Grand Master , Prince Leopold , presided at tho Girls' School Festival , as he did in 1880 , there were ten Stewards , and the aggregate of their contributions , including the Prince's own donation of fifty guineas , was

£ 309 12 s . Under these circumstances , it is not surprising the Boys' School should have to content itself with £ 19 19 s . In 1879 it gave the Benevolent £ 41 18 s , with ouo list to be added ; to the Girls' School £ 96 12 s ; and to the Boys ' £ 78 15 s , while in 1878 its contributions were—Benevolent ,

£ 47 10 s 6 d ; Girls' School , £ 144 6 s 6 d ; and Boys' School , £ 75 12 s ; and at the Festivals in 1877 , in tho order of their occurrence , £ 279 13 s , £ 62 9 s , and £ 40 7 s 6 d respectively . It will doubtless be in the recollection of our readers that Prince Leopold promised to take the chair at the Festival

of the Royal Masonic Benevolent Institution , but was unfortunately prevented by indisposition at the last moment from fulfilling his intention , and his place was taken by the late Earl of Shrewsbury and Talbot . This

will explain the largeness of the first of the three amounts for this year . It is perhaps worth while adding that Apollo University takes the lead on these occasions , though the other Lodges , notably the premier on the roll of tho Province—Alfred , No . 340—arc also considerate of the

necessities of our Chanties . Somersetshire , as represented by Capt . Perkius , acting for its twenty-two Lodges , sends £ 58 17 s—uo largo amount , it will be said , but then in the year 1880 it gave the Girls' £ 241 10 s , and the Boys' £ 106 Is , while the year

before that it gave the Benevolent , per the same Capt . Perkins , £ 38 17 s , the Girls , ' per General Doherty , £ 247 16 s , and the Boys' £ 133 8 s . In 1878 it figures in the Benevolent list for £ 85 18 s , Captain Perkins sending in the largest list ; in that of the Girls' Festival , when the

Earl of Carnarvon , its respected P . G . M . presided , for £ 318 3 s ; and it was represented at the Boys ' , but to what extent was not stated officially at the time . Its greatest

achievement of late was in 1875 , when his lordship presided at the Boys' Festival , and a total of £ 540 12 s 6 d was sent in . It would , indeed , be surprising if the Province , which is ruled by the Pro Grand Master , should be