Non-Masons At Our Banquets.

NON-MASONS AT OUR BANQUETS .

OUR readers will have noticed , perhaps , that in our short account of the first meeting of the Board of Stewards to the approaching Festival of the Boys' School , it was announced that , as at the last two anniversaries , the Ladies should be admitted to the banquet . We have

always regarded this as a most graceful innovation on the practice of former years . It is not necessary we should stop to point to out how much more enjoyable a dinner is when the fair sex take part in it , nor need we do more than indicate the peculiar appropriateness of an

arrangement which sanctions their presence , seeing that the Festival is intended to promote the welfare of our charitable Institutions . The ladies are as much interested in the prosperity of the School as our Craftsmen . Indeed , we do not consider we are travelling out of the road when we say

they are , in one sense , more deeply interested . In nine cases out of ten , it is the widow who is driven to obtain from it some relief for her fatherless children . It is , therefore , an act as appropriate as it is one of thoughtful kindness , that ladies should be invited to grace these Festivals

by their presence , not in accordance with the old rule in the character of mere spectators , but to a full share in the festivities of the day . There are yet other reasons why the precedent of the last two years should be faithfully adhered to in future . The influence they are calculated to exercise will

always be a benign one . Knowing and hearing , as they will do , more about the purpose for which the School has been established , and the amount of good it accomplishes , they will no doubt lend a helping hand the more willingly —if that be possible at least—from the very fact of their

being , as it were , admitted to this annual consultation over its affairs . There are very many Craftsmen who need an occasional prompting to fulfil their duty . A part of such duty is the support of this and the other charities , and the influence of wives and sisters will make itself felt the more

powerfully when they know something of the institution for which such influence should be exercised . The compliment paid them will be fully reciprocated . We may , in fact , attribute the marvellous successes of 1875 and 1876 , in some measure at least , to the presence of ladies , and as

we are anxious those successes should not only be repeated , but , if possible , exceeded , it seems but just that we should invite their co-operation in the future , as in the past . We rejoice then , in common , we believe , with the majority of our brethren , to fiud that the Boys' Festival in June will in this respect be celebrated as it was last year and the year

previous . The approaching festival , however , will inaugurate a new epoch in Masonic festive gatherings . We should say , rather , that an experiment will be made on this occasion , which , if successful , will deserve to be repeated . The

Board of Stewards have unanimously resolved that gentlemen who are not Masons should be permitted to be present . This is a wide and still more noticeable departure from custom , but it is one from which we see reason to anticipate decidedly beneficial results . All those public

institutions which depend for support on voluntary subscriptions have some kind of annual gathering , and attendance on these occasions is not limited to members and patrons . People outside the circle of those immediately interested are eligible to be present . The patrons of the institution , no doubt ,

constitute the bulk of the guests , but strangers are cordially welcomed . Why should it not be the case with these annual gatherings in behalf of our Masonic Institutions ? They are not attended by any Masonic ceremonial . At the last two gatherings at . the Alexandra Palace there has not even

been the very harmless display of Masonic regalia . The brethren and their fair guests have dined together as a company of ladies and gentlemen , to the delight of all , and to the undoubted benefit of the School . May we not fairly hope for an extension of such benefit if non-Masons are

permitted to sit with us ? The purpose for which the meeting will be held is one that commends itself to the whole world . The more this portion of our duty is published abroad , the stronger ¦ will be the position of the Craft in the estimation of men . There are many who fight shy of

Freemasonry , on the score of its having secrets , but the non-Mason who dines with us on this occasion will certainly rise from the table with the belief firmly impressed on his mind that a society which supports so worthy an Institution cannot have much in its laws and regulations which is objectionable . We may be a very mysterious body , but it

Non-Masons At Our Banquets.

will be seen that the members who compose our Fraternity are men of repute , moving in different grades of society , with nothing about them of the conspirator against law and order . On the contrary , it will be found we are a

perfectly innocuous body of gentlemen , met together to promote a charitable object , and with no other thought animating us than a desire to do our duty towards the indigent children of deceased brethren . It is the fashion in some

quarters to denounce Freemasons as the enemies of all religions and governments , and there are people thoughtless enough to believe there is some truth in tho charge . The presence of non-Masons at our banquets will help dissipate this belief . What we do in our Lodges will still

be hidden from the public , -hut the public will judge of Freemasonry by its fruits . People will point to our three successful Charities , and it will be asked , Can the men who have achieved so much have in them the slightest sense of disloyalty or disaffection ? We not only see no

reason why attendance at our Anniversary Festivals should be confined exclusively to Freemasons . We believe there is much to be gained by this removal of the restrictions heretofore existing . They have been removed as regards the

ladies with signal success , and wo consider , for the reasons we have indicated , that the same success will follow the further experiment about to be made this year at the Festival of the Boys' School .

We have little further to add than this . It may not be generally known that some years ago the wife of one of our brethren actually fulfilled the duties of a Steward , we believe to this very Institution , and the amount of subscriptions which she was able in this capacity to raise in aid

of its funds was somewhat in excess of £ 200 . Why should not the experiment be repeated ? Her Most Gracious Majesty is Patron of our Boys' School , the Princess of Wales is Patroness of the Girls' School . We have Lady Vice-Patrons , Vice-Presidents , Life Governors , and Subscribers :

why may we not hope to have Lady Stewards ? We can imagine that "A Zealous Officer" might have been able to suggest to his Committee an even greater increase to the number of annuitants than has been made this year had he enjoyed the assistance , as we know he has alsvays

enjoyed the sympathy , of the ladies . " The Mystic" would probably have resisted more successfully those sad attacks upon his health which so severely crippled him on Wednesday had he found his able company of Stewards swelled by a score or two members of the fair sex . And

albeit " Our Hercules" is supremely indifferent to the amount of labour he undertakes , we dare venture to say that , with his accustomed gallantry , he would most cordially welcome the presence , on his board of Stewards , of any ladies who may feel inclined to give him the benefit of

their services . If an artist personify Charity , he presents her as a fair lady of angelic face and figure . Why should not Freemasonry have its Sisters as well as Brothers of Charity to plead the holy cause of the indigent brother , the

forlorn widow , and the tender orphan ? Let Bro . Bmckes consider this suggestion , against the meeting of his board of Stewards on the 17 th inst . It may be good for him to adopt it , that is , it may help to swell the funds of the School for which he works so diligently .

Grand Lodge Of Scotland.

GRAND LODGE OF SCOTLAND .

THE usual Quarterly Communication was held m Freemasons Hall , Edinburgh , on Monday , the 7 th inst . In the unavoidable absence of the Grand Master , the D . G . M . Bro . Henry Iuglis occupied the throne . He was supported by W . Mann P . J . G . W . as S . G . W ., W . Hay Grand Architect as J . G . W . There were also present Bros . Dr . Gray G . G ., Rev . W . N . Wannop , Prov . D . G . M . for East Lothian ,

Lord Inverarie , Provincial G . M . elect for Kincardineshire , NeilHon Proxy Prov . G . M . of Venezuela , & c . Apologies were received from several brethren , regretting their absence . The acting Grand Master referred , in appropriate terms , to the recent death of Major Hamilton Karnsay of Garrion , and it was nnanimously agreed that

the Grand Secretary should communicate to Mrs . Hamilton Eamsay a minute expressive of the regret of the members of Grand Lodge afc the loss of their deceased brother . The minutes of the previous meeting of Grand Lodge having been read and approved , the Grand Master intimated that he had accepted an iuvitation from the E . VV .

Master of Lodge No . 261 , to lay the foundation-stone of a new High School at Kelso , on the 21 st inst ., and that he would be accompanied by a deputation from Grand Lodge . He had no donbt the Master of No . 261 would be glad to have the presence of members of the Craft . Charters were granted for the following new Lodges : —

St . Andrew , Campbeltown , near Fort George . Lencophibia , Whithorn . Granville , Grenada .