The Approaching Election For The Boys' School.

THE APPROACHING ELECTION FOR THE BOYS' SCHOOL .

npiIE usual half-yearly election of the Royal Masonic - * - Institution for Boys will take place on Friday , the 25 th inst ., on which occasion seventy candidates will go to the poll , to compete for sixteen vacancies . Among these seventy are forty-five who have taken part in previous contests , one of them appearing for tho seventh time , four for the fifth , eight for the fourth , fifteen for the third , and seventeen for the second . There are thus twenty-five candidates who

now come forward for the first time , and among them are three who , if unsuccessful at this election , will not have another opportunity of competing , being barred by the age limit rule . Nos . 1 and 21 are also last application cases , so that there are five such on the present list . No . 1 , John Grossman , is the lad who has taken part in six previous elections , but he nnlv Tvnnors fovwfiTfl 17 votfia n , a thfi vAsnlt thm'fiof . ¦ ¦

""¦ v "—o ~ — — — — He is one of two children , whose father was initiated in St . Anne , No . 970 , Cornwall , and who subsequently joined St . John , No . 70 , Devon , subscribing to the latter until the time of his death , in January 1884 . No . 21 , Benjamin Henry

Tiedeman , now makes his third application , with 1041 votes to his credit . His father was admitted a Mason in Guelph Lodge , No . 1685 , London , and subscribed thereto up till the time of his death , which occurred in February of last year . During his membership of the Craft he qualified as a Life Governor of the Institution for which his son is

now a candidate . Tins lad and lour other members of the family are dependent on their mother , who , we hope , will be so far fortunate as to secure one of the sixteen vacancies to be competed for . No . 53 , Mark Somers , comes from the Province of West Yorkshire , where his father was initiated , in the Goderich Lodge ,

No . 1211 ; he was also a member of the Zetland Lodge , No . 1311 , at the time of his death . At present five of the children of the late Bro . Somers are entirely , and one partly , dependent on the widow . No . 61 , George Lofthouse , is the son of a very old member of the Craft , and is jointly accredited to the

two strong Provinces of East Lancashire and West Yorkshire . The father was initiated in the Limestone Rock Lodge , No . 369 , in December 1853 , and subscribed thereto until the time of his death , his dues being paid for 35 f years . He subsequently joined Royal Forest Lodge , No . 401 , and subscribed

to it for twenty-lour years . He was a Past Master of his Lodge , and P . G . A . D . C . of the Province of East Lancashire . His widow has five children dependent on her for support , but with such a long association with the Craft , as is shown in this case , we think it hardly too much to hope the members of the Order will

, ere long , relieve her oi responsibility m regard to one of them . We trust such may prove to be the result of the election . No . 64 , Robert Rae Jewitt , is

The Approaching Election For The Boys' School.

another Lancashire case , the Western Division of that county being interested , the father having been admitted in the Hamer Lodge , No . 1393 , to which he subscribed for twelve and a half years , passing the chair therein , and being elected to the office of Treasurer . In this case also there are five children

dependent on the widowed mother . It will be at once apparent to the reader that four of these last application cases are in very good hands , but as regards the other , No . 1 on the list , it is impossible to say , from previous results , what is likely to happen . Of course , the seventeen votes polled for young Crossman during the past three years may be no criterion of what is in store for him on the

25 th , as both the Provinces interested in his case—Cornwall and Devon—are strong organisers in the matter of votes , and may have been saving their strength , or holding over Crossman ' s case until its proper turn . We believe that if the condition of the family is such as to realty deserve the united assistance of the father ' s Provinces it will not be

withheld at this last moment . The case m which London is interested ( No . 21 ) has a credit of 1041 polled votes , so that it is reasonable to suppose the brethren working are fully alive to the requirements of the case , and no doubt they will use every effort in their power to ensure success . West Yorkshire , East and West Lancashire are associated with tho other cases , and doubtless are fully prepared to see

them through , so that , talang them altogether , there is a brighter prospect than usual for the " last applications . " No . 13 , Ernest Edward Whale , is the first on the list who has neither parent living . This lad is one of four children left by an initiate and former Past Master of the Harmony Lodge , No . 309 , Hants and Isle of Wight , and has already taken part in three elections . As the result thereof he has 19 votes to his credit . No . 33 , Frederick Eden Walter Cooper ,

is another lad both of whose parents are dead ; he and three other children are now dependent on their friends . His father was initiated in the Mount Lebanon Lodge , No . 73 , London , and subscribed thereto for lOf years , really up to the time of his death . The lad was a candidate in April last , and then secured 263 votes , so it is evident he has friends

working on his behall . No . 37 , William Joseph Williams , is the son of an old initiate and late Junior Warden of the St . John ' s Lodge , No . 761 , Gloucestershire . He and four other children are left to the care of friends , among whom we hope the Masonic Craft will soon win the distinction of being classed . The lad was a candidate at the last Election , but no votes were recorded on his behalf , not , let us hope ,

from any lack oi sympathy , but because his turn had not yet come round . No . 69 , Horace James Murrell Aldous , is also parentless—an only child left by an initiate of the St . Marylebone Lodgo , No . 1305 , London , for whom , let it be hoped , the Masonic School will one day be opened .