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1 t- ' SATUBDAY , 14 TH OCTOBER 1899 .

R. M. I. Girls.

R . M . I . GIRLS .

THE' Quarterly Court of the Governors and Subscribers connected with this Institution was held on Thursday , in the ^ & xge Hall of Freemasons' Tavern , London . Bro . Henry With P . G . D . Past Deputy Provincial Grand Master West Yorkshire Past Treasurer of the Institution was voted to the char .

Bro . Hedges Secretary announced that the Earl of Dartmouth ^ Provincial Grand Master for Staffordshire would preside at the Festival to celebrate the 112 th anniversary of the foundation of the Institution , on qth May 1900 . Bro .

Hedges also ; e . ported that the appointment of new Trustees of the freehold property of the Institution had become necessary , by the death of . some of the Trustees , Lord Leigh being the only survivor . A conveyance to the new Trustees had been prepared by BrSi Frank Richardson , and executed .

. Bro . A . C .-.. _ Spaull P . G . St . B . thereupon moved , and Bro . Sir John B . Monckton P . G .. W . seconded , a vote of thanks to Bro . Flank Richardson , which having been put was

carried unanimously , and Bro . Frank Richardson P . G . D . returned thanks . He said that this , as well as all other work he had done for the Institution , had given him great pleasure in carrying out . w

Bro . Spaull also moved , and Bro . C . E . Keyser P . G . D . seconded , a vote of thanks to Bro . Thomas Fenn P . G . W . for doing the stockbroker's work in transferring the stock from the old to the hew Trustees free of expense . This was also carried .

The Scrutineers of votes for the election of sixteen girls out of a list of thirty-three candidates for admission to the School were then appointed , and the said election proceeded . The usual vote of thanks closed the proceedings .

R. M. I. Boys.

R . M . I . BOYS .

AT the July examinations of the London University Matriculation , Ewart Richardson passed in the first division , being the sixth boy to gain this high honour in the last four years , besides one second division . The scholarship ° f £ 5 5 S > presented by the University of London Lodge , No . 2033 , has now been won by five of the pupils of the Institution .

In the intermediate examination in medicine at the London University , Mr . J . A . Coupland , first "Grand Lodge Scholar , " passed with second-class honours in anatomy .

The annual ball of the Confidence Lodge , No . 193 , has been arranged for 29 th November next , at Anderton's Hotel , Fleet Street . 000 The Confidence Lodge , No . 193 held its first meeting for

, the season on Monday , at Anderton ' s Hotel , Fleet Street , under the presidency of Bro . George Spice W . M . We are compelled to hold over our report of the proceedings until next week .

The first annual dinner of the Eyre Lodge of Instruction , No . 2742 , was held on Wednesday , at the Eyre Arms Hotel , St . John ' s Wood , opportunity being taken to make a presentation to the Preceptor Bro . H . J . Weston P . M . We shall give a full report of the proceedings in our next issue .

To show the absurdity of the bestowal of honours there is in London a highly respectable and creditable Lodge , long past its centenary , whose members are both ardent

workers in the Craft and generous supporters of the Masonic Charities . But they could not boast a single Officer of Grand Lodge , either metropolitan or provincial . This week , however , the announcement was made that a fortunate

R. M. I. Boys.

member had been the recipient of the Provincial Purple and Gold . He is the Tyler of the Lodge ! 000 The Fifteen Sections will be worked on Thursday next , 19 th inst ., at the Friars Lodge of Instruction , No . 1349 , at

the Aldgate Distillery , adjoining Aldgate East Railway Station . Bro . B . Stewart P . M . 1278 2411 will preside , with Bros . B . DaCosta P . M . 1349 as S . W ., S . A . DaCosta P . M . 1349 as J . W ., J . Oxley P . M . 1306 as I . P . M ., and I . Davis Secretary .

A correspondent , writing from Dunblane , to the "Glasgow Evening News , " referring to our contemporary ' s recent remarks , is surprised that the " colour" question is so lightly viewed in Masonry in Scotland . He had lived

in the colonies , where the question is regarded in quite a different light among his own countrymen , and wishes that the home Grand Lodges could get the views of some of their daughter Lodges on the subject . It may be , adds our

contemporary , as the correspondent suggests , that it is our ignorance of the social conditions in these countries where colour abounds that keeps our Constitutions free of the

subject , but suppose , in a weak moment , Grand Lodges were inserting a law prohibiting the initiation of coloured men , where would be the boasted universality of our Institution ?

There was a humorous hitch at the blessing before meat at a recent Scottish gathering . The Chairman bent his head , and the Croupier taking that as a signal that he should say grace started exactly at the same time as the Chairman , the

latter gracefully retiring in favour of the other . It is wonderful how a little thing affects a meeting , remarks a contemporar } ' , for immediately afterwards the episode gave scope to friendly talk and apt stories . One Brother told of a

meeting at which eighty were present . Prior to that meeting the Chairman had written to each guest mentioning in the letter that when before meat he knocked on the table he was

to stand up and give the blessing . It was a funny sight when the seventy-nine got up at one time to say grace and began the medly .

"A Sprig Of Acacia."

"A SPRIG OF ACACIA . "

fT ^ HE news the death Bro . John B . Bridgman , of I Norwich , will be received with general regret . It occurred on the 6 th inst . Bro . Bridgman was attacked with blood- ' poisoning while staying at Scarborough some weeks ago , and remained there under treatment for a fortnight ; he was

then brought home , where he was attended by Dr . Robinson and others , whose care and skill , however , did not avail to save him . He was in his sixty-third year . He leaves a devoted wife , but no family . The deceased was a prominent and ardent Mason , among the offices he held being those of

Warden of Prov . Grand Lodge , P . M . of Social Lodge , P . M . of Walpole Mark Lodge , P . Z . of Perseverance and Cabbell Chapters , P . Eminent Preceptor of Cabbell Preceptory of Knights Templar , Past M . W . S . of Clarence Chapter of Rose Croix , Present W . C . N , of the Bridgman Lodge of Royal

Ark Mariners ( named after him and of which he was a founder in May last ) . He was also a member of Sincerity Lodge , No . 943 , to which he acted as Preceptor , and also occupied the office of Treasurer until quite recently . He was an active Director of the Norwich Masonic Association .

Deceased had been a remarkable shot , winning many trophies , and he retired from the Norwich Rifle Volunteers with the rank of Major some years ago . He joined the Rifles when

it was under the command of Colonel Black , and the late Mr . H . S .- Patteson as Major—somewhere in the early sixties . The deceased Brother was an enthusiastic fisherman , seaangling being very much in favour with him .

rpHE funeral of Bro . Joseph Cook , who died on Saturday , _ L 30 th ult ., at his residence in Richmond Road , Stockton , took place the following Tuesday afternoon at the Oxbridge Lane Cemetery . The deceased was a prominent member of the Fraternity Lodge , No . 1418 , having acted for some time as Secretary , and the cortege was preceded by a large body

of his fellow Freemasons in the town , another large assembly of friends following behind . Bro . Cook had lived in retirement for a number of years , and was formerly an excise officer in the town . He was sixty-eight years of age , and leaves a widow to mourn his loss . The Rev . Keith Frazer , curate of St . Peter ' s , performed the last rites .