The Boys School Festival.

THE BOYS SCHOOL FESTIVAL .

ARRANGEMENTS for the Anniversary celebration on behalf of the junior of the two Educational Institutions

of English Freemasonry are progressing in a most satisfactory manner , and everything points to as successful a gathering as any that has occurred . The programme of the Festival itself is much the same

as in recent years , the celebration being arranged to take place at the Eoyal Pavilion , Brighton , on Wednesday , 3 rd July , except that , in order to suit the convenience of the Chairman , it is arranged that the Dinner shall commence at

5 . 30 p . m ., instead of 4 . 15 as formerly , the usual concert following the dinner being dispensed with . A Military band is engaged to play on the Eastern Lawn of the Pavilion from

3 to 5 . 15 p . m ., an Orchestral band in the Dome during the dinner , and on the Eastern Lawn afterwards , thus giving an ample supply of music for those who desire it .

Special trains will run from Victoria at 11 a . m ., and from London Bridge at 1 . 35 p . m ., returning from Brighton at 9 . 30 , so that there will be little time to spare after the Festival for those who wish to return to London the same

night ; but the arrangement is the best that could be made , and will doubtless not only prove satisfactory , but ample for all that is required in the way of toasts and the usual complimentary utterances . The tickets will also be available by

the ordinary trains leaving Victoria 11 . 40 a . m . and 1 . 50 p . m ., and London Bridge at 2 p . m ., while a limited number of passes for the trains from Victoria at 3 . 50 and London Bridge at 4 p . m . will be allowed ; application for these having to be

made to the , Hon . Secretary of the Board , Bro . McLeod , before the 28 th in 3 t . Special facilities have been provided in regard to the return journey , which may be extended up to

Monday , 8 th July , so that those who may desire to do so may remain in Brighton a few days after the Festival . We shall refer again to this Festival in our next issue .

West Yorkshire.

WEST YORKSHIRE

THE Annual Convocation of Provincial Grand Chapter was held in the Masonic Hall , South Parade , Huddersfield , on oaturday last , by invitation of Prosperity Chapter , No . 290 . Ump . Henry Smith P . Z . 302 Past G . Prin . Soj . of Eng . Prov . G . H ., in charge , presided , while apologies for unavoidable absence were received from several Provincial Officers and others .

, The Provincial Grand Chapter having been opened and the P acrpal Officers saluted , the roll was called , when it was found all but five of the Chapters of the Province were represented . The Minutes of the Annual Convocation , held at Leeds , on

" tjanesaay , adrd May 1894 , were presented for confirmation , When it was moved by Comp . Wm . Harrop , seconded by Comp . a- S . Goodyear , and resolved "that the minutes be taken as read , and confirmed . "

t n T . Actin g Grand Superintendent then delivered the following address : Companions—I desiro to assure you of the extreme pleasure

West Yorkshire.

it . affords me to meet you to-day , the fifty-ninth Convocation of Provincial G . Chapter , our first being at Dewsbury , on 5 th May 1858 .

I cannot avoid emotion when explaining to you the cause of my presiding , viz ., the severe loss we have sustained in the death of our Grand Superintendent Comp . Thomas William Tew . He was taken from us on the 29 th March , and was interred at

East Hardwick on 2 nd April , in the grounds of the Church of which he was the chief founder . His gracious and noble services to the Craft and this Supreme Degree will not soon be forgotten , and I venture to assert that no man ever merited or obtained warmer sympathy or more hearty appreciation .

We have now to look for his successor , and I believe it will be shortly announced that our distinguished Companion the Eight Honourable William Lawies Jackson has been appointed as our future Ruler . There has been a sad fatality amongst our friends in

Pontefract . About a week after Comp . Tew ' s death , viz ., on the 6 th April , Comp . W . H . B . Atkinson died and was buried at sea . On 7 th April , Comp . Isaac Kaberry P . P . G . Registrar , and then holding that office in the Craft ; and on 30 th May , our esteemed

friend , Samuel Slack . All the above-named Companions were active members of Chapter 495 , Wakefield , and had recently obtained a Charter for a Chapter to be attached to St . Oswald Lodge , No . 910 , Pontefract .

Unhappily this does not end our list , and without detracting from the merits of the above-named , I must mention Companion Thomas Bateman Fox P . Z . 208 P . P . G . J ., who succumbed to an attack of influenza , followed by rheumatic fever , on 10 th May , after several weeks of great suffering . Comp . Bateman Fox had

been a leading light in the Craft for some years , and had just retired from the chair of the Charity Committee after four years ' devoted service . We are fortunate in obtaining the services of our esteemed friend Comp . William Harrop to discharge the duties of that chair .

Occupying as I do the office of Prov . G . H ., the duty is cast upon me of discharging all the duties of Grand Superintendent , and until a successor is appointed and installed , which I can confidently assure you will not be delayed beyond our usual halfyearly meeting in November , I refer you to Royal Arch Regulation , No . 40 .

It will be satisfactory to know that we have on our roll 1 , 335 members , an increase of thirty-seven . During the year 101 new members have been admitted , an increase of six . The Resignations , I am sorry to say , number thirty-nine ; the Deaths are nineteen , against thirty-one in previous year , a reduction , I

am glad to say , of twelve ; the exclusions for non-payment number seventeen , about the same ; the members in arrears are fifty-eight , against fifty-six . By promptitude and diligence on the part of the Treasurers and Scribes working together I am convinced this list might be easily reduced one-half .

I have frequently heard that an impression exists , perhaps to a very limited extent however , that Subscriptions can be paid ony time within the year . The sooner Treasurers disabuse the

minds of the negligent of this unreasonable idea the better . All Masonic Contributions are due in advance , and if not paid within a week or two of the time should be applied for and secured .

It is my pleasing duty to thank the retiring Officers for their services , and to invest their successors , whose appointment has been made on the lines adopted by our late Grand Superintendent . I will now ask your attention to the business of Provincial Grand Chapier .

Comp . Major Bolton P . Z . 154 Prov . G . Registrar moved , " that this Grand Chapter desires to record on the Minutes its deep sense of the great loss it has sustained by the death of

its beloved and lamented Companion Thomas William Tew , J . P ., Past Assistant Grand Sojourner ( Grand Superintendent of this Province from 1885 until his death on 29 th March 1895 ); also to record its sympathy and condolence with Mrs . Tew and the