Meetings Next Week.

ber , his wife packed up some clothing for him , enclosing in a waistcoat pocket , at Mr . Raaff s special request , the snuff-box mentioned in the paragraph . The whole parcel was stolen on its way South . It is thought that some soldier en route for home picked up the box , and disposed of it as a "Paardeberg relic . " The box is an old and The is

valued one , for which the owner has refused ^ , 50 . family at present in great distress , and the box would come in very useful in case they ai ' e still more "hard-pushed . " The present owner , at any rate , holds it ( says the officer ) under a wrong idea , and he is invited to return it to its proper owner .

However , the Liverpool Mason , prior to its coming to his knowledge that the detective department was making inquiries , had already heard that Mr . Raaff was still in the land of the living . The Grand Mark Master of one of the English Provinces has a son serving as a lieutenant in a volunteer company now doing duty at Green Point ,

Capetown , where the Boer prisoners of war are confined . This officer , at the request of the colonel commanding , wrote to his father asking him to make inquiries . The paragraph states distinctly that the box was in the possession of the present chief of a Mark Master Mason ' s

Lodge , whose meetings are held in Liverpool . As there are not more than six of these Lodges , the present holder was readily found . Needless to say , that gentleman is only too pleased to return the box to the rightful owner , and has already put himself in communication with the officer commanding at Green Point .

Considering the many advantages and privileges we possess and enjoy , says a correspondent of the " Glasgow Evening News , " it cannot be denied that the gate to

Freemasonry has been standing open too widely . Funds have been accumulating steadily for many years , and with accelerated rapidity during the last decade , but the initial entrance and the annual test fees are still much the same . That this

is so argues a lack of courage . To raise those fees would in many cases tend to limit the increase of members , but it would have a corresponding tendency to raise the status of the Craft , and the moment you begin to do that you begin to make the privileges and benefits a hundredfold more

valuable and real . For we are fast losing sight of the old Fraternal spirit of personal helpfulness , a spirit which the impersonal money grants from G . L . and P . G . L . can never hope to keep alive . It is pleasant to me to know that A . B . has been generously treated by G . L . B . F . Committee , but

he and I would have better realised our relationship had I stepped in earlier with a helping hand ere matters became acute . We do not appreciate the tremendous untapped store of personal influence among us , which if fully realised would minimise the applications to our Benevolent Fund .

He is a very poor Brother who can use no influence on behalf of another , and my honest opinion of him is that he is too poor to be a Freemason ; but I am afraid that aspect of his poverty is never considered . I do not , however , blame the general body of the Craft . I believe the whole matter rests with those vested w ith authority , and the higher the

Office the greater the responsibility . It would , therefore , be well if the G . M . and the P . G . Ms , of Scotland would set themselves seriously to consider whether the time has not now come for raising the minimum fee , and there are few who really understand the spirit and history of the Order who would venture to raise their voice in favour of the present beggarly and inadequate legal limit .

Reports Of Meetings.

REPORTS OF MEETINGS .

We shall be pleased to receive particulars of Masonic meetings tor insertion in our columns , and where desired will endeavour to send a representative , to report Lodge or other proceedings . We do not sanction anyone attending Lodge meetings as our representative without a specific invitation .

Craft: Metroplitan.

CRAFT : METROPLITAN .

Engineer Lodge , No . 2599 . . INSTALLATION OF BRO . J . KEARNEY . Tine annual festival of this flourishing Lodge , the members of which are restricted to those serving m or retired from the various regiments of the Royal Engineers , was held at the Frascati

Restaurant , Oxford Street , W ., on Saturday , with considerable success . So large a number of Brethren attended that the Lodge room must Ivaive reminded them of their campaigns on India ' s coral strand , or the Soudan desert , not to mention the Black Hole of Calcutta , so taxed was the accommodation . Nevertheless did harmony and good fellowship prevail , and great was the interest taken in the proceedings .

Bro . J . Percy White W . M . opened the Lodge with military punctuality at three o ' clock , being supported by his Officers , and the following Visitors : Col . A . Knight Prescott P . A . G . D . C . Eng ., W . Browne P . P . G . S . B . Kent P . M . and Secretary 1424 , W . F . Trydell P . P . G . D . C . Sussex , Major Crichton Walker P . P . G . S . of W . Kent , Tames Seaton P . P . G . O . Kent , Lawrence Salt

P . P . G . P . Kent , W . S . Baldwin l ' . P . G . P . Kent , Captain Hopkins P . M . 2094 , C . Saver P . M ., W . C . Snow P . M . 184 , W . Milne P . M . 115 ( I . C . ) , J . ' Bruce P . M . 726 ( S . C . ) , S . Varren P . M . 1 S 4 , J . H . Butcher P . M . 184 . C . Taylor P . M . 726 ( S . C . ) , R . Ford I .-. M . 1 S 17 . C . Coram P . M . 2552 , E . Hopkins P . M . 39 8 , J . Carey P . M . 2740 , F . Hhwcs W . M . 2404 , R . Reed P . M . 1275 , J . C .

Pocock P . M . 224 , J . Barnes W . M . 1 S 9 , A . F . Canut W . M . 1424 , V . Bean iSS , Hcnrv Jones 193 , W . H . Rawlinson 1424 , G . Elliott Y > 7 , J . H . Hudson 1 S 4 , W . Button 601 ( S . C . ) , J . Hartley 18 90 , G . H . Macklin 515 , W . M . Higgs 2790 , W . H . Webb 2790 , J . Miller 1424 , H . G . Crouch 184 , F . Cook 2404 , H . Woodcock 2247 , A . Sharman J . W . 2404 , E . Lake S . W . 196 7 ' , A . Clement 3 87 , W .

Harnden 20 . The minutes of the last regular and special meetings having been read , the ballot was taken for the following joining members , all of whom were approved : Bros . Edward Longcroft 2277 , Chas . W . Blacking 2203 , Walter Johnson 1 SS 3 , Thomas Haines 1341 , Albert E . Crouch 2 ; ig , and Walter M . Higgs 2799 .

The W . M . then resigned the chair to Bro . J . Coombs P . M ., who opened the Lodge in the second degree , when Bros . Ayscough , Gill , Williams , and Chambers were passed to the rank of Craftsmen . Bro . Percy White again resumed the chair and opened the Lodge in the third degree , when Bro . C . Spillard , a splendid specimen of a British soldier , was raised as a Master Mason , and dulv invested .

Considerable interest was attached to the installation of Bro . J . Kearnev W . M .-elect , on account of his being the first initiate of the Lodge , and to the fact that Bro . E . Sidney Standing had kindly consented to perform the ceremony . All Offices having been declared vacant . Bro . Standing appointed Bro . A . F . Canut W . M . 1424 as S . W .. Bro . F . Hawcs W . M . 2402 as T . W .. and Bro . C . H .

Packham W . M . 184 as I . G . Bro . Kearney was formally presented by his predecessor in Office , and was duly obligated , after having promised to maintain the ancient laws and regulations . In the presence of a very large Board of Installed Masters Bro . Kearney was then placed in the chair of King Solomon , and was heartily congratulated by those present . The whole of the work was per-

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RoyalMasonicInstitutionforGirls. OFFICES— 5 FREEMASONS' HALL , GREAT QUEEN STREET , LONDON , W . C . 2 0 20 Girls hat > e been provided vOith Education , Clothing , and Maintenance , the full number of Girls novO receiving its benefits being 26 U . The 113 th Anniversary Festival will be held on WEDNESDAY , 8 th MAY igol , under the distinguished Presidency of the M.W.PROGRANDMASTEROFENGLAND, TheRightHon.TheEarlAmherst, R . W . PROV . G . M . KENT . Telephone No . 2952 , Gerrard . Registered Office Telegraphic Address : " Girlands , London . " F . R . W . HEDGES , Secretary , do . Schopl do . "Machio , London , " 3 FREEMASONS' HALL , LONDON , W . C ,