The Approaching Festival Of The Girls' School.

THE APPROACHING FESTIVAL OF THE GIRLS' SCHOOL .

THE next event of importance that calls for attention in tne Masonic Charity -world is the Ninety-fifth Anniversary Festival of the Royal Masonic Institution for Girls , which will take place on Wednesday , the 9 th prox ., at Freemasons' Tavern , London , under the presidency of

the R . W . Provincial Grand Master for Hampshire and the Isle of Wight—Brother W . Wither B . Beach , M . P . As was stated in a recent issue , the nnmber of Stewards is , so far , below the number enrolled last year at a similar date , but it does not necessarily follow that the final number will be lower than in 1882 , nor that the total collected may he

less satisfactory than was the case then . We trust , both as regards number of Stewards and amount collected , that this year's Festival will compare favourably with the gatherings of the past . It has been somewhat extensively reported that the

Girls' School is not urgently in need of funds , and many of those brethren who have accepted this view of affairs have pointed , as proof of the truth of their argument , to the small number of candidates seeking election , in the case of the Girls' School compared to those in that of the

Boys ' . Unfortunately , the facts are different ; the Girls School is in want of increased , rather than diminished support ; and the very feature which has been referred to as shewing the opposite is one of the principal reasons which can be brought forward why increased support should be accorded to this Institution . How is it that the lists of

candidates have recently been , comparatively speaking , so small ? It is because the Committee of the Girls' School have largely increased the number of those to be received into their School dnring the last year or two , and have thus afforded an opportunity of clearing off all the outstanding

cases . They have taken in all the candidates that presented themselves , obviating the necessity of elections , and , as a result , they have diminished the number of applicants now seeking admission far below what it could have been if very large additions had not been made . At the same

time , they have burdened themselves with a mneh larger family to keep , and necessarily they want considerably more money to maintain the School than was the case before these large increases . It is very gratifying , to be able to open the doors of the Institution to all who are

deemed eligible , but once having been received , there is no removing a candidate because the subscriptions fall short , nor wonld it be good policy to lessen the number of inmates by neglecting to fill up any vacancies which might occur previous to one of the Half-yearly Elections . The

onl y course which will be tolerated is , to keep np the numbers , and , as far as possible , keep the subscriptions up to the amount required . Bro . Beach , the Chairman of this year ' s Festival , is a Mason who is well known in the district in which he

presides , and also in Grand Lodge . In both he is highly respected ; indeed , a more conscientious exponent of Free-Masonry could not be desired than is to be found in Bro . JDeach . These circumstances will , we think , have no little infl

uence on the total receipts of the Festival which will take place under his presidency , and it is nothing but right that ^ ey should do so . Bro . Beach is one of the most frequent attendants at Grand Lodge , and is seldom present there

but his services are called into requisition in connection with one or other of the higher offices . Under such circumstances , he has a claim on the regular attendants of Grand Lodge , who will thus be able to show their appreciation of the attention he gives to them on

anch occasions . He frequently devotes several hours to Freemasonry , when , as Acting Grand Master , he presides at the Quarterly Communications , and would doubtless feel highly gratified if he saw around him , at the Festival in May next , all those he is accustomed to meet in

Grand Lodge . He presides there for the benefit and comfort of the Craft at large , and let ns hope the brethren will come forward and support him when it lies in their power , and show they appreciate what is done for them . The Girls' School has this year one great " counter

attraction" to contend against , which may make an appreciable difference in tbe final returns . We allude to the action of tho Boys' School authorities , who are offering double votes to those usually given for all subscriptions on behalf of the " Preparatory School Special Building

Fund . " This inducement will , it is true , also affect the Boys' School " general total , " although not to so marked an extent , as , before the " Special " Fund advantages are available , a donor must have qualified by making a donation to the General Fund . At the same time there can be no doubt

that the special advantages offered by the Boys' School will attract to that Institution a large amount of support which in the ordinary course would have been divided between the other two Institutions . Another advantage which we consider the Boys' School has over that of the

Girls' is , the fact that its Festival comes later in the year , at a time when a day in the country can be enjoyed , and this has been taken advantage of by the Stewards on the last few occasions , who have held the Festivals at Brighton and elsewhere . This course enables greater inducements to be offered for the attendance of ladies , and we believe

that no small amount of support has been given to these Festivals in consequence . The more these meetings get known , the more popular will they become , as they really afford the principal opportunity of allowing the ladies to enjoy with their husbands a day's Freemasonry . The

suggestion may perhaps be opposed—on the plea that it is looking too far a-head—but we have heard that brethren excuse themselves from undertaking the office of Steward for the Girl ' s School this year as they wish to wait until the Centennial Anniversary , which will be in 1888 ,

believing that something special will then be offered to induce a hearty response to the call for Stewards ; but to such we would say—Let the future take care of itself . If this plea is to he urged now , how will it fare with the years thafc intervene before the Centennial really comes ?

We shall have the Centennial , but not the Institution ; or at least not such an Institution as to-day we can point to ; besides , even if a brother does serve now , there is nothing to prevent his doing so again five years hence , when if any

special inducements are offered to Stewards they will be quite as beneficial for those who have acted before as they will be for new ones . We trust this excuse will not be urged by any who really desire to promote the welfare of the School .

In conclusion , we can but refer to our oft-repeated wish , —thafc all who are able will undertake fche office of Steward for one or other of our Charities . As the Girls' Festival is the next to take place , we naturally direct especial attention