Festival Of The Girls School.

FESTIVAL OF THE GIRLS SCHOOL .

THE Girls School Festival , held in the large Hall of Freemasons' Tavern on Wednesday , presented a most unwonted sight when the Chairman of the year , Sir Reginald Hanson , Bart ., M . P ., called the company to

order for grace to be said prior to the banquet , the novelty of the situation being the presence of Ladies , ready to dine side by side with the Brethren , instead of being relegated to the Crown Room , as is the usual custom

with this Institution . It is an ill wind that blows no good , they say , and thus it is the Craft had to thank the paucity of Stewards on this occasion—and the ready resource of Brother James Stephens , who proposed and carried an

alteration of the arrangements at the last minute , so as to allow the Ladies to dine at the same tables as the Brethren—for an innovation which was a great success ,

and which it will be very hard to depart from in years to come , when the hoped for return to ordinary conditions may make it necessary or desirable to revert to the traditions of the past .

The announcement made by the Secretary fully bore out all that was anticipated in regard to the Festival , the result being a total of £ 8 , 252 8 s 6 d contributed at the hands of 218 Stewards , but happily a very pleasant surprise

followed in the form of a special donation at the hands of Bro . W . F . Smithson , of twelve hundred guineas , which represents the amount that has been in dispute for some little time past between the Institution and those who

desired to purchase a perpetual presentation on behalf of Bro . George Heaton , now most regretably deceased . It may be remembered that 1350 guineas was accepted at the January Court of the Institution for this presentation

and refused at the April Court , so that this magnanimous return of the money to the Girls School in this very necessitous year must be regarded as a stroke of the greatest good fortune , for which the School has to thank the

generosity of a few West Yorkshire Brethren rather than the acumen and business capacity of its Committee or the others who organised the crusade which ended in the return of the very large amount accepted in January for the right .

However , all ' s well that ends well , and we think there are tew but must be satisfied with the ultimate result of the year's celebration—taking all the surrounding conditions into consideration .

THE FESTIVAL . AS is remarked elsewhere the Girls School Festival on Wednesday last was of an unusual character in one particular—the Ladies and the Brethren dined together—but we do not think any of those who partici pated in the function had reason to regret the innovation . The banquet was well

served , and if it seemed to lack some of the exuberance of spirit looked for on these occasions the loss in that direction was amply compensated for in the additional comfort of the guests . Wednesday ' s experience seems to point to

the fact that a company of about 300 can be entertained in this famous Masonic home with greater comfort for those who profess to make a trouble of public dining , than is possible when the resources of the establishment are taxed to the utmost , but however it may be we can only look back upon the

Festival Of The Girls School.

gathering of Wednesday as a success—viewed from the standpoint of the man ( or woman , in this particular ) who enjoys a good dinner . Grace having been sung , the Chairman proceeded with the toasts of the evening . It was the privilege , he said , of every Chairman at a banquet in England , to give the toast of Her Majesty the Queen , but he was especially privileged on that occasion in having to submit the health of Her Majesty , as Patroness of the Institution . The Queen was respected all over the world , and loved and revered wherever the British flag was flying .

The second toast on the list was that of H . R . H . the Prince of Wales , the Princess of Wales , and the other members of the Royal Family . It was twenty-five years since the Prince of Wales took upon himself the office of Grand Master , an office held for many years previously by members of His Royal Highness ' s family , but which , 'for a time , had not been filled by them , because there were no members old enough . The Alexandra Hall at the Girls School was a monument to the interest taken by the Princess of Wales in their School , at the time of its Centenary celebration .

The Grand Officers were next toasted ; the Chairman saying all knew the great amount of work performed by the heads of the Craft , who ably represented the Grand Master , whose many other duties prevented his personal attention to the affairs of the Craft as often as he desired . Noticing the hearty reception of the name of Lord Lathom the speaker said the Craft did not expect or hope the Earl would ever forget his great grief in the death

of the Countess of Lathom , but they hoped on some near occasion he would return to them , for they would indeed regret if anything prevented the Pro Grand Master acting in the position he had so long filled . The Chairman coupled with the toast the name of Lord Folkestone J . G . W . —whose father he had had the pleasure of initiating , and at whose own admission into the Craft he had been present .

Lord Folkestone , responding , said he vvas bound to say he felt like a newly hatched chicken , who did not know what to do , or how to do it , but he hoped , with the assistance of such Brethren as the Chairman of that day , and his father—who , as they knew , was a Provincial Grand Master—to be able to qualify himself for the duties required of him . It was a gratification to him that Lord Lathom—his cousin—should be so much respected among

them as Masons . They rejoiced he had returned from Madeira in improved health , and hoped that he might be able to take a leading part in Freemasonry for many years yet to come . He then made reference to the Chairman's remarks- as to the initiation of his father and himself , expressed how pleased he was to be in a position to support him that night , and hoped he might be able to follow in the footsteps he had now shown him in the work of Freemasonry .

The Chairman next gave the toast o ! the evening , Success to the Royal Masonic Institution for Girls . He saw around him that night Brethren who knew as much of Charity as he did , men who gave liberally and according to their means . This was a year when , if they had felt a little stronger on behalf of the Girls School it would have been much better . There was not one member of the Girls School , however , who begrudged for one moment what was being done for the Boys . There was really no jealously between

the different Funds , as was evidenced by the fact that every member of the Committee of the Girls School was working as a Steward for the Boys . All they asked this year was that enough might be received to enable them to pay their way—to balance the expenditure by the income , and'if they found that the Craft in this Centenary year of the Boys School had enabled the Girls School to pay its way they would be really delighted . But they could

not allow the Girls to starve , in spite of all that was wished for the Boys . He had never seen an Institution more carefully or more zealously guarded by the gentlemen on the Board of Management than theirs . Anyone could tell how well the children were watched over , by looking at their happy faces , and watching the behaviour of the old pupils , who took every opportunity of visiting their former home .

Bro . F . R . W . Hedges Secretary of the Institution then announced the Subscriptions . The Board comprised 218 Stewards , and included four Ladies , one Lewis , and one non-Mason . Bro . Hedges made special reference to the principal lists , his remarks being heartily applauded . Bro . W . F . Smithson then rose and said a Brother in West Yorkshire had given him a sum of money to be given to the Royal Masonic Institution for Girls , in exchange for a perpetual presentation . The Institution did not

see its way to accept this , and Bro . Heaton ( the donor ) meantime died , which he ( Bro . Smithson ) very much deplored . In order to carry out Bro . Heaton ' s wishes as far as possible , he was going to hand over the amount in his caro , and wished it to be distinctly understood tliat in order to keep his memory alive , the money vvas given for the purchase of perpetual votes for West

Yorkshire , to be known as tho George Heaton Memorial . If this was agreeahlo ho should have much pleasure in handing over the sum oi 1 , 200 guineas , it being the wish of Bro . Heaton ' s widow that this course should be adopted . This vvas one of the largest sums ever given to the Institution , and it would ever remain as proof that despite all that was being done for the Boys the Girls were not forgotten .

Needless to say this announcement of Bro . Smithson's was most heartily received , the very haudsome contribution raising the total of the Festival from £ 3 , 252 Ss 6 d , as originally announced , to £ 9 , 512 8 s Gd .

Bro . Monckton acknowledged tha toast of Success to the Institution . Bro . A . F . Godson , M . P ., Provincial Grand Master Worcestershire proposed the health of the Chairman , who suitably responded . The toast of the other Masonic Charities and success to them , was given from the chair , and Acknowledged by Bro . McLeod ( Boys School ) .. The-company then adjourned to the Temple , where an excellent Concert was given . Following is a summary showing the number of Stewards and amount