The Boys School Festival.

THE BOYS SCHOOL FESTIVAL .

WE are now within a few days of the celebration of the one hundred and third Anniversary Festival of the Royal Masonic Institution for Boys , which event is fixed for

Wednesday next , to be held at the Crystal Palace , Sydenham , under the presidency of the Provincial Grand Master of Hampshire and Isle of Wight Bro . W . W . B . Beach , M . P ., a Brother who has won universal regard among all with

whom he has come in contact , and not only enjoys the outside distinction of being Father of the English House of Commons , but as a ruler of the Craft comes fifth in point of

seniority among our Provincial Grand Masters , having ruled over his Province since June 1869 , and has probably presided on more occasions at the meetings of Grand Lodge than any other Brother still among us .

In view of the splendid totals already announced in connection with the Charity Festivals of the present yearboth of them having produced record subscriptions—it requires more than ordinary pluck to predict a " success " for

the coming event , for the reason that success at the present day means so much ; but we have little hesitation in venturing the opinion that the result to be announced next week will be found to compare favourably with the totals

of recent years , and although it may not be that Brother Beach is able to follow the example of the previous Chairmen of the year—the Earl of Warwick and Earl

Amherstin securing a " record " announcement , there is little fear but that he will have sufficient on which to compliment himself , the Brethren of his Province , the other Stewards , and the members of the Craft who respond to their appeals .

The Province of Hampshire and the isle of Wight includes less than fifty Lodges , but so general is the respect and even love displayed towards its Masonic chief , that what

it lacks in numbers will , to a great extent , be made up for in enthusiasm , so that we may fairly look for a splendid return from that Province ; and as the total number of Stewards

now exceeds five hundred—a larger proportion of whom , however , are this year " unattached "—the general outlook is most promising for a successful Festival , although

not so much so as to allow of our expecting anything so stupendous as was achieved by the Benevolent . Institution in February , or oy the Girls School last month .

The needs of the Boys School are well known to the Craft . It is doing good work , and doing it well ; and what is perhaps far more to the purpose , it is making steady progress with a scheme of enlargement which will allow of

a great extension of the good work , and for which , naturally increased help is asked from the Craft . At the present time just on three hundred boys are being educated , clothed and maintained by the Institution , which to a very great extent

is dependent year by year on the voluntary suoscriptions of the Craft for its support , the items of permanent income , arising from interest on invested capital and other sources , being really very small , when compared with the sum annuall y required to pay the current expenses of the year .

The Boys School Festival.

We trust the Festival of Wednesday next will produce an amount ample to meet all the requirements of the coming twelvemonth , and also allow of a substantial sum being added to the reserve which has gradually arisen , so as to enable the

Committee of Management to maintain , and even extend the work of the Institution so soon as the completion of the new buildings in course of erection at Bushey gives them the opportunity of doing so . It is satisfactory to know that the

decision to hold the Festival at the Crystal Palace seems to meet with general approval , and that either on that account or in the general interests of the Charity a larger number of Ladies and Brethren than usual are liKely to attend the

celebration . We recognise that little , if anything , is done on such occasions to swell the announcement of the day , but we do believe that a large assembly at one of the Festivals means increased interest in the work of the Charities , and a

corresponding benefit in years to come . It is some years since one of the Festivals was held at Sydenham , but it has a very good record in these matters , and we can but fervently

hope its reputation in this respect may be materially increased by the result of the one hundred and third Anniversary of the Boys School , to be held there next Wednesday .

Impostors In Freemasonry.

IMPOSTORS IN FREEMASONRY .

WE have lately been requested by the Brethren of a well known south country Lodge to publish the portrait of

one of their old members , who for some time past has been making a living by appealing to members of the Craft in different parts of the country ; together with a report of the police court proceedings which resulted in his conviction as

an impostor early in the present year , so that Brethren in other parts may be warned , and put on their guard against one who seems to have been able to do fairly well by appealing to the benevolent feelings of members of the Craft .

We have the greatest sympathy with the Brethren of the Lodge in question , and should much like to do as they wish , but it is well known that the law of our country , so far as this particular feature is concerned , appears to favour the

impostor , and at times presses very heavily on the newspaper proprietor or public official who desires to do what he deems to be his duty in warning his fellows against imposition . We have given the matter full consideration .

and feel the risk of an action is more than we can reasonably be expected to run , even though our desire is to do everything possible to promote the best interests of the Craft . But the matter calls for consideration , and , we think , action in another direction .

It is not in England alone that the Craft is beset with Masonic Impostors , as is apparent from the extract we give in this issue from our American contemporary the "

Keystone , " many of the remarks which appear therein being so near the facts in regard to our own cases as to apply with equal force this , as on the other side of the Atlantic , and we can most cordially endorse the closing observation of our