The Approaching Elections.

THE APPROACHING ELECTIONS .

HPHE position of affairs in regard to the two Masonic - * - Educational Institutions , and their half yearly elections , which are fixed for the 12 th and 13 th of next month , is eminently satisfactory , there- being a total of forty vacancies available among the eighty-three candidates on the lists of the two Charities , of whom no less than fifty-five now come forward for the first

time . The first of the two elections—that for the Girls ' School—will be held on Thursday , 12 th proximo , when fifteen vacancies will be filled up from an approved list of thirty-seven candidates , of whom ten only have participated in former contests , two now making their third application , and the remaining eight their second .

No . 1 on the list , Maud Mary Noma , also occupies the premier place in regard to number of votes brought forward , her total being 1440 , as compared with 2338 secured by the lowest on the successful list of April last , when nineteen girls were elected out of twenty-nine candidates . She is an only child

dependent on her mother , the widow of an Essex brother , who rose to the position of Senior Warden in the St . John ' s Lodge , No . 1343 . No . 2 , May Aline Tubbs , one of four children left by a member of the Province of Hampshire and the Isle of Wight , has not met with as much success as her fellow candidate at

the last two elections , her total of brought forward votes being 70 only , but let us hope her turn will come in due course—it is not often that a case from this Province is neplocted when once it is nlaced on

the list . Of the eight second applications one , No . 5 , Florence Susan Ace , brings forward 1363 votes , a number which , if doubled at the coming election should be almost , if not quite sufficient to secure her

return . She is one of five depeudent children left by a late member of the Western Division of South Wales ; she has a sister in the Institution , and will doubtless soon find a home there herself . No . 6 , Dora Gallott , is also accredited to the Western Division of South Wales , and comes forward with

1261 votes to her credit . She has a brother in the Boys' School and a sister in the St . Anne ' s Society School , but there are still three children dependent on the parents , both of whom are living . No . 9 , Mary Adelaide Norbury , whose father was initiated

m the Caxton Lodge , London , and rose to the office of Senior Deacon therein , is one of five children dependent on a widowed mother ; she brings forward 1117 votes from the April election , and will probably be equally well supported at the coming contest .

The remaining candidates with votes brought forward have 537 , 486 , 28 , 21 and 16 to their credit respectively , and are followed by the twenty-seven whose names now appear for the first time . There are three last application cases on the list : No . 17 , Alice Eleanor Hitchen , one of two fatherless

The Approaching Elections.

I children accredited to the Province of Cheshire , whore her father was a Past Master of the Cholmondley Lodge , No . 1908 , subscribing from the time of his initiation until his death , in 1888 . No . 27 , Gladys

Myfanwy Jones , is one of six dependent on a widowed mother ; the father was initiated in the Isea Lodge , No . G 83 , Monmouthshire ; joined the Imperial , No . 1694 , and passed the chair therein ; and was a founder of the Queen ' s Westminster Lodge , No . 2021 ,

both of London ; completing in the three a twenty years' Masonic membership . No . 28 , Irene Dorcas Green , is the remaining " last" applicant among the girl candidates , and is one of three dependent children left by a Past Master of Guy's Lodge ,

No . 395 , Warwickshire , of which Province he was a Past Grand Officer . The fact of both parents being dead is , to our mind , at all times a special reason for urging the display of

Masonic sympathy , and there are three such cases on the present list , while yet another—in which tho mother is alone living and is a lunatic—may bo said to virtually come under the same category , even if this child is not more deserving of support than are

those who have neither parent alive . No . 15 , Ethel Marie Cartwright is the first in this division . She is one of five children left by an old member of the De Ogle Lodge , No . 636 , Northumberland , in which Lodge the father was initiated in March 1885 ,

subscribing until his death in 1890 . No . 24 , Maud Ethel Brereton , is one of two parentless children left by an old member of the St . Luke's Lodge , No . 225 , Suffolk , in which the father had a record of nearly

eight years membership . The other case is No . 36 , Ethel Eddevane , who is also one of five children now dependent on friends . Her father was an initiate of the Antiquity Lodge , No . 146 , East Lancashire , and subscribed from 1883 until his death in 1890 . The

fourth case to which we have referred m . tnis section is No . 22 , Edith Harriet Brown , who is one of four children left to a mother ' s care , but she , unfortunately is a lunatic . The husband was J . D . of the Borough of Greenwich Lodge , No . 2332 , and we hope his

London friends may be able to secure the election ot his daughter in her present sore need . London has no less than ten candidates in which its Lodges are alone interested , and in addition there tnree rrovmciai

are cases m wmen juonaon ana Lodges share responsibility , while in yet another London is associated with the Western Division of South Wales and a Foreign Lodge , so that the Metropolitan Craftsmen will have a busy time of it , and will have

to work hard in order to secure the return of a fair proportion of their candidates . Essex has three cases , as also has Hampshire and the Isle of Wight , although in one of the latter the responsibility is

shared with Dorsetshire . East Lancashire contributes two cases to the list , South Wales ( Western Division ) one directly and one jointly with foreign and London Lodges , while the following Provinces each have a single case : Bedfordshire , Cheshire , Cornwall ,