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ROYAL Masonic Institution fop Girls . The 112 th ANNIVERSARY FESTIVAL WILL BE HELD ON WEDNESDAY , THE I 6 TH MAY 1900 , THE RIGHT HON . THE EARL OF DARTMOUTH , R . W . PROY . GRAND MASTER STAFFORDSHIRE , IN THE CHAIR . Brethren willing to act as Stewards are earnestly solicited to send in their names to the Secretary , as early as convenient . Stewards are much needed , and their services will be gratefully received . F . E . W . HEDGES , Secretary . Office—5 Freemasons' Hall , London , W . O .

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wssssssssas ^ w ^^^^^^ sssssissEssss ^ m SATURDAY . 24 TH MARCH 1900 .

Unique Masonic Meeting.

UNIQUE MASONIC MEETING .

( From the " Daily Mail " War Correspondent ) . MAFBKING , l ^ th Feb . ( via Plumer ' s Camp , 4 th March ) . THE Freemason emergency meeting , on the 18 th inst ., was well attended , "W . M . the Rev . W . H . Weeks opening the Lodge . The following Visiting Brothers were present : —Bro . H .

T . Singleton , Highland Light Infantry , of St . John and St . Paul Lodge , who acted as S . W . in place of Brother Upton , killed in action at Cannon Kopje , on 21 st October ; Brother C . Evan , A . S . C ., Phoenix Lodge , 270 , Portsmouth ; Brother A . Royal , Eoyal Alfred Lodge , 420 , Simonstown ; Brother M . Cranswick ,

Londesborough Lodge , 734 , Bridlington ; Brother May , Yorkshire ; Brother B . S . Wemyer , St . John's Lodge , Kilwinning , 66 , Inverness ; Brother A . Day , British , 334 , Capetown '; Brother T . Heal , Memorial Lodge , 1800 , King Williamstown ; Brother J . R . Algie ,

Prince of Wales Lodge , 1429 , Newport , Mon . ; Brother J . A . P . Feltham , Isaac Newton Lodge , 859 , Cambridge University ; Brother G . N . S . Whales , Polish . National , 534 , London ; Brother J . McLean , St . Vincent , 553 , Sandford , Over Newton , Glasgow . The Temple shows signs of the siege , a shell having come through from the northeast .

Devon Charities.

DEVON CHARITIES .

OEGANISBD by Bro . H . Moreton , a ballad concert was given in Plymouth Guildhall on the 14 th inst ., in aid of the Devon Masonic A « ed Widows Annuity Fund . There was a fairly good audience , though the excellence of the concert and the character of its object both merited a larger measure of support . By special dispensation the Brethren present wore their Masonic clothing , and their rich regalia gave a touch of colour to the scene .

Dublin Charity.

DUBLIN CHARITY .

THE Committee of Management of the Victoria Jubilee Masonic Annuity Fund have issued their tenth annual report , which states that , although the claims of other Charities have been pressing during the past year , yet the generosity of the Masonic body to this Fund has been fairly sustained , and has enabled the Committee to extend the benefits of the annuities to

a larger number of distressed Brethren and Widows . There are now on the list 24 annuitants , and since the Fund was started in 1887 forty annuitants elected from all parts of Ireland have been in receipt of financial help . Of these 23 have died , and the Committee have had good grounds for believing that the last years of these deceased Brethren and Widows have been soothed

by the receipt of these annual amounts which the beneficence of the Brethren under the Irish Constitution has furnished to the Fund . There has been a slight diminution in the yearly and official payments , but this can be easily accounted for when the effort of one of the charities during the year , and the great demand for donations to assist our gallant soldiers' wives and

Dublin Charity.

children ( whose bread-winners have been drafted to fight the nation's battles in South Africa ) are taken into consideration . In such times as we are passing through , when every second family one meets has lost relatives slain in battle , the Committee are

thankful that notwithstanding all the demands on their resources , the Brethren have not forgotton the claims of the Fund ; and they look forward with confidence to the time when wars shall cease , and peace and plenty shall again be proclaimed in the land .

New Hall At St. Budeaux.

NEW HALL AT ST . BUDEAUX .

MEMBERS of the Order in the Three Towns and district were attracted in very large numbers to St . Budeaux on Wednesday , 14 th inst ., to take part in the dedication ceremony of the spacious and well-equipped Masonic Hall , erected for the use of Queen Victoria Lodge . Bro . G . C . Davie P . A . G . D . C . England Acting Provincial Grand Master presided , and there were also present a large number of other Provincial Officers .

At the close of the ceremony , which was carried out with perfect success , a brief address was given to the Brethren by the Acting Prov . G . M ., in the course of which he expressed the pleasure he felt in acceding to the invitation to perform the dedication , and his satisfaction at seeing the Lodge so early in

its career in a position to provide itself with its own premises . A venture such as that always involved a considerable financial liability on the members , and it spoke well for the future of the Lodge that they had felt themselves justified in taking the responsibility upon themselves . There was nothing which tended more to ensure the comfort of the Brethren and the

stability of the Lodge than that it should possess its own premises . He trusted the building would become the centre of their Masonic life , and would remind them of the duties which they owed to each other and to the Craft . Speaking of the lessons to be drawn from the application of the symbols used in

the foundation and dedication of a Lodge he said that sorry as he should be to see Freemasonry degenerate into a society in which entertainments entered most strongly , he would not like to see that feature disappear altogether , because when moderately indulged in they did considerable good in bringing the Brethren together and cementing friendships .

Subsequently the Provincial and Lodge Officers and the Brethren lunched together at the Trelawney Hotel , under the chairmanship , of the W . M . Colonel Edyvean . After the Loyal toast , the Grand Lodge of England was

given from the chair , and acknowledged by Bro . F . B . Westlake . The Acting P . G . M . responded for the Provincial Grand Lodge of Devon , and also submitted the health of the W . M . of Lodge Queen Victoria , in terms of warm eulogy . The compliment was suitably replied to , and other speeches followed .

The following is the text of the resolution of the two Grand Lodges of Bombay , presented to Lord Sandhurst previous to his departure for England , as reported in our issue of the 10 th inst .: " That this meeting of Freemasons of the English and Scottish Constitutions in Bombay desire to place on record their sense of the great services rendered to the Craft in Bombay by H . E .

Worshipful Brother Lord Sandhurst , G . C . I . E ., Pro District Grand Master and Grand Master of All Scottish Freemasons in India , during his term of office as Governor of Bombay , especially the . assistance rendered by His Excellency which has resulted in a suitable Masonic Hall being erected and opened for the use of

the Fraternity in Bombay ; also to express their regret at his approaching departure from India , and , while wishing him every prosperity in the future , to assure him that his name will long be remembered in this country for the good work he has done , and that he leaves with the hearty good wishes of all Members of the Craft in Western India . "

Royal Arch.

ROYAL ARCH .

INVICTA CHAPTER , No . 709 . THE Installation Festival of this Chapter , which boasts as its original First Principal Earl Amherst Grand Superintendent of the Province of Kent , was held at the Bank Street Hall , Ashford , on Wednesday , 14 th inst ., when Comp . Charles Loud was installed as M . E . Z ., Oomp . William Dawes P . Z . as H ., and Comp . Kdmund Pawlett ;> s J . The various ceremonies were admirably rendered by Comp . Benjamin Snell , M . A ., P . Z . P . Prov . G-. J .

The following Officers were invested : —Comps . F . Hughes Halletfe P . Z . S . E ., Bobert Elliott P . Z . Treasurer , C . F . Hughes Hallett S . N ., A . J . Burrows P . S ., Bernard C . Drake and James M . A . Ponica Assistants , John Cooke Janitor . The Companions and their numerous visitors afterwards dined together at the Kent Arms Hotel .