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Article THE FESTIVAL RETURNS. Page 1 of 2 Article THE FESTIVAL RETURNS. Page 1 of 2 →
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The Festival Returns.
THE FESTIVAL RETURNS .
THB outcome of last week ' s Festival on behalf of the Royal Masonic Institution for Boys has caused widespread disappointment among those who take special interest in this particular channel of Masonic benevolence , but at the same time there is a feeling ; of thankfulness for
what haa been done , coupled with a determination to use every effort to do better in the future . Tn view of the substantial sum raised on this occasion it would be ungracious to actually grumble at the result , still we may express
regret the amount was not larger , and seek for a means of increasing it in the years to follow , for thero is no gainsaying the fact that a series of annual totals such as that announced last week would not be sufficient to meet the
actual requirements of the Institution , which would , consequently , either get deeply into debt , or would be forced to curtail its operations . Undoubtedly there is not one member of the Craft who would desire either of these
alternatives , and yet there are none who can say how one of them is to be absolutely avoided . The time has arrived when something special must be attempted in order to increase the income of the Institution , and perhaps some of
those who read these lines may be able to submit a proposal which may produce the desired result . We believe that any tangible suggestion would be put to the test of practical
trial , so that brethren need have little fear their advice would be actually wasted . We must not , however , forget that the first essential of success in such matters is to
secure the co-operation of a large and wide-spread body of workers , all of whom shall take a direct and personal interest in the task they have in hand . On this account we wish that all who have the opportunity of perusing these remarks-would at once show their heartiness in the
cause , by determining to do something on behalf of the Boys' School—say , for its nest annual celebration . The Festival of the present year had more than one unfortunate surrounding ; but the one which has perhaps
had the greatest effect on its total , and has done it moro harm than any other has been the round of festivities in connection with the Jubilee of Her Majesty ' s accession , which has attracted such attention during the last few
months as to place all minor matters in the shade , more especially those of such a public character as one of the Masonic Charity Festivals . It may be urged that the other two Institutions equally had to suffer in this respect ,
but this is not the fact , as the first two Festivals of the year were concluded before active preparations for the Jubilee were in progress . Again , the decision of Grand Lodge to devote the proceeds of the Masonic Jubilee Gathering
to the three Charities haa kept back support from various quarters , where it might have been expected , as brethren felt a handsome sum would accrue to the Boys' School from this source , thus rendering ; extra contributions from thi *
Craft unnecessary . No doubt the £ 2 , 000 which the Boys ' Institution will receive as its share of the Albert Hall celebration will more than make up the deficiency under
this head , but it cannot be overlooked that the other Institutions get similar sums without having had their support curtailed beforehand on account of it . Then the Institution was unfortunate iu not bavins' secured the
services of a chairman until really the eleventh hon r ; this fact alone made no small difference in the total , and our onl y regret is that when our esteemed Bro . Tew did under-
The Festival Returns.
take the office it was not deemed expedient to postpone the Festival in order to give his friends an opportunity of rallying more strongly than they were able to do in his support . This consideration brings us to what we consider
the main drawback of the Festival . This is not , however , a disadvantage peculiar to this year ' s gathering , but one which is common to every Festival of this Institution ; we have referred to it in the past , and again urge the rulers of
the Institution to give the matter their serious consideration . We allude to the time of year at which the Festival is held . The disadvantages which surround the present
arrangement are , we think , of such a character as to warrant an immediate alteration , more particularly in view of special features in connection with next year ' s Festival of the Girls' School , to which we shall refer later on .
There are , of course , considerations which may be urged in favour of a continuance of the Boys' Festival as a summer gathering , but there are , in our opinion , weightier arguments available on the other side . The winter months
aro essentially the working months of Freemasonry , and for this reason alone we would urge the advisability of a change . Then we have to consider the effect of crowding
the three Festivals , as is now done , into a third of the twelvemonth , instead of , as we think more advisable , distributing them over the whole year , while the short interval available between the Girls' Festival and
tbat of the Boys' School—usually little over a " month—is wholly inadequate for a canvass of the Craft . We are decidedly of opinion that two Festivals cannot properly be pushed at one and the same time . The Benevolent
Institution now has the run of the winter months , and the first claim on the new year , and until that gathering has been held wo hear comparatively little of tho Girls' Festival , which usually follows at an interval of about three months . For similar reasons the
Boys' celebration is kept in the background until after the holding of the Girls' Festival , and then there are but four or five short weeks in which to make a stir—and , be it remembered , as most important of all ,
during these four weeks Masonry is virtuall y a dead letter , as something like nine out of every ten Lodges have adjourned for tho summer vacation . We should like to see the date of the Boys' Festival altered to the end of
October or the beginning of November , and believe that such a departure from established custom would prove beneficial to the cause of Charity in general , and of the Boys' Institution in particular . If November was decided
upon , we should actually have Quarterly Festivals , leaving out of consideration the three summer months , during which Freemasonry may be said to be virtually at rest . There is one special feature connected with next year which
should afford additional argument in favour of a change , as it may be expected to materially interfere with the support to be given to both the Benevolent Institution and the Boys' School , but particularly the latter . The next Festival on behalf of the Girls' School will be the One Hundredth
Anniversary of that Institution , ancl we already hear of the most elaborate prepaiations being made for a Royal celebration of the Centenary . Anything of so special a nature as this must have an effect on tho other Institutions , and
it behoves the supporters of each of them to prepare accordingly . It is not really too much to expect that the Centenary Festival of the Girls' School will be the grandest Masonic Charity gathering ever known , and we simply ask , —Will it be wise to let the Festival of the Boys'
Note: This text has been automatically extracted via Optical Character Recognition (OCR) software.
The Festival Returns.
THE FESTIVAL RETURNS .
THB outcome of last week ' s Festival on behalf of the Royal Masonic Institution for Boys has caused widespread disappointment among those who take special interest in this particular channel of Masonic benevolence , but at the same time there is a feeling ; of thankfulness for
what haa been done , coupled with a determination to use every effort to do better in the future . Tn view of the substantial sum raised on this occasion it would be ungracious to actually grumble at the result , still we may express
regret the amount was not larger , and seek for a means of increasing it in the years to follow , for thero is no gainsaying the fact that a series of annual totals such as that announced last week would not be sufficient to meet the
actual requirements of the Institution , which would , consequently , either get deeply into debt , or would be forced to curtail its operations . Undoubtedly there is not one member of the Craft who would desire either of these
alternatives , and yet there are none who can say how one of them is to be absolutely avoided . The time has arrived when something special must be attempted in order to increase the income of the Institution , and perhaps some of
those who read these lines may be able to submit a proposal which may produce the desired result . We believe that any tangible suggestion would be put to the test of practical
trial , so that brethren need have little fear their advice would be actually wasted . We must not , however , forget that the first essential of success in such matters is to
secure the co-operation of a large and wide-spread body of workers , all of whom shall take a direct and personal interest in the task they have in hand . On this account we wish that all who have the opportunity of perusing these remarks-would at once show their heartiness in the
cause , by determining to do something on behalf of the Boys' School—say , for its nest annual celebration . The Festival of the present year had more than one unfortunate surrounding ; but the one which has perhaps
had the greatest effect on its total , and has done it moro harm than any other has been the round of festivities in connection with the Jubilee of Her Majesty ' s accession , which has attracted such attention during the last few
months as to place all minor matters in the shade , more especially those of such a public character as one of the Masonic Charity Festivals . It may be urged that the other two Institutions equally had to suffer in this respect ,
but this is not the fact , as the first two Festivals of the year were concluded before active preparations for the Jubilee were in progress . Again , the decision of Grand Lodge to devote the proceeds of the Masonic Jubilee Gathering
to the three Charities haa kept back support from various quarters , where it might have been expected , as brethren felt a handsome sum would accrue to the Boys' School from this source , thus rendering ; extra contributions from thi *
Craft unnecessary . No doubt the £ 2 , 000 which the Boys ' Institution will receive as its share of the Albert Hall celebration will more than make up the deficiency under
this head , but it cannot be overlooked that the other Institutions get similar sums without having had their support curtailed beforehand on account of it . Then the Institution was unfortunate iu not bavins' secured the
services of a chairman until really the eleventh hon r ; this fact alone made no small difference in the total , and our onl y regret is that when our esteemed Bro . Tew did under-
The Festival Returns.
take the office it was not deemed expedient to postpone the Festival in order to give his friends an opportunity of rallying more strongly than they were able to do in his support . This consideration brings us to what we consider
the main drawback of the Festival . This is not , however , a disadvantage peculiar to this year ' s gathering , but one which is common to every Festival of this Institution ; we have referred to it in the past , and again urge the rulers of
the Institution to give the matter their serious consideration . We allude to the time of year at which the Festival is held . The disadvantages which surround the present
arrangement are , we think , of such a character as to warrant an immediate alteration , more particularly in view of special features in connection with next year ' s Festival of the Girls' School , to which we shall refer later on .
There are , of course , considerations which may be urged in favour of a continuance of the Boys' Festival as a summer gathering , but there are , in our opinion , weightier arguments available on the other side . The winter months
aro essentially the working months of Freemasonry , and for this reason alone we would urge the advisability of a change . Then we have to consider the effect of crowding
the three Festivals , as is now done , into a third of the twelvemonth , instead of , as we think more advisable , distributing them over the whole year , while the short interval available between the Girls' Festival and
tbat of the Boys' School—usually little over a " month—is wholly inadequate for a canvass of the Craft . We are decidedly of opinion that two Festivals cannot properly be pushed at one and the same time . The Benevolent
Institution now has the run of the winter months , and the first claim on the new year , and until that gathering has been held wo hear comparatively little of tho Girls' Festival , which usually follows at an interval of about three months . For similar reasons the
Boys' celebration is kept in the background until after the holding of the Girls' Festival , and then there are but four or five short weeks in which to make a stir—and , be it remembered , as most important of all ,
during these four weeks Masonry is virtuall y a dead letter , as something like nine out of every ten Lodges have adjourned for tho summer vacation . We should like to see the date of the Boys' Festival altered to the end of
October or the beginning of November , and believe that such a departure from established custom would prove beneficial to the cause of Charity in general , and of the Boys' Institution in particular . If November was decided
upon , we should actually have Quarterly Festivals , leaving out of consideration the three summer months , during which Freemasonry may be said to be virtually at rest . There is one special feature connected with next year which
should afford additional argument in favour of a change , as it may be expected to materially interfere with the support to be given to both the Benevolent Institution and the Boys' School , but particularly the latter . The next Festival on behalf of the Girls' School will be the One Hundredth
Anniversary of that Institution , ancl we already hear of the most elaborate prepaiations being made for a Royal celebration of the Centenary . Anything of so special a nature as this must have an effect on tho other Institutions , and
it behoves the supporters of each of them to prepare accordingly . It is not really too much to expect that the Centenary Festival of the Girls' School will be the grandest Masonic Charity gathering ever known , and we simply ask , —Will it be wise to let the Festival of the Boys'