Royalty And Freemasonry.

ROYALTY AND FREEMASONRY .

rTTHERE are some who do not believe the Grand Master and - * - other members of the Royal Family take a personal interest in the work of the Craft . They tell us the Royal Princes who occupy such leading positions in our Order are but

mere figure heads , and if they do occasionally show themselves at Masonic gatherings it is merely to'keep up appearances , rather than because they are personally interested in Freemasonry . We are convinced , however , that such arguments

are erroneous , and that the Prince of Wales and the Duke of Connaught are both enthusiastic members of the Craft , and love it and practice it for its own sake , rather than as a matter of form .

Evidence of this personal interest is forthcoming in the announcement we are able to make this week , that H . R . H . the Duke of Connaught , who on this occasion will be accompanied by the Duchess , will pay another visit to the

Royal Masonic Institution for Boys , journeying to Wood Green for the purpose of distributing the prizes to the pupils . This visit will take place on Friday next , and although it may , in a measure , be regarded as part and parcel of the

year ' s Festival arrangements , it yet shows that our Royal Duke really takes a lively interest in the work of the Boys School . This will be his second appearance in its interests

within a few days , and form one of a trio that will long make the year 1900 a memorable one in the annals of the School . Truly Freemasonry loses nothing by acting up to its watchwords of Loyalty and Charity .

West Lancashire.

WEST LANCASHIRE .

THE Earl of Lathom Provincial Grand Master caused a special Prov . Grand Lodge to be summoned for to-day at the Barnes Home Industrial School , Heaton Mersey , when the foundation-stone will be laid of the new parish church . Full dress Masonic clothing will be worn , and it is expected

that there will be a large gathering . The annual meeting of the Provincial Grand Lodge will be held at the Winter Gardens , Morecambe , on Wednesday ,

27 th June , and will be presided over by the Prov . Grand Master the Earl of Lathom . Active preparations for the event are being made by the Morecambe Lodge . It is' expected that upwards of 2 , 000 Brethren will be in attendance .

Yorkshire Charity.

YORKSHIRE CHARITY .

ON Monday , 21 st inst , the sixth Festival of the North and East Ridings Educational ( Charities' ) Fund was held at York , when the Stewards of the different Lodges and others , by the kind invitation of the Lord Mayor , Aid . J . S .

Rymer , met in the State Room of the Mansion House . There were present nearly seventy Brethren , including the Earl of Zetland President of the Institution , Lord Bolton ( Chairman ) , and the Lord Mayor of York .

Bro . W . H . Cowper ( of xviiddlesborough ) read his halfyearly report , as Provincial Steward , which > was of a most satisfactory character ; after which Bro . Peck ( Hull ) Provincial G . Secretary announced that since the establishment

Yorkshire Charity.

of the Fund 58 children had been receiving grants , amounting in the whole to £ 1 , 762 . There are at present 25 children on the Fund , at a cost of £ 271 annually . The grants of 14 children were renewed , and three new cases were added to the list .

Lord Bolton was then re-elected Chairman of the Committee , the Lord Mayor of York Vice-Chairman , and Bro . M . C . Peck Secretary . The Earl of Zetland then , on behalf of himself and the Brethren , expressed thanks to the Lord Mayor of York for his

kind hospitality in giving the use of the Mansion House for the purposes of the occasion . After the company had inspected the ancient silver belonging to the Corporation , and the paintings of the past dignitaries of the ancient city , the

company partook of light refreshments in the reception-rooms . In the evening a banquet was held , at Harker ' s York Hotel , the Earl of Zetland presiding , at which it was announced that the contributions to the Fund from the different Lodges for this year amounted to the handsome sum of nearly £ 1 , 100 ,

South African pape ' rs , recently to hand , contain an announcement of the death of Dr . Edward Henry Croghan , of Johannesburg , an Irishman , one of the most prominent Freemasons in South Africa . It is many years ago since the late Dr . Croghan was initiated into the Order , at Cape Town .

Some time afterwards he went to Kimberley , where he became Worshipful Master of the Charles Warren Lodge , under the jurisdiction of the English Constitution , and later he became connected with the ScotchConstitution . About five years ago he was very active as a Mason in Johannesburg , where he was

instrumental in establishing under the Irish Constitution the Abercorn Lodge , of which he was the first Worshipful Master , and the Abercorn R . A . Chapter . The Abercorn Lodge soon became very large in point of . numbers , and it was thought advisable to found another , called as a compliment to Dr ^

Croghan , the Edward H . Croghan Lodge . So prosperous did Irish Masonry grow on the Rand that the Kendal Franks and Shamrock Lodges were soon founded ; and Irish Masonary all over South Africa owes a vast deal to the efforts of the subject of this brief notice . Had Dr . Croghan , been spared

he would shortly in all probability have been elected first Provincial Grand Master of the proposed Provincial Grand Lodge in the Transvaal . He leaves a wife and family to mourn ins loss , and an extensive circle of friends regret the death of a sterling Irishman .

In connection with the annual picnic of the Gallery Lodge , No . 1928 , the London and South Western Railway Company have made some very satisfactory arrangements . They are going to furnish a special with saloon carriages for

a journey to Salisbury ( luncheon to be served on the way down ) . From Salisbury it is intended to drive to Stonehenge , and on returning to Salisbury , to dine at the White Flart Hotel . As the drive will cover about 20 miles , a pleasant day may be anticipated .

A Benevolent Fund was recently started in connection with the Edward Terry Lodge , No . 2722 , by a donation of £ 100 from the famous actor after whom the Lodge is named ,

and who was its first Worshipful Master . 000 At a recent meeting of the Friars Lodge of Instruction , No , 1349 , two sums of five guineas each were voted , one to the Ottawa fund , the other to the Bessarabia fund .