Royal Masonic Institution For Boys.

and transfer to " Sustentation Fund " £ 500 = £ 50310 s 7 d ; building account , including contractor for additional buildings , £ 1 , 757 19 s 9 d , together with engineer £ 82 3 s 7 $ . ; Architect ' s commission £ 83 10 s , and furniture and fittings £ 47 3 s 6 d = £ l 970 16 s 6 d ; special expenditure—annual

grant to , and provincial travelling expenses of , Secretary , Collector ' s commission , examination fees , recreation for boys during holidays , gratuities to ditto on quitting school , gratuities to late Head Master and Chaplain , & c . & c . — £ 736 18 s 5 d ; musical account—purchase of pianos ,

instructors , and music £ 216 13 s 2 d ; framing presentation pictures £ 16 3 s 6 d ; and ordinary expenditure—including general office expenses £ 959 10 s lOd ; salaries of establishment at Wood Green £ 943 6 s 8 d ; wages of

servants at ditto £ 342 16 s ; provisions £ 1 , 963 16 s ; clothing £ 1182 7 s 6 d ; and household £ 1 , 44812 s 8 d = £ 6 , 840 9 s 8 d . Total expenditure £ 10 , 284 lis lOd , leaving , as we have said , the account indebted to the extent of £ 151 lis 4 d .

We note , of course , among the items of this expenditure , that a sum of £ 500 has been transferred from the General to the Sustentation Fund , but , even allowing for this transfer , which , be it remarked , was absolutely necessary , it is unsatisfactory to find the Institution in debt , even to a

comparatively insignificant extent . A more serious subject of regret is that , whereas in 1873 the donations and subscriptions amounted to £ 9 , 873 18 s 7 d , for 1874 they reach only £ 9 , 222 12 s 7 d , or , in round figures , are less by £ 650 . These points we reserve for further comment . Our one

other subject of regret is that changes in the personnel of the educational staff have again been deemed necessary . The report says : " Important changes have again taken place in the Instruction Department , including the resignation of the Head Master , the Assistant Masters having

also been replaced by new appointments . " Last year we were told : " A due regard for the important interests entrusted to their care , has forced upon the Committee the imperative necessity of introducing changes in the Educational department . " Now the veriest tyro in such matters must be aware that no school can attain even a fair standard of

excellence , in which there are frequent changes of masters and tutors , and especially of the head master . On him it depends entirely whether a wholesome state of discipline , and a high tone of conduct shall be maintained , not only among the boys , but also among the subordinate members

of the staff . Different masters , moreover , have different methods of imparting instruction . All have the same end in view , but all employ not the same means to attain that end . It takes some time for the junior masters , as well as for the boys , to familiarise themselves with any new plan of

instruction , and it is peculiarly unfortunate if , when this familiarity has been attained , a further change is deemed imperative . We feel assured the Committee will give these views their most anxious consideration , and that , in the new selection they are about to make , they will strive

most earnestly to secure , as Head Master , a gentleman who is not only well qualified by his high educational attainments to fill so important an office , but ono who will be likely to retain his position for many many years . But to pass to other and more agreeable matters . The Sustentation Fund shows a balance at the bankers of

£ 212 16 s 2 d , the receipts , including a balance from last year of £ 94 6 s lid , and the aforesaid transfer from the General Fund of £ 500 , with sundry small items , being £ 609 3 s lOd , while the expenditure , incurred mostly for repairs , there being also a sum laid out of £ 100 for

relaying play ground with asphalte pavement , amounts only to £ 396 7 s 8 d . " The Fund for the advancement of Boys on leaving the Institution , " shows a balance in Savings Bank of £ 10 4 s 5 d and the stock account , a balance , being profit estimated at £ 233 18 s 6 d . It is further

gratifying to note that the average cost per boy is reduced from £ 45 Is Od , in 1873 , to £ 43 16 s llfd , being a decrease of £ 1 4 s 0 | d , three-fourths of which have been effected in respect of " office " expenditure . This is evidence that the Committee do their utmost to keep the expenses of

management as low as possible . It is also gratifying to learn that of the eighteen candidates who went in for the Cambridge local examination , in December last , sixteen passed the test imposed , viz ., two seniors , that is , above sixteen years of age , and fourteen juniors . As to the

education afforded , this " comprises a sound English commercial education , with the addition of French and German , and in the upper the classics and advanced mathematics . " Drawing also is taught , less " as an accomplishment " than " as a valuable assistance in after life . "

Royal Masonic Institution For Boys.

We note also with considerale pleasure that " similar considerations have induced the Committee , in conjunction with the Head Master , to determine on the introduction of vocal and instrumental music , and for this purpose a qualified instructor has been appointed . " Here then is

a course of education which meets the requirements of every class . Those who purpose following some industrial or commercial occupation will , if they have taken advantage of the training offered , be prepared to enter at once on the duties of some minor appointment . Those who desire to enter

oneof thelearnedprofessions , will find themselves sufficiently advanced in classics and mathematics to prosecute their studies , either privately , or in some such College as King ' s , or University , London , whence , ultimately , they may go to one of our Universities , and there , perchance , graduate with

honours . A knowledge of French and German is now-a-daya essential to almost every business man , and these may be acquired thoroughly , if a boy will only bring his mind to their study . Thus our Boys' School is quite on a par with the average collegiate or proprietary schools of the

metropolis , a fact on which the Committee in particular and the Craft generally have every reason to congratulate themselves . It may not be out of place to add here , that the Canonbury Gold Medal , the gift of Bro . Edward Cox V . P .,

the recipient of which is elected by the votes of his schoolfellows , has been awarded to Richard Newton Carter , and the Silver Medal for good conduct , the gift of the Institution , to Francis Dalrymple Lane .

It now becomes our duty to revert to the financial side of the report . In doing this we shall deal with three facts , the accuracy of which is indisputable . These are the deficit of £ 150 on the past year ; the falling off in

donations and subscriptions , as compared with 1873 , to the extent of £ 650 ; and the entire absence of invested fund ' s . We should attach no material importance to the first of these facts if it came alone . The accounts include a sum of

nearly £ 2 , 000 extraordinary expenditure , for additional buildings , and additional buildings will not always be needed . But the very considerable falling off in the donations and subscriptions is far more serious , for it betokens a culpable laxity on the part of the Craft in the fulfilment

of one of its most sacred obligations—chanty . Now , assuming there are 1 , 000 Lodges in England , with an aggregate membership of 60 , 000 , and supposing each member contributes annually , say a lawyer ' s fee of six shillings and eightpence to each of our three Charities , that is , one pound

sterling per annum for the three together , each of our institutions would be in the receipt annually from this source alone of £ 20 , 000 , or , taking the lower sum of five shillings in each case , each of our Charities would receive £ 15 , 000 per annum . Is there any doubt as to the ability of English

Freemasonry to achieve so light a task as this ? If so , our case as submitted falls through ; but we doubt if there is a single member in the whole body of English Masons who could not , by the exercise of a very little self-denial , contribute to tho trifling extent we have suggested . We

have once before quoted some remarks on this point by our late M . W . G . M . the Marquis of Ripon , made only last year , at the Annual Festival of this Institution , but they will bear re-quoting here . " What I want to impress upon yon to-night is this , that it is far

better that these institutions should be supported by small subscriptions , from large numbers , than that they should be supported by large subscriptions from a few . You who can subscribe and do not , have no right to say that the Boys' School is a credit to Freemasonry ; it is a credit to

its subscribers : it is no credit , but a discredit to those who do not subscribe . " And again , " Do not let any brother be ashamed to give a small subscription ! A great many small subscriptions will in the end come , as you well know , to a great deal more than a few large ones , and what yon

want is , that these Institutions should rest upon the widest possible basis . " The words we have italicised full y bear out the hypothesis started out with , that if every member will contribute annually only six shillings and eight pence , or even five shillings , to each of our charities , the yield to

each will veiy far exceed the aggregate of the present donations and subscriptions . It will be observed that we have omitted from our calculations the numerous Lodges in onr Colonies and Dependencies which owe allegiance to

the United Grand Lodge of England . We do not mean by this to ignore them , nor do we imagine our colonial brethren are in the slightest degree less ready to contribute than the members of our English Lodges . On the contrary , we feel assured of their readiness to fulfil theij