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ROYAL Masonic Institution fop Girls , Clapham Junction , S . W . INSTITUTED 1788 . CHIEF PATRONESS : HER MAJESTY THE QUEEN . GRAND PATRON AND PRESIDENT : HIS ROYAL HIGHNESS THE PRINCE OP WALES , K . G ., & c , M . W . G . M . GRAND PATRONESS : HER ROYAL HIGHNESS THE PRINCESS OP WALES . A GENE UAL COURT of the Governors and Subscribers of this Institution will be held in the Larjje Hall of thePreemasons' Tavern , Great Queen Street , Lincoln's Inn Pields , London , W . C ., on THURSDAY , 11 th October 1900 , at Twelve o ' clock precisely , on the General Business of the Institution ; and to Elect 24 GIRLS into the School from a LIST of 33 APPROVED CANDIDATES . The Election will commence at One o ' clock or immediately after the conclusion of the General Business and close at Three o ' clock precisely . P . E . W . HEDGES , Secretary . 5 Freemasons' Hall , Great Queen Street , W . C ., 27 th September 1900 . * , * The 113 th ANNIVERSARY FESTIVAL will be held in May 1901 , under the distinguished Presidency of The Right Hon . the Earl AMHERST , M . W . Pro Grand Master , R . W . Prov . G . M . of Kent . Brethren willing to act as Stewards on this important occasion are earnestly solicited to send in their names to the Secretary as early as convenient .

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Royal Arch Freemasonry In Victoria.

ROYAL ARCH FREEMASONRY IN VICTORIA .

IT is much to be regretted that more encouragement is not given to Royal Arch Freemasonry . The tendency seems to be to discourage it and place as many difficulties in the way of interest being taken in it as possible . The new Constitutions appear to be inspired throughout with a feeling of distrust . The powers of the First Grand Principal are as

far as possible curtailed , and the legislation as to private Chapters formulates such restrictions that hardly anything can be done for fear of infringing some of these needlessly profuse regulations . Except in the way of this kind of restriction ( even in the most trifling matters ) the Grand

Chapter appears to take very little interest in the private Chapters . It does not even exercise the powers it possesses of insisting that the fees should be paid . What right has a private Chapter to misappropriate money paid to it for a definite purpose . Out of the amount paid as exaltation fee

a certain amount does not belong to the private Chapter , but is paid by the candidate through the Chapter to the Grand Chapter for his certificate , and in ordinary business transactions if the agent , to whom money is paid for a certain purpose to be handed over to someone else , diverts that

money to his own purposes , he becomes liable to the criminal law . This fact is too much lost sight of in the administration of the affairs of both Lodges and Chapters , and the lesson should be determinedly inculcated that this portion of a candidate ' s fees is trust money and therefore sacred .

Is Freemasonry more lax in its moral code than the ordinary law of the country ? A Lodge or Chapter should not depend for its current expenses upon joining fees or the fees of exaltation . The expenditure and amount of subscription should be so arranged as to balance ; the surplus of the

fees , after deducting the amount for Grand Chapter or Grand Lodge Certificates , should be considered as a sort of insurance fund or suspense account to compensate for fluctuations in

the number of subscribine members . If Grand Chapter would insist upon this , as we have often urged the Grand Lodge to do , it would only be doing its duty and really promoting the interests of the private Chapters . Grand Chapter does not appear to consider that it is a duty to visit private Chapters . Members will occasionall y

Royal Arch Freemasonry In Victoria.

visit if they have a special invitation , but it is the Chapters which are most in need of being visited which would fail to give the invitations . A Chapter in which the members are

not perfect in their work will hesitate to invite the Grand Chapter to witness work which members know is not perfect , and whilst it is waiting to become more perfect new Officers come in who also have to learn their work under the

consequent disadvantage of imperfect predecessors , and they never feel themselves in a position to exhibit their working . If a Chapter knows that at any time the Grand Chapter may pay

a visit , it would be an additional incentive to Officers to learn their work and to have it done in a way which would do them credit . It would also induce Chapters to provide some sort of work in the form of lectures or other instruction for the

evenings when there was no candidate , and would make it more careful to ensure that no meeting should fall through either for want of proper notice , or owing to non-attendance of Officers or for any other cause , so that if the Grand Chapter should happen to pay a visit it would not have to

take the trouble for nothing . Such visiting would also have a tendency to prevent innovations and promote uniformity , as those who are fond of introducing changes and so-called improvements would hesitate before doing so in the presence of Grand Chapter , though they might like to exhibit them

before the Companions of their _ own Chapter . Thus there would be greater uniformity in the ceremonies , and all additions and innovations would be introduced merely as lectures , explanations or instructions , and kept as they should be , distinct from the ceremonial ritual . The increase of the exaltation fees neither increases

the number of desirable members who would wish to join , nor will it in any way keep out those who may be undesirable . It has an exactly opposite effect , and has a tendency to reduce the numbers by keeping out many who have entered Freemasonry to benefit their fellow creatures , and with the

intention of studying and acting up to the principles inculcated in the various degrees , and extending their studies upwards as far as possible , and to deteriorate the character by admitting those whose only qualification is that they are able to pay the fees . Of course , the ballot can keep out such

as these , but it cannot admit those whose finances will not allow them to undertake the liability for payment of the higher dues . The proper exercise of the ballot is the only restriction necessary upon admission to the higher degrees , except that it may be desirable that the Grand Chapter

should say that no one shall be admitted without paying such an amount as may be fixed for his certificate to Grand Chapter . It would , therefore , be perfectly justifiable to say ,

the fee to Grand Chapter being 15 s , no one shall be admitted for less than 21 s . Anything further is a useless interference with the rights of private Chapters . Each Chapter can fix its own exaltation fee or joining fee .

If a Chapter desires to restrict membership by charging £ 2 2 s , £$ 3 s , £ 5 5 s , or more , for the joining fee , it is at libertv to do so , but it seems unwise for Grand Chapter to restrict admission to the Order . So long as a private Chapter has a sufficient income to pay its Grand Chapter charges

on each member , and pays that amount over at once , we do not see that Grand Chapter has anything at all to do with the question as to whether they have a large or small income in addition . If it is considered that no one should be admitted to the R . A . unless he has paid , at least , £ 8 8 s ,

the time to make the increase is on initiation , when £ 7 js might be required . There would be something to be said in favour of this , though personally we should not approve , as it might be said that unless a man were in such a position as to enable him to pay a certain amount , whether £ 5 5 s or

£ 10 1 os , he would be likely to come in more for what he could get , either pecuniary or otherwise , rather than for the opportunity of doing good to others ; but once having entered the Craft it should not be a question of buying his way up into the higher degrees—all advancement should be by merit .

The regulations as to the formation of new Chapters are almost prohibitory . What object can there be in requiring a recommendation from a Chapter 100 miles away or more , which knows nothing of the neighbourhood or the people ? Why should not the recommendation be from the nearest

Lodge or Chapter ? In the case of the recommendation by a Lodge it might be added that it must be accompanied by a letter from the 1 st Principal of any Chapter within a certain distance , say , twenty or thirty miles , stating either that there was no objection , or naming any objections to its formation ,