Consecration.

never have occasion to regret having rnade him the first Master . The Craft gave the boys every chance at the School , and it was gratifying to find so many of them able to join the great Order of Freemasonry at so early a date in their career . He hoped the Lodge would show the great amount of good

the Institution was doing , and could only promise for his own part to do as he had done in the past under similar circumstances . As High Sheriff of his county , as County Councillor , and as Magistrate he had much to do , but he hoped to be able to devote a portion of his energies to the

Lodge . They had that day received a cablegram from Bro . Railing , of Cape Town , congratulating them on their consecration , and this led him to think they ought to make some arrangement to affiliate ex-pupils who were abroad , on special terms .

The W . M . next gave the toast of success to the Royal Masonic Institution for Boys and the other Masonic Charities . They must treat the three great Institutions as three branches of one great fund of Charity . Fair competition was doubless

desirable , as ** friendly rivalry was likely to induce greater support , but there must be no opposition . There was perhaps no one mixed up with the three funds more than he , for he was not only Treasurer of the Boys School , but a Trustee and one of the inner circle of the Benevolent

Institution , while as a Patron of the Girls School he took more than usual interest in that branch of the good work . The Centenary celebration of the Boys School no doubt afforded a special reason for a grand Festival on its behalf , and the removal of the School led them to desire an

exceptionally good return . They hoped for a round £ 100 , 000 . They had several members of the House Committee of the Girls School among them that evening , including Bro . Frank

Richardson , who took the greatest interest in the Institution , so much so that he believed he was right in saying that Bro . Richardson knew the names of the upwards of 200 girls in the School , and took a personal interest in each one of them . Bro . Richardson tendered thanks on behalf of the Girls

School executive , not only for the toast , but for the fraternal feeling shown that evening by the Lodge sending up a Steward for the Girls School . The spirit lately evinced , when the three Institutions virtually joined hands in the

work of benevolence , in fixing an important matter in connection with the price to be paid for future presentations , was most paiseworthy . The : whole of the clothes required by the pupils at the Girls School were made by the girls themselves , and all the cooking was done by them .

Brother McLeod followed . Every Officer of their new Lodge , bar one , he said , was an old Masonian . The Lodge not only gave promise of being a successful one , but a living exemplification of the benefits of the Boys School . It was

due to Bro . Terry that the Old Masonians Association had grown as it had , and as the Lodge was an outcome of the Association , its foundation was really to be traced to him also . Bro . McLeod was proud of having had the opportunity of proposing his boy as the first initiate of the Lodge .

The W . M . proposed the health of the visitors , and in doing so expressed the obligation the Lodge was under to the Royal Naval Lodge , No . 59 , for having recommended their petition to the Grand Master . This Lodge it was that took a prominent part one hundred years ago in forming

their Institution , and it wasvery gratifying to find it so long afterwards taking a prominent part in work connected with the School . Bro . Stimson Senior Past Master of the Lodge

was among their visitors , and they were much indebted to him for having attended—at great personal inconvenienceand seen another stage carried out in the work inaugurated by the Lodge so many years ago .

Bros . Stimson , Fortescue , and Latey ( of the " Illustrated London News " ) responded to the toast . The latter Brother was delighted at the insight he had received that day into the true principles of Freemasonry . He felt that if the press were to fully report the proceedings

of that meeting their Brother McLeod would have his pessimistic views as to the future of the Boys School at once dispelled . He only wished the speeches and addresses of that meeting could be adequately reported to the world at large .

In proposing the toast of the Officers , the W . M . said it was not possible to say much as to their merits , because as new men they had yet to be tried . He had had the pleasure

of knowing many of the Brethren who were Officers that night in the Old Masonians Association . They had to prove themselves as Officers of a Lodge , and he had no doubt as to how they would act . Bro . Chandler S . W . said it had long been the wish of the old boys to possess a Lodge . It seemed to him very

Consecration.

gratifying to find the Royal Naval Lodge should be the one to recommend them and also the one which so long back recognised the necessity of establishing a fund for the help of a few Masonic orphan boys . He considered they were very fortunate in possessing as first Master of the Lodge such a

worthy Mason as Bro . Keyser , and he was sure , on the foundation laid that evening , they would build up a Lodge creditable to those who had consecrated it , and creditable to

the School from which it had sprung . They hoped the Lodge might be of service to the Institution , and that it would prove to the world how much they appreciated what had been done for them in days gone by .

' Bro . Leonard Wain * followed , expressing his pleasure at being present , and saying how proud he was to have been one of the boys of the School . He should do everything in his power to further its interests . Bro . R . Harold Williams Treasurer was very happy to

express thanks for the way in which the toast had been proposed and received . He looked back one hundred years , and tried to imagine the time when their splendid Institution was formed . He thought of the history of that time , and of its wars and troubles , and that in the midst of all the Royal Naval Lodge found time to come forward and establish their

splendid Institution , in the midst of what were really very unfavourable circumstances . The Institution had been instrumental in educating a very large number of boys , and he felt it a matter for congratulation that their Lodge had been established . The Officers would do all in their power

to further the interests of the Craft and of their Lodge in particular . He looked , with confidence , to a time of prosperity in the future . Bro . P . O'Doherty Secretary said he had worked hard

to bring the Lodge to a head . Some years back it was mooted , but the Old Masonians did not feel themselves strong enough to carry it through ; now , however , they had made a splendid start , and he , for one , should do his best to add to the benefits of the Lodge . The proceedings were shortly afterwards brought to a conclusion .

Mare Masonry.

MARE MASONRY .

GLOUCESTERSHIRE AND HEREFORDSHIRE . 'I ^ HE annual meeting of the Provincial Grand Lodge of JL Mark Masons will be held , by order of the Provincial Grand Master Bro . R . V . Vassar-Smith , on Tuesday , 24 th May , at Hereford . At a meeting of the Gloucester Lodge , No . 439 , at Gloucester , on Thursday , 21 st inst ., Bro . Vassar-Smith

performed the installation ceremony at the induction of Bro . R . P . Sumner to the chair , on which occasion the Brethren of the Lodge presented to Provincial Grand Lodge , in the person of its Grand Master , a very handsome sword , for the use of the Provincial Grand Sword Bearer on ceremonial

occasions . Bra Philpott Secretary of the Gloucester Lodge is the present Sword Bearer of the Province , and it was on his suggestion that the presentation was made .

West Yorkshire.

WEST YORKSHIRE .

f fflHE annual meeting of this Mark Provincial Grand JL Lodge was held at the Masonic Hall , Halifax , on Wednesday , 20 th inst ., under the banner of Fearnley Lodge , No . 58 .

The Provincial Grand Master Bro . C Letch Mason presided , and was well supported , all the Lodges in the Province being represented , while among those present was Bro . G . H . Parke Grand Treasurer of England .

The Fearnley Lodge was opened , and the Provincial Grand Lodge duly received , when the work of the year was proceeded with , the Provincial Grand Master being nominated for the approval of the Grand Master as ruler of the Province for the next three years . The new Officers were invested and a banquet was subsequently held .

We had hopes for the future of Freemasonry when we heard the younger generation were really taking an interest in the Craft , and we looked forward to our visit to the consecration of a Lodge of " boy " Masons , in the hope that something new and refreshing would be introduced in the after proceedings but , like others who were there , we were