The Next Festival.

THE NEXT FESTIVAL .

HAVING disposed , as it were , of the second great charity Festival of the year , we are enabled to look further afield , and ask what are the prospects for the third of the great events in the Masonic w orld ?

There may be a few who will think us somewhat premature in doing so this week , preferring rather to rest a while , but in the cause of Masonic Benevolence there is no time for leisure , nor a moment to

spare in which to let the subject rest . It is an ever active cause , and one that forcibly illustrates the principle of " the king is dead , long live the king . " We have inst announced the completion of one

Festival , and in the same breath we must herald its successor , —that to be held on behalf of the Boyal Masonic Institution for Boys , on the 2 ud July next , under the presidency of the Eight Honourable Lord George Hamilton , M . P ., First Lord of the Admiraltv and a P . G . S . W . of England . — _ . __ —0

We have just spoken of what , in years gone by , was looked upon as the strong part of a Festival programme—the support of the Chairman's Province , — but in-the case of the President of this years' Boys '

School Festival there is no Province to answer to the call of its chief , and consequently Lord George must depend upon the whole body of the Craft to supply the place of snecial sunnorter . Fortimatelv the

Chairman is a popular man of the day ,, and although we should be sorry to import anything like political controversy into his Chairmanship , we feel justifiedall being fair in love—in urging those -who only know

and _ respect Lord George Hamilton as a political dignitary to rally round him on this particular occasion , when he will use his best powers on behalf of some of the less fortunate members of the community .

Then , fortunately , there is another section of the Craft to whom we may appeal for something beyond an ordinary effort . We refer to those who consider that in all things we should strive to honour and

recognise the heads of the Craft , for be it remembered the elder brother of our Chairman is the present Grand Master of Irish Freemasons . We th ^ -n * W ^^ k * 3 0 lu" 1 ° * t ° record , in due course , that the Duke of Abercorn was present as one of the

warmest supporters of his brother in the good cause , a ?? u * ° no ° ^ reason tiiart to show appreciation oi the way in which the present Irish chief , and his illustrious father , who preceded him in the office , are

^ wiea , we hope the Festival of July will be an unqualified success . The present head of the Irish hlf -n- uovice in mat'ters of Masonic Benevolence , j "" willingly lends his name and , as far as possible ,

im •rT- promotion oi the good cause m his rmr + 1 ? ' Let lls therefore unite , and if we can-Irnl i i an example as to what should be done in WP i ' , at least 8 ive him evidence of what We ean a * cl will do in England .

The Next Festival.

There is yet another string to our bow . The Festival of the present year will probably be the last with which the present Secretary of the Institution will be officially associated , and we call upon his to oin in strenuous enorts 10

mends , and toes alike , j make the coming event the best ever known in the history of the Charity . The friends of Bro . Binekes will , in so doing , show their appreciation of his long and arduous labours ; and his enemies will , by a

similar line of action , supply the means to enable the new Secretary and the new Committee to make tho many improvements that are needed , but which , they tell us , are impossible without a thorough breaking awav from nast practices . It is not often two

rival factions can be shown a way of doing a good turn by united action , and at the same time each serve their own particular end ; but it is here possible , and we feel no hesitation in endeavouring to stir up

rivalry in a quarter where differences are not usually found , —among the Freemasons of England . The points we have touched upon are special ones , but we must not forget the one supreme object

which always exists , and for which we all feel it a pleasure to work , the maintenance and advancement of the Institution itself . The Boys' School has done snlpnrlirl wnvlr in vpn . vK annfi hv nnrl will no dnnhf , ^^ -U . iiJ

, ^ £ , * V- *^* . ^ , j ^ . v- ~ ft" - " " "J } v . — . ™ ,,--- - ~ - do equally well—better , let us hope—in the future ; but the one . great and sure method of ensuring improvement is to place the finances of the Charity in such a condition as to enable its work to be carried out without the friction , expense , and annoyance of a

crippled exchequer . In conclusion , we can but repeat we hope the Festival of the Eoyal Masonic Institution for Boys for 1890 will be a grand success , and that in support of it all classes and sections of the Craft will unite and work harmoniously together . ,

Freemasons You Have Met.

FREEMASONS YOU HAVE MET .

f | 1 HE " Masouic world " is both a comprehensive and a J _ significant phrase . It includes , ethnographically , not only English , American and other Masons , but in each nationality it embraces , individually , many varieties of

Freemasons . Of course there is a certain identity which characterises all Masons , but on the other hand there are marked distinctions , self-imposed , which separate them into classes . The Craft does not classify them , but their own idiosyncrasies do . For example :

Some Craftsmen are apt scholars in Freemasonry , others dull and laggard ; some are eager for knowledge , others close their eyes , ears and minds to its approach ; some are attentive when instruction is being given , others listless , thoughtless , careless ; some desire official

advancement in the Craf £ , others are satisfied with being simply members ; some are diligent in their attendance at Lodge , others go there by accident , rather than by purpose ; some ardently desire to be Masons , others are satisfied with being called Masons : some are readers of the best Masonic literature , others are so little given to Masonic reading