Contents.

CONTENTS .

L EADERS S 29 Royal Masonic Institution for Girls . 30 Old Warrants . —II 532 The History of the Royal Masonic Institution for Girls from its Origin , 1788 , to

its Centenary , 1888—( Continued ) $ 32 Banquet to Bro . Sir Henry Morland 533 C ORRESPONDENCEMasonic Charities S 3 S R EPORTS OF MASONIC MEETINGSCraft Masonry $ 3 $

REPORTS OF MASONIC MEETINGS ( Continued)—Instruction , 537 Roval Arch 53 S Instruction 538 Queensland J 38

The Craft Abroad , 538 Masonic and General Tidings 539 Inauguration of Bros . W . A . Higgs and Major Davies as SherifFs of London and Middlesex $ 40 Lodge Meetings for Next Week iv .

Ar00101

IT will be seen from the long and elaborate report which is The Girls ' School published in another part of our columns that for some time Centenary . ^ ^ j . j . g consideration of the question how to celebrate most appropriately the centenary of the Royal Masonic Institution for Girls has

been occupying the attention of a Special Committee , which has had the advantage of being guided in its deliberations by no less distinguished a Craftsman than Bro . T . Fenn , its Chairman . The present condition of the School premises , and more than one scheme for their improvement and extension have been carefully examined , and the result of such examination

is now before our readers , who will therefore be able to judge for themselves whether or not the plans of the Committee—which met with the unanimous approval of the General Committee at their meeting on Thursday—for the re-arrangement and enlargement of the Building , as well as their proposals with reference to the Centenary Festival , are likely to

prove generally acceptable . Taking the latter branch of the subject first , we find that already 175 brethren have volunteered their services as Stewards for the great Festival of next year , and there is small reason to doubt that between now and May next this number will be increased beyond all precedent and at the same time that the lists of contributions will be on

a scale commensurate with the importance of the occasion . But the Committee are evidently , and very wisely , determined to leave as little as possible to chance . They have made up their minds that the Hundredth Anniversary shall be , as our American friends say , a "big" thing , and the inducements they offer to brethren to undertake the duties of Steward

are many and various and above all things judicious . Just as the fact that " Christmas comes but once a year " is considered an ample apology for every thing in the way of extra jubilation and extra outlay at that festive season , so the Committee are already , in fact if not in words , reminding the brethren that " a Centenary

Festival comes only once a century , " and that if they wish to make the most of this event , and turn it to account in a manner that will prove permanently advantageous to the Institution , they had best enrol themselves forthwith on the Board of Stewards . " Aut nunc aut nunquam " is their gentle reminder to the Craftsmen . But this is not all , and the inducements

which we have already spoken of , and which take the form of extra votes under certain conditions , and a proposal for a centenary jewel to be worn always , cannot fail to act favourably on the minds of those who think —and we venture to suggest , rightly think—that a Centenary Festival deserves some special distinction above all other Festivals , and that Centenary

Stewards may reasonably claim some special privileges of their own . Then as regards the schemes for the improvement and extension of the buildings , they are too elaborate to enter into minutely in the brief compass of a single article . Our readers will no doubt study them carefully , and all we say therefore is that , though the choice made by the Committee as between the

two proposals will necessitate a heavier expenditure , we think they have acted wisel y in their recommendation . It is clear from the Medical Officer ' s Report and the statistics quoted by him that the School is overcrowded , and it is equally clear from the plans of improvement submitted that they will satisfy the condition indispensable of affording each child more dormitory

and school-room space , while the plan favoured by the Committee possesses certain other advantages which are far too important to be lost sight of in the contemplated re-arrangement of the present buildings . However , what is proposed is very far from being beyond the competency of the Committee to carry out , if the Festival is as productive as every one hopes and

anticipates it will be . We , therefore , take the liberty of again reminding the friends and well-wishers of the Girls' School that " a Centenary Festival comes only once a century , " and that there will be no opportunity for them to see what the one now approaching is like , and then tender their services

'or the next . Those who are ambitious of being Centenary Stewards for the Institution for Girls must make up their minds to be such " either now or never . " * * *

THE seventh Annual Report of the " Dorset Masonic Charity " cha ' rify " is now being circulated , and will , we trust , lead to an enlarged support being extended to that excellent and beneficent Society . The appeal , by the PROV . GRAND MASTER of DORSET , should De carefull y studied by the members of his Province , for it is quite clear , as "te R . W . Erother states , that if the 600 brethren on the roll can be induced ,

Ar00102

by proper application , to add their names to the list of subscribers , a sufficient revenue will be secured—with the yearly interest on stock—to meet all the claims and demands for relief and educational assistance . Bro . S . R . BASKETT , of Evershot , a well known and zealous brother , has succeeded Bro . E . T . BCJDDEN as Honorary Secretary , and we feel assured

that Bro . BUDDEN ' S " pet object" will not be neglected in consequence . On the contrary , from what we know of Bro . BASKETT ' energy and zeal , we anticipate continued and even increased prosperity for that noble Fund . The SECRETARY furnishes a list of all the "Cases" from July , 1881 , to July , 18 S 7 , 28 in number , the total sum thus donated amounting to nearly

, £ 400 , It is simply impossible for all the pressing Provincial applications to be successfully passed into the Metropolitan Charities or Institutions , so that unless local funds are started and generously supported , many worthy objects must of necessity remain unaided .

Bro . j . Ross WE regret that on the occasion of the recent visit to this Dis ^ aG . M . country o £ Bro - J- Ross ROBERTSON , Dist . Dep . G . Master of Canada . No . 11 District , under the Grand Lodge of Canada—a visit which was abruptly terminated under circumstances so grievous to Bro . ROBERTSON personally—we missed the opportunity of discussing certain

questions affecting the interests of the Craft generally . Bro . ROBERTSON has attained to a position of eminence in Canadian Freemasonry by reason of his great abilities , and it will be reciprocally honourable both to the Grand Lodge of Canada and our able brother when , as we trust will come to pass at no very distant date , the former elects him to the highest

office in its power to bestow . The work which he has to do in his capacity of a District Dep . Grand Master—a rank which about corresponds with our Prov . Grand Master in England—is undoubtedly considerable , but Bro . ROBERTSON fulfils his duties thoroughly and conscientiously , omitting nothing , and so far as our knowledge of Canadian Freemasonry extends

committing , nothing which could possibly be made into a grievance . We have seen his official report for the past year , which is reproduced in full in the Freemason of Toronto , Canada , for the month of August , and it is evident from the very detailed account he gives of his labours that he must have done his work , as we have said , most thoroughly and

conscientiously . There are in the nth District of which Bro . ROBERTSON has charge no less than 35 lodges , and during the year 1 S 86-7 he visited everyone of these twice , five of them three times , and one four times , the number of miles travelled in his journeys to and fro being set down as 2160 . Of the first round of visits he tells us no intimation was given , so that he

had the opportunity of witnessing "the ordinary work of the lodge without the advantage of preparation . " Subsequent visits were notified in advance , and forms of inquiry were sent to the different lod ges with the request that the several Secretaries would have the questions they contained as full y answered as possible , and ready to be handed to the District Deputy Grand

Master on his arrival . These inquiry forms , of which a specimen is given in the repoit , contain questions relating to almost every imaginable subject connected with the lodge organization and working , those of them , however , which refer to matters ol opinion being marked to be filled in b y the District D . G . M . himself , while the Secretary was to supply information only as to the

matters of fact—such as the number of members in the lodge , the amount of its receipts and disbursements , assets and liabilities , the amount and nature of arrear subscriptions , the number of meetings held during the year , & c . And , on the assumption that full and sufficient answers to these inquiries were furnished , there is no doubt that the result would furnish in the

case of every lodge , a complete history of its doings during the period dealt with , and a true account of its position and prospects , with the opinions of the D . D . G . Master ready at hand to enable the Grand Lod ge authorities to determine whether , in their judgment likewise , the lodge , its officers , and members had so discharged their respective duties as to merit the

approbation or disapproval of Grand Lodge . From the fulness of the particulars in these reports there might easily be compiled a history of the nth District under the Grand Lodge of Canada for the year 1886-7 , ar | d we are pleased to be in a position to add that , if such a history were compiled , it would prove incontestably that the District which has the good fortune

to be presided over by Bro . ROBERTSON is in a sound and healthy condition as regards numbers , finances , and work . We trust that Bro . ROBERTSON may retain his present position for many a year , surrendering it only that he may occupy a position of higher rank and greater responsibility , and for the sake of his District , that his annual reports may never be less encouraging than his report for the past year .

* # * BUT while we cordially recognise that Bro . Ross ROBERTSON Visitations , has ably and conscientiously fulfilled the duties of his office as a District Deputy Grand Master under the Grand Lodge of Canada , in accordance with Canadian ideas of Masonic government , we are very much disposed to question whether a similar system of government