Contents.

CONTENTS .

L EADERS— PAGE The Approaching Festival of the Royal Masonic Institution for Girls ... 16 3 The New Zealand Question ... ... ... ... ... 1 C 3 Consecration of the Doric Lodge , No . 26 95 ... ... ... ... 16 5 Consecration of the Wandle Lodge , No . 2699 ... ... ... ... 1 ( 15 Consecration of the Foster Gough Lodge , No . 2706 ... ... ... 16 ( 1 Visit of Bro . Lord Onslow , P . G . M . Surrey , to Croydon ... ... ... iG ( i

Loggia Italia , No . 26 S 7 ... ... ... ... ... ... i « i Mark Masonry ... ¦•• ... ... ... i < 7 Knights Templar ... ... ... ... ... ... 167 M ASONIC NOTESNorth Wales Masonic Charitable Association ... ... ... 16 9 Consecration of the Wandle Lodge , No . 26 99 ... ... ... 16 9 Consecration of the Doric Lodge , No . 26 95 ... ... ... ifig Consecration of the Foster Gough Lodge , No . 2706 ... ... ... 1 C 9

Correspondence ... ... _ ... ... __... ... 170 The Recent Festival of the Royal Masonic Benevolent Institution ... ... 170 Supreme Grand Chapter of Scotland ... ... ... ... 170 Craft Masonry ... ... ... ... ... •¦• 170 Obituary ... •¦• ... ... - ¦•¦ 172 Royal Arch ... ... ... ... ... ... ... 17-Mark Masonry ... _ •¦¦ ... ... ... ' 7 Lodges and Chapter of Instruction ... .,, ... ... 172 Masonic and General Tidings ... ... ... ... ... 173

The Approaching Festival Of The Royal Masonic Institution For Girls.

THE APPROACHING FESTIVAL OF THE ROYAL MASONIC INSTITUTION FOR GIRLS .

We regret to learn that during thc four , weeks that have elapsed since wc brought to the notice of our readers the claims of the Royal Masonic Institution for Girls upon their support , hut little progress lias been made in enlisting the names of

additional brethren as Stewards for the 11 oth Anniversary Festival , to be held under the . auspices of Bro . Sir REGINALD HANSON , Hart ., M . P ., P . G . W ., on Wednesday , the 18 th . May .

We were , of course , prepared for a very considerable diminution in the muster-roll of the members of the Board . We fully realised that , as in 1 S 8 S this Institution succeeded in obtaining :

what was then an unprecedented total of donations and subscriptions at the celebration of its . Centenary , and that in 18 93 the Royal Masonic Benevolent Institution was still more successful in the sum it raised for its Jubilee , these two Institutions

would fare indifferentl y during the present year . But in both these years the other two Charities secured a reasonable measure of support , the aggregate of the totals in 18 S 8 being about £ 24 , 000 and in 18 92 some £ 22 , 500 . This year the Boys'School

Centenary will be held , under the presidency of II . R . M . the Prince of WALES , M . W . Grand Master , and President of the Institution , on the 10 th June , and there is every reason to anticipate that the success at the approaching celebration will

1 r •" ' lar in excess of anything before achieved at Masonic Anniversaries of this kind . We are delighted at this prospect , and if the expectations of even the most sanguine lri < - "ds of that School arc exceeded , we shall be still more

gratified than we are now at the mere prospect of an excepfion-¦ 'lly large return . Butthereis nothinginconsistent in ourregretting ll '' it the Old People have been the reverse of fortunate , '" 'd that there is—as far as any one can judge from the mere

'"¦ nencal strength of the Board of S . ewards whicli has thus fiir >^ n enrolled—a very great likelihood that the Returns at the yproaching Girls' School Festival will be still more unfavoura ' - Our main grounds of rco-i-et arc Iwranw tlmco Hvn

^ nstitutions will have precisely the same amount of expenditure 0 meet as in 18 96 and 1 S 97 , and as they will in all probability ^ "e m 1 S 99 and 1900 . The expenditure in respect of the Old L'ople : was , and will be , about £ 10 . 000 . and that in behalf of the

' s > School between £ 13 , 000 and £ 14 , 000 . Yet the former dolici m , sfor . tune t 0 obtain on ' y some £ 9500 towards a the d 'T ^ ° , n . comc amo » ming to about £ 14 , 000 , while at abo ' ?? ' ° f income ma y be set do « 'n in the case of the latter ut A 11 , 000 . What will be obtained towards making

The Approaching Festival Of The Royal Masonic Institution For Girls.

good this deficiency on the 18 th May remains to be seen , but the friends and supporters of thc School will not feel greatly encouraged to hope for a good return when wc tell them that according to our latest inquiries , the Board of Stewards , at the

present time , is weaker by some 120 members than the 18 97 Board was at the corresponding period of last year , when a total of upwards of £ 16 , 000 was raised by a Board of 395 ladies and brethren . Again , there is another sufficient reason why the

deficiency of £ 14 , 000 should be forthcoming as nearly as possible;—the Institution is fulfilling its appointed duties admirably . Of the children who were entered for the Cambridge Local and other public examinations last December , only a very

small majority failed to satisf y the examiners , or , in other words , were successful in passing the prescribed ordeal , while at least the average number of honours and distinctions were distributed among those who passed . We , therefore , once again most

earnestly appeal to the Craft generally , but more particularly to that section of it which is scattered throughout the Provinces , to furnish as many Stewards as possible . We do not ask for an unusually strong Board , such as those which achieved suchbrilliant

successes in 1 S 95 , 18 9 6 , and 18 97 , but for one that will be strong enough to raise a goodly amount , with which the distinguished brother who has volunteered to preside , and who , as Treasurer of the Institution , takes a deep interest in its welfare , will have good reason to be satisfied .

The New Zealand Question.

THE NEW ZEALAND QUESTION .

We mentioned in our " Notes " of hast week that , according to the New Zealand Craftsman , Bro . W . BARRON , M . W . G . M . of the Grand Lodge of New Zealand , had accepted the terms and conditions on which our Grand Lodge was prepared to

recognise his Grand Lodge as an independent Masonic authority , and our intention of publishing the documents which are to be found in the February number of our contemporary . In fulfilment of that intention , we append the documents in question ,

which comprise ( 1 ) a letter of the 28 th January last addressed by the Grand Secretary of the Grand Lodge of New Zealand to the Worshiplul Masters of the lodges rendering allegiance to that body ; ( 2 ) a letter from Bro . E . LETCHWORlH , Grand

Secretary of our United Grand Lodge , explanatory of the circumstances which had caused the delay in acting in accordance with the resolution of the Special Grand Lodge of the 29 th July , 1 S 9 6 , at which his Royal Highness thc Grand Master was

requested to take such steps towards recognising the . Grand Lodge of New Zealand "as he may consider consistent with the honour of this Grand Lodge , and with just consideration for the

lodges which may desire to retain their connection with the Grand Lodgeof England ; " and ( 3 ) copy of the " Proposed terms of Recognition as drafted by the Grand Registrar , and approved by his Roval Highness the Most Worshipful Grand Master . "

On carefully noting the contents of this last-named document , it will be seen that these " Terms of Recognition" are such as have been formulated in all previous case .:, but with certain additions of which one is to the effect that our Grand Master , in

accordance with the provision of certain articles which have been added to our Book of Constitutions , proposes to authorise the lodges holding under the Grand I odge of England , to meet

and decide for themselves whether they will join the newlyrecognised Grand Lodge fir remain in their present allegiance , such question to be decided " b y a majority of two-thirds in