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CONTENTS . LEADER- PAGE The Benevolent Festival ... ... ... - - I 21 Royal Masonic Benevolent Institution ( Annual Festival ) ... ... ... . ' 2 ' Sixth Annual Supper and Ladies' Night of the Citadel Lodge of Instruction , No . 18 97 ... ... ... ... 12 7 Fifth Annual Ladies' Banquet of the Lodge of Tempeiance , No . 16 9 ... 127 Mark Grand Lodge ( Agenda Paper ) ... ... „•••••¦ I 2 7 Annual Ladies'Night of the Chiswick Lodge , No . 2012 ... ... ... 12 7

MASONIC NOTESAgenda Paper of United Grand Lodge ... ... ... ¦••12 9 Agenda Paper of Mark Grand Lodge ... ... ... •••12 9 Correspondence ... ... ... ... ... •••13 ° United Grand Lodge ( Agenda Paper ) ... ... ... ... 130 Consecration and Re-Constitution of the Ashton District ( Mark ) Lodge ( T . I . ) ... 131 Consecration of the Bernard deTremelay Preceptory , No . 170 ... ... 132 Royal Arch ... ... ... ... ... ... ... 132

Science , Art and the Drama ... ... ... ... ... 133 Craft Masonry ... ... ... ... ... ... 134 Royal Arch ... ... ... ... ... ... ... 136 Royal Masonic Institution for Girls ... ... ... ... ... 136 Royal Masonic Institution for Boys ... ... ... ... 136 Instruction ... ... ... ... ... ... ... 136 Obituary ... ... ... ... ... ... ... 136 Masonic and General Tidings ... ... ... ... ... 138

The Benevolent Festival.

THE BENEVOLENT FESTIVAL .

There are few who will not most readil y allow that the Festival in behalf of the Royal Masonic Benevolent Institution , which was celebrated at Freemasons' Tavern , on Tuesday , under the presidency of Lord ADDINGTON , Prov . Grand Master of Buckinghamshire , has proved a striking success , a success which

even the most sanguine of the brethren can hardl y have anticipated . For months past appeals have been addressed to members of the English Craft in common with thc rest of their fellow countrymen for contributions to War and Refugee Fund Funds ; for the

equipment of Volunteers , horse , foot , and artillery ; for providing comforts for our gallant troops in South Africa ; forthe fitting out of hospital ships for the sick and wounded ; and for other purposes . In these circumstances , it was not unreasonable to assume

that the regular Charitable Institutions , which are always with us , might suffer some diminution in their annual receipts while the war and the expenditure connected with the war were still in progress ; and doubtless there are those that

have suffered . But , as we . suggested last week , it seems as if the English Masons had resolved that no such misfortune should befal their Institutions . Hence the greater success of Bro . TERRY and his staff in enrolling brethren as Stewards , and hence , bv

the medium of a stronger Board of Stewards than tlie Benevolent Institution has ever known to be organised for any of its ordinary Festivals , there has been obtained on this occasion about £ 2000 more than was announced when Lord LLANGATTOCK

presided at last year ' s Festival . It has taken upwards of a hundred more Stewards to accomplish this fact ; but it has been accomplished , and it onl y remains for us to discharge the very agreeable duty of congratulating Lord ADDINGTON , the

Chairman , who , by- his earnest advocacy of the Old People ' s cause contributed so materiall y towards the success of the meeting ; the Board of Stewards who supported his lordshi p , both generall y and as regards those who hailed from the

Province of Buckinghamshire particularly , for the services they rendered ; and , lastly , to the lodges , brethren , and others who gave so generously of their means towards the maintenance of our

Royal Masonic Benevolent Institution . Nor must we forget to offerour sincere congratulations to theCommittee of Management on a result which justifies the resolution adopted at their last meeting to increase the number of annuitants on both Funds ,

The Benevolent Festival.

and to Bro . TERRY and his small but experienced staff dn the admirable , and , as it has now proved , successful manner i n which they have performed their duties . May the future Festivals of this Institution he equally , and , if possible , still more gratifying !

Royal Masonic Benevolent Institution.

ROYAL MASONIC BENEVOLENT INSTITUTION .

ANNUAL FESTIVAL . The festival to celebrate the 58 th anniversary of the foundation of the Royal Masonic Benevolent Institution for Aged Freemasons and Widows of Freemasons , was held on Tuesday evening , at Freemasons' Tavern , London , under the chairmanship of the Right Worshipful Bro . Lord Addington , Provincial Grand Master for Buckinghamshire . His lordship was supported by Bros . C . E . Keyser , P . G . D . ; Dr . Strong ; H . S . Glutton j E . Letchworth , G . Sec ; Major J . W . Woodall , P . G . T . ; Georee

Everett , P . G . T . ; W . F . Smithson , P . G . D . ; R . Wilson , P . G . D . ; E . A . Smith , D . G . D . C . ; Rowland Venables , P . A . G . D . C ; W . Lake , Asst . G . Sec ; Richard Clowes ; J . M . McLeod , Sec . R . M . I . B . ; F . R . W . Hedges , Sec . R . M . I . G . ; John Evan Bowen , P . A . G . D . C . ; H . Lovegrove , P . G . S . B . ; James Terry , Secretary of the Institution ; and many other Past Grand Officers . The company included some 600 brethren and ladies .

After dinner had been partaken of the usual toasts were proposed and honoured . Bro . Lord ADDINGTON , in proposing the first toast , "The Queen , " said the people ' s hearts had been thrilled that morning when tfiey heard of Cronje ' s surrender . ( Loud applause ) . They prayed the Great Architect of the Universe , that before next Christmas the scattered Freemasons of the Transvaal would drink " The Queen and the Craft , " as heartily as the company present now drank the coast .

In proposing the toast of the " The Prince and Princess of Wales , and other Members of the Royal Family , " his lordship said the Grand Master , the Prince of Wales , was always to the fore whenever the interests of an hospital or the cause of children , or any other good work had to be pleaded , and if a ship was wanted to bring home woundtd soldiers , the Princess of Wales gave her money and time , and the use of the ships . ( Applause ) . The brethren knew that the Duke of Connaught would have given all he possessed to go out to South Africa , but we could not spare him to go out of England .

Bro . Major WOODAI . L , P . G . T ., responded to the , toast of " The M . W . Pro G . M ., Earl Amherst ; the R . W . Dep . G . M ., thelEarlof Warwick ; and the rest of the Grand Officers , Present and Past , " and said the Grand Officers did their duty as the brethren in South Africa were doing their duty . Bro . Lord ADDINGTON next gave the toast of the evening , " Success to

the Royal Masonic Benevolent Institution for Aged Freemasons and Widows of Freemasons . " He said , that in May last 207 brethren were receiving ^ 40 a year each , and nearly 250 widows £ _ 2 a year each ; besides which 22 widows were receiving £ 20 each p ; r year , or half their late husbands' annuities ; or a total for the year of £ 1 + 500 . When he was asked to accept the honour of presiding at the present festival , he recollected

somewhat sadly , though our hearts were heavy and our pockets li ght ; but he was told that the liberality of a Mason knew no bounds . He went down to the Institution at Croydon , on Monday , for the * first time , with some distinguished brethren who formed the House Committee , and he never saw charity more gracefully given or more dignifiedly received , If it had been an old landlord receiving his rents , neither the mei nor the

women would have received their largess with more grace , or with more smiling faces . Let the brethren recollect one thing , that deep down in human hearts was a strong belief that every man should have a fair trial . Some were bom rich , some poor , some healthy , some sickly , lt was the distinguished task of the brethren to soothe sickness and poverty ; it was the easiest thing in fhe world to go into the room of the annuitant at

Croydon , and see how his face lighted up when Bro . Terry put the bank notes and the gold on his table ; it was a pleasure to see the aged widow to whom Bro . Terry wilh inimitable grace passed compliments upon her youth and beauty , and received what he gave her . He ( Lord Addington ) himself had the pleasure of going into every one o . the thirty-two houses occupied , into the kitchens also , and he found them all in

order . He congratulated the distinguished brother , the architect , who made a building worthy of the name of a London home . Coupling the toast with the name of Bro . / Charles E . Keyser , P . G . D ., his Lordshi p said it was rather hard to speak of a man when he was only a few feet off , but he would say that Bro . Keyser , was a Past Grand Deacon , a

Patron of the Institution , and a Past Chairman . He was Chairman also of the New Schools Committee of the Boys' Institution , and had promised to build a new Chapel for the Institution . , The toast having been enthusiastically received , Bro . C . E . KEYSER , P . G . D ., responded , and expressed regret at the absence of Bro . J . A . Farnfield , the Treasurer , through illness , whose