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CONTENTS . LEADERS— . PAGB The Approaching Festival of the Royal Masonic Institution for Girls ... 171 Crementaria Hibernica ... ... ... ... ... 172 The Stability Lodge , No . 217 , London ... ... ... ... 172 Consecration of the Lodge of Charity , No . 2651 ... ... ... 173 Provincial Grand Chapter of East Lancashire ... .. ... 173 Grand Chapter of Scotland ... ... ... ... ... 173

Ladies' Night of the German Pilgrim Lodge , No . 23 S _ ... ... ... 173 Annual Supper of the King Solomon Lodge of Instruction , No . 2029 ... 174 Presentation to Bro . J . Whitehead Smith ... ... ... ... 174 James Terry Lodge of Instruction , No . 2372 ... ... ... ... 174 The Craft Abroad ... ... ... ... ... ... 174 Craft Masonry ... ... ... ... ... •••' 75 Mark Masonry ... ... ... ... ... ... 177 Lodges and Chapter of Instruction ... ... ... ... ... 177 Obituary ... ... ... ... ... ... ... 177

MASONIC NOTESDeath of Bro . Lord Plunket ... ... ... ... ... 179 Quarterly Courts of the Girls'and Boys'Schools .. _ . ... ... 179 Masonic Service at the Collegiate Church of St . Saviour , Southwark ... 179 Rcpoit of the Committee of North Wales Charitable Association for 1 S 9 G 179 Correspondence ... ... ... ... ... ... 1 S 0

Reviews ... ... ... ... ... ... •••181 Cratt Masonry ... ... ... ... ... ... 1 S 1 Royal Arch ... ... ... ... ... ... ... 1 S 2 Our Portrait Gallery ... ... ... ... ... ... 1 S 3 The Late Bro . J . H . Sillitoe , P . G . Std . Br . ... ... ... ... 1 S 3 Masonic and General Tidings ... ... ... ... ... 1 S 4

The Approaching Festival Of The Royal Masonic Institution Fob Girls.

THE APPROACHING FESTIVAL OF THE ROYAL MASONIC INSTITUTION FOB GIRLS .

It is about time we again reminded our readers of the claims which the Royal Masonic Institution for Girls has upon the generous support of the Craft . We do not say this from any sense of fear that these claims will ever be treated with

indifference , much less entirely ignored . We consider , in the case of institutions of this class , which depend almost wholly upon the voluntary contributions of the benevolent for their means of maintenance , that President LINCOLN ' S advice to keep

on " pegging away " is sound . In our own Society there are three such principal Institutions , to say nothing of the minor local Charities , which are continually increasing in number , while at the same time many of them are extending their

spheres of usefulness . All these are voluntarily supported , and in the case of the Benevolent Institution and Girls' and Boys ' Schools , the competition for subscriptions is becoming more and more keen every year , while at no previous period of their

existence has the number of persons they are benefiting been greater . But keenest of all will this competition be during the present year , when the QUEEN ' S Diamond Jubilee is to be celebrated , and every Charity that has ever been organised is

endeavouring to raise a larger amount of subscriptions than in ordinary years in order that it may worthily commemorate this auspicious event . The Benevolent Institution had its turn in February , and its Festival , held

under the auspices of the Duke of CONNAUGHT and STRATHEARN , K . G ., has yielded some £ 18 , 800 . It is now the turn of the Royal Masonic Institution for Girls , which will celebrate its 109 th anniversary Festival , on Wednesday , the 12 th May , under

the presidency of Bro . Lord Lr . ANGATTOCK , Prov . G . Master of South Wales , Eastern Division . As regards its claims upon the generosity of English Freemasons , they are well known , but will bear repeating . Firstly , the number of children it is engaged in

educating is some 270 ; secondly , the education and training it provides for these children are not only admirable in themselves but will bear favourable comparison with those of the best scholastic institutions of the same character established throughout the

country . The latest evidence of this was announced in these columns on the 13 th ult ., when we announced that of the 22 girls \\ 'ho were entered for the Cambridge Local Examination in December , 18 9 6 , three passed with honours and 17 satisfied the

The Approaching Festival Of The Royal Masonic Institution Fob Girls.

examiners , there being at the same awarded four distinctions for proficiency in one or other of the prescribed subjects . Of the 19 entered for the Preliminary Stage of the same Examination , 18 passed ; of the 31 who competed in the College of Preceptors

Examination , 25 passed , while all the 11 who underwent examination by the Associated Board of the Royal College and Royal Academy of Music were approved by the examiners . But this is only the latest evidence we have had of the excellence of the

training which the children receive in our Institution for Girls . The results we have reported annually during a long series of years have been equally , and in some few cases , even more creditable to the educational staff of the School , so that there can be no

doubt whatever as to the money contributed by the Craft towards its support being advantageously expended . There is , however , still a third claim which it is our duty to mention , namely , that while the annual expenditure of the Institution which is thus

successfull y fulfilling the purposes for which it was established is , roundly stated , some £ 13 , 700 , the permanent income on which it is able to rely towards meeting this outlay does not greatly , if indeed it does actually , exceed £ 2500 . There is thus a deficiency of

upwards of £ 11 , 000 which must be made good annually in order that the Institution may be enabled to pay its way . There is , of course , nothing new in this statement oi the claims which our Girls' School has upon the whole English Craft . We have made

this or a similar statement many times in connection with every Festival that has been held in its behalf during the years the Freemason has been in existence . We are , in fact , doing no

more than following President LINCOLN ' S excellent advice . We keep on " pegging away , " so that nothing may be lost sight of or under-estimated , which can in any way help to raise the amount that is required from year to year .

As to the prospects of obtaining the necessary sum at the approaching Festival on the 12 th prox ., we are pleased to be in a position to say that , so far , they are encouraging . The number of ladies and brethren whom the Secretary , Bro . HEDGES , has

succeeded in enrolling as Stewards is sli ghtly in excess of what it was at the corresponding period of last year , but whether this trifling advantage will be maintained till the day appointed is somewhat doubtful . There are so many urgent appeals being

made to everybody , that it would not surprise us if this year ' s Board were rather less numerous than that of 18 96 . But that is no reason why the sum obtained should turn out to be smaller . We trust that not only will the whole of the £ 11 , 000 or £ 11 , 500 ,

which is absolutely necessary , be raised , but also that a substantial excess over that sum may be announced , and for two reasons —( 1 ) that the total may be worthy of the QUEKN ' Diamond Jubilee year ; and ( 2 ) that the authorities may be enabled to

make , as they have done of late years , a substantial addition to the invested capital of the Institution . From the recentlyissued statement of account , that capital is stated at about £ 88 , 000 , and as that amount is augmented so will the deficiency

which has to be met annuall y be diminished . This is always a safe and , at the same time , a very wise , course to adopt . It has been followed by the authorities with success of late years , and if it is possible to put by further sums during this and following

years , after defraying the expenses of the establishment , it is certain the Institution will be materially benefited . Hence our present appeal , and we sincerely hope that it will be

answered in a manner that will redound to the credit of English Freemasonry in this year of years , in which the QUEEN ' Diamond Jubilee will be celebrated ,