Royal Masonic Institution For Boys.

SUMMARY OV T Berks and Bucks ... £ 199 10 o Hrisfol iG 5 o Cambridgeshire ... ... ... ' 3 * 5 o Cheshire 47 5 " Cornwall 250 o o Cumberland and Westmorland 500 o o

Derbyshire 7 G 4 C Durham 6 3 o o Essex 232 o G Gloucestershire ... ... ... ' 3 " , 1 6 Hants and Isle of Wight ... 49 G 15 G Herts 94 Io o

Kent 247 o o Lancashire ( Fasl ) 152 5 o Lancashire ( West ) ... ... 31 10 0 Leicestershire and Rutland ... 257 5 o Lincolnshiie ... ... ... 10 10 o Middlesex 271 G o Monmouthshire 31 10 0

PROVINCES . Noifnlk ... ... ... ... 420 o 0 Noith Wales 87 3 o Nottinghamshire ... ... 102 2 o Oxfordshire 12 G 14 G Somersetshire ... ... ... 303 o o South Wales ( East ) 105 0 o

South Wales ( West ) 210 0 o Staffordshire iGS o o Suffolk 121 o o Suney 325 5 o Sussex ... ... ... ... 420 o o Warwickshire ... ... ... 257 5 0

Wiltshire ... ... Gi 13 o Worcestershire ... ... ... 52 10 o Yoikshiie ( North and East ) ... 41 14 6 Yorkshire ( West ) 760 ig o Guernsey ... ... ... ... 110 5 o Mark Degree ... ... ... 6 3 o o Foreign Stations 52 o 0

GENERAL SUMMARY . 125 STEWARDS—LONDON £ 5243 u G 165 STEWARDS—PROVINCES , & C 7 4 ' 9 ° £ 12 , 308 10 6 Bro . Capt . HOMIRAY ( Monmouthshire ) said he had the pleasure to

propose the next toast , which was " buccess to the other AIasonic Institutions —the Royal Masonic Institution for Girls , and the Royal Masonic Benevolent Institution . " He would say that it was a very noble thing that , as Masons , they were enabled to raise such large sums for their Institutions . He would not trouble ihtm longer ; but would ask them to honour the toast , with which he would associate the names of Bro . Terry and Bro . Hedges , the Secretaries of those Institutions .

Bro . TERRY , on behalt of the Benevolent Institution , said that on an occasion like the present it would ill become him to take up their time by making anything like a speech in reply to this toast . But he would venture to congratulate the Institution for Boys on the result of the Festival , disappointing as in some respects it was . More especially would he congratulate Bio . Binckes upon his good health . There was one subject , however , which his lordship would forgive him for referring to—the comparison which had been made . by the noble Chairman between the Schools and the Benevolent

Institution . He felt sure that it was not intended to overlook the claims of the Benevolent Institution ; but his lordship had gone on to say that the Girls' School also deserved support . He ( Bro . Terry ) had looked for some word 10 say that the Benevolent Institution also deserved support . He would } ust simply say that when this year had gone by , the brethren's attention would have to be given first to the Benevolent Institution . He should be glad to receive for 1 SS 7 the names of some of the biethren under his lordship ' s presidency . He had already secured one Steward from that province , and was sure he would be a good one .

Bro . HEDGES said he would not detain them by making any lengthy remaiks , especially after the able speech which they had just listened to . On behalf of the Girls' School , he thanked them most sincerely , not only for the reception given to the toast , but for the support that had been accorded to the Giils' School , both that year and belore . In thanking thenhe had prominently in his mind the province with which the Institution was very nearly connected—the Province of Norfolk . He had only further to say that when thc turn of the Girls' School again came lound , he trusted the oldest of the Masonic Institutions would not lack support .

"The Health of the Stewards" was proposed by Bro . HENRY SMITH , and replied to by Bro . J . L . MATHER , who returned his sincere lhanks on behalf of the Stewards , who had certainly done their best to make this Festival a success , and had done all in their power so to arrange matters as to give satisfaction to one and all . They had received assistance on all sides in carrying out the arrangements , and they had had the pleasure of hearing from every quarter praises of the manner in which they had done

their duty . He trusted the lists which had not yet come in would considerably increase the total . Bro . J . L . THOMAS said that he had a bachelor ' s privilege of proposing the toast of the evening . The toast to "The Ladies" had been entrusted to him . He thought that that toast ought to have preceded every other instead of being left to the last . He felt that the Institutions benefited greatly by the interest ihat the ladies took in them , and their graceful presence enhanced—if it did not constitute altogether—the pleasure of the

brethien -. t assemblies ol this description . Bio . HOGARD returned thanks on behalf of the ladies . The CHAIRMAN said he did not think they could separate without expressing , for his own part and on behalf of the brethren , their hearty thanks to Bro . Binckes lor the energy

which he had already displayed , and it was to him really to whom the success of the Institution was due . Bro . Binckes had said that to him the result was a disappointment , but he thought that , considering the adverse circumstances , they must congratulate themselves on the result ol the evening .

A tew words in reply from Bto . BINCKKS for the hearty response which the toast had met with , brought the proceedings to a close . The band of the Boys' School performed

various selections of music during the evening , and in the intervals between the toasts some very good vocal music was contributed by Miss FITie Clements , Miss Grace Damian , Bro . Arthur Thompson , Mr . Harper Kearton , Mr . VV . G . Forington , and also by Bro . Turle Lee , who had the direction of the musical arrangements .

The Steward's favor , which was manufactured by Bro . George Kenning , consisted of Lord Suffield's arm' ; , inclosed in a border , tic bottom part of which bore the inscription "Royal Masonic Institution for Boys , " while at the top was the year " 1886 , " the whole being suspended from a white and red chevroned ribbon .

Royal Masonic Institution For Boys.

ANALYSIS OF THE RETURNS . It seems hard lines that the Boys' School Festival should bring up the rear , in a double sense as it were , and that it should be not only the last in order ol occurrence , but at the same time lowest in its product . Possibly the lowness of its receipts may be the necessary corollary of its lateness as a fixture . We have said on previous occasions that people ' s spare cash about reaches the vanishing point when the third arrival of canvassers is announced ,

and it is the Boys' School misfortune that it submits its appeal for the necessary moneys to keep it in astate of efficiency just when those who are likely to have money about them have been nearly , i f not quite , cleared out . However , we need not dwell at length upon a point which , if it were not so manifest before , has certainly made itself manifest these last two years . In 1885 Bro . Terry , who opens the ball , headed the poll with £ 17 , 700 : Bro . Hedges , whose Festival follows , being second with over . £ 14 , 000 , and Bro . Binckes

last , both in order and . amount , his announcement being under £ 12 , 000 . This year the process has been repealed , though the amounts are somewhat , less striking in their rate ol decrease , the record being ( 1 ) Benevolent , £ 15 , 000 ; ( 2 ) Girls ' , £ 13 . 000 ; ( 3 ) Boys ' , £ 12 , 300 . Perhaps it may be possible to suggest a plan , by which ihe repetition of this picture may be avoided in future , but as matters stand , there is no alternative lor us but to place the iacts before the Cralt ir . their naked simplicity and leave them to offer any suggestions of value which may occur to lliem .

In the meantime , a glance at the Siewaids' lists will show not only that the total sum as announced by Bro . F . Binckes was £ 12 , 308 ios . 6 d ., but likewise that there were 290 Stewards , of whom the 125 representing the metropolis were successful in putting together a total of £ 5243 lis . 6 d ., while the remaining 1 C 5 Stewards , who did duty for the Provinces , amount to £ 7064 19 s . Last year there were 275 Stewards , of whom the London 119 raised £ 5222 us . fid ,, and the Country 156 , £ ' 6 , 78 3 17 s . fid . ; while

in 18 S 4 , wilh precisely 290 Stewards , the 130 acting for London were able to raise £ 7749 7 . fid ., and the 160 hailing fiom the Country being a long way behind with no more than £ 6354 us . These permutations are rather troublesome to explain ; but 1 hey occur in everybody ' s experience , and perhaps the best way is to leave them to explain themselves . One thing is certain , that , with a

decrease in the number of Stewards from 290 to 275 as between 18 S 4 and 1885 , there was a corresponding serious decrease in total from £ 14 , 100 lo £ 12 , 000—taking the figures roundly ; while as between 1 SS 5 and 1 SS 6 the increase in Stewards from 275 to 290 was accompanied by an increase in the total of about £ 300 only—from ^ 12 , 000 10 . £ 12 , 300 . Those who have leisure to determine eccentric results had better give their attention to the case as we have submitted it here .

Of course , we are aware ihat the explanation is the same we have given before , namely , that the commercial and political disturbances of the time are at the bottom of this otherwise inexplicable decrease . But we cannot give space enough for too elaborate an enquiry into the subject . We see the drop from . £ 14 , 100 in 188 4 to ; £ 12 . 000 in 1 S 85 , and the flight revival

from / I 2 , ooo to . £ 12 , 300 in 1 SS 6 , the number of Stewards being 290 at the two ends of ihe line weare studying . But il we take the usual sub-division of the Board into London and the Provinces , we shall find the lormer presenting by no means as healthy an appearance as we have known it in the case of other anniversaries . For instance , as regards

LONDON , There was a diminution from £ 774 ^ 7 s . fid . raised by 130 Stewards in 1884 to . £ 5222 1 is . fid . raised by 119 Stewards last year . This year we have 125 Stewards and £ 5243 us . 6 d ., there being as between the returns no difference worth noting . This ought not lo be , but we can account for it in some measure by the reduction in the number of Masonic bodies sending up Stewards , while of late years there seems to be a tendency for brethren

to enter themselves as Unattached . Could not Bro . Binckes stir up more of ihe London lodges to increased activity , and so secure a revival of the heavier lodge returns which once figured in his announcements ? We must leave it to him to find a solution to this query . There is , perhaps , some consolation in the improvement noticeable in the chief conliibuiions . 'I here are no less than 14 three-figure amounts on this poition ol the list ; the Chiswick Lodge , No . 2012 , per Bro . George

Gardner , taking the lead with £ 240 gs . ; and Bros . C . T . Flick and C . Meierhoff , as joint Stewards for the Uld Concord Lodge , No . 172 , being second with £ 200 us . Bio . F . VV . Wray , of ihe Wanderers Lodge , No . 1604 , stands third wilh £ 165 18 s ., and liro , VV . C . Claridge , for the London Rifle Brigade and Ley Spring Lodges , Nos . 1962 and 159 S respectively , is close up with , £ 16 3 16 s ., Bro . A . M . Broadley , as Slewaid for the new Drury Lane Lodge , No . 2127 , bting also well placed wilh £ 157 10 s . to

his credit . Tlie other three-ligure lists are as follow , viz . : — Leigh , 957 , £ 115 , VV . J . Wtodruff ; Fitzroy , 5 6 9 , £ 112 7 s ., J . Pash ; Israel , 205 , £ 109 4 s ., C . F . Hogard ; Islington , 1471 , £ 10 7 2 s ., W . Shurmur ; Lion and Lamb , 192 , £ 107 , W . Medwin ; Committee Dinner Club , £ ' 107 ; Aldersgate , 1657 , £ 106 is ., E . Y . Jolliffe ; Mizpah , 1671 , £ 105 , C . VV . Meiler ; and Pythagorean , 79 , £ 105 , C . Kedgley . Let us now give our attention to

THE PROVINCES , Which , amongst them , have contributed £ ' 706 4 19 s . out of the general total , ihe number of their representatives being 165 . The most prominent , and in a certain sense the most valuable , feature in connection with this portion of the returns is the unusual number ol Provinces that have sent up Stewards . Out of the 45 disfricls , including llie Isle of Man and the Channel Islands , there are only nine absentees , whereas the usual proportion

between the represented and unrepresented has hitherto been about three to one . This is an exact reproduction ol thc slate of things at ihe Girls ' School Festival in May , when 36 Provinces , including the Channel Islands , sent up Stewards , there being , however , this difference in respect of Wednesday ' s gathering * that its provincial representatives were rather more numerous than at the Girls' Festival . But , this consideration apart , it is manifestly an advantage to find the area of representatives at these two anniversaries greater than at any that have been held , with the exception of

the grand meeting 1 nder Lord Amherst at the Crystal Palace in 1883 , when , with the neccsary allowance for the re-arrangement of Provinces that has taken place since , there was the same proportion of represented to unrepresented as 01 . this occasion , only ( here were some 90 more brethren acting as Stewards , ,- . nd ihe sum of the Proxineial contributions alone was about . £ 3400 in exciss ol ihe general total of Wednesday . It is something to feel that , il we cannot always reckon upon such glorious figures as in 1883 , there are more of our Provinces taking an active part in these charitable

reunions . The following were the nine absentees from Wednesday ' s meeting