Royal Masonic Institution For Boys.

average of £ 1213 ios . per year . Two of its lists on Wednesday were particularly strong ones , that of Bro . Miles for the Landport Lodge , No . 1776 , being a round £ 155 , and that of Bro . Tilling for his two lodges £ 131 5 s . Bro . Edgar Gobic , Prov . G . Secretary , doing duty for the Harmony Lodge , No . 309 , Fareham , handed in a useful £ 53 os . 6 d .

HERTFORDSHIRE Was represented by three Stewards , of whom two represented lodges , and the third was unattached . The Returns are not yet complete ; but the two that have been received amount to £ 94 ios ., that of Bro . E . VVest , for No . 1327 , being £ 75 is . fid . For the Girls' School our Herts friends raised £ 131 is ., while for their favourite—the Benevolent Institution—the sum

was £ 279 5 s . 6 d ., the total for the whole year being £ 504 16 s . 6 d . I his is appreciably higher than in 1 SS 5 , when its three contributions were £ 411 , and in 1 SS 4 , when they reached £ 470 ; but , as we are getting almost tired of pointing out , such fluctuations must be expected , Anyhow , the result of this pertinacity in helping is very beneficial to those whom it concerns . It is some time since we have seen so moderate a total from

KENT . Which , though it rarel y sends up many Stewards , is most generous in its contributions . Thus , in Bro . Hedges ' s announcement this Province figured for £ 547 , and in February it appeared with £ 884 , but on Wednesday the

sum was only £ 247 , of which Bro . Eve ' s list will account for £ 115 ios . Still , if Kent is less conspicuous this lime than usual , the total for the current year is excellent even for a Province so generous , the three sums we have enumerated amounting to £ 1678 , which after all , is nearly £ 100 more than it raised in iSS = ; , when its three totals reached £ 1584 .

We cannot quite reconcile ourselves to the comparatively small returns which have lately been made by such a Province as

LANCASHIRE ( EAST DIVISION ) Which stands first on the roll as regards numerical strength , and one would think might contribute to total up rather more than £ 152 5 s ., which was the sum of its contributions on Wednesday . This gives lor the whole year no more than £ 443 . This is slightly better than in 1885 ; but poor by comparison with the £ 1247 of 1 SS 4 , and the still higher figures of the year previous , when itga \ 'e to the Boys' School alone £ 2100 . These last amounts are more in keeping with the strength of East Lancashire Masonry .

LANCASHIRE ( WEST DIVISION ) , Which is our second strongest province , makes , we regret to say , but a sorry appearance with a total of £ ^ 3 1 105 ., representing , apparently , the personal donation of three of its Stewards , Bros . E . Pierpoint , No . 155 , VV . J . Thompson , No . 1384 , and Reginald Young ( unattached ) . It has , as we all know , several Charitable Associations of its own , which are in excellent funds , and do a large amount of service locally , but a to ' al of only

£ 473 us . for the year—namely , £ 78 15 s . for the Benevolent , £ 3 63 6 s . for the Girls ' , and the aforesaid £ 31 ios . for this Institution—is scarcely on a level with what might have been looked for from a province with more than eighty lodges on its roll , even when Ave have made allowance for the moneys appropriated to the support of its local Charities . There is this consolation , however , that , though on lesser occasions it seems to do itself but scant justice , on occasions when it puts forth anything like its proper strength its returns are of an imposing character .

LEICESTERSHIRE AND RUTLAND , Which has but 12 lodges , is , like other provinces of about the same strength , obliged to husband its strength for particular Festivals , and it does so to good purpose , and with tolerable impartiality . It had done nothing this year , if we except the modest contribution of Bro . VV . Kelly , P . P . G . M ., to the

Girls' School in May , but last year the same Institution obtained from it £ 405 , and the Boys' had a supplementary list from one of its members—Bro . Clement Stretton—lor 25 guineas ( £ 26 5 s . ) , while in 1884 it gave the Benevolent £ 360 , and in 1 SS 3 £ 405 was raised for the Boys ' . Its total on Wednesday was £ 257 5 s . by the hands of Bro . Macaulay , Avho must be congratulated on the manner in which he has upheld the fame of his

province . We are pleased that LINCOLNSHIRE Should have emerged from its comparative retirement . There is only a

small sum of £ 10 ios . entered to one of the two Stewards of the Pelham Pillar Lodge , No . 772 , but no doubt by degrees we shall arrive at something Avhich will worthily represent a province with 22 lodges on its roll . We repeat , it is a great thing for Lincolnshire to have made a move in the right direction ; next year , perhaps , we may see a large amount to its credit .

MIDDLESEX Is sure to be more or less strongly represented . It has a roll of some 37 busy and energetic lodges , of which several maybe reckoned upon as doing duty at one or other ol these Festivals . It generally includes , too , one or two good lists , such as that of Bro . E . VV . Stanton , the Steward for the Bard of Avon Lod ^ e , No . 77 8 , amounting to £ 94 ios , On Wednesday

seven of its lodges were included in the Returns , the aggregate of their lists reaching the very comfortable total of £ 271 6 s ., which is more by close on £ 100 than it raised for the Girls' School in May , when its return reached the comparatively modest sum of £ 174 85 . 6 d ., though considerably less than it gave the Benevolent in February , namely , £ 54645 . fid . However , these three amounts represent together £ 992 19 s ., which is a big total even

for an influential Province like this . Last year it appears to have raised £ 877— £ 322 9 s . for the Benevolent ; £ 215 13 s . for the Girls' School ; and £ 339 ' 4 - f ° l-h's Institution—and apportioned it rather more evenly among the three Charities , while in 1884 it divided amongst them £ 725 , in 1883 , £ 616 ; and in 1 S 82 , £ 1212 . This gives a tolal of £ 4423 for the five years , or ar average per year of £ 884 . Figures like these need no explanation .

We pass next to a Province which resembles Middlesex in two particulars—its name begins wilh M , and it is actuated by the same resolute goodwill for our different Institutions . But in the very material consideration ol strength there is no comparison between Middlesex wilh its 30 and more lodges and the little Province of

MONMOUTHSHIRE , Which can muster , all told , only eight . Yet it is astonishing how well it rubs along . This year , for instance , it has given the greater part of its help to the Girls' School , for which it raised . £ 199 ios . in Maj ' . Yet on Wednesday it found a useful 30 guineas ( £ 31 ios . ) for Ihe sister School at Wood Green . Last year the Benevolent received £ 200 and the Girls ' £ 61 8 s . fid ., and in 1 S 84 this Institution was still more fortunate , and secured , through the medium of Bro . Capt . S . G . Homfray , £ 307 13 s . Thus each

Royal Masonic Institution For Boys.

Charity has had its turn , while a few subsidiary subscriptions have been introduced at odd limes just to keep the brethren in practice . If we take these latter into account we shall find this little Province has raised a good £ 800 in the last three years , or . £ 100 each lodge , and that , the money has been pretty fairly distributed among the three central Institutions . We must heartily congratulate the noble Chairman ' s Province of

NORFOLK On the very effective support it gave to his lordship on Wednesday . Some will content themselves with noticing that its total of £ 420 is considerabl y below the figures we have been accustomed to from the Chairman ' s Province at our laler Festivals , while others will be at the pains of remembering that as Norfolk is not a strong Province numerically , it has played iis part

worthily , at all events , if not on so large a scale as we have known in other instances . But it would be unjust lo the brethren in ihe district if we did not likewise take into account ihe fact that it is principally agricultural , and that if trade has suffered during the long period of depression Irom which the country has been suffering , agriculture has suffered still more severely . Under these circumstances we incline to the belief that Norfolk has good

reason to be satisfied with its latest achievement , and we are confident that Lord Suffield will appreciate the loyalty with which the brethren throughout his Province have supported him on this , as on the previous occasion of his presiding at one of our Charitable Anniversaries . Tlu re is also a small contribution of £ 67 4 s ., which figured in ihe returns ol the Girls' School Festival

in Maj' , while last year the same Institution was enriched to the extent of £ 200 , per our worthy Bro . Bacon , of Lodge Perseverance , No . 213 , Norwich . In short , the Province in the course of 1 SS 5 and 1 SS 6 has raised close on £ 700 in illustration of its attachment to the distinguishing characteristic ot our Society .

NORTH WALES Has been represented at the three Festivals held this year , which is equivalent to saj'ing it has been represented at all that have taken place since it was created a separate Province under R . W . Bro . Lord Harlech . It began quietlj ' , its contribution to the Benevolent in February last by the hands of two Stewards being only £ 29 us . In May it was again represented b j' two Stewards , and the sum ol their lists amounted to £ 102 7 s . fid . On

Wednesday Bro . Lieut .-Col . the Hon . VV . E . Sackville-West , P . G . W . England , acted as Steward for the Royal Leek Lodge , No . 1849 , and Bro . C . K . Benson , as representing the Square and Compass , made up between them a sum of £ 87 3 s ., Bro . West ' s list being for £ 54 12 s . Here then we have a total of over £ 219 for the current year , which , as it accords well wilh our experience of North Wales , when it was part of the Province of North Wales and Salop , augurs also AVCII for a continuance of its present honourable course .

NOTTINGHAMSHIRE , With Bro . John Toplis as Steward for its 14 lodges , raised nearly £ 177 for the Benevolent Institution , and the £ 102 2 s ., which Bro . Stiebel , the Steward of Lodge No . 1434 , handed in on Wednesday , makes the total for the year £ 279 and a fraction , which does not compare too favourably with

tbe £ 547 of 1885 , though that appears to have been an exceptionallj fortunate year . However , a total of £ 1390 in four years from so limited a province is a meritorious figure , and Nolts well deserves the compliments it has received for its latest services . Our anticipations that

OXFORDSHIRE Would this year exceed its average of £ 250 have been realised . It contributed £ 46 iSs . 6 d . to the Benevolent in Februarj ' , and £ 106 to the Girls ' School in May . On Wednesday its hall-dozen Stewards , representing as

many lodges amongst them , raised a total of £ 126 14 s . 6 d ., the three sums amounting together to £ 279 13 s ., which , for a province of only ten lodges , is very creditable . La t year the subscriptions to the three Charities exceeded £ 207 , while in 1884 they reached £ 293 . The returns from

SOMERSETSHIRE Are rather above the average , the lists of Bros . Lieut .-Col . A . Thrale Perkins and Nosworthy amounting together to £ 303 , which , added to its contributions to the other Inttilutions , gives a total lor the year of close on

£ 610 , while in 1885 it distributed amongst the three Charities £ 617 , and in 1884 , £ 640 , giving for the triennial period a total of £ 1867 . It seems from these figures that Somersetshire ' s yearly totals are on about the same level . At the Benevolent Anniversary in February

SOUTH WALES ( IIAST ) , With its array of 16 lodges , figures for the useful , but comparatively modest contribution of 100 guineas , which , with the £ 140 it raised for the Girls ' the other day , makes a total of £ 245 for the year . In 1885 ) 1 divided £ 400 between our two Schools , giving £ 200 to each ; in 1884 it raised

£ 3 60 , namely , £ 200 for the Boys' and £ 160 lor the Girls '; while the previous year it divided between the same Institutions £ 447—Girls' £ 217 , and Boys' £ 230 ; and in 1882 £ 574 , of which thc Boys' received £ 367 , and the balance went to the sister School . This makes for the quinquennial period , 1882-6 , , £ 2026—that is to say , £ 917 for the elder Institution , and £ 1109 for the younger , the Benevolent Institution receiving nothing .

SOUTH WALES ( WEST ) , Though with a muster roll of only 10 lodges , shows to greater advantage on this occasion than its Eastern neighbour , its list amounting to 200 guineas , or just double the contribution of South VVales East . But this is its only appearance during the current year . In 1885 , Bro . Samuel Read---the same brother who acted as Steward on Wednesday—compiled a neat

little list of £ 90 for the Benevolent Institution . In 1884 it raised £ 262 ios . for the Girls' School ; in 1883 , £ 350 for ( he Boys '; and in I S 82 , the year its late chief presided at the Festival of the R . M . B . I ., its contributions amounted to £ 360 , making a total for the last five years of £ 1272 , so that the two divisions of South Wales are about on the same footing in their contributions .

STAFFORDSHIRE , Which works very methodically , figured in Bro . Terry ' s announcement for £ 204 15 s ., and Bro . IT dges had the pleasure of announcing precisely the same sum at the Girl , ' Festival in May . On Wednesday the total was

£ 168 , the number of Stewards being four . This , perhaps , is not quite so hig h a tolal for the year as we had hoped for , but it is a good one nevertheless , and , we dare say , the equilibrium will be restored either next year or the year after . We are pleased that SUFFOLK , With its 21 lodges , has held in reserve a liberal subscription for the Boys'