Contents.

CONTENTS .

LEADERS " 7 Supreme Grand Chapter , 228 Next Wednesday ' s Festival : its Chairman , and his Province 228 Consecration 01 the Henniker Mark Lodge , No . 31 S 2-9 Royal Masonic Institution for Boys 230

Lodge o £ Benevolence 231 CORRESPONDENCEMav Elections 2 3 2 The Girls' School 232 Tpye-ical Vagaries 232 Order of Precedence 232 Grand Lodge Appointments 233

Proposed Testimonial to Bro . W . J . Hughan 230 Fieldlane Ragged Schools 230 Formation of the Provincial Grand M . M . M . Lodge of Nottinghamshire 230 The Grand Master at Oxford 231 Provincial Priory of North and Hast Yorkshire 2 3 r

CORRESPONDENCE —( Continued)—Old Kent Lodge of Mark Master Masons 233 A Temperance Lodge for London 233 The May Election 233 Charity Voting 233 Reviews 233 Masonic Notes and Queries 233

REPORTS OF MASONIC MEETINGSCraft Masonry 233 Instruction 23 : ; Royal Arch 236 Mark Masonry 235 Ancient and Accepted Rite 236 hts lar

Knig lemp 23 G Red Cross of Constantine 236 Ohituary 23 d Consecration of the Camden Chapter , No . 704 236 Masonic and General Tidings , 237 Lodge Meetings for Next Week 238

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WE are very concerned to hear that the list of Stewards for the Girls ' School Festival is not as large as it might well be . We beg to express a hope that many good brethren who keep back the announcement of their names until the last moment will now put their " right foot forward " and send in their names to the SECRETARY " sine mora . " We trust that the

" returns " of the Stewards will make amends for any deficiency of number , and that the good Province of Hampshire and the Isle of Wight will bestir itself and rally round its distinguished and popular GRAND MASTER . There ars few English Freemasons who have done more faithful suit and service to

the Craft than Bro . W . W . B . BEACH . An admirable worker , second to none , in fact , the administration of his important province has been marked by great discrimination and effective ability , and we are certain that under his presidency the Festival of the Girls' School will be a most interesting assembly of charitable Freemasons , as well as a financial success .

* * # THE Festival of the Girls' School , now drawing rapidly near , will be over before we greet our readers again , and will we hope , prove to be a great success . It is just possible that , owing to many conflicting causes , there may not be that exuberant zeal which marked the efforts

last year of the Stewards , swelled their numbers , and expanded their returns . The very prosperity of the Girls' School has been used by some " kind friends" as a reason for a sort of poco-curante indifferentism ; whereas we beg to press on our readers , one and all , that nothing more cruel to the best interests of the Girls' School could be brought about , than to

compel the authorities , by a failure in its annual returns , to reduce its capitalized property . The invested funds of the Girls' School have been carefully husbanded by its Committee to meet any possible future exigences , many of which may arise , and no more shortsighted policy ever was suggested , no more childish , proposition ever was hazarded , than because the

School has done so well in the past , and is prospering in every respect in the present , that it had better fall back upon and utilize its existing means in the future . We feel assured , on the contrary , that the unchanging Iargeheartedness and liberality of English Craftsmen will still be manifested at

the Girls' School Festival as actively and as cheerfully as ever , as well in testimony of their entire confidence in the School authorities , and their warm appreciation of the faithful and laudable efforts of many years to bring it to its present state of efficiency and reality .

«* * A point of Masonic Law comes before us constantly , about which , to say the truth , we are a little " exercized . " We are constantly appealed to about it , and asked to write there anent . It is the question whether under any circumstances a brother can be placed in the Master ' s Chair without having

passed the Warden ' s ! As regards the normal Annual Election of W . M . ' s such undoubtedly is the law , and the "law too of the Medes and Persians , " that no one who has not served a year in a Warden ' s chair can be elected into the Chair of King Solomon . But modern practice has found and inculcates a " gloss " on this wise and venerable law of English

Freemasonry . Where a new lodge is formed , ( and by analogy the same principle is applied to a chapter ) , it is now held that on the recommendation of his brethren and the approval of the G . M ., a brother who is only a Master Mason and has filled no lodge office whatever may be elected W . M ., notwithstanding the law , as W . M . of a new lodge , and installed accordingly .

This is as we said before a modern practice amongst us , and dates from about the last 20 years . Formerly it was required as a " sine qua . non , " that all brethren who were to be Masters of new lodges , should have served in the Warden ' s Chair . We confess we are amongst those who regret that the old custom has been changed . Just now for many reasons ,

it is most advisable to keep close to our ancient landmarks and well tested laws and to avoid the semblance of prematurely advancing any one , be he who he may , into the Master ' s Chair , without he has previously complied with the " wise regulations" to which we have given our assent . Many cases are brought to our notice daily , where there is a tendency in us all alike to make " special laws for special cases , " and when in our humble

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opinion it would be far better for all concerned , far more conducive to the maintainance of Constitutional law , a reasonable interpretation of the Book of Contitutions , and the safe progress and peaceful developement of our time-honoured and commendable Craft , if we adhered firmly and tenaciously to all that experience has tested , and custom has made law .

# * # WE are glad to hear that the subscriptions for the Building Fund of the Boys' School are increasing . We , however , beg to express our hope that such additions are not made to it in lieu of the normal contributions to the General Funds of the School . The " rock ahead , " according to our view

has always been , and we believe the fear is shared in by not a few , that the attractions of the " double votes" may reduce the total of the general fund returns . If so , the position of the School in its active and progressive developement may be seriously affected , because if the annual income is in any way reduced the deficiency must be made up

somehow . If be true , as we have heard , that the provincial returns are to a great extent devoted to the Building Fund , in preference to the General Fund , where , we venture to ask , is the large needful income for the necessary annual expenditure to come from ? If such subscriptions to the Building Fund were an addition to the wonted returns of the General Fund ,

we should be the first to welcome them ; but we fear a little , from what we hear , that the subscriptions to the Building Fund are given instead of to the General Fund . If such be the fact , with the best intentions in the world

the progress of the Building Fund , ( much to be desiderated in itself ) , may seriously affect the annual income of the School . We think it well to call attention to this point , as we fear it is a little overlooked b y some who are inscribing their donations on the Building Fund .

# * # THERE seems from what we hear whispered about a somewhat growing belief of considerable changes impending over our Masonic constitutions . We trust sincerely that these "dark sayings " are but the " canards" of the curious , or the gossips of the credulous . We state distinctly , without

partiality , fear , or favour , and we say it advisedly , that just now for many patent reasons the great body of the Craft desiderate no essential alterations whatever in our well-balanced system . " Leave well alone" is an adage to be carefully kept in mind by all such would be reformers , as we are convinced that Grand Lodge will be most indisposed to countenance any aspirations for hasty innovations , or any unnecessary cry for restless change .

* * AMONG the appointments announced in Grand Lodge , none will give greater general satisfaction we feel sure , than the recognition of the eminent services of Bro . MCINTYRE , our valued Grand Registrar . For 20 years

his name has prominently before the Craft , and few brethren there are who have so earned the good will of his contemporaries and the confidence of the Grand Lodge . As our legal adviser , we look up to him habitually and confidingly in every emergency and never in vain , for wise counsels and constitutional dicta .

w # # THE first meeting of the Stewards for the Boys' School Festival in June , Lord HOLMESDALE being the Chairman , took place on Tuesday last , when Bro . J AMES S . EASTES , D . G . M ., for Kent , and Bro . EDGAR BOWYER , G . S . B ., were elected Grand Chairmen , and Bro . HORACE B . MARSHALL

Treasurer of Stewards . The locale of the festival is not yet fixed itself though the inclination of the meeting was strongly Brightonwards . In fact it seems desirable to get out of London , and London-on-the-Sea has this

great advantage , that it is easily acceptable and get-at-able b y all . There is a great deficiency of the needful accomodation in the suburbs of London , and we are inclined to think that the selection of Bri ghton has many advantages , and will commend itself to many friends of the Boys' School .

# * # WE call attention to a question elsewhere b y two brothers , namely , by one who signs himself "H . E . F ., " and another " District Grand Master . " As we remark Editorially in a foot-note to " H . E . F . ' s" letter we do not profess to understand the point he raises , and think that there must be some error .

The Table of Precedence is so clear on the subject that unless altered by authority no mistake ought to occur . It may be a question of fine constitutional law as to how far the Table of Precedence is part of the

Book of Constitutions . A good deal will turn on what took place in 1815 , when our present Book of Constitutions in its main portions was passed by Grand Lodge . If the Table of Precedence was then submitted to Grand Lodge it still practically forms part of the Book of Constitutions .

# * # THE matter to which a Steward calls our special attention , is one to which we have thought it our duty previously to advert more than once . A good deal of harm has been done by the tone of argument alluded to b y our correspondent foolishly and hastily , though , let us hope , not maliciously adopted by some .