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CONTENTS . LEADERSThe Mark Benevolent Fund Festival ... ... — 34 ' Results of the Three Great Anniversary Festivals of 1 S 99 ... 34 ' Boscombe Hospital—Laying the First Stone ... ... " * — 34

Consecration of the St . Michael Lodge , No . 2747 ... •¦• 34 j Cheshire Masonic Charities ... ... ••• — 345 Provincial Priory of Dorset ... ... — — 3 + 5 Summer Outing of the Clarence and Avondale Lodge , No . 2411 ... •¦• 345 The Sacredness of the Ballot ... ... ... ••• - 345

MASONIC NOTESQuarterly General Court of Royal Masonic Institution for Girls ... ... 347 Annual Meeting of the Prov . Grand Lodge of North and East Yorkshire ... 347 Consecration of the Earl ' s Court Lodge , No . 2765 ... ... 347 Grand Lodge Coloured Freemasons ... .. ; _ ... 347 Annual Meeting of the Provincial Grand Lodge of Hertfordshire ... 347 Deaths of Bros . Major-General J . C . Hay and Neville Green ... 347 Correspondence ... ... ... ... — 348

Masonic Notes and Queries ... ... ... ••• 34 * Craft Masonry "" ... ... ... ... ••¦ ¦•• 348 Allied Masonic Degrees ... ... ... ... ¦•• ••• 349 Instruction- ... ... ... ... ... — 340 Royal Masonic Institution for Girls .,. ... ... ••• 35 °

Royal Masonic Institution for Boys ... ... ... •¦• 35 ° Summer Outing of the Regent ' s Park Lodge , No . 2202 ... ... ... 35 ° Province of Surrey ... ... ... ... •¦• ••• 35 ° Ancient and Accepted Rite ... ... ... — 35 ° Obituary ... ... ... ... ... ... ¦¦ 35 ° Masonic and General Tidings ... ... ... — — 35-

The Mark Benevolent Fund Festival.

THE MARK BENEVOLENT FUND FESTIVAL .

The 31 st Anniversary Festival in behalf of . the Mark Benevolent Fund , will be held at Freemasons' Tavern on Wednesday , the 12 th instant , under thc presidency of R . VV . Bro . the Earl of WARWICK , Past Prov . G . Mark Master of

Warwickshire , who , only a few weeks ago , was installed Grand Master of the newly-constituted Mark Province of Essex . These gatherings have the reputation of being among the most pleasant of our annual reunion ? , and wc have every

reason to hope that , under his lordship ' s auspices , and with the able support he is certain to receive from the other dignitaries of the Order , next Wednesday ' s meeting will be at least as pleasant as any of its predecessors . Wc trust , too , lhat as the

Mark Festival , in common with those of the Girls and Benevolent Institutions , suffered somewhat last year by the superior attractions of thc Boys' Centenary , compensation will be forthcoming on this occasion in a higher total of donations and subscriptions .

In 18 9 8 , when the chair was occupied by R . VV . the Hon . ALAN DE TATTON EGERTON , M . P ., Prov . G . Master of Cheshire , the Returns somewhat exceeded £ 1800 ; but the previous year , when the late lamented Bro . Col . A . B . COOK , Prov . G . Master

for Middlesex , presided , they amounted to upwards of £ 3100 ; and , though we may not venture to hope for a success so signal as was then achieved , we shall be surprised and

disappointed if the figures do not approximate more closely to those of the late Col . Cook's record year . The Fund is in every respect worthy of the generous support which has been accorded it durine the last 10 or a dozen

years . One branch of it administers temporary relief to properl y qualified Mark brethren and their widows , who are in greater or less need of a timely helping hand . A second branch 1 harges itself with thc responsibility of educating the children

° f deceased and indigent Mark brethren at schools in the nei ghbourhood of their residence and making them a certain annual ' ¦ "'lowance towards their clothing . The remaining branch proyides annuities for brethren and their widows , the former receiv-> n S £ 26 and the latter - £ 21 , while to both classes of annuitants

The Mark Benevolent Fund Festival.

a Christmas present of £ 5 each is made additionally , so that the benefits conferred by the Mark Benevolent Fund are , undoubtedly , of a substantia ! character , especially when we bear in mind lhat it has only been in existence for somewhat over 30 years .

As for the prospects which await us of the nearer approach to the figures of the 18 97 Festival , we can only say that , as far-as our information goes , they appear to be favourable , and for the

sake of the noble Chairman who will preside , the Stewards who will second his efforts , and , above all , for the Fund in whose interests the Festival takes place , wc sincerely hope those prospects will be fully realised .

Results Of The Three Great Anniversary Festivals Of 1899.

RESULTS OF THE THREE GREAT ANNIVERSARY FESTIVALS OF 1899 .

The Festival season of the current year ended last week , and we are now in a position to realise not only what the Craft has done for our central Institutions after its stupendous efforts in respect of the Boys' Centenary in 18 9 S , but also to note the

progress the Charities have made in the estimation of the brethren during thc years that have elapsed since the Girls' Centenary was celebrated . As regards the current year , we remark that , according to the Return of thc Benevolent Festival in February ,

as revised to the end of last month , the total subscribed to that Institution , under the auspices of I ord LLANGATTOCK , Prov . G . Master of thc Eastern Division of South Wales , is £ 20 , 16 . 2 9 s . 3 d ., as compared with the £ 18 , 207 Ss . Gd . which Piro .

TERRY , the Secretary , was privileged to announce on thc day of celebration . In May Viscount DUNGARVAN , Prov . G . Master of Somersetshire , presided at the 111 th Festival of the Royal Masonic Institution for Girls , and Pro . Secretary

HEDGES had the pleasure of announcing a total of Returns amounting to £ 21 , 045 3 s . 3 d . ; while , on Wednesday , the 28 th ult ., when Bro . CHARLES E . KF . VSKK , occupied the chair at the 101 st Festival of the Royal Masonic

Institution for Boys , the total announced by Bro . Secretary McLEOl ) was £ 8599 17 s . 6 d ., which , though there appear to be but few lists unaccounted for , will probably be increased b y

returns subsequently received to quite £ 9000 . Thus the total obtained at these Anniversary gatherings is fully £ 50 ^ 0 , which , having regard to the fact of last year ' s total having amounted to upwards of £ 160 , 000 , is a total that is almost above praise .

As regards thc progress which our Institutions have made since 1888 in the estimation of the brethren , this , we think , will be most apparent from a consideration of the following figures . In 1888 , when the Girls' School held its

Centenary L-esUval , thc 'Benevolent Institution obtained a total of Donations and Subscriptions amounting to £ 15 , 200 7 s . 6 d . ; the Girls' School , at its Centenary , under H . R . H . the Prince of WALES , M . W . Graud Master , and

President of the Institution , £ 51 , 516 19 s . ; and the Boys' School , whose 90 th Anniversary was held only about thrc ? weeks after the Girls ' Centenary , £ 86 73 * 2 s ., the total for the year being ^ 75 i 39 ° ' 8 s- Gel . In 1809 , when , of necessity , there was a

falling off in thc Returns , the Benevolent Institution received £ 13 , 508 4 s . 6 d . ; the Girls' School , £ 5354 15 s . ; and the Boys' School , £ 13 , 603 15 s . 6 d ., giving atolal forthe year of

£ 32 , 4 66 15 s . In 1892 , when the Benevolent Institution Imld its Jubilee Festival , the following were the Returns obtained b y the three institutions , namely , the Benevolent Institution , £ 69 , 000 is . yd . ; the Girls' School , £ 10 , 002 ios . 6 d . ; and the