Grand Mark Lodge.

fit them all in . But as his Royal Highness was not able to be present that evening , he had arranged to come at three o ' clock on Saturday afternoon , when a special Grand Lodge would be held for conferring on him the rank of Past Grand Master , and he hoped the brethren would give him a warm reception . The report of the General Board was then taken as read . That report was as follows :

REPORT OF THB GENERAL BOARD . The number of certificates issued in the half-year to 30 th September last was 604 . The total of registered advancements being now 18 , 165 . During the same period warrants for new lodges were granted to—No . 320 Jordan , Torquay , Devon . I No . 322 Temple , Dartford , Kent . „ 321 Biffin , Carnarvon , N . Wales . | „ 323 Peveril , Douglas , Isle of Man In the Degree of Royal Ark Mariner the number of certificates issued was 43

, bringing the total registered elevations to 1393 . The fifteenth anniversary festival of the Mark Benevolent Fund was celebrated at the Crystal Palace , on Wednesday , 28 th July last , under the presidency of R . W . Bro . Sir Pryse Pryse , Bart ., Provincial Grand Mark Master of South Wales , whose efforts , supported by 36 Stewards and a numerous gathering- of friends , resulted in a subscription of £ 727 , the largest amount yet realised .

i : The services of brethren actively supporting the anniversary festivals in aid of this fund demandand receive the fullest recognition . The educational branch of this fund is not only continuing , but increasing its benefits , its sphere of usefulness being enlarged from time to time . It has under its care nine boys and three girls . Applications have been received for the admission of two boys and two girls , two of whom will be elected at a meeting shortly to be held . The voting papers are in course of preparation , and will , in due course , be in the hands of the governors and subscribers .

itte Hoard recommends to the Grand Lodge the confirmation of the following grants : £ 20 to a brother of the Adams Lodge , No . 6 ; £ 50 to a brother . of the Roberts Lodge , No . 24 . In the course of the remarks addressed to the brethren in Grand Lodge assembled on Tuesday , 5 th June , 1 SS 3 , the MAV . Grand M , Master made , as will be remembered , allusion to the proximate adhesion to the Order of H . R . H . the Prince of Wales , feeling confident that the announcement was one which would be cordially welcomed by every brother . wi

uesaay , 30 th uctober last , his Koyal Highness , by his own appointment , was regularly advanced as a Mark Master Mason , and subsequently installed as W . M . of a lodge of Mark Master Masons , in an emergency meeting of Grand Lodge , by special dispensation , the former ceremony havingbeen most ably and impressively performed by H . R . H . the Duke of Albany , K . G ., M . W . Past Grand Mark Master , the latter by the M . W . Grand Mark Master , Rt . Hon . Lord Henniker , in the presence of 40 members of the Order , comprising Past Grand Masters , the Grand Officers of the year , and Provincial

and Deputy Provincial Grand Masters . The event , is one from which every member of the Order must derive the most unqualified gratification . In pursuance of notice given at the Half-yearly Communication , his Royal Highness having signified his assent , the M . W . Grand Master will move in Grand Lodge on the 4 th prox ., "That the rank of Most Worshipful Grand Master be conferred upon his Royal Highness the Prince of Wales , and that the name of his Royal Highness be placed at the head of the list of Past Grand Masters of the Grand Lodge .

( Signed ) G . R . PORTAL , Past G . M . M ., President . London , 19 th November , 1883 . The Grand Treasurer ' s Accounts for the six months ending 31 st March , 18 S 3 , show the following results : —

GENERAL FUND . Balance from 31 st March , 1 S 83 £ 403 12 1 Half-year's Disbursements : Half-year's receipts 6 90 13 7 Ordinary Expenditure ... £ 490 10 5 Interest on Investments ... 47 5 o Extraordinary Expenditure : New Zealand Bond paid off ... 100 o o Subscription to Masonic Sufferers by Fire at Jamaica ... 25 o o Subscription to Preparatory School of R . M . LB 5210 o Purchase of £ 500 New Zealand Bonds 529 15 o

£ 1241 10 S £ i ° 97 ' 5 5 Balance at Bankers £ 228 4 4 Less Cheques not paid 79 4 1 Amount paid in above Receipts ... 5 5 o S 4 91 £ ' 43 » 5 3

BENEVOLENT FUND . Balance from 31 st March , 1883 ^ 229 7 o Half-yearly Disbursements : Half-year ' s receipts 501 7 6 Grants in Relief £ 100 o o Interest on Investments ... 41 8 4 Expenses 5 12 o Transferred to Educational Fund 305 o 3 Purchase of £ 100 Queensland Bonds 101 5 0

£ 773 2 1 ° i £ 511 « 7 3 Balance at Bankers £ 277 8 7 Less Cheques not paid 5 12 o Amount paid in above Receipts n 11 o — 17 3 o £ 260 5 7

EDUCATION FUND . Balance from 31 st March , 1883 £ 82 10 ti Half-year's Disbursements : Transferred from Benevolent Educational Fees £ 57 o 4 Fund 305 0 3 Purchase of £ 100 Queens-Interest on Investments ... 19 7 10 land Bonds toi 2 6

£ 406 19 o ' £ 158 2 10 Balance at Bankers £ 253 o 2 Less Cheque not paid 440 £ 248 16 2

INVESTED FUNDS . General Fund £ 2600 o o Benevolent Fund 1800 o o Educational Fund . 900 o o And the Board have ordered the following additional investments : On account of Benevolent Fund 200 o o

„ „ Educational ,, 200 o o Audited and found correct , H . A . DUBOIS , F . C . A ., Auditor . 10 th November , 1 S 83 . Bro . F . DAVISON , G . T ., proposed , and Bro . ROBERT BERRIDGE , G . D . C ., seconded , that the report be received and entered on the minutes . The , motion having been carried , Bro . DAVISONG . T . movedand Bro . LEVANDERG . Reg . seconded

, , , , , the grant of £ 20 to a brother of the Adams Lodge , No . o . The motion was carried . Bro . DAVISON , G . T ., proposed , and Bro . BINCKES , G . S ., seconded the grant of £ 50 to a brother of the Roberts Lodge , No . 24 . The motion was carried . [ Bro . LEVANDER , G . Reg ., moved , and Bro . MAGNUS OIIREN , P . O ., M . O ., seconded , that the report be adopted .

Grand Mark Lodge.

The motion was carried . Col . H . S . SOMERVILLE BURNEY then rose and said : Brethren , I have the great honour to propose to you the name of the Deputy Grand Master , the Earl of Kintore , as the Grand Master of this Degree for the ensuing year . I have had the privilege of knowing his lordship for many years , and know he is a good and zealous Mason . I know the Mark Degree will feel that it will be a difficult task to supply the place of our present Grand

Master , who has ever taken such great interest in the Order , but I do not think he can have a better successor in his office than the Earl of Kintore , and I beg to nominate him for the office of Grand Master . Lord HENNIKER said he had an application from the Province of North and East Yorkshire , through its Grand Master , Bro . Woodall , of Scarboro ' , that the next moveable Grand Mark Lodge should be held at York . That invitation he had accepted , and he had fixed to hold that Grand Lodge at York on some convenient day in the month of May .

Lord Henniker next distributed charity jewels to the following brethren who were Stewards for the Mark Benevolent Fund Festival last July : Bros . Crawshay Bailey , J . H . Banks , VV . Barkley , H . G . Barwell , Edgar Bowyer , Henri Brett , Charles Coupland , George Dalrymple , J . M . N . Davies , Charles H . Driver , Henry Faiia , E . B . Florence , Edwin Gilbert , John Harrison , H . R . Hatherly , Geo . Rollingtcn

A . H . Jeffenes , i > . G . Kirchhoffer , George Lambert , G . F . Lancaster , Charles S . Lane , John Lane , F . Lawrence , William Marsh , Rev . J . Marsden , Rev . C . J . Martyn , H . C Miller , James Moon , William Morris , George Powell , John Smith , W . E . Stewart , lof . n Tomkins , Alfred Williams , J . W . Woodall , and G . L . Woodley . Bro . BINCKES next read the following list of brethren from whom apologies had been received for their inability to attend :

M . W . Bros . Right Hon . Lord Leigh , P . G . M . M . ; Right Hon . the Earl of Limerick , P . G . M . M . ; Right Hon . the Earl of Carnarvon , P . G . M . M . ; Right Hon . the Earl of Lathom , P . G . M . M . ; Right Hon . Earl Percy , P . G . M . M . ; R . W . Bros . Right Hon . the Earl of Kintore , Deputy G . M . M . ; T . Trollope , M . D ., Prov . G . M . Sussex ; Rev . C R . Davy , Prov . G . M . Gloucestershire ; Rev . Canon Tristram , D . C . L ., Prov . G . M . Northumberland and Durham ; Jack Sutcliffe , Prov . G . M . Lincolnshire ; W . Kelly , F . S . A ., Prov . G . M . Leicestershire ; Right Hon . Lord EgertonProv . G . M . Cheshire :

, Col . J . Tanner Davy , Prov . G . M . Devonshire ; VV . J . Hughan , P . G . W . ; V . W . Bios . H . R . Hatherly , G . M . O . ; R . H . Thrupp , P . G . M . O . ; Baron de Ferriere * , P . G . M . O . ; Col . C . E . Bignold , P . G . M . O . ; Rev . E . H . Crate , G . Chap . ; Rev . R . P . Bent . P . G . Chap . ; Rev . P . H . E . Brette , D . D ., P . G . Chap . ; Rev . H . J . Hatch , P . G . Chap .: R . Harwood , G . D . ; Dr . G . B . Brodie , G . D . ; F . W . Ramsay , M . D ., P . G . D . ; P . de

E . Collins , P . G . D . ; S . Mattison , P . G . D . ; W . Bros . G . Dalrymple , G . A . D . of C ; E . Friend , G . A . D . of C . j G . Lambert , P . G . S . B . ; J . D . Murray , " G . Std . Br . ; W . Watkins , G . Std . Br . ; W . Belcher , P . G . Org . ; Col . F . R . Sewell , Deputy Prov . G . M . Cumberland and Westmorland ; F . VV . Ansell , P . G . : Stwd . ; VV . Nott , P . G . Stwd . ; C . W . Hudson , P . G . Stwd . ; H . George , P . G . Stwd . ; W . T . Clarke , P . G . Stwd . ; J . E . Anderson , P . G . Stwd . ; and A . Cracknell , G . Stwd .

Grand Lodge was then closed and the brethren adjourned to banquet , but as Lord Henniker was not able to stay , the chair was taken b y Bro . Binckes , and the usual toasts were proposed . Bro . BINCKES referred to the admirable position which Lord Henniker had asserted for himself during the two-and-half years that he had been Grand Master . What his lordship had done had won the highest meed of approval of the brethren . No doubt the Earl of Kintore would do honour

to the high position to which he had been nominated , although he succeeded so excellent a Grand Master as Lord Henniker . The Mark Degree had , by the rule it established when it was first constituted , a long list of Past Masters . The Grand Master only held his office for three years , and though he did not wish to draw invidious distinctions between the management of this Order and that of any other Order , he thought the Mark Degree had a right to be proud of the possession of a long line of Past Grand Masters .

There were now eight or nine in succession . Happily , all the distinguished brethren who had occupied the chair of Grand Master of the Mark Degree were now alive , and rarely had any of them been absent from any of the meetings . Whether or not , this was an argument in favour of the vitality of the degree he did not know ; but he believed it was , and it was a coincidence they had a right to make the most of . The degree stood alone among the Masonic organisations of the British Isles in having such a bod y of Past

Grand Masters , and whether absent or present they evinced their interest in promoting the prosperity of the Order . In giving the toast of " The Deputy Grand Master , the Ear ! of Kintore , " Bro . BINCKES gave a description of the contest which in the earl y days of the Grand Mark Lodge of England was waged with the Grand Chapter of Scotland , and he hailed with the heartiest satisfaction the cordiality which

now existed between the two bodies , and it was with very great pleasure they now had a Scottish nobleman nominated as the Grand Master of the Order . He looked upon this fact as the placing of the Keystone to the Arch and putting the last cement to the Union between Scotland and England , He informed the brethren that there was no lack of applicants for the rank of Grand Officer in the Mark Degree , for the Grand Master had lists which were crowded with names . The other toasts were afterwards given , including the Benevolent and Education Funds , and the visitors and the brethren then separated .

Royal Masonic Institution For Boys.

ROYAL MASONIC INSTITUTION FOR BOYS .

The General Committee of this Institution met on Saturday last at Freemasons' Hall , when there were present ! Bros . Raynham W . Stewart . P . G . D . ( in the chair ); John L . Mather , Alfred Williams , C . F . Matier , Don . M . Dewar , Joyce Murray , Richard Tyrrell , Wm . Mann , Arthur E . Gladwell , C . H . Webb , Leopold Ruf , Charles Belton , Edgar Bowyep , W . Maple , Fredk . Adlard , George P . Gillard , Charles H . Driver , W . H . Saunders , George Motion , W . Paas , H . S . Goodall , F . Binckes ( Secretary ) , and H . Massey ( Freemason ) .

After the reading and confirmation of the minutes a petition was read from the friends of one boy whose time expires in January next , asking that he might be allowed to remain till Januar }' , 1885 , under the following circumstances : when home for the holidays a year or more ago , in the country , he was struck in the eye by a stone from a catapult used by a boy with whom he was not pla 3 < ing , and with whom he was in no way connected . By this accident he was incapacitated from returning to school , and was under medical treatment for more than a year , during which time he lost all the benefit of education in the School .

The Committee , on this being reported to them , resolved that as the Institution had been spared the expense of his board , & c , for a year , he should be allowed to remain in the School till Midsummer , 1884 . The brethren then considered the petitions . Three of these were accepted , and one was deferred . The usual outfit of £ 5 was granted to three late pupils of the Institution , who are now in situations , and have conducted themselves well . With reference to the case of Herring , mentioned by Bro . C . H . Webb at the last meeting , Bro , BINCKES said he had received a letter from Bro ,