The Year's Festivals.

THE YEAR'S FESTIVALS .

Wc arc now in a position to sum up the results of tlie three Anniversary Festivals of 1892 , and we think our readers will cordially agree with us that those results are eminently satisfactory . It is , indeed , our firm belief that no other Society either in this or any other country could have achieved in the way of voluntary subscriptions what the Freemasons of

Eng land have done during the present year . We naturally watch with a considerable amount of interest the benevolent Festivals which are being continual ! ) ' held both here and elsewhere . VVe note with pleasure how great is the aggregate of the sums subscribed on these occasions , and , what is still more remarkable , how thc tendency of this

aggregate to become greater and still more great is becoming more pronounced from year to year . But we do not find that any other Society than that of the Freemasons keeps on subscribing annually for each of their Charitable Institutions amounts which rarely , if ever , fall below the sum of £ 10 , 000 , and which on certain special occasions within the last ten years have

ranged between . £ 23 , 000 and £ 67 , 500 . We must not , however , lay loo great a stress on thc mere magnitude of the sums we raise . We must remember that the " widow ' s mite " as a benevolent offering is quite as acceptable as the ample donation of the wealthiest patrician . We must remember , likewise , that there are very few Societies which

have taken upon themselves such great responsibilities as we have , that is , ( lie responsibility of providing permanently for about 430 old people and sonic 530 children . To carry out what we have undertaken , it is necessary « -q should provide a large amount annually , while other bodies with fewer and smaller claims upon them are equally with ourselves to be commended ,

when they fulfil their obligations . They do what is required of them , and no man or body of men can do more . But let us describe more particularly what in the way of benevolence as regards our three most important Charitable Institutions has been accomplished during the year 1892 . The first annual Festival was held on the 24 th February in aid of the Royal

Masonic Benevolent Institution , and as the Charity was established in 1 S 42 , exceptional efforts were made in order that the Jubilee Festival of the Charity might prove an exceptionally brilliant success . An immense Board of Stewards , comprising no less than 1527 ladies and brethren , was formed , and we are now in a position to give the total of the sums they

raised as amounting in round figures to £ 67 , 500 . In May the ordinary annual Festival of the Royal Masonic Institution for Girls , luder the presidency of his Royal Highness thc Duke of Connaught , was celebrated ; the Board of Stewards mustered 301 brethren , and the total of donations and subscriptions reached £ 10 , 000 . In June the

ordinary Festival of the Royal Masonic Institution for Boys took place , the Board of Stewards mustering 306 ladies and brethren , and the sum realised amounting to £ 12 , 250 . Thus there have been 2133 brethren who have given their services as Stewards , while the result of their labours as expressed in pounds sterling amounts to £ 89 , 750 ; indeed , we shall not be

fir out in our reckoning if we set down the final total at £ 90 , 000 . A huge sum , forsooth , and illustrating a huge amount of kindly feeling on the part both of those who had a hand in raising it and those who contributed . As regards the brethren who acted as Stewards , we must not lose sight of the

fact that several of them gave their services at all . three Festivals , and a still greater number , or at all events as great a number , at two of them ; but after waking allowance for these cases , we shall doubtless be justified in stating l'ic number of brethren who served as Stewards at 2000 . This gives thc

Vcr y high average of £ 45 per list . Carrying our inquiries a little further wc note that the Provinces raised some £ 37 , 000 for the Benevolent Jubi / ee , £ 4500 for the Girls' School ''cstival , and £ 8500 at that of the Boys' School , or together £ 50 , 000 . Going still further into detail , we find that three Provinces , namely , Bristol ¦

—which did remarkably well on the occasion it was represented — the Channel 'slnnds , and Jersey , figured at one Festival ,- that Bedfordshire , Cornwall , Leicestershire and Rutland , Monmouthshire , Northumberland , Nottinghamshire , North and East Yorkshire , and ihe Isle of Man took part in two ; ai , ( l that all the others were entered for the whole three . As regards London

11 r-iiscd £ 30 , 500 for thc Benevolent Institution , £ 5500 for the Girls'School , ' " '" i d , let us say , £ 4000 for the Boys' School , or altogether some £ 40 , 000 . ° consider this a result which reflects the highest credit on the lodges in „ Metropolis , which it must be remembered are only about one-third of , - . . ., , , , , , . _ . ,. , _ ... _ ,.. _ __ w . . _ ... __> ...-. _ . ... w J *_ .

e "umber located in the Provinces . It is quite irtie , as wc stated in our ' b'sis of the Returns at thc recent Boys' School Festival , that the V | nces 011 that occasion did the lion ' s share of thc work , but those , . express the hope that lhey may not sec thc " Provincial brethren rill ., to come down to the level of thc Metropolis" are , most

The Year's Festivals.

unwarrantably casting a stigma on this particular section of the English Cralt . Our London , like our Provincial , brethren discharge their duty towards our Institutions admirabl y , and it is a gross act of injustice to suggest there is a marked inequality in the amounts subscribed by the two sections without at the same time taking into account the inequality which exists in the number of lod ges comprised within their respective limits .

I here is just one further remark and we have done . In 1888 , when the Girls' School celebrated its Centenary , the aggregate of the subscriptions at the three Festivals was about £ 75 , 000 ; this year , when the Benevolent Institution has been celebrating its Jubilee , the amount is £ 90 , 000 . Let us hope that those who are spared to see the Boys' School Centenary in 1898 may be able to record an even greater advance than has becn made between now and 1888 .

Provincial Grand Lodge Of Middlesex

PROVINCIAL GRAND LODGE OF MIDDLESEX

The annual meeting of the above Prov . Grand Lodge was held on Saturday , the 25 th ult ., at the Parish Room , Teddington , under the presidency of Bro . Raymond H . Thrupp , P . A . G . D . C , Deputy Provincial Grand Master in charge . Amongst the brethren in attendance were Bro . J . M . Stedwell , P . P . G . W . Middx ., as Deputy Piov . Grand Master , and the following Prov . Grand Officers :

Bros . VV . H . Preece , F . R . S ., P . S . G . W . ; Rev . H . Pelham Stokes , P . G . Chap . ; Henry V . Clements , P . G . Treas . ; G . L . Wingate , P . G . Reg . ; Howard H . Room , P . G . Sec . ; O . Von Holtorp , P . G . D . C ; F . C . Austin , P . D . G . D . C , ; John Filler , P . G . Std . Br . ; E . A . Smith , P . G . Std . Br . ; VV . T . Peat , P . G . Org . ; VV . H . Lee , P . Assist . G . Sec . ; R . Drummond , P . G . Purst . ; S . VV . Keene , P . A . G . Purst . ; and J . Gilbert , P . G . Tyler . The following Past Prov . Grand Officers were also

present : C . I . Axford , P . P . D . G . D . C . ; S . T . Briggs , P . P . G . D . ; D . P . Cama , P . G . Treas . Eng ., P . P . G . Swd . Br . ; J . O . Carter , P . P . G . W . ; F . L . Chandler , P . P . G . Purst . ; W . Cock , P . P . G . D . ; J . Davies , P . P . G . D . ; W . S . Dunkley , P . P . G . Purst . ; Rev . R . Fawssett , P . P . G . Chap , ; Herman Fehrenbach , P . P . G . D . ; J . Ferguson , P . P . G . W . ; J . Finch , P . P . G . Supt . of Works ; R . W . Forge , P . P . G . D . C . ; W . C . Hall , P . P . G . Std . Br . ; E . Hopwood , P . P . G . Swd . Br . ; R . N . Jones

P . P . S . G . D . ; E . Y . Jolliffe , P . P . G . W . ; J . Laurence , P . P . G . D . C ; F . W . Levander P . P . G . D . ; J . J . Marsh , P . P . G . Std . Br . ; E . Morison , P . P . G . Supt . of Works-Col . K . R . Montgomery , P . P . G . W . ; John Osborn , P . P . G . Std . Br . ; J . B . Rvley ' M . D ,, P . P . G . D . ; A . E . Sansom , M . D ., P . P . G . W . ; Rev . S . T . H . Saunders , P . P . G . Chap . ; W . A . Scurrah , P . P . G . Supt . of Works ; H . W . Seager , P . P . G . D .-

W . Sweetland , P . P . G . Reg . ; J . Tickle , P . P . G . Reg . ; A . Tucker , P . P . G . D . C . Capt . T . C . Walls , P . P . G . W . ; and W . Wright , P . P . G . Org . The following Grand Officers were present : Bros . Edward Letchworth , G . Sec . ; C . E . Keyser , J . G . D . ; and E . Monteuuis , P . G . Swd . Br . There was also present many Masters , Wardens , and members of lodges in the province , as well as many visitors .

The roll of lodges in the province was called , when it was found that all were represented except the Burdett Lodge . The Provincial Grand Lodge having been opened , a letter was read from Lady Burdett expressing thanks for the sympathetic vote passed by Provincial Grand Lodge .

The minutes were then read and confirmed . The Report of the Audit Committee , which was unanimously adopted , showed a balance in hand of £ 173 , and the Charity Committee reported that £ 40 had been distributed during the past year to widows of deceased brethren .

Bro . Dr . SAXSOM , P . P . G . W ., proposed Bro . Frost Creswick , W . M . 2183 , as Provincial Grand Treasurer for the ensuing year . Bro . J . TICKLE , P . P . G . Reg ., seconded the proposition , and there being no other nomination Bro . Frost Creswick was declared unanimousl y elected . A vote of thanks was accorded Bro . Clements for his services as Prov . Grand Treasurer during the past year . The following brethren were appointed and invested as Prov . Grand Officers :

Bro . F . D . Dixon Hartland , 778 ... ... Prov . S . G . W . „ T . W . Carmalt Jones , F . R . G . S . Edin ., 708 ... Prov . J . G . W . ,, Rev . M . Crawford , B . A ., 1460 , ( re-appointed ) ) ,-, ,-, r ., „ Rev . H . Pelham Stokes , 187 . ( reappointed / j l rov ' ' Clla P ' I _ I- " mcf (" rP ^ U'lVL' Mll . 7 Pl ~/ - _ . r n 'IVnn ,. w ¦ 1 i vjjiuis

n , 1 ' * ~ " " - " — - _ . __ , - v . ... ... _> . . , „ W . A . Prince , 16 91 ... ... ... Prov . G . Reg . „ H . H . Room 1777 ( re-appointed ) ... ... Prov . G . Sec . ,, J . Hookey , 2087 ... ... .. " In e r- r . > „ j . Hutchison , 1415 ... ... j Prov . S . G . D . 's . 1 i 12 i

,, .. vv . -iaync , 3 ! . ... ... ... „ , „ D . Stroud , 16 37 ... ... j Prov . J . G . D . 's . „ P . Monson , 1194 ... ... ... Prov . G . S . of W . „ T . II . Hicks , 1597 ... ... ... Prov . G . D . C . \ runii 1 / 93 iJllJot (

11 v . j . -, ... ... ... rrov .. _ r .. __ . „ K . Cotton , 382 ... ... ... Prov . A . G . D . C . „ J . H . Roach , 1579 ... ... ... Prov . G . S . B . „ ' E . Bamford , 1549 ... ... ... 7 u n c . 1 u II . Woods . 1 . 00 l rov - G ' Std . Brs .

„ I'd J . Oliver , 946 ... Prov . G . Org . „ VV . JI . Lee , 1897 ( re-appointed ) ... ... Prov . Asst . G . Sec . „ S . VV . Keene , 865 ... ... ... Prov . G . Purst . „ R . Kales , 1 5 12 ... ... ... Prov . A . G . Purst .