The Approaching Festival Of The Royal Masonic Institution For Girls.

THE APPROACHING FESTIVAL OF THE ROYAL MASONIC INSTITUTION FOR GIRLS .

Now that the Festival in behalf of the Royal Masonic Benevolent Institution has been held , we find ourselves in a position to claim our readers ' attention to the requirements of the oldest ol our three great Central Charities—the Royal Masonic Institution for Girls—the 105 th Anniversary of which will be celebrated on Wednesday , the 17 th May , under the

presidency of Bro . the Earl of EUSTON , Provincial Grand Master of Northants and Hunts . That the Institution is a model of high-class management ; that . its system of education is well calculated , not only to develope the mental powers of , but likewise to promote a strong moral tone among , the children entrusted to its charge—thus fitting them to fulfil

any station they may be called upon to occupy in after-life ; and that its benefits are dispensed in such a manner that , while every endeavour is made by the authorities to ensure a high standard of efficiency , the dictates of economy are not entirely lost sight of—these are facts which are gladly recognised as such everywhere throughout the Craft , and of which we

English Masons and our friends are justly proud . So far as it has been possible to trace the subsequent career of the girls who were educated in the School , there are just grounds for asserting that the great majority of them have reflected credit on the training they received while under the care of

their alma mater . Moreover , for many years past they have proved to a demonstration that they are capable of holding their own against other children of about their own age and standing at fhe various public examinations which have been instituted for the benefit of middle-class schools . Not a few of them have won

distinction in the scholastic world , the whole of the tutorial staff at Battersea Rise , with the solitary exception of the Head Governess , being composed of old girls—we trust our fair friends will hold us guiltless of using this expression as in any sense a reflection upon their age—who are thus privileged to inculcate in the minds of those who come after them the principles of their

own successful training . There is then no question as to the propriety of the appeal which is made annually in behalf of our Institution for Girls . It does its work admirably , and deserves our suppoit . But these appeals are not only justifiable on the grounds we have stated . They are rendered necessary by the condition of its funds . The permanent income , including

the grants by Grand Lodge and by Grand Chapter , is within . £ 2500 , while the annual outlay is between £ 11 , 000 and £ 12 , 000 . There is then an annual deficit which cannot amount to much less than , £ 10 , 000 , and for which thc Institution is compelled to rely upon the voluntary contributions of the Craft . Hut while these figures represent as nearly as possible the income and

expenditure of the Institution , we must not ignore the fact that every now and then the necessity arises for some extraordinary outlay , for which no provision is made in our previous calculations . This outlay may be great or small , but it must be met as it is incurred , and the authorities , therefore , wisely endeavour to ensure , as far as lies in their power , that the receipts from all

sources shall exceed the regular disbursements by from £ 500 to £ 1000 , Unfortunately , their endeavours in this respect since the year of the Centenary Festival have been unsuccessful . The very large sum of , £ 51 , 500 was raised at the celebration of that event , of which some ^ 3 ° i Ooo was expended ( 1 ) in the extension and re-arrangement of the School

premises ; and ( 2 ) in the erection of the Alexandra Centenary Hall . Thus 'here remained a sum of about £ 21 , 500 available for the requirements of the institution ; and though , in further commemoration of the Centenary , the ( jovernors resolved on increasing the number of children on the establishment by 20 , the School for the time beinsr , at all events , may be said to have

been flush of money . Since then , however , its fortunes have been on the wane , owing to circumstances which arc easy to be explained , 'hus , in 188 9 , it was considered necessary that the chief support of the year should be given to the Boys' School , which had suffered materially by ' overwhelming claims of the Girls' Centenary . Consequently , the Girls '

• school Festival yielded only some £ 5400—3 goodly sum , no doubt , and sufficient with the surplus from the previous year to meet the expenditure , n 1890 there was a recovery , and the Festival produced £ 11 , 000 ; but in the - > ar following there was again a very serious decline , in consequence of the ^ y successful efforts made by the friends of the sister Institution at Wood

een , and the Festival yielded only the very moderate amount of £ 8600 , or , ° y £ 2400 than in 1890 . Last year the Benevolent Institution celebrated _ n .. * foundation , and the friends of that Charity made such ° rts in its behalf that a total , which ultimately reached the unprecedented to . ^ 9 i °° o was accumulated . Yet the Girls' School made a gallant effort Btrieve its fortunes , and thanks to the kindness which prompted H . R . H .

The Approaching Festival Of The Royal Masonic Institution For Girls.

the Duke of CONNAUGHT to give his services as Chairman , the product of the Festival showed a very substantial recovery , the sum announced and realised being , in round figures , £ 10 , 000 , and there is very little doubt but that for the pre-eminent claims of the Benevolent Jubilee , a very much larger total would have been realised . Thus the four Festivals which have been held in

behalf of the Girls' School since 18 SS have yielded in the aggregate £ 35 , 000 , which , as our readers know full well , is considerably below the yearly average from 1 S 7 S to 1 SS 7 , and , what is still more unfortunate , considerably below the amount which is required to satisf y the regular and contingent requirements of the Charity . We , therefore , most earnestly appeal to our

readers and through them to the Craft generally to contribute not more willingly than heretofore—for they are always read y to do what is shown to be necessary—but more largely , so that the necessary equilibrium between receipt and outlay which has been so seriousl y disturbed during the last four years may be completely re-established . Last year's statement of

account discloses a balance against the Institution amounting to upwards of £ 7 00 and if sucl 1 a response as was made last year is the result of the Stewards ' efforts and our present appeal to the brethren , it does not need much familiarity with figures to discover that this balance on the wrong side of the account must remain , or , more likely still , be increased to a sum , which

it will be more difficult to adjust at some future period . However , we are not without hope that the efforts of the Stewards will be responded to in a manner which will remind us of the days before iSSS , when though there were fluctuations from year to year in the amounts obtained by voluntary contributions , the average annual receipt from

this source was just a trifle more than sufficient to meet the average annual expenditure . The prospects are certainly encouraging . In the first place , the services of one of our most distinguished Craftsmen—Bro . the Earl of EUSTON—as Chairman were secured at an early date . In the next place , so far as our information goes , the Board of Stewards is a . stron <>*

one numerically , and though there is much to be desired as regards the distribution of its members as between town and country , we are not without hope that the weakness of the former will be in a measure compensated for by the somewhat unusual strength of the latter . VVe could wish that more London lodges and chapters were represented on the

Board , but there is still time for any deficiency in this respect to be remedied ; while , even if things remain pretty much as they are , the Provincial representatives are numerous above thc average . Moreover , as there is a " Chairman's Province , " which acejuitted itself with great success a few years since , and as it is pretty generally known that West Yorkshire intends giving the bulk of its support during the present year to this Charity , we arc satisfied the Provinces will irive . 1 vnrv < mnrl armnni nf

themselves when the day appointed for the celebration arrives . In the meantime , thc success achieved by " Our Girls " at thc Cambridge Local Examinations in December , which we had the satisfaction of recording last week , will have the effect of strengthening the hands of the Stewards in the canvass they arc now engaged upon . People give the more readily when they have reason to feel that their donations and subscriptions will be turned to good account ; and what stronger evidence can we desire that the money

subscribed to our Girls' School is expended to good purpose thin the fact that all the pupils who were entered for the examinations just referred to were successful in satisfying the examiner . , while one half of them acquitted themselves with honours ?

Consecration Of The Loxfield Lodge, No. 2450, At Uckfield.

CONSECRATION OF THE LOXFIELD LODGE , No . 2450 , AT UCKFIELD .

A large and influential gathering of brethren took place at the Public Hall , Uckfield , on the 2 nd inst ., when a special meeting of the Provincial Grand Lodge ot Sussex was held for the consecration of the above lodge

and the installation of the W . M . Designate , Bro . R . L . Thornton , P . M . 1492 , Prov . G . S . B . Cambridgeshire . A preliminary luncheon took place at the Maiden's Head Hotel under the presidency of the W . M . Designate , who was supported by Bro . E . Letchworth , Grand Secretary , and the officers of Provincial Grand Lodge .

The post prandial proceedings comprised a short toast list , "The Oucen and the Craft " and " The M . W . the Grand Master H . R . H . the Prince of Wales " were duly honoured . The W . M . DESIGNATE then submitted " The Oflicers of Grand Lodge , Present and Past , " thanking Bro . E . Letchworth and other Grand Officers for their attendance and support . Bro . E . LETCHWORTH , Grand Secretary , in responding , testified to the great pleasure experienced by the officers of Grand Lodge in doing all