Contents.

CONTENTS .

LEADERS ^ PAGE . The Centenary Festival of the Royal Masonic Institution for Boys 273 Confirmation of Minutes ... ... ¦¦ ' **¦ 2 75 Royal Masonic Institution for Boys—Distribution of Prizes by H . K . H . the Princess of Wales ... ... •¦• •¦• ••¦ „ ••¦ 2 7 ° Provincial Grand Lodge of Gloucestershire ... ... •¦¦ -7 °

Provincial Grand Chapter of Devonshire ... ... •¦¦ 2 7 Consecration of the King ' s Court Lodge , No . 26 S 9 ... ¦•• 2 / 9 MASONIC NOTESBro . Richard Eve at Distribution of Boys'School Prizes ... •¦• sSi Boys'School Athletic Sports ... ... ... - *•• 2 S 1 Provincial Grand Chapter of Devonshire ... ... ... ¦¦• 2 S 1

Provincial Grand Lodge of Gloucestershire ... ¦•• ••• 2 S 1 Quarterly Communication District Grand Lodge of Queensland ... 2 S 1 Consecration of the Addington Lodge , No . 2 GS 3 ... ... 2 S 2 Dedication of Masonic Buildings at Rotherham ... ¦•• ••• 2 S 2 Craft Masonry ... ... ... ... ••• 2 § 2 British Homes Investment Corporation ... ... ¦¦• ••• 2 S 4 Masonic and General Tidings ... ... ... ••¦ 2 S 6

The Centenary Festival Of The Royal Masonic Institution For Boys.

THE CENTENARY FESTIVAL OF THE ROYAL MASONIC INSTITUTION FOR BOYS .

The earlier stage of this great Anniversary , to which we have been looking forward wilh such eager expectation , took place at the Royal Albert Hall , South Kensington , on Tuesday , when , in the presence of a vast number of the friends and

supporters of the Institution , her Royal Highness the Princess of WALES—who was accompanied by the Prince , H . R . H . the M . W . Grand Master and President—was graciously pleased to

distribute the prizes annually awarded for proficiency and good conduct . Ordinarily , this important function is held in the great Assembly Hall of the School at Wood Green , but not only was it considered necessary to trive to it more than the

usual ccl a I , but—what is still more to the point—capacious as is this Hall , it could nol have accommodated one half , or it may be one-fourth , of the people lhat were desirous of being present , to say nothing of the greater accessibility

of the Albert Hall . As may easily be imagined , the gathering under the exceptionally favourable circumstances which attended it , was a magnificent success . The chief dignitaries of the Order under his Roval llitrhness the

( irand Master were mostly in attendance to witness the proceedings , and the gr >* at interest which the Princess of WALES has always taken in things . Masonic proved so contagious lhat by far the better half of lhe- assembled company was composed

oi ladies . As r **» vinls llie proceedings fbemseJves , . save a . s lo tlie unusual brilliancy of their surroundings , tln-y were lhe same as it has been our privilege to record for very many years . The recitations and vocal and instrumental music wen- omitted from

the programme , but compensation was found for this and other omissions that may have- he-en made in lhe enthusiasm lhat was shown by all present , boys , ladies , and brethren . It is unnecessary to say more of the part undertaken by the Princess than that it

was performed will ) , il possible , more than her usual kindness and grace . Kvery boy who had the good forlnne to receive at h <* r hands the prize awarded him for his knowledge , conduct , or skill , must feel encouraged by her kindly smile when handing him

his medal or books to strive to win still further honour during his scholastic career , and in that after life of honest and honourable competition , of which if is the preparatory stage-. In other respects , there * is little for u ^ . to say , especially as a full report

° f the meeting will be found elsewhere in our columns . The speeches wen : few in number , but brief and to the point , the few remarks made by his Roval Highness , in acknowledging

the vole of thanks tothe Princess , which was passed amid even possible manifestation of enthusiasm , being most hrartilj acclaimed b y the meeting .

Confirmation Of Minutes.

CONFIRMATION OF MINUTES .

It is evident from the tenour of the discussion that followed the question put by Rro . REGINALD J . MURE at the Quarterly Meeting of Mark Grand Lodge on Tuesday , the 31 st ult ., on the subject of the confirmation of minutes that sooner or later

thc matter will be brought to our . notice still more prominently than it was at the recent Mark communication . Then the debate followed the mere putting of a question in reference to certain correspondence which was contained in the Report of the

General Hoard , but in the course of his remarks Bro . JOHN STRACHAN , ( J . C . —who has so lately been appointed Grand Registrar in Craft Masonry—was pleased to say that "this very question of what was thc meaning of thc confirmation was

being considered elsewhere , and it might be that action would be taken thereon , and the subject brought before Grand Lodge . " We welcome the prospect of the discussion which appears to be awaiting us on more grounds than one , but more particularl y

because wc hope that the law , as it is now set forth in the statute book will remain unaltered , and wc believe that the more thoroughly the matter is considered , the more likely is it that the law will remain , in effect , if not in the actual words , precisely

what it is at this moment . Rro . J . J . LAMBERT , Past Prov . Grand Registrar Lancashire , who initiated the correspondence which appears in thc Report of ( lie General Board , expressed a wish that the Grand Secretary—Bro . C . F .

MATIER—would take the opinion of the said Board for the following questions : "Except as regards the confirmation of the election of Master , or where specially required by the Bye-Laws of any Bodge , is it necessary or

proper to confirm the minutes of each regular meeting of a Lodge , or should a vote be taken only upon the simple question as to whether the Minutes of the preceding meeting have been correctly recorded ? " Having pointed out firstly that a difference

exists in the practice of private lodges , some requiring that the minutes shall be confirmed , while others are content with a proposition put from the chair as to the minutes being correctly

recorded ; and , secondly , lhat in " municipal and other matters it is only considered necessary lo confirm ( he proceedings of an inferior hutlv . " I ' m . L . UN'KKT narrated thc circumstances

which had led him to submit his question , and concluded his letter by submitting "that the ' N . B . ' to Regulation 126 "—see Mark Book of Constitutions , p . 42— " is misleading and irregular ,

and lhat only in the case of the Election of W . M . is it necessary to confirm ( he minutes ; and even in this case it is not the minutes that are confirmed , but the election ol the W M . as

recorded in the minutes . ' Bro . MURE , 111 bringing the matter before Mark G . Lodge expressed himself in a similar sense as to the word " confirmation" in said Article 126 being misleading , and added that in Societies outside ; Masonry and [ oint Stock

Companies , " Confirmation of minutes merely meant that the minutes were correctly recorded . " The General Beard , however , is not of this opinion , as it instructed G . Secretary MA TIER , to slate in replv to Bro . LAMBERT ' inquirv , "that in their

op inion , Minnies ofa Lodge , whether relating to Grants of Money , or to General Business , should always be put for ' confirmation , ' which is the word always used in the Bookof Constitutions . "

Bro . MURK is reported to have taken exception to lhe Grand Secretary ' s letter on the ground that it did not answer the question , and ( he President of ( lie Genera ! Board — Bro . R . LOVELAND LOVELAND , O . C , appears to have been of the same