Ad00702

WASHING WELL DONE AND ACCURATELY RETURNED . Old Established . VICTORIA LAUNDRY WORKS , Child's Hill , Hendon . Prospectus free .

Ad00703

. TTTTCTOR ^ A — MOTHER OF V MASONS , " By Bro . I HORNSEY CASSON , P . P . G . O . Derbyshire . r--nHr , E K ENNING , 16 and 16 a , Great Queen Street , GE ? ( onoosite Freemasons' Hall ) . W . C .

Ad00704

A Feature of the Metropolis . SPIERS & POND'S CRITERION RESTAURANT , PICCADILLY CIRCUS , LONDON , W . EAST ROOM . Finest Cuisine , unsurpassed by the most renowned Parisian Restaurants , Luncheons , Dinners and Suppers a la carte and prix fixe . Viennese Band . GRAND HALL . Musical Dinner 3 s . Gd . per head . Accompanied by the Imperial Austrian Band . WEST ROOM . Academy Luncheon 2 s . Cd ., Diner Parisien 55 ., during both of which the renowned Mandolin Quartette performs . BUFFET & GRILL ROOM . Quick service h la carte and moderate prices . Joints in each room fresh from the Spit every half-hour . AMERICAN BAR . Service of special American Dishes , Grills , & c . Splendid Suites cf Rooms for MHilary and oilier Dinners .

Ar00706

^^ SpSi asw ^

Masonic Notes.

Masonic Notes .

We have great pleasure in announcing that his Koyal Hi ghness the Prince of Wales , M . W . Grand Master , who has graciously consented to preside at 'lie Centenary Festival of the Royal Masonic Institution for Boys , has decided tint it shall be held at the Royal Albert Hall , South Kensington , on Monday , 'ne 20 th June . SATURDAY , FEBRUARY 12 , 18 9 S . « .

» * We are glad lo find that Bro . Terry , Secretary of | ie Royal Masonic Benevolent Institution , has been so ' ir successful in his endeavours to strengthen the ¦ wd of Stewards for the approaching Festival , which , ds our readers have already been informed , will be celebrated at Freemasons' Hall on Tuesday , the 22 nd ' ¦ ¦

<>< ¦• under the presidency of Bro . the Right Hon . the :, ! i ! r J " bey ' ' ' - '' 1 Vov - G - Master of Oxfordj ' ^ - 1 he Board at length musters upwards of 200 ( j 'i'b and brethren , and doubtless between now and crea a ! T'nted ^ Ul , S number wil 1 be sti 11 furthi : r in " wiin S ° thUt ° -orecast of about a week ° two since re alised-that the number of Stewards on this

Masonic Notes.

occasion will not greatly exceed the half of what it was in 1 S 97 , when the Board mustered in all 432 members . However , if the members exert themselves , as we have reason to believe they will , to raise big lists as some compensation for the paucity of their numbers , there are grounds for hoping that ths

comparatively small total of 1893—when the reaction that followed the brilliant success of the Jubilee the year previously was necessarily at its highest point—will be exceeded . It is , of course , impossible to foresee what will be the measure of success attending the the present Board of Stewards . We have known strong Boards that raised comparatively moderate

totals , and weak Boards whose efforts were successful beyond expectation . Of one thing only can we speak with any degree of certainty—that those who have volunteered their services in support of the Festival on thc 22 nd inst . will do what they can to promote the well being of t ' ne Old People's Institution during the present eventful year .

* * That it sorely needs all thc support which can be enlisted in its behalf will be apparent from the business that was transacted at the monthly meeting of the Committee « f Management on Wednesday , when the vacancies declared on the two Funds for tho annual

election in May next were as follows : On the Male Fund 14 vacancies , including the three deferred ; on the Widows' Fund S vacancies , including also the three deferred . On the other hand , it was announced that there were 57 approved candidates on the list for the Male Fund , and 62 on that for the Widows' Fund .

Thus , even with thc vacancies which may fall due between now and the third Friday in May , and which will , no doubt , be filled up , in accordance with the practice of late years , it will hardly be possible to satisfy the claims of more than one-fourth of the total number of applicants , while the remaining f hree-fourths

will be under the necessity of biding their time Ior the annuities they are so sorely in need of , and of which they have been adjudged to be qualified as recipients . This is not a very pleasant prospect to look forward to ; but we do not see that anything can be done

towards augmenting the number of annuitants until the resources of the Institution have been increased ; and that will not happen—if our f jrecrst is rightduring the present year . » * »

The record of the proceedings of the Prov . Grand Lodge and Prov . Grand Chapter of Durham , is , as we indicated last week , very pleasant reading . The several reports that were presented at the annual meeting at Stockton on the 28 th September , are exceptionally satisfactory . On the

recommendation of the Fund Committee Charitable donations amounting to 25 s guineas ( £ 26 7 15 s ) were voted , namely 25 guineas to the Royal Masonic Benevolent Institution ; 50 guineas to the Boys' School ; ioa guineas to the Durham Masonic Benevolent Fund ; and So guineas to the Masonic Education and

Maintenance rund : while grants in relief amounting together to ^ 70 were made to the widows of four brethren , the total thus disbursed during the year being . £ 337 15 s . From the report of ihe Charities Committee it appears ( hit during 18 97 21 children were or . the Education and Maintenance

Fund , thc sum expended on them b : ing £ 16 ] 14- ! . The statement of account disclosed receipts in donations and subscriptions amounting to _ £ IUI 5 s ., and expenses of management . £ 23 15-1 ., while the investments represent a total value of close upon ^ 2167 . But the great event of thc year was the establishment

ofthe Hudson Benevolent Fund so named to commemorate the valuable services rendered by Bro . Robert Hudson as Prov . G . Secretary during a long term of years , the sum raised being 1000 guineas , while Bro . Hudson himself was presented wilh a service of plate .

» * As regards the strength of the Province in respect of lodges and member .-.- , we gather from the Table at page 27 of the Report that the 36 lodges on the 31 st December , 18 9 6 , could boast of a membership of 2947 , the amount paid in lodge du-.-s being upwards of of

^ 378 . many nine these , or exactly onefourth , have upwards of 100 subscribing members , the St . Hilda , No . 240 , with 1 S 9 , being the largest , while of the rest there is not one that does not muster upwards of 30 members . In 1 SS 4 there wore 30 lodges

with an aggregate membership of 2258 , the increase in the dozen years that have since elapsed being six lodges and as nearly as possible 700 members . One lodge was consecrated last year , so that at the present moment , there may be possibly 3000 members in this flourishing Province .

Masonic Notes.

In addition to the annual communication held , as above stated , on the 2 Sth September , three other meetings were held , the earliest taking place at Durham , on the 30 th June , when nearly 700 brethren under their respected chief , Bro . Sir Hedworth ,

Williamson , Bart ., Prov . G . Master , and his Deputy Bro . th 2 Rev . Canon Tristram , Past CI . Chaplain of England , assembled in the Castle , and having heard an address by the Prov . G . Master , marched in precession to the Cathedral , where divine service was held to

commemorate the completion of the 60 th year of her Majesty's reign . The sermon was preached by Bro the Very Rev . the Dean of York , Past G . Chaplain of England , while the offertory was devoted to the Durham Masonic Charities . On the second occasion—at

Gateshead , on the 30 th October—Prov . Grand Lodge , headed by the Prov . G . Master and his Deputy , met for the purpose of consecrating the Ravensworth Lodge , No . 2674 ; the third and last of the special meetings taking place in the Masonic Hall , Sunderland , on the 4 th December , when an address was adopted

expressing the sympathy felt by the brethren of the Province with Bro . the Earl of Lathom , Pro Grand Master , in the bereavement he had just then suffered through the tragic death of his wife , the Countess of Lathom . On this occasion the Dip . Prov . G . Master , in the unavoidable absence of the Prov . G . Master at Bournemouth , presided .

* The annual convocation of the Prov . Grand Chapter was held at Darlington 10 days prior to the meeting of Prov . Grand Lodge . Comp . Sir H . Williamson , G . Superintendent , occupied the chair , and there appears

to have been a tolerably full attendance of Present and Past Prov . Officers and members of the private chapters . According to the returns presented , there are 13 chapters in the Province , with an aggregate membership of 4 S 5 , of whom 437 are described as paying

members , there being an excess of 36 over the previous year ' s total . The Grand Superintendent , in his address , appeared to be of the opinion , which we certainly share , that the number of Royal Arch Masons in his Province i « , in proportion , small , when compared with

the 3000 members of the Craft Lodges , and he expressed a hope that if the slow , but steady increase of the past year were continued the disproportion would come to an end . lie deprecated anything in the way of " undue pressing , " or " coaxing of people in ; " on

the contrary , he believed that " admission into the chapter should be the result of conscientious feelings and convictions on the part of the candidates . " H-j believed that Royal Arch Masonry , " if not going very rapidly ahead , " was " slowly and surely progressing . "

We may add , that in the course of the proceedings Prov . Grand Chapter voted to guineas to the Royal Masonic Institution ; 10 guineas to the Darham Benevolent Fund ; and five guineas to the Durham Educitional Fund—in all , 25 guinea's , the btlance in hind at the close of the Treasurer's account being , £ 31 .

« » Wc heartily congratulate Bro . Baddlcy on the manner in which he is fulfilling his duties as Worshipful Master of the Robert Burns Lodge , No . 25 . It was only on Mondiy , the 3 rd ult ., that he was

installed in office , yet on Monday , when the lodge met for the first time under his auspices , the occasion was made memorable by thc reading of a most interesting paper by Bro . Henry Sadler , Grand Tyler , and Sub-Librarian of Grand Lodge , in which that able brother

described the career of the lodge . We regret that we are under the necessity , through the other heavy demands upon our space , of holding the report of the meeting over till next week , but it will then appear and will includ ; in full Bro . Sadler ' s history .

# * ? It must have been somewhat disconcerting to Bro . Klein to find that after his learned and elaborate dissertation on the "Great Symbol " before the meeting which was held in Freemasons' Hall on the 25 th ult .,

about the only question asked him was , as our correspondent " Past Master" put it in his letter of last week , as to whether "tha adoption of Bro . Klein ' s views would bring any material gain to the Order ; would it , he asked , enlarge its borders , or bring more

money to the Charities ' : " We have heard that the querist is a member of the Board of General Purposes , al the instance of which the meeting wis held . If this is true , it is clear that the brother in question must be

in the position of thc round man who is thrust into a square hole . Such a man is out of place on a Board , which , according to ths Bjok of Constitutions , has authority " generally to take cognisance of all matters relating to the Craft . "