Royal Masonic Institution For Boys.

The Committee therefore conclude : — 1 . They recognise fully the legitimacy o £ the demands for further accommodation . 2 . They have ascertained thc feasibility of carrying out the extension . 3 . The issue—shall such extension be proceeded with ? —they leave entirely to the decision of the fraternity .

The Committee before closing this report desire to add one : word on a suggestion published with reference to a " Preparatory School . " They express no opinion as to the advisability of making provisions for the sons of Freemasons at an age earlier than that at which they can now be received—8 years : contenting themselves -with stating that the suggested scheme , if adopted , would

enable the pupils from eight to twelve to be accommodated in the new building ; the elder boys , from twelve to sixteen , being retained in the present building . Thc advantage of this arrangement , both educational and disciplinary , the Committee feel will be so apparent as to render unnecessary any enlargement thereon . Signed , BENJAMIN HEAD , Chairman .

Wood Green , 23 rd March , 1877 . This report having been agreed to be taken as read , Bro . Jesse Turner said he had seen the report , and he had made enquiries about it . The result of those enquiries was that the report was only tentative . He agreed that it was so . It was all very well to be told that if they had £ 20 , 000 or £ 30 , 000 at their disposal ,

they could provide for 120 more boys , and for £ 3000 less they mig ht provide for seventy more boys . But the question assumed a very different aspect when they had not the money , and appeals would have to oe made for it . Bro . Binckes was very zealous , and had obtained very large sums from the Craft on behalf of the Institution by means of the extraordinary exertions he had

made . But could the Institution always be worked at high pressure ? They had been working at high pressure , and if there should be a war , or bad crops , the attempts to obtain large subscriptions would fare but badly . But another question remained . If by extraordinary exertions the necessary fund was raised for building a school large enough for 120 or seventy more boys , could a sufficient

sum be depended on from the annual festivals to keep the school in a good , healthy , and proper condition ? Looking at the question from that point of view , he thought there was opportunity for doing the Institution much good at far less cost . He had been over the Institution , and was thoroughly conversant with it , and he found that an addition might be made to it for £ 1800 or

£ 2000 which would accommodate a few more boys . If it was possible to do anything like that , was it worth -while to commence an effort for raising £ 22 , 000 at the present juncture in political affairs ? He did not think it was ; but that it would be better to leave well alone . Let them do all they possibly could for their own day and generation ; and let those who came after them do the

best they could for theirs . He merely threw these remarks out as suggestions , and not as a plan to be f ollowed . He would like them to get the opinion of others , but he thought that'if thc matter were now debated the brethren would come to the conclusion that it was not ripe at the present moment , and should be deferred for further consideration . Perhaps some one would propose a smaller scheme than those named in the report , at a less

cost . The Chairman said that Bro . Turner ' s remark about the Institution having been worked at high pressure was , no doubt , correct , and he agreed that it would be best just now to let well alone . They might create a fund to assist them hereafter in erecting a building , and when thev got on further they might increase the number of

boys . If it were moved and seconded that the report be received and adopted , a discussion might very properly arise , and Bro . Turner ' s observations might be usefully taken into account . Bro . Jesse Turner thought that as the report was merely tentative it could not be adopted . Bro . Meggy having moved , and another brother having

seconded , that the report be received and entered on the minutes , the motion was unanimously adopted . Bro . Binckes observed that the report was as Bro . Turner had said , a tentative report . It pledged the brethren to nothing , and its consideration might be deferred to a future time . Bro . Turner asked whether such a postponement would

be " sine die " Bro . Binckes said no : they might see what was the result of the next festival first . The object of the report was to bring the subject fairly before the Quarterly Court for them to consider . It had not been circulated half widely enough yet , but it would be competent to consider it at any committee meeting .

The Chairman said he thought it would be best to defer it till it had come before tbe next meeting of the House Committee . It was then agreed to defer the consideration of the report . Bro . Thos . Meggy said : before the committee quitted the subject he woultl like to know one thing , which must

throw light on the matter . It would be a very good plan for increasing the accommodation to open out an " Extension Fund " from the receipts of this year ; they could take a certain portion of the income which was not absolutely required for providing for the necessities of the Instiiution , and- make up a fund . They could then go to the Craft and say , " we have put 50 much to the Extension

Fund , " and by-and-bye they might get all they wanted . They might begin by putting by £ 5000 . ( Laughter ) . Bro . Binckes would remind the brethren that Bro . Meggy ' s motion was unnecessary . Already when they Bad a surplus they invested it . The Chairman said that Bro . Meggy had better give notice of motion for his proposition .

Royal Masonic Institution For Boys.

Bro . H . W . Hunt thought the plan suggested by Bro . Meggy would not be a good one , because if they slarted an '' Extension Fund" they would be pledging themselves to a certain thing . The consideration of the report was then postponed . Three candidates were then placed on the list for

election . Bro . Binckes said it was now his duty , although the letter was addressed to him , to bring before the committee a complaint of Bro . Knott , the Secretary of the Charity Organisation of Wiltshire , of the lateness of the issue of the proxies for last election . He did not think , however , that Bro . Knott had much to complain of when all

tae circumstances were taken into consideration . There was an unusual number this last time , and no doubt they were somewhat later , and this arose partly from the official who was employed to get them out being new to the work . They were all got out , but his arrangements for the future were so organised that there would be no ground for complaint

on the score of delay . He had a complaint also from another brother , who said that as a subscriber to the Boys' School he had not received his voting paper . On making enquiry it was found he was not a subscriber entitled to votes which he said he had not received ; but that for his life subscription of five guineas he had received his vote . He still persisted that he was , and in

support of his statement wrote to say that Bro . Mugger , idge received his subscription . On relering to the Girls ' list , it was found that the brother was a subscriber to the Girls' School , and as such was called upon by Bro . Muggeridge , who gave him the receipt for the Girls' Institution . Bro . Muggeridge never was the collector for the Boys' . School . He brought the matter forward to

show that before brethren made complaints they should be careful to see that they had grounds for them . Two late' pupils of the fnstitution , who had obtained situations , were granted outfits . At the former meeting of the Committee a request was made by another boy who had obtained a situation , for an outfit-, but the ques . ion of granting it was deferred , Bro . Binckes informing the

Committee that he thought it his duty to let the Committee know that after this boy had left the school he had written a letter to another pupil , inciting to insubordination . The Committee allowed th < : matter to stand over for further enquiries , and the result of these enquiries was even a worse report than that . The mother of thc boy had been to Dr . Morris , and requested him not to let the

Committee know , as the boy was in a good situation and was doing well ; and if the knowledge of what he had done came to his employers' ears it would be his ruin . Dr . Morris was present . and the Committee could put to him what questions they liked . The Chairman thought Dr . Morris should let them know .

Dr . Morris said that of course if tbe Committee required him to do so he must ; but as the mother of the boy said it would be the boy ' s ruin , he would put it to the Committee whether they would call upon him to make the statement . The Committee unanimously resolved under the circumstance that they would not ask Dr . Morris to make

thc statement . The following brethren were nominated for the House Committee for the ensuing year : Bros . II . Browse , J . G . Chancellor , Benj . Head , H . W . Hunt , W . F . C . Moutrie , W . Paas , Hyde Pullen , W . Roebuck , S . Rosenthal , J . B . Scriven , Raynham W . Stewart , S . Wood ( Hirmingham ) , Geo . Rowe , 1185 , T . B . Grabham , P . G . W . Middlesex ; Alfred Durrant , " P . M . nS * , ; and George Newman ,

P . M . 192 . The present members of the Audit Committee were re-nominated . Notice of motion was given by Bro . Dr . Ramsey to thc same effect as that given by him at thc last General Committee of the Girls' School , for increasing the office accommodation at Freemasons' Hall for the Boys' Institution . The Committee then adjourned .

"Our Boys."

"OUR BOYS . "

BY OUR " V . P . C . "

There ' s nothing like a good beginning , but then it ' s so difficult to begin ; at least , when you ' ve a good deal , or else nothing at all , to say . Now , I ' m just in one or other of those plights or predicaments , and I hardly know

which , althcugb I think I have an idea , if not two , like Talbot What ' -his-name-you-know of our respected Bros . James and Thorne , that is the latter . Well , I think I really have an idea , only our Editor—he ' s a capital fellow , but awfully patticular , that is with me ; and he does let his "O . P . D ., " as he calls himself , make absurd remarks in the middle of my best passages—they'd be better than

they are , I believe , if it were not that I stand rather in awe of him—but if I don ' t start I shall never say what I started to say , and so , as there is a slight kind of indecision as to where to begin first , I'd better do as we used to on frosty mornings when we stood shivering on the river ' s bank , plunge at once " in medium" ( watery , of course , licit spirituous like Dr . What-do-you-call-him ) , because , as our own poet

says" In middle is-riveris veri-simplicitcr lgo . " Which I leave our Editor ' s obliging " O . P . D . " to translate . * Leaving our admired " Roman Father" Jacobus , then , as being too well known and appreciated to be dwelt upon now ( except pausing to say that if so many people would not insist on going to sec him at once there would be more room ) , we will make the fatal plunge into

"Our Boys."

our subject , which is , by the way , some other " ( j Boys " than the ones already alluded to . Once for all , then , I have a complaint to make , and I'll make it—for there ' s nothing like well airing a griev . ance if you don't want your spirits damped . I've been regularly victimised by somebody ' s changing the time of Grand Lodge .

The other day , Jones—you know him very well , for 1 have spoken of him before—has been , so he said , usW his influence with somebody high at court , as we say— . [ fancy it must be the august somebody who takes care of the things at Grand Lod-je , for Jones just slily hinted that this somebody "had a key that would open the door , my boy "—to get me appointed a Grand something . Well Jones said that he had received an intimation that I \ vas to be sure to be present at the Festival , and that I should

be sure to see and hear all about it . Accordingly , I went up to London last Wednesday on purpose , for I have quite made up my mind to take high rank , as I aspire to " Blow a repetition bubble , Of imperceptible soap and invisible water , With a cannon ' s mouth . " The poet meant of course a good deal bigger one than

you can get out of a tobacco pipe , were it to extend even to the proud dimensions of an almost fossil "Churchwarden . " Besides , I could not but think how lovely the gold chain ancl jewel of Second Deputy Pro Grancl Assistant Organist ( Sy . Grand Bellows-Blower ?—O . P . D . ) would look , and in our lodge ( " Perspicacity , Reciprocity , and Veracity , " No . rinetcen hundred-and-a-half ,

Mudford-on-Sp -ec ) would make me"The glass of fashion , and the mould of form , The observed of all observers . " Though why on earth Shakspeare should take " moulded " glass ancl not " cut , " as his pink of perfection , I can't think . Well , I went , fully persuaded that I was to be raised to that high office , and whilst I was waiting to go

to the hall 1 was indulging myself with delicious dreams of the glorious music that we should treat the brethren to—I say ire , for Milton most certainly had the idea that thc assistant had , if possible , more to do with the music than the head man himself , — " Let Jne the pealing organ blow , To the full-voic'd quire below ,

A service high , which , when / start , May , by the skill shown on my part , Dissolve them into cxtasies And bring all heav ' n before their eyes . " But what an awful disappointment ; just as I got to the hall I met all the brethren coming away . I had mistaken the hour of meeting , and so was late , and lost my

appointment . And to think of this , after thc way that Jones liad been congratulating me beforehand on " getting the purple , " which he now turns into ridicule by declaring that 1 did get it , but only " in the face . " I shouldn't have cared so much but I'd had my portrait painted to give to lodge . Jones said the portrait of the jewel was perfect ; it was painted ( i . e ., the jewel )

after his instructions , and here they are . " The jewel of the Second Deputy Pro Grand Assistant Organist is a handle proper , bent three-quirterly ; borne by on a windbag , ( enamelled 'gn- 'l' I think he called it ) pierced in thc rear ; the whole bearing an eye not very wide open , with a large spot of vert displayed in the corner . " However , its of no use crying over milkt spills ,

and I'll say no more , save that if Jones , who always grecis me now with " Bless thee , Bottom , bless thee , thou art translated , " gets another opportunity of laughing at me in that particular way I ' m rather more green than my dear old aunt generally considers me . However , although I was dreadfully disappointed ,

especially as I had a neat little speech already 111 my pocket in which to have returned thanks for my health at the banc |" . cl , 1 was amply rewarded for all my trouble by hearing thc proclamation made that the three august Princes were the occupants of thc three chairs . I could not help thinking how delighted the beloved patroness oi our Order must be to sec " Her Boys" at the head of such

a loyal body , . ind I could share most thoroughly her pleasure when 1 reflected that if they were , " Her Boys , " they were , indeed , " Our Boys " too . This makes me say something ] about yet another " Our Boys . " I mean the proposed alteration , or addition , to the school . Now , I should like to see the child of every poor brother well cared for , but I really think we had bclte

go on as wc began , do as much as we can . but no more than we can do thoroughly well ; it is alwavs better to build than to pull down , be the pulling doivr . zver so litd ' i Verb . sap . —as Dr . Watts says in the classic * ; thoug h 1 fancy , from the terrible number of his deal little ditties , Verbs would have been nearer his mark . However , " we really ought to put evervbody ' s nose to the grindstone .

no , I think 1 mean everybody ' s shoulder to the wheeji that we can , so as to give a long pull and a strong I """ which makes mc call to mind that a kind-hearted lady , s going to give a belle-pull ( which I hope will prove a real good draw ) at the Opera Comique in aid of the good c » u > f-B-the-b Smith of our lod that they want a

y ye , ge says really efficient prompter and stage manager , and that l ' will introduce me if 1 will only consent to act—I don quite know whether to do it or no—but I would— -ye >' really would—if I thought it would do a good turn t our poor brethren ' s girls , and , therefore our Girls and "Oun BOYS . "

The Historic Society of Liverpool has issujjj its twenty-eighth volume . It contains , in addition to so preliminary matter , articles on Roman antiquities Cheshire and Lancashire , and some biographical " ? . "/' amongst which is a sketch of thc late Mr . T . T . Wil son , F . S . A ., of Burnley .