Next Week's Festival.

NEXT WEEK'S FESTIVAL .

The second great Masonic Festival of tbe year will take place next week , and we gladly avail ourselves of this one remaining opportunity to offer a few remarks on the subject . We are afraid we cannot say much that is new . It has been known for a long time past that the event has been arranged for Wednesday , the 18 th inst ., and that it will be held under the auspices of his

Royal Hig hness the Duke of CONX . UIGHT . 1 he Board of Stewards is a ( airly numerous one—certainly more numerous than it was last year—and will , in all probability , consist of some 300 brethren . London , we believe , will be found to have furnished a fair contingent , but , unfortunately , a considerable proportion of them are Unattached , whose contributions are

mostly personal , the number of lodge and chapter representatives , to whom we naturally look for the bulk of the money that is received , being , if anything , rather smaller than usual . As for the Provinces , we imagine there is about the usual number of absentees , while sundry of those who generally enter a strong appearance , are decidedly weak . The Chairman ' s Province

musters well—excellently well , if we bear in mind that both at the Boys ' School Festival in June , 1891 , and at that of the Royal Masonic Benevolent Institution in February last it made strenuous and successful exertions to support those Charities . But when we have estimated every pro and con . that can be thought of , we are obliged to

confess that we have some misgivings as to the result being worthy of so illustrious a Chairman , and , what is , if possible , still more to be regretted , sufficient for the year ' s requirements . The average annual expenditure amounts to between £ 10 , 000 and ^ 11 , 000 , but we are afraid this sum will not be forthcoming . We may be wrong in our conjecture—we sincerely

trust it will be shown that we are wrong ; but those brethren who have undertaken the arduous and oftentimes unpleasant duty of canvassing for donalions and subscriptions have had two very serious difficulties to contend mill . In the first place , the friends and supporters of the Boys' School made a determined effort last year to retrieve its somewhat dilapidated

fortunes , with the result that the large sum of , in round figures , £ 30 , 000 was raised . Then in February last the Benevolent Institution celebrated the Jubilee of its foundation , and the Craft responded to the appeal made in iis behalf by subscribing upwards of £ 66 , 500 . Under these circumstances il is hardly to be wondered at that the Stewards for next week's Festival

should find the sources whence they look to obtain the component items of their lists are pretty well exhausted , and that where in ordinary circumstances they have experienced little or no difficulty in obtaining in , 20 , or even 50 guineas , they find it hard work to raise the more modest Annual ° r l-ife Subscription . We are greatly afraid , therefore , we shall find the

average per list on Wednesday next an unusually low one , but whatever our expectations 'nay be , we trust the Craft will do what lies in their power to support a School which during the 104 years of its existence has done so much useful and beneficent work . We ask them to bear in mind firstly , ¦ hat it is they who have determined that the Institution shall be as large as

" is , and that to them we must look principally for the means to support it ; ¦ md secondly , that the work which the Institution has undertaken to do , is carried out with admirable efficiency . There are few institutions of the ¦ ttnic class which can exhibit so bright a record . Since 18 SS its muster-roll ° ' pupils has exceeded 260 , and that these are well trained is demonstrated

. I'I ' IR successes it has been our privilege to announce annually for many K'ars past , at the Middle Class and College of Preceptors' Examinations . •lorcovcr , with the exception of the Head Governess , every member of the e "icaiional staff , together with the Matron and her assistants , has been "ucated in the School ; while , with hardly an exception , all the girls who

' peak of the School as their alma mater , have succeeded in obtaining M positions in life . Add to this that the three Festivals which have been c | u since the Centenary in 1888 have been far less productive than in ,.. W ; ir y years , and our readers will have no difficulty in realising that a W'tl subscri ption on Wednesday next is a consummation most devoutly 10 •* wished .

Next Week's Elections.

NEXT WEEK'S ELECTIONS .

Sill C reni ' ^ rc aders that the annual meeting of the Governors and p bribers of the Royal Masonic Benevolent Institution will be held at . masons' Tavern on Friday next , the 211 th inst . The regular business will of . ° » e consideration ol the Report by the Committee ol Management 1

^ '" ccedings during- the past year , and of the audited Statement of a , j , for the period ending the 31 st . December , 1891 , and the election of ^ utl ' t nSUrcr ' ° * P ° ' Committee of Management , and of three rs - But the business which will chiefl y occupy the attention of

Next Week's Elections.

brethren will be tne elections of annuitants on the two Funds of the Institution . For the Male Fund there is a list of 69 approved candidates , from whom will be elected 28 brethren to fill the vacancies declared at the meeting of the Committee of Management in February and three to receive the deferred annuities under Law 13 , together with suchadditional brethren as will be required

to fill the vacancies—if any—which have occurred between thesaid Committee meeting in February and the date of the annual meeting . For the Widows ' Fund there are 70 approved candidates , and the number to be elected will be , as declared in February , 21 , of whom 18 will be immediate and three deferred , together with such further widows as will be required to fill the

vacancies which have since occurred . We have already noticed in detail the lists of candidates , which were issued about a month ago , and therefore it is unnecessary we should traverse the same ground a second time . We may point out , however , that though as at the School Elections there are no last , cases to which prominence may very properl y be given—that

is to say , no cases which will be removed from the lists in the event of failure within a given time—there are several candidates whose claims have been before the electors for a long term of years . Thus for the Male Fund , there is one candidate whose claims to be elected into the Institution were reecognised in time for the 1882 election ;

another who is making his 10 th application ; a third his ninth application j a fourth his eighth application ; a fifth his seventh application ; and two others who are making their sixth application . On the approved list of Widow candidates , one has been before the Governors and Subscribers for 12 years , one for 10 years , two for nine years , five for eight years , three for

seven years , and two for six years . Of these poor old people there are only two men who have standing to their credit anything like a substantial number of votes , while of the widows there are two who have scored upwards of 2000 votes , two over 1000 votes , and two over 700 votes . We feel that

we shall not be departing from that position of strict impartiality we always observe at these and similar elections if we appeal to those Governors and Subscribers whose votes are unpledged to give their support and influence in behalf of some of these poor folk .

Consecration Of The Carrington Lodge, No. 2421, At Amersham.

CONSECRATION OF THE CARRINGTON LODGE , No . 2421 , AT AMERSHAM .

Saturday the 30 th ult ., was an eventful day in the annals of the quiet little town of Amersham , when another lodge was added to the roll ol the Province of Bucks , bearing the honoured name of its chief . The inhabitants of this prettily situated town must have wondered at the appearance of so many of the black-coated Fraternity from the City comfortably seated and making merry in the drags and car . iages kindly provided by the founders to convey some 40 or 50 invited guests to the town from the Chalfont Road Station .

It was a most lovely afternoon , and an enjoyable drive along the good roads of the Vale of Amersham , and we shall almost regret that in the near future , when we ma ) ' again have the pleasure of visiting the growing infant at whose birth we assisted , the demon railway king will have brought the line nearer to the town , and thus rob us of the pleasant half-hour ' s journey by road . The founders of the lodge , being brethren of great experience , happily made their arrangements so that everything- went olf in good style .

1 o mark the occasion the good Almondeshams sported a lire , and the first introduction to the J . D . ol the lodge was in his capacity as Captain of the fire brigade , nearly greeting his London brethren as Companions of the Bath on their approach to " The Crown . " Punctually at 3 . 30 , that most rapid of all Consecrating Officers , the Rev . J . Studholme Brownrigg , P . G . Chap ., and the greatly esteemed Deputy

G . M . of the province , opened the lodge , being assisted by Bros . | . h . Bower , Prov . G . Sec ., as S . W . ; G . H . Charsley , P . P . G . Keg ., as j . W . ; and John Hattersley , P . J . G . D ., as I . G . Needless to say the work was admirably performed by the Consecrating Officer , who combined—in his own person the duties of Chaplain and Director of Ceremonies , as well as the Consecrating and Installing Master .

A pithy address , pointing out to the founders their duly to mark well the character rather than the numbers of their lodge , and excellent hymnal music , were the chief characteristics of the ceremony , the stentorian voice of the J . W . of the new lodge being part cularly noticeable . Bro . Harry Nelson Price , P . M . 177 and 2308 , was then installed as W . M . In the good manner which would naturally be expected from such an

experienced Craftsman , Bro . Price proceeded to invest his ollicers as follows : Bros . J . C . F . Tower , 1591 , S . W . ; Jas . Stephens , P . M . 1425 , J . W . ; J . | . Thomas , P . M . 753 , Treas . ; K . A . G . Smith , W . M . 177 , Sec . ; * R . Ferguson , 2010 , S . D . ; Hy . G . Clarke , 1501 , J . D . ; Walter S . Andrews , 177 , I . G . ; F . J . Harding , 2308 , D . C ; and John Cheese , P . M . 504 , . P . P . G . Reg . Herefordshire , acting l . P . M . The other founders of the lodge were Bros . A . G . Collins , P . P . G . D . of C . West Lancashire , and W . Johnson , P . M . 1-14 ,