History Of The Royal Masonic Institution For Boys.

promoters of the then contemplated Asylum for Aged and Decayed Masons . No doubt it was an act of presumption on the part of Bro . Crucefix lo include-his inchoate scheme of an Asylum in the same category with the established and officiall y-recognised Charities of thc Order ; but the matter was hardly of sufficient importance to be referred to his Royal Highness and discussed in Committee . It somewhat taxes our patience to read of elaborate negotiations in connection wilh the acceptance of a donation , but at

the time a spirit of bitterness , arising out of this Asylum scheme , was beginning to make itself felt throughout the Fraternity . The opposition to the form . in which the gift was presented was . persisted in , and Bro . Moore , iii giving a receipt for the ^ 25 , declined to recognise that there were three Masonic Charities , though he must have known that his own Charity—the Boys' Institution—was in existence some time before it was officially recognised'a ' s h . Masonic Institution .

Again in 1840 the Committee resolved on renting a house in Bloomsburyplace , where the business of the Charity might be transacted , while the Secretary occupied as a residence the upper portion ' of the house . This was . also ' referred to his Royal Highness who gave his assent somewhat unwillingly if not ungraciously , in the following letter addressed to Bro . Moore : —

To the Treasurer of the Boys' Masonic School .-VVorshipful Sir and lirother— . " . - ' - . In answer to your letter of the 15 th inst . informing rae of your being about to engage a new office for carrying on the . business of the Boys' Masonic School , which will create an additional expense of £ So per annum , I hatfe to observe that , should the subscribers assent to your proposal , I can have no objection to it , but with this reservation , however , that it is not to lead to the lodging or boarding of any of the boys or to any proposition for educating them under that roof . ' To such a suggestion I should

object , inasmuch as I conceive it would call for regulations not in accordance with our Masonic p rinciples , being an infraction of the agreement wc came to at the Union of- the two Bodies of Masons , that tho tivo Schools should be continued upon , the same ' plan as they had been conducted previously . I think it right to be thus explicit , . that my assent on the present occasion should not be construed into an acquiescence of another nature , to which 1 am conscientiously and decidedly opposed . I remain , with consideration , Your attached Brother , ¦ . . ( Signed ) AUGUSTUS FREDERICK .

It is by no means clear what his Royal Highness can have meant by "Regulations not in accordance with our Masonic principles , " but it is indisputable lhat he cannot have been particularly well versed in thc history . of the Institution of which hc was President . Otherwise , hc must have known that the provision of a school building in which the boys might be maintained as well as educated was part of the original scheme of thc . founders , and that it was only through lack of thc requisite funds that it had

not been carried out . It may be also as well to point out that the terms of the Union did not bind the Craft to proceed only on the lines previously laid down for the conduct of the Charity . Such a proposition , if pressed to its logical conclusion , would have made thc most trifling reform impossible . Had these conscientious objections of his Royal Highness been continued by those who followed after him , there would have been no School such as wc now . point to with so much pride . ' * .

Thc above cases we have cited as instances of the determined opposition that was raised to any proposal calculated to enlarge the then scope of the Boys ' - Charity , and it -must be clear to those who have followed us that one of the most strenuous opponents to change of any kind was the President of the School . It must likewise be obvious that , as we have

remarked already , the . Committee were far too much inclined to be subservient to the slightest wish of his Royal Highness , even though their own far greater practical experience in . thc working of the rules told them he was wrong .. We should blame them had they been wanting in their proper respect to their illustrious chief , and we ' must not withhold our censure because they carried their respect to the Verge of sycophancy .

If we direct our attention to' the interior arrangements of the Institution we still find that , order and regularity having been once fairly restored , thc functions of the Committee were exercised principally in the maintenance of order , all suggestions of . an exceptional character being discouraged . It has been said that at the outset of Bro . Moore ' s rule the number of boys was 48 as against 70 in 1821 , and credit has deservedl y been given to him for having contributed to'bring about something like a return to thc latter

figure . Prom-an inspection of . the two or three lists inserted in thc Minute books it would seem as though 50 was looked upon as representing thc fixed strength of the establishment in the years 1826-27 , t-he list containing only 48 names , being accidentally , two less than the usual number . In July , 1 S 2 S , on the motion of Bro . Coe , seconded by Bro . Thomas , it was resolved that an addition of five boys be made to thc number on the Institution . The increase , however , does not appear to have been maintained , as in June ,

1832 , the Secretary reported there werecight vacancies for the next election , but it appearing there were only eleven candidates , " it was * resolved that only six vacancies should be declared , and six only were filled up the month following . It is by no means easy , even if it were desirable , to follow up the strength' ordinarily maintained as compared with that sanctioned from half year to half year , but in December , i 8 33 , * o * nl y four vacancies we ' re declared though the Secretary reported that five boys had completed their course . Again

in June , 1 S 34 , nine vacancies were announced , but as there were , only six , or as it proved , ultimately , seven candidates , but five were ordered to be filled tjp . However , in July , when the ballot was over , . and the names of the five successful candidates had been announced , thc Governors and Subscribers present at the Quarterly Meeting appear to have become suddenly inspired with the idea that , as there was room for the unsuccessful candidates on the establishment , no great harm would be

done if they were accepted forthwith instead of being kept waiting for . the benefits they so much needed for at least a further six months . Accordingly it was resolved " that Alfred Gibbons and Alfred Walker , the unsuccessful candidates , be admitted on th e Institution in consequence of there being a sufficient number of vacancies , but that thc Resolution be not drawn into a precedent ; and that it shall not be competent lo a General Meeting to come to any such Resolution in future without special notice to suspend thc

27 th Kule , which regulates the . Election b y Ballot—such notice to be given at the Committee Meeting next preceding thc-day of Election . " In the following December , thc Secretary reported 10 vacancies , the number on the Establishment having been six short , and four boys having left since the previous election . However , there were . 1 . 3 candidates and consequently the * whole 10 were ordered to be filled . In June ' , 1 S 36 , nine vacancies were announced .

but only seven were ordered to be filled up , an amendment that the complete number should be elected being rejected , and that notwithstanding there were au many as 12 candidates . ' At the Quarterly Meeting in July , 18 37 , the complete number sanctioned by the Governors having been in the meantime filled up , it was agreed to increase the strength of thc establishment from 55 to do , and the following December the additional five were ordered

History Of The Royal Masonic Institution For Boys.

to be elected . In October , 1 S 3 S , a further increase of five , raising the total strength to 65 was agreed upon , and the resolution having been confirmed at a Special General Meeting held in December , the addition was made as far as possible , there being only 12 candidates as against 13 vacancies ( including the extra five ) . No further increase occurred in Bro . Moore ' s-time . As regards Rules and Regulations , it is unlikely that , leaving out of the ¦

question periodical revisions , so long a period as 15 years would pass without some additions and amendments being made , the following being among the most material . . After several unsuccessful attempts , the privilege of voting by proxy at Elections was accorded to all classes of contributors . It was also resolved , in July , 1 S 39 , Uiat the balloting papers should be sent through the post at the expense of the Institution . Two vears later it W . T- nrrano-prl

that every Governor and Subscriber , instead of having one vote as hitherto , * should be entitled to as many votes as therewere vacancies , and that he should be allowed to give them all to one candidate or distribute them among several . Greater strictness was observed in . analysing the claims of the applicants , and in cases where a candidate alread y had a brother or sister in receipt of benefits from one of the Masonic Charities , it was ordered that

the fact should be made public in the balloting papers . Moreover , the grade of Vice-President was created , and the Institution became entitled to thc privilege of prefixing the word " Royal" to its title . In fact , these two changes arose out of one and the same incident . The Festival of the year 1 S 32 was held on the 13 th March , under the presidency of H . R . H . the Duke of Sussex , and at the Quarterly Meeting next ensuing , Bro . Lvth-roeactine *

as Chairman in the absence of the Treasurer , stated the receipts were £ 344 12 S . 6 d ., among which his Royal Highness had informed him was the donation of ten guineas from the King , who , at the intercession of his bro- * tlier , had graciously consented to become " Patron of the Institution . " It . may be imagined that such an announcement was most cordially received , and Bro . Lythgoe was requested to convey the thanks of the meeting to the

Duke of bussex for his very great condescension in thus soliciting a patronage which could not fail to be of the greatest advantage to the Charity . On receiving this note , his Royal Highness was pleased to express his satisfaction , and to state-that in future the Institution would be designated . " The Royal Masonic Institution for Clothing , Educating , and Apprenticing thc . Sons of Indigent Freemason ' s . " On this , a Committee , consisting of Bros . ¦

Moore , M . eynck , 1 . R . bmitli , I .. K Savory , and Lythgoe , was appointed in order "to make such arrangements as may appear lo them expedient on the occasion of his Majesty having been graciously pleased to take upon himself the title of Patron " of the Institution . The result of the Commit' tee ' s confabulation was a resolution to the effect that the Duke of Sussex be requested to act as President , and the following noblemen and

gentlemento become Vice-Presidents , namely , the Mlirquis of Salisbury , the Earl of Kingston , Earl Ferrers , Lord Dundas , the Earl of Yarborough , Lord J . Spencer-Churchill , Sir John'Soane , Col . C . K . K . Tynte , M . P ., Louis Hayes Petit , Esq ., M . P ., William W . Prescott , Esq ., and Benjamin Bond Cabbell , Esq . Favourable answers were received in the . case of all who were requested , and thus the grade of Vice-President came to be established ,

but no money qualification was attached to the rank , which was purely honorary and conferred no special privileges on thoscwhoaccepted . it . It should also be mentioned that , with a view no doubt to encourage brethren to take upon themselves the office of Festival Steward , an additional vote was given to every brother who served as Steward , and at the same time ¦ qualified as a Life Governor . There is likewise one other regulation

relating to tne nestivais wnicn must not be overlooked , namely ,. one passed early in 1 S 32 to the effect that in future the anniversary Festivals should be " strictly Masonic , in conformity to the opinion expressed by his Royal Highness thc Duke of Sussex , our Most Worshipful Grand Master , that such arrangements woul . d be conducive to the interests of the Charity . "

Iwo honorary . offices were also created , that of Honorary Solicitor , in which Bro . Joseph Lythgoe , on his decease , was succeeded by Bro . R . H . Giraud , and that of Honorary Medical Officer , conferred on Bro . W ; G . Thiselton-Dyer . It should also be stated that in 1838 the varying contributions of Grand Lodge to the Charity was commuted lo a fixed grant of /" i 5 o per annum .

By way of encouraging the Boys in their- studies a silver medal was given once a year , with greater or less regularity , by some private individual or body to the boy who exhibited thc best proofs of his hand-writing , but it was not till a few months after Bro . Moore ' s resignation that it was resolved that such a medal should be given annually by the Committee . The follow-, ing is a list of the boys to whdm the prize was adjudged , the . names of the different donors being inserted in all cases where possible .

Year . Prize . By whom given . Recipient * . 1831 S . Medal . United Mariners Lodge , No . 3 G Charles George-Moor . 1532 ¦ Ditto . ' . Ditto . Samuel Grimstone . 1533 Ditto . R . Barnes , on behalf of Committee . John James Coulson . 1534 Ditto . Annual Excursion Committee ' John [ ames Rackstraw .

11-130 Ditto . Ditto . David Owen . 1 S 37 Ditto . Ditto . . John Mitchell . 1 S 3 S Ditto . Ditto . * Benjamin Benjamin . 1 S 39 Ditto . Ditto . Charles James Robinson . l 8 4 ° * Charles lames Robinson .

A few matters of personal interest also occurred , but they are hardly of sufficient moment for us to particularise them , relating , as they do , chiefly to . changes in thc personnel of the Committee . It may be stated , however , that during the whole ' of this period an annual excursion was made by steamer to the Nore , Chatham , or other chosen point , the proceeds being religiously paid over to the Treasurer of the Institution , and as regularly , of course , a vote

of thanks was passed to the Excursion Committee for their laudable exertions to assist the funds of the Charity . After a time these exertions received the sanction , and may be said therefore to have been made under the patronage , of the Duke of Sussex , * * who seems to have been ready enough to acquiesce in all measures of a reasonable character , provided they were submitted to him for his approval , or , as in thc case of taking the lease of the house . No .

7 , Bloomsbury-place , for ollice purposes , when the negotiations had reached a stage at which withdrawal from the arrangements was out of thc question . With these remarks we bring to a close our sketch of an administration . which will always be looked upon with respect , as having from first to last been governed by a desire to-put things straight and keep them so , ' . For the success with which Bro . Moore fulfilled his part , hc unquestionabl y

deserves great credit ; but he does not appear to have realised tlie desir- . ability of encouraging free and unfettered action on thc part of such energetic workers as Bros . Lythgoe , Coe , and others . Had he done this , there is little reason to doubt that more would have been accomplished and the period hastened when thc boys on the establishment were maintained , as well as ' clothed ' and educated . ( To be continued ) . .