Ar00400

YORKSHIRE ( NORTH AND EAST ) . torn Bro . Col . R . G . Smith ' Province—Bro . J . S . Cumberland j . „ T . B . Whytehead f 15 ° ° ° „ Major J . Woodall Woodall ... J YORKSHIRE ( WEST ) .

Provincial Grand Lodge and Grand Chapter 139 Bro . George Williams 139 „ Arthur Davy 296 ,, Charles Harrison 296 „ Robert Schott 302 J . R . Armitage

„ 44 S „ John T . Simpson 600 „ Carl E . Hoffer 600 „ John Beanland 600 j , John Robert Welsman

600 ,, Charles Crabtree | 974 ,, Herbert Anderton Foster ... )¦ 55 S o o 974 11 John Ridley Oddy 974 ii Francis Willey 974 ,, Geo . Henry Renton 974 „ John Ambler 974 ,, Wm . Chas . Lupton

101 9 Lodge Sincerity ... 1221 „ Defence 1239 Bro . John Parker Hewitt 1301 Lodge Brighouse ... 1513 Bro . Richard Carter 1513 11 Thos . W . Embleton l 5 l 3 11 J ° . Nelson Millar

1513 „ James Lowrance 1736 „ Fredk . Greenwood J Sir H . Edwards Presentation 1050 o o Total for West Yorks £ 1608 o o

SUMMARY OF THE PROVINCES .

. £ s . d . Berks and Bucks 234 o o Cheshire 100 16 o Cornwall 210 o o Dorsetshire 96 12 o Essex SG 2 o Hants and Isle of Wight ... 240 7 o

Herts 42 5 o Kent 327 - 0 Lancashire ( Eastern Division ) 97 16 o Lancashire ( Western Division ) 147 o o Leicestershire and Rutland ... 405 o o Middlesex 205 3 o Monmouthshire 61 S 6 Norfolk 200 o o

£ s . d . North Wales and Salop ... 175 2 o Nottinghamshire 261 14 o Oxfordshire 69 fi o Somersetshire ... ... ... 299 15 o South Wales ( Eastern Division ) 200 o o Staffordshire 215 5 o

Suffolk ... 300 11 o Surrey 14 S S o Sussex 1 S 50 o o Warwickshire ... 74 it o Worcestershire ... ... ... Sg 5 o Yorkshire ( North and East ) ... 150 o o Yorkshire ( West ) 1 G 0 S o o

GENERAL SUMMARY . LONDON ... ... ... ... ... £ 6226 14 6 P ROVINCES ... ... ... ... £ 7960 T 7 ° TOTAL ... ... ... £ 14 , 187 ir 6

Analysis Of The Returns.

ANALYSIS OF THE RETURNS .

Having described the Festival itself , we naturally turn to a consideration of its results . The general anticipation with which its approach was regarded was decidedly opposed to the realisation of a large total . That we shared in this foreboding was shown by our remarks last week , nor , we believe , was it till the very last moment that it became certain the receipts of last year would be equalled , and , without taking into account the Sir

Henry Edwards presentation by West Yorkshire , even to a trifling extent surpassed . A few good lists , however , received just when the Stewards and their friends were assembling round the festive board , dissipated the tears which had been experienced , and it was Bro . Hedges ' s good fortune , when the time came to make known the result of the year ' s endeavours , to be able to announce a total which must have delighted the Chairman , his

province , and the general body of the Craft , or at least , those of its representatives who were present to hear the announcement . The actual sum stated by the worthy Secretary was ^' 14 , 187 lis . 6 d ., which , though it falls short by something like £ 3000 of what Bro . Terry obtained in February , is many hundreds of pounds in excess of what has been announced at any previous Festival of this Institution . Of course , there is included in

this amount the 1000 guineas ( £ 1050 ) raised by our West Yorkshire brethren for the purpose of acquitting themselves of the two-fold obligation of showing respect for the services rendered by their late chief , who has withdrawn from active participation in the duties of Freemasonry , and providing permanently for the maintenance and education of one properly qualified child . Such presentations are of an exceptional character ,

but they none the less consist of the moneys contributed by brethren lor the approved purposes of the Institution , and though it is proper that some special reference should be made to a sum thus raised , and intended to be appropriated to a two-fold object , it must be obvious that its omission from the general announcement would have been a grievous act of injustice to the Province of West Yorkshire .

However , even had we improperly deducted this amount , there would still have remained a total sum raised by the body of the Craft for the use of the School , amounting to £ 13 , 137 us . 6 d ., or a fraction more than £ 100 in excess of the total announced at the Girls' Festival in May of last year . Thus , under any circumstances , the result of Wednesday ' s celebration must be looked upon with a

very excusable pride by those who had a hand in securing it , and with unalloyed satisfaction by the friends and supporters of our oldest Charity . Sir Walter Burrell , the President of the day , must be proud of the good fortune which attended his presidency , and prouder still , no doubt , of the conspicuous part played by his province in supporting him . Sussex must rejoice at finding its own loyal efforts in seconding its respected chief so splendidly backed up by London and a majority of its sister provinces .

The Executive must feel that so generous a response to their appeals on behalf of the Institution is the most conclusive testimony they can receive of the wisdom which directs and regulates their counsels ; and the Craft , as a whole , must experience a degree of pleasure which is well nigh inconceivable , when they find one of its Institutions so loyally and so handsomely provided for . For ourselves , as we hinted last week would be the case , we arc , if possible , most of all delighted at finding our unwelcome prognostications have turned out to be groundless .

A general glance at the result of the proceedings is in the first place desirable . There were in all 273 Stewards , 131 from London and 142 from the Provinces , and the total raised by these brethren : ! was £ 14 , 187 lis . 6 d ., or , less the Sir Henry Edwards Presentation , £ 13 , 137 Us . 6 d ., that is , in round figures , £ 100 more than the larger Board of Stewards of last year , which numbered 285 brethren . It will thus be seen that the less numerous body has succeeded in obtaining for the School the larger total ,

and we have no manner of doubt that the members of the Board , in the face of so appreciable a falling off in numbers , must have made up their minds to establish something like an equality between this and last year ' s results by doing their utmost , and a little over . At all events , the 273 brethren of Wednesday have the satisfaction of knowing that , after making allowance for the £ io 50 , already specified above , both hereand in what follows , their efforts have produced a somewhat larger total than the 2 S 5 brethren

Analysis Of The Returns.

of 18 S 4 , and such a feeling is some reward for the extra labours and responsibilities which must have devolved upon them . As regards the sub-division of the minor total , the 131 London Stewards obtained £ 6226 14 s . 6 d ., while the 143 Provincial raised £ 6910 17 s . od . This may be set down as a very

fair sub-division , the two sections of the Board having achieved almost the same measure of success . Let us now see how these totals are made up , and notice any circumstances there may be in connection with particular sums which seem to call for special comment . In doing this we give our attention first of all to

LONDON , Whose 131 Stewards made up the aggregate of £ 6226 14 s . 6 d . The amount is between £ 70 and £ 80 less than was obtained from the same source last year , namely , £ 6300 5 s ., when the Stewards were only 119 in number . This disproportion between the strength of the London section and the amount it realised is due , no doubt , to the increased number of Unattached

brethren , who , as we remarked last week , cannot in reason be expected to make up as large lists as those who have a lodge , or lodges , or other bodies to help them . The Unattached , in 1884 were 19 , on Wednesday they mustered 31 , including the 12 members of the House Committee , to whom has been assigned the place of honour at the head of the list , and who raised amongst them £ 55 6 T 5 s- As regards the representatives of Masonic

bodies , there were too brethren , of whom one also figured in the Sussex return , and one lady , and these amongst them acted on behalf of 93 lodges , 2 Royal Arch chapters , and one Templar Preceptory . Last year , 95 lodges , 6 R . A . chapters , and a Rose Croix chapter were represented , or 102 bodies as against the 9 6 of Wednesday . As to the more important individual amountswe find that the Earl of Carnarvon Lodge , No . 1642 , renews its

, success of February last , when it headed the array of London lodges . This circumstance is again due to the munificent support of Bro . and Mrs . Cama , whose joint Stewardship realised £ 288 15 s . Bro . John Dorton , of the Capper Lodge , No . 1076 , stands second with £ 203 3 s ., and Bro . Fred VV . Smith , of the Felicity , No . 58 , third with £ 157 ios . Bro . Samuel Pope , O . C ., of the Northern Bar Lodge , No . 1610 , comes next with £ 120 15 s .,

and then , in the order as we give them , Bro . Robert Grey , and Bro . Frank Richardson , both of the House Committee , with £ 115 ios . and £ 11055 ., respectively ; Bros . J . R . Johnson , Blackheath Lodge , No . 1320 , J . L . Mather , Unattached , and Horace B . Marshall , P . G . Treas ., Unattached , each with £ 105 ; Bro . Samuel H . Baker , John Hervey Lodge , No . 1260 , £ 101 ios . ; Bro . T . W . C . Bush , Unattached , £ 101 ; Bro . George Lewis , Mizpah

Lodge , 1671 , £ 100 16 s . ; and Bro . s James H . Hawkins , Prosperity Lodge , N 0 . I 55 , and Charles Hammerton , House Committee , each with £ 100 . This is a much shorter list than usual of three-figure lodges , though there are other amounts which approach pretty closely to the £ too , such as the / a ? ns . of Bro . R . G . Glutton , St . Peter Westminster , No . 1537 ; the joint list

of Comps . Festaand Hedges , of the Montagu Guest Chapter , Mo . 1900 , amounting to £ 95 us . ; the £ 94 8 s . of Bro . A C . Mitchell , Friends in Council Lodge , No . 1383 ; and the £ 89 5 s . of Bro . Edmund D . Schluter , St . Andrew ' s Lodge , No . 222 . However , the total is distributed over a surface of fairly average extent , and London may well rest contented with its share of the result of the Festival just celebrated .

As regards THE PROVINCES , There were 27 represented , as against 28 at the corresponding Festival of last year , but while the number of Stewards shows a decrease from 16 S to 142 , the total realised—quite irrespective of the Sir Henry Edwards presentation —has increased from £ 6737 13 s ., to £ 6910 17 s . There can be no doubt

that such a comparison reflects very great credit on the Provincial stewards who assisted at Wednesday ' s celebration , but especially on the Sussex brethren , who so substantially assisted their Prov . G . M ., RAV . Bro . Sir W . VV . Burrell , Bart ., M . P ., in his earnest advocacy of the Girls Institution , an advocacy which he practically illustrated by converting his Vice-Presidentshin into a Vice-Patronship . It is to be regretted there were so many

absentees , but this of course only p laces the efforts of those who assisted in still higher relief . A careful scrutiny of the results , province by province , will make this more apparent still , many of them having worked exceptionally hard and with a success commensurate with their efforts . But let the picture unfold itself gradually , so that our readers may see and decide for themselves as to the justice of our view .

The following provinces were unrepresented on Wednesday , namely : Bristol ( 8 lodges ) , which , however , figured at the Benevolent Festival in February for a small amount , and at the Festival of the same Institution in i 8 S 4 ' for not far short of £ 300 ; Cambridgeshire ( 5 lodges ) , which . issistpri both in February , when it contributed £ 106 , and at the Boys

Festival in June last , when it raised £ 174 ; Cumberland and Westmoreland ( 20 lodges ) , which figured fora modest £ 50 in February , but does not otherwise appear to have done anything worthy of its fame since the Boys Anniversary in 1883 , when its total was £ 1050 ; Derbyshire , ( 20 lodges ) , which , however , mav very justly be excused , as its Prov . Grand Master , _ tlie

Marquis of Hartington , has undertaken to preside at the Boys Festival next month ; Devonshire , ( 50 lodges ) , which contributed £ 135 '" February , and £ 317 at the Boys' Anniversary in 1883 , with smaller sums at each ot the intermediate celebrations ; Durham ( 30 lodges ) , this being—unfortunately for Bro . Hedges's total—its first appearance among the absentee 1

provinces since June , 1883 ; Gloucestershire ( 14 lodges ) , wnicn , aucr « magnificent display of zeal in February , is entitled to a respite ; Herelorushire ( 4 lodges ) , which we have not had the opportunity of welcoming as a contributor since June , 1883 ; Lincolnshire ( 21 lodges ) , which sent up tour Stewards in February , and one in June , 1884 ; Norths and Hunts ( w lodges ) , which , however , did very well tor the Boys' School in June last , Northumberland ( 21 lodges ) , which has been an absentee ever since its great waieb

effort in 1883 , when it raised £ 1222 for the Boys' School ; South , Western Division ( 10 lodges ) , which worked to excellent purpose for axo . Binckes in 1883 , and for this Institution last year , and on a smaller s < j ? l ? J " Bro . Terry in February ; Wiltshire ( 10 lodges ) , which raised over £ it > o February , £ 85 for this Institution in May , 1884 , and £ 157 for the Benevo-Ipnf thP Rfhrnarv nrevious : and lersev ( 7 lodges ) , which , however , raist

150 guineas for Bro . Terry in February , and 200 guineas for Bro . Bine v in June , 1883 . To these must be added Bedfordshire ( 5 lodges ) , " Channel Islands ( 5 lodges ) , which assisted Bro . Terry at his last l < esUV ' with £ 110 ; and the Isle of Man ( 5 lodges ) , whose remoteness £ ee '"^

excuse it Irom participation in the work ol these iestive gatherings . * the number 01 lodges which have had no part , directly or , as far-a * know , indirectly , in aiding the friends and supporters ol the Gir s = > cn > is 246 , while of the 14 provinces and 3 groups in which such l ° ageb included , there is only one of the latter , namely , Bedfordshire , tor | wny absence we seem to have been unable to . discover anything like a paiiw