Festival Of The Mark Benevolent Fund.

FESTIVAL OF THE MARK BENEVOLENT FUND .

The Anniversary Festival in aid of the Benevolent Fund established by the Mark Grand Lodge of England and Wales will be celebrated at Freemasons' Tavern , on Wednesday next , the 20 th instant , under the presidency , as Chairman , of Bro . Sir REGINALD HANSON , Bart ., M . P ., P . G . W ., and thoug h the auguries are by no means as favourable as vve have known them

at sundry of the more recent celebrations , we trust the result will be worthy alike of the distinguished Chairman and the cause he has undertaken to advocate . The Fund in question richly merits the support of all members of the Mark Degree . As originally established , its purposes were limited to meeting the more urgent wants of necessitous Mark brethren ; but these

purposes are now fulfilled by what is known as the " Benevolent Fund , " there being two other branches of more recent foundation , namely , the " Educational Fund , " which was established in 1879 , and the "Annuity Fund , " established in 1885 . As regards the senior branch or " Benevolent Fund , " its invested capital is ^ 3400 , and its receipts for the year 1891 amounted to

£ 702 , while its expenditure reached £ 334 ios . 8 d ., of which £ 257 15 s . was disbursed in relief . The " Educational Fund " has ^ 2900 invested , and its income for the same period was £ 6 g $ os . 6 d . The number of children it educates and partially clothes is 32—16 boys and 16 girls—and its expenditure on their behalf was / 409 ios . 4 d ., while its general outlay for postage ,

printing , & c , was ^ 76 15 s . 8 d . The " Annuity Fund " has ^ 4300 invested , and an income vvhich amounted in 1891 10 ^* 749 14 s . id . The number of annuitants is 12 , of whom eight are men and four widows , the former receiving £ 26 and the latter ^ 21 per annum , with a gratuity at Christmas of £ 5 to each , whether man or widow . The total outlay required for

these poor old folk is ^ 352 a year , to which must be added the one-third part of the expenses of administration , that is to say £ 76 15 s . 8 d . Thus the present total outlay by the three branches of the Mark Benevolent Fund amounts in round figures to ^ 1250 , of vvhich / 230 is in respect of the cost of management ; the total capital being

^ 10 , 600 . From these few particulars it will be seen that the Fund of Bene volence connected with our Mark Grand Lodge fulfils the duty as regards its senior branch of the Fund of Benevolence maintained by United Grand Lodge , while , as regards its Educational and Annuity branches , it plays the

part of the Craft Masonic Schools and Benevolent Fund , and , as it is admitted on all hands that it fulfils these various objects to excellent purposes , its claims upon the support of our Mark brethren are beyond question .

As for the prospects of Wednesday next , we have already said that the outlook is not quite as favourable as we could wish . In 188 S , when the present Pro Grand Master occupied the chair , the Board of Stewards consisted of 153 brethren , and the amount realised was a fraction over , £ 1818 . In 1889 , B" " * Sir LIONEL DARELL , Bart ., the Junior Grand Warden of the

year , was in the chair , and the sum of £ 2087 was raised by 151 brethren . In 1890 , the present Deputy Grand Master , Bro . the Earl of EUSTON presided , and a total of , £ 2354 was obtained by the exertions of a Board of Stewards 153 strong while last year when Bro . Viscount DUNGARVAN , 1 \ G . \ V ., presided , a Board of 154 Stewards compiled a total of

£ ' ^ 56 . The Board of Stewards for Wednesday next is 133 strong , of whom eight are ladies ; 29 , including the General Board , being representatives from London and Unattached , while the remaining 96 hail from the Provinces . 'This , then , will be ( he smallest Board during the last five years , and , though it does not necessarily follow that the

amount they will assist in raising should be less than thc total for any or all of the four preceding years , it will need a long pull , a strong pull , and a pull all together , in order to bring the result to an equality with the lowest of thc 0 , lr . That this pull may be forthcoming , and that it will prove successful , is a

consummation devoutly to be wished , and we sincerely trust it will be our Privilege to record the success in our next week ' s issue , or , at all events , one ' ' will materially assist in strengthening and confirming the position ot th | s most serviceable Fund .

The Province Of Middlesex.

THE PROVINCE OF MIDDLESEX .

uur brethren of the Province of Middlesex are indeed fortunate in their . ' In their late chief they had a presiding officer , who , while he vvas " " m the maintenance of discipline , watched over their interests with greatest solicitude ; who never missed the opportunity of doing them 5 . -.. w . w ««^ , . . .. . ......... ........... . ... ~ »[ 'i— - - _ . -- _ 3 ... w ...

a „ hie nf * ' anc * w ^ ° 'n a" res P ccts was a true " S ' ^ ' philosopher , and I a l ° '' y 01 " ^ ' as 1 ° the more experienced of their members . the r k % VCr > adthe pleasure of announcing that his ROYAL HIGHNESS ""and Master had been p leased to appoint Bro . Lord GEORGE

The Province Of Middlesex.

HAMILTON , M . P ., as Provincial Grand Master in succession to the late Bro Sir FRANCIS BURDETT , and there is every reason to anticipate that under his lordship ' s auspices the Province will maintain the position it has held for so many years . To begin with , he is known throughout the county as a resident of long standing . Moreover , he comes from a thoroughly

Masonic family . His father , the late Duke of ABERCORN , who was initiated in the A pollo University Lodge of Oxford , was Grand Master of Ireland from 1874 till his death . His brother , the present Duke , was appointed Senior Grand Warden of England at the memorable meeting in the Royal Albert Hall in 187 *? , when the Prince of WALES was

installed in office as M . W . Grand Master , while for the last few years he has occupied the post so long and so successfully held by his father as chief of the Freemasons of Ireland . Other members of the HAMILTON family are also connected with our Society , while Lord GEORGE HAMILTON himself is a Past Senior Grand Warden of our United Grand Lodge , and on more

than one occasion , but especially in 1890 , when he presided as Chairman at the Festival of the Royal Masonic Institution for Boys , has exhibited a deep interest in the affairs of our Order and the Charities it so g-encrously maintains . We congratulate the large and influential Metropolitan Province on

the choice which the M . W . Grand Master has made of its new ruler , whose character and antecedents fully justify the opinion vve have expressed already , that under him , as under its late respected chief , it vvill maintain intact the prestige of which it has enjoyed so ample a measure .

The Newfoundland Calamity.

THE NEWFOUNDLAND CALAMITY .

The appalling calamity which has befallen the capital of our oldest Colony is sure to evoke thc deepest sympathy of all classes of her Majesty ' s subjects , whether they reside in the United Kingdom , in British North America , the Antipodes , in our Indian Empire , or in the other Colonics and Dependencies of the British Crown . We believe this is the fourth

time during these latter years that St . John's , Newfoundland , has been in great part destroyed by fire , but thc loss of property on the present occasion is far greater than at either of the preceding fires , amounting , according lo the latest estimate , to about two and a half millions sterling . What makes matters worse is thc fact that the Colony is far from being a wealthy one ,

and substantial aid will be needed in order to give the inhabitants , some thousands of whom are homeless and destitute of necessaries , a fresh start . That this help will be forthcoming there is no doubt whatever . Indeed , Bro . Lord Mayor EVANS has already started a Mansion House Relief Fund ,

and the Government has dispatched some of the war ships on the North American Station with stores , while the movement has been taken up by the Mayor of Liverpool ( Bro . J . DE BELS ADAMS ) , and will be supported by thc chief municipal authorities of our large Provincial cities and towns .

But , as we have said , theamount of substantial aid which will be required will be enormous , and wc would suggest that a Special Communication of Grand Lodge should bc held at the earliest possible date , so that the Craft may have the opportunity of contributing . It is hardly necessary to remind our readers that there are lodges under the English Constitution in the

Colony , and many of them are no doubt aware that the Prime Minister—Bro . Sir J WHITE WAY—who visited England not so very long ago in connection with the Newfoundland Fisheries Question -is District Grand Master . Thus if a special reason is needed for the adoption of so unusual a course , it will bc found in the losses sustained by our Newfoundland

brethren , whose Hall has been burnt to the ground , and the property it contained destroyed , to say nothing of the personal losses sustained by thc brethren themselves . We are convinced , however , that no reason , special or otherwise , is needed , in order to remind the English Craft of its obvious

duty . Some thousands of British subjects have lost their all , and as help to be of real service must be immediate , we are certain our Grand Lodge authorities will be only too ready to take the necessary steps towards enabling the Fraternity to bear its part in the great work of brotherly love and relief .

Consecration Of Tiie Runnymede Lodge, No. 2430.

CONSECRATION OF TIIE RUNNYMEDE LODGE , No . 2430 .

The rapidly growing Province of Bucks was further increased on Monday , the 1 ith inst ., by the consecration of the Runnymede Lodge , No . 2430 , at the Angler ' s Rest Hotel , Wraysbury . The interesting ceremony was performed by Bro . Rev . J . Studholme Brownrigg , P . G . Chap ., Deputy Prov . Grand Master , assisted by Bros . J . E . Bowen , Prov . G . Sec , as S . W ., and J . Hattersley , P . P . J . G . D ., as J . W .