Contents.

CONTENTS .

LBADSRSThe Approaching School Elections ... ... ... 127 The District Grand Lodge ol Butmah .. ... ... ,, 12 S Freemasonry in Dumfriesshire ... ... ... ... ... 12 S Consecration of the Lodge of Verity , No . 2739 ... ... ¦•¦ 12 S

Consecration of the Maida Vale Lodge , No . 2743 ... ... 130 Annual Supper of the Earl of Lathom Lodge of Instruction , No . 1922 ... 13 ' The Oldest Living Freemason ¦ ... ... ... ... •¦• ' 3 The Craft Abroad ... ... ... ... ... ' 3 ' Clubs of Instruction ... ... ... ... ... ' 32 Craft Masonry ... ... ... ... ... > 3 2

MASONIC NOTESStatement of Accounts Girls'School ... ... ... ••• ' 35 Statement of Accounts Boys'School ... ... ... 135 Death of Bro . Enoch T . Carson ... ... ... — ' 35 Death of Lady Ridley ... ... ... ... ... ' 35 Craft Masonry ... ... ... ... ••• ••• ' 3

Royal Arch ... ... ... ... ... ... ••¦ ' 3 < 5 Mark Masonry ... ... ... ... ... ... 136 Red Cross of Rome and Constantine ... ... ... ... ' 39 Cryptic Masonry ... ... ... ... ... ... 14 ° The Recent Festival of the Royal Masonic Benevolent Institution ... ... 140 Obituary ... ... ... ... ... ... ... " 4 ° Masonic and General Tidings ... ... ... ... — ' 4

The Approaching School Elections.

THE APPROACHING SCHOOL ELECTIONS .

The ballot-papers for the April School Elections were issued early in the present week , and the Governors and Subscribers are , therefore , in a position to judge of the relative merits of the

several candidates , so far , at least , as it is possible to form an opinion from the brief particulars appended to the children ' s names . From the list of those applicants whose cases have been approved for

THE ROYAL MASONIC INSTITUTION FOR GIRLS , we gather that the election will take place at the Quarterly General Court of Governors and Subscribers , which will be held at Freemasons' Tavern on Thursday , the 13 th April ; that the

number of candidates is 3 6 , of whom 14 bring forward their claims and votes from last year ; and that the number of vacancies to be filled is 16 . London furnishes eight candidates of its own , and has part interest with Kent in the success of two

others . The eight of purely London origin are Nos . 6 , 7 , 9 , and 13 , who were among the unsuccessful in October last , and bring forward 2 I 05 , 1592 , 1310 , and 3501 votes respectively , No . 6 , who has failed at two elections , having this one and only chance left

her of securing admission info the School . The new candidates whose names have been placed on the list since October are Nos . 21 , 27 , 30 , and 36 , while the two London and Kent candidates are No . 4 , who has 3327 votes in hand towards

winning a place on this occasion or having her name removed from the list , and No . 35 , with whom it is a case of winning now or never , as , like No . 4 , she will be too old to be allowed another opportunity . The remaining 26

candidates hail from sundry Provinces and Stations Abroad and arc thus distributed . Essex sends up three girls , of whom No . 12 score d 314 votes at her first attempt in October , and Nos . 25 and 26 are new to the experience of the ballot . Hertfordshire ,

Middlesex , and Warwickshire , have two candidates each , the first namwl furnishing Nos . 19 and 33 ; Middlesex , Nos . ro and ri , with S 96 and 2157 votes to their credit respectively ; and Warwickshire , No . 15 , who must win this election or have her name removed , and No . 16 . The other 17 girls hail from the following ,

The Approaching School Elections.

namely , No . 1 from Valparaiso , who brings forward 1043 votes from her three previous attempts ; No . 2 from Kent , who has in hand 18 39 votes ; No . 3 from Northumberland and Durham , with 3319 votes ; No . 5 from Lincolnshire , N . and E . Yorkshire , and two other Provinces , with 2681 votes to the good ; and No .

8 from Sussex , who brings forward 414 votes . The rest are new candidates , No . 17 from Oxfordshire and Derbyshire , and No . iS from Wiltshire , being fast cases ; No . 20 from West

Lancashire ; No . " 22 from Hong Kong and South China and South Wales ( E . D . ) ; No . 23 from Norfolk ; No . 24 from Staffordshire and Leicestershire and Rutland : No . 28 from

Leicestershire and Rutland ; No . 29—a last case—from Hants and Isle of Wight , Bengal , and Punjab ; No . 2 ^ roni l ' o \ d Province of Berks and Bucks , who is also a last case ; No . 32

from Oxfordshire ; and No . 34 from Lincolnshire . We may add that the special feature in the list is the number of last cases , that is , oi children whose names will be removed in the event of

their being unsuccessful at this ballot . The election for

THE ROYAL MASONIC INSTITUTION FOR BOYS takes place at the Court of Governors and Subscribers , which will be held at Freemasons' Tavern on Friday , the 14 th April , The number of candidates , of whom 16 remain from October ,

18 9 8 , and 21 have had their names placed on the list since , is lower than it has been for some time , and reaches only 37 , while the number of vacancies is 23 , the chances of winning admission being decidedly more favourable than for the Girls' election , at

which it will be only possible to elect 16 out of 3 6 , London furnishes II candidates and has a joint interest with Surrey in two others . The former include Nos . 6 , 8 , g , 10 , and II , who respectively bring forward 91 , 1339 , 2370 , 713 , and 1244 votes ,

while No . 15 has 88 3 votes to his credit . The other five are placed at Nos . 17 , 20 , 22 , 34 , and 37 . Of these II boys , No . 6 , if he fails this time , will have no further chance allowed him , as he will attain the maximum limit of H years

in the month of August . The two London and Surrey candidates are No . 16 , with 166 3 votes in hand , and No . 2 ^ . Ol the 24 Provincial and Foreign Candidates , Devonshire sends No . i , who has 1 S 19 votes in hand , and No . 36 ;

Middlesex , two new candidates , who are placed at Nos . 25 and 29 , and the latter of whom has only this chance of success ; South Wales ( E . D . ) , No . 14 , with 24 votes brought forward , and No . in ; and Staffordshire , Nos .

2 t and 33 . The others hail from the following Provinces or Districts , namely , No . 2 from Buckinghamshire , with 325 votes to the good ; No . 3 from West Lancashire , with 56 votes ; and No . 4 from Herefordshire , with only 13 votes to help him at

his last attempt . No . 7 from Northumberland brings forward 479 votes towards his last appeal ; No . 12 from Auckland ( N . Z . ) has 8 votes forward from October ; and No . 13 from

Cambridgeshire 4 61 votes . The rest are all candidates for the first time , No . 18 being from Dorsetshire ( a last case ) , No . 24 from Berkshire , Nos . 26 , 27 , and 28 from Derbyshire , Antigua , and

West Yorkshire , respectively ; No . 30 from Somersetshire , No . 31 from Hants and the Isle of Wight and the Punjab , and No . 32 from N . and D . Yorkshire .