Contents.

CONTENTS .

LEADERS , 617 Consecration of the Fairfield Lodge , No . 3334 , Long Eaton 618 Consecration of the Dene Lodge , No . 3328 , Cookham 619 Provincial Grand Chapter of West Yorkshire 630 Provincial Grand Mark Lodgu of West Yorkshire 20

G Provincial Grand Mark Lodge of Devonshire 631 An Important Suggestion bit CORRESPONDENCEMasonic Charities G 32 Can a Warden Confer Degrees ? 623 Royal Masonic Institution for Girls 623 Browne's Master Key 623

Reviews 623 Notes arid Queries C 33 REPORTS OK MASONIC MEETINGSCraft Masonry 634 Instruction 6 30 Royal Arch 630 Instruction 6 31 Order of the Secret Monitor 631

Annual Banquet of the East Surrey Lodge of Concord ( Instruction ) , No . 463 631 Presentation of a Lodge Banner 631 The Worshipful Company of Loriners 631 Presentation to the Hyde Park Lodge of Instruction , No . 1435 631 Obituary 631 Masonic and General Tidings 632 Lodge Meetings for Next Week iv .

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IT is high time we should devote some space to a consideration Festival of the of the prospects in store for the Royal Masonic Benevolent R . M . B . . Institution in connection with the Festival which will take place during the month of February , 1888 . It is on record in our columns that ,

when the Anniversary in February last had been held , Bro . TERRY lost no time in making the necessary preparations for the one that is now approaching . His " Plan of Campaign " was conducted in the usual fashion .

He set out on his tour of visiting the lodges in town and country , exerting all his influence and all his ability—so far , at least , as they could be properly exercised without detriment to the then forthcoming Anniversary Festivals of the Sister Institutions at Wandsworth and Wood Green—in order to obtain

the services of brethren as Stewards for the ensuing year , and induce others to support those Stewards to the full extent of their ability . At this date , and having regard to the exciting summer and autumn we have had

during this year of Jubilee , as well as to the occurrence in May or June next of the Centenary Festival of the Girls' School , we must think twice , and even many times , about offering an opinion as to the measure of success which had attended those efforts . A Board of Stewards is

being formed , and with three clear months before us , we are justified in hoping that it will be strong enough when the day comes to obtain the funds which are imperatively required for the year ' s expenditure . But the time is an anxious one for all our Institutions . The Boys' School fared indifferently in June last ; the Girls' School is

looking forward to its Centenary in the hope and belief that its Board of Stewards will succeed in raising the wherewithal to provide for the necessary re-arrangement and extension of its premises ; while the Benevolent Institution , notwithstanding its amazing success in February , has still two formidable lists of applicants for admission to its benefits . There remained

after the May election 35 unsuccessful male candidates and 36 unsuccessful widow candidates . There have been already accepted 14 male petitions and 12 widow petitions , and there is no doubt that between now and the 31 st December the two lists will be swelled by the addition of quite 30 more names , so that the number of candidates , taking men and widows together )

will , there is every reason to believe , be almost , if not quite , as formidable as it was in May last . But there will be this unfortunate difference—that , whatever the number of vacancies to be filled may be—and present appearances suggest the idea that it will be very limited—the amount disbursed in annuities already closely approximates to ^ 15 , , and there will be

no Jubilee excitement next year to justify our anticipating a richer harvest of donations and subscriptions than usual . The permanent income of the Institution , as we have stated many times before , is about £ 3600 , which is about sufficient to defray the expenses of management and leave a small amount in hand towards incidentals ; and

as management and annuities together absorb about £ 18 , 000 annually , a lower total of subscriptions in February next than ^ 15 , 000 will necessitate one of three courses . The Institution will be compelled either to incur debt ; sell out some of its capital , and so reduce its permanent income ; or reduce the number of its annuitants . As matters stand , and having regard to the

pressing demands of the other charities , we see not the remotest likelihood of the Committee of Management being able to recommend the election of any more old men and widows : such a policy under present circumstances would be most unwise . But we are sanguine enough to believe that the Craft , how great soever may be the calls made upon it in other quarters ,

will diligently and successfully exert itself to provide the requisite funds for the maintenance of the Royal Masonic Benevolent Institution in its present strength . We will add that the Board of Stewards numbers only some 140 brethren at the present time , and , as our advertisement columns show , Bro . Terry will be but too glad to enrolfl ' the names of other brethren who may be willing to assist him in his serious task . * * *

The NewDist . Acc 0 RDING to latest advices from India , H . R . H . the Duke Grand Master c ' f of CONNAUGHT has been at length installed as . District Grand ay- Master of Bombay , the ceremony , which had been delayed owing to the visit of the illustrious Duke to England , in order to be present

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at the festivities in honour of the Q UEEN ' Jubilee , having been carried out , in accordance with ancient usage , in the Freemasons' Hall at Bombay . His Royal Hig hness was subsequently installed Past Grand Master of the Grand Lodge of Scottish Freemasonry in all India , which has its

headquarters in the same capital city , so that the double duty devolves on us of congratulating the lodges and brethren of both Constitutions on the honour which the Duke has been pleased to confer upon them . There is no doubt that the event of Saturday last will have a most encouraging influence on the fortunes , already sufficiently stable , of the lodges of the two systems ,

* # * LORD LATHOM must nave been more than usually gratified The Province ,,, . ,, . , , t , of West by the heartiness of the reception he met with at the annual Lancashire . sess j on at Eccles , on the 3 rd inst ., of his Provincial Grand

Lodge of West Lancashire , as well as by the several reports of proceedings , which were submitted at the meeting . There is nothing remarkable in the fact that a province which has so able and popular a chief to preside over its fortunes should find itself becoming more and more prosperous every year , or that the feelings by which therulerand the ruled areactuated towards

each other should become stronger and more pronounced as one successful year is regularly followed by another of still greater success . On this occasion as many as 600 brethren met under the banner of Bridgwater Lodge , and only one of the S 5 lodges on the roll was unable to send its representatives . The Prov . Grand Treasurer ' s Statements of Account

showed a generous , as well as a wise , administration of the finances , grants amounting together to £ 630 having been made during the year to the several Provincial Charitable organisations , while £ 210 was voted to the Royal Masonic Benevolent Institution , and £ 305 distributed among distressed widows and members of West Lancashire lodges . Yet , notwithstanding

these generous subventions , there remained at the close of the year a balance in hand of nearly £ 1013 . As regards the Jubilee contributions to the Masonic Charities , we gather , from the remarks of the Prov . Grand Secretary , that , including the amounts already voted and paid from Provincial Grand Lodge funds , these were expected to reach the munificent sum of

£ 5000 , the 20 lodges which had sent in their returns having [ contributed amongst them £ 1027 , or , on an average , upwards of £ 50 per lodge . Moreover , the Prov . Grand Master announced , with reference to the Centenary Festival of the Girls' School next year , that , in all probability , the Prince of WALES would occupy the chair ; that he himself had been invited to act

as Chairman , or President , of the Board of Stewards ; and that he had no doubt whatever that West Lancashire would occupy aioremost place among the contributing provinces . As regards the numerical position of the province , the Prov . Grand Secretary mentioned that warrants for three new lodges had been granted during the year , the constitution of one of them ,

which it is proposed to limit to Present and Past Provincial Grand Officers , being somewhat of a novelty ; of this lodge , which will be designated the LATHOM , the Prov . Grand Master has very kindly consented to be the first W . M . Thus , both as regards its numerical strength and its financial position , West Lancashire has evidently made more than the usual progress

during the past 12 months . Its local Charitable Associations have been doing some excellent work , and appear to have received a larger measure of support from the brethren . The Jubilee contributions to the Central Charities bid fair to be exceptionally high , and it only needs that the lodges should look more closely after the subscriptions of their members , so as to

prevent any undue accumulation of arrears , in order to remove the solitary cause of regret referred to during the proceedings . The proceedings at the meeting of Prov . Grand Chapter , which was held immediately after the

close of Prov . Grand Lodge , do not call for remark ; but enough passed to show that in Arch , as in Craft , Masonry , all who have had a share in the duties of Masonry during the past year are to be congratulated on the manner in which they have carried them out .

* # * To meet the wishes of the brethren for whom we spoke in the " Master " " ^ reemason of last year , GENERAL ROOME , the Grand Master of the Knights Templars in the United States , has offered a

response which can be accepted by Craftsmen wherever dispersed , and without regard to Knight Templary exclusively . The sentiment to which we invite all the European Craftsmen whose names are enrolled in " the mystic inner circle , " and which we ask them to remember is the pledge on Christmas Day , 1887 , of" Our Grand Master . " The Grand Master of the K . T . of

U . S . A ., sends the response "To all regular Masons of whatever legitimate obedience throughout the world , " which we feel assured will prove most acceptable to the numerous brethren who take part in this most fraternal libation . The time selected is noon , Washington Standard , which corresponds to about 5 p . m . Greenwich . The circle of Craftsmen who participate in this pleasing annual custom is ever increasing , and quite a number in