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CONTENTS . PAGE LEADERSThe Approaching Festival of the Royal Masonic Benevolent Institution ... 85 The Grand Lodge of Idaho ... ... ... ... ... S 5 Provincial Grand Mark Lodge of Derbyshire ... ... ... ... S 6 Consecration of the Woodiwiss Mark Lodge , No . 503 ... ... ... S 7

Funeral of Bro . John Williams , 1 755 ... ... ... ... 07 Board of Benevolence ... ... ... ... ... ... S 7 Consecration of the Prosperity Lodge , No . 2 G 07 , at Johannesburg ... ... S 7 Craft Masonry ... ... ... ... ... ... S 7 Royal Arch ... ... ... ... ... ... ... 91 MASONIC

NOTESThe Boys' School and Cambridge Local Examinations ... ... 93 Annual Festival of the Emulation Lodge of Improvement ... ... 93 The Girls' School and Cambiidge Local Examinations ... ... 93 Correspondence ... ... ... ... ... ... 94 Reviews ... ... ... ... ... ... ... 94 Craft Masonry ... ... ... ... ... ... 94 Royal Masonic Institution for Boys ... ... ... ... 9 G Obituary ... ... ... ... ... ... ... yC Masonic and General Tidings ... ... ... ... ... 9 S

The Approaching Festival Of The Royal Masonic Benevolent Institution.

THE APPROACHING FESTIVAL OF THE ROYAL MASONIC BENEVOLENT INSTITUTION .

The first great Anniversary Festival of the year will he held at tlie Freemasons' Tavern , on Wednesday , the 24 th inst ., when his Royal Highness tlie Duke of CONNAUGHT and STRATI ( EARN ,

K . G ., Past G . M ., Prov . G . M . Sussex , and Dist . G . M . Bombay , will preside as Chairman and p lead the cause of the Royal Masonic Benevolent Institution . There is therefore , time foi

us to take a last look round and note the amount of success which has attended the efforts of Bro . TERRY , the Secretary of the Institution , and his able staff , in constituting the Board of Stewards and the prospects which may seem to await us of a

return of contributions that shall be worthy of so memorable a year and so exalted a President , and at thc same time sufficient for the requirements of so deserving a Charity . As regards the

Board of Stewards , we have thc pleasure of announcing that in point of numbers it beats last year ' s record of 400 , there being as recently as the afternoon ol Thursday , tlie 17 th instant 401 ladies and brethren who have volunteered their ' services for the

occasion . As regards thc amount of the contributions to which we are so anxiously looking forward , we can do no more than repeat what we said a fortnight since , that a record Board of Stewards does not necessarily imply a record total of donations

• ind subscriptions , and therefore we can only express a hope that the aggregate sum it will be our privilege to announce next week , will , as far as possible ,, correspond with the number of those who have volunteered to raise it . We arc content with

snowing that all who are engaged to take part in this celebration will put forth their utmost efforts in order to ensure its success . They know , and thc Craft generally is alive to the fact , that the benefits dispensed by our Benevolent

Institution are on a scale of considerable magnitude . Its permanent income is about , £ 5500 , its fixed expenditure about £ 1 9 , 000 , and it is to thc proceeds of this annual gathering that the Committee of Management are under the necessity of

'Poking for the wherewith to make good the large annual deficit . I he amount distributed in annuities alone—irrespective of the ¦ expenses of Management and the cost of maintaining the Asylum

at Croydon—is about three times lhat of the permanent income , there being 200 male annuitants at £ 40 each ; 242 widow ^ nidtants at £ 32 each ; and some 30 widows receiving half

The Approaching Festival Of The Royal Masonic Benevolent Institution.

their late husbands annuities , that is , , £ 20 each . Moreover , we now know that ( here are 117 candidates on the lists of candidates , with only 31 vacancies including ( he three deferred on each

fund , and m the event of the Returns on AVednesday next substantially exceeding the sum actually required for the year ' s expenditure , it is possible that the Committee of Management mav feel themselves justified in creating , ,-is thev did 10 vears

ago , a few additional annuities by way of commemorating the Diamond Jubilee of her Majesty the Ot'EEN . As regards the circumstances under which this particular Festival in aid of thc Benevolent Institution will be held , it may

not be out of place to repeat them . In the first place , it is the year in which the QUEEN , the Grand Patroness of the Institution , will complete the 6 olh year of her reign , and when we know that all classes , Institutions , and Societies throughout the British Kmpire are busily arranging to commemorate this

auspicious event , we see no reason why the English Masons , who are known everywhere for their loyalty , should not put forth some special effort in behalf of ( heir Charitable Institutions . In the second place , the Chairman on Wednesday next will be one of the QUEEN ' S sons , and is himself a most devoted member of our

Order . It is , therefore , in accordance with the fitness of things that the Craft should respond with more than its usual generosity to thc appeal whicli his Royal Highness will make on Wednesday on behalf of our aged and infirm poor brethren and their widows . We have heard of lodges having made special contributions in

honour of the great event whicb will make the year 1 S 97 memorable in the annals of Kngland , and we know there are others lo whicli appeals are being addressed , inviting them to go and do likewise in proportion to their means ; and it is because we have heard and know of these special votes and special

appeals , that we are looking forward wilh some degree of confidence to the result which it will be our duty , as well as our privilege , to publish in next week ' s issue . May it then be demonstrated most clearly and emphatically that this confidence has not been entirely without justification !

The Grand Lodge Of Idaho.

THE GRAND LODGE OF IDAHO .

We have been favoured with a copy of the proceedings of the Grand Lodge of Idaho , at its 29 thannual convocation in September of last year , and from the report herein contained , as well as the statistical tables appended we have been enabled to glean a

considerable amount of interesting , if not instructive , information . It is , of course , not to be expected that after so brief an existence this Grand Lodge should be in a position to make any great exhibition in respect of numbers or funds . The lod ges

on its roll arc only about 30 , including two at present under Dispensation ; the aggregate of its subscribing members is between 1100 and 1200 , while its funds are on a proportionatel y moderate scale . But , to judge from the Address which the then

Grand Master , Bro . ISIDORE S . WEJI . ER , delivered on this occasion , there must be a good deal of vitalit y in the Craft in the Western State , while at the same time it is clear that the lodges and brethren are not particularly well informed as to the rights

and privileges they are supposed to enjoy and the duties they are expected to perform . We say this because among the numerous questions which were submitted to Grand Master

WEll . ER during his term of office arc included several which cannot otherwise be described than as frivolous . We take the following at random from the questions which