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CONTENTS . PAGE . L EADERSThe Removal of the Boys'School ... ... ... ... 341 The Masonic Vagrant- ... ... ... ... ... 342 Provincial Grand Lodge of Lincolnshire _ ... ... ... ... 342 provincial Grand Chanter of West Yorkshire ... ... ... ... 343 Provincial Priory of VVest Yorkshire ... ... ... ... 343

Order of the Secret Monitor—Grand Festival ... ... ¦¦¦ ... 344 An Oration ... ... ... ... ... ... •¦• 344 Hoard of Benevolence ... ... ... ... ... ... 345 The Annual Athletic Spoils of the Royal Msscnic Institution for Boys ... 345 Royal Arch Masonry ... ... ... ... ... ... 345 Royal Ark Mariners ... ... ... ... ... ... 345 Allied Masonic Degrees ... ... ... ... •¦¦ ... 345

M ASONIC NOTESAnniversary Festival of the Royal Masonic Institution for Bovs ... ... 347 Arrangements lor Festival of the Royal Masonic Institution Icr Boys ... 347 Speech Day and Distribution of Prizes at the Boys'School 347 Annual Sports of the Boys' School ... ... ... _ ... 347 Provincial Grand Lodire for London and the Metropolitan Counties of

Royal Order of Scotland ... ... ... ... 347 Next Regular Meeting-of Lodge Quatuor Corcnati , No . 2076 ... ... 347 Bro . W . Pile and the Prov . Grand Treasurership of Surrey ... ... 347 Correspondence ... ... ... ... ... ... 34 s Reviews ... ... ... ... ... ... ... 34 § Craft Masonry ... ... ... ... ... ... 34 S Lodge and Chapter of Instruction ... ... ... ... 350 Masonic and General Tidings ... ... ... ... ... 352

The Removal Of The Boys' School.

THE REMOVAL OF THE BOYS' SCHOOL .

It is evident from the resolution which was passed at a meeting at York on the 18 th May of the Provincial Charities Association of North and East Yorkshire , and which vve

published in our issue of last week , that the question of removing the Royal Masonic Institution for Boys from its present site at Wood Green to some more favoured locality is already agitating the minds of the brethren in some of our Provinces and that

opposition of a more or less determined character may be expected to the project . The resolution was to the effect that " this meeting strongly objects to the sale of the Royal Masonic Institution for Boys , or the purchase of a site for a new School ,

and requests that , before any steps are taken in this direction lhe general body of Subscribers be appealed to for their opinion on the subject . " As regards the proposal , it has been very generall y . recognised for some time past that a removal was

in ( -very way desirable , and for two principal reasons—firstly , hat the soil on which the Institution stands is clayey , and secondl y , that latterly a very inferior class of houses has been erected in close proximitv to the School . It will be remembered

that it was the Earl of LATHOM who brought the matter promi' "'' - » tl y before thc brethren . His lordship presided at the first festival held under the present regime at Brighton in 18 91 and ftierred to the subject in his speech on behalf of the Institution .

' he question , his lordship pointed out , was " perfectly new to many 0 f the brethren , if not to all of them , " ancl therefore we 'annot do better than quote in full his remarks , seeing that

'hey so clearly explain thc reasons which render the removal weessary , or at all events most desirable . "Before very long , " said llls lordshi p , " it might have to be considered whether it would not h , ; for the benefit of the School to remove a little further into the

U | nntry . The present quarters , as the brethren knew , were ° cated on a terribly sticky , clayey soil . Everyone knew a 1 a y soil was not conducive to health . No one purchasing a place would choose a clay soil . There were plenty of sites with

a gravel so ; i t 0 be gotj anf i w j iat a p [ easant thing it would be to ls 't the School if it was in the country on a gravel soil . Of urse , it was a financial question , and required veiy great care ' bought . He mentioned the subject as a caution to those

, u _ io wished to have more school buildings erected on the same , lt ( l . because he could tell them that it was a mere waste of "loney . If they went on building , it would militate against the uh Je of the site in the market . He did not know the value of

The Removal Of The Boys' School.

the place , but he did know that if they covered it with buildings they would not realise what they would want for the site when they desired to get rid of it . There was another reason for his wishing that they should leave the present site—the appearance

of the surroundings . It was surrounded now by very small tenements indeed . That was not what they should have around a great School like this , for this vvas a great School . " No doubt the two very serious objections to the present site which Lord

LATHOM mentioned in this speech , namely , the clayey soil and the poor surroundings , must have occurred to others also when contemplating the future of the Royal Masonic Institution for Boys . But this , as far as vve are

aware , was the first time thc subject was so prominently referred to on so important an occasion as a Festival . Five years have elapsed since this speech was delivered and the idea then propounded has becn , so far , acted upon , that

at the Quarterly General Court of Governors ancl Subscribers , held in Freemasons' Tavern , on Friday , the loth April , a resolution was brought forward by Bro . lliCHARD EVE , Past Grand Treasurer , as Chairman of the Board of Management , to the

effect : " That the Quarterly Court of Governors and Subscribers of Sth April , 1892 , having authorised the Board of Management to entertain negotiations for the realisation of the Estate of the Institution to the best advantage , and the Board having determined that it is desirable to remove the Institution from Wood

Green to some eligible site , where sufficient space for an enlarged school-house and playground accommodation would be available , this Quarterly Court hereby authorises the Board to purchase a site and to erect thereon a new School , and to

dispose of the present land ancl premises to the best advantage . Avery long discussion ensued over this resolution , in the course of which Bro . CUMBERLAND moved , as an amendment : " That the matterbe deferred until thc October meeting ; that the

Committee shall make a report to the Subscribers to Provincial Grand Lodges and general bodies of Subscribers what they propose to do , where they propose to go , what they propose to pay , what the cost of removal will be ; and let that report be

made in sufficient time , so that brethren of the Masonic body may have the opportunity of considering it , either in the Provincial Grand Lodge or in lodge , and that it should be sent in time to be put on the agenda . " Bro . KEvStR , however ,

pointed out that the Board of Management , which vvas composed of 32 members , represented very fairly , " the opinions of all sections of the Craft throughout the country , and it might be left to them to get a good

price for the property , ancl also to get a convenient site for the new School . " Moreover , in winding up the debate , Bro . EVE explained that " all that the Board wished to have was power ,

in order that they might bring something to a conclusion . He did not believe the Board of Management would have closed upon anything except in a very temporary form , with reservation thai it must receive the sanction of the Court . However much

power might be given them , he never should have thought of exercising it without coming to the Court for approval . " On a division the amendment was lost by a substantial majority , and though another amendment was moved , that " the Board

of Management commit themselves to no new purchase scheme without the approval of the October Court , " this was lost , and the original motion , as proposed by Bro . EVE , was

carried . From this it appears , firstly , that as far back as April , 1892 , the Quarterly General Court of Governors and Subscribers gave the Board of Management authority to entertain negotiations for the realisation of the Estate belonging to the