Royal Masonic Institution For Girls.

SUMMARY OF THE PROVINCES .

£ s . d . Berkshire 101 17 o Buckinghamshire 23 2 o Cambridgeshire 42 o o Cheshire ... 15 15 o

Cornwall 43 1 o Derbyshire 31 10 o Devonshire S 3 7 o Dorsetshire 10 10 o Durham 57 15 o Essex 10 10 o

Gloucestershire 7 S 15 o Hampshire and Isle of Wight S 4 o o Hertfordshire 1 G 1 10 6 Kent 21 o o Lancashire ( East Division ) ... 104 4 o Lancashire ( West Division ) ... 21 o o

Royal Masonic Institution For Girls.

I s . d . Middlesex 506 ** o Northants and Hunts S ° North Wales 10 10 o Oxfordshire 65 14 6 Shropshire 3 6 ' 5 ° Staffordshire 13 ' 5 0 Suffolk 10 10 o Surrey 1 G 3 17 6

Sussex .,. 73 I 0 ° Warwickshire 42 o 0 Wiltshire 7 < ' ° Gloucestershire GS 5 o Yorkshire , North and East ... 7 S 15 o Yorkshire , West 1470 o o Guernsey and Alderney ... 10 10 o Foreign Station—Madras ... 10 10 o

Royal Masonic Institution For Girls.

122 STEWARDS—LONDON ... ... ... ^ 5 o S o 96 STEWARDS—PROVINCES ANU ABROAD ... 36 G 2 o G GRAND TOTAL ... ... £ 9512 S G Bro . W . F . SMITHSON , P . G . D ., wished to say a few words , and he was sure they would be received by one and all present with very great pleasure indeed . A little time ago , a brother in West Yorkshire , most

warmhearted and sympathetic to all the Masonic Institutions and other institutions outside the Masonic body , gave him a sum of money to be devoted to the Royal Masonic Institution for Girls . He deeply regretted to say that that brother had since gone to the Grand Lodge above ; he deeply deplored it for many reasons . However , to carry out that brother ' s wishes , and his sincerest wishes , he was going to hand a

certain amount of money to the Chairman and Treasurer which he knew the deceased brother would have been delig hted had he been present to hand over himself . He might say that Ihe amount he had determined to give was ( lie amount which Hro . George Hea ' on , of West Yorkshire , gave him , and that large sum of money he wished it to be distinctly known that in order to keep the memory of Bro . George Heaton alive in connection

with the Girls' Scrool , the brethren of West Yorkshire had determined it should be given fcr perpetuity votes , lo be called "The George Heaton Presentation Voles . " He had received from the widow , Mrs . George Heaton , her fullest approbation ihat such should be the case , she having full sympathy with the Institution , and her name was entered as a lady Steward . lt was with the greatest pride and pleasure he handed

the money to the Chairman ; it was the largest amount given by a single individual to that Institution . It afforded him great pleasure to hand ever a draft at sight for 1200 guineas to supplement the amount announced by Bro . Hedges , and it went with the best wishes for the future prosperity of this Institution . ( Loud applause . )

Bro . Sir REGINALD HANSON : Brethren , I need scarcely say that as Treasurer of this Institution I receive with the utmost gratitude on behalf of this Institution this munilicent gift Bro . Smithson has just handed in , and I congratulate myself on having this amount of subscription which makes infinitely ir . ore than I anticipated .

Brc . Sir JOHN MONCKTON responded to the toast of " Success to the Royal Masonic Institution for Girls . " He said thc brethren had done well that nig ht . When he asked Sir R . Hanson to take the chair in a year which must be a year of famine , he told him that if ihey got fieao he should be rather surprised . Bro . Hedges had announced . / JS 252 8 s . 6 d . rie did not care about the Ss . ( id . They knew what the lite Mr . Mantalini

said about the halfpenny . They ought to be very much satisfied with the result of lhe Festival , and he believed that before the end of the year the amount would be , £ 10 000 , which would be a very good contribu' . iin for this extraordinary year . Referring to the distribution of piizes at the School on Monday , he said a member of the toiler six electrified lhe immen'c

audimce by making a speech which would have been a ciedit to the House of Commons . She not only said the right thing , but she said it in the right voice . He had had half a dozen letters from ladies about ir , in which they faid they were very proud of their sister who spoke so well on that occasion . He would only add one word— " Thank jcu most heartily for all you have done for the Institution . "

Bro . A . F . GODSON , Prov . G . M . Lr Worcestershire , proposed •' The Chairman . "

Bro . Sir REGINALD HANSON , in replying , said in taking the chair he had relied on the support of the old friends of lhe Institution , who he knew wculd not allow it to suffer in any material way . Any trouble he had had was very little , because the breihren on the Committee had woiked double tides , and he had been more than repaid by lhe gre . - it success of the

evening . Bro . Sir REOINAID HANSON next prrpostd "The Kindred Charities , " referring more particularly to the Bays' School Cenlenaiy of June io ' . h . Bro . J . M . MCLEOD , Sec . R . M . I , for Boys , responded and acknowledged the handsome way in which all the Committee of the Girls' School

voluntarily assisted him in the Old Masonians Lodge list \ vh ch was the s-cond best of lay Stewards . He added that he was doing his best to make the Boys' School Centenary a success , and he congratulated the Girls' School ' n the presentation made by Bio . Smithson . He was sure all the b .-ethren would come up to the scratch for lhe three Masonic Institutions .

Tre company aftenvards adjourni d to the Temple where a grand concert was given , the executants being Miss Clara Samuell , MUs Florence Venning , lhe Westminster Singers ( Bios . Cuorge May , Charles Ackerman , Harper Kearton , and VV . H . Brereton ) , Bro . Fred . I'pton ( reciter ) , Bro . David Devant ( conjuror ) , and Miss Dora Rib ' nscn ( pianist and accompanist ) .

Analysis Of The Returns.

ANALYSIS OF THE RETURNS .

There were fewer Stewards on Wednesday than at the celebration of the Benevolent Festival in February last , but the totals that were announced on the two occasions approximate very closely . In February Bro . Terry announced 256 Stewards and , £ 9443 2 s ., subsequently increased to £ jy 06 17 s . On Wednesday bro . Hedges announced 217 Stewards and donations and subscriptions amounting

to C $ 252 8 s . 6 d ., which a lew minutes later was augmented by the . Hi 26 a given by the widow of the late Bro . George Heaton , of West Yorkshire , to £ 9512 Si . ( 3 d . Unfortunately , as in February last the Provinces were the weak point in the constitution of the Board of Stewards , and but for the opportune statement with which Bro . W . F . Smithson supplemented the Secretary ' s announcement , the total from them would only just have exceeded , £ 2400 ,

Analysis Of The Returns.

Taking LONDON first we remark that it was represented by 122 Stewards , who among then accumulated the handsome total of ^ 5850 8 s ., far and away the largest list beinjthat of the Chairman , Bro . Alderman Sir Reginald Hanson , Bart ., M . P ., who not only made a personal donation of 240 guineas—40 guineas to complete one patronship and 200 guineas to make a second—but thanks to the hearty co-operation of the other members of the House Committee , who placed their own

donations and collections on his list , was enabled to compile the grand total of ^ 1762 9 s . Next in order , but at a long interval , we have the list of Bro . Alfred H . Bevan , of the Friends in Council Lodge , No . 1383 , amounting to . £ 362 5 s ., and including in addition to his own personal donation of 50 guineas to complete his patronship , donations of 100 guineas each from Bros . Thomas F . Maison and F . Lincoln Bevan . Third in order of merit stands the list of Bro . J . M . McLeod , P . G . S . B ., Secretary of the Boys' School , who represented the Old

Masonians Lodge , No . 2700 , which was only consecrated a short while since , and handed in the excellent sum of £ 246 15 s . Then followed Bro . Lieut .-Colonel Clifford Probyn , G . Treas ., who was Steward for the Old Dundee Lodge , No . 18 , and compiled a list of ; £ * 9 * 12 s . 6 d ., in which was included his personal donation of ^ 115 ios . to complete his Patronship . Bro . H . Pamment , Nelson Lodge , No . 700 , stood next with _ £ i 6 S , Bro . Walter Adams , Rothesay Lodge , No . 16 S 7 , being close up with . £ 157 io * ., and next to

him Bro . Frank R . Kenning ( Unattached ) , who served his 14 th consecutive Stewardship on this occasion , and sent in a list oi ^ 1 51 is ., of which his own donation ot ^ 58 13 s . to complete his Vice-Patronship , and . £ 68 5 s . from his father , Bro . George Kenning , in completion of his Patronship , formed part . The remaining three-figure lists were those of Bro . T . W . Withers , representing the Mizpah Lodge , No . 1671 , for . £ 137 us . ; and

Bro . A . H . Oldrey , Cricklewood Lodge , No . 2361 , for ^ 130 . Other good lists were those of Bro . W . Hunt , who acted for Old Concord Lodge , No . 172 , and the Fulham Lodge , No . 2512 , and is entered against the former for £ Sj 3 s . ; Bro . Edward Hall , Lewishnm Lodge , No . 2379 , for , £ 80 6 s . 6 d . ; Bro . Perceval A . Nairne , P . G . D ., for . £ 73 ios . —personal donation to complete his Vice-Patronship ; and Bro . A . J . Thomas for . £ 94 ios ., his own donation , which with donations of 10 guineas on two other lists , completes his Patronship .

TIIE PROVINCES succeeded in raising on a modest scale , the former being 96 in number and the make a better show as regards the number of those that have sent up Stewards than we expected , there being 31 that are represented and 15 absentees , but the Stewards are few , and the total of the donations and subscriptions which they latter i / 3 662 os . 63 . in amount .

The absentee Provinces comprise the following : Commencing with BED . I-ORDSHIRE ( seven lodges ) , which was represented at the Benevilent Festival in February by a single Steward , whose list amounted to £ 33 13 s ., and which , we doubt not , will be found among the contributors to the Boys' School . In 1892 the Province raised . £ 152 5 s . for the Benevolent Institution and Girls' School j in 1893 it distributed . £ 183 17 s . 6 d . among the three Charities ; while in 18 94 its total for the three Festivals reached £ 238 9 s . In 1895 the Old People received

. £ 43 is ., and the Boys' School , . £ 105 ; in 1896 the sum of ^ 42 was apportioned 'between the Benevolent and this Institution ; and last year £ 65 35 . wa * raised by two Stewards for the Benevolent Festival . BRISTOL ( nine lodges ) has done nothing since 1895 , when it raised . £ 10 ios . for the Old People and £ 107 8 s . for tbe Boys' School . In 1 S 94 it contributed £ 44 1 to this Institution , being at the rate of nearly , £ 50 per lodge , and C 16 163 . to the Boys' School , while in 1892 and 1 S 91 it very generously supported the Boys' Institution , the sum of its

contributions during the two years being / 911 . Let us hope that it will not be an absentee from the remaining Festival of the year . CUMBERLAND AND WESTMORLAND ( 21 lodges ) was represented on a small scale at the Bemvolent Festival , an Unattached Steward being entered for L ' 21 ; but this is not surprising , when we remember that in June , 1837 , its Prov . G . Master , Bro . Lord Henry Cavendish . Bentinck , M . P ., presided as Chairman at the Boys' School , and the province compiled the handsome total of . £ i 26 o .

At the Boys School Festival in 1853 , when the funds for erecting a Preparatory School were raised , it gave . 1 : 1050 ; in 1888 it contributed , £ 210 to the Girls ' Centenary ; in 1 S 91 , . £ 265 13 s . to the Boys' School ; and in 1892 . , £ 420 to the Benevolent Jubilee . As regards HEKEI-ORDSHIRE ( live lodges ) , it is , to our regret , again among the absentees , as it has been , with one or two exceptions , ever since we commenced writing these analytical articles , but we believe it will be represented , and we trust liberally represented , at the Boys' School Centenary next

month . LEICESTERSHIRE AND RUTLAND ( 14 lodges ) , is , no doubt , reserving itself for the Boys' School Centenary , when we doubt not it will give us a specimen of its quality . In 1892 it raised , £ 388 103 . for the Benevolent Jubilee ; in 1 S 93 , , £ 26 7 ios . for the Boys' School ; in 18 94 , , £ 330 ios . for the Girls' School ; in 18 9 S . £ 3 00 6 s . for the Benevolent Institution ; in 18 9 6 , ^ £ 231 for the Boys ' School ; and last year , , £ 323 5 s . for this Institution , together with sundry minor contributions at intervals . In tlie ordinary course , it would appear to have been

the Old People ' s turn this year , but as it could not do justice to itself by suppirt . ing them and the Boys' School , il has elected to confine its attentions to the fitter . LINCOLNSHIRE ( 24 lodges ) , took only a small part in the Festivals last year of the Old People and ' ¦ Our Boys , " but this is not to be wondered at after the great efforts it made in behalf of this School ins . 1896 , when its Prov . G . Master , the Earl of V ' arborough , acted as Chrirmm at its Festival ar . d it raised the large sum of 1 * 1500 . At the Girls' Centenary in i 838 , 26 d at the

it raised ^ 202 s . . ; Bjys' Festival at Brighton in 1891 , it figured for ; £ . 'l 8 us , 2 d . ; and at the Benevolent Jubilee the following year , for Co 6 o 5-. MONMOUTHSHIRE ( II lodges ) , raised , £ 346 IOI . for this Institution in 18 ^ 7 , and , , £ 246 3 s . for the Benevolent Institution in 18 9 6 . In 1895 , the Boys' School received , £ 148 us . 6 d . ; in 1894 , this Institution was favoured to the extent of , £ 297 us . 6 d . ; and , in 18 93 , the Old People w . th £ 272 8 s . 61 . Therefore , in the order of things the Boys'School will have its support at the centenary next

month . NoRi'oi . i- ( 18 lodges ) , raised . £ 110 S * - for this Institution in 18 97 , and , in 18 9 6 , , £ 35 14 s . for the Old People , and , £ 105 for this Institution . In 1 S 95 , "Our Girls" were the favoured Charity , and received . £ 202 5 s ., while "Our Hoys " were the recipients of , £ 134 13 * . the preceding year . In 1893 , , £ 78 15 s . was subscribed to this Institution , and , in 1 S 92 , . £ 426 5 s . to the Benevolent Jubilee . NORTIIUMIIEKLAND ( 30 lodges ) , did not figure conspicuously either at last year's festivals or at those of 1896 , the sum of . £ 36 15 s . to the Old Peopld in

the former case , and C 52 lo-. ' to this Institution in the latter being its only contributions . But , in 18 95 , it raised , per Bro . Richard Holmes , P . G . D ., D _ -p . P . G . M ., the splendid sum of . £ 2315 5 s . for this Institution , and a supplementary , £ 186 18 s . for the Boys'School , making the year ' s total , £ 2502 3 ' . In iSyi , it raised for the Boys' School . £ 1364 4 s ., included in this sum being the C 1050 paid for a Perpetual Presentation . We hope to see it next month occupying a worthy position among the supporters of the Boys' Centenary . NOTTINGHAMSHIKE

( 18 lodges ) which figured among the absentees in February last , subscribed last year , £ 7 8 9 s . to the Benevolent Institution and . £ 230 15 s . to the Boys' School , or together , £ 309 4 s . ; while in 1896 the Schools were lavoured , this Institution receiving . £ 232 4-. and the Boys' School £ 163 2 s . In 18 95 £ 107 1 ; s . 61 . was subscribed to the Old People and . £ 166 19 s . to" Our Boys . " In 1894 the Province was unrepresented at all three Festivals , but in 1 S 93 this Institution was benefited to the extent of ^ 131 5 s ., and in 4892 both Schools were supported , , £ 241 5 s . 6 d ,