Contents.

CONTENTS .

L IAD-SRS 35 Consecration of the Savage Club Lodge , No . 2190 38 Grand Council of Royal and Select Masters 39 C

ORRESPONDENCEA Curious Jewel 41 The Jubilee Celebration 41 Burns as Poet Laureate 41 Music in Lodges 41 The Collar Question 41 Control of Lodge Funds 41 " Masonic Records " , 41

Notes and Queries 4 Reviews 42 REPORTS OK MASONIC MEETINGSCraft Masonry , 42 Instruction 4 Q Royal Arch 50

Instruction 50 Mark Masonry to Red Cross of Rome and Constantine jo India ji The Craft Abroad j ( Masonic and General Tidings $ 1 Lodge Meetings for Next Week 52

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THE business transacted at the Quarterly General Courts of The Recent School our two Schools , held on the Sth and ioth instant respec-Quarteriy Courts t ; ve j yj was nol 0 f a very eventful character . It vvas resolved at the Girls' School Court that the three highest unsuccessful candidates at the last October Election should be admitted into the School , three of the

successful having been below the age fixed for admission ; while at the Boys' School Court , a resolution was accepted to the effect that voting papers , which had already been duly signed , should remain valid for the current election , even though the voter ' s death should have taken place between the time of signing and the day of election , thus more nearly assimilating the law to that in force in the Girls' School . But the chief business at each Court

was to settle the list of candidates , and determine the number of vacancies to be filled , and our readers will have noted with satisfaction that in April next , 24 out of 29 candidates will be elected into the Girls' School , and 25 out 45 candidates into the Boys' School . It is clear that the sound policy which has been pursued of late years in purchasing Lyncombe House for the Girls' School , and in erecting a Preparatory Boys' School , is having its

effect , and that since the adoption of this policy , it is found possible to cope more equally with the pressure on the resources of the two Institutions . It must not be forgotten , however , that this improvement has been obtained only by a very heavy outlay in both cases , an outlay , indeed , from which neither School can be said to be wholly free even now . Moreover , the increased number of children now being supported and educated makes it more than ever necessary that the annual average of the donations and

subscriptions should be maintained and even increased , both Schools having made substantial additions to their numbers since the enlargement of their premises . However , this is a point on which it will be our duty to speak when the respective School Anniversaries are in view . For the present it must content us and our readers to know that in the case of the Girls ' School it will be possible to elect four-fifths , and in that of the Boys' School more than half of the approved candidates at the elections in April next .

* * * _ IT is satisfactory to know that the question of Masonically Celebration celebrating the QUEEN ' Jubileehas been officially considered , c eme * that a scheme has been formulated by the Executive of Grand

Lodge , and accepted and approved by the GRAND MASTER ; that , at the instance of his ROYAL HIGHNESS , a rider has been added to this scheme , which , if acted upon , will enable the members of the Fraternity to take part in the National , as well as in the Masonic , Celebration ; and in short , that matters are already in train for suitably recognising the importance and auspicious character of the event which falls due in the month of June next

ensuing . On these points we took the earliest available opportunity of descanting last week , when we expressed our unhesitating approval of the proposals , on the two-fold ground that they were in all respects worthy of our Society , and that , though they exceeded , they at the same time contained , the plan which had been recommended in this journal . In what we said then , however , we were able to set forth only a general idea of

what was intended . We are now anxious to consider it more in detail , so that it may be worked out thoroughly and in businesslike fashion , and above all things so as to prevent the introduction of anything that may imperil the success of a scheme , of which it may be said , in the words of our great national dramatist , " In faith , it is exceedingly well aim'd . " For this very reason it is we are all anxious it should hit the mark , and that the various

other suggestions which have been or are likely to be made should not conflict with it , and by conflicting , reduce in value and importance the benefit we hope will arise from its adoption . VVe must not lose sight of the fact that many Prov . Grand Lodges and Chapters , to say nothing of private lod ges , have referred this question of commemorating the Q UEEN ' Jubilee t ? a S pecial Committee . One brother—Past Master W . W . HEMSWORTH

A : 9 ° —has already written to the Secretaryof the Girls' School , generously ottering to contribute a sum , not exceeding 100 guineas , towards commemorating the Jubilee of the Sovereign , who is the Chief Patroness of that Institution . It would undoubtedly be an appropriate mark of respect for the Q UEEN if the Committee of Management of the Benevolent institution were able to elect out of the unusually laree number of its

candidates some additional annuitants , while , if the Festival should turn out ¦ exceptionall y prosperous , they might obtain the necessary powers to enable nem as well to present each unsuccessful candidate with a sum of money , at would have the effect of relieving their more immediate and pressing necessities . We may assume also that both Grand Lodfe and Grand

apter will do their part towards promoting the general plan by voting ? rants ° f money in aid of the Institutions and towards the Imperial lnstiin 11 A- the * United Kingdom * the Colonies , and India . In short , there is . directions a preparedness to do generously what may be considered be M ' * desire now is that out of this multitude of schemes we may trouhl t 0 e < ucethe greatest amount of benefit with the smallest infusion of

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MEANWHILE , though we have no wish to be thought egotistical . Assisting the the plan as regards our Institutions which we shadowed forth ian les . some months since , besides being the only one as yet in the field , appears likewise to be both fairer and simpler than any that is likely to be devised * at any rate , it will take a good deal of beating as regards the important qualifications of fairness and simplicity even under the new conditions under which we consider it our duty to again

submit it for the consideration of our readers . Thus with the funds arising out of the guinea or two guinea fees for entrance to the proposed representative meeting at the Royal Albert Hall or Olympia as a nucleus , there ought to be no difficulty in building up around it a very substantial sum to be converted into Queen VICTORIA Jubilee Presentations in perpetuity , and distributed equally among our four Charitable Funds , namely , the two Schools and the Male and Female Funds of the Benevolent Institution . The

plan might be carried out either by lumping all the contributions and the Entrance Fee Fund together , and apportioning them in the manner proposed ; or the latter might be enlarged by the contributions of London lodges ' and brethren , while the provinces , acting singly , in the ca-se of the larger and more influential ones , and in groups of two or three together in the case of those less numerous , might charge themselves with the duty of

raising a number of Perpetual Presentations , one for each province or each group of small provinces , the number thus obtained from all sources , that is to say , from the Provinces , the Entrance Fee Fund , and London being equally apportioned among the four Charities . In this way we should think it quite possible to create six or eight perpetual presentations to each School , and the same number of permanent annuities on each of the two Funds of

the Benevolent Institution , the merit of this plan being that the virtues of our Gracious SOVEREIGN will be perpetuated through all time . As regards the * further question , in whom the right of presentation shall be vested , that is a detail that might be resolved afterwards without any difficulty . Our great object now is to place before the Craft a scheme which all the lodges and brethren , working in combination , may help to promote , so that it may

be said hereafter when pointing to the result—This is what the Masonic Fraternity did in celebration of Queen VICTORIA ' Jubilee . In this , as in all other cases , it is better there should be joint action taken by the several parts of our community than that each part should pursue its own course independently of all the other parts . There is , too , the greater likelihood of a large fund being raised when all the parts work in combination than if they work separately .

# The Year ' s THERE is one point that must not be overlooked . Whatparamount : ever ls done ' ^ e direction indicated must be done irreimportance . spective of the subsidies , which must be raised for the current as for every other year in maintenance of our Institutions . There is

everywhere a great desire to do something to commemorate the Jubilee , by helping both the Masonic Charities and the scheme for an Imperial Institute ; but just as we have shown we are most anxious to avoid any conflict of effort to this end among the several sections of the Fraternity , so must we nececessarily be still more anxious that these special efforts shall not interfere detrimentally with the ordinary work of raising

the year s supplies . We have stated already how terribly pressed is the Benevolent Institution , with its 130 and odd candidates , and though the competition for election into our Schools may be less severe , they have been incurring a large amount of extra expense latterly , and having both of them an increased body of scholars to support and educate , are in need of increased annual incomes in order to maintain their standard of efficiency . Thus there is more rather than less which must be provided for the

years ordinary requirements , and when these have been satisfied , we shall then be in a position to give our attention to the Jubilee ; or we may carry on the two works simultaneously on the implied understanding that the regular Festival Returns are not allowed to suffer . But in any circumstances precedence must be given to raising the year ' s supplies . Even the gratification we may expect from raising a large Jubilee Commemoration Fund will not justify us in neglecting a paramount duty .

* # * _ ,. , IT is desirable we should again offer a few words of ex The recent . . ° Jubilee Circular planation as to the purport of the circular recently lssufd by from G . Lodge . the pRQ QRAND MASTER on the subject of a suitable commemoration by the Freemasons of England of the Q UEEN ' Jubilee . In the first place , the GRAND MASTER has already sanctioned and approved of a

representative meeting of Masons being held either in the Royal Albert Hall or at Olympia , as circumstances may require ; the fee for admission to which will be one guinea or two guineas—as may be determined by the authorities hereafter—and the fund thus produced will be handed over to the Masonic Charitable Institutions . He has also approved of the issue of a Jubilee Medal , to be worn by all Masons who are subscribing members of

lodges under the English Constitution on the 20 th June , 1887 , the anniversary of the Q UEEN ' S accession to the throne . All this part of the programme has been settled , and therefore the brethren are not invited to consider it , or any portion of it . What , however , they are requested to consider , and at as early a date as possible , is the suggestion thrown out by the PRO GRAND MASTER with the approval of the GRAND MASTER ,

that a subscription should be raised by lodges towards the establishment of the Imperial Institute , individual contributions , howeverthough they may be as low as half-a-crown per member—not undci * any circumstances to exceed one guinea . This , then , is what the lodges are invited to settle—at a regular meeting if possible , or at an emergent meeting , if necessary—namely , whether they approve or not of the PRO GRAND MASTER ' S suggestion to assist in promoting the Imperial Institute .