The Approaching Festival Of The Royal Masonic Institution For Girls.

THE APPROACHING FESTIVAL OF THE ROYAL MASONIC INSTITUTION FOR GIRLS .

The time is rapidly drawing near for the celebration of the 104 th Anniversary of the Royal Masonic Institution for Girls . The Festival will be held as usual at the Freemasons' Tavern , on Wednesday , the 1 Sth prox ., under the auspices of the Duke of CONNAUGHT , P . G . M ., Prov . G . M . of Sussex , and Dist . G . M , of Bombay , and great efforts arc being made

in order to raise a sum that shall be worthy of so illustrious a Chairman . Indeed , for the sake of the Institution itself , and quite apart from this very ii .-itural desire on the part of the Craft to respond generously to the interest iii the Charity exhibited by his Royal Highness , it is very desirable—we ought almost perhaps to say imperatively necessary—that those efforts should be

made and made successfully . The School scored a grand success at its Centenary Festival in 1 S 88 , but since then a reaction has set in and , as we have mentioned on a previous occasion , the proceeds of the three Festivals held in 1889 , 1890 , and 1891 have not exceeded in the aggregate , or but very slightly exceeded the sum total of two ordinary Festivals .

But Ihe Institution added 20 children to its establishment in 1889 , while the successes obtained by its pupils at the Cambridge Middle Class and other public examinations bear ample testimony lo the continued excellence of its training . Thus its claims on the support of the brethren have gone on increasing , while , at all events , since

ihe year ot the Centenary , that portion of its income which is derived from voluntary subscriptions and donations has exhibited a decided tendency to Uncinate in the wrong direction . We trust , therefore , that advantage will be taken of the Chairmanship of the Duke of CONNAUGHT , and that . supreme effort will be made at the approaching anniversary to arrest this

downward tendency , which , if it should be maintained for a year or two longer , is certain to prove disastrous to our senior Charity . We fully realise the difficulties of the situation . We see clearly enough that just as the success of the Girls' Centenary exercised a depressing influence both on the Boys' School Festival , which followed three weeks later , and the

Festivals generally of the following year , so the still greater success of the Jubilee of the Royal Masonic Benevolent Institution in February last will not fail to exercise a similar and probably even a still more depressing influence 011 the remaining Festivals of the current year . We must also take into our consideration that the Boys' School found it necessary last year to

make a more than usually urgent appeal for support , and the very large total of contributions which was forthcoming in response to that appeal must I'ave enhanced the difficulties of those brethren who are engaged in canvassing for this particular Festival . But the more exacting the duty which devolves

"pon these brethren , the more important it is that it should be done thoroughly nnd well . Therefore , to encourage and assist them in their task , the School should be kept well in evidence before the Masonic public and its claims 1 ( 1 support as frequently and strenuously advocated as possible at the

meetings of provincial and private lodges and chapters . I his , however , is "i matter of detail , on which we do not propose to dwell . The point we are desirous of impressing on our readers and the Craft generally is that our Institution for Girls is sorely in need of support . For three years running , H lias not received lhat amount of voluntary assistance which is necessary

to Us efficient maintenance , and wc now earnestly appeal to the brethren to ' ¦ ¦ wc advantage of the opportunity afforded them by thc Chairmanship of ° nc of our Royal Craftsmen and make good the shortcomings of the said hree years . As far as the Board of Stewards is concerned , the progress ¦ " "ado during the last four weeks has been very satisfactory . By this time

, C | e ,-ire probably about 230 brethren who have volunteered their services , ' " <• it is quite on the cards that between now and thc day appointed for the cbiation such a further increase in the number will have taken place as will c l ' " c Board , in respect of numerical strength , on a level with ordinary ' - Moreover , it is just possible that a goodly proportion of these will be

Presentativcs of lodges , chapters , or provinces , but we do not know of L v '' lese are distributed and what chances there are of any p ™ m being able to compile big lists . We understand that the Chairman's Mo 11 CC ° ^ *^ usse : < > though not as numerously represented as it undoubtedly ] . '„ ,. lve been but for the prominent p-irt it played at the Boys' School

0 | 1 ii ln J . ' 89 1 , and the more recent Jubilee Festival of the ever ? . ° ' ' ' sont up a fair contingent of Stewards , and that there is f year 1 e"Ilood ! t w-11 be fom * " - worthily fulfilling the part which of late - l Wtl kcen ass 'g"ed to thc "Chairman ' s Province . " We know also |* po |' , er ? several Provinces , as there arc several lodges in the Metro-r > ti-j i ,,, . ' lstr ' ct i which may be relied upon with tolerable certainty to cone * ich of them a fair amount towards the general total . But we ' arc

The Approaching Festival Of The Royal Masonic Institution For Girls.

also aware that there will be nearly , if not quite , the usual proportion of Unattached , while those who may take up Stewardships during the next threo weeks will not have much time available for serviceable canvassing . In respect of these matters we shall doubtless be better informed later on , and therefore in a better position to estimate the prospects which await us on

the 18 th prox . In the meantime , therefore , we must content ourselves with the hope that a Board of Stewards of average strength will succeed in raising a total of average dimensions ; or , at all events , such . 1 total as will

go some way towards restoring the income derived b y the Institution from voluntary support to somewhere about the ordinary figure . We earnestly appeal to all brethren who are able and have the opportunity to unite together in thc accomplishment of this object .

Special Provincial Geand Lodge Of Cheshire.

SPECIAL PROVINCIAL GEAND LODGE OF CHESHIRE .

Bro . the Right Hon . Lord Egerton of Tatton , Prov . Grand Master , held a special Provincial Grand Lodge at Chester Castle , on the rSth inst ., the object being the laying of the foundation-stone of the Randle Holme Porch at the church of St . Mary-on-the-Hill , which is situated in the immediate vicinity . There was a large attendance of members of the

Fraternity , a special train conveying a goodly number from Manchester , Altrincham , Knutsford , and Northwich . About 140 signatures wcre attached to the muster roll . The large room in the Castle was fitted up for the lodge , admission to which was denied until the Provincial Grand Officers had taken their seats .

Among those present were the following : Bros . Lord Egerton of Tatton , P . G . AI . ; his Honour Judge Sir Horatio Lloyd . D . P . G . M . ; A . C . Meir , P . A . G . D . C . ; H . Finch , P . G . Reg . ; T . Letherland P . G . Stwd . ; W . M . Collier , P . G . P . ; H . Jackson , P . S . G . D . ; J . O . Jolly , P . G . S M . Longridge , P . A . G . Sec . ; C . W . Phillips , P . G . S . ; R . Newhouse , P . G . S T . H . Arnett , P . G . Treas . ; T . XV . Sturges , P . G . C ; J . Norris , P . P . G . S . B . ; Dennis

J . , P . P . G . S . B . ; F . W . Lockwood , P . P . G . S . of Wks . ; ThomasCoxhead , P . P . S . G . W . North Wales ; S . W . Ramsden , P . P . S . G . D . ; H . A . Steer , P . P G . D . C . North Wales ; J . Lewis , P . G . D . C . ; J . M . Cantland , P . G . S . ; T . Haddon , P . G . S . ; Thomas E . Mason , P . P . G . T . ; J . B . Piercey , P . P . J . G . W Staffordshire ; Hon . H . Holbrook , P . P . S . G . W ., P . G . AI . British Columbia ' J . H . Evans , P . P . G . Standard Bearer ; J . H . Bellyse , P . P . J . G . W . ; G . H . Denby , P . P . A . G . D . C . ; H . Howard , P . P . S . G . D . ; W . J . Ogg , P . P . S . G . W . Shropshire Giles

; H . R . , P . G . Reg . Shropshire ; J . Clayton , P . P . J . G . W . ; J . Leieh P . P . G . S . ; W . Peers , P . P . G . S . ; F . Broadsmith , P . P . G . Reg . ; Alf . Ingham , P . P 7 G ' Steward ; G . M . Milland , P . P . G . D . ; W . Wildgrove , P . P . G . Treas . ; R . B . Pill P . P . G . P . ; R . Hunter , P . P . S . G . D . ; W . H . Finchett , P . S . G . D . ; S . Smith , P . G . T ¦ T . J . E . Young , P . P . S . G . W . North Wales ; J . Matthews , I' . G . S . of Works ; Ed ! Cuyner , P . P . G . O .: F . Bookson , P . P . G . Treas . ; D . Kinsey , P . P . G . T . ; H . E . Heywood , P . P . G . S . B . ; and others , including present and past officers and members of various lodges in the province .

Provincial Grand Lodge was then opened . Subsequently the P . G . M . moved that a sum of £ \ i \ be granted by Prov . G . Lodge to the Randle Ho / me Porch Fund , as an index of thc good feeling of the lodge to the object for which they had assembled that day , and by which they would bc contributing to the erection of a lasting memorial of one of the oldest Freemasons of whom they had any record in the province .

The D . P . G . M . seconded the motion , which was agreed lo unanimously . The brethren then formed in procession , with thc prescribed regalia and in the order decreed for such occasions . At the door of the Castle the Venerable Archdeacon Barber , of Chester Cathedral , the Rev . J . R . Price , Curate of St . Mary ' s , and the surpliced choir of the church , " with crossbearer , met the Masonic body , and led the wav to the church where Divine

service was held . The nave was occupied by the members of the Fraternity , while the aisles and other portions of the sacred edifice were crowded with parishioners and visitors . The service was conducted by thc Archdeacon , assisted by thc Rev . J . R . Price . Bro . G . Tinkler presided at the organ . The processional hymn was " The Church ' s one foundation . " The lesson

read was I . Chronicles , chap . 28 , verses 1 to 12 . This was followed by the Apostles' Creed and four collects . During the singing of the hymn " Christ is our corner-stone , " thc offertory was collected , the Archdeacon announcing that it would be devoted to the porch fund , for the completion of which between £ ^ 0 and £ 50 were still required . The choir then sang the anthem " This is the day" ( Johnson ) . The recessional hymn was " Christ is made the sure foundation . "

The ceremony of laying the foundation-stone with full Masonic ritual was then proceeded with . By this time there was a large attendance in the churchyard and its vicinity . A considerable number of persons , including a number of ladies , had gained access to the roof of the church , from which they obtained an uninterrupted view of the proceedings . All the available

roofs of buildings in thc vicinity were also requisitioned for the same purpose , and there was a crowd of anxious sightseers in the adjoining street . The ceremony opened with the singing of the Old Hundredth hymn , after which the Archdeacon , on behalf of the Building Committee , asked thc P . G . M . to lay the corner-stone .

Lord HOUR-TON then delivered a brief address . He said he must congratulate the brethren on the large numbers present on the occasion . The porch to be erected was in memory oi one ol the oldest Freemasons of the county of whom they had any record , Randle Holme , and who had