Analysis Of The Returns.

satisfied with so excellent a contribution . On Tuesday there were only three lodges represented by as many Stewards , and Bro . Hedges must have been still more satisfied at finding that the smaller number of brethren had raised for the Institution of which he is Secretary the still larger total of £ 26 7 15 s . Two of the lists exceeded £ 100 , that of Bro . T . Billing , acting on behalf of the Royal Clarence , amounting to £ 115 ios ., while the other obtained by Bro . R . Percy Clowes , of the Earl of Sussex Lodge , No . 2201 , also of Bri ghton—who , whatever he may be as a

man , is , Masonically speaking , hardly as yet out of his small clo ' s—was exactly £ 105 . This shows that Bro . R . P . Clowes is following worthil y in the steps of a most worthy father , who , during his long connection with the Craft in London , Essex , and now in Sussex , has done good suit and service . At all events , the two contributions to the R . M . B . I . and this Institution exceed £ 515 , and speak well for ahigh total for 1890 , hi g her , no doubt , than the £ 620 8 s . of 188 9 , and possibly not far short of the £ 946 13 s . of the previous year .

WILTSHIRE , which , with its 11 lodges , certainly ranks among the smaller Provinces , on the occasion it selects to send a representative , does well invariably , but on this occasion it seems to have surpassed most previous efforts , and contributed , by the medium of Bro . Henry Kemble , the very considerable sum of £ 329 8 s . Last year its contribution to the Benevolent Institution was £ 168 , and the year previous at the Girls' Centenary it figured for £ 340 Ss . 6 d ., while in the year of the Queen ' s

Jubilee , it supported the Boys' School to the extent of £ 234 3 s . These are large sums , though given periodically and to each Institution in turn , but a Province of such limited strength deserves all the greater credit for such generosity , while it is a wise policy which selects one Institution a year instead of giving a series of small amounts at each of the three Festivals . The very smallness of the totals would cause the latter to be unnoticed , but the one occasional big amount attracts notice , and is at the same time more serviceable .

One of the 12 lodges of WORCESTERSHIRE entrusted its fortunes to Bro . Thos . R . Arter , whose name is familiar with those who study our Festival Returns , and he , with his accustomed energy , lost no time in satisf ying the lodge which had thus reposed its confidence in him b y obtaining a useful list of £ 47 5 s . In February he gave what looks like his own personal

donation of £ 10 ios ., in order that Worcestershire mi ght not be altogether unrepresented . In June , 1889 , the Province did some excellent work , and enriched the total'for the Boys' School by £ 252 , while what it had given in the preceding May and February raised the total for the year to £ 365 16 s . In 18 S 8 , when it raised £ 605 18 s . at the Girls' Centenary , its total for the year was £ 848 3 s ., while in 1887 and 1886 it amounted to £ 280 and £ 413 respectively . For many years past the Province of

NORTH AND EAST YORKSHIRE has been represented with almost perfect regularity at the Festivals of our Institutions . Sometimes its contributions have been on a large scale , the whole or the greater part of the Province having taken part in the benificent work , while on other occasions , one or two lodges , or a brother Unattached , has done duty for the whole . On Tuesday , Bro . Charles M . Forbes , the representative of the York Lodge , No . 236 , raised a list amounting to £ 81 18 s ., while in February without a

Steward the Province contributed £ 31 ios ., the total for 18 90 being so far £ 113 " 8 s . In 188 9 it gave the R . M . B . I . £ 105 , and this Institution £ 45 , while about the same time it raised over £ 1000 for its own Educational Institution . It was also a large contributor at the Girls' Centenary , that is to say it gave £ 763 , the total for the whole year being £ 832 , while for the five previous years its annual average was £ 532 . Of the strong and influential Province of

WEST YORKSHIRE we need say little more than that , having contributed £ 525 to the funds of the Benevolent Institution in February , it has now devoted to the Girls' School the sum of £ 350 , the number of Stewards being the same—17—at both Festivals . We believe , also , it will contribute largely to the Boys' Festival in July , so that the chances are greatly in favour of its total for 1890 being considerabl y in excess of its 1889 total , and , therefore , more nearly on a level with its annual average during the last 16 or 17 years , which has been during this period over £ 2000 per annum .

BENGAL was well represented at last year ' s Girls' School Festival , the total of its contributions being £ 61 7 s . 4 d . On Tuesday it had two brethren acting on its behalf—Bro . W . Franks being a Steward then as he was last year—and the aggregate of their list was £ 32 us . We have no doubt that Bro . Hedges will be glad to find this District evincing almost as great an interest in this Institution as it did in the early days of its existence , when it was no common thing for the Secretary or Treasurer to receive £ 100 and upwards from the District of Bengal .

CONCLUDING REMARKS . We have now passed all the various groups of contributions in review . We should like to have seen London ^ stronger , but the Provinces have undoubtedl y done well , while , if London is below its ordinary strength , it certainly can point to some good lists . We , therefore , renew here the congratulations we have so readil y expressed elsewhere , and express the hope that next year there will be a still further improvement , and the Festivals totals will by that time have recovered their usual average .

The Distribution Of Prizes At The Girls' School.

THE DISTRIBUTION OF PRIZES AT THE GIRLS' SCHOOL .

This part of the festivities in connection with the celebration of the Anniversary Festival proved , as it almost invariably does , a complete success . The weather was most beautiful ; there was a goodly company assembled under the hospitable roof of the Institution at Wandsworth , who met with a most cordial reception from the Secretary and House Committee ; while the children fulfilled the several parts assigned to them in the programme with the utmost steadiness and grace as regards their calisthenic movement , and with marked ability in their recitation and musical display , both vocal and instrumental .

Bro . Col . Sir Francis Burdett , Bart , P . G . M . Middlesex , presided most efficientl y and kindly , and delegated the task of distributing the prizes to Lady Burdett , in the first part of the arrangements , and to his daughter in the second part . Among the leading brethren present were Bros , the Earl of Euston , Prov . G . Master of Northants and Hunts ; Sir John B . Monckton , P . G . W . ; Thomas Fenn , President

of the Board of General Purposes ; Robert Grey , President of the Board of Benevolence ; Frank Richardson , P . G . D . ; Col . Peters , P . G . S . B . ; P . de Lande Long , P . G . D . ; and other members of the House Committee ; Bro . F . R . W . Hedges , P . G . S . B ., Secretary of the Institution ; very many of the Festival Stewards ; and , it is hardly necessary , a numerous gathering of ladies .

The proceedings throughout were most enjoyable , the singing and playing of the girls being sweet to hear , while their recitations were given fluently , and with a considerable amount of presence and address . The prize winners , on advancing to the dais to receive the rewards they had worked so well to secure , were heartily applauded by their schoolfellows , and received a word or two of kindly congratulation from Lady or Miss Burdett ,

The Distribution Of Prizes At The Girls' School.

which sent them back happy to their seats . After a brief interval , which was devoted to refreshment , the girls marched into the Hall , and went through their well-known exhibition of calisthenic exercises , which they performed with a precision and regularity that would have done credit to the best drilled corps in any army in the world , and which elicited the heartiest applause from the spectators .

This over , the girls and many of the visitors gave themselves up to dancing , and when this all too brief interval of pleasure was brought to a close , the National Anthem was sung , and the meeting dispersed , the girls , who looked the picture of health and happiness , to their dormitories , and the visitors to find their trains in the maze of platforms at Clapham Junction . The following is a list of the prizes , and to whom they were awarded :

PRIZES BY THE INSTITUTION . Gold Medal for Proficiency ( with £ 5 by Bro . William Winn)—Ethel Fallding . Silver Medal for Good Conduct ( with £ 5 by Bro . William Winn)—Minnie Woodward Cambridge Local Examination ( iS entered , all passed ) . Class II . Honours . —Maude

Hill ( Gold Medallist last year ) , Ethel Fallding , Caroline VVeare , Amy Cutbush , and Lucy Smith . Class III . Honours . —Isabella McLeod , Beatrice Knott , Edith Matthews , Annie Brockbank , and Kate Wortley . Satisfied Examiners . —Florence Habgood , Mary Sherington , Hannah Inglis , Mary Tanner , Charlotte Webb , Ettie Chapman , Olive Hurst , and Jane Hutchings .

College of Preceptors' Examination ( 37 entered , 31 passed ) . Prize Winners . —Bertha Dean , Lilian Friih , Lucy Harrison , and Ethel Gillett . General Proficiency . —3 rd Class , Mary Allen ; 4 th Class , Ethel Craft ; 5 th Class , Ethel Sanders ; and 6 th Class , Ethel Michael . Needlework—Second Prizes . —Minnie Woodward , Kate Stokes , and Dora Gibson . Order and Attention ( as proved by Conduct Marks throughout the year ) . —Ethel Vowles and Laura Johnson .

PRIZES GIVEN BY FRIENDS OF THE INSTITUTION . Religious Knowledge ( as distinguished at Cambridge Examination ) ( Bro . Robert Grey)—Maude Hill , Ethel Fallding , Isabella McLeod , and Beatrice Knott . General Knowledge ( as result of Cambridge Examination ) ( Bro . William Winn)—Caroline Weare , Amy Cutbush , and Lucy Smith .

Arithmetic ( Bro . Thomas Fenn )—Lucy Smith and Isabella McLeod . Music—First Prizes ( Bro . J . H . Matthews)—Louisa Pincombe and Charlotte McMillan ( Vocal ) . Second Prizes ( " Wentworth Little" Memorial)—Maud Keily , Mary Nicholson , and Mathilde Pratt . Third Prize ( Mrs . D . P . Cama)—Mildred Wrighton . Little Girls ( Bro . and Mrs . Louis Hirsch)—Gertrude Lockwood and Edith Proudfoot .

French ( Bro . Eugene Monteuuis)—Edith Matthews . Drawing ( "John Boyd" Memorial)—Annie Brockbank , Amy Cutbush , and Kate Wortley . Elocution ( Bro . Robert Grey)—Lucy Smith , Evelyn Conti , and Jessie Beilby . The Best Prefect ( Bro . Ralph Clutton)—Ethel Fallding . Good Conduct . —First Prize ( The Supreme Council , 33 )—Maude Hill ; Second Prizes ( Bro . Frank Richardson)—Isabella McLeod and Bessie Locke . Needlework . —First Prize ( Mrs . D . P . Cama)—Beatrice High .

Cookery . —First Prizes ( Mrs . D . P . Cama)—Mary Hammond and Gertrude Greenwood ; Second Prize ( Bro . John Faulkner)—Jane Hutchings . Usefulness in Domestic Duties ( " Yates " Memorial , St . James ' s Lodge , No . S 42 ) . — Mary Hammond . Calisthenics and Deportment ( Bro . Col . James Peters ) . —Florence Habsrood and Ethel Hill . _ Swimming ( Miss Godson ) . —Beatrice High , Ada Fearon , and Florence Motion . Amiability ( Selected by her Schoolfellows ) ( Bro . John Faulkner ) . —Kate Wortley . J UNIOR SCHOOL . General Proficiency ( Bro . Frank Richardson ) . —Fanny Campbell . Arithmetic ( " Henry Levander" Memorial ) . —Edith Melhuish .

Royal Masonic Benevolent Institution.

ROYAL MASONIC BENEVOLENT INSTITUTION .

The annual meeting of the subscribers to this Institution was held on the 16 th inst . in the large hall of Freemasons' Tavern , London . Bro . J . A . Farnfield , P . A . G . D . C , Treasurer of the Institution , was voted to the chair . The report of the meeting of 17 th May , 188 9 , was taken as read , and adopted . The following report of the Auditors was adopted , on the motion of Bro . W . CLARKE , P . G . P ., seconded by Bro . J AMES BRETT , P . G . P .: — We , the undersigned , having audited the Treasurer ' s Account from the ist April , 18 S 9 , to the 31 st March , 1 S 90 , inclusive , and all vouchers having been produced , do rind the same correct .

MALE FUND . Balance 31 st March , 1 SS 9 £ 3416 7 5 Receipts 11 , 051 8 4 14 , 467 I 5 9 Disbursements 10 , 506 3 6 Balance on this account £ 3961 12 3

WIDOWS' FUND . Balance 31 st March , 1 SS 9 £ 2701 14 11 Receipts 10 , 299 4 2 13 , 000 1 9 1 Disbursements 10 , 210 1 5 2 Balance on this account £ 2790 3 11

SUSTENTATION FUND . Balance 31 st March , iSSy £ 62 2 4 Receipts 27 8 G 8 9 10 10 Disbursements 32 15 10

Balance on this account £$ 15 0 Total Balance £ 6 SoS 11 2 A . H . TATTERSHALL , •) JOHN T . BERRY , •( . Auditors . CHARLES KEMPTON , ) Freemasons' Hall , 10 th May , 1 S 90 .

The following report of the Committee of Management was read b y Bro . TERRY : — The Committee of Management has much pleasure in submitting a report of its proceedings during the past year to the Governors and Subscribers of the Institution . The Annual Festival was held , by direction of his Royal Highness the Prince of Wales , K . G ., & c , Grand Patron and President , on Wednesday , the 26 th February last , the Right Honourable the Earl of Euston , R . W . Provincial Grand Master of

Northamptonshire and Huntingdonshire , presiding , in the unavoidable absence , through illness , of the Right Honourable the Lord Mayor of London , W . Bro . Alderman Sir Henry A . Isaacs . The brethren who voluntarily gave their services as Stewards on the occasion were 330 in number , and the result ot their combined efforts was a contribution to the funds of the Institution of £ 13 , 841 3 s . 6 d . The total thus obtained , though still considerably below that of 1 SS 8 , exceeds by upwards of £ 300 the sum raised last yedr , when the Board of Stewards was 361 strong , and the Committee , therefore , is nust anxious to place on record as publicly as possible its very great gratitude to the noble