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CONTENTS .

LEADERS 437 Consecration of thc Makeriicld Lodge , No . si 55 , at Newton-le-Willows 43 S The First Grand Stewards and thtir Lodges 438 Grand Royal Arch Chapter of Scotland ... 439 Celebrities at Home—Sir John Monckton 440 Board of Benevolence 441

Th . Recent Boys School Festival 441 The Annual Summer Banquet and Ladies ' Day of the Lodge cf St . John , No . 1306 441 Summer Banquet . ' . 411 First Summer Festival of the Lion and Lamb Lodge , No 192 441 Freemasonry in Vork 441 Notes and ( Queries 443 REPORTS OP MASONIC MEETINGSCraft Masonry ,...,., 444

RETORTS IIK MASONIC MEETINGS ( Continued)—Instruction 445 " Royal Arch 44 6 Scotland 447 Lecture on the Great Pyramid hy Bro . John Chapnun at Philadelphia , U . S . A .... ' . 447 British Union Lodge , No . 114 , Ipswich ... 447 Lodge of Prosperity , No . 65 447

Royal Masonic Institution for Girls 44 8 The New Furniture of tlie Mark Grand Lodge 44 S Thc Queen Eleanor Cross at Watham 44 8 Installation Meeting of the Bard of Avon Lodge , No . 77 S 448 Obituary 44 8 Theatres 448 Masonic and General Tidings 449 Lodge Meetings for Next Week 4 C 0

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IN our analytical articles on the Festivals this year of the Boys ' and Girls ' Schools it was stated—and thc statement has been allowed to pass unquestioned—that a conspicuous feature of the returns wns the comparative paucity of the represented London lodges , the same paucity being almost , if not quite , as conspicuous in the returns oi last year . We have recently had some figures transmitted which corroborate this remark even to a

greater extent than we had imagined at the time it was made . From these figures it appears that according to the Grand Lodge Calendar for the current year there were at the date of its publication 340 lodges meeting within the Metropolitan area . Of these 116 lodges sent up Stewards at the Benevolent Festival in February , 83 lodges were represented at the Girls ' School Festival in May , and 87 lodges at the Boys' School Festival last

month . On the assumption that each of these 286 lodges was only represented at one anniversary , there would still remain 54 . lodges in London which had had no part in the Festivals of the current year , or , in plain English , had contributed nothing towards the funds of our great Charities . But the facts , unfortunately , are considerably less favourable . There were as many as 24 lodges which sent

up Stewards to all three anniversaries , and 35 more which assisted at two , while a third group of 144 lodges sent Stewards to one of the three events . It results from this that only 203 out of 340 lodges on the roll in the present Grand Lodge Calendar have given any help to our Institutions during this year of grace 18 S 6 , leaving the very formidable array of 137 lodges which have done nothing whatever towards their maintenance and support . Now ,

this is a point lo which , though it has been again and again referred to in our columns , we are desirous of drawing thc attention both of the Secretaries of our Institutions and of the London lodges generally . It is ungenerous , to say the least , that the burden of supporting our Charities should be allowed to devolve principally on certain lodges . All are interested in maintaining them in a state of efficiency , and therefore all should render

assistance to the extent of their ability . Of course , we know there are many young lodges , which are not sufficiently consolidated to feel justified in bestowing gifts in aid of these Institutions or any one of them . There are likewise others , the majority of whose members are already enrolled among the Governors and Subscribers , and who may therefore claim exemption from further service . But when these and other allowances have been

made , there will still remain a very large number of Metropolitan lodges which give little or no help whatever , leaving their sister lodges to bear all the burden of providing the requisite funds for supporting our Charities . We know very well that London , as a whole , does its duty splendidly . Of the . £ 40 , 660—in round figures—which the Festivals of the current year have yielded , as much as £ 19 , 593 has been raised by

London , or , in other words , the London complement of lodges has contributed only £ 1000 less than all the provinces put together , while the lodges of the two sections of the Craft are in the proportion of aboutone to three . But this is beside the question we are considering . We are not suggesting that London has not done its share ol the good work as compared with the

provinces , but that the London share of the work is not equally distributed among the lodges comprised within its limits ; and , as in consequence of this unequal distribution , many of the lodges have thrust upon them more than their part of the general responsibility , while others escape or shirk it altogether , vve think it high time some attempt at a re-adjustment of the burden should be made .

* * * WE sympathise deeply with our Cambridgeshire brethren in the severe loss they have just sustained through the death of Bro . J . NEAL YORK , their D . P . G . M . Bro . YORK was a most earnest and excellent Mason , and was universally beloved and respected , not only by his brother Masons , but by everyone in Cambridgeshire , and especially in Newmarket , and his death is

all the more lobe regretted because it has occurred so unexpectedly and just when the Fraternity was becoming accustomed to his ways and wishes in the responsible position of D . P . G . M ., to which , shortly after , the death , about two years since , of Bro . DEIGHTON , P . G . D ., he had been appointed by the Prov . Grand Master . Bro . YORK , too , was Prov . Grand Superintendent of Royal Arch Masons in the province , and though he had held

these two important posts for only a brief period , he had had both time find opportunities for showing the kind of stuff that was in him , and that , under his auspices , there was every likelihood of Cambridgeshire Freemasonry making for itself a very considerable reputation . However , let us hope that the brethren have acquired under him sufficient energy and enthusiasm for the Craft to maintain the

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high standard they had reached while he was among and over them . It is onl } ' a few weeks we since paid them certain well-deserved encomiums for their generous support of our Institutions , and they will no doubt feel it incumbent on them to continue in the same desirable path with all the greater fervour because he who encouraged them to such good work is no longer with them , though the me . iiory of his encouragement remains for ever . VVe give

elsewhere a brief record of Bro . YORK ' S Masonic career , and will only add that , such vvas the respect in which he was held in Newmarket , that during the time of the funeral every shop in the town was closed , and there was not a blind lhat was not drawn down . In the words of a contemporary , " it is no stretch of the imagination to say that he was the most popular man in the county , and ever } ' honour that could be heaped upon him by his fellowmen was his . "

**•»* THE Board of Stewards for the iSth Festival of the Mark Benevolent Fund at the Holborn Restaurant , on Wednesday next , is an unusually strong one , being composed of 114 brethren , of whom 29 act for London and Unattached , and the remaining for 23 Alark Provinces , the Royal Ark

Mariner and Allied Degrees , and the Red Cross of Constantine . This shows an increase of 27 over the Board of last year , and justifies the hope that under the genial auspices of Bro . A . F . GODSON , M . P ., P . G . M . M . Worcestershire , the total of the returns will be very largely in excess of the total then realised . The Festival has our best wishes for its success .

*«* THE Grand Encampment of Knights Templars of the United States of America will visit Saint Louis , Missouri , on September 21 st . M . W . Bro . CHARLES ROOME , D . G . M ., is to be the acting Grand Master , and the arrangements for the enormous gathering of the Masonic knights are now so far completed as to enable the Grand Recorder , M . W . T . S . PARVIN ,

P . G . M . of Iowa , to issue the invitation summonses . This is to be the 23 rd triennial conc ' ave , the 22 nd having been held in the city of San Francisco on August 21 st , 1883 , when it was decided by a unanimous vote to favour Saint Louis . There are a few amendments proposed to the constitution and code of statutes ; but one , which is not inserted in the list , should be that all the members are loyally bound to obe \ ' the regulations , w / ietlier

they like them or not . We have noticed from time to time a divergence of views as respects regalia , and a disinclination in some Grand Commanderies ( States ) to abide by the rules . Members should either respect the laws or leave the Society , for disobedience , especially among knights , should be unknown . A firm hand is wanted , for unless the statutes are rigourously enforced , insubordination will quickly increase , and the "' small cloud" will soon change to setting at naught more important matters .

# * KNIGHT Templary in America is an enormous power Masonically . Some 50 , 000 members are enrolled , well trained and enthusiastic , and ever increasing in numbers . In this country we are simply nowhere in such matters , whilst in the Republic of the United States , knighthood seems to be the great charm with many of the Fratres . In round numbers there

are 600 , 000 subscribing Master Masons in North America , 130 , 000 Royal Arch Alasons , and over 50 , 000 Knights Templars . The " Ancient and Accepted Rite , " is also very popular , and is also numerically strong . But the palm , for organisation and public display , goes to the Knights Templar Organization , doubtless because of the drill , the military style of costume , and the popularity of the various public displays . Saint Louis , in

September , will be one vast fair ; tens of thousands will visit the Encampments of the Knights , their handsome ' tents being objects of interest to the visitors who will literally fill every available spot in the city and suburbs , and eagerly witness the peculiar movements and evolutions of the specially trained bands of Masonic Knight Templars j who , at least , in numbers and influence , are no mean rivals to the ancient Order , though their direct succession has yet to be proven ,

* * » TKK Grand Master of Maryland , the M . W . Bro . THOMAS J . SHRYOCK , is not only the youngest of the Masonic chiefs in the United States , but he is , undoubtedly , one of the most active , and has already done so much and so well , on behalf of his Grand Lodge , that his Rule will be a memorable one .

# # WE have been favoured with advance sheets of his address , delivered at the 199 th semi-annual communcation , and find that it proves the accuracy of our prognostication respecting the administration of the affairs of the Grand Lodge , under his genial rule . His management of the debt has been able and most salutar }*; by an arrangement with the Eutau Savings

Bank , the GRAND MASTER aided by his brother , W . H . SHRYOCK , P . M ., & c , advanced 9000 dollars , by which means the interest annually has been reduced , £ 125 , the net indebtedness being lessened by 4000 dollars paid by the Grand Lodge . " Slow , but surely , " the debt is thus moving ofi " , and by rigid economy , we doubt not , the Temple will soon be wholly and solely the property of the Maryland fraternity .

* » *• * BRO . SHRYOCK states that the ability of the Grand Lodge to pay its indebtedness is based upon the prosperity of the Institution . Exactly so ; but would it not be well also to recognise the fact that economy during the period of indebtedness would do much to get rid of the debt . AH delegates should