The Autumn School Elections.

THE AUTUMN SCHOOL ELECTIONS .

Considenngthe proportion of candidates to vacancies for the Autumn School Elections , which will be held at Freemasons' Tavern on Thursday , and Friday , the 13 th and 14 th of October respectively , there is little likelihood of the ballot producing any great amount of excitement on either day . There will , no doubt , be some heavy voting , and the friends of thc unsuccessful

children will naturally be disappointed at the failure of their proteges , but there are only two last chances at each election , and with a little generous consideration on the part of the Governors and Subscribers towards these particular cases , there is no reason why the disappointment

which failure is sure to produce should be otherwise than temporary . For some time past the lists have become so manageable that there ought to be no difficult } ' in electing every child whose petition is accepted . The following particulars will make this still more clear :

THE GIRLS' SCHOOL . The election of candidates for admission into the Royal Masonic Institution for Girls will be held at Freemasons' Tavern , as aforesaid , on Thursday , tlie 13 th prox . The number of vacancies to be filled is 21 , and the number of approved applicants 26 , oi whom only two will fail absolutely , if they are not placed amongst the successful on this occasion . Of the 26 candidates

Londoh furnishes nine , and has a joint interest with certain Provinces in the success of two others , while the remaining 15 arc of Provincial origin . The London Girls arc No . 1 , who began her career as a candidate in October , 1891 , and brings forward 53 votes as the result of the two previous ballots ; No . 3 , who was a candidate for the first time in April last ,

when she had 1321 votes polled for her ; No . 6 , who was also a candidate for the first time in April and has 704 votes in hand ; and Nos . 8 , 12 , 15 , 21 , 22 , and 26 , whose names have been placed on the list since the last election . Of the two part London and part Provincial cases , No . 5 has claims on Gloucestershire and London , and will start on this occasion with 1884 votes

in hand from April last , while No . 19 , who is a new case , hails from London and Warwickshire . Of the 15 Provincial candidates Essex and Hants and the Isle of Wight furnish each of them three , those from the former Province being No . 7 , who has 1917 votes already standing to her credit from the April election , and Nos . 9 and 18 , both new cases . Be it added that

No . 7 has only this one chance left her of obtaining admission into the School , but with such an array of votes in hand , it will be only very terrible mismanagement on the part of those in charge of her interests , which will prevent her finding a place among the successful . The Hants and Isle of Wightthreeareallnewcases—Nos . 14 , 16 , and 24—and the Province liasa joint

interest with West Lancashire in the success of No . 4 , who polled 1734 votes in April last , and with Kent in that of No . 10 , who will make her deb tit on this occasion . The remaining seven cases derive their claims from Kent—No . 17 , who has this only chance of succeeding—Lancashire East ( No . 25 ) , Lancashire East and Yorkshire West ( No . 2- ?) , Oxfordshire

( No . 20 ) , Sussex ( No . 13 ) , Madras ( No . 11 ) , and 2 nd Battalion ist Royals ( No , 2 ) . Of these all but No . 2 , who brings forward 817 votes as thc result of her attempts at the last two elections , are new cases . All the 26 children

THE BOYS' SCHOOL . Ihe autumn election of candidates for admission into the Royal Masonic Institution for Boys will take place at thc Quarterly Court , which will be he held at Freemasons' Tavcrn on Friday , the 14 th October . There are 38 approved candidates , and 24 vacancies to be filled , six of the former having ineir origin in London and 32 in the Provinces . The London six include

tVo . a wh 0 y , as a sisier * ihe Girls' School , and brings forward 6 37 votes rom the April election ; No . 7 , whose name will be removed from the listen this occasion if he fails to win a place , but who is fortunate enough to have secured 1147 votes towards election * , and Nos . 20 , 24 , 25 , and 27 , who are all JJ candidates . As to the Provincial candidates , Devonshire , Kent , and

utiolk furnish three each , the Devonshire three being No . 10 , who has a sister ¦ J the Girls' School , with 42 votes in hand , and Nos . 16 and 28 new candidates . . e Kent trio comprises No . 2 , who was a candidate for the first time October , 1891 , and starts with 2121 votes in hand , so that his ., Pects of success are verv considerable , and Nos . -u and 35 . ; while the

ree who hail from Suffolk are Nos . 14 , 18 , and 26 , who will make their first Ppearance in the character of candidates at this election . Dorsetshire , . 1 Lancashire , and Sussex each send up two candidates , Nos . 3 and 4 , haM * ^^ votes and tIle latter wittl 34 votes from t , l e April ba " > ln g from Dorsetshire ; Nos . 19 and 32 from East Lancashire ; and No . 1 Uio has this one and only chance of obtaining admission , and No . 33 Sussex . The remaining 17 are from the following 17 Provinces '

< * " " - fatherless , while in all but eight cases the father had been a subscribing member to some lodge or lodges for nine years aud upwards , while in eight instances he had rendered services to one or more of our Institutions , either as a contributor or Festival Steward .

The Autumn School Elections.

namely : No . 13 , with 9 votes to the good , from Berkshire ; No . 21 from Bucks and Herts ; No . 31 from Cambridgeshire ; No . 3 8 from Cornwall ; No . 9 , with 7 votes to his credit , from Cumberland and Westmorland ; No . 12 from Gloucestershire ; No . 3 6 , who has a sister in the Girls'School , from Hants and the Isle of Wight ; No . 1 , who has been a candidate three

times already and has 49 votes to his credit , from Herefordshire ; No . 30 from West Lancashire ; No . 8 , with 45 votes at starting , from Lincolnshire ; No . II , with a credit of 27 voles , from Norfolk ; No . 37 from Oxfordshire ; No . 22 from Shropshire ; No . 5 from Somersetshire , with 541 votes to his credit from the April election ; No . 15 from Staffordshire ; No . 23 from

Warwickshire ; and No . 29 from the Mauritius . As regards other particulars , there are five of the boys who have lost both parents , and one who has both parents living , the other 32 being fatherless . In 20 cases the

father had been a subscribing member to a lodge or lodges for nine years and upwards , while in 11 cases he had acted as Steward for or contributed to the funds of one or more of our Institutions . In about 20 cases he had held office in lodge , or in lodge , chapter , or Prov . Grand Lodge .

At the Quarterly Courts at which these elections will be held the chair will be taken at 12 noon , and the ballot will be opened at 1 p . m ., or as soon as the general business has been transacted , and close at 3 p . m . precisely .

The Recent Worcestershire Meeting.

THE RECENT WORCESTERSHIRE MEETING .

The Province of Worcestershire , though it has but a short muster-roll of lodges , enjoys a very considerable amount of prosperity , and it well deserves its good fortune , not only for the zeal and ability with which its proceedings are conducted , but also because it is always ready to pay honour to whom honour is due . The late Bro . WILLIAM MASEFIELD , on whom , in 1882 , his Royal Highness the Grand Master was pleased to confer

the office of Grand Standard Bearer of England , and who , a few days later , was appointed Assistant Grand Director of Ceremonies in Supreme Grand Chapter , was for several years Deputy Past Grand Master of Worcestershire , his services in this capacity having bcen rendered in part during thc Prov . Grand Mastership of Bro . ALHERT H . ROYDS , and in part during that of his successor , Bro . Sir E . A . H . LECHMERE , Bart ., M . P ., the

present Prov . Grand Master , while the memory of his services stands a fair chance of being perpetuated by the Masefield Lodge , No . 21134 , of Moseley , which was constituted in 1 SS 4 , not very long after his retirement from the active pursuits of Masonry . Our Worcestershire brethren , however , appear to have been of the opinion that a lodge bearing thc respected name of Masefield was not a sufficient memorial of his many virtues , and a short

while ago it was resolved by thc brethren of the Harmonic Lodge , No . 252 , Dudley , of which Bro . MASEFIELD had been a member for many years , to erect a marble tablet in St . John's Church , Dudley , so that his fame as a worthy citizen and most excellent Mason might be preserved through all time . The tablet has been since erected , and at the annual meeting at Dudley on the ioth instant it was formally unveiled in the presence of a

large concourse of brethren from all parts of the county , the simple ceremony being performed by Bro . A . F . GODSON , M . P ., who has held the office of Deputy Prov . Grand Master since Bro . MASEFIKLD ' S resignation . Nor was this thc sum of the tribute paid to the memory of our late distinguished Mason . Bro . the Rev . W . J . DOWNS , Prov . Grand Chaplain , in the sermon which he preached on the occasion , referred in pointed terms to what Bro .

MASEFIELD had done in behalf of Freemasonry . He spoke of him as possessing " rare and noble qualities both as a citizen and a Mason , " and " these qualities , " hc added , " he largely used for thc benefit and welfare of the Craft . " Moreover , " their late brother was a representative man , and they might well look back upon him as a representative Mason , one , indeed ,

from whom Freemasonry in the town and neighbourhood received new life and activity ; " and " as long as the tablet erected to his memory should occupy its present position , so long would he , though dead , speak to thc hearts of all true and faithful Masons . " We congratulate our Worcestershire brethren on their appropriate recognition of services rendered by a departed brother , by which their Province has so greatly benefited .

Consecration Of The Downshire Lodge, No. 2437, At Wokingham.

CONSECRATION OF THE DOWNSHIRE LODGE , No . 2437 , AT WOKINGHAM .

This new lodge was consecrated on Saturday at the Town Hall , Wokingham , by Bro . J . T . Morland , D . P . G . M . ( in charge ) of the Province of Berks , assisted by Bros . J . Tomkins , P . P . S . G , W ., as S . W . ; L . G . Kirchhoffer , P . P . S . G . W ., as J . W . ; the Rev . J . M . Guilding , P . G . C , as Chap . ; J . VV . Martin , P . G . Sec , as Sec . ; J . P . Stewart , P . G . D . C , as D . C ; and VV . Hickie , P . P . G . D . C , as I . G .

The founders present were Bros . Lord Arthur Hill , P . M . 66 , P . G . M . Down ; Henry Baker , J . W . 1360 ; Alexander C . A . Higerty , P . M . and Sec . 1044 , P . P . J . G . D . Surrey ; H . Creed , P . M . 1101 , P . P . G . R . Berks and Bucks , oltkiating Secretary of the new lodge ; W . S . J ackson , P . M . 1 564 ; J . M . Parsons , W . M . 15 ( 14 ; John S . Tavener , S . W . 1044 ; Geo . Crammer , Treas . 1360 ; G . W . Fortescue , 1585 ; D . N . Heron , 1101 ; F . Lome , 104 ; H . G . Powell , 340 ; J . R . Rutter , 1360 ; F . A . Wells . 1 S 99 , P . G . Steward ;