The Mark Benevolent Fund Festival.

THE MARK BENEVOLENT FUND FESTIVAL .

Our hope that the Festival of the Mark Benevolent Fund on Wednesday , under the presidency of Bro . the Earl of EusTON , Dep . G . Master , would prove a success has been realised . The Board of Stewards numbered upwards of 170 , and the sum

total of donations and subscriptions announced by Bro . C . F . MATIER , G . Secretary , Hon . Secretary of the Board , was , in round figures , £ 2354 . This is in excess of every previous announcement , the highest total hitherto having been in the

year 1888 , when Bro . Earl AMHERST , Past G . M . M . M ., occupied the chair , and a Board of 147 Stewards raised £ 2260 , while the next in point of amount was obtained last year , when Bro . Sir

LIONEL E . DARELL , Bart ., J . G . W ., was Chairman , and a Board of 159 Stewards returned within a fraction of £ 2087 . Thus the Earl of EUSTON has the satisfaction of having presided at the most successful of the 22 Festivals held in aid of the

Benevolent Bund of the Grand Mark Lodge , though we dare say he will readily enough yield the place of honour to some future Chairman who may have the good fortune to be assisted in his endeavours by a still larger and more successful Board of

Stewards than that of Wednesday , when , as we have said , the amount was £ 2354 is ., London contributing £ 609 4 s . 6 d ., and the Provinces , with a few foreign stations , £ 1744 16 s . 6 d . But whatever the future may bring forth , we heartily

congratulate the Chairman who presided , the 170 Stewards and upwards who assisted him so zealousl y and to such good purpose , and the Mark brethren generally who are thus helping to establish their Benevolent Fund on a firm basis . But especially do we

congratulate the Mark Grand Secretary , Bro . C . FITZGERALD MATIER , Honorary Secretary of the Board , on having been so largely instrumental in obtaining this and the later successes in connection with this annual event . He deserves the credit of

having brought it into such prominence , of having enlarged the number of Stewards so considerably , and of having excited the large amount of interest with which this Festival is regarded . Doubtless , as we have before suggested , we shall hear of still

greater successes being achieved in the future in aid of this Fund ; but whether we do or do not , we regard the Mark Benevolent Festival as having been established on its present

footing principally through Bro . MATIER ' s exertions , and as of inferior importance only to those of the great Central Masonic Institutions . He well deserves the credit of this achievement .

The Province Of Kent.

THE PROVINCE OF KENT .

There are more numerous Provinces than Kent , Provinces which can boast of having more lodges established within their borders and more subscribing members on the roll , but we affirm with confidence that in none is the enthusiasm for Masonry more

deep-rooted , the discipline and organisation more perfect , or the support extended to our Masonic Institutions more regular and more generously bestowed . For these , reasons , and also because its respected chief takes a deep personal interest in what passes ,

and is careful to gather around him a body of Provincial Grand Officers on whose support he is able to rely at all times , it is that Kent has attained to a degree of prosperity which may be equalled by other Provinces , but is unquestionably surpassed by

none . This year the annual meeting was held about the usual date at Ashford , under the banner of the Invicta Lodge , No . 709 . Bro . Earl AMHERST , P . G . M ., presided , as he has done almost

invariabl y during his 30 years' tenure of the office , and there Was a large gathering of the brethren , as well as of the Provincial Grand Officers , Present and Past , among the latter being Bros . J . S . EASTES , D . P . G . M . ; RUSSELL , P . G . Treasurer ; ALFRED SPENCER , P . G , Secretary ; and others . The several reports

The Province Of Kent.

showed that considerable progress had been made during the past 12 months , while , in accordance with the recommendations of the Provincial Grand Lodge Charity Committee , a sum of £ 3 15 was assigned to the several Charities , the Girls' School receiving £ 126 , the Boys' School £ 84 , and the Royal Masonic Benevolent

Institution £ 105 . After the banquet which followed , the customary speeches were delivered , the tenour of them , one and all , being most gratifying from the general spirit of harmony and good feeling they exhibited . The toast of the Provincial Grand Master ' s health was drunk with all the honours , and Bro . J . S .

EASTES , the worthy Deputy Prov . Grand Master , gave sundry statistics , which showed how great had been the advances made by the province since the year 1 S 60 , when the late Earl of ZETLAND , M . W . G . M ., was pleased to appoint his lordship , then Viscount HOLMESDALE , to office . At that time , as Bro . EASTES

pointed out , the province had 17 lodges on its roll with a membership of 815 ; in 18 74 , the year before the installation of the Prince of WALES as Most Worshipful Grand Master , there were 3 8 lodges and 1770 members ; and at the present time there were 57 lodges and 3300 members . But , as we have often said , mere numbers

are not always the truest or the best criterion of progress , and though an increase in 30 years from 815 to 3300 brethren is undoubtedly worth noting , we attach greater importance to the further statement by the same distinguished brother , namely , that during the same period no less than £ 8000 has been given

out of the Provincial Grand Lodge Funds to the various Charities , irrespective of the £ 1050 raised by the members in 1888 for the purpose of purchasing a Perpetual Presentation to the Girls ' School , and without taking any account of the donations and subscriptions contributed by members out of their own pockets . Bro . EASTES also referred to the fact that the Prov . Grand

Master had kindly undertaken to preside at next year ' s Festival of the Royal Masonic Benevolent Institution , when , we have no doubt , his lordship will receive , as on previous similar occasions he has received , the . cordial support of the lodges and brethren he has presided over for so many years with such conspicuous

success . We congratulate our Kentish brethren , from the Prov . Grand Master to the youngest initiate , on the evidence furnished by this year ' s meeting of Prov . Grand Lodge of the

flourishing condition of Masonry in this county , and we sincerely trust the day may be far distant when the account we publish of the proceedings of this annual Prov . Grand Lodge may be of a less encouraging character .

The Craft In Nottinghamshire.

THE CRAFT IN NOTTINGHAMSHIRE .

The recent annual meeting at Southwell , on the 19 th June last , of the P . G . Lodge of Nottinghamshire , furnished abundant evidence—if any were needed—of the activity exhibited by the brethren in this Province , the zeal they are actuated by , and

the generally favourable results which for several years past have attended its proceedings . The consecration of the new St . Mary's Lodge , No . 2302 , to which we alluded last week as having taken place in the ancient palace of the Archbishop of

York , at Southwell , afforded one instance of the activity of our Nottinghamshire brethren , and the favourable reports that were read and submitted to Prov . Grand Lodge , gave evidence of the progress made during the past twelve months . In addition we

had the satisfaction of noting the presence on so interesting an occasion of Bro . the Rev . Dean of York , Past G . Chaplain of England , whose sermon was most appropriate , as it was also most eloquent . It is , indeed , some five years since any unusual

event has taken place in this county . The lodges have discharged their duties , and the brethren have been liberal in their support of our Institutions , but until last month nothing had taken place

outside the ordinary routine of duty , and , therefore , the consecration of the St . Mary ' s Lodge is a subject on which we congratulate our Notts brethren most heartily , and trust it will prove a worthy addition to its roll of lodges .