Festival Of The Royal Masonic Institution For Boys.

BERKSHIRE has justified our anticipations that as a separate Province , though with only 13 lodges on its roll , it would fulfil its part at these celebrations as regularly and generously as when under the rule of the late Bro . Sir Daniel Gooch , Bart ., it formed the larger half of the more imposing Province of Berks and Bucks . In

February its four Stewards , representing four lodges and a chapter , compiled a total of £ 146 3 s . 6 d . Last month its three Stewards raised £ 9 8 14 s ., and on Wednesday five brethren , of whom four acted in behalf of as many lodges and one independently , together contributed £ 103 8 s . 6 d ., there being still one list outstanding . This raises the total for the year to £ 348 6 s , and may be certainly regarded as an auspicious commencement under the new regime .

BRISTOL , which now has nine lodges on its roll , made its first appearance this year at the Girls' School Festival on the 12 th May , when Bro . Pierrepont Harris represented the Province , and handed in a list of £ 141 15 s . On Wednesday the same brother , in the same official capacity , had the gratification of amassing a far more imposing list amounting to £ 584 17 s ., so that the Province , under the auspices of this

energetic brother , has acquitted itself most creditably during the current year , albeit it had no part in the Benevolent Festival in February . During the previous two years Bristol has only figured at one Festival , that of the Royal Masonic Benevolent Institution in February , 188 9 , when the late Bro . W . Purnell acted as Steward and gave in a list of £ 52 5 s ., but we believe this unusual absence may be

accounted for by the brethren being engaged in organising a Provincial Charity of their own . At all events a reference to the Festival Returns prior to 188 9 will show that Bristol , in proportion to its strength , has done its part bravely in supporting our central Institutions . Bro . Lord Carrington will have every reason to be proud of his Province of

BUCKINGHAMSHIRE , which , like its former partner Berks , has done admirably during its first year as a separate organisation . In February , Bro . Joseph Bliss , as Steward for the Wycombe Lodge , No . 1501 , High Wycombe , raised a list of £ 3 6 15 s . Last month the Province most generously supported its Prov . Grand Master as Chairman of the Girls' Festival , the total of its contributions , by the hands of 11

Stewardsof whom Bro . Bliss was one—being £ 300 . On Wednesday , six of its 12 lodges sent up 8 Stewards , and one of its chapters was represented b y Comp . Taylor , while Bro . George Gardner acted as Steward Unattached . The total raised by the 9 Stewards reached £ 151 6 s ., the chief item being Bro . Mackrili ' s £ 52 ios . for Lodge No . 948 . Thus during its opening year it has subscribed what for a Province of only 12 lodges is the very considerable sum of £ 488 is .

CAMBRIDGESHIRE , six lodges , had two of them represented on Wednesday , namely , the Lodge of United Good Fellowship , No . 809 , Wisbech , per Bro . Geo . Carrick , and the Isaac Newton University Lodge , No . 8 59 , Cambridge , by its W . M ., Bro . W . H . Francis , the result of the labours of these two brethren being set down as amounting to £ 140 4 s . Last month Bro . S . H . Sharman , as Steward for the whole Province and Lodge No . 441 , had the satisfaction of obtaining £ 85 16 s . for the Girls '

School , so that as the Province took no part in the Benevolent Festival in February , the total of the year's contributions amounts to £ 226 . This compares fairly well vvith last year ' s total of £ 259 2 s . for the Benevolent and Boys' Festivals , and with that ot £ 315 in 1889 , when all three Charities were supported . In 18 S 8 the Province raised £ 3 62 5 s . for " Our Girls , " while in the two preceding years its subscriptions reached £ 1084 16 s . Weare very pleased to find that the lodges and brethren in

CHESHIRE have taken so kindly to heart the advice tendered them some while since by their respected Provincial Grand Master , Bro . Lord Egerton of Tatton , never to lose sight of the claims on their support of our principal Masonic Charities . Indeed , a glance at the long list of Stewards from this Province might almost incline people to believe that Lord Egerton had undertaken to preside , in conjunction with

Lord Lathom and Bro . Tew , Provincial Grand Master of West Yorkshire—which is also strongly represented—the three forming a kind of triune Chairman of the day . At all events , out of the 44 lodges on the roll of this Province no less than 25 are represented , the number of brethren acting as Stewards in their behalf , together vvith the three brethren Unattached , being 53 ; St . John ' s Lodge , No . 104 , Stockport , and the Lodge of Unity , No . 26 7 , Macclesfield , each sending two

Stewards ; the Lodge of Unanimity , No . 28 7 , Stockport , four Stewards ; the Cestrian Lodge , No . 425 , Chester , and the Lodge of Sincerity , No . 428 , Northwich , two Stewards each ; the Zetland , No . 537 , Birkenhead , three Stewards ; the Combermere , No . 605 , Birkenhead , two Stewards ; the Stamford Lodge , No . 1 045 , Altrincham , six Stewards ; the Clarendon Lodge , No . 1166 , Hyde , two Stewards ; the Earl of Chester , No . 1565 , Lymm , three Stewards ; and the Alan Lodge ,

No . 2368 , Alderley Edge , eight Stewards , including Bro . the Hon . Alan de Tatton Egerton , M . P ., W . M . The Returns from these brethren represent a total of £ 10 50 , the principal individual or conjoint lists being those of Cestrian Lodge , No . 425 , £ 100 ; the Stamford Lodge , No . 1045 , £ 100 5 s . 6 d . ; and the Alan Lodge , No . 2368 , " £ 110 . The Province was an absentee from the Benevolent Festival in February , but last month it raised by the hands

of six Stewards £ 134 ios ., so that the total for the whole year reaches £ 1156 19 s . This is by far the largest sum ever contributed by this Province at any of our Festival gatherings , the sum obtained at the Girls' Centenary three years since having been £ 459 is . At the Boys' School Festival in 18 S 4 it figured f ° ^ 49 8 6 s ., but as we have again and again pointed out in these Analyses there is the Cheshire Educational Institute which receives the first care of the lodges and brethren , and hence , until this Festival , the Province has really nevergiven us an idea

of what it was capable of doing . It is also most probable that nei ghbourly feeling as well as brotherly love has had much to do in producing so admirable a result , the Provinces of Cheshire and West Lancashire being contiguous . However , the reasons why need not concern us materially ; it is enough that Cheshire having put forth its strength on this particular occasion has come off vvith flying colours , and we trust it will not be long before it vvill be again our privilege to congratulate it on a further and still more signal success .

CORNWALL ( 30 lodges ) did well to entrust its interests to Bro . Gilbert B . Pearce , who has given us a taste of his quality as a Provincial representative on several occasions , and who , on Wednesday , compiled the handsome list of £ 131 5 s . In February the Province was represented by Bro . Major Ross , whose list amounted to £ 158 ios the total for the cunent year thus reaching £ 28 9 15 s . Last year

Bros . Major Ross , G . B . Pearce , and F . W . Thomas acted -is Stewards respectivel y for the three Charities , and raised amongst them £ 3 8015 . In 1889 . the amount distributed amongst thein was £ 362 5 s , and in iSrfS , £ 465 5 s ., of which the Girls ' School received £ 372 15 s , whilein 1887 Bro . Pearce was sole representative of the Province at each of the three Festivals , and had the satisfaction of obtaining lists which together amounted to £ 704 lis . The interests of the 20 lodges in

CUMBERLAND AND WESTMORLAND Were placed in safe hands when they were entrusted to Bros . George Dalrymple , rov . A . G . Sec , and John Paterson : who between them had the satisfaction of comp iling a total of £ 266 3 s . 6 d . In February it gave , per Bro . P . de E . Collin ,

Festival Of The Royal Masonic Institution For Boys.

£ 46 4 s . to the Benevolent , the total for the current year being £ 312 7 s . 6 d . In 1888 it raised £ 1050 for the Royal Masonic Benevolent Institution , and £ 210 for the Girls' Centenary , and in 18 S 6 £ 500 , and in 188 3 £ 1050 for the Boys' School . These are capital figures .

DERBYSHIRE furnished a contingent of 25 Stewards , exclusive of Bro . J . M . McLeod , who did duty in London and West Lancashire likewise , there being five brethren Unattached , 20 representing 17 out of the 24 lodges in the Province , and one the St . Mary Rose Croix Chapter , No . 63 , Derby . This is more than appeared at the Girls' Centenary in 1888 , or the Boys' Festival in 1885 , when Bro . the Marquis of

Hartington , Prov . G . M ., occupied the chair , but the total obtained on this occasion , though very considerable , is naturally less than was compiled in 1885 . However , without attempting to be too minute in our comparisons , we may state that the sum of £ 800 9 s . was obtained from this Province on Wednesday , the most notable lists being those of Bro . G . Sutherland , No . 731 , £ 76 10 ^ . ; Bro . Percy Wallis , Rose Croix Chapter , £ 63 ; Bros . A . E . Voules , No . 68 i ; J . M . McLeod , No . 884 ; and J . Gladwin , No . 1235 , for £ 52 ios . each . It was not represented at

the Benevolent Festival in February , but sent up two Stewards for as many lodges—of whom Bro . James Morrison McLeod was one , and a brother Unattached , made up a sum of £ 136 ios ., making the total for this year £ 93 6 19 s . In 18 90 and 1889 Derbyshire distributed £ 444 and £ 414 respectively among our Institutions , while in 1888 it raised a fraction over £ 891 , of which £ 789 3 s . 6 d . was raised for the Girls'School Centenary . In 1 S 85 , when its Prov . Grand Master occupied the chair at the Festival of this Institution , it supported him most loyally to the extent of . £ 1546 17 s .

Four of the 52 lodges in DEVONSHIRE had Stewards acting in their behalf on Wednesday , whose lists totalled up the excellent sum of £ 405 . Bro . A . J . Truscott , No . 1224 , compiling a list of £ 250 , and Bro . J . Taylor , Nos . 32 S and 1402 , £ 105 . This , added to the £ 6 3 obtained by Bro . the Rev . Dr . Lemon for the Benevolent Institution in February , gives a total for this year of £ 4 68 . This is , perhaps , not a high figure for a Province

which has so many lodges on its roll , but last year it distributed £ 424 18 s . among the Institutions , of which the Royal Masonic Benevolent Institution had the good fortune , thanks to Bro . Dr . Lemon ' s services , to receive £ 207 ios ., and in 1889 it placed £ 198 9 s . at the disposal of the Schools in nearl y equal proportions . In 1888 , when Bro . Viscount Ebrington , M . P ., was Chairman of the Boys'School Festival , it raised £ 840 for that Institution , and during the whole year £ 1013 5 s .

DORSETSHIRE was not among the contributors to the Benevolent Festival in February , but one of its 13 lodges ( the Portland , No . 1037 ) sent up a list , per Bro . C . J . Freeman , of £ 6 3 in May . On Wednesday Bro . S . R . Baskett , as he has done on more than one previous occasion , acted as Steward for the Province generally , and compiled the excellent list of £ 105 , while All Souls' Lodge , No . 170 , Weymouth , by the hands of the veteran Bro . Zillwood Milledge , with £ 105 , and the Lodge of

Friendship and Sincerity , No . 472 , Shaftesbury , raised the total to £ 223 , making the whole amount contributed this year £ 296 . Last year Bro . Baskett for the whole Province raised £ 181 13 s . for this Institution , while in 188 9 the same brother acting as Provincial representative , and Bro . Sir R . N . Howard , as Steward for tbe Portland Lodge , between them compiled a total of £ 156 10 s . In 1888 the five brethren who acted as Stewards at the Girls' Centenary raised £ 294 , while the Benevolent Institution obtained support to the extent of £ 113 3 s . The lodges in

DURHAM , some 32 in number , have taken part in all the three Festivals of the year . In February Bro . C . D . Hill-Drury , as sole Steward for the Province , took up a list of £ 168 , and last month Bro . W . C . Barrow for the Province , raised £ 18 3 12 s , and Bro . A . de Lande Long , Unattached , increased this to , £ 191 2 s . On Wednesday Bro . J . Vickers , W . M . of St . Helen ' s Lodge , No . 531 , Hartlepool , as the

Provincial representative , compiled a total of £ 127 is ., the full amount thus contributed in 1891 being £ 486 3 s . This is very largely in excess of the sum distributed among the three Institutions in 18 90 , when the R . M . B . I . received 75 guineas ( £ 78 15 s . ) , the Girls' School 100 guineas ( £ 105 ) , and the Boys' School 75 guineas ( £ 78 15 s . ) . In 188 9 the amount apportioned amongst the three was

£ 354 18 s ., and in 1888 it was £ 7 61 3 s ., of which the Benevolent Institution received £ 122 15 s ., the Girls' School , £ 375 iSs ., and the Boys' School £ 262 ios . In 1881 , when the late Bro . the Marquis of Londonderry was Chairman at the Boys' Festival , it contributed the - sum of £ ^ 024 to the Charities , the Boys' School being naturally the favoured Institution . Of the 32 lodges in the home Province of

ESSEX , II sent up 17 Stewards , and one of these did duty for a Royal Arch chapter also , the Prov . G . Secretary , Bro . F . T . Ralling , Past G . A . D . C . England , and Bro . Geo . Harrison , Past Prov . S . G . W ., being Unattached . The total subscribed by the medium of these brethren amounted to £ 1196 14 s ., the principal items being £ 525 by Bro . W . Shurmur , No . 2374 , and £ 105 each by Bro . Andrew R . Motion , No . 453 , and Bro . N . Fortescue , No . 2374 . In February the six brethren who acted

as Stevyards figured for a total of £ 244 13 s . 6 d ., while in May three brethren amongst them enriched the funds of the Girls' School to the extent ot £ 137 us . In 18 90 the contributions from this Province to the three Charities amounted to £ 977 ios . ; in 188 9 , to £ 64 6 5 s . 6 d . ; and in 1888 , to £ 129 7 3 s . 6 d . Thus the total for thu present year is the largest received since 1884 , when its total subscription to the three Institutions was in excess of £ 1546 , of which £ 1000 was raised in support of the Chairmanship of Bro . Lord Brooke , P . G . M ., at the Girls' Festival . Three of the 14 lodges in

GLOUCESTERSHIRE were directly represented on this occasion , and Bro . R . V . Vassar-Smith , D . P . G . M ., acted independently , the full number of Stewards being five and the sum of their lists £ 16 9 us . The Province was not included in the list of contributors at the Benevolent Festival in February , but last month two lodges sent three Stewards , whose lists reached £ 63 . Last year , Gloucestershire raised

£ ~ 3 A I 3 - , * in 1889 , £ 199 ios . ; in 1 S 88 , £ 621 3 s . 6 d ., of which the Girls' School at its Centenary received £ 520 iSs . ; and in 188 7 £ 221 us . The annual average during the years 1884 , 1885 , and 1886 was £ 747 , which may be accounted for chiefly by the Province raising £ 1210 13 s . 6 d . in support of the Benevolent Institution in 1 S 85 , when Bro . Sir M . E . Hicks-Beach , Bart ., M . P ., acted as Chairman at the Festival of that Charity .

Though only five out of the 47 lodges in HAMPSHIRE AND THE ISLE OF WIGHT sent Stewards to this Festival , the Province had the honour of being represented likewise by its respected Prov . G . Master , Bro . W . W . B . Beach , M . P ., who is a Trustee of the Institution , his worthy Deputy , Bro . J . E . Le FeuvrePast G . D . of

, England , who is a member of the Board of Management , and Bro . A . Barfield , These seven brethren amongst them compiled the sum of £ 282 gs ., of which £ 57 15 s . stands to the credit of the P . G . M ., and £ nS 13 s . to his Deputy ' s . In February four brethren as Stewards for six lod ges obtained £ 204 15 s ., and in May five Stewards raised £ 218 17 s . 6 d . for the Girls' School , the total for the whole year being £ 706 is . 6 d . In 1890 it gave £ 130 5 s . to the Royal Masonic