Festival Of The Royal Masonic Institution For Boys.

Benevolent Institution , £ 85 is . to the Girls' School , and £ 266 12 s . to the Boys' School , or together £ 4 81 18 s . In 188 9 it figured for still less , its contribu' tions to the three Charities only reaching £ 367 is . 6 d ., but during these years and previously it was engaged in establishing its local Charitable Institution on a sound basis . In 1888 it contributed £ 1355 is ., of which £ 1149 13 s . 6 d . was in

respect of the Girls' Centenary , and in the year of the Queen ' s Jubilee , when Bro . W . W . B . Beach occupied the chair at the Benevolent Festival , it raised within six pence of £ 1883 , of which £ 1785 9 s . 6 d . was in support of its P . G . M . ' s Chairmanship . We heartily welcome the re-appearance in these Returns of

HEREFORDSHIRE . It is a small Province , with only five lodges on its roll , but we have more than once remarked that we see no just cause or impediment why it shall not occasionally take part in these celebrations . We do not suppose our Herefordshire brethren are less able or less willing than others to bear their share in supporting our

Institutions , and the presence in the lists of Wednesday of Bro . the Rev . R . Evans , Past D . P . G . M ., with a sum raised from the Province of £ 32 6 s . to his credit is a good omen for the future . The last occasion on which Herefordshire took part in one of these meetings was the Girls' Centenary in 1888 , when Bro . Sir Joseph Bailey , Bart ., M . P ., Prov . G . M ., took up a list of £ 68 5 s .

HERTFORDSHIRE , with its roll of 21 lodges , has done admirably during the present year . At the Benevolent Festival in February six of its lodges together contributed £ 363 3 s . Last month five lodges—of which only one took part in the earlier Festival—with a brother Unattached , raised £ 194 2 s ., while on Wednesday five lodges , of which one was represented at the two preceding Festivals , together with one Steward

Unattached , compiled amongst them the very satisfactory sum of £ 221 ios . These furnish a total for the year of £ 77 8 15 s ., 14 out of the 21 lodges and two Unattached brethren having had a hand in compiling it . Last year £ 66 7 8 s . was apportioned amongst the three Charities , and in 188 9 £ 371 7 s ., but in 1888 the total was £ 79 6 14 s . 6 d ., of which £ 649 19 s . fell to the share of the Girls ' School on the occasion of its Centenary , and the balance of £ 146 15 s . 6 d . to the Benevolent Institution .

As we remarked in our Analysis of the Girls School lists , it would not have surprised us if

KENT , after its magnificent effort in behalf of the Benevolent Institution in February , when Bro . Earl Amherst , its Provincial Grand Master , acted as Chairman of the day , had resolved on taking things quietly during the rest of the present year . There are 57 lodges on its roll , but the amount its 62 Stewards , headed by Bro . T . S . Eastes , its worthy Deputy Provincial Grand

Master , with the glorious list of £ 628 15 s . 6 d ., raised in February was £ 3483 14 s . 6 d . However , in May five lodges , with an Unattached Steward , put their shoulders to the wheel and raised £ 265 2 s . 6 d ., and on Wednesday the Dep . P . G . M . and Bro . W . Hollis , Unattached , with the brethren representing three lodges , supplemented the previous subscriptions with the very useful total of £ 279 19 s ., Bro . Eastes ' s list amounting to £ 13 6 ios . Thus the total for

1891 reaches £ 4028 16 s ., or an average of about £ 70 per lodge . It is hardly necessary , after exhibiting such Returns as these , that we should cite the performances of preceding years in order to demonstrate the truism that Kent stands foremost among the regular and most generous supporters of our three Central Charities . We are pleased , if we are not surprised , that

LANCASHIRE ( EAST ) should have taken so conspicuous a part in the celebration of Wednesday . The number of Stewards hailing from this large and important Province was 48 , of whom three were Unattached , and 41 acted on behalf of sundry of the lodges , there being 17 out of the 100 and odd lodges on the roll which took part in the proceedings . Of these Lodge Anchor and Hope , No . 37 , Bolton , by the hands

of Bro . James Newton , Prov . A . G . Sec , and five other members , raised £ 73 ios . ; Antiquity , No . 146 , located in the same town , by two Stewards , £ 21 ; St . John ' s , No . 221 , also of Bolton , by the medium of seven Stewards , £ 63 ; Fidelity , No . 26 9 , Blackburn , per Bro . W . H . Cunliffe , £ 84 ; Affability , No . 317 , Manchester , by Bro . W . J . Cunliffe and another , £ 3 6 15 s . ; St . John ' s , No . 348 , Bolton , by Bro . lohn Kenyon and four of his colleagues . £ 84 , and St .

George ' s , No . 1723 , Bolton , which was represented by Bro . Alderman Harwood and 12 other members , £ 1 3 6 ios . The total from all sources , including £ 105 from P . G . Lodge , reached £ 8 94 2 s ., which , with the £ 126 raised by seven Stewards in February for the Benevolent Institution and the £ 183 8 s . 6 d . by 10 ( out of 11 ) Stewards last month for the Girls' School , places the contributions from East

Lancashire for the current year at £ 118 3 ios . 6 d . In 1888 the total trom this Province was £ 4350 13 s ., composed of £ 28 73 us . 6 d . received by the Benevolent Institution , £ 1350 16 s 6 d . b y the Girls' School , and £ 126 5 s . by the Boys' School . To this Province also belongs the honour of having raised what till Wednesday was the highest amount contributed by a single Province at any of our Festivals , namely , £ 3885 at the Boys' School Festival of 186 9 .

The next Province is that of LANCASHIRE ( WEST ) , the " Chairman ' s Province , " which has not only surpassed itself on this occasion but has likewise outdone all the other Provinces in England . It has some 104 lodges on its roll , and is therefore the strongest of the 46 into which the country is divided . The number of Stewards , including Bro . Earl of Lathom , Prov . G . M .,

the Chairman of the day ; Bro . R . W ylie , P . G . D , England ; Bro . W . Goodacre , P . G . S . B . England , Prov . G . Sec . ; Bro . R . Armitage , P . P . A . G . Sec ; and a lad y , was 134 , of whom several represented more than one lodge or a lodge and chapter , and the amount which they had the gratification of obtaining was £ 6025 ios . To give full details of this splendid total is more than the narrow limits of our space will permit . Suffice it , therefore , to say that the noble Chairman heads the

array with £ 577 ios ,, of which £ " 525 was contributed by the Prov . Grand Lodge , while the rest was his own personal donation . The St . George ' s Lodge of Harmony , No . 32 , Liverpool , the senior lodge in West Lancashire , had 17 Stewards , and the total they succeeded in raising was £ 74 6 6 s ., which , as far as our memory serves us , is the largest amount ever raised by a single lodge . Princes Lodge , No . 2316 , with five Stewards , gave £ 294 ; Urmston Lodge , No . 1730 ,

Urmston ( five Stewards ) , £ 150 ; Prince Arthur , No . 1570 , Liverpool ( two Stewards ) , £ 126 ; Townley Parker Lodge , No . 1032 , Chorley ( two Stewards ) , £ 136 ios . ; and Unanimity , No . 113 , Preston ( three Stewards ) £ 105 ; Furness , No . 995 , Ulverston , £ 10995 . ; Ashton , No . 1140 , Heaton Moor , £ 107 as . ; Stanley , No . 1325 , Liverpool ( three Stewards ) , £ 105 ; Lindsay , No . 1335 , Wigan ( two Stewards ) £ 120 15 s . ; Blundellsands , No . 2289 , Great Crosb y ; Cycling and Athletic , No .

2 335 > Wavertree ( two Stewards ); and Rose of Lancaster , No . 2325 , £ 105 each ; and West Lancashire Century , No . 2349 , Blackburn ( five Stewards ); gave £ 137115 . Architect , No . 1375 , Withington , £ 128 as . ; Loyalty , No . 8 97 , St . Helens , £ 125 4 s . 6 d . ; and Antiquity , No . 178 , Wigan , with £ 78 15 s . Indeed , if we consider that no less than 93 out of the 104 lodges

were directl y represented by one or more Stewards , and that six R . A . chapters , one Rose Croix chapter , and two Mark lodges had a share in this fine piece of work , it is difficult to find words which will sufficientl y express the gratitude of the Craft at large , and especially of those who are anxious to see our Boys' School well started on its way again , after the dis-

Festival Of The Royal Masonic Institution For Boys.

turbed condition of its affairs , to West Lancashire , its noble Provincial Grand Master , the lodges , and their members for the success of their latest effort in behalf of our Central Charities . Be it added that in February the Province raised £ 99 15 s . for the Benevolent Institution and £ 115 ios . for the Girls ' School in May , so that the total of the West Lancashire contributions during the year 18 91 is £ 6240 15 s . And all this while , it generously supports an Educational Institution and two Annuity Funds—the Hamer , for old men , and the Alpass , for widows . Bravo , Bravissimo , West Lancashire 1

LINCOLNSHIRE had an efficient Provincial representative in Bro . Wilson Goodwin , while eight of its 24 lodges had nine Stewards acting in their behalf , Bro . H . E . Cousans , as Steward for the Ermine Lodge , No . 235 1 , Lincoln , being one of them . The sum total of their lists was £ 417 14 s . 6 d ., Bro . Goodwin ' s list for the Province reaching £ 233 3 s ., and tbat of Bro . Cousans for No . 2351 , £ 88 4 s ., which , added to the

£ 42 13 s . raised by the latter for the Royal Masonic Benevolent Institution in February , places the contributions from this Province in 1891 at £ 460 7 s . 6 d . Last year it subscribed £ 542 to the Girls' School , and . £ 100 to the Benevolent Institution , while in 1889 the latter was benefited to the extent of £ ' 448 14 s ,, while the Boys' School received £ 6 g 6 s ., the total for the three years being £ This bespeaks excellent and hard work on the part of our Lincolnshire friends . Eight out of the 40 lodges in

MIDDLESEX and one of its Royal Arch chapters were represented on Wednesday , the number of its Stewards , including its respected P . G . M ., Bro . Col . Sir Francis Burdett , Bart . , and Bro . H . V . Clements , Unattached , being 12 . These amongsttbem compiled asum of £ " 251 12 s ., the total for the whole year , including £ 215 us . for the Royal

Masonic Benevolent Institution in February , and £ 56 14 s . for the Girls' School last month , being £ 523 17 s . In 18 90 , when Bro . Sir Francis Burdett , Bart ., acted as Chairman at the Girls' Festival and the Province raised over £ 1000 , the total was £ 1337 15 s . 6 d . ; in 188 9 it was between £ 593 and £ 594 ; and in 1888 £ 181653 ., of which some two-thirds was subscribed for the Girls' Centenary . Being but a small Province of 10 lodges ,

MONMOUTHSHIRE adopts the plan of supporting each Institution in turn , though there have been years in which it has supplemented its principal contribution by a second and smaller one . In February one brother , representing the Province generally , and six other brethren acting for as many lodges , compiled the large total of £ 325 . On Wednesday one of these six lodges sent up a Steward in the person of its

W . M ., Bro . C . W . Whalley , whose list amounted to £ 25 10 s ., raising the total for the year to £ 350 ios . In May , 18 90 , the Girls' School received support to the extent of £ 247 ; in 1889 the Boys' School £ 300 ; and in 1888 £ 438 3 s . was subscribed to the Benevolent Institution and £ 94 ios . to the Girls ' Centenary . Two good men—Bros . H . G . Barwell , P . P . S . G . W ., and W . Diver , P . P . J . G . W . —acted on behalf of two of the senior lodges in the Province of

NORFOLK , the former being Steward for the Union Lodge , No . 52 , Norwich , and the latter for the Lodge of Friendship , No . 100 , Great Yarmouth , their lists together amounting to £ 220 . This is the first and only appearance during the year of this Province , which , though it musters 17 lodges , is chiefly agricultural ,

and therefore by no means wealthy . But in 1890 it subscribed over £ 229 tothe Benevolent Institution , and £ 26 5 s . to the Boys' School ; in 1889 , £ 101 us . to the latter Charity , and in 1888 , £ 6 3 to the Benevolent , and £ 214 4 s . to the Girls ' School . In 1886 , when its Prov . G . M ., Bro . Lord Suffield presided as Chairman at the Boys' Festival , his Province most loyally supported him to the extent of £ 420 .

Five out of the 18 lodges in NORTH WALES took part in the celebration of Wednesday , Bro . C . K . Benson , a Steward of established experience , and a member of the Board of Management , doing duty vvith another brother for the Square and Compass Lodge , No . 133 6 , Wrexham , while Bro . Col . H . Piatt , P . G . D . of England , and D . P . G . M ., took the Royal Leek

Lodge , No . 1849 , Bangor , under his especial charge . The total obtained by the efforts of five of the six Stewards reached £ 173 5 s ., the principal list being that for £ 8 9 5 s . raised by Bro . J . D . Bolton , No . 1477 , Bro . Piatt's list being still outstanding . The Province took part in the preceding Festivals of the year , Bro . Benson , acting for the same lodge , taking up £ 26 5 s . for the Benevolent Institution in February , and Bro . D . Davies , No . 1369 , who vvas

also a Steward on Wednesday , with Bro . Benson , Unattached , £ 3 6 15 s . for the Girls' School in May . Last year North Wales raised . £ 120 4 s . 6 d . for the Boys ' School , and £ 68 5 s . for the Girls' School , the same Institutions receiving a certain measure of support in 1889 ; while in 1888 all three Charities were benefited , though the efforts of the Province were employed chiefly in behalf of the Girls Institution , which received £ 6 75 on the occasion of its Centenary Festival . Under the able and popular rule of Bro . the Earl of Euston , the Province of

NORTHANTS AND HUNTS , has been most active in its support of our Charities , and though at sundry of the Festivals in which it takes part its Returns are small , still the Province on the whole has made a goodly show under the auspices of its present chief . Oa Wednesday , nine of its brethren , including Lord Euston , who was Chairman 01 the late Provisional Management Committee , George Ellard , a member of the

Board of Management , and two other brethren Unattached , and the representatives —five in number—of three of its 12 lodges had the good fortune to amass the very creditable sum of £ 209 ios . In February , Bro . Carman , who has served as Steward at all the Festivals of this year , took up a list of £ 31 ios ., and in May Lord Euston and Bro . Carman together supplemented this with £ 21 , so that the *

aggregate for the year reaches £ 263 . In 1890 the Benevolent and Gin ' Institutions received , the former £ 42 and the latter £ 26 5 s . ; and in 1889 , whs * Lord Euston presided as Chairman for the Royal Masonic Benevolent Institution it raised £ 914 ios . 6 d . in support of his lordship , and a further £ 26 5 s . for » " Girls' School in the following May , or in all , £ 940 15 s . 6 d .

NORTHUMBERLAND figures among the contributing Provinces only occasionally ; but when it does ta ^ part in any of our Festivals it never fails to leave its mark . At the memorable O ° School in 1883 Bro . B . J . Thompson , the then Prov . G . Secretary , handed in £ list of £ 1222 13 s . Three years later the same brother was Steward for the wn Province at the Girls' Festival , and compiled a total of £ go 6 . In 1888 o Thompson did duty for the third time as Steward , and took up a list which vv st

announced as £ 900 , but which was subsequently increased to £ 1050 , while a of £ 52 ios . was dropped incidentally into the coffers of the Girls' School a Centenary in the month of June following . Since then the Province has bee absentee , but on Wednesday two out of its 23 lodges , represented by Bros . «• . Ericsson and Bro . Dr . J . D . Dixon respectively , and Bro . R . Thompson / TInattac put together the sum of £ 21 , one list being outstanding . . ogQ Since the consecration of the St . Mary ' s Lodge , No . 2302 , Southwell , in * there have been 15 lodges on the roll of NOTTINGHAMSHIRE , n and five of these sent Stewards to the Festival on Wednesday . The Returns , these amounted to £ 221 6 s ., and included £ 89 5 s . from Bro . Spalding , No . J