The Recent General Court Of Governors Of The Royal Masonic Institution For Boys.

imagining that , in the case of the recent Boys' Centenary , there will not be an even more considerable balance still . The expenditure will have been heavier , but so , too , will the Fee Fund . Hitherto it has been the proud boast of English Masons that the

Festivals annually held in behalf of our Charitable Institutions have not cost those Institutions one single penny , the whole of the proceeds of each recurring Festival having been paid over to the Institution in whose interest it was held . It is no light

matter that , for no particular reason of which we have any knowledge , this wise rule should have been broken through on this occasion , and the honoraria to the Secretary and his staff voted , not by the Stewards themselves out of the surplus moneys

of their own Festival Fund , but by the Court of Governors out of the funds of the Institution . Again , it is our opinion that Bro . EVE assumed a responsibility which cannot belong to him , when he declared that " if there were any surplus " from

the Stewards'Fee Fund , after the expenses of the Festival hadbeen defrayed , " it would go to the Institution , and not to the Secretary or Clerks . " These Fees are the property of the Stewards , who , when they have discharged all their liabilities , have the

right to allocate any surplus that may remain to any person or persons , or utilise it for any purpose or purposes , they please . The Institution itself has no voice whatever in the appropriation of that surplus . The Stewards have a statement of accounts

submitted to them at their usual final meeting , and the invariable rule has been to vote a specific sum for distribution among the Secretary ' s clerks and the balance to the Secretary himself . In cases where the balance has been very considerable , portions

of it have been paid over to the Institution with a view to conferring the Vice-Presidency , or Vice-Patronship upon—let us say—the Hon . Treasurer and any other brother or brethren , who may be held to have rendered some particular service in connection with the Festival . But we cannot call to mind a

single instance in which any one but the Board of Stewards itself has been allowed to have any voice in the distribution of any surplus—for the very obvious reason that the Board has the right to do what it pleases with its own funds . '

Nor , as far as we are able to judge , has any sound reason been given for departing from the policy which has been followed for several years past of appropriating the donations and subscriptions of the lodges and brethren wholly , or almost wholly , to the

purposes of the Institution for which they are contributed . In 1888 , the Secretary of the Royal Masonic Institution for Girls was awarded a substantial increase of salary in recognition

of his services at the Centenary , while the Board of Stewards , after voting sums to the Clerks and others , gave Bro . HEDGES that which remained . In 18 92 , the Secretary of the Royal Masonic Benevolent Institution received an honorarium—as

also did his clerks—voted him out of the surplus of the Stewards' Fees and the sums thus presented to the Secretary and one of his Clerks were supplemented by small grants of 150 guineas and 50 guineas respectively , voted by the

Committee of Management from the Funds of the Institution . In 188 9 , the most strenuous opposition was raised to the grant of a pension to Bro . BlNCKES on vacating the Secretaryship , and a sum of £ 2500 was raised by

subscription among the Craft and handed over to him , to prevent the funds of the Institution from being burdened with the payment of a , considerable sum of money annually . Other instances have since occurred in which the same objection to grants of

money from the funds of our Charities for other than charitable purposes has been manifested ; and we regret that the authorities of the Boys' School should have thus reversed the policy which has found favour for so many years with the supporters of our Schools and Benevolent Institution .

We have said that we do not grudge Secretary McLEOD an honorarium for the splendid services he has rendered ; but we do not hesitate to say that the amount that has been voted to him is extravagant . We consider

it a duty , as well as an act 01 sound policy , for the governing body of each of our Institutions to treat its officers generously ; but in this case a grant has been made which far and away exceeds

ever ) - amount that has been voted heretofore ; and great as have been Bro . McLEOD ' S services , we do not regard them as being of a nature to justify so excessive a recognition . We must not

The Recent General Court Of Governors Of The Royal Masonic Institution For Boys.

forget , in our anxiety to show our appreciation of what one of the Secretaries of our three Institutions has done , the services of his two colleagues , which were received with equal enthusiasm at the time . Bro . HEDGES was held to have achieved great things

when he was able to announce a Return of over £ 50 , 000 , or more than twice the sum that had ever previously been raised at any-Masonic Festival ; and Bro . TERRY ' efforts in respect of the Benevolent Jubilee . when he ultimately announced a total of £ C , 000 ,

were likewise and very justly appreciated . Nor must we entirely forget the 29 years' devoted services of Bro . BlNCKES , who , by his great energy and ability , may be said , not only to have made our Boys' School what it is , but also to have materially assisted the two

other Charities in becoming the splendid Institutions which every one acknowledges that they arc . Those services of Bro . BlNCKES have been handsomely recognised by Bro . McLEOD himself , and we are not belittling the great things the latter has

certainly accomplished , when we point out that what Bro , BlNCKES achieved during his protracted Secretaryship and the successes of Bros . HEDGES and TERRY in 1 S 8 S and 18 92 respectively , must be held to have paved the way in no slight measure [ or his still greater triumphs since 1 S 90 .

We have but little further to say , and that has reference firstly to the other two Institutions , which , in consequence of the absorbing interest taken in the Boys' Centenary , raised together about one-half of what they are able to announce at their

ordinary anniversary gatherings . Under these circumstances , we trust that until their next Festivals in February and May respectively have been celebrated , the field will be left as nearl y clear to them as may be , so that they may be able to make good

the deficiencies of the present year . We further suggest that , for the present at all events , the lodges and brethren restrain ' their rejoicings over the Boys' Centenary and their fulsome flattery ol'Bro . McLEOD for the successful manner in which he

has discharged his duly within more modest limits , so that the other institutions may have at least a reasonable chance accorded them of making good the ground they have lost during the current year . The task of raising the required ways and means

for the Girls' School and Benevolent Institution is hard enough under ordinary circumstances , but it will be harder still next year , in consequence of the unprecedented success of this Boys ' Centenari' .

Provincial Grand Lodge Of Berkshire.

PROVINCIAL GRAND LODGE OF BERKSHIRE .

The following- is a list of the brethren who where appointed to office in the above Provincial Grand Lodge , at the meeting of that body , which was held at the Town Hall , Reading , on Friday , the 14 th inst ., on the installation of Bro . Lord Wantage , V . C ., K . C . B ., Lord Lieutenant of Berkshire , as Prov . G . Master :

Bro . C . O . Burgess , P . M . 2460 ... ... Prov . S . G . W . „ W . Bonny , P . M . 414 ••• - Prov . J . G . W . „ Rev . J . L . Turbutt , Chap . 574 ... ... p G ~ „ Rev . F . F . Penruddock , S . D . 771 ... ... ) Prov' U' Utia Ps " „ G . F . Slade , P . M . 1887 ... ... Prov . G . Reg . „ J . W . Martin , P . M . 414 ... ... Prov . G . Sec . „ C . F . Dyson , P . M . 771 ... ... Prov . S . G . D .

„ W . B . Biddies , W . M . noi ... ... Prov . J . G . D . „ J . fi . Robertson , P . M . 1770 ... ... Prov . G . S . of W . „ Ii . B . Ormond , P . M . 945 ... ... Prov . G . D . C . „ S . Knight , jun ., W . M . 574 ... ... Prov . A . G . D . C . „ Major W . Nickolls , P . M . 222 S ... ... Prov . G . S . B . " n w-iT " w ° , rr I P ™ . G . Std . Brs . „ D . Wilton , S . W . 156 G ... ... ... ) ,, Vernon Knowles , Org . not ... ... Prov . G . Org . „ E . H . Simmons , W . M . 2043 ... ... Prov . Asst . G . Sec

„ T . I . Boulting , P . M . 795 ... ... Prov . G . Purst . „ J . S . Tavener , P . M . 2437 ... ... Prov . A . G . Purst . „ A . J . Lawrence , W . M . 414 ... ... " | „ W . R . Cook , W . M . 1770 ... ... I „ T . Pettit , W . M . 18 S 7 ... ... ... )¦ Prov . G . Stwds . „ A . H . Bull , Sec . 204-, ... ... ... | „ W . A . Cocks , P . M ., Sec . 2671 ... ... J " W . Hemming * , 1101 { Prov . G . Tylers . „ J . b . Stevens , 20 43 ... ... ... ) '

Provincial Grand Chapter Of Warwickshire.

PROVINCIAL GRAND CHAPTER OF WARWICKSHIRE .

The annual convocation of the above Provincial Grand Chapter was held on Monday , the 24 th inst ., at the Guy ' s Chapter , No . . 395 . Leamington , when there were present Comps . George Beech , Prov . G . H ., P . A . G . D . G . ling ., acting Superintendent in the absence of Comp . the Right Hon . Lor Leigh , Grand Superintendent of the province ; J . T . Collins , P . P . A . G . D . C ., as H . ; A . E . Fridlander , P . G . S . B . ling . ; W . Short , Prov . G . J . ; F . C * . Swinden , A . G . D . C . Eng ., Prov . G . S . E . ; F . Glover , M . J . Davies , R . A .