At The Sign Of The Perfect Ashlar

lite first Anniversary Festival of our great Chanties in 1905 , namely , that of the Royal Masonic Benevolent Institution , has taken place with great eclat and greater results—the amount realised being in excess of any sum hitherto announced at an ordinary festival of either of the Institutions . Eleven hundred and twenty-six stewards with Bro . C . R . N .

Beswicke-Royds , P . G . D ., as Chairman , and Bro . C . D . Cheetham , P . G . D ., as Treasurer , supported the Chairman , the Rt . Hon . Lord Stanley , M . P ., Prov . G . Master for East Lancashire . The magnificent contributions of over £ 15 , by East Lancashire to the total sum of . £ 39 , 453 is an altogether

unprecedented event , and the progress of Masonic Charity could not be better illustrated than by a comparison of the results of 1905 with those of 1879 .

& ¦ & On that occasion also the Chair was occupied by a Provincial Grand Master of East Lancashire , the late Lieut .-Gen . Le Gendre-Starkie , and that province achieved the distinction , as now , of creating a record , the subscriptions amounting to a total of £ ' 13 , 800 , of which sum the chairmans ' province contributed £ ^ , 500 .

* ' <& " 5 > For some years past the officers and members of the senior lodge in the province of Kent , Royal Kent Lodge of Antiquity , No . 20 , have felt the desirability of establishing a home for Freemasons in Chatham . In conjunction with the brethren of Lord Charles Beresford Lodge , No . 2404 , they

took the opportunity offered of acquiring a site for that purpose on the cast side of Manor Road . A company was formed for the purpose , and Bro . G . E . Bond was instructed to draw up plans for a building which will include in its area a fine Masonic temple , and a banqueting hall of similar proportions , with smaller rooms for minor occasions ;

together with all the rooms necessary ( including a fine billiard room ) for the conducting of a successful club . The building , when finished , will cost about , £ 5 , 500 , and will be one of the most imposing in the district . On February 17 th , the Pro Grand Master , Earl Amherst , as Provincial Grand Master of Kent , laid the foundation stone , with the

impressive and imposing ceremonies observed in Freemasonry on such occasions . The auspicious occasion was marked by the attendance of the greater part of the brethren of the Provincial Grand Lodge , the officers and brethren of the local lodges and others in the province , and a full muster of the officers and members of Lodge 20 ('' Royal Kent Lodge

of Antiquity , " Chatham ) , Lodge 2404 ( " Lord Charles Beresford , " Chatham ) , and also Lodge J 174 ( " Pentangle , " Chatham ) , who joined in entertaining the visitors .

< 3 > < S > < 3 » The Craft generally will share the regret of the brethren of West Yorkshire at the accident which has occurred to the Provincial Grand Secretary , Bro . Herbert Green , who , a few days ago sustained a fractured leg while on a visit to Mr . Beaumont at Hatfield Hall , Wakefield . As a result of the

accident Bro . Green is unable to attend to his official duties , being laid up at Wakefield . It is hoped , however , that he will shortly be -able to return to Leeds .

© « 3 >

thanked . The hon . officers ( Bros . Herbert F . Burrows , treasurer ; G . Barclay , secretary ; James Piatt , Phillip Lloyd , and W . Savage , auditors ) were re-elected , Bro . A . G . Inglis being added as joint secretary .

Following upon the recent successes of the pupils of the Royal Masonic Institution for Boys at the Cambridge University Local Examinations in December last , we were pleased to find that at the January Matriculation Examination of the London University , the live senior bovs who entered passed —one in the first , and the others in the second division . The

average of these boys was only sixteen vears seven months . During the last nine years , twenty-seven boys have been entered and all passed , fourteen in the first division of this difficult examination with an average age of sixteen years nine months .

At a meeting of Emulation Royal Arch Chapter , at Hastings , on Monday , February 27 th , the Very Rev . Dean Currie was presented with regalia on his appointment by the Duke of Connaught to the office of Grand Superintendent of Sussex . There was a numerous gathering of Masons . In accepting the regalia , Dean Currie spoke in praise of

General Randolph , his predecessor , and also of his keen appreciation of the very high honour it had pleased the Duke of Connaught to confer upon him . The recipient expressed his gratitude to the Chapter for their extreme kindness in presenting him with the lovely regalia .

< S > & > S > Quite one of the most interesting and deserving charities is the Christian Community . This society was founded by the Hugenots in 168 5 , its double object being for visiting and preaching the gospel in workhouses and other places , and

for the relief of the very poorest . The following is a record of the work done by the society , which includes no less than 450 voluntary workers : —15 , 000 workhouse inmates were visited every week in 21 , workhouses , infirmaries , and casual wards ; 2000 lodging-house inmates visited every week in Spitallields , Netting Hill , Poplar , Borough , and Hastings ;

8 mission halls entirely supported , in which 1228 homeless men were received into the all-night shelter ; 21 , 000 breakfasts , teas , cocoa suppers , & c ., given ; 920 bread , lodging and

other relief tickets distributed ; 10 , 500 children ' s dinners and breakfasts provided ; 1377 children and adults taken into the country for a day ; 500 sent for a week ; 11 , 000 workhouse inmates entertained at Christmas with concert , buns and oranges being also distributed ; 8 544 workhouse inmates

taken for a day in the Forest ; 2000 entertained with magic lantern , & c . ; 170 , 000 tracts , booklets , and periodicals distributed ; 2610 attendances were made by poor widows employed in making clothing ; 1300 garments were made and sold last year . Contributions or Donations ( N . B . —

Periodicals and tracts are most useful , and may be sent to the Secretary ) can be paid into the bank , to the treasurer , F . A Bevan , Esq ., 54 , Lombard Street , E . G . ; or will be very gratefully received by the secretary , Mr . James Atkinson , 61 , Rectory Road , Stoke Newington , N .

« S » < S » <> The Horton Ices Company , so well-known for twenty years past as ; i purveyor of one of the most favourite delicacies ol life , was established to supply , in England , a class of goods which had previously been unknown here , although in the United States a long enjoyed luxury . The Company has

had a very prosperous career , owing to the general appreciation of its products by the British public ; the high quality of its ices and their absolute purity having been testified by wellknown analyists . It has extensive works in Kensington , in addition to its elegant premises in the Queen ' s Road , B . iyswater from which it sends forth immense quantities of its products both wholesale and retail .

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