The Boys' School.

THE BOYS' SCHOOL .

LONDON , SATURDAY , MARCS 15 . 1 SG 2 .

On "Wednesday evening the Festival in aid of this school was held , and proved what must have been equally gratifying to the Chairman of the evening , the Stewards , and the Secretary , who has heen indefatigable in his exertions—a bumper ; no less % in

£ 3522 6 s . being announced as the subscriptions , ivith nineteen lists to come in . "We do not like these lists to come in , they rarely produce anything worth notice , but as a rule only prove that there are brethren who are vain enough to serve as Stewards in order to

have their names paraded in print , whilst they take no real interest in the Institution they profess to serve . There may , however , be some exceptions to this rule , on the present occasion , and brethren may have gone away with their lists in their pockets for the want of accommodation , for such a scene we never witnessed as that of Wednesday evening .

In addition to the cross table there were five tables extending down the hall , all of which were literally packed -with brethren ; not only ivas the gallery ( enlarged for the occasion hy Bro . Steps ) crowded with ladies , but several were provided with seats below

he gallery at the extreme end of the hall , and there was scarcely room enough for the Avaiters to attend to the wants of the guests , whilst numbers of brethren went away unable to gain admission .

"When the ladies retired for refreshments whilst the brethren were enjoying (?) their dinner , there was not a room in the tavern large enough to hold them , ancl they consequently became distributed all over the house .

On the cloth being removed , and the ladies returning , Yiseount Holmesdale , M . P ., who had obligingly taken the chair in the absence of Lord Leigh ( the regular Chairman of the evening ) in consequence of the death of his . youngest child , proceeded to give

the toasts , but it soon became evident that any attempt to be heard , excepting by the feiv immediately surrounding him , was perfectly futile , owing to the din and buzz of voices prevailing at every table , which all the efforts of the Stewards failed to quell , if indeed

they did not add to , the confusion ; and consequently when his lordship came to the toast of the evening , " Prosperity to the Boyal Masonic Institutution for Boys , " he proposed it without one word of comment—and properly too , for whatever he might

have said would not have been listened to . Then we believe there was music ; at least we had a programme —but who heard it ? A few , perhaps , at the bottom of the hall , but not the majority of the company ,

Ancl whose fault was all this—the Stewards for selling too many tickets ? K " o , they only did their best to serve the interests of the Charity . The lessees of the tavern ? ISTo , they did all that they could , under the circumstances , to minister to the

comfort of the brethren and their lady friends . To whom then ? "We answer boldly , to the Board of General Purposes , who have been four years considering the extent of their power , during Avhich time a property Avhieh has cost the Craft

something like £ 7000 has been lying almost waste , upon which a noble hall , superior to any in London , might have been raised for the accommodation of the brethren at their festivals ; ancl the present hall would afford ample space for the ladies , ancl the old custom

Avith regard to music at the close of the festival might be advantageously revived . That custom has been given up because the glee room does not afford space for the ladies—as it used to do , fifty years ago , when the Charities Avere in their infancy , and the monster

meetings of the present day were never dreamed of . Ancl not only is the property allowed to continue a waste , but red tapeism seals the temple , AA'hich could accommodate the ladies ; because of what ?—it would desecrate it . Desecrate it ! It has been no more

consecrated to Masonic rites and ceremonies than has tha Hall , or any room in the Tavern . Desecrate it ! By what ? By music which is not considered a

desecration even in our Cathedrals . 3 ? our years ago , when Bro . "Warren moved to appropriate the Temple to the use of the ladies on occasion of the Festivals , ha was ansAvered that those meetings were nearly over ; for the year , and that ere long , new property having been bought , there could be no doubt such

arrangements would be made as would remove all grounds of complaint ,- ancl no AV at the end of foiu' years tha Board of General Purposes have made a move by coming to Grand Lodge for further poAvers . "When they ivill make their next move it is impossible to

say , but this we must tell the Board that if something is not clone to provide better accommodation , the charities must suffer , for brethren will not serve as Stewards , ancl exert themselves to get their friends together ; and no man of influence Avill preside oveE

the festivals if they are to present such bear-garden proceedings as those of "Wednesday last . There were several members of the Board present , and ive trust that they will be urged by the scene then presented , to see if the property cannot be made available to

provide fitting accommodation in the future . Tha Craft is rapidly increasing , both in numbers and influence , whilst the facility of railway travelling brings so many brethren from the country ( there were on "Wednesday fifty-five from Warwickshire alone ) , that the accommodation which Avas ample ten or fifteen years ago is UOAV altogether inadequate ,