The Boys' School Report.

great measure it is in reliance on the effectual nature of their oversight and control , and in perfect confidence in the care and devotion they have brought to their onerous duties , that Masons have year by year contributed their money . It is through no want of confidence in them , but by their own motion that this Commission has been appointed : and we trust that the forthcoming report will be full confirmation of the wisdom of their management .

The Masonic "Poet's Corner."

THE MASONIC " POET'S CORNER . "

To the Editor of THE MASONIC STAB . DEAR SIR AND BROTHER , Whether nature abhors a vacuum or does not . it is quite certain that crery Mason does , and that after labour we all want refreshment , and it is with the view of filling up a possible vacuum in the ' corner " this week , that I have made dilisrent search and discovered

what is certainly not a "ditty . " nor . according to tlie ordinary acceptation of the term , a " lay . " I think it might be catalogued as an ' invocation . " At any rate , whatever its genus or species may be , I enclose a copy of it . Like Wilkie Collins' novel , it has ¦ no name . " but I think it might well be christened ; ' A Masonic Invocation to Fame . " It is Masonic from toil to bottom , more

especially at bottom , and although I think it might be recited with effect by an able elocutionist , it would sound better set to a solemn air . composed by Sir Arthur Sullivan , to whose attention I respectfully call it—oi - to be more grammatical , whose attention I respectfully call to it—in case he is seeking a subject . I trust my research will shortly be rewarded by a singable •¦ ditty , '" which you can "lay" before your admirers , who don't seem to be backing you up lately with poetical contributions . Yours fraternally . 1 ! M , Clapham Road , April 29 th , 1889 . FRIAR TUCK .

Arise ! and blow the trumpet . Fame . ' Freemasonry aloud proclaim To realms and worlds unknown : Tell them 'twas this great David ' s son , The wise , the matchless , Solomon , Prized far above his throne .

The solemn temple's cloud-capt towers . Th' aspiring domes are works of ours , By us those piles were raised : Then bid mankind with song advance , And through th' ethereal vast expanse Let Masonry be praised !

We help the poor in time of need , The naked clothe , the hungry feed , 'Tis our foundation stone : While justice and benevolence , With fortitude and temperance , Adorn and grace the throne !

United Grand Lodge Of England.

UNITED GRAND LODGE OF ENGLAND .

The Annual Festival of the United Grand Lodge of Freemasons of England was held on . tlie 24 th mst ., at Freemasons' Hall , London . H . R . H . the Prince of Wales was not able to be present , and his place was taken by the R . W . Bro . Major Goldie Taubman , Speaker of the House of Keys . Provincial Grand Master of the Isle of Man . The Prince of Wales , who was unanimously re-elected Grand

Master at the March meeting , was proclaimed by Bro . Sir Albert Woods ( Garter ) Grand Master for the year ensuing , and the presiding officer then announced that the Grand Master had appointed the M . W . Bro . Earl of Carnarvon as Pro .-Grand Master , and the R . W . Bro . Earl of Lathom as Deputy Grand Master . The other Grand Officers anpointed were Bros . Lord George Hamilton , M . P ., and

Sir J . E . Gorst , M . J ' ., Grand Wardens ; the Hon . and Rev . Francis Byng ( Chaplain to the Speaker of the House of Commons ) , and the Rev . T . B . Spencer Preston , Grand Chaplains ; Edward Terry , Grand Treasurer ; F . A . Philbrick , Q . C , Grand Registrar ; Colonel Shad well Gierke , Grand Secretary ; Dr . Ernest Emil Wendt , Grand Secretary for German Correspondence ; Sir Lionel Darrell and Sir

Polydore de Keyser , senior Grand Deacons ; Colonel Addison Potter , C . H ., and Charles Chester Cheston , Junior Grand Deacons ; Colonel R . W . Edis , Grand Superintendent of Works ; Sir Albert W . Woods ( Garter ) , C . B ., Grand Director of Ceremonies ; C . Belton and G . H . Haydon , Deputy and Assistant Grand Directors of Ceremonies ; Eugene Monteuuis , Grand Sword Bearer ; T . G . Buller and G .

Taylor , Grand Standard Bearers ; M . Maybrick , Grand Organist ; A . A . Pendlebury , Assistant Grand Secretary ; T . W . Whitmarsh and D . D . Mercer , Pursuivants ; and H . Sadler , Grand Tyler . Grand Lodge was duly closed after the new Grand Officers had been invested , and the brethren adjourned to dinner at Freemason ' s Tavern .

Major G oldie Taubman presided , and the company at dinner numbered about 300 . The toast of "The Sister Grand Lodges , " received with great enthusiasm , was acknowledged by Dr . Tarrant , Provincial Grand Master of New South Wales , who bore testimony to the services rendered by Lord Carrington and the Earl of Carnarvon in making Freemasonry as successful as it was at present

in the Colonies . The R . W . Bro . Lord George Hamilton , who was cordially received , responded for the Grand Oflicers , and said that , though he and Sir John Gorst . who , by favour of the Grand Master , had been appointed Wardens in Grand Lodge , might , by prior and more imperative duties , be called to another sphere when they ought otherwise to

be devoting attention to masonic work , the time might come , to use the words of a distinguished statesman , when they would be in a position which gave greater freedom and less responsibility ( cries of " Never " ) . Whenever that period arrived he trusted that he and Sir John Gorst would lie . able to make up for any lapse of duty during the present year , for , if there was one feeling which animated past and present Grand Oflicers . it was to improve the

United Grand Lodge Of England.

organisation and administration of Grand Lodge , and to promote the growth and development of that great brotherhood whose spread in every part of the globe was synonymous with the instincts of charity , hospitality and benevolence . Grand Lodge having been closed , the brethren attended the " feast" provided by the Grand Stewards of the year , the president

of whom Avas the late Lord Mayor , Bro . Sir Polydore de Keyser ; the treasurer , Bro . John Pullman ; and the secretary , Bro . Charles Herbert Shoppee . The company included Bro . Cama , P . G . treas .. Sir R . N . Fowler , M . P ., S . Pope , Q . C , Sir John Monckton . Alderman Savory , Alderman and Sheriff Gray , Dr . Tarrant ( Pro .-Grand Master of New South Wales ) . Dr . Lennox Browne . J . C . Parkinson ,

James Ferry ( Dep .-Grand Master of Aberdeenshire ) . Richard Eve . R . Grey , and other distinguished brethren . The feast was not " tyled " as ladies sat in the gallery for a part of the time , and for them the stewards provided a banquet in another part of the building . The loyal toasts of -: The Queen " and " The Royal Family " and the toast of - Loyalty to the Craft" were given and responded

to . Lord George Hamilton returned thanks for the Grand Officers , and Bro . F . Binckes , secretary of the Royal Benevolent Institution for Boys , responded for the charitable institutions . The brethren then joined the ladies in the throne room , where a concert was given under the direction of Bro . W . A . Barrett , M . B . Oxon , Past Grand Organist .

ROYAL ARCH—SUPREME GRAND CHAPTER . —A Quarterly Convocation , of the Supreme Grand Chapter was appointed to be held at Freemasons' Hall , London , last evening , the 1 st inst . The business of the Agenda comprised the Installation of Principals and appointment and investiture of officers for the ensuing year ; tins reception of the report of the Committee of General Purposes , and

the receipt of petitions for new Chapters as follows : —1 st . —From Comps . William Johnson , as Z . ; Joseph Witham , as II . ; John Hatch , as J . ; and eight others for a chapter to be attached to the Starkie Lodge , No . 1070 , Southport . to be called the Southport Chapter , and to meet at the Masonic Buildings , Lord Street , Southport , Lancashire ( W . D . ) . 2 nd . —From Comps . William James

Runting , as Z . ; George Gordon Ross , as II . ; John Brain , as J . : and six others for a chapter to be attached to the Clarke Lodge , No . 2080 , Melbourne , Victoria , to be called the Clarke Chapter , and to meet at the Freemasons' Hall . Collins Street , Melbourne , in the District of Victoria . 3 rd . —From Comps . Henry Walmsley Little , Mus . Doc . as Z . ; William Clifford , as H . ; John Knowles Hodges

as J . ; and six others for a chapter to be attached to the Sterndale Bennett Lodge , No . 2182 . Camberwell , to be called the Sterndale Bennett Chapter , and to meet at the Surrey Masonic Hall , Camberwell New Road . -tth . —From Comps . James Eadington . as Z . ; Edward Forster , as II . ; James Carmichael . as J . ; and six others for a chapter to be attached to the Blagdon Lodge , No . (> 59 Blyth

, to be called the Blagdon Chapter , and to meet at the Mechanics ' Institute , Blyth , in the county of Northumberland . 5 th . —From Comps . John Read , as Z . ; Charles Bennett Cooper , as H .: Horatio Henry Shirley , as J . ; and seven others for a chapter to be attached to the Cecil Lodge . No . 419 , Hitchin , to be called the Cecil Chapter , and to meet at the Sun . Hotel . HiicMw . Hertfordshire , tith . —From

Comps . the Rev . Richard Peek , as Z . ; Samuel Green Carley , as II . ; William Minter , as J . ; and six others for a chapter to be attached to the Fidelity Lodge , No . 555 , Framlingham , to be called the Henniker Chapter , and to meet at the Crown Hotel , Framlingham , in the county of Suffolk . 7 th . —From Comps . Eugene Monteuuis , ' as Z . ; George Henri Bue . as II . ; Ernest St . Clair , as J . ; and seven

others for a chapter to be attached to the La France Lodge . No . 20 G 0 , to be called the La France Chapter , and to meet at the Regent Masonic Hall , Air Street , Regent Street , London . 8 th . —From Comps . Samuel Victor Abraham , as Z . ; Sigismund Pollitzer . as II . ; Joseph Griinebaum , as J . ; and six others for a chapter to be attached to the Montefiore Lodge . No . 1017 . to be called the

Montefiore Chapter , and to meet at the Regent Masonic Hall Air Street , Regent Street . London . The Committee having recommended these petitions the warrants will doubtless issue in due course . The removal of the following chapters will have most probably been been sanctioned , viz .: — -The Chapter of Fortitude No . 10 . * i , from the Huyshe Masonic Temple , to the Devon and '

Cornwall Freemasons' Hall , 1 . Princes Square , Plymouth ; the Union Waterloo Chapter . No . 13 . Woolwich , from the Freemasons ' Hall , Woolwich , to the new Masonic Hall , Plumstead , Kent ; the Grove Chapter , No . 110 , from the Swan Hotel . Leatherhead . to the Spring Hotel , Ewell , in the Province of Surrey ; and the Old King ' s Arms Chapter , No . 28 , from the Freemasons' Tavern , to the Freemasons' Hall . Great Queen Street . In consequence of the formation

and recognition of a Grand Lodge of New South Wales , there are no longer English Craft Lodges in that colony to which the Chapters meeting in New South Wales can be attached , as required by Article 45 , Royal Arch Regulations , and the Charters of tlie Chapters , Nos . 390 , 547 , 817 . 1053 , 1 ( 151 , I 7 ( i 2 , 1795 , ] S 9 S . and 1943 . will be withdrawn and cancelled , and the chapters erased from the Register of the Grand Chapter .

The Annual General Meeting of the Royal Masonic Institution , for general business and the Election of Candidates , will take place at Freemasons'Hall , London , on Fridav . the 17 th inst .. at 12 noon

precisely . Ihe poll will close at 3 p . m . The General Committee of the R . M . Benevolent Institution will meet at Freemason ' s Hall , London , at 4 p . m ., on Wednesday next the 8 th inst .

Ihe General Committee of the R . M . I . Boys will meet at Freemasons' Hall , at 4 p . m ., on Saturday , the 4 th inst . The Festival of the Royal Masonic Institution for Girls will be held at Freemasons' Hall , on Wednesday next , the 8 th inst ,