Ar00100

CONTENTS . PAGE LBA The " Approaching Festival of the Royal Masonic Institution for Girls ... 1 S 7 Great Priory of Canada 187 The H F . Beaumont MS . ... ... ... * - •¦• ' <«> Provincial Grand Chapter of Leicestershire and Rutland ... ... iSS New Masonic Hall at Calstock ... ... ... . — ... 18 S Royal Masonic Institution for Girls ( Quarterly Court and Election ) ... ... 18 9 Masonry in Palestine ... ... ... ... - 1 S 9 THE C RAFT A BROAD— . Death of the Queen—Masonic Memorial service ... ... ... 190

P OETRY— . „ The Widow ' s Son ... ... ... ... — 19 ° Provincial Grand Chapter of Derbyshire ... ... — — ' 9 ° Craft Masonry ... — — - — — ' 9 ° Instruction ... ... ••• - - - ' 9 ' M ASONIC N OTESQuarterly Court and Election of the Girls' School ... ... ... 193 Monthly Meeting of the Committee of Management of the Benevolent

Institution ... ... ... .-. ... ... 193 East Lancashire Systematic Masonic Educational and Benevolent Institution Festival ... ... ... - ... 193 Consecration of the St . Andrew ' s . Chapter , No . 1817 ... ... 193 History of Freemasonry in Cheshire ... ... ... ... 193

Reviews ... — — ••¦ ' 94 Royal Arch ... ... ... - - - - 194 Secret Monitor ... ¦•¦ — — — > 94 Obituary ... ... — — — ' 94 Science , Art , and the Drama ... ... ... ••¦ ... ' 9 Masonic and General Tidings ... ... ... ... ... 19 S

The Approaching Festival Of The Royal Masonic Institution For Girls.

THE APPROACHING FESTIVAL OF THE ROYAL MASONIC INSTITUTION FOR GIRLS .

It is about time vvc again drew attention to the approaching Festival of thc Royal Masonic Institution for Girls , which will be celebrated early next month under the presidency of the M . W . Pro Grand Master , Earl AMHERST , Provincial Grand

Master of Kent . The actual day that has been fixed is Wednesday , thc Sth Ma ) ' , and the place , as usual , will be Freemasons ' Tavern . At the first meeting 0 f the Board of Stewards , which

took place on Monday , the 1 st instant , the Secretary had the satisfaction of knowing that at that date about 500 ladies and brethren had volunteered their services for the occasion , and as

many additions to the list have since been made , and more may be looked for between now and the day appointed , there is every likelihood that as strong a Board will be organised for the second as for the first of thc three great anniversary

meetings of thc year ; or , in other words , about 600 all told . As far as mere numbers go , this will show a substantial ¦ ailing off as compared with 1900 , when the Earl of DARTMOUTH presided , and Staffordshire was thc " Chairman ' s Province . "

But from our experience of these gatherings it is evident that Slalfordshire and Kent , whenever they arc more especially interested in the success of a particular Festival , adopt different policies , the one putting on as many Stewards as it can , while the

other is content , if all , or the bulk of its lodges , are sufficiently represented . Hence any attempt to forecast the result from mere numbers would be as misleading as it is undesirable . What we ^ content to know is that Kent , like Staffordshire , has shown

lls goodwill towards our three Institutions by substantial 'ontributions to their funds on many occasions , and w

lt : will be found to have acquitted itself to the utmost of its abilit y when the time comes for announcing the Returns . It ' ugurs well for the announcement , so far as Kent is concerned , ltlt : a sum of 1550 guineas has already been accepted for an

" 11 " ' AMHERST Presentation " as a memorial of his lordship ' s ! r < - 'sidency . London and the other Provinces may also be iccl upon to lend a generous helping hand , so that as regards e donations and subscriptions the prospects are decidedly hopeful '

The Approaching Festival Of The Royal Masonic Institution For Girls.

As regards the claims of thc School , we can do no more than repeat what we have said in previous articles . At the present time it is maintaining , clothing , and educating nearly

270 girls , mostly daughters of deceased Masons , and it is doing this in a manner that cannot be surpassed at any other Institution of a similar kind in the United Kingdom . Of this we have the most convincing evidence in the successes

achieved year after year at the Cambridge Local and other public examinations at which these children arc entered in competition with the pupils from other schools . In order to do this , it spends annually upwards of £ 14 , , and its permanent income

is onl y about £ 3000 . There is , therefore , a sum of between £ 11 , 000 and £ 12 , 000 which must be raised at this Anniversary meeting ; and having regard to the fact that one of the most distinguished among our rulers , who has more than once acted as

a Festival Chairman , and has always been most generously supported by his own Province in particular , and by the Craft in town and country generally , will preside , we are not without

hope that the amount will be forthcoming , and in addition perhaps a fair margin for future investment and , as a consequence , a substantial increase in the permanent income of the Institution .

Great Priory Of Canada.

GREAT PRIORY OF CANADA .

The proceedings of thc " Sovereign Great Priory of Canada Knights Templar , " September , 1 9 , has been handsomel y printed and promptly published , with all the official returns , by

the courteous Grand Chancellor , Bro . William II . Whytc , of Montreal . The Hon . John Valentine Ellis ( Senator of Canada ) , is the Supreme Grand Master , and very ably discharges the duties of that responsible position .

I he assembly was held in the Masonic . Hail , Kingston , and was a great success , apparently from every point of view . The meeting was a memorable one , being the Centennial year , for according to the Canadian Masonic Historian ( Bro . J . Ross Robertson ) , the oldest known evidence of thc Degree being

worked by Charter in the Dominion , bears date in the year 1800 . A facsimile of this valuable souvenir is appended , by consent of the Historian , who is always so read y to do aught in his power for the welfare of the Fraternity . The address of the Grand Master contains several most interesting particulars as to Knight

Templary , and the paper by the Grand Chancellor ( Past G . M . ) on " The Order of the Temple in Canada " is of special value and importance . Bro . Whyte notes the first records in Canada relating to thc K . T . as of 1782 . The Degree was then conferred at Halifax ,

Nova Scotia , in an Encampment held under the warrant ( not officially ) of tlie "Ancient" Lodge , No . 211 . This is earl y for that ceremony , being only two or three years later than the oldest minutes preserved in England . 0 ( course , there is thc minute of 176 9 , at Boston , U . S . A ., which is much earlier than

any other of the kind , so much earlier , in fact , that all the rest take but poor places in the roll of antiquity . The Grand Chancellor has collected a number of facts concerning the Degree , and gives numerous details as to the ori gin aiul progress of the Prov . G . Conclave , 1855-1 S 6 7 ; the Grand Priory from

1868 ; the National Great Priory , 18 7 6-1884 ; and finally , the Sovereign Great Priory to the present time , which happily is in a most vigorous condition , and is exceedingly well managed . There are now 38 Preceptories on the Register , returning a

net total membership of 2009 , being a much larger average for each Preceptory than in England . The Returns are abl y arranged , and prove that the interests of thc Order are well looked after by the esteemed Grand Chancellor as well as indicating that the Registrars efficiently discharge their duties .

Ar00103

Now Heady . —The Cosmopolitan Masonio Calendar for 1901 . Price 1 / -, by post 1 / 1 J .