Royal Masonic Institution For Boys.

congratulation to the King ' s Most Excellent Majesty on his Accession to the Throne . " Hesaid : ThisisthefirstoccasionofourmeetingasaQuarterl yCourt since the death of her Most Gracious Majesty ihe Queen . As has been often stated , her Majesty was the oldest subscriber to the Institution . She was a subscriber for a great many years , having begun when her uncle , the Duke of Sussex , was the Grand Master , and she continued her subscription

up to the time of her death . She had also graciously accepted the office of Grand Patron , and I am sure it is the feeling of you all , as it is of those who have the management of the Institution , that we should take the earliest opportunity of expressing the grief which we all feel , as members of this Institution and as British subjects , at the irreparable loss we have sustained . I have , therefore , ventured to give notice of this resolution . There are very

few here present who do not remember the occasion when his Majesty presided at our Centenary Festival . We know the great interest he has taken in this Institution , and we sincerely hope that if he is approached in a proper manner he will consent to become the Grand Patron of the Institution . Bro . GEO . EVERETT seconded the motion , which was carried unanimously .

Bro . K EYSER then called upon Bro . McLeod to read the address which had been drafted . Bro . MCLEOD read the address as follows : "

To THE KING ' S MOST EXCELLENT MAJESTV . May it please your Majesty , We , your Majesty ' s most loyal and dutiful subjects , the Governors and Subscribers of the Royal Masonic Institution for Boys , in Quarterly Court assembled , humbly desire to express our sincere condolence and sympathy with your Majesty , and our feelings of deep grief at the great loss that the nation has sustained by the death of our late revered and belovered Sovereign , Queen Victoria .

Among the many acts of kindness of the late Queen during her long and illustrious reign , her gracious position o £ Grand Patron of this Institution , and continuous generosity in its support for nearly 50 years , will be ever remumbered by us with the deepest reverence and gratitude . But while we mourn the great loss of our late Sovereign , we heartily welcome the accession of your Majesty to the Throne , and with the utmost loyalty and devotion respectfully desire to express our congratulations to your

Majesty on attaining the exalted position your Majesty is so well qualified to occupy . We remember with much gratitude the interest your Majesty and your beloved and illustrious Consort , Queen Alexandra , have taken in the affairs of this Institution , and we earnestly pray that by the grace and under the guidance of the Great Architect of the Universe your reign may be blessed with peace , happiness , and prosperity . Signed by order of the Quarterly Court this 12 th day of April , 1901 .

( Signed ) CHAS . E . KEYSER , Chairman . J . M . McLEOD , Secretary . The address was unanimously agreed to , all the brethren standing . Bro . KEVSEK , as Chairman of the new Building Committee , then made a statement as to the progress of the building of the new Schools at Bushey . He said he could only state what he had said on one or two previous

occasipns . The work was going on . The main buildings were behindhand as regarded the time at which the contract stated they were to be finished , they could not hope that they would be completed by Michaelmas of the present year . A great deal of progress had been made , and he thought the brethren who had gone down to inspect the place would be astonished , and he might say frightened , by the magnitude of the work

going on . They hoped the generosity of the brethren would enable them to carry oui the scheme in its entirety and also to maintain the buildings properly when they were finished . The chapel was well up to date and would be finished by Michaelmas next , and he hoped that by next year they should have the buildings finished and that they should be able to make their preparations in order that they might get into the School . They did not anticipate being able to remove the boys even next year , because a

good deal of preparations would have to be made for famishing , & c . They would use all possible expedition and when they had moved they would endeavour to get their successors to take possession of the Wood Green property . He would only repeat that good progress had been made and lhat every detail of the work had been carefully examined . Every possible economy and every new discovery that had been made would be introduced into the Schools .

1 he next item on the agenda was the election of Treasurer for the ensuing 12 months . Bro . GEORGE EVERETT proposed the re-election of Bro . Charles E . Keyser , and said that eight years ago it was his privilege and his pleasure to propose that brother as the Treasurer of the Institution . On each

recurrent year from that lirne his re-election had been carried by acclamation . Bro . Keyser had rendered during the period he had held the tieasuiership invaluable services to the Institution ; his urbanity of manner and his unbounded generosity had won the esteem and regard of all those who had _ the good fortune to be acquainted with him . He had much pleasure in proposing his re-election .

Bio . A . C . SI ' ACLL seconded , and the resolution was unanimously carried , amidst loud applause . Bro . KEYSER , in returning thanks , said the position was a very honourable one , and he had the advantage of being an c . v officio member of the tsoard of Management , which he much appreciated . ihe

following breihren were elected members of the Council : Bros . G . Chapman , Thomas Evans , George Glover , E . A . B . Gough , E . P . B . Hallowes , E . Hewett , D . Jacobs , P . W . Levander , A . H . Maddocks , C . W . 'Mann , G . VV . Munt , and John Harris . the following 10 brttlutn were elected to fill vacancies on the Board of "lanagemer . t :

l'or London—Bros . Robert D . Cummings , VV . H . Kempstcr , M . D ., Joseph L > . I . angton , Alfred J . Thomas , and John J . Thomas . C u lJ rovin (; ' Giand Lodges—Bros . Charles K . Benson , George ^ orble , Harry Manfitld , J . P ., Edward Margrett , and Major Oliver r ap \ vorth . of H / ° ' lil } CY SMITH referred to the inconvenience of the date of meeting

j ,- ' P 'Juarterly Court . Ihe April meeting generally came near it w CI / j a ne anxious to take the opinion of the brethren as to whether irme not be better that that meeting should be held in the week succeedin g Easter week . of m , ? s me discussion it was arranged that Bro . Smith should give notice ¦ notion for altering the date for the October Quarterly Court .

Royal Masonic Institution For Boys.

The poll was then opened . The following are the unsuccessful candidates : Name . Votes . Name . Votes ' Robinson , Albert 3654 Brook , Edmund Lionel 1043 Soughton . William 3103 Austin , Arthur Kenneth QQ 3

Reddall , Horace Cecil 2566 Wright , Cecd William 925 Burtt , Arthur Henry Blackburn ... 24 6 5 Conway , Reginald 31 2 Bates , Herbert Matthew i 6 go Colbeck , William Clarence ... 77 Bartlett , William John 15 S 2 Bonney , William 23 Newsom , Douglas Percy 1333 •Wessendorff , Francis Reginald ... 14 The names of the successful candidates will be found in our advertisement columns .

Board Of Benevolence.

BOARD OF BENEVOLENCE .

The monthly meeting of the Board of Benevolence was held on Wednesday evening last at Freemasons' Hall . The three Presidents' chairs were occupied by Bros . James Henry Matthews , President ; David Dixon Mercer , Senior Vice-President ; and Henry Garrod , Junior Vice-President . Bros . E . Letchworth , G . Sec . ; W . Lake , Asst . G . Sec . ; W . Dodd , G . S . Recknell , and Henry Sadler , G . Tyler , represented the Grand Secretary ' s department .

Among the other brethren present were Bros . Charles I . R . Tijou , Henry A . Tobias , VV . Fisher , R . W . Ker , James Block , F . W . Hancock , W . Kipps , G . M . E . Hamilton , Rev . J . S . Brownrigg , C . A . Cottebrune , S . H . Goldschmidt , E . W . Nightingale , Henry W . Kiallmark , E . W . Pillinger , J . S . Pointon , W . H . Caton , Charles Henry Stone , George Naylor , J . W . Burgess , William Henry Wilton , B . R . Thomas , Lorenzo Faull , T . W . Chant , H .

JVIassey , G . W . Fells , Herbert Black , J . W . Stephens , William H . Stocks , Charles ' A . Reeve , S . J . Notley , Alfred Bonnett , Rev . J . H . Dinon , G . C . ( Canada ) , E . A . W . Gritby , B . Stocker , W . Henshaw , James Grose , Percy Leach , H . J . Leroy , A . W . Dyke , J . Stiitzer , S . J . Cowley , and H . Gardiner . The brethren first confirmed recommendations to the amount of £ 44 / 1 made at the last meeting for the apDroval of the Grand Master . Tne new

list contained the names of 39 petitioners , who were qualified through Iodge 9 in the London district , and at Chatham , Weymouth , Stockton-on-Tees , Harborne , St . Helena , Whitby , Dagshai , Durham , Aberavon , Cheshunt Park , Darwen , Exeter , Landport , Sidmouth , Chichester , Selbv , Buenos Ayres , Wincanton , Bridgnorth , Kidderminster , Plymouth , Bury St .

Edmunds , Truro , and Grand Lodge of Cuba . Two of these were deferred and one was dimissed . The remainder were relieved with a total of . £ 1055 . There were recommendations ( one ) £ 75 and ( three ) £ 50 to Grand Lodge , 10 to the Grand Master for ^ 40 eac h , and seven of £ 30 , six grants of ^ 20 each , one of ^ 15 , seven of £ 10 each , and one of ^ 5 .

Ireland.

Ireland .

BELFAST MASONIC CHARITIES .

ANNUAL MEETING AND CONCERT . AN IMPOSING CKREMONV . It scarcely needs telling , even to those who study Freemasonry from the outside and most critical point of view , that the brethren of the mystic tie have an exceptionally happy gift of combining social pleasures with effective work , and , with both , broad-spirited Charity . The proceedings recently conducted in the Ulster Hall , Belfast , illustrated this capacity in most convincing form ; but

first in the instance under note came two allied Chanties j afierwards , impressive ritual and business transacted after a manner equally fraternal and expeditious j and , finally , a concert which pleased a mixed audience filling the big room to its uttermost capacity . Florally , as well as with bunting and other items of decoration , the hall was tastefully adorned , and the seats hid been put aside so as to leave a broad carpeted avenue leading from the door of entrance to the platform . Chief among thebrcthren present were the R . W . the Dep . P . G . M . ( Bro . R . J ,

Hilton , J . P . ) , and the following members of the Provincial Grand Lodge : Bros . J . H . Sterling , P . S . G . W . ; Joseph R . Erskine , P . J . G . W . ; Thos . W . Leilch , P . J . G . D . ; John Harpur , P . J . G . D . ; S . J . Pink , P . G . Supt . of Works ; Thomas Given , P . G . Org . ; Thos . A . Stanage , P . G . S . B . ; John Stanford , P . G . S . B . County Down ; R . H . Young , P . S . G . D . County Down ; Thomas Alderdice . P . P . S . S . County Down ; W . J . Adgey , P . P . G . S . ; Robert Neill , P . P . S . G . D . :

R . B . Andrews , P . P . G . S . B . ; Chritz Tumath , P . P . S . G . D . ; Hugh Smyth , P . P . J . G . D . ; A . M'Clelland , P . P . J . G . D . ; Wm . H . Hicks , P . P . G . S . B . ; John Campbell , P . P . G . Supt . of Works ; Hugh W . Millar , P . P . G . I . G . ; Wm . T . Braithwaite , P . P . S . G . W . ; George H . Eakins , P . P . G . S . B . ; Robert Clelland , P . P . J . G . D . ; John Chalmers , P . P . G . Supt . of Works ; Wm . Brown , P . P . J . G . W . ; John Jones , P . P . G . I . G . County Down ; John H . Thompson , P . P . G . S . W . County Down ; Alex . Stalker , P . P . G . S . S . ; J . Bennett , P . P . G . J . S . ; and Robert M'Cormick ,

P . G . S . D . The Charities were represented by ( Widows' Board)—Bros . Daniel Weir ( chairman ) , Wm . J . Andrews ( vice-chairman ) , John Robinson ( secretary ) , and William Wallace ( treasurer ) . Charity Board—Bros . Arthur Williamson , M . A . ( chairman ) , J . R . Erskine ( vice-chairman ) , Wm . Heffern ( secretary ) , Wm . Rankin ( treasurer ) , Sir Otto Jaffe , 7 , and Rev . J . 11 . Mervyn , W . M . 243 .

A few Prince Masons were present , and several Preceptors and Past Preceptors ( K . T . ) , together with the representatives of nearly 100 Crait lodges , and some 40 R . A . Chapters . As indicative of the increasing interest the lodges are evincing in the work of the Belfast Masonic Charities Fund , it may be mentioned that never since the Fund was established had the Committee to record such large attendances at their monthly meetings as during the past year . The relief granted amounted to

i 4 S 4 is ., somewhat less than the previous year , when the expenditure for relief was ^ , 484 16 s . The total expenditure was £ 469 14 s . iod ., against ^ 504 us . 7 d . last year—a result the Committee cannot regard as otherwise than satisfactory . A reduction , and a considerable one , in the item of interest can be compensated for by the increase of the invested funds , which at present amount to . £ 3000 . The Committee , on the opening year of a new century , desire to once more place on

record the indebtedness of present members of the Craft to their brethren of the preceding generation for the work accomplished in laying down the lines upon which their operations are conducted . There have been many changes in the composition of the Committees and officers , but the old landmarks have been well maintained , and the work has never languished for the want of efficient Craftsmen . Their earnest desire is that for all time brethren similarly or more highly gifted may be found to fill the places of those who , having served their day and generation , have earned repose in that " new life to suit the newer day . "