Festival Of The Royal Masonic Institution For Boys.

Festival of the Royal Masonic Institution for Boys .

THE 107 th Anniversary Festival of the Royal Masonic Institution for Boys was held at the Crystal Palace on Wednesday , June 28 th , under the presidency of the Earl of Cork and Orrery , Provincial Grand Masterfor Somersetshire .

THE RIGHT HON . THK KAIU , OV OOKX AND ORRERY , R . W . l'ROVINl'IAL GRAND MASTER FOR SOMERSET , VK-E-1 'ATIiON OF THE INSTITUTION , CHAIRMAN . He was supported by a Board of Stewards numbering 784 , of whom the Deputy Grand Master of the Chairman ' s province ,

Bro . Col . W . Long , C M . G ., P . G . D ., was chairman , the acting Vice-Presidents being Bro . Col . A . Thrale Perkins , C . B ., P . G . D ., and Bro . James Stephens , P . D . G . D . C , with Bro . T . Whitemore Chant as Treasurer . Ample provision had been made for a large number , and those who sat down to the excellent

dinner provided by Messrs . Lyons & Co . could not have been less than 700 . The various toasts familiar on these occasions were ably proposed by the Chairman in commendably brief but effective speeches . In proposing the toast of " Success to the Royal

Masonic Institution for Boys , " he said that when the institution was founded 167 years ago , there were only six boys eitered on its books . For the first 50 years it was not in a very nourishing condition . At the centenary celebration of the institution , at which the present King had presided , a

sum of £ 141 , 000 was collected . It was hoped that two years hence they would be able to accommodate 400 boys in tlie new buildings at Bushey . The invested hinds of the institution now brought in about £ 4 , 000 a year . He was surprised that Grand Lodge only granted £ 100 a year to tlie institution , and he hope : ! that Grand Officers might see their way to increase that contribution in the future .

He had been greatly delighted by his visit to the Schools at Bushey on the occasion of the annual distribution of prizes on the Monday , and what particularly struck him was the healthy and cheerful appearance of the Boys and the excellent tone which prevailed throughout the Schools . He concluded by making a strong appeal to the Craft for

their continued support of an institution that had effected so much in tlie past and was now maintaining , clothing and educating so large a number of the sons of our brethren who had left no provision for them . The Secretary , Bro . J . M . McLeod , then read the list of

subscriptions , the result of the efforts of the 78 4 Stewards , of which the following is a summary : — London ( 416 Stewards ) ... ... £ 12 , 514 o 6 Provinces ( 560 Stewards ) ... ... 12 , 414 6 o Foreign Stations ( 7 Stewards ) ... 117 19 6

Total ... ... £ 25 , 046 6 o ANNUAL DISTRIBUTION OF PRIZES . The Annual Prize distribution took place on Monday ,

June 25 th , at tlie Schools , the Countess of Yarborough , having kindly consented to undertake that duty . Bro . C . E . Keyser , the chairman , said he hoped that the Board of Management would soon be in a position to

supple-; . " *« ' « hi / Alfred Hughe * TIIK "IiAHY" STEWARD , JOAN ETHEI , McLEOI ) . ( . WiKII 7 MO . VIJIS . ) Thr ' Ard ( It iteration ifth' , Mel , t ad family . nient the scholarship funds , in order to enable more of the boys to go up for university examination . Tlie Head Master , Rev . H . A . Hebb pointed out that tlie institution had now