Installation Meeting Of The Devonian Lodge, No. 2834.

informing him of his election reached him in Cape Town . Whatever ability he possessed would be at the service of the lodge , and he thanked the brethren who had come up from the old county , which showed the link which existed with their lodges there and the Devonian Lodge in London , and

he would help those who were striving to make their lodge a Masonic home for Devonians . In feeling terms the Worshipful Master proposed the toast of " The outgoing Master , Bro . Wellsman , " and presented him , on behalf of the lodge , with a Past Master ' s

jewel as a memento of his year of office . Bro . Wellsman , P . A . G . D . C , replying , remarked that he had so many years' experience as a Mason that he felt himself quite a veteran , that night ' s ceremony making the

thirty-sixth Master he had installed , and he still felt the keen enthusiasm for that beautiful ceremony . The toast of " The Visitors " was responded to by Bro . A . A . Robins , Worshipful Master of the Gallery Lodge , and Bro . A . Neville , Worshipful Master elect of the Drury Lane

Lodge ; and Bros . Dr . Cummings , P . G . Organist , and J . Cockram Taylor , Secretary , briefly responded to the toast of " The Officers . " The work of the Worshipful Master was rendered much easier and a lot of time saved by the admirable services of

Bro . W . F . Winsor , P . M ., who acted as Toast Master , which enabled the lengthy musical programme to be got through , a plan which we would recommend to lodges who have a large number present , and are occupying a large hall .

A Girls' School Festival 100 Years Ago.

A Girls' School Festival 100 years ago .

rpHE Annual Festival of the Masonic Charitable Institu-I tions is by no means a modern introduction . The first on record is that of the Royal Cumberland Freemasons ' School , held in 1789 , which realised the modest sum of £ 82 10 s . 6 d ., and included £ 29 2 s . 3 d ., the proceeds of a sermon by the Bishop of Winchester . Other Annual Festivals

followed , and although the sums realised gradually increased , it was not until the year 18 37 that the amount reached four figures . This was under the Chairmanship of Bro . Richard Ashton , M . P ., Provincial Grand Master for Essex , when a total of fiooo was announcedalthough it is only right to

, say that it was qualified by the word "nearly , " and precisely the same amount was announced in the following year , with the same qualification . After these supreme efforts there appears to have been a reaction for a few years , but from the

year 1850 the annual receipts have steadily increased , until the sum of £ 12 , 000 was reached in 1879 , when the then Grand Treasurer , Colonel Creaton , presided . This amount , as our readers are aware , has since been largely exceeded , the Festival in May last having produced the record sum of ; £ 3 ° » ° 0-

The quaint custom of introducing the children of the Royal Masonic Institution for Girls at the Annual Festival ,, as depicted in our illustration , has long since been discontinued . In place of this we have the visits of the Board of Stewards of the year to the Institution at Clapham ,

where , instead of the parade of children through the line of dinner tables , there is that delightful exhibition of calisthenics , and drill in the magnificent Alexandra Hall . Times have changed , and we think for the better .