CONTENTS. PAGE . the place, but he did know that if they covered it with buildings LEADERS — they would not realise what they would want for the site when The Removal of the Boys' School ... ... ... ... 341 The Masonic Vagrant- ... ... ... ... ... 342 they desired to get rid of it. There was another reason for his Provincial Grand Lodge of Lincolnshire _ ... ... ... ... 342 wishing that they should leave the present site—the appearance provincial Grand Chanter of West Yorkshire... ... ... ... 343 Provincial Priory of VVest Yorkshire ... ... ... ... 343 of the surroundings. It was surrounded now by very small tene- ¦¦¦ Order of the Secret Monitor—Grand Festival... ... ... 344 ments indeed. That was not what they should have around a An Oration ... ... ... ... ... ... •¦• 344 Hoard of Benevolence ... ... ... ... ... ... 345 great School like this , for this vvas a great School." No doubt The Annual Athletic Spoils of the Royal Msscnic Institution for Boys ... 345 Royal Arch Masonry ... ... ... ... ... ... 345 the two very serious objections to the present site which Lord ... ... Royal Ark Mariners ... ... ... ... 345 ATHOM Allied Masonic Degrees... ... ... ... •¦¦ ... 345 L mentioned in this speech, namely, the clayey soil MASONIC N OTES— and the poor surroundings , must have occurred to others Anniversary Festiva l of the Royal Masonic Institution for Bovs... ... 347 also when contemp lating the future of the Royal Masonic Arrangements lor Festival of the Royal Masonic Institution Icr Boys ... 347 Speech Day and Distribution of Prizes at the Boys' School 347 Institution for Boys. But this, as far as vve are Annual Sports of the Boys' School ... ... ... _ ... 347 Provincia l Grand Lodire for London and the Metropolita n Counties of aware, was the first time thc subject was so promi- Royal Order of Scotland ... ... ... ... 347 nently referred to on so important an occasion as a Festival. Next Regular Meeting- of Lodge Quatuor Corcnati, No. 2076 ... ... 347 Bro. W. Pile and the Prov. Grand Treasurershi p of Surrey ... ... 347 Five years have elapsed since this speech was delivered Correspondence ... ... ... ... ... ... 34s Reviews ... ... ... ... ... ... ... 34§ and the idea then propounded has becn , so far, acted upon , that Cra ft Ma sonry ... ... ... ... ... ... 34S at the Quarterly General Court of Governors ancl Subscribers , Lodge and Chapter of Instruction ... ... ... ... 350 Masonic and General Tidings ... ... ... ... ... 352 held in Freemasons' Tavern , on Friday, the loth April , a resolu- tion was brought forward by Bro. lliCHARD EVE , Past Grand Treasurer as Chairman of the Board of Management to the THE REMOVAL OF THE BOYS' SCHOOL. , , effect : " T hat the Quarterl y Court of Governors and Subscribers It is evident from the resolution which was passed at a of Sth April , 1892 , having authorised the Board of Management meeting at York on the 18th May of the Provincial Charities to entertain negotiations for the realisation of the Estate of the Association of North and East Yorkshire , and which vve pub- Institution to the best advantage , and the Board having deter- lished in our issue of last week, that the question of removing mined that it is desirable to remove the Institution from Wood the Royal Masonic Institution for Boys from its present site at Green to some eligible site, where sufficient space for an en- Wood Green to some more favoured locality is already agitating larged school-house and playground accommodation would be the minds of the brethren in some of our Provinces and that available, this Quarterly Court hereby authorises the Board to opposition of a more or less determined character may be purchase a site and to erect thereon a new School , and to dis- expected to the project. The resolution was to the effect that pose of the present land ancl premises to the best advantage. " this meeting strongly objects to the sale of the Royal Masonic A very long discussion ensued over this resolution , in the course Institution for Boys, or the purchase of a site for a new School, of which Bro. CUMBERLAND moved, as an amendment : " That and requests that, before any steps are taken in this direction the matterbe deferred until thc October meeting ; that the Com- lhe general body of Subscribers be appealed to for their op inion mittee shall make a report to the Subscribers to Provincial on the subject." As regards the proposal , it has been very Grand Lodges and genera l bodies of Subscribers what they generall y .recognised for some time past that a removal was propose to do, where they propose to go, what they propose to in (-very way desirable , and for two princi pal reasons—firstl y, pay, what the cost of removal will be; and let that report be •hat the soil on which the Institution stands is clayey, and made in sufficient time, so that brethren of the Masonic bod y secondl y, that latterly a very inferior class of houses has been may have the opportunity of considering it, either in the Pro- erected in close proximitv to the School. It will be remembered vincial Grand Lodge or in lodge, and that it should be sent that it was the Earl of LATHOM who brought the matter promi- in time to be put on the agenda." Bro. KEvStR , however, '"''-»tl y before thc brethren. His lordshi p presided at the first pointed out that the Board of Management, which vvas com- festival held under the present regime at Brighton in 1891 and posed of 32 members, represented very fairl y, " the ftierred to the subject in his speech on behalf of the Institution. opinions of all sections of the Craft throughout the ' he question , his lordship pointed out, was " perfectly new to country, and it might be left to them to get a good many 0 f the brethren , if not to all of them ," ancl therefore we price for the property, ancl also to get a convenient site for the •'annot do better than quote in full his remarks, seeing that new School." Moreover , in winding up the debate, Bro. EVE 'hey so clearly explain thc reasons which render the removal explained that " all that the Board wished to have was power, weessary, or at all events most desirable. "Before very long," said in order that they mi ght bring something to a conclusion. He llls lordshi p, " it might have to be considered whether it would not did not believe the Board of Management would have closed h,; for the benefit of the School to remove a little further into the upon anything except in a very temporary form, with reservation U|nntry. The present quarters, as the brethren knew, were thai it must receive the sanction of the Court. However much °cated on a terribl y sticky, clayey soil. Everyone knew a power mi ght be given them , he never should have thought of 1 ay soil was not conducive to health. No one purchasing a exercising it without coming to the Court for approval." On a place would choose a clay soil. There were plenty of sites with division the amendment was lost by a substantial majority, and a gravel so;i t0 be got j anf i wjiat a p[easant thing it would be to though another amendment was moved , that " the Board ls 't the School if it was in the country on a gravel soil. Of of Management commit themselves to no new purchase scheme u rse, it was a financial question , and required veiy great care without the approval of the October Court ," this was lost , ' , bought. He mentioned the subject as a caution to those and the ori ginal motion , as proposed by Bro. E VE , was u _ io wished to have more school buildings erected on the same carried. From this it appears, firstly, that as far back as April , ,lt( l. because he could tell them that it was a mere waste of 1892, the Quarterly General Court of Governors and Subscribers "loney. If they went on building, it would militate against the gave the Board of Management authority to entertain negotia- uh Je of the site in the market. He did not know the value of tions for the realisation of the Estate belonging to the Institution ; and , secondly, that Bro. EVE'S motion , passed after prove successful unless the matter is taken in hand seriously— a very full discussion , on the ioth April last, conferred on the not by fits ancl starts, when the success of the Vao-rant said Board of Management full power to purchase a site, and is somewhat more in evidence than usual, but vvith a erect thereon a new School , and at the same time, to dispose of fixed resolve to put an end to him , or , at least, to the present land and premises to the best advantage. But we have make the pursuit of his nefarious practices still more Bro. EVE'S assurance that the Board of Management will hazardous. It will be said that a man who pursues his callino- not close upon anything " except in a very temporary of impostor after he has been convicted and sentenced to form " and " with reservation that it must receive the imprisonment with hard labour is not so easily to be got rid of . sanction of the Court," and likewise that, " however much power But if a register of all such people were kept and cop ies fur- might be given them , he should never have thought of exercis- nished periodically to lodge Almoners and others, on payment ing it without coming to the Court for approval." Under all these of a small fee, it would not be very long before his facilities for circumstances, it appears to us that the Provincial Chanties levy ing toll successfully would be very seriously restricted.