Note: This text has been automatically extracted via Optical Character Recognition (OCR) software.
Annual Festival Of The Royal Masonic Institution For Boys.
to-nig ht would be given to them by Bro . Binckes . He would tell them with a stronger voice and with more energy , but not with more happiness . He would tell them with pride and with the enthusiasm that was in his nature the local totals of the subscription list . Bro . Plucknett said he remembered having called at the office a day or two after the last Festival at Brighton , and to his great surprise he saw hanging up in the office the list of Stewards for to-day . That was 12 months ago , and there
had been Bro . Binckes working lrom that time to this when he was waiting to tell them the result with which they would be delighted . That result had been consequent in part upon the interest taken by the ladies whom he ( Bro . Plucknett ) desired to thank heartily for their support and lor attending there that night . Heneed not add that the large amount that had been contributed that night would be expended in the way in which they desired that they should be spent . He thanked them for the cordial and hearty reception they had given to this toast .
Bro . FREDK . BINCKES , Secretary of the Institution , said that it was just possible that he might have to intrude upon their time to an extent somewhat longer than might be welcome , but he assured them he would not occupy one moment idly , or more than was necessary to communicate to them the information he had to supply on this auspicious occasion , and give them the details of the result of this auspicious assembly , and congratulate
the noble lord who presided there to-night , and the numerous band of brothers , who had contributed to the success . He would ask them to be patient with him if they fancied that he occupied their time for one moment more than he ought . With reference to the substantial pecuniary result of the exertions of the 128 London stewards who had given their services . Among the lodges which had collected £ 100 and upwards
were . 59 , 901 , 13 83 , 153 8 , 1585 , 1641 , 1657 , 16 71 , 1719 , 1743 , 1900 , 1964 . The highest amount realised by one lodge was £ 200 . Lodge , 1538 ( Bro . Robertson ) . They then had the Stewardship only instituted during the last three years of a body which was very intimately associated with the Boys' School—the Dinner Club . Bro . J . L . Mather represented that , a brother whom he might be allowed to remind them had
been returned at the top of the poll for the Board of General Purposes , that Stewardship brought in £ 200 . Bro . Binckes then read the following list of results : Coming to the Province of Kent , he said that itwas not because the R . W . Provincial Grand Master was present that he wished to say that he had spent some ofthe happiest moments in his Masonic career within that province . And he wished to add that in 1862 , at the first festival after he
was honoured with the Secretaryship , he was placed under a deep obligation to Lord Holmesdale ( who stepped into the breach when the chairman of the day was prevented from attending ) , when the results of the festival were a collection of £ 3682 . Twenty-one years since that date they were honoured by his lordship accepting the presidency , and the result of the collection in the province was a sum of , £ 2000 , which included the qualification of the
noble lord and that of the Deputy Prov . Grand Master , Bro . Eastes . ( Cheers . ) As regards East Lancashire , time would not permit him to express the deep debt of gratitude he owed to his friends in East Lancashire . With 40 Stewards that province had contributed £ 2100 . ( Cheers . ) West Lancashire , with nine Stewards , which had already contributed enormous sums to the Masonic Charities , now brought
£ 292 ; Rutland , £ 405 ; Middlesex , £ 141 ; Norfolk , £ 126 . And now he came to mention a province with wonder and admiration . Some few years ago it was his pleasant duty to visit thc province of Northumberland , but the Prov . Grand Secretary—in whose presence he was now spe iking—Bro . Benjamin Thompson , did not concur in his views at the time . Time , however , worked wonders . The words " pervert " and "
convert " were bandied about in various senses , and he ( Rro . Binckes ) did not care whether Bro . Thompson was a pervert to his own theory or a convert to his , but he had at a recent visit given Bro . Binckes his name as a Steward , and came forward to-day with a total of £ 1230 . ( Applause . ) The province was presided over by one of the best friends of the Institution—the Right Hon . Earl Percy . With regard to West Yorkshire , Bro . Binckes
said that in days gone by there was not one province wilh which he was more intimately associated . Nothing had altered their support of the Institution , and with forty-one Stewards they brought £ 1500 . Having concluded reading the list , Bro . Binckes said that he thought the total would be received , he would not say wilh surprise , but with infinite satisfaction . The results of the metropolitan lists amounted fo £ 6526 , to which had to be added " unattached , " £ 750 , giving a total of £ 7273 . ( Applause . ) Before he gave
the provincial total he might be allowed to say a word . He had some years since instituted what had been termed a crusade in the provinces to tell the provincial brethren at personal visits all about this Institution , and this , he believed was the only meansat that time that they had of beingmadeacquainted with what was being done by the Institution . The results of the crusade were most satisfactory ; but he ( Bro . Binckes ) , when he was ridiculed for
prophesying the collection of £ 10 , 000 in a single year , had no thought that he should live to announce such a sum as that which he had now to announce . In making this announcement he had no desire to take the credit to himself ; his desire always was lo throw all the glory of the achievement on the number of good friends scattered all over the country who , by his or some undefined agency , had been induced to come forward . The total of the
contributions from thc Provinces was £ 15 , 171 . That , added to the Metropolitan amount of £ 7 , 273 , made a grand total of £ 22 , 444 . ( Applause . ) That enabled him to congratulate his Lordship on being President at the most successful festival ever held , either in Masonry or outside Masonry . The result he was rejoiced to tell the noble lord—with eleven lists to come in —was £ 22 , 444 . ( Prolonged cheers ) . Bro . Binckes again rose and said , that he
was informed that he had omitted to read the contribution from Suffolk ; if that was so , he begged to add that , with four Stewards , Suffolk had contributed £ 265 . ( Applause . ) Bro . MATIER-. I will ask you to give three cheers for the prosperity of the Institution . ( Three very hearty enthusiastic cheers were given by ihe company ) . J
Bro . BINCKES : I find I have been guilty of another omission—that of Somerset— from which province we have 100 guineas contributed from the Koyal Cumberland Lodge on the occasion of their completing an existence ° f 150 years . . lhe noble CHAIRMAN then rose and said that he thought after the announcement they had iust heard thev would be enabled to go with
considerable spirit through the rest of the toasts . The next toast was " The vice-Patrons , Vice-Presidents , Trustees , and Members of the Committee , " whose services were amply repaid by the success of tha Institution to which tney had contributed . The members of the Committee really did the work ; tney had with the Secretary to look after the well-being of the boys and meet them here to-day with the report they had brought up . He was sure
Annual Festival Of The Royal Masonic Institution For Boys.
that those present would not like them to go away without having their efforts acknowledged . ( The Chairman said that he had a pretty stron g voice , but it would not over-power the voices of 50 ladies at the door ; an d he was sorry that in these days of women's rights their voices had become shriller than ever . ) He would couple with the toast the name of Bro . Montagu , who had been a consistent supporter of the Order .
Bro . MONTAGU said he thanked them tor the handsome way in which they had responded to this toast . Nothing could give him greater pleasure than asking money to help our great charities to bVing up such a sum as would enable the Com . nittee of that School to educate more boys , and put them forward in the world—ail the children of distressed brethren who might want assistance ; and he thought that in time they would be able to give that assistance to all who required it .
Bro . Rev . C . J . MARTYN , P . G . Chap ., said he had the pleasure to propose the next toast . It devolved upon him to ask those present to respond to the toast of " Success to the other Masonic Charities , " * ' The Roval Masonic Institutions for Girls , " and "The Royal Masonic Benevolent Institution . " It was usual in proposing this toast to connect with it the name of the Secretary of the Institution whose Festival came next in order
of date . He therefore would couple with this toast the name of Bro Terry , but he could not sit down without congratulating them upon havin " such a subscription as had never been announced before . The other Institutions was equally deserving of support , viz ., the Girls' School and the Benevolent Institution , whose prosperity he asked them to drink to and he would couple with he toast the name of Bro . Terrv , who was the most benevolent old man he knew .
Bro . TERRY , Secretary of the Royal Masonic Benevolent Institution , rose to respond to the toast which had been so kindly and very generously proposed by his esteemed friend Bro . Martyn , Deo . Prov . G . M . lor Suffolk , to whom the two Institutions were deeply indebted for the compliment paid by having this toast proposed by Bro . Martyn . He could not but say that there were points in one ' s life which would never be
forgotten , and he ventured to say lhat in their Masonic life the year 1883 and the festival of the Boys' School would always be known as the Holmesdale year . There was the best feeling existing between the Secretaries of the three Institutions , and there were now two sincere hearts in the Secretaries of the Girls' School and the Benevolent Institution who could and did most sincerely congratulate their colleagueon the magnificent success which had
attended this festival . Bro . Martyn had said that he hoped that success would attend lhe work of the oiher Institution , though the inducement for persons to subscribe to the Boys' School was open to the 31 st December , and then as Secretary to the poor Old Men and Women he ( Bro . Terry ) would have to make his appeal . He would have onl y seven weeks to the following February in which to appeal to the Craft at large for support . He would however
remind them that the old men never could be girls and the old ladies never could be boys , but that both girls and boys mighl come to be old men and women and he trusted that the Cralt—so large-hearted and generous and warmly-disposed to them all—would never let the other Institutions suffer in consequence of the magnificent success of the Boys' School . COL . SHADWELL H . CLERKE said they had bad such a magnificent result 01 tne lesiivai been
. ana naa looking to the results of the work , but he thought that they should look to the second page of their programme , which contained a list of about 40 persons under the presidency of Bro ' Starkie , who had been devoting the whole of their time and energy with results which they had seen . Therefore he thought they would agree tvith him that all honour was due to those brethren who had co-operated with Bro . Binckes in producing this result . He thought they could do no
less than thank those 40 good brethren for their labours , and although it would not be fair to work a willing horse to death , yet he thought thev would agree with him in hoping that , when the festival of the Boys School came round again Bro . Binckes might be supported by a body as good as the present body was . He concluded by proposing the health of the Board of Stewards , coupled with the name of Bro . Eastes , Dep . G . M . for the Province of Kent .
Bro . EASTES thanked the Chairman and also Bro . Shadwell H Clerke and the company generally for the compliment that had been paid to the Board of Stewards . They all took a deep interest in the success of the Boys ' School , and were proud to be associated with such a gathering as the present festival , which had achieved such a grand result .
Bro . GODSON said that he had been unexpectedl y called upon to propose the last toast , and he could only say with regard to the ladies that without them this festival would not have been anything like the success which it had been in a pecuniary point of view . Since the beginning of this year the brethren of his profession had had oreat Hnht < . nf
the future because they did not know how the ladies stood under the new Act . Not only will the ladies stand well to the front in themselves , but when they wanted to get a little more forward they had the greatest of
pleasure putting other people behind them . What the ladies had done they would continue to do , and his Bro . Terry would be happy to receive at the hands of the ladies any amount of subscri ptions that they were kind h to collect for
enoug him ; and if any lady felt anxious to do better than she had already done , he would suggest that she should become a vice-patron of the charity . u , ° ™ . BOWYER briefly returned thanks on behalf of the ladies .
1 he musical arrangements were under the management of Bro . Geo . T . Carter , assisted by Miss Jose Sherrington , Madame Florence Winn , Bros . John Hodges , Fred Cozens , and Lawler . Bro . G . F . Smith presided at the
piano . # The favor worn b y the Stewards con . tamed the arms of the Chairman , Viscount Holmesdale—three lilting javelins on a shield , surmounted by a Viscount ' s coronet , and
having a scroll at the bottom bearing the name of the Institution . The jewel was suspended b y a crimson ribbon , on which was attached the White Horse of Kent with the motto " Invicta . " Bro . George Kenning was the manufacturer .
Note: This text has been automatically extracted via Optical Character Recognition (OCR) software.
Annual Festival Of The Royal Masonic Institution For Boys.
to-nig ht would be given to them by Bro . Binckes . He would tell them with a stronger voice and with more energy , but not with more happiness . He would tell them with pride and with the enthusiasm that was in his nature the local totals of the subscription list . Bro . Plucknett said he remembered having called at the office a day or two after the last Festival at Brighton , and to his great surprise he saw hanging up in the office the list of Stewards for to-day . That was 12 months ago , and there
had been Bro . Binckes working lrom that time to this when he was waiting to tell them the result with which they would be delighted . That result had been consequent in part upon the interest taken by the ladies whom he ( Bro . Plucknett ) desired to thank heartily for their support and lor attending there that night . Heneed not add that the large amount that had been contributed that night would be expended in the way in which they desired that they should be spent . He thanked them for the cordial and hearty reception they had given to this toast .
Bro . FREDK . BINCKES , Secretary of the Institution , said that it was just possible that he might have to intrude upon their time to an extent somewhat longer than might be welcome , but he assured them he would not occupy one moment idly , or more than was necessary to communicate to them the information he had to supply on this auspicious occasion , and give them the details of the result of this auspicious assembly , and congratulate
the noble lord who presided there to-night , and the numerous band of brothers , who had contributed to the success . He would ask them to be patient with him if they fancied that he occupied their time for one moment more than he ought . With reference to the substantial pecuniary result of the exertions of the 128 London stewards who had given their services . Among the lodges which had collected £ 100 and upwards
were . 59 , 901 , 13 83 , 153 8 , 1585 , 1641 , 1657 , 16 71 , 1719 , 1743 , 1900 , 1964 . The highest amount realised by one lodge was £ 200 . Lodge , 1538 ( Bro . Robertson ) . They then had the Stewardship only instituted during the last three years of a body which was very intimately associated with the Boys' School—the Dinner Club . Bro . J . L . Mather represented that , a brother whom he might be allowed to remind them had
been returned at the top of the poll for the Board of General Purposes , that Stewardship brought in £ 200 . Bro . Binckes then read the following list of results : Coming to the Province of Kent , he said that itwas not because the R . W . Provincial Grand Master was present that he wished to say that he had spent some ofthe happiest moments in his Masonic career within that province . And he wished to add that in 1862 , at the first festival after he
was honoured with the Secretaryship , he was placed under a deep obligation to Lord Holmesdale ( who stepped into the breach when the chairman of the day was prevented from attending ) , when the results of the festival were a collection of £ 3682 . Twenty-one years since that date they were honoured by his lordship accepting the presidency , and the result of the collection in the province was a sum of , £ 2000 , which included the qualification of the
noble lord and that of the Deputy Prov . Grand Master , Bro . Eastes . ( Cheers . ) As regards East Lancashire , time would not permit him to express the deep debt of gratitude he owed to his friends in East Lancashire . With 40 Stewards that province had contributed £ 2100 . ( Cheers . ) West Lancashire , with nine Stewards , which had already contributed enormous sums to the Masonic Charities , now brought
£ 292 ; Rutland , £ 405 ; Middlesex , £ 141 ; Norfolk , £ 126 . And now he came to mention a province with wonder and admiration . Some few years ago it was his pleasant duty to visit thc province of Northumberland , but the Prov . Grand Secretary—in whose presence he was now spe iking—Bro . Benjamin Thompson , did not concur in his views at the time . Time , however , worked wonders . The words " pervert " and "
convert " were bandied about in various senses , and he ( Rro . Binckes ) did not care whether Bro . Thompson was a pervert to his own theory or a convert to his , but he had at a recent visit given Bro . Binckes his name as a Steward , and came forward to-day with a total of £ 1230 . ( Applause . ) The province was presided over by one of the best friends of the Institution—the Right Hon . Earl Percy . With regard to West Yorkshire , Bro . Binckes
said that in days gone by there was not one province wilh which he was more intimately associated . Nothing had altered their support of the Institution , and with forty-one Stewards they brought £ 1500 . Having concluded reading the list , Bro . Binckes said that he thought the total would be received , he would not say wilh surprise , but with infinite satisfaction . The results of the metropolitan lists amounted fo £ 6526 , to which had to be added " unattached , " £ 750 , giving a total of £ 7273 . ( Applause . ) Before he gave
the provincial total he might be allowed to say a word . He had some years since instituted what had been termed a crusade in the provinces to tell the provincial brethren at personal visits all about this Institution , and this , he believed was the only meansat that time that they had of beingmadeacquainted with what was being done by the Institution . The results of the crusade were most satisfactory ; but he ( Bro . Binckes ) , when he was ridiculed for
prophesying the collection of £ 10 , 000 in a single year , had no thought that he should live to announce such a sum as that which he had now to announce . In making this announcement he had no desire to take the credit to himself ; his desire always was lo throw all the glory of the achievement on the number of good friends scattered all over the country who , by his or some undefined agency , had been induced to come forward . The total of the
contributions from thc Provinces was £ 15 , 171 . That , added to the Metropolitan amount of £ 7 , 273 , made a grand total of £ 22 , 444 . ( Applause . ) That enabled him to congratulate his Lordship on being President at the most successful festival ever held , either in Masonry or outside Masonry . The result he was rejoiced to tell the noble lord—with eleven lists to come in —was £ 22 , 444 . ( Prolonged cheers ) . Bro . Binckes again rose and said , that he
was informed that he had omitted to read the contribution from Suffolk ; if that was so , he begged to add that , with four Stewards , Suffolk had contributed £ 265 . ( Applause . ) Bro . MATIER-. I will ask you to give three cheers for the prosperity of the Institution . ( Three very hearty enthusiastic cheers were given by ihe company ) . J
Bro . BINCKES : I find I have been guilty of another omission—that of Somerset— from which province we have 100 guineas contributed from the Koyal Cumberland Lodge on the occasion of their completing an existence ° f 150 years . . lhe noble CHAIRMAN then rose and said that he thought after the announcement they had iust heard thev would be enabled to go with
considerable spirit through the rest of the toasts . The next toast was " The vice-Patrons , Vice-Presidents , Trustees , and Members of the Committee , " whose services were amply repaid by the success of tha Institution to which tney had contributed . The members of the Committee really did the work ; tney had with the Secretary to look after the well-being of the boys and meet them here to-day with the report they had brought up . He was sure
Annual Festival Of The Royal Masonic Institution For Boys.
that those present would not like them to go away without having their efforts acknowledged . ( The Chairman said that he had a pretty stron g voice , but it would not over-power the voices of 50 ladies at the door ; an d he was sorry that in these days of women's rights their voices had become shriller than ever . ) He would couple with the toast the name of Bro . Montagu , who had been a consistent supporter of the Order .
Bro . MONTAGU said he thanked them tor the handsome way in which they had responded to this toast . Nothing could give him greater pleasure than asking money to help our great charities to bVing up such a sum as would enable the Com . nittee of that School to educate more boys , and put them forward in the world—ail the children of distressed brethren who might want assistance ; and he thought that in time they would be able to give that assistance to all who required it .
Bro . Rev . C . J . MARTYN , P . G . Chap ., said he had the pleasure to propose the next toast . It devolved upon him to ask those present to respond to the toast of " Success to the other Masonic Charities , " * ' The Roval Masonic Institutions for Girls , " and "The Royal Masonic Benevolent Institution . " It was usual in proposing this toast to connect with it the name of the Secretary of the Institution whose Festival came next in order
of date . He therefore would couple with this toast the name of Bro Terry , but he could not sit down without congratulating them upon havin " such a subscription as had never been announced before . The other Institutions was equally deserving of support , viz ., the Girls' School and the Benevolent Institution , whose prosperity he asked them to drink to and he would couple with he toast the name of Bro . Terrv , who was the most benevolent old man he knew .
Bro . TERRY , Secretary of the Royal Masonic Benevolent Institution , rose to respond to the toast which had been so kindly and very generously proposed by his esteemed friend Bro . Martyn , Deo . Prov . G . M . lor Suffolk , to whom the two Institutions were deeply indebted for the compliment paid by having this toast proposed by Bro . Martyn . He could not but say that there were points in one ' s life which would never be
forgotten , and he ventured to say lhat in their Masonic life the year 1883 and the festival of the Boys' School would always be known as the Holmesdale year . There was the best feeling existing between the Secretaries of the three Institutions , and there were now two sincere hearts in the Secretaries of the Girls' School and the Benevolent Institution who could and did most sincerely congratulate their colleagueon the magnificent success which had
attended this festival . Bro . Martyn had said that he hoped that success would attend lhe work of the oiher Institution , though the inducement for persons to subscribe to the Boys' School was open to the 31 st December , and then as Secretary to the poor Old Men and Women he ( Bro . Terry ) would have to make his appeal . He would have onl y seven weeks to the following February in which to appeal to the Craft at large for support . He would however
remind them that the old men never could be girls and the old ladies never could be boys , but that both girls and boys mighl come to be old men and women and he trusted that the Cralt—so large-hearted and generous and warmly-disposed to them all—would never let the other Institutions suffer in consequence of the magnificent success of the Boys' School . COL . SHADWELL H . CLERKE said they had bad such a magnificent result 01 tne lesiivai been
. ana naa looking to the results of the work , but he thought that they should look to the second page of their programme , which contained a list of about 40 persons under the presidency of Bro ' Starkie , who had been devoting the whole of their time and energy with results which they had seen . Therefore he thought they would agree tvith him that all honour was due to those brethren who had co-operated with Bro . Binckes in producing this result . He thought they could do no
less than thank those 40 good brethren for their labours , and although it would not be fair to work a willing horse to death , yet he thought thev would agree with him in hoping that , when the festival of the Boys School came round again Bro . Binckes might be supported by a body as good as the present body was . He concluded by proposing the health of the Board of Stewards , coupled with the name of Bro . Eastes , Dep . G . M . for the Province of Kent .
Bro . EASTES thanked the Chairman and also Bro . Shadwell H Clerke and the company generally for the compliment that had been paid to the Board of Stewards . They all took a deep interest in the success of the Boys ' School , and were proud to be associated with such a gathering as the present festival , which had achieved such a grand result .
Bro . GODSON said that he had been unexpectedl y called upon to propose the last toast , and he could only say with regard to the ladies that without them this festival would not have been anything like the success which it had been in a pecuniary point of view . Since the beginning of this year the brethren of his profession had had oreat Hnht < . nf
the future because they did not know how the ladies stood under the new Act . Not only will the ladies stand well to the front in themselves , but when they wanted to get a little more forward they had the greatest of
pleasure putting other people behind them . What the ladies had done they would continue to do , and his Bro . Terry would be happy to receive at the hands of the ladies any amount of subscri ptions that they were kind h to collect for
enoug him ; and if any lady felt anxious to do better than she had already done , he would suggest that she should become a vice-patron of the charity . u , ° ™ . BOWYER briefly returned thanks on behalf of the ladies .
1 he musical arrangements were under the management of Bro . Geo . T . Carter , assisted by Miss Jose Sherrington , Madame Florence Winn , Bros . John Hodges , Fred Cozens , and Lawler . Bro . G . F . Smith presided at the
piano . # The favor worn b y the Stewards con . tamed the arms of the Chairman , Viscount Holmesdale—three lilting javelins on a shield , surmounted by a Viscount ' s coronet , and
having a scroll at the bottom bearing the name of the Institution . The jewel was suspended b y a crimson ribbon , on which was attached the White Horse of Kent with the motto " Invicta . " Bro . George Kenning was the manufacturer .