gymnasium connected with the Central Young Men's Christian Association,
on the 6th of July, 1888. The gymnasium is in Long Acre, in what was
formerly the Queen's Theatre. The King of Sweden and Norway, Lord
Aberdeen, President of the Gymnastic Club, Mr. J. Herbert Tritton,
President of the Young Men's Christian Association, Lord Charles
Beresford, Lord Kinnaird, the Earl of Meath, the Bishop of London, Lord
Brassey, Lord Harris, and other distinguished persons were present. The
Bishop of London offered a dedicatory prayer. The Earl of Aberdeen read
an address, in which it was stated that the Young Men's Christian
Association, which had its head-quarters at Exeter Hall, was founded
forty-four years ago, and had at the present time nearly 4000 affiliated
branches scattered throughout the Colonies and the civilised world
(seventy-seven of which are in London), with an aggregate membership of
250,000. It formed a rendezvous for young men, and a centre for the
development of a strong, healthy, religious life among them. In recent
years the value of athletics had been more fully recognised, and the
Committee of the Central Association had availed themselves of that
valuable adjunct in the work. The Exeter Hall Gymnasium Team having won
(in open competition) the 200-guinea Challenge Shield and Gold Medals
offered by the National Physical Recreation Society, it would be deemed
a circumstance of the utmost honour by the recipients to have received
their medals at the hands of the Prince of Wales. Moreover, the
Gymnasium was able to supply voluntary teachers who instructed children
and others of the poorer classes in the exercises which they had
acquired in that place.
The Prince of Wales said:--
"Your Majesty, Lord Aberdeen, my Lords, Ladies, and
Gentlemen,--I am most grateful to you, indeed, Lord Aberdeen,
for the address which you have just read to me. I can assure you
all that by coming here I receive very great satisfaction, and I
am glad to take part in a work in which so many of you are
interested. From the account you, Lord Aberdeen, have given us
of the Young Men's Christian Association, I have little doubt
but that it is an association founded upon excellent and
practical principles, and that it is an association likely not
only long to continue in existence, but likely to be greatly
augmented in its usefulness, as well as in the numbers benefited
by it. I am glad that you combine with Christian education
healthy recreation, which must, no doubt, tend to be of the
greatest benefit to the community at large, and especially to
young men who are exposed to so many temptations in a great city
like this. It is a great advantage to all young men to have the
opportunity of enjoying healthy and useful recreation. Thank you
for asking me to take part in the proceedings of the day. And we
must all tender our thanks to the King of Sweden and Norway for
coming here to-day, knowing, as we all do, how deeply interested
his Majesty must be in work of this kind, and of the important
part drill has played amongst his people. I have now great
pleasure in declaring this gymnasium open."
Mr. Herbert Gladstone, M.P., President of the National Physical
Recreation Society, informed the King and Prince that the 200-guinea
challenge shield offered by that Society had this year been won by the
team of eight sent from Exeter Hall Club to the contest in Dundee, and
he asked the Prince of Wales to do them the honour of presenting the
shield and gold medals to the winners. Thereupon Mr. E. Sully, the
instructor, at the head of the victorious team, advanced up the room,
and, after receiving a gold medal each from the Prince, they shouldered
the handsome and massive shield, and, at a run, raced away with the
trophy.
Then followed an exhibition of drill by thirty members chosen out of 400
members of the Club. These were clad in flannels, and wore red or black
stockings. They went through an exposition of musical drill, accompanied
by the piano, the exercises consisting of those with dumb-bells, clubs,
and bars, Mr. Sully giving the word of command. Occasionally the
athletes sang as they drilled, at other moments they whistled as they
swung their clubs or poles about.
At the close of the exercises the King rose and said:--"Your Royal
Highnesses, I cannot leave this hall without expressing the satisfaction
I have had in witnessing the exercises here. I wish also to add my good
wishes for the progress and prosperity of this Association. I feel great
satisfaction in witnessing the execution of the gymnastic exercises this
morning--exercises which are very highly appreciated in my country."
The Prince of Wales summoned Mr. Sully, shook hands with him, and
congratulated him upon the admirable display made by his pupils. The
King of Sweden did the same, very highly praising the manner in which
the drill had been executed.
The Prince of Wales, Prince Albert Victor, and the King of Sweden then
left the hall amid the cheers of those assembled. The heartiness with
which the Prince spoke, and the interest which he showed in the whole
proceedings, greatly delighted all who were present.
THE ROYAL MASONIC INSTITUTE FOR GIRLS.
_July 6th, 1888._
The centenary festival of the Royal Masonic Institute for Girls was held
on the 6th of July, 1888, in the Royal Albert Hall, the Prince of Wales,
Grand Master, presiding. Between two and three thousand members of the
Craft were present, amongst them being the King of Sweden and Norway,
Prince Albert Victor, the Earl of Carnarvon, the Earl of Lathom, the
Earl of Zetland, Lord Egerton of Tatton, Lord Leigh, and many other
eminent Masons. The galleries were filled by a large number of ladies.
After dinner, the Prince of Wales gave the first toast, which was that
of "The Queen and the Craft," and was received with the greatest
enthusiasm, the whole of the vast audience rising and joining in singing
the National Anthem.
The Prince of Wales then said:--
"Your Majesty and Brethren,--A very high honour and a very high
compliment has been conferred upon us this night. At this great
and important gathering, probably the largest meeting for a
charitable object that has ever taken place anywhere, we have as
our guest his Majesty the King of Sweden. I little doubted the
manner in which you would receive this toast, because not only
are we honouring a distinguished guest, but also a brave ally of
ours, and we are further honouring the Grand Master of the
Freemasons of Sweden. We all know the deep interest which his
Majesty takes in our Craft, and what excellent Masons the Swedes
are. In proposing this toast it is specially gratifying to me,
for I have looked forward to this occasion for many years,
because it was through the King and his late brother that,
twenty years ago, I was initiated into the mysteries of the
Craft, and I am proud to be one of you, and, still more, to be
at your head. I am grateful to the King for having made me one
of us. Brethren, I know you will drink this toast with
cordiality, and at the same time I feel that it will be right to
give this toast Masonically, for in doing so we do honour to our
guest and to ourselves."
The toast was drunk with Masonic honours.
The King of Sweden, who was loudly cheered on rising, said:--"Most
Worshipful Grand Master and Brethren,--The toast I have the honour of
replying to I acknowledge, not only on my own behalf, but on behalf of
all the foreign Lodges and Masonic congregations whose principles and
constitution are in conformity with yours. On their behalf I would also
express the great satisfaction I feel at the honour and distinction
to-day conferred upon me by your Grand Master and by you in constituting
me a member of your honoured body. I feel much satisfaction in being
present at such an enormous gathering as this, and one assembled for
purposes of so noble a kind. Patriotic feelings are always noble and
honourable, and nowhere have they taken deeper root than in this
country, for whose people, ever since my young days, I have felt the
most profound esteem. But there is one feeling still more noble than
patriotism, and that is the feeling which has its foundation in the Word
of God, and unites us in love and charity to mankind. As we sing at
Masonic gatherings in my own country, 'There is one God, our Father, so
be His sons then, brethren.' This is the bond which exists between us,
the rallying cry which unites us, and the lasting tie which binds us. I
have the greatest pleasure in giving you 'The Health of our Grand
Master, the Prince of Wales.'"
The toast was drunk with full Masonic honours. The Prince of Wales, in
reply, said:--
"Your Majesty and Brethren,--You are well aware that during the
fourteen years I have held the high office of Grand Master I
have striven not to be unmindful of your interests and of those
of the Craft, and, though I am prevented by my many duties from
meeting you as often as I should like, still I hope that you are
convinced that your interests are none the less dear to me. We
have heard an address from the King of Sweden this evening which
none of us are likely to forget, and I think, if he will allow
me to say so, that we Englishmen have reason to envy his
facility in speaking our language. It is, I believe, the first
time that a foreign Sovereign has honoured a gathering of this
kind. I think that we may look upon this as a red-letter day,
and we are not likely to forget the King's presence, or the
kind and useful words which he has spoken. Our watchword,
'Religion and Charity,' is one which has been inculcated in us
ever since we belonged to the Craft, and it is one which we
shall do well to remember. If we uphold those principles, and,
above all, that idea of patriotism of which the King has spoken,
there is little doubt that the Craft will remain as prosperous
as it is now, and that our lodges and members will increase. I
do not wish to allude to foreign lodges with whom we are not in
accord; but I would ask that at any rate we should strive to
pick out what is good in them, and remember that we are not only
English Freemasons, but Freemasons of the entire universe. I
trust that as long as I live, or as long as I may be permitted
to hold the high office of your Grand Master, I may continue to
do my duty to the Craft and to my country. I wish now to ask his
Majesty the King of Sweden to accept the Steward's badge of this
festival."
His Majesty was then invested with the badge, amidst loud cheers. The
Grand Master then said he had much pleasure in reading a telegram from
New York to the following effect:--"Grand Lodge in annual communication
congratulates the fraternity in England on the one-hundredth anniversary
of the foundation of the Royal Masonic Institute for Girls."
Again rising, the Prince of Wales said:--
"Your Majesty and Brethren,--I have now the honour to give you
the last toast, though it may be safely called the most
important, as the object with which we have met at this enormous
and unprecedented gathering is to celebrate the centenary of the
Royal Masonic Institute for Girls. That an institution should
have existed a hundred years is one proof that it is a good one,
and we have every reason to be grateful to those who, from the
commencement up to the present time, have given their energy and
their labours to keep going so thoroughly Masonic an
Institution.
"As you are aware, the Institution was founded by the Chevalier
Ruspini. King George IV. and King William IV. were patrons,
besides many members of the Royal Family, and Her Majesty the
Queen is patroness now. The school at first contained only
fifteen children; it now contains 243, and they are educated up
to a high religious standard, combined with education of a
general character, including music. Particular attention is
paid to needlework and cooking and domestic duties. Only a few
days ago I was present here and saw the girls go through their
marching exercise, and I never saw anything more satisfactory.
There are many commanding officers who would be proud to see
their men march and go through their exercise as we saw them
performed. I may state the system was established by Miss Davis,
who was appointed head governess in 1861, and I am glad to think
that at this moment she retains her post. She has been eminently
successful, as is manifest by the Cambridge Local, College of
Preceptors, and the Science and Art Examinations. It is also
satisfactory to notice that, with the exception of Miss Davis,
every member of the staff has been educated at the Institution.
The Head Governess of the Female Masonic School at Dublin and
the Head Governess of the British Orphan Asylum were educated at
our school, and during a period of eighty-four years there have
been but two matrons, one of whom held the appointment over
fifty-two years.
"As you are aware, the object we have in view in meeting here
to-night is to make important additions to the present
buildings, and provide accommodation for an increased number of
children. These additions will cost at least £20,000. In 1838,
on the occasion of the jubilee of the Institution, £1000 was
subscribed at the annual festival, and in 1871, when I had the
honour of presiding, as much as £5200 was collected. But I have
now an announcement to make which I think will interest you
beyond measure, and that is that I have received the assurance
of the Secretary that we have obtained at this centenary
festival over £50,000. I may safely challenge anybody to dispute
the statement that so large a sum has never been subscribed at a
charity dinner. It now affords me great pleasure to propose
'Success to the Institution,' coupled with the name of the
Deputy Grand Master, the Earl of Lathom, Chairman of the
Executive Committee, and an old and personal friend of my own."
The Earl of Lathom replied, and the proceedings terminated. The grand
total of the subscription was £50,472, of which London contributed
£22,454, and the Provinces, India, and the Colonies £28,018.
WEST NORFOLK HUNT.
_April 9th, 1888._
Among the many memorial gifts of the Silver Wedding of the Prince and
Princess of Wales was one which would have delighted Sir Roger de
Coverley or the Squire of Bracebridge Hall. The members of the West
Norfolk Fox Hunt presented a handsome silver figure of Reynard in full
gallop, mounted on a dark mahogany stand. A beautifully bound morocco
album contained the names of the subscribers. The presentation was made
on the 8th of April, the day of the Annual Steeplechase at East Winch,
near Lynn. A marquee had been erected, and a large company assembled.
The Prince and Princess of Wales and all the family were present.
Mr. Hamond, for many years Master of the Hunt, made the presentation, he
having been the Chairman of the Committee who had carried on the Hunt
during the past two years, in the temporary absence of the Master, Mr.
A. C. Fountaine. He believed that the West Norfolk were the first pack
of hounds that the Princess hunted with when she came to England. The
Prince and Princess had entered into the sports and recreations of all
classes of Her Majesty's subjects, and the sport which the members of
the Hunt had enjoyed with their Royal Highnesses and their sons and
daughters would long be remembered. He asked the acceptance of their
gift by the Prince and Princess.
The Prince of Wales said:--
"Mr. Hamond, Ladies, and Gentlemen,--I can assure you that no
present which has been offered for our acceptance has been
received by us with more pleasure than the one which you have
given us to-day--- a model of the wily animal that we are all to
fond of following. Norfolk has always been considered to be a
shooting county; that may be so to a great extent, but I feel
convinced that the hunting is quite as popular, and I sincerely
hope that it will long remain so. There may be difficulties in
preserving foxes, but I feel sure that where there's a will
there's a way. For twenty-five years we have enjoyed hunting
with the West Norfolk Hunt--both the Princess and myself; and
our children have been brought up to follow that Hunt. I
sincerely hope that for many long years we may be able to
continue to do so. We have grateful memories of the mastership
of one whose loss we all regretted, the late Mr. Villebois, and
also of Mr. Hamond, then Mr. Fountaine, and next of the
gentlemen of the Committee who have of late ably carried on the
Hunt, whilst Mr. Fountaine was unfortunately away. Most
sincerely do I thank you again, in the name of the Princess and
myself, for the kind terms in which you have presented us with
this handsome and appropriate gift, and most sincerely do I wish
prosperity to the West Norfolk Foxhounds, which, I trust, may
long continue to exist in this county."
AT BLACKBURN.
_May 9th, 1888._
On the return from opening the Exhibition at Glasgow, it was arranged
that the Prince and Princess of Wales should visit Blackburn, for laying
the foundation-stone of the new Technical and Trades School in that
flourishing Lancashire town. The borough was in high festival, the more
so as it was the first time on record that it had been honoured with the
presence of royalty. At the entrance of the town, the Mayor and
Corporation met the Royal party, and conducted them to the marquee which
was to be the scene of the ceremony. Here the Prince was presented with
the freedom of the borough--being the first honorary freeman--and with
an address, to which he replied:--
"Mr. Mayor and Gentlemen,--I can assure you that the Princess of
Wales and myself feel very great pleasure in accepting your
address, and we thank you warmly for the kind and cordial words
of welcome with which you have received us on the occasion of
our first visit to the important borough of Blackburn. We thank
you most sincerely for your congratulations on our Silver
Wedding, and we desire to take this opportunity of publicly
stating how infinitely we have been touched by the affectionate
tokens of attachment and regard which have universally been
shown towards us throughout the whole country on the occasion of
that event. We appreciate very highly your allusions to the
interest which we take in all things related to the progress and
welfare of the kingdom, and more especially to the interest we
have taken in the subject of technical education; and I rejoice,
therefore, to find that I am able to come here to-day to lay the
foundation-stone of an institution which I trust will afford
material assistance in maintaining and advancing the industries
and commercial enterprise of your town. I have very much
gratification in complying with your request that I would accept
the honorary freedom of your borough, and I shall experience a
feeling of pride in signing my name as the first honorary
freeman of a town so loyal and prosperous, and that, I am
persuaded, has so great a future before it as Blackburn."
To another address by the Freemasons of Blackburn the Grand Master
expressed his sense of the compliment paid him by their words of
fraternal friendship, and gladly acceded to the wish that the first
stone of so important and useful an institution should be laid with
Masonic honours,--which was done accordingly.
The Mayoress of Blackburn then, on behalf of the ladies of Blackburn,
presented the Princess of Wales with a magnificent diamond brooch
representing Industry. Her Royal Highness said a few happy words in
acknowledgment. The Prince, it should have been mentioned, received the
roll of freedom enclosed in a very handsome gold casket. The Royal
visitors wore afterwards entertained at luncheon in the Town Hall, where
numerous guests were present. In responding to the loyal toasts the
Prince said:--
"You may be assured that we are not likely to forget our visit
to Blackburn. The cordial and enthusiastic manner in which you
have received us, the beautiful way in which your streets and
houses have been decorated, and the wonderful order that was
kept throughout will not be forgotten by us. It will afford me,
also, great gratification and pleasure to acquaint the Queen
with the loyalty which has been shown to the Princess and
myself, who are the first members of the Royal families of
England who have visited your borough. The objects we have had
in view in coming here are, we are sure, excellent ones; and we
rejoice that there has been afforded to us the opportunity of
laying the foundation-stone of an institution which is likely to
do so much good. As the Mayor has said, I do take a sincere
interest in all that concerns technical instruction, because I
feel convinced that, in a vast country like ours, where so many
trades and different manufactures exist, nothing is of such
great importance to the well-being of its manufactures and
trades as a good sound technical education. We cannot erect too
many schools or institutions of the kind in the various parts of
the country. The school the foundation-stone of which we have
laid to-day has been properly started as a remembrance of the
Queen's Jubilee, and, as the special object of it is for the
technical education of the operative classes, I sincerely hope
that they also will show that they take a great interest in it,
and will thoroughly support it. I am glad to hear that there is
already existing in this borough a Technical and Art School,
which for two years has been in existence. I am told that there
are as many as 300 students, and those students who have gone up
to London to be examined by the Technical Institute have, I
understand, passed the very highest and best examinations. The
interest which this town takes in the subject of technical
education is a very gratifying one. You must remember that
improved talent for the production of more varied and artistic
designs in the staple manufacture is essential for the continued
prosperity of the town, and the more artisans learn what is
necessary to beautify the trade to which they belong, and vary
the different specimens which they bring forward, the more
likely the town is to flourish. Before sitting down I have a
toast to propose to you, 'The Mayor and Corporation of
Blackburn, and success to the Blackburn Technical School.' In
proposing this toast I am glad to have this opportunity of
thanking the Mayor for his kind hospitality and the cordial
welcome he has afforded us. He may be assured we shall never
forget the kind reception we have received at Blackburn."
The Mayor briefly responded to the toast. The Royal party afterwards
proceeded to the Blackburn Railway Station, and left for London.
THE ANGLO-DANISH EXHIBITION.
_May 14th, 1888._
The Anglo-Danish Exhibition at South Kensington had not the official
origin of some other similar displays, but the nationality of the
scheme, and the promise of its proceeds being applied to a charitable
object, secured the patronage of the Prince and Princess of Wales at its
opening. This ceremony took place in the Albert Hall, on the 14th of
May, 1888.
Their Royal Highnesses were accompanied by the Princesses Louise, Maud,
and Victoria of Wales, the Princess Mary of Cambridge and her daughter
the Princess Victoria, Prince Karl of Denmark, Prince George of Greece,
the Danish Minister, and many distinguished persons. They were received
by Lord Amherst, Chairman of the Committee, who presented an address, to
which--after the musical and other ceremonies, and the formal opening of
the Exhibition by the Princess of Wales--the Prince replied:--