Royal Masonic Schools

The Royal Masonic School for Boys

Today in Masonic History we discuss the Royal Masonic Schools.

The Royal Masonic Schools were setup as charitable organizations for the children of Freemasons.

There were actually two Royal Masonic Schools. One was for girls and the other boys. The girls school has it's origins around 1788, the boys around 1798.

The Royal Masonic School for Girls was started in 1788 by a committee of ten masons who were looking to establish a charitable organization for daughters of Freemasons. In May of that year advertisement went out to hire a person for the position of Matron of the school.

In the beginning of the Royal Masonic School for Girls it was more of an orphanage, despite the fact that many of the girls did have at least one living parent. At the end of their school life, many of the girls were returned to their parents or supporters (referred to as Friends). Girls who had no family to be returned to, were apprenticed or otherwise supported by the school until they could establish themselves. In the mid 1800s the institution took on the more familiar feel of a school.

The Royal Masonic School for Boys in contrast with the Royal Masonic School for Girls, was initially a charity organization, with no actual school. Young men who qualified for the support of the charity, sons of needy Freemasons, would receive clothes and education, generally at schools close to their homes. In 1857, an actual school was established in Wood Green, which is just north of London, England. In 1929, a junior school was created for younger students. Both of the Royal Masonic School for Boys operated until the mid 1970s when financial issues caused the schools to close. There are indications that it was deemed better to go back to the model of educating the young men at local schools rather than working to revamp the aging systems in the school.

The Royal Masonic School for Girls is still in operation.

It is the goal of the girls at the school to receive The Ashlar. It is a silver badge that is awarded to young women at the school who are recognized for their contribution to to school life, a sense of personal responsibility and a sense of responsibility to others.

The Royal Masonic School for Girls invites young women of any religion to attend, although from the perspective of religion it is based on the Church of England and services are held once a week and on Sunday for the boarders.

The building that used to house the Royal Masonic School for Boys has since been used for a variety of purposes. Lately it has been used in various movies and television programs including Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade, Month Python's the Meaning of Life and part of the science block of the school was used to film Thunderbirds.

This article provided by Brother Eric C. Steele.