Masonic Banqueting.

MASONIC BANQUETING .

THE business set aside for the meeting of Lodge Emulation , Calcutta , held on Thursday , 29 th March , was " A discussion on Masonic Banquets , " upon which Bro . Bural had read a paper at the meeting held

on the 30 th January . A large number of Brethren were present , all of whom , it may be concluded , took a more than common interest in the subject . The Lodge having been opened in form , the minutes of the last meeting were read and confirmed .

The Preceptor then said : — " Brethren , as announced in the summons card , the business before the meeting is discussion on the lecture delivered at our last meeting by Bro . Bural , on ' Masonic Banquets . ' He deprecated the system of regular banquets after Lodge , as it embarrassed

the funds of the Lodge . He did not advocate the entire absence of banquets , but suggested light lefreshments so that the surplus funds of the Lodge may be utilised for

charitable puiposes . He said that the Lodge which gave sumptuous banquets was looked upon as a crack Lodge . This , Brethren , is a brief summary of the lecture , and now I invite discussion on the same . "

Bro . Maples said : The subject of the lecture calls for an expression of opinion , and I trust the Brethren will bear with mc when I place before them the other side of the question . I may at tho outset state that I desire to deal with the subject dispassionately , calmly ,

and without casting any imputation on any one . 1 only desire to make my remarks with a view to arriving at a definite conclusion . The lecture , speaking generally , is an indictment against the system of banquets which prevail in our Lodges . Now , the Thomas Jones Lodge

is known to be an after-dinner Lodge . Its subscription is only Es . 3 a month . On looking at the accounts attached to the proceedings of District Grand Lodge , I do not find that this Lodge , in consequence of its having no banquets , has contributed anything more than fche

other Lodges where they have banquets after Lodge . Bro . Bural admits thafc refreshments are necessary , and I take it that we are entitled to have at dinner after Lodge what wo get at home . In other words , what we arc entitled to get at home we provide at our Lodge

dinners , and we partake of it m friendly intercourse with our Brethren , and it should be remembered that we regulate the subscription of a Lodge accordingly . Bro . Bural observes in his lecture that there are several Lodges which occasionally fall into arrears with their

dues to thc District Grand Lodge and other Masonic Charities , and this was owing to the lavish expenditure of the subscriptions on expensive banquets . This I must say , is not quite correct ; for I know , and the District Grand Secretary who is here this evening will bear me

out , that Lodges are in arrears for various other reasons ; owing to the exigencies of the service the members of a Lodge are transferred from one place to another , and it invariably happens that the Secretary who has to compile the return , or the Treasurer who has to make the

payment of dues , are far away from the station when the returns have to be submitted and the dues paid . Sometimes it happens that members do not pay their subscriptions regularly . These are some of the reasons why

Lodges are reported in default . Bro . Bural further remarks that the highest ideal of life was plain-living and high-thinking . Now , as you know , nobody lived plainer than the poor ryots of Bengal . I ask the Brethren how far that led to high thinking on their part ?

Bro . Eustomjee said : I entirely agree in all thafc has been said by Bro . Maples . He is right in what he has said as to some of the reasons which led to Lodges being in arrears with their dues . No one was more conversant with those reasons than myself . Will the Brethren be

surprised if I tell them that it sometimes happens that a Lodge is in default notwithstanding that it had more than sufficient funds in hand to meet its dues , and this was owing to the fact that by some mishap the return of the Lodge was not made up , and the Treasurer , nofc

knowing what amount he had to send in , was consequently unable to pay the dues to District Grand Lodge ? Such a case occurred only recently . At the meeting of District Grand Lodge held last week , a Lodge was reported in arrears for the reasons I have just cited . I am not aware of any instance where a Lodge was in default

Masonic Banqueting.

simply because it had gone through all its funds in expensive banquets . I will now refer to these banquets . It cannot be denied that we are at liberty to regulate our expenses of the table in clubs and societies , as at home , and as we deem best ; and I do not see why we should

not be allowed to do the same with our Masonic banquets . As we all know , the subscriptions in our Lodges varied from Es . 4 to Es . 8 a month , and every Lodge provided a dinner or banquet after its meetings . I will cite two cases . In one of the Lodges , among several to which

the learned lecturer belongs , the subscription is Es . 4 a month ; in another to which I have the honour to belong , the monthly subscription is Es . 8 . In both these Lodges a regular banquet is provided every month after Lodge . Now , having regard to the relative subscription in these

two Lodges , does rt not follow that the Lodge wrth the higher rate of subscription will , after paying for its banquets , say even at a higher rate than the other Lodge , still have more funds in hand than the other Lodge with its Es . 4 subscription ? If the Brethren of a Lodge choose

to subscribe Es . 3 to Es . 4 a month more than what may be called the ordinary rate of subscription of Es . 4 and Es . 5 are its members not at liberty to spend , if they so desire it , a good part or even the whole of this extra sum on their festive board , in extending hospitality to their

visitors " and providing for their own comforts ? I do not see why fault should be found in this respect . It is all very well to talk of charity . Every Lodge paid towards the Charities—regularly quarter by quarter—a contribution of Ee . 1 to the Bengal Masonic Association and the like amount to the Fund of Benevolence . In

addition to this , each Lodge had its own Charity Fund made up by a transfer of Ee . 1 , or more , every month from the subscriptions paid by its members . In addition

to that , the subscriptrons paid by absent members were all carried to the credit of this Charity Fund ; so that while we provided for our banquet , it cannot be said we were not looking after the Charities .

Bro . Mehta said : I , also , like Bro . Maples , labour under a difficulty , but of another kind . My difficulty is that I came here to support Bro . Bural , but , after what I have heard this evening , I regret that I cannot support him in his theory . Although I had not the good fortune

to listen to the lecture , I have heard the references made to it . I consider it undesirable to withdraw banquets from our Masonic meetings . The duty of the Junior Warden was to call the Brethren from labour to refreshment , and how could he do this if no refreshment were

provided . We are enjoined to cultivate Brotherly love , relief , and truth ; where could we do this better than at our social board ? The question of banquets is one which , I think , should be left to the discretion of the Lodges , the members of which were the best judges as to the sort of refreshments that should be provided .

The Preceptor thanked the Brethren who took part in the discussion that evening . They had placed before the Lodge the other side of the question . He must say thafc his own views tended to support what he had heard that evening . In private life a dinner was indispensable ,

so it must be iu Freemasonry . It was a part and parcel of the system , and was a stepping-stone to friendly intercourse . A crack Lodge was nofc a Lodge that gave

sumptuous banquets , but one in which thorough good feeling and perfect harmony prevailed . He feared Bro . Bural ' s lecture was good in theory , but not easy of practice .

With the permission of the Preceptor , Bro . Bural deferred his reply to the next meeting of the Lodge . — " Indian Freemason . "

The Provincial Grand Master of Oxfordshire the Earl of Jersey , with his Countess , are this week entertaining at Osterley Park , Isleworth , a number of societies in which they are interested . On one day 200 little ones belonging to the Children ' s Happy Evenings Association

were the fortunate little guests . The Countess and her three daughters devoted the whole afternoon to their slum visitors , amusing them with " Punch and Judy , " swings , and races for prizes . The climax of enjoyment was reached when Lord Jersey gave each child a new shilling . The little ones came from the pottery district in Notting Hill .