Royal Masonic Benevolent Institution.

ROYAL MASONIC BENEVOLENT INSTITUTION .

WE look to the management of our Charitable Institutions very much as ordinary politicians do to the Lord Mayor ' s banquet for something in tho shape of inspired utterances respecting the present position and the

future prospects of those glorious organisations in which all Freemasons take so deep an interest ; aud at tbe opening of the year it was only natural that Bro . Terry , as the representative of that Institution Avhose Festival comes earliest

on the rota , should take advantage of the New Year ' s Entertainment to the Old People at Croydon to speak in plain and certain language how that Charity really stands . It is now well known that at the Festival to be held next

month in aid of the Benevolent Institution , the Marquis of Hertford has consented to preside , and the influence of that worthy Brother may have some effect in arousing the interest of the Craft in this active Charity of our Order .

But the fact stares us boldly in the face that up to the present moment there is a strange falling-off in the number of Stewards representing Lodges , both in London

and tho Provinces , compared with some previous years ; and unless some extraordinary effort is put forth by the brethren collectively during the few weeks that have to exnire between now and the date of the Festival

—24 th February—the usefulness of this grand Institution must be seriously curtailed . This , we venture to opine , would be a source of unmitigated grief to all who watch

the beneficent work which the Charities are called upon to perform ; but when , with such a gloomy prospect in view , Ave note also that there are no fewer than one hundred and

thirty deserving applicants for the benefits of the Charity , and so few vacancies at tho disposal of the executive , the case assumes a very serious aspect indeed . It wonld be

superfluous to remind the brethren of the deep and earnest solicitude which Bro . Terry feels for the Institution with which he has been for so many years intimately associated , and which owes so much of its success and usefulness to

his exertions . And at this juncturo of affairs , when so much depends upon the turn that matters must take within tbe next few weeks , we deem the indefatigable Secretary ' s

ideas on the subject of sucb vast importance as to deserve the most prominent place that we can give them in our columns . No more flttinrr an occasion could have been

chosen by Bro . Terry for issuing what we must all regard as a Manifesto to the Craft , than at the " Old Christmas clay" festivities Avithin the walls of the Institution itself , a report of Avhich will be found on another page . In

responding to the toast of the evening , Success to the Royal Masonic Benevolent Institution , Bro . Terry pointed out that the esteemed President of the day , Bro . C . J . Perceval—Avho Avas most sincerely congratulated upon his recovery from a serious illness—had called attention to the fact .

Avbich Avas patent to the reading portion of the Masonic world , that large amounts had been received during the past year on behalf of the Institutions , and once again the Benevolent Institution stood at tbe bead of the list . That

during the past 7 or 8 years had not been an unusual thing ; it had only once during that period been surpassed , and that Avas in the year 1883 , when an extraordinary effort

was put forth on bqhalf of the Boys' Preparatory School , at Wood Green . Still they wanted money , perhaps more than either of the educational Institutions , for this simple

Royal Masonic Benevolent Institution.

reason—they knew at once when they took a child into either of the Schools exactly what would bo tbe cost of maintenance of that child upon the funds ; but when an annuitant was elected upon tho funds of this Institution , ifc

Avas imposaible for the committee to say wnafc charge they were undertaking , or Avhat expense incurring . The annuitant might live only three months , but in some instances they had lived 30 years , enjoying those benefits and

advantages ; and so , with the large number of candidates coming before them , nearly 130 , with a lirgcrlist , to present to the committee next Aveek than they had had for years , it was sad for them to know they had not a sufficient number of vacancies with Avhich to copo with so large an amount of

distress . And , although £ 21 , 000 might appear a great sum realised in ono year by the Benevolent Institution , compared with £ 16 , 000 each for tho Boys' and Girls ' , yet actually they Avore Avor .-c off during the past year , inasmuch

as the increase in their subscriptions and donations Avas only £ 1 . 400 , Avhilst the Girls' Institution had an increase of £ 1 , 800 , and tho Boys' tho very large increase of £ 2 , 500 on the year . Therefore , ho ventured to say , that

although it did appear at the first blush that tho Benevolent Institution Avas the most successful , yet , taking facts and figures , it Avas the least successful of the three . Looking forward to the Festival of 188 ( 3 , ho could only

express a sense of deep regret that they were not more forward than they were at the present time . They had between sixty and seventy Stewards less than last year ; they had a chairman without a Provinco at his back ,

whereas the Province of Gloucestershire came up last year to support the President ( Bro . Sir Michael E . Hicks Beach , M . P . ) bringing up £ 1100 . So , unless their good friends

Avere working , as he was sure they Avould Avork , more energetically if possible than others had done , the Institution would sustain a loss of some £ 4000 or £ 5000 , and that with an increased list of candidates . He knew the

Craft had only to be made aware of these facts , between now and next month ' s Festival , and there was ample time for a largo acquisition to tho number of Stewards and promised subscriptions on the lists of tho ? e Stewards . It

was , of course , always a source of anxiety as to what the result of the Festival Avould turn out to be ; and he looked forward Avith some amount of regret in anticipation that ifc would be nothing like the announcement made in 1885 .

When they came to consider AA-hat an additional source of expenditure Avas placed upon this list by electing 23 widows and three men , at a cost of nearly £ 800 a year—an

amount Avhich in the first history of this Institution was thought more than they could afford to pay—but which was noAV placed on tho list as an extra charge per year—he was sure all the Avell-Avishers of this Institution Avould use

their utmost exertions to raise as largo an amount as possible in the coming month . He thanked them for the honour and privilege of being present to give them these facts and figures , and he hoped that by their dissemination

amongst tho thinking and reading portion of the Craft , they might produce such a result as fhould falsify his words that night , and prove to tho Committee , Avhen they met in February , that he had been

a false prophet . Still , they must look upon it as business men . Money Avas not so flush as it was last year ; we had passed through a period of great and general

depression ; wo had had a political election , causing money to be spent in many ways ; and thus early in tho year people had hardly yet time to look at their balance-sheets