Note: This text has been automatically extracted via Optical Character Recognition (OCR) software.
Masonic Charities Outside The Three Institutions.
is now twenty-six , while tho actual sum expended during the half year ending March last for Education Fees amounted to £ 125 3 s 5 d , but as this amount was expended on behalf of twenty-four pupils—the number then on the Fund—the average cost nor
V ^* J . child may bo set down at £ 10 8 s 7 d per year , which , with the £ 5 allowance for clothing brings the cost per child up to £ 15 8 s 7 d per annum , an outlay which , in the opinion of some , does as much good as the
total expended on a child at either thc Girls' or the Boys' Institutions . But perhaps this is hardly the place to discuss the merits or demerits of tho respective systems which are adopted by the different Charities .
The Annuity Fund was established by vote of Grand Mark Lodge on the 1 st December 1885 , when the amount of £ 1 , 000 was voted as a nucleus . Its object is to grant Annuities of £ 20 each to aged and decayed Mark Master Masons , and £ 16 each to the Widows of Mark Masters , after election by the subscribers . At
the present time there are four Annuitants on the Fund —all males—the payments to whom amount to £ 80 per annum . At thc close of the last half year ' s accounts the balance on this Branch amounted to £ 2 , 805 Is 8 d , of which £ 2 , 700 was invested .
We may , then , summarise the work of the Mark Benevolent Fund as follows : one-third of the receipts are set aside for the relief of urgent cases of necessity ; one-third goes to an Education Fund ; and
the remaining one-third to an Annuity Fund . There are at the present time twenty-six children reaping the benefits of the Education Fund , at an annual outlay of some £ 400 ; and four aged Mark Masters
eacn enjoying an Annuity ol £ zu a year . Add to tins that there is a balance in hand of £ 7 , 378 3 s 6 d ( of which £ 6 , 900 is invested ) and we have the result of a Fund which has only been in existence since 1869 , but which , it must be conceded , has done , is doing , and gives ample promise of accomplishing in the
iuture an immense amount ol good . As a proof ot the rise and increasing popularity of this " Outside Charity , " we give the following particulars of the nineteen Annual Festivals which have been held in connection with the Fund : ot
sso . Amount Year . Chairman . Stewards , realised . £ s d 1869 Eev . G . E . Portal , M . A . 6 97 2 8 1870 The Earl Percy , M . P . G 53 4 10 1871 J . C . Parkinson 12 85 8 0 1872 Col . Sir Francis Burdett ... 13 117 0 0
1873 Uol . J . Whitwell 13 14115 C 1874 Sir Edmnnd Lechmere , Bart . - - 13 91 19 C 1875 W . E . Callender , M . P . - . 18 176 11 fi 1876 Lieut . Gen . J . S . Brownrigg , C . B . - 13 96 15 C 1877 The Earl of Dononghmoro - - 18 221 9 0 1878 Lord Skelmeradale 26 371 4 0
1879 Lord Arthur Hill - - - - 31 537 8 0 1880 Lient .-Col . Sir Francis Burdett , Bart . - 30 550 9 6 1881 Lord Henniker .... . 22 346 17 0 1882 Earl of Kintore 34 553 11 6 1883 Sir Prvse Prvse . Bart . . - . 37 7 in 19 n
1884 Major J . Woodall Woodall , J . P . . . 48 832 19 0 1885 Lord Egerton of Tatton ... 87 1721 16 6 1886 Augustus Frederick Godson , M . A ., M . P . 113 1534 10 6 1887 Earl Amherst 157 2207 4 9
While it will be seen from the above figures that the growth of this Charity has been gradual , it must also be apparent that the last three years show a wonderful increase on any of their predecessors ,
while evidence is not wanted to prove that this exceptional increase will not only be maintained in the future , but will continue to swell as year by year the celebrations come round . For the Twentieth Annual Festival of the Fund , which will be celebrated on the 25 th inst ., there are already enrolled the
names of one hundred and sixty-three Stewards , the chairman for the year being the Most Honourable the Marquess of Hertford , Deputy Grand Mark Master Mason and Provincial Grand Master of Warwickshire . The Festival will take place at the Freemasons ' Tavern , London , and . as usual , ladies and brethren ,
Masonic Charities Outside The Three Institutions.
will dine at the same tables . It is hoped that the appeal which will then bo made to members of the Order will be as heartily responded to as have boon those of former years , and that the not result will be
equal to anything yet accomplished , so that the funds of this " Outside Charity " may be so far increased as to allow of its work being continued in the future as successfully as it has beon done in the past . Wo
may add that since its foundation m 1869 tho sum of nearly . L' 2 ,-100 has been distributed in furthering the objects of tho Fund . Thirty-six children have already reaped tho advantages of the Educational Branch—at a total cost of £ 1 , 195 8 s 5 d—while , as we
have already shown , the present outlay under this head is nearly or quite £ 400 per annum . Further than this , the Annuity Branch of the Fund is pledged to the payment of £ ' 80 a year in the form of Annuities , all of which amounts have to be met from
the amounts voluntarily subscribed by the members of the Order year by year in connection with the Anniversary Festivals of the Fund . Having thus reviewed the rise , progress and present
position of the Mark Benevolent Fund , a few words may bo said in regards to its internal management , and the mode in which its benefits are distributed .
The Benevolent Branch is available for the immediate relief of cases of distress , and is distributed by the Goneral Board , subject in certain cases to thc
confirmation of Grand Lodge . Thc Educational Branch is available for children of both sexes , and its benefits aro decided by election—by means of voting papers issued by the Board—whenever the number of applicants is in excess of the number of vacancies .
Tho days of election are the first Thursdays in April and October of each year , but as up to the present time it has been found possible to relieve every candidate put forward , it has not yet been necessary to hold an election . No applicant is considered eligible unless the father has been a subscribing member to
some Mark Lodge under the English Constitution for a period of not less than two years . The age for admission ranges from eight to thirteen , and the j benefits cease on a child reaching the age of sixteen years . Among tho conditions which have to be j
observed m order that the grants may be continued is one that calls for a Quarterly Eeport of the progress , conduct and health of each child assisted , such report to bo submitted to the General Board . The Annuity Branch is available for aged and decayed Mark Masons and their Widows , the benefits being
determined by election , on the first Thursday m May of each year , provided there are more applicants than can be relieved , but in this Branch , as in the Educational , it has not yet been found necessary to have an election . Candidates for the Male Fund must not be less than sixty years of age , and for the Widows '
mind not less tnan mty-nve years , m tne iormer case the Brother must have been a registered Mark Master Mason for ten years , and a subscribing member to a Lodge for at least five consecutive years of that period , unless he be so afflicted as to permanently
incapacitate him from earning a livelihood , in which case concessions in regard to age , & c , are allowed . No brother having an income of £ 40 per annum , or who is in a position to provide for himself , is eligible , and if any annuitant shall at any time become possessed of an income of £ 40 per annum ,
independently oi his Annuity , the General Board has the power to reduce or suspend the Annuity , according to the circumstances of the case ; while any one who shall incumber his annuity , anticipate the payment thereof , or by improper conduct render himself unworthy to be continued on tho Fund may be
deprived thereof . On the death of a male annuitant his widow * becomes entitled , upon making application and being approved by the Board , to one-half of her husband ' s annuity for a period of three years , so as to give her an opportunity of applying for election to the
Note: This text has been automatically extracted via Optical Character Recognition (OCR) software.
Masonic Charities Outside The Three Institutions.
is now twenty-six , while tho actual sum expended during the half year ending March last for Education Fees amounted to £ 125 3 s 5 d , but as this amount was expended on behalf of twenty-four pupils—the number then on the Fund—the average cost nor
V ^* J . child may bo set down at £ 10 8 s 7 d per year , which , with the £ 5 allowance for clothing brings the cost per child up to £ 15 8 s 7 d per annum , an outlay which , in the opinion of some , does as much good as the
total expended on a child at either thc Girls' or the Boys' Institutions . But perhaps this is hardly the place to discuss the merits or demerits of tho respective systems which are adopted by the different Charities .
The Annuity Fund was established by vote of Grand Mark Lodge on the 1 st December 1885 , when the amount of £ 1 , 000 was voted as a nucleus . Its object is to grant Annuities of £ 20 each to aged and decayed Mark Master Masons , and £ 16 each to the Widows of Mark Masters , after election by the subscribers . At
the present time there are four Annuitants on the Fund —all males—the payments to whom amount to £ 80 per annum . At thc close of the last half year ' s accounts the balance on this Branch amounted to £ 2 , 805 Is 8 d , of which £ 2 , 700 was invested .
We may , then , summarise the work of the Mark Benevolent Fund as follows : one-third of the receipts are set aside for the relief of urgent cases of necessity ; one-third goes to an Education Fund ; and
the remaining one-third to an Annuity Fund . There are at the present time twenty-six children reaping the benefits of the Education Fund , at an annual outlay of some £ 400 ; and four aged Mark Masters
eacn enjoying an Annuity ol £ zu a year . Add to tins that there is a balance in hand of £ 7 , 378 3 s 6 d ( of which £ 6 , 900 is invested ) and we have the result of a Fund which has only been in existence since 1869 , but which , it must be conceded , has done , is doing , and gives ample promise of accomplishing in the
iuture an immense amount ol good . As a proof ot the rise and increasing popularity of this " Outside Charity , " we give the following particulars of the nineteen Annual Festivals which have been held in connection with the Fund : ot
sso . Amount Year . Chairman . Stewards , realised . £ s d 1869 Eev . G . E . Portal , M . A . 6 97 2 8 1870 The Earl Percy , M . P . G 53 4 10 1871 J . C . Parkinson 12 85 8 0 1872 Col . Sir Francis Burdett ... 13 117 0 0
1873 Uol . J . Whitwell 13 14115 C 1874 Sir Edmnnd Lechmere , Bart . - - 13 91 19 C 1875 W . E . Callender , M . P . - . 18 176 11 fi 1876 Lieut . Gen . J . S . Brownrigg , C . B . - 13 96 15 C 1877 The Earl of Dononghmoro - - 18 221 9 0 1878 Lord Skelmeradale 26 371 4 0
1879 Lord Arthur Hill - - - - 31 537 8 0 1880 Lient .-Col . Sir Francis Burdett , Bart . - 30 550 9 6 1881 Lord Henniker .... . 22 346 17 0 1882 Earl of Kintore 34 553 11 6 1883 Sir Prvse Prvse . Bart . . - . 37 7 in 19 n
1884 Major J . Woodall Woodall , J . P . . . 48 832 19 0 1885 Lord Egerton of Tatton ... 87 1721 16 6 1886 Augustus Frederick Godson , M . A ., M . P . 113 1534 10 6 1887 Earl Amherst 157 2207 4 9
While it will be seen from the above figures that the growth of this Charity has been gradual , it must also be apparent that the last three years show a wonderful increase on any of their predecessors ,
while evidence is not wanted to prove that this exceptional increase will not only be maintained in the future , but will continue to swell as year by year the celebrations come round . For the Twentieth Annual Festival of the Fund , which will be celebrated on the 25 th inst ., there are already enrolled the
names of one hundred and sixty-three Stewards , the chairman for the year being the Most Honourable the Marquess of Hertford , Deputy Grand Mark Master Mason and Provincial Grand Master of Warwickshire . The Festival will take place at the Freemasons ' Tavern , London , and . as usual , ladies and brethren ,
Masonic Charities Outside The Three Institutions.
will dine at the same tables . It is hoped that the appeal which will then bo made to members of the Order will be as heartily responded to as have boon those of former years , and that the not result will be
equal to anything yet accomplished , so that the funds of this " Outside Charity " may be so far increased as to allow of its work being continued in the future as successfully as it has beon done in the past . Wo
may add that since its foundation m 1869 tho sum of nearly . L' 2 ,-100 has been distributed in furthering the objects of tho Fund . Thirty-six children have already reaped tho advantages of the Educational Branch—at a total cost of £ 1 , 195 8 s 5 d—while , as we
have already shown , the present outlay under this head is nearly or quite £ 400 per annum . Further than this , the Annuity Branch of the Fund is pledged to the payment of £ ' 80 a year in the form of Annuities , all of which amounts have to be met from
the amounts voluntarily subscribed by the members of the Order year by year in connection with the Anniversary Festivals of the Fund . Having thus reviewed the rise , progress and present
position of the Mark Benevolent Fund , a few words may bo said in regards to its internal management , and the mode in which its benefits are distributed .
The Benevolent Branch is available for the immediate relief of cases of distress , and is distributed by the Goneral Board , subject in certain cases to thc
confirmation of Grand Lodge . Thc Educational Branch is available for children of both sexes , and its benefits aro decided by election—by means of voting papers issued by the Board—whenever the number of applicants is in excess of the number of vacancies .
Tho days of election are the first Thursdays in April and October of each year , but as up to the present time it has been found possible to relieve every candidate put forward , it has not yet been necessary to hold an election . No applicant is considered eligible unless the father has been a subscribing member to
some Mark Lodge under the English Constitution for a period of not less than two years . The age for admission ranges from eight to thirteen , and the j benefits cease on a child reaching the age of sixteen years . Among tho conditions which have to be j
observed m order that the grants may be continued is one that calls for a Quarterly Eeport of the progress , conduct and health of each child assisted , such report to bo submitted to the General Board . The Annuity Branch is available for aged and decayed Mark Masons and their Widows , the benefits being
determined by election , on the first Thursday m May of each year , provided there are more applicants than can be relieved , but in this Branch , as in the Educational , it has not yet been found necessary to have an election . Candidates for the Male Fund must not be less than sixty years of age , and for the Widows '
mind not less tnan mty-nve years , m tne iormer case the Brother must have been a registered Mark Master Mason for ten years , and a subscribing member to a Lodge for at least five consecutive years of that period , unless he be so afflicted as to permanently
incapacitate him from earning a livelihood , in which case concessions in regard to age , & c , are allowed . No brother having an income of £ 40 per annum , or who is in a position to provide for himself , is eligible , and if any annuitant shall at any time become possessed of an income of £ 40 per annum ,
independently oi his Annuity , the General Board has the power to reduce or suspend the Annuity , according to the circumstances of the case ; while any one who shall incumber his annuity , anticipate the payment thereof , or by improper conduct render himself unworthy to be continued on tho Fund may be
deprived thereof . On the death of a male annuitant his widow * becomes entitled , upon making application and being approved by the Board , to one-half of her husband ' s annuity for a period of three years , so as to give her an opportunity of applying for election to the