-
Articles/Ads
Article THE LATEST THEORY ABOUT MASONIC CHARITY. Page 1 of 2 Article THE LATEST THEORY ABOUT MASONIC CHARITY. Page 1 of 2 →
Note: This text has been automatically extracted via Optical Character Recognition (OCR) software.
The Latest Theory About Masonic Charity.
THE LATEST THEORY ABOUT MASONIC CHARITY .
WE trnst none of onr readers will be led astray by tlie new theory just promulgated as to Masonic charity . It is impossible to imagine an argument more mischievous in its tendencies than one employed by our Masonic contemporary last week . We may go further and add , that a mischievous argument was never enunciated at a moment
more inopportune . On Wednesday next will be held the annual Festival of oar Boys' School . Every effort is being made to secure a great financial success on this important occasion . The greatest activity is being shown by the Secretary and his colleagues . There is a larger body of
Stewards than m any previous year , and they are leaving no stone unturned to out-do their predecessors . At this very time , when all are hoping these efforts will be crowned with a magnificent success , when it is obvious to the meanest intellect that our Boys' School is not equal to the demands
made upon its resources , that it might do more good if its funds were more certain , and that the harder we strive to build up for it a permanent income the moro secure against accidents will be its position ; at this very moment , we say , our contemporary speaks in terms the most
disparaging of Masonic benevolence being confined only to Masonic objects . It calls it a " narrow view , " which far too many hold , that " Masonic benevolence is meant only for Freemasons . " It was suggested at the last Quarterly Communication of Grand Lodge that , instead of
voting a large sum of money'for a certain purpose , " something might be better clone for the Asylum or the Boys ' School . " But our contemporary has always felt " there was a certain amount of truth " in the objection " that Masonic benevolence had somewhat of selfishness about it
if you confined the liberality of the Order to Masons alone . " It is fain to admit that , " primarily , of course , we are bound to do so , " bnt every now and then it thinks there are occasions when " we are to evince our good will towards humanity at large , towards religion , towards local distress ,
towards national objects , towards resthetic improvements , and , we will add , towards church restoration . " We infer , accordingly , that ono of these occasions when the Order may justly neglect their " primary" duty is the erection of a memorial to the Grand Master ' s visit to India . We shall
best evince our respect for him , ancl the Order over which he presides , by neglecting what " primarily , of course , we are bound to do , " in favour of something else , which is not of " primary" importance . Ancl , we repeat , the time selected for the enunciation of this singular doctrine is just
ten clays before the anniversary festival of one of our charitable Institutions . This is one of three festivals occurring annually . When these come round , each in their turn , it is a duty enjoined on us , equally by the teachings of Freemasonry , the obligations we have taken , and the
dictates of common sense , that we should concentrate all our efforts on improving their financial resources . It is a fact , as patent as the sun at high noon , that large as are the annual subscriptions to these Charities , they might profitably be larger still , for then the Charities would be capable
of a greater amount of good . It is equally a fact that the extent of Masonic indigence is greater now than ever it was before . We pointed out , last week , the marked
disproportion existing between the number of vacancies and the number of candidates at the last three elections to the Boys' School only . In April , not only was every vacancy filled , but the number of pupils was increased . Yet over forty
The Latest Theory About Masonic Charity.
approved candidates were left out in the cold , and remain at this very time a burden upon the already sorely-taxed resources of their parents or guardians . When our contemporary has quite recovered from the supreme difficulty of forming its latest apology for an opinion , it will probably
be able to recognise that , under these circumstances , a substantial addition to the permanent funds of the Boys ' School is by no means a narrow-minded or selfish plan to advocate . An increase in the number of its pupils would be a serviceable as well as a handsome way of
commemorating the Prince of Wales ' s visit to India . We feel the deepest sympathy for our contemporary , who finds itself on the unpopular side in this question . We are aware the views of the majority are not necessarily the truth , but in tho instance before us we prefer the narrow-minded selfishness
of the many to tho all-round magnanimity of the few . We see something reasonable as well as tangible in the former , something consistent with the " primary " duties of Freemasonry , with its ordinary teachings , and with the teachings of common sense . On these grounds , ancl apart from others
previously enumerated , we rejoice that Grand Lodge has decided against Bro . Havers's views . We do not think its acceptance , by an overwhelming majority , of the Rev . Bro . Simpson's amendment is subject matter for regret , even
" as before the" outer world just now . On tho contrary , we think Grand Lodge has acted in perfect harmony with the true principles of Masonry , and that cannot be a matter for regret .
Wo readily admit that " the argument that we ought to do something specially for our Masonic Charities does not exclude the propriety of doing something for something else , which the Grand . Lodge might approve of , and which , as Freemasons , we ought to feel it to be our duty to do . "
If this is meant to indicate any ulterior project , such as that Grand Lodge should vote something for our Charities , and " something for something else ; " by all means let a proposition embodying such a plan be submitted at the next Quarterly Communication . We shall be prepared to discuss
it when due notice is given . But we hardly think a whole week ' s laborious thought was required to enunciate an idea so simple . We admit also there is some force in the argument that as Grand Lodge recently voted a hundred guineas toward the Palestine Exploration Fund , it might justly
have voted £ 1 , 000 towards the completion of St . Paul s . But this latter proposition emanated from Bro . Havers , and he , in the early part of last year , had emphatically laid it down that Grand Lodge funds were intended only for Masonic purposes . Thus Bro . Havers was " hoist with his
own petard . This important little fact our contemporary has , unintentionally , of course , overlooked or forgotten . There is no doubt Grand Lodge , in the face of its previous vote that Masonic funds were only for Masonic purposes , stultified itself when it granted the hundred guineas toward
the Palestine Fund . It were monstrous indeed if we questioned the propriety of its latest dictum , which is , in fact , a deliberate return to its original views . However , we leave Grand Lodge to explain its own inconsistencies , and
pass to the concluding utterances of our contemporary . It considers " the best solution of all now , for this difficulty , as perhaps the ' digmis vindice nodus ' will be simply to confine the resolution to a record of our grateful thanks for our beloved Grand Master ' s safe return . " This were most
impolitic . In the first place there is no difficulty to solve . Grand Lodge has determined to commemorate the Grand Master ' s visit to India , and his return home . A committee will inquire and report as to the fittest memorial of so auspicious an event , and Grand Lodge will either accept
Note: This text has been automatically extracted via Optical Character Recognition (OCR) software.
The Latest Theory About Masonic Charity.
THE LATEST THEORY ABOUT MASONIC CHARITY .
WE trnst none of onr readers will be led astray by tlie new theory just promulgated as to Masonic charity . It is impossible to imagine an argument more mischievous in its tendencies than one employed by our Masonic contemporary last week . We may go further and add , that a mischievous argument was never enunciated at a moment
more inopportune . On Wednesday next will be held the annual Festival of oar Boys' School . Every effort is being made to secure a great financial success on this important occasion . The greatest activity is being shown by the Secretary and his colleagues . There is a larger body of
Stewards than m any previous year , and they are leaving no stone unturned to out-do their predecessors . At this very time , when all are hoping these efforts will be crowned with a magnificent success , when it is obvious to the meanest intellect that our Boys' School is not equal to the demands
made upon its resources , that it might do more good if its funds were more certain , and that the harder we strive to build up for it a permanent income the moro secure against accidents will be its position ; at this very moment , we say , our contemporary speaks in terms the most
disparaging of Masonic benevolence being confined only to Masonic objects . It calls it a " narrow view , " which far too many hold , that " Masonic benevolence is meant only for Freemasons . " It was suggested at the last Quarterly Communication of Grand Lodge that , instead of
voting a large sum of money'for a certain purpose , " something might be better clone for the Asylum or the Boys ' School . " But our contemporary has always felt " there was a certain amount of truth " in the objection " that Masonic benevolence had somewhat of selfishness about it
if you confined the liberality of the Order to Masons alone . " It is fain to admit that , " primarily , of course , we are bound to do so , " bnt every now and then it thinks there are occasions when " we are to evince our good will towards humanity at large , towards religion , towards local distress ,
towards national objects , towards resthetic improvements , and , we will add , towards church restoration . " We infer , accordingly , that ono of these occasions when the Order may justly neglect their " primary" duty is the erection of a memorial to the Grand Master ' s visit to India . We shall
best evince our respect for him , ancl the Order over which he presides , by neglecting what " primarily , of course , we are bound to do , " in favour of something else , which is not of " primary" importance . Ancl , we repeat , the time selected for the enunciation of this singular doctrine is just
ten clays before the anniversary festival of one of our charitable Institutions . This is one of three festivals occurring annually . When these come round , each in their turn , it is a duty enjoined on us , equally by the teachings of Freemasonry , the obligations we have taken , and the
dictates of common sense , that we should concentrate all our efforts on improving their financial resources . It is a fact , as patent as the sun at high noon , that large as are the annual subscriptions to these Charities , they might profitably be larger still , for then the Charities would be capable
of a greater amount of good . It is equally a fact that the extent of Masonic indigence is greater now than ever it was before . We pointed out , last week , the marked
disproportion existing between the number of vacancies and the number of candidates at the last three elections to the Boys' School only . In April , not only was every vacancy filled , but the number of pupils was increased . Yet over forty
The Latest Theory About Masonic Charity.
approved candidates were left out in the cold , and remain at this very time a burden upon the already sorely-taxed resources of their parents or guardians . When our contemporary has quite recovered from the supreme difficulty of forming its latest apology for an opinion , it will probably
be able to recognise that , under these circumstances , a substantial addition to the permanent funds of the Boys ' School is by no means a narrow-minded or selfish plan to advocate . An increase in the number of its pupils would be a serviceable as well as a handsome way of
commemorating the Prince of Wales ' s visit to India . We feel the deepest sympathy for our contemporary , who finds itself on the unpopular side in this question . We are aware the views of the majority are not necessarily the truth , but in tho instance before us we prefer the narrow-minded selfishness
of the many to tho all-round magnanimity of the few . We see something reasonable as well as tangible in the former , something consistent with the " primary " duties of Freemasonry , with its ordinary teachings , and with the teachings of common sense . On these grounds , ancl apart from others
previously enumerated , we rejoice that Grand Lodge has decided against Bro . Havers's views . We do not think its acceptance , by an overwhelming majority , of the Rev . Bro . Simpson's amendment is subject matter for regret , even
" as before the" outer world just now . On tho contrary , we think Grand Lodge has acted in perfect harmony with the true principles of Masonry , and that cannot be a matter for regret .
Wo readily admit that " the argument that we ought to do something specially for our Masonic Charities does not exclude the propriety of doing something for something else , which the Grand . Lodge might approve of , and which , as Freemasons , we ought to feel it to be our duty to do . "
If this is meant to indicate any ulterior project , such as that Grand Lodge should vote something for our Charities , and " something for something else ; " by all means let a proposition embodying such a plan be submitted at the next Quarterly Communication . We shall be prepared to discuss
it when due notice is given . But we hardly think a whole week ' s laborious thought was required to enunciate an idea so simple . We admit also there is some force in the argument that as Grand Lodge recently voted a hundred guineas toward the Palestine Exploration Fund , it might justly
have voted £ 1 , 000 towards the completion of St . Paul s . But this latter proposition emanated from Bro . Havers , and he , in the early part of last year , had emphatically laid it down that Grand Lodge funds were intended only for Masonic purposes . Thus Bro . Havers was " hoist with his
own petard . This important little fact our contemporary has , unintentionally , of course , overlooked or forgotten . There is no doubt Grand Lodge , in the face of its previous vote that Masonic funds were only for Masonic purposes , stultified itself when it granted the hundred guineas toward
the Palestine Fund . It were monstrous indeed if we questioned the propriety of its latest dictum , which is , in fact , a deliberate return to its original views . However , we leave Grand Lodge to explain its own inconsistencies , and
pass to the concluding utterances of our contemporary . It considers " the best solution of all now , for this difficulty , as perhaps the ' digmis vindice nodus ' will be simply to confine the resolution to a record of our grateful thanks for our beloved Grand Master ' s safe return . " This were most
impolitic . In the first place there is no difficulty to solve . Grand Lodge has determined to commemorate the Grand Master ' s visit to India , and his return home . A committee will inquire and report as to the fittest memorial of so auspicious an event , and Grand Lodge will either accept