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Article THE BENEVOLENT FESTIVAL. Page 1 of 2 Article THE BENEVOLENT FESTIVAL. Page 1 of 2 →
Note: This text has been automatically extracted via Optical Character Recognition (OCR) software.
The Benevolent Festival.
THE BENEVOLENT FESTIVAL .
WE can hardly do better than repeat the words of Bro . Hedges Secretary of the Girls School , when replying to the toast of success to the other Charities , at the Festival of the Benevolent Institution on Wednesday , in summing up the result of that
celebration . He congratulated the Benevolent Institution on being able to give the first proof that confidence in the ability of the Craft to support its Charitable Institutions was well founded , and we have the greatest
pleasure in endorsing that congratulation . The result of Wednesday ' s Festival was so very satisfactory as to call for the heartiest approval from all concerned in the welfare of the Institutions of English Freemasonry ,
and in thus offering our general congratulations we must not forget a special word of praise to Bro . Terry , the Secretary of the Institution , to whose personal efforts so much of Wednesday's success is directly due .
The Festival was held in accordance with the programme , at Freemasons' Tavern , London , and was presided over by the Right Hon . Lord Llangattock Prov . Grand M . of the Eastern Division of South Wales .
His lordship was supported by a large number of Brethren from his own and neighbouring Provinces , and by representatives of most of the other divisions of English Freemasonry , the whole assembly
numbering upwards of four hundred Brethren , while a large number of ladies were present at a banquet in another part of the establishment , afterwards joining the Brethren at the Concert provided . in the Temple of Grand Lodge .
The result * of the Festival was a considerable surprise to most of those who were present , for , despite the fact that the Board of Stewards had risen to close on five hundred , there were grave fears that the usual average would not be maintained , after the very great
strain put upon the English Craft in connection with the Centenary of the Boys School last year . However , all fears were dispelled when Bro . Terry made the announcement that the Festival return was ; £ 18 , 216
8 s 6 d , with eighteen lists yet to come in . May similar good fortune attend the other Institutions during the present year , and like successes fall to all three of them in years to come .
' Of the total subscribed , London Lodges contributed ^ 9 , 912 , and Provincial ones ^ " 8 , 211 , the balance coming from Foreign Stations . The premier place among the Provinces fell to Kent , with close on £ 700 .
The dinner was well served by Messrs . Spiers arid Pond , and at its conclusion The Chairman , on rising to propose the toasts , said the first on the list was one that was dear to the heart of every Englishman ; dear to every
English home . It was often given , in every quarter of the globe , yet Englishmen were never tired of giving it honour—it was the . health of our glorious Queen , coupled with the sincere wish that she might live for many years to reign over a happy and prosperous people . The toast was loyally honoured , and was followed by the National Anthem .
The Benevolent Festival.
Second thoughts , said the Chairman , natually led them , as Freemasons , to the Prince of Wales Most Worshipful Grand Master . The Prince had been the first to learn the lesson of devotion to duty taught him by his revered mother . He had made for himself a place in the hearts of the people , and was respected and beloved by them all . We Freemasons could regard him , not only as heir to the throne , but one among us as a Brother Mason . With the toast was coupled the health of the Princess of Wales , and the other members of the Royal Family , who were most enthusiastically pledged .
The next toast was that of the Grand Officers , to which Bro . Richard Eve P . G . Treas . was called upon to respond . He was gratified that the duty had fallen upon his shoulders , but at the same time felt deeply the responsibility of replying to the hearty reception accorded to the toast . The Pro Grand Master of England was full of enthusiasm for Freemasonry , and might be relied on to uphold the prestige of the Order . The Deputy Grand
Master was also devoted to Freemasonry , and would most certainly endeavour to maintain the true principles of the Craft . The Grand Officers felt an interest in the whole world , for the Grand Lodge of England being the mother of Freemasonry throughout the world they could but feel it a privilege to assist in upholding the great principles of the Craft in all parts of the globe .
In answer to repeated calls Bro . C . E . Keyser ( who , it will be remembered , has consented to preside this year at the 101 st Anniversary Festival of the Boys School ) also responded . He did not quite know why the Brethren had called upon him to address them that evening . He could only hope it was generally felt among the members of the Craft that the Grand Officers did their best to promote the interests of the Brotherhood .
The succeeding toast the Chairman regarded as the toast of the evening . He hardly knew how to begin its proposition , and regretted he was not an orator , so that he might do justice to the occasion . But he could assure them that such words as he did offer came direct from his heart , and were warm in gratitude to the Stewards of the day and other donors to the Institution . Their thoughts that evening were with the Aged Brethren and the Widows of tha Craft . He had had the pleasure of visiting the Institution
at Croydon the previous day , and had the gratification of being introduced to many dear old ladies there . He made friends of them all , but he did not make love to them all—because James Terry was there , and as was well known he was . always first with the annuitants . With regard to the financial condition , the Men's Fund , founded in 1842 , had since that time supported 970 men ; at the last election there were 202 men , each receiving £ 40 per annum , making £ 8 , 080 ; the permanent income was £ 2 , 295 . There
were at present fifty-five candidates for election , and only twelve vacancies . The Widows' Fund was founded in 1849 ; consequently , this was the Jubilee year of that branch of the Institution . Since it was started , 658 widows were supported ; at the last election there were 245 widows , each receiving £ 32 per annum , making £ 7 , 840 ; and thirty-two widows who received for five years half their husbands' annuities , £ 640 , making £ 8 , 480 ; the permanent income was £ 2 , 813 , so that there was a deficit of £ 5 , 667 to be made up . There
were seventy candidates for election , and only twelve vacancies . At the Croydon Institution there was accommodation for thirty-two residents , who enjoyed a comfortable home in their old age . What a blessing to know that these dear old people had a home and were in a measure provided for . No man could possibly be happy who led a selfish life—the happy man was he who tried to
make others happy , and was willing to join with them in their pleasures , and sympathise with them in their troubles . Their thanks were due to Bro . Terry for all he had done in the many years he had worked for the Institution , and the tact and ability he had exercised in carrying on its work . His name would remain , long after he had passed away , loved and respected , as he one who had done so muoh for that Charity .
Bro . J . A . Farnfield Treasurer of the Institution replied to the toast , returning thanks to the Chairman for the very kind manner in which he had advocated the cause of the Institution that night . He had the pleasure of accompanying their Chairman on his visit to Croydon the previous day , and Lord Llangattock had then expressed himself as delighted with all he saw . He had even said he wished for nothing better in his declining days , should
adversity come upon him , than to occupy two of those rooms at Croydon . During the past year , continued Bro . Farnfield , the Widows' Fund had been in very low water indeed , and they could but hope that when the result of tbat day's Festival was announced it would be found that a large proportion of the subscriptions had been given to it , because its needs were so great , and because it was the Jubilee year of the Fund .
Bro . James Terry Secretary of the Institution then read the list of subscriptions , his appearance and his subsequent remarks calling forth many expressions of approval . It was apparent that on this occasion the worthy Secretary was even more popular among his Stewards than ever , the special recognition accorded him by the Chairman being evidently endorsed to the fullest extent by the large company who were present .
After giving details in regard to the individual Provinces Bro . Terry announced as the , result that 212 Provincial Stewards had raised £ 8 , 211 ; 267 London Stewards ( in addition to thirteen Ladies acting in the metropolis ) had collected £ 9 , 912 ; £ 84 had come from Foreign Stations , and the total result of the Festival , with eighteen lists still outstanding , was £ 18 , 216 8 s 6 d —an announcement which , it is hardly necessary to add , was cheered to the echo .
The Earl of Dartmouth Provincial Grand Master of Staffordshire proposed the next toast . He had been somewhat unexpectedly called upon to submit the health of the Chairman , and while he recognised the compliment ho knew he must face the difficulty . He felt he had to put in words their admiration of all that the Chairman had done for them that day . He felt he might offer a suggestion , and that was that the Chairman should pay
Note: This text has been automatically extracted via Optical Character Recognition (OCR) software.
The Benevolent Festival.
THE BENEVOLENT FESTIVAL .
WE can hardly do better than repeat the words of Bro . Hedges Secretary of the Girls School , when replying to the toast of success to the other Charities , at the Festival of the Benevolent Institution on Wednesday , in summing up the result of that
celebration . He congratulated the Benevolent Institution on being able to give the first proof that confidence in the ability of the Craft to support its Charitable Institutions was well founded , and we have the greatest
pleasure in endorsing that congratulation . The result of Wednesday ' s Festival was so very satisfactory as to call for the heartiest approval from all concerned in the welfare of the Institutions of English Freemasonry ,
and in thus offering our general congratulations we must not forget a special word of praise to Bro . Terry , the Secretary of the Institution , to whose personal efforts so much of Wednesday's success is directly due .
The Festival was held in accordance with the programme , at Freemasons' Tavern , London , and was presided over by the Right Hon . Lord Llangattock Prov . Grand M . of the Eastern Division of South Wales .
His lordship was supported by a large number of Brethren from his own and neighbouring Provinces , and by representatives of most of the other divisions of English Freemasonry , the whole assembly
numbering upwards of four hundred Brethren , while a large number of ladies were present at a banquet in another part of the establishment , afterwards joining the Brethren at the Concert provided . in the Temple of Grand Lodge .
The result * of the Festival was a considerable surprise to most of those who were present , for , despite the fact that the Board of Stewards had risen to close on five hundred , there were grave fears that the usual average would not be maintained , after the very great
strain put upon the English Craft in connection with the Centenary of the Boys School last year . However , all fears were dispelled when Bro . Terry made the announcement that the Festival return was ; £ 18 , 216
8 s 6 d , with eighteen lists yet to come in . May similar good fortune attend the other Institutions during the present year , and like successes fall to all three of them in years to come .
' Of the total subscribed , London Lodges contributed ^ 9 , 912 , and Provincial ones ^ " 8 , 211 , the balance coming from Foreign Stations . The premier place among the Provinces fell to Kent , with close on £ 700 .
The dinner was well served by Messrs . Spiers arid Pond , and at its conclusion The Chairman , on rising to propose the toasts , said the first on the list was one that was dear to the heart of every Englishman ; dear to every
English home . It was often given , in every quarter of the globe , yet Englishmen were never tired of giving it honour—it was the . health of our glorious Queen , coupled with the sincere wish that she might live for many years to reign over a happy and prosperous people . The toast was loyally honoured , and was followed by the National Anthem .
The Benevolent Festival.
Second thoughts , said the Chairman , natually led them , as Freemasons , to the Prince of Wales Most Worshipful Grand Master . The Prince had been the first to learn the lesson of devotion to duty taught him by his revered mother . He had made for himself a place in the hearts of the people , and was respected and beloved by them all . We Freemasons could regard him , not only as heir to the throne , but one among us as a Brother Mason . With the toast was coupled the health of the Princess of Wales , and the other members of the Royal Family , who were most enthusiastically pledged .
The next toast was that of the Grand Officers , to which Bro . Richard Eve P . G . Treas . was called upon to respond . He was gratified that the duty had fallen upon his shoulders , but at the same time felt deeply the responsibility of replying to the hearty reception accorded to the toast . The Pro Grand Master of England was full of enthusiasm for Freemasonry , and might be relied on to uphold the prestige of the Order . The Deputy Grand
Master was also devoted to Freemasonry , and would most certainly endeavour to maintain the true principles of the Craft . The Grand Officers felt an interest in the whole world , for the Grand Lodge of England being the mother of Freemasonry throughout the world they could but feel it a privilege to assist in upholding the great principles of the Craft in all parts of the globe .
In answer to repeated calls Bro . C . E . Keyser ( who , it will be remembered , has consented to preside this year at the 101 st Anniversary Festival of the Boys School ) also responded . He did not quite know why the Brethren had called upon him to address them that evening . He could only hope it was generally felt among the members of the Craft that the Grand Officers did their best to promote the interests of the Brotherhood .
The succeeding toast the Chairman regarded as the toast of the evening . He hardly knew how to begin its proposition , and regretted he was not an orator , so that he might do justice to the occasion . But he could assure them that such words as he did offer came direct from his heart , and were warm in gratitude to the Stewards of the day and other donors to the Institution . Their thoughts that evening were with the Aged Brethren and the Widows of tha Craft . He had had the pleasure of visiting the Institution
at Croydon the previous day , and had the gratification of being introduced to many dear old ladies there . He made friends of them all , but he did not make love to them all—because James Terry was there , and as was well known he was . always first with the annuitants . With regard to the financial condition , the Men's Fund , founded in 1842 , had since that time supported 970 men ; at the last election there were 202 men , each receiving £ 40 per annum , making £ 8 , 080 ; the permanent income was £ 2 , 295 . There
were at present fifty-five candidates for election , and only twelve vacancies . The Widows' Fund was founded in 1849 ; consequently , this was the Jubilee year of that branch of the Institution . Since it was started , 658 widows were supported ; at the last election there were 245 widows , each receiving £ 32 per annum , making £ 7 , 840 ; and thirty-two widows who received for five years half their husbands' annuities , £ 640 , making £ 8 , 480 ; the permanent income was £ 2 , 813 , so that there was a deficit of £ 5 , 667 to be made up . There
were seventy candidates for election , and only twelve vacancies . At the Croydon Institution there was accommodation for thirty-two residents , who enjoyed a comfortable home in their old age . What a blessing to know that these dear old people had a home and were in a measure provided for . No man could possibly be happy who led a selfish life—the happy man was he who tried to
make others happy , and was willing to join with them in their pleasures , and sympathise with them in their troubles . Their thanks were due to Bro . Terry for all he had done in the many years he had worked for the Institution , and the tact and ability he had exercised in carrying on its work . His name would remain , long after he had passed away , loved and respected , as he one who had done so muoh for that Charity .
Bro . J . A . Farnfield Treasurer of the Institution replied to the toast , returning thanks to the Chairman for the very kind manner in which he had advocated the cause of the Institution that night . He had the pleasure of accompanying their Chairman on his visit to Croydon the previous day , and Lord Llangattock had then expressed himself as delighted with all he saw . He had even said he wished for nothing better in his declining days , should
adversity come upon him , than to occupy two of those rooms at Croydon . During the past year , continued Bro . Farnfield , the Widows' Fund had been in very low water indeed , and they could but hope that when the result of tbat day's Festival was announced it would be found that a large proportion of the subscriptions had been given to it , because its needs were so great , and because it was the Jubilee year of the Fund .
Bro . James Terry Secretary of the Institution then read the list of subscriptions , his appearance and his subsequent remarks calling forth many expressions of approval . It was apparent that on this occasion the worthy Secretary was even more popular among his Stewards than ever , the special recognition accorded him by the Chairman being evidently endorsed to the fullest extent by the large company who were present .
After giving details in regard to the individual Provinces Bro . Terry announced as the , result that 212 Provincial Stewards had raised £ 8 , 211 ; 267 London Stewards ( in addition to thirteen Ladies acting in the metropolis ) had collected £ 9 , 912 ; £ 84 had come from Foreign Stations , and the total result of the Festival , with eighteen lists still outstanding , was £ 18 , 216 8 s 6 d —an announcement which , it is hardly necessary to add , was cheered to the echo .
The Earl of Dartmouth Provincial Grand Master of Staffordshire proposed the next toast . He had been somewhat unexpectedly called upon to submit the health of the Chairman , and while he recognised the compliment ho knew he must face the difficulty . He felt he had to put in words their admiration of all that the Chairman had done for them that day . He felt he might offer a suggestion , and that was that the Chairman should pay