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Note: This text has been automatically extracted via Optical Character Recognition (OCR) software.
Organizers Of Charity.
ORGANIZERS OF CHARITY .
IT is very doubtful whether there are many brethren , among the number -who bear of tbe grand amounts annually collected on behalf of the three great Masonio Institutions , who have any idea how the bulk of the sums which are subscribed are raised . They may know that at
the yearly Festivals tbe London Lodges sent up a total of so much ; that on each occasion some one or other of the Provinces headed the list of country contributions ( with a total of £ 1000 , £ 2000 , or upwards ) , but if we inquire as to the component parts of these totals , or of the grand one of
the year—be it £ 40 , 000 , £ 45 , 000 , £ 50 , 000 , or more—they are at a loss to answer ; and we believe there are few beyond those who have actually served the office of Steward who can form any idea of tbe labour represented by " the charity work of a year ; " while even among the Stewards themselves there are some who have done little more than
hand over the voluntary contributions of the brethren of their own Lodges , supplemented by a gift of their own . There are , indeed , very few who can testify to tbe amount of hard work and perseverance that is needed—not only just prior to tbe annual Festivals , but also continuously , week
by week , and month by month , to arrive at tbe results ultimately achieved . Were it possible to analyse the lists of the several Stewards we should find that the body of donors interested in providing the grand total of the year on behalf of our Institutions was indeed very large , the
number of names , at a very rough estimate , being considerably over fifteen thousand , while in not a few cases the amounts accredited might be again subdivided , as in the cases of Lodges , a donation of five or ten guineas from one of which might represent a gift from forty or fifty brethren .
But it is not only tbe brethren whose names appear on the respective Stewards' lists who hel p to swell the annual totals ; there is a great amount of work being carried on by brethren whom we may justly denominate " Organizers of Charity . " Men who are not content when they have
contributed as far as they are personally able to do , but who are always at work to secure donations from others . Wo need not look further than to the rules of the Institutions themselves to learn how the work of these brethren is appreciated , votes being now given to those who , without actually
serving the office of Steward , have interested themselves in obtaining sums from their friends ; but even this branch does not complete the list of those who are actively working for the good of the less fortunate members of the Craft . It is now some time since that the first Charity
Association—having for its object the securing to each ° i its members Life Governorships of one or other of the Masonic Institutions by small periodical payments —was started , but at the present time we imagine the brethren who are not acquainted withor are working
, Jor , one or other of the many now established , are in the onnori fcy , while the sums raised through these channels forms no insignificant part of each year ' s total . It is to the brethren who manage these Associations that the Craft is indebted for no small share of the success which
has latel y attended the Charities , and too much praise cannot be given to them as a body . We believe it was Bro . Nicholas Wingfield , P . M . 169 and 1155 , who originated this scheme of obtaining Life Governorships by ballot , his original Association terminating about 1869 , atter having met with hearty support among the friends
Organizers Of Charity.
of tbe founder in JBermondsey and Rotherbithe . We next hear of the North Eastern Masonic Charitable Association , started in 1870 , with Bro . J . J . Wilson P . M . 813 , & c , as President , Bro . J . Bellerby P . M . 65 , & c Vice President , J . Newton P . M . 174 Treasurer , and James Terry P . M .
228 Hon . Sec . This Association , at its completion , about the end of 1878 , showed that a total of £ 1090 had been contributed to the Institutions through its Stewards . Since then many kindred Associations have been brought to a successful termination , some showing more satisfactory
returns as regards amounts ; others a falling-off , not on account of any lack of enthusiasm , but because it is not always possible to obtain a membership large enough to realise such a result as was then achieved . It would be useless here to attempt to give any detailed list of the
Associations now at work , for their number , both in London and throughout the Provinces , is very great ; but in all of them the same good feeling exists , and the same good cause is the one worked for—the raising of money
for tbe benefit of tbe Masonic Institutions . It must indeed be a pleasure to the pioneers of the movement to watch the progress of the scheme they were so enthusiastically associated with .
We recently recorded the completion of one of these Associations , to-day we chronicle the close of another , and the start of its successor , and so we go on week by week . Indeed , it is seldom but we could record something of interest in connection with this particular branch of
practical Freemasonry , the success of which has now been fully established . It is true tbat the totals raised by each successive Association , so far as comparison has been possible , have shown somewhat of a falling off , but this is not due to any waning of interest in tbe Associations themselves , but
arises from the fact of their being so much more numerous now , and consequently more confined in the circles from which they can enlist supporters . Associations started years ago drew their members from several Lodges and
Lodges of Instruction , whereas , at the present day , many of the former , and most of the latter , are working Associations on their own account , and thus it is that most have to look to their own circle only for co-operation .
In the Provinces it is not at all uncommon to find such Associations being conducted in connection with tbe Provincial Grand Lodge , or under the direction of some of the more prominent officials of the district , and there also we may trace many of the five and ten guinea
donationswhich go so far to make up the total of the year—to Associations snch as we have referred to , and which , with tbe brethren who conduct them , must ever occupy a prominent position on the list of " Organizers of Charity . " Another branch of this subject , and one to which attention
might well be directed at the present time , is the formation in connection with private Lodges of Benevolent Funds . Funds from which it may be possible to relieve distress among old members without its being necessary to put their case before the world at large . Benevolence which is quietly
and quickly administered is , at all times , far to be preferred to that which has to be discussed among comparative strangers , and may be weeks in reaching its recipient , and there can surely be no better method of administering
benevolence than by the establishment of Benevolent Funds in connection with our Lodges . We have often seen , during our visits to private Lodges , what it is possible to do where a Charity Fund exists in a Lodge , and the opinion thus formed enables us to recommend
Note: This text has been automatically extracted via Optical Character Recognition (OCR) software.
Organizers Of Charity.
ORGANIZERS OF CHARITY .
IT is very doubtful whether there are many brethren , among the number -who bear of tbe grand amounts annually collected on behalf of the three great Masonio Institutions , who have any idea how the bulk of the sums which are subscribed are raised . They may know that at
the yearly Festivals tbe London Lodges sent up a total of so much ; that on each occasion some one or other of the Provinces headed the list of country contributions ( with a total of £ 1000 , £ 2000 , or upwards ) , but if we inquire as to the component parts of these totals , or of the grand one of
the year—be it £ 40 , 000 , £ 45 , 000 , £ 50 , 000 , or more—they are at a loss to answer ; and we believe there are few beyond those who have actually served the office of Steward who can form any idea of tbe labour represented by " the charity work of a year ; " while even among the Stewards themselves there are some who have done little more than
hand over the voluntary contributions of the brethren of their own Lodges , supplemented by a gift of their own . There are , indeed , very few who can testify to tbe amount of hard work and perseverance that is needed—not only just prior to tbe annual Festivals , but also continuously , week
by week , and month by month , to arrive at tbe results ultimately achieved . Were it possible to analyse the lists of the several Stewards we should find that the body of donors interested in providing the grand total of the year on behalf of our Institutions was indeed very large , the
number of names , at a very rough estimate , being considerably over fifteen thousand , while in not a few cases the amounts accredited might be again subdivided , as in the cases of Lodges , a donation of five or ten guineas from one of which might represent a gift from forty or fifty brethren .
But it is not only tbe brethren whose names appear on the respective Stewards' lists who hel p to swell the annual totals ; there is a great amount of work being carried on by brethren whom we may justly denominate " Organizers of Charity . " Men who are not content when they have
contributed as far as they are personally able to do , but who are always at work to secure donations from others . Wo need not look further than to the rules of the Institutions themselves to learn how the work of these brethren is appreciated , votes being now given to those who , without actually
serving the office of Steward , have interested themselves in obtaining sums from their friends ; but even this branch does not complete the list of those who are actively working for the good of the less fortunate members of the Craft . It is now some time since that the first Charity
Association—having for its object the securing to each ° i its members Life Governorships of one or other of the Masonic Institutions by small periodical payments —was started , but at the present time we imagine the brethren who are not acquainted withor are working
, Jor , one or other of the many now established , are in the onnori fcy , while the sums raised through these channels forms no insignificant part of each year ' s total . It is to the brethren who manage these Associations that the Craft is indebted for no small share of the success which
has latel y attended the Charities , and too much praise cannot be given to them as a body . We believe it was Bro . Nicholas Wingfield , P . M . 169 and 1155 , who originated this scheme of obtaining Life Governorships by ballot , his original Association terminating about 1869 , atter having met with hearty support among the friends
Organizers Of Charity.
of tbe founder in JBermondsey and Rotherbithe . We next hear of the North Eastern Masonic Charitable Association , started in 1870 , with Bro . J . J . Wilson P . M . 813 , & c , as President , Bro . J . Bellerby P . M . 65 , & c Vice President , J . Newton P . M . 174 Treasurer , and James Terry P . M .
228 Hon . Sec . This Association , at its completion , about the end of 1878 , showed that a total of £ 1090 had been contributed to the Institutions through its Stewards . Since then many kindred Associations have been brought to a successful termination , some showing more satisfactory
returns as regards amounts ; others a falling-off , not on account of any lack of enthusiasm , but because it is not always possible to obtain a membership large enough to realise such a result as was then achieved . It would be useless here to attempt to give any detailed list of the
Associations now at work , for their number , both in London and throughout the Provinces , is very great ; but in all of them the same good feeling exists , and the same good cause is the one worked for—the raising of money
for tbe benefit of tbe Masonic Institutions . It must indeed be a pleasure to the pioneers of the movement to watch the progress of the scheme they were so enthusiastically associated with .
We recently recorded the completion of one of these Associations , to-day we chronicle the close of another , and the start of its successor , and so we go on week by week . Indeed , it is seldom but we could record something of interest in connection with this particular branch of
practical Freemasonry , the success of which has now been fully established . It is true tbat the totals raised by each successive Association , so far as comparison has been possible , have shown somewhat of a falling off , but this is not due to any waning of interest in tbe Associations themselves , but
arises from the fact of their being so much more numerous now , and consequently more confined in the circles from which they can enlist supporters . Associations started years ago drew their members from several Lodges and
Lodges of Instruction , whereas , at the present day , many of the former , and most of the latter , are working Associations on their own account , and thus it is that most have to look to their own circle only for co-operation .
In the Provinces it is not at all uncommon to find such Associations being conducted in connection with tbe Provincial Grand Lodge , or under the direction of some of the more prominent officials of the district , and there also we may trace many of the five and ten guinea
donationswhich go so far to make up the total of the year—to Associations snch as we have referred to , and which , with tbe brethren who conduct them , must ever occupy a prominent position on the list of " Organizers of Charity . " Another branch of this subject , and one to which attention
might well be directed at the present time , is the formation in connection with private Lodges of Benevolent Funds . Funds from which it may be possible to relieve distress among old members without its being necessary to put their case before the world at large . Benevolence which is quietly
and quickly administered is , at all times , far to be preferred to that which has to be discussed among comparative strangers , and may be weeks in reaching its recipient , and there can surely be no better method of administering
benevolence than by the establishment of Benevolent Funds in connection with our Lodges . We have often seen , during our visits to private Lodges , what it is possible to do where a Charity Fund exists in a Lodge , and the opinion thus formed enables us to recommend