The Mark Benevolent Fund.

THE MARK BENEVOLENT FUND .

THIS year ' s Anniversary Festival of tho Mark Benevolent Fnnd , which was held on Wednesday , affords a further exemplification of the desh-o of English Freemasons to uphold the splendid reputation the Order

has already gained as a medium for dispensing Charity , and affording relief to thoso members or their families who unfortunately fall into distressed circumstances . For the last twenty-one years it has been the custom for brethren associated with Mark Masonry to hold an Annual Festival on behalf of a special Benevolent Fund

for tho Degree , and almost every year the total of the subscriptions announced in connection with these Festivals has exceeded tho result of the preceding one ; indeed , the wholo career of tho Fund may be described as a

continuation of successes , and to-day we find tho organisation , which was started but a comparatively short time back , with modest pretensions , has risen to the dimensions of a

national Institution , drawing support from all parts of tho world , where English Mark Masonry is known , and affording a means of alleviating some of the distress which prevails over an equally wide area .

This year s contributions to the Mark Fund of Benevolence show an increase , as compared with the total of last year , although they hardly reach to what was realised in tho Jnbilee year , 1887 , when , under the presidency of the

Eight Hon . Earl Amherst , a sum of £ 2260 was realised . With this one exception the support given this year is the largest ever known in the history of tho Fund , and it hardly seems possible , when we look at the £ 2084 2 s Gd

total of Wednesday last , that as recently as 1869 the first Festival was held , under the presidency of tho lately deceased Canon Portal , when the modest sum of £ 97 2 s 8 d was contributed , at the hands of six Stewards . The

following year ( 1870 ) the total was but £ 53 odd , while in 1871 it rose to £ 85 8 s . For the next few years it varied from £ 176 lis 6 d in 1875 , to £ 96 15 s in 1876 , after which

we have a jump to £ 221 9 s in 1877 , since which period the success of the Fund may be said to have been assured , the contributions gradually rising , until , in 1884 , they

totalled up to £ 832 19 s . Then came a period of great prosperity for the Fund , the succeeding year ' s total being more than double that of its predecessor , tho actunl figures of 1885 being £ 1721 16 s Od . Thc year 1886

showed a slight falling off , £ 1534 ' 10 s 6 d being collected , but this was amply compensated for by tho grand success of the following year— -to which we have already alludedthe £ 2260 of 1887 . This was succeeded by an annonnceof £ 1818 12 s , and now we have the £ 2084 2 a Gd of the

current year . Altogether then we may look upon tho present income of this special Masonic Charity as something like two thousand pounds per annum , with the same

prospects of its increasing in the future , year by year , as it has done in the past , providing the need exists for more liberal support , and that , unfortunately , is always suro to be the case .

The fund thus raised by tho Mark Degree is devoted to the ^ relief of special cases of distress brought nnder the notice of the General Board , while provision is also made for

permanent annuities for the aged of both sexes , and tho education of both boys and girls , children of Mark Master Masons . All moneys are equally divided for these three objects , and so carefully have they been distributed in years

The Mark Benevolent Fund.

gone by that no applicant for either branch , whose caso has been found worthy , has ever been sent away unrelieved . This is saying a groat deal , when we remember tho many thousands who havo been associated with tho English Mark

Grand Lodge , and we hopo that tho samo most satisfactory state of affairs may always continue , both for tho sake of those who may need help , as well as for tho reputation of tho Mark Degree .

Mark Masonry.

MARK MASONRY .

A SPECIAL Grand Lodge of Mark Master Masons of England and Wales and tho Colonies and Dependencies of tho British Crown was held on Wednesday , at No . 8 a Bed Lion-square . Lord Egerton of Tatton , M . W . Pro G . M ., presided , and among the brethren present

wero : —W . J . Hughan P . G . W . acting as S . G . Warden , Sir Lionel Darell J . G . W ., W . G . Lemon S . G . O ., II . Kynaston G . Chap ., Frank Richardson G . Registrar ,

Frank Sumner Knyvett S . G . D ., IT . E . Cousans J . G . D ., Robert Berridge G . D . C , J . B . Bridgeman A . G . D . C ., J . H . Matthews A . G . D . C ., T . B . Purchas G . S . B ., J . Main waring G . I . G ., J . W . H . Thompson , S . Knierht . and J . M . Collins G . Stewards . Baron do

C 5 * Ferrieres P . G . M . Gloucester and Herefordshire , J . II . Wynne P . G . I . G ., C . F . Woodall P . S . G . D ., J . L . Murray P . G . Standard Bearer , N . T . West P . G . O ., Alfred Williams P . G . M . O ., Walter Adlard P . G . M . O ., Goo . Allen P . G . O ., Geo . Gravelev P . G . S . B ., John A . Lloyd P . G . C ,

John Ramsey P . A . G . D . C , Driver P G . Standard Bearer , R . I . Emmens P . G . M . O ., B . R , Bryant P . G . Standard Bearer , T . Cubitt P . S . G . O ., E . T . Hoare P . G . Organist , J . S . Cumberland P . J . G . O ., G . Powell P . G . S ., James Stevons P . G . J . O ., Georgo Mickley P . G . D ., Jabez Church P . G . S ., A . B . Cook P . G . M . O ., Chas . H . Driver P . G . M . O ., Lord Euston P . S . G . W . P . G . B ., Thos . J . Railing P . G . D ., Edwin M . Lott P . G . Organist . W . H . Kempster , M . D ., P . G ,

Steward , R . Loveland Loveland D . P . G . M . M . Hants , and others . After preliminaries Lord Egerton of Tatton said : Brethren , you havo heard tho notice just read convening this meeting , tho object of which is to receive a special

communication from his Royal Highness the M . W . G . M . I havo received a letter from Sir Francis Knollys , in which it is stated that his Royal Highness entirely approves of tho recommendations of tho General Board , which

arefirst , that a Special Grand Mark Lodge bo held to invest a new Grand Secretary in the place of Bro . Binckes , who has resigned ; his Royal Highness has also signified his approval of thc recommendation that a sum of £ 125 be

given to Bro . Binckes as a retiring allowance . I havo now , therefore , to signify his Royal Highness ' s approval of the appointment of Bro . Matier , Assistant Grand Secretary , as Grand Secretary—and I have his Royal Highness ' s

command to invest him , in lieu of Bro . Binckes , as Grand Secretary . In answer to a question from Bro . Percy Wallis ( Derby ) , Lord Egerton of Tatton said , that tho retiring allowance was to bo an annual allowance . Tho

Earl of Euston formerly moved that a retiring allowance of £ 125 a year bo granted to Bro . Binckes . Lord Egerton said we like to do that which is right and just to a man who has served Mark Masonry so well and so long . At tbe General Board , when Bro . Binckes signified his intention fco retire ,