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Article THE FESTIVAL OF THE BENEVOLENT INSTITUTION. ← Page 2 of 3 Article THE FESTIVAL OF THE BENEVOLENT INSTITUTION. Page 2 of 3 →
Note: This text has been automatically extracted via Optical Character Recognition (OCR) software.
The Festival Of The Benevolent Institution.
which he hoped wonld support him as well as tho Province of Kent had scpported tbeir Provincial Grand Master that evening . Lord Amherst next proposed : —
Success to the Royal Masonic Benevolent Institution for Aged Freemasons and Widows of Freemasons . Hitherto the toasts of the evening had been despatched with some celerity , bnfc he was afraid he must now intrude himself a little longer on the notice of tho brethren , as the Institution which caused the brethren's attendance that evening deserved some more lengthened observations , and ho
trusted that what he mi ght say wonld command itsplf to their thoughtful consideration . The Masonic Institutions stood in a peculiar position , a different position to other charitable institution ? , because at the festivals of Charities which were not Masonio the lists went round when the dinner was completed , and the Chairman might hope by appealing to his hearers to seduce some lingering
guinea from the corner of Bome pooket where it had hitherto seemed forgotten . Bnt at the Masonio Festivals the Chairman was in this position—that the Stewards had already done their work , and he was afraid had done it so effeotually that if a guinea was found there it was a great discovery . Let them hope that the most worthy Seoretary , Bro . Terry , would be satisfied when he announced the lists ,
and that they would show that the result of the Stewards' efforts had not been in vain , and that the sum whioh had been obtained would be worthy of the occasion whioh had called them together . He would be wrong in dismissing the toast without giving the brethren some little detail of the work of the Charity on whose behalf they were assembled . He need not go into the past history of the
Institution—a long reoitation of the past of the Charity would be somewhat of a mistake . Their task was with the present , although the Institution had done a great work in the past . As regarded tho present needs of the Institution , ho found by the figures which the excellent Seoretary had put in his hands , that on the old men ' s fund the annual income was £ 2030 , and without any charges for the
establishment or maintenance , there was a yearly call on the old men's fund alone of £ 7240 . That was a large snm , but the brethren must remember that they were now giving annuities to 181 males , of £ 40 each . That was a very large expenditure , and if the annual deficit had to be made cp on these occasions , tho brethren must remember the deficit was not caused by tho managomont and those
who had charge of the Charity , bnt by the large claims on the Charity and the small amount of the income . Take the Female side of the Institution . They had 230 widows , each receiving £ 32 . That entailed an expense of £ 7360 a year . And there were in addition widows receiving half of their late husband ' s annuities to the amount of £ 480 a year . Tho two amounted to £ 7840 a year .
As against that they had tho permanent sources of income , and the grants from Grand Lodge and Grand Chapter , and the dividends from the funded property , £ 1634 , left a deficit on the female side of £ 6200 per annum , or a deficit on the two funds of something like £ 13 , 000 n year . Thnt had to be made up by the liberality of the Cratt . That was a serious matter . But the Craft hitherto had never
failed to moke up the amount of the difference betweon the income oi which the Charity conld rely and tho amount which was required to uirnt tbn demand made on the Institution . All tho coses whioh sought to be put on tho list were carefully examined by the Committer-, and they were certifiod to he worthy . There wore on the lift a larger unmber than could possibly be elected . That being so ,
it behoved the brethren to strain every nerve to support such a deserving Charity . The brethren must remember that those on behalf of whom he pleaded had been once in reputable circumstances , many of them had come among the brethren and been at those Festivals , and now through old ago and no fault of their own were in want of relief . There might be widows for whom he was pleading
whose Inte hnsb'inds sat at those Festivals and subscribed their money to the Charity liberally , some of them perhaps had taken their pnrt as Stowards , and in their career had recommended the canso all Freemasons had at heart . Masonry was not a great benefit society . He had always insisted on those occasions that Freemasonry never was and was never intended to bo a great benefit
society . In its Institutions it was carrying out the highest principles of tho Order ; it was carrying out the cause whioh had banded Masons together—the endeavour to alleviate the wants and sufferings of those who had given their lifetime to the Order and were worth y members of the Craft . Ho conld wish that at the close of that Festival a considerable addition might be made to the funded
property of the Institution so that the calls on the brethren annuall y would be less . Bnt the respected Secretary , Bro . Terry , had mentioned that the Craft in England had never failed in their liberality , and it was to be hoped that the income might be made up to such a snm as to be able to meet all the demands which might grow up . He hoped that sufficient funds wonld be available so that the
Committee might never have to deny those who wanted assistance . The brethren would not , he was sure , have been present that night in such large numbers if they had not been sure that the Charity was well worthy of their support . He did not hope that any word of his conld extract any more from their pockets ; as he had said , the Stewards had left him in the peculiar position of not being able to
get another guinea . But if that was the case , the efforts of the Stewards had not been in vain . They might have to support tho other Charities of the Order , to educate the boys and girls of those who had fallen into distress ; but even though they had to support those , " Let them the tender office long engage ,
And smooth the pillow of declining age . He trusted that the Craft would Bhow it was not unworthy of them as men and as Masons . He was sure that the brethren would not refuse to drink in the heartiest way the toast which he now proposed .
Bro . J . A . Farnfield , Treasurer of the Institution ,
The Festival Of The Benevolent Institution.
responded , and then Bro . Terry , the Secretary , announced the amount of the subscriptions , of which we give full details elsewhere . Bro . Farnfield said : —
It was with somewhat of mixed feelings they had approached that ; Festival , becans * they knew that next year the Jubilee of the Institution would take pkoe , and they feared that many of the brethren would hold back from being Stewards this year , in order to come forward next , and raise so large a sum as to obtain a fund to which the Chairman had so properly alluded . Fortunately , however , Lord Amherst oame forward as Chairman , and he had been nobly supported by the Kentish brethren .
Lord Dungarvan proposed the health of the Chairman : he said : —
He had just asked Lord Amherst how long he had been a Free , mason , and the reply was that it was so long he could scarcel y remember . He did not believe that , bnt Lord Amherst told him he had been a Provinoial Grand Master for over 30 years . He ( Lord Dnngarvan ) though he was the youngest Provinoial Grand Master ; now Lord Amherst said he was appointed Provincial Grand Master
when he was 24 years of age . He ( Lord Dungarvan ) only hoped that by following Lord Amherst's example he would one day obtain some of that respect and esteem with whioh Lord Amherst was treated by every one . It was very hard to say in a man ' s presenoe what one thought of him , but ho might say that as Freemasons they were all delighted to pay honour where honour was due , and he asked them to honour the Chairman by drinking his health .
Earl Amherst , in reply , said : — He was extremely obliged to the brethren for tho kind way in which they had responded to the toast , and to bis B . W . Brother for the kind way in whioh he had proposed it . If his servicos on occasions like the present were of any use to Masonry , so ninch tho better for him , for he could only say it gave him the greatest possible pleasure to come forward to help the Institution . He had
to thank the brethren who had supported him , particularly those of his own Province , but they never refused to como forward to support him . On those oocasions it was more the cause of Charity they came to support . The Chairman was a finely ornamental figure . Nevertheless , he thanked the brethren for their response and for their kind reception of him that evening .
Bro . Major George Lambert proposed " The Other Masonic Institutions . "
It was only rig ht and proper that while they thought most kindly of the old people with whom they had had the honour and pleasure of , perhaps , being associated with in those Festivals , and who , perhaps , had supported the boys and the girls , they should not be oblivions of the fact that the children of Masons were growing up and must be looked after and sought out and educated to make them
useful members of society and a credit to the Craft . The Girls ' Sohool was a Grand Institution , and it was a great privilege to assist and help it . They were not forgetful of tho Centenary year of the Institution , when they received so large an amount of money at their meeting in the Albert Hall . They thought a great deal of that , and they respected the brethren who so largely contributed on
that occasion ; they thanked them even now , and he hoped and trusted that when the Benevolent Institution for the poor and aged had its Jubilee Festival next year , and its Contenary 50 years later , the brethren would muster round its Chairmen and be even more numerous than they were that night . With regard to the Boys ' School he wished it God-speed in the way it was being conducted . Great alterations had been made in its arrangements which they felt
were for its good . They got out of the beaten track and wanted new blood . That new blood had been ponred into it , and it must prosper . Let them not allow it to go to the wall for want of support , bnt help it in its indigence and in the good and excellent edncatiou it WOB giving . He hoped both the Boys' and the Girls' Schools would be well to the fore this year , and he had now the pleasure of proposing success to those two great Charities , whioh be asked every brother in the room to support .
The toast was honoured , and then Bro . Terry expressed regret at the absence of Bro . Hedges , who , he was sorry to say , was ill , and Bro . McLeod , who had gone to Newark , and was on his way to the Festival , had not yet arrived . The present was the first occasion he could remember of the other two Institutions being unrepresented at the Festival of the Benevolent .
Bro . Col . Clifford proposed " The Stewards , " and Bro . J . S . Eastes D . P . G . M . Kent , President of the Board , in response , said : —
He had hoped that the proposition of the toast would have been left to the Chairman , the Provincial Grand Master of Kent ; but , on behalf of the Board nf Stewnrd p , he begged to say that those brethren folt very gratified at the acknowledgment of their work . It was a very hearty toast . There was a large Board of Stewards from tho
Province of Kent . The Board of Stewards had done their utmost to make that Festival o srjcco ? s , and all most , admit that the Province of Kent had done a great deal . Thoy had that sort of kinship in Kent that when their Provincial Grand Master presided over anything they supported him . Earl Amherst had done so on former occasions , and h » had done so that day . Ho ( Bro . Eastes )
Note: This text has been automatically extracted via Optical Character Recognition (OCR) software.
The Festival Of The Benevolent Institution.
which he hoped wonld support him as well as tho Province of Kent had scpported tbeir Provincial Grand Master that evening . Lord Amherst next proposed : —
Success to the Royal Masonic Benevolent Institution for Aged Freemasons and Widows of Freemasons . Hitherto the toasts of the evening had been despatched with some celerity , bnfc he was afraid he must now intrude himself a little longer on the notice of tho brethren , as the Institution which caused the brethren's attendance that evening deserved some more lengthened observations , and ho
trusted that what he mi ght say wonld command itsplf to their thoughtful consideration . The Masonic Institutions stood in a peculiar position , a different position to other charitable institution ? , because at the festivals of Charities which were not Masonio the lists went round when the dinner was completed , and the Chairman might hope by appealing to his hearers to seduce some lingering
guinea from the corner of Bome pooket where it had hitherto seemed forgotten . Bnt at the Masonio Festivals the Chairman was in this position—that the Stewards had already done their work , and he was afraid had done it so effeotually that if a guinea was found there it was a great discovery . Let them hope that the most worthy Seoretary , Bro . Terry , would be satisfied when he announced the lists ,
and that they would show that the result of the Stewards' efforts had not been in vain , and that the sum whioh had been obtained would be worthy of the occasion whioh had called them together . He would be wrong in dismissing the toast without giving the brethren some little detail of the work of the Charity on whose behalf they were assembled . He need not go into the past history of the
Institution—a long reoitation of the past of the Charity would be somewhat of a mistake . Their task was with the present , although the Institution had done a great work in the past . As regarded tho present needs of the Institution , ho found by the figures which the excellent Seoretary had put in his hands , that on the old men ' s fund the annual income was £ 2030 , and without any charges for the
establishment or maintenance , there was a yearly call on the old men's fund alone of £ 7240 . That was a large snm , but the brethren must remember that they were now giving annuities to 181 males , of £ 40 each . That was a very large expenditure , and if the annual deficit had to be made cp on these occasions , tho brethren must remember the deficit was not caused by tho managomont and those
who had charge of the Charity , bnt by the large claims on the Charity and the small amount of the income . Take the Female side of the Institution . They had 230 widows , each receiving £ 32 . That entailed an expense of £ 7360 a year . And there were in addition widows receiving half of their late husband ' s annuities to the amount of £ 480 a year . Tho two amounted to £ 7840 a year .
As against that they had tho permanent sources of income , and the grants from Grand Lodge and Grand Chapter , and the dividends from the funded property , £ 1634 , left a deficit on the female side of £ 6200 per annum , or a deficit on the two funds of something like £ 13 , 000 n year . Thnt had to be made up by the liberality of the Cratt . That was a serious matter . But the Craft hitherto had never
failed to moke up the amount of the difference betweon the income oi which the Charity conld rely and tho amount which was required to uirnt tbn demand made on the Institution . All tho coses whioh sought to be put on tho list were carefully examined by the Committer-, and they were certifiod to he worthy . There wore on the lift a larger unmber than could possibly be elected . That being so ,
it behoved the brethren to strain every nerve to support such a deserving Charity . The brethren must remember that those on behalf of whom he pleaded had been once in reputable circumstances , many of them had come among the brethren and been at those Festivals , and now through old ago and no fault of their own were in want of relief . There might be widows for whom he was pleading
whose Inte hnsb'inds sat at those Festivals and subscribed their money to the Charity liberally , some of them perhaps had taken their pnrt as Stowards , and in their career had recommended the canso all Freemasons had at heart . Masonry was not a great benefit society . He had always insisted on those occasions that Freemasonry never was and was never intended to bo a great benefit
society . In its Institutions it was carrying out the highest principles of tho Order ; it was carrying out the cause whioh had banded Masons together—the endeavour to alleviate the wants and sufferings of those who had given their lifetime to the Order and were worth y members of the Craft . Ho conld wish that at the close of that Festival a considerable addition might be made to the funded
property of the Institution so that the calls on the brethren annuall y would be less . Bnt the respected Secretary , Bro . Terry , had mentioned that the Craft in England had never failed in their liberality , and it was to be hoped that the income might be made up to such a snm as to be able to meet all the demands which might grow up . He hoped that sufficient funds wonld be available so that the
Committee might never have to deny those who wanted assistance . The brethren would not , he was sure , have been present that night in such large numbers if they had not been sure that the Charity was well worthy of their support . He did not hope that any word of his conld extract any more from their pockets ; as he had said , the Stewards had left him in the peculiar position of not being able to
get another guinea . But if that was the case , the efforts of the Stewards had not been in vain . They might have to support tho other Charities of the Order , to educate the boys and girls of those who had fallen into distress ; but even though they had to support those , " Let them the tender office long engage ,
And smooth the pillow of declining age . He trusted that the Craft would Bhow it was not unworthy of them as men and as Masons . He was sure that the brethren would not refuse to drink in the heartiest way the toast which he now proposed .
Bro . J . A . Farnfield , Treasurer of the Institution ,
The Festival Of The Benevolent Institution.
responded , and then Bro . Terry , the Secretary , announced the amount of the subscriptions , of which we give full details elsewhere . Bro . Farnfield said : —
It was with somewhat of mixed feelings they had approached that ; Festival , becans * they knew that next year the Jubilee of the Institution would take pkoe , and they feared that many of the brethren would hold back from being Stewards this year , in order to come forward next , and raise so large a sum as to obtain a fund to which the Chairman had so properly alluded . Fortunately , however , Lord Amherst oame forward as Chairman , and he had been nobly supported by the Kentish brethren .
Lord Dungarvan proposed the health of the Chairman : he said : —
He had just asked Lord Amherst how long he had been a Free , mason , and the reply was that it was so long he could scarcel y remember . He did not believe that , bnt Lord Amherst told him he had been a Provinoial Grand Master for over 30 years . He ( Lord Dnngarvan ) though he was the youngest Provinoial Grand Master ; now Lord Amherst said he was appointed Provincial Grand Master
when he was 24 years of age . He ( Lord Dungarvan ) only hoped that by following Lord Amherst's example he would one day obtain some of that respect and esteem with whioh Lord Amherst was treated by every one . It was very hard to say in a man ' s presenoe what one thought of him , but ho might say that as Freemasons they were all delighted to pay honour where honour was due , and he asked them to honour the Chairman by drinking his health .
Earl Amherst , in reply , said : — He was extremely obliged to the brethren for tho kind way in which they had responded to the toast , and to bis B . W . Brother for the kind way in whioh he had proposed it . If his servicos on occasions like the present were of any use to Masonry , so ninch tho better for him , for he could only say it gave him the greatest possible pleasure to come forward to help the Institution . He had
to thank the brethren who had supported him , particularly those of his own Province , but they never refused to como forward to support him . On those oocasions it was more the cause of Charity they came to support . The Chairman was a finely ornamental figure . Nevertheless , he thanked the brethren for their response and for their kind reception of him that evening .
Bro . Major George Lambert proposed " The Other Masonic Institutions . "
It was only rig ht and proper that while they thought most kindly of the old people with whom they had had the honour and pleasure of , perhaps , being associated with in those Festivals , and who , perhaps , had supported the boys and the girls , they should not be oblivions of the fact that the children of Masons were growing up and must be looked after and sought out and educated to make them
useful members of society and a credit to the Craft . The Girls ' Sohool was a Grand Institution , and it was a great privilege to assist and help it . They were not forgetful of tho Centenary year of the Institution , when they received so large an amount of money at their meeting in the Albert Hall . They thought a great deal of that , and they respected the brethren who so largely contributed on
that occasion ; they thanked them even now , and he hoped and trusted that when the Benevolent Institution for the poor and aged had its Jubilee Festival next year , and its Contenary 50 years later , the brethren would muster round its Chairmen and be even more numerous than they were that night . With regard to the Boys ' School he wished it God-speed in the way it was being conducted . Great alterations had been made in its arrangements which they felt
were for its good . They got out of the beaten track and wanted new blood . That new blood had been ponred into it , and it must prosper . Let them not allow it to go to the wall for want of support , bnt help it in its indigence and in the good and excellent edncatiou it WOB giving . He hoped both the Boys' and the Girls' Schools would be well to the fore this year , and he had now the pleasure of proposing success to those two great Charities , whioh be asked every brother in the room to support .
The toast was honoured , and then Bro . Terry expressed regret at the absence of Bro . Hedges , who , he was sorry to say , was ill , and Bro . McLeod , who had gone to Newark , and was on his way to the Festival , had not yet arrived . The present was the first occasion he could remember of the other two Institutions being unrepresented at the Festival of the Benevolent .
Bro . Col . Clifford proposed " The Stewards , " and Bro . J . S . Eastes D . P . G . M . Kent , President of the Board , in response , said : —
He had hoped that the proposition of the toast would have been left to the Chairman , the Provincial Grand Master of Kent ; but , on behalf of the Board nf Stewnrd p , he begged to say that those brethren folt very gratified at the acknowledgment of their work . It was a very hearty toast . There was a large Board of Stewards from tho
Province of Kent . The Board of Stewards had done their utmost to make that Festival o srjcco ? s , and all most , admit that the Province of Kent had done a great deal . Thoy had that sort of kinship in Kent that when their Provincial Grand Master presided over anything they supported him . Earl Amherst had done so on former occasions , and h » had done so that day . Ho ( Bro . Eastes )