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Article TO THE EDITOR. Page 1 of 1
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To The Editor.
TO THE EDITOR .
Sydenham , June 12 , IIU ~ . SIR AND BROTHER , —1 attended the Festival of the Royal Masonic Benevolent Annuity Fund on the 9 th instant , from a consideration that having been , with others , the first to promote the extension of Masonic Charity to our aged Brethren in distress , 1 had too long delayed supporting an Institution established by Grand Lodge for so worthy a purpose ; but on the occasion was surprizedthat during the evening much
, was said contrary to good taste , if not to truth . The time of holding a festival to support a charitable institution is not the time to comment on the value of other charities of a similar nature , yet our Brother , B . B . Cabbell , M . P ., & c , in the presence of many strenuous advocates of an Asylum for their Aged Distressed Brethren , made a long speech calculated to awaken feelings of discord where unanimity should alone prevail . The Brother alluded to had
and took the opportunity of saying just what he pleased , but he must not suppose that because the friends of the Asylum were obliged to hear him , and could not , at such a time , in courtesy answer his assertions , that they are not prepared to prove the Asylum to be as valuable a Charity as the one he was advocating on so much what he called principle . Our Brother said a great deal about principle ; but I understand the word , as derived from the Latin , to signify a beginning , hence there are good and bad principles ; indeed , it is seen whether a man has been properly instructed in his youth or otherwise by his actions in after
life , and he is called a good or bad principled man accordingly . Now , I contend that the beginning of Masonic Charity to our distressed Aged Brethren was caused by the original promoters of the Asylum , and that the Royal Masonic Benevolent Annuity Fund is only an extension of the principle or beginning ( a child , as it were , of that Institution ) and as such , commands the protection of those who were first instrumental in awakening the Craft to the sense of a duty too long neglected . I do not think it necessary for me to enter into the merits ofthe Aged Freemason ' s Asylum at any length , it having so many able advocates and supporters to protect its interests , but must remark , that the Asylum is not to be regarded as a workhouse more than Les Invalided at Paris ,
Greenwich Hospital , or other similar institutions ; neither is intended for those distressed Aged Brethren who have friends and relatives from whom they would not wish to separate ; but it is intended for Poor Aged Members of the Craft who are friendless and require an Asylum , where the want of friends in their declining existence would not be felt from the ease and comfort provided for them by the liberality of their more fortunate Brethren . In conclusion , I wish the Asylum every success , and merelhopethat should there bewhen the building is erected
y , , , more candidates for admission ( of the class for whom it is intended ) than the funds at command will maintain , the Grand Lodge will , / rom principle , supply the deficiency . I remain , Sir and Brother , yours fraternally , J so . HODUKINSON , P . M . 113 .
Note: This text has been automatically extracted via Optical Character Recognition (OCR) software.
To The Editor.
TO THE EDITOR .
Sydenham , June 12 , IIU ~ . SIR AND BROTHER , —1 attended the Festival of the Royal Masonic Benevolent Annuity Fund on the 9 th instant , from a consideration that having been , with others , the first to promote the extension of Masonic Charity to our aged Brethren in distress , 1 had too long delayed supporting an Institution established by Grand Lodge for so worthy a purpose ; but on the occasion was surprizedthat during the evening much
, was said contrary to good taste , if not to truth . The time of holding a festival to support a charitable institution is not the time to comment on the value of other charities of a similar nature , yet our Brother , B . B . Cabbell , M . P ., & c , in the presence of many strenuous advocates of an Asylum for their Aged Distressed Brethren , made a long speech calculated to awaken feelings of discord where unanimity should alone prevail . The Brother alluded to had
and took the opportunity of saying just what he pleased , but he must not suppose that because the friends of the Asylum were obliged to hear him , and could not , at such a time , in courtesy answer his assertions , that they are not prepared to prove the Asylum to be as valuable a Charity as the one he was advocating on so much what he called principle . Our Brother said a great deal about principle ; but I understand the word , as derived from the Latin , to signify a beginning , hence there are good and bad principles ; indeed , it is seen whether a man has been properly instructed in his youth or otherwise by his actions in after
life , and he is called a good or bad principled man accordingly . Now , I contend that the beginning of Masonic Charity to our distressed Aged Brethren was caused by the original promoters of the Asylum , and that the Royal Masonic Benevolent Annuity Fund is only an extension of the principle or beginning ( a child , as it were , of that Institution ) and as such , commands the protection of those who were first instrumental in awakening the Craft to the sense of a duty too long neglected . I do not think it necessary for me to enter into the merits ofthe Aged Freemason ' s Asylum at any length , it having so many able advocates and supporters to protect its interests , but must remark , that the Asylum is not to be regarded as a workhouse more than Les Invalided at Paris ,
Greenwich Hospital , or other similar institutions ; neither is intended for those distressed Aged Brethren who have friends and relatives from whom they would not wish to separate ; but it is intended for Poor Aged Members of the Craft who are friendless and require an Asylum , where the want of friends in their declining existence would not be felt from the ease and comfort provided for them by the liberality of their more fortunate Brethren . In conclusion , I wish the Asylum every success , and merelhopethat should there bewhen the building is erected
y , , , more candidates for admission ( of the class for whom it is intended ) than the funds at command will maintain , the Grand Lodge will , / rom principle , supply the deficiency . I remain , Sir and Brother , yours fraternally , J so . HODUKINSON , P . M . 113 .