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Article TO THE EDITOR. ← Page 3 of 3
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To The Editor.
It would be much better to meet in private halls , as on the continent ; the answer is , we have none ; then I ask are we so poor we cannot build ? If so , as an alternative , I would suggest the jiropriety of paying the master of the tavern liberally for the use of his rooms , ancl having a very moderate banquet , and at the end of each year let the balance in hand be paid over to the funds of charity , or otherwise , as may be deemed advisablealways having a small balance in hand of the Treasurer of the
, Lodge , to meet any contingencies that may arise . I do not wish to set aside our social enjoyments . I assure you I am no advocate of abstinence ( misnamed temperance ) societies , but moderation in all things is what I consider to he temperance , and what I wish to see practised ( not talked of ) in our Lodges . It will be objected by many that our meetings would fall off if the banquet was much economized : I cannot , however think of our Brethren as the late Sir Joseph Yorke , thought of
the whole English community , " that without a good dinner , and generous wine , aye , and plenty of it , there are no subscriptions to be had for charity ; " in this observation , I hope the worthy baronet did not include the Masonic fraternity . We have upwards of 100 Lodges called London Lodges , and these on an average , expend at the banquet table upwards of 100 / . per annum . Now by curtailing the expenditure 33 , ^ per cent , for three years a fund of 10 , 000 / . would arise : how then can our charities want support , when by such a small sacrifice so much may be done , by the London Lodges alone ? We have under the charter of the Grand Lodge of Englandupwards of 600 Lodges , if each of these were to
, follow the same example look at the result . Not above one fourth of that number subscribe voluntarily to our charities ; now I really think that every Lodge can afford one guinea per annum to each charity , say to three . What is three guineas a year to such noble objects ? By these means 630 / . per annum would be raised for the support of each . Again as to individual subscribers they are very few in proportion to our numbers , about the average of one to each Lodge . Now I am sure there is
not above one subscribing Member in ten of the Masonic body who cannot afford to lessen his indulgences weekly to the amount of Is . 3 d . which in fifty-two weeks amounts to 31 . 5 s . ; this would enable the greater number of our Members to be subscribers to each of our three charities , viz : the two Schools , and the Asylum . Any man of very limited income can do what I have stated , for where the will is the way will not be wanting . This advice , if generally adopted , would in a very
short time render our Fraternity truly noble , in act as well as in word , by carrying out the grand and fundamental principles of our Order , and , " Ye shall be as feet to the lame , and eyes to the blind , " & c , & c . Should any part , or the whole of these crude observations , appear worthy your notice , in the next number of the Masonic Quarterly Review , the sincerity which has dictated them , will I hope make up for my want of ability ; and should they aid the cause I have so long had
at heart , —the regeneration of our Lodge management—we shall shortly see our Charities properly ancl generally supported . I am , dear Sir , and Brother , Yours Fraternally , UTILITY .
Note: This text has been automatically extracted via Optical Character Recognition (OCR) software.
To The Editor.
It would be much better to meet in private halls , as on the continent ; the answer is , we have none ; then I ask are we so poor we cannot build ? If so , as an alternative , I would suggest the jiropriety of paying the master of the tavern liberally for the use of his rooms , ancl having a very moderate banquet , and at the end of each year let the balance in hand be paid over to the funds of charity , or otherwise , as may be deemed advisablealways having a small balance in hand of the Treasurer of the
, Lodge , to meet any contingencies that may arise . I do not wish to set aside our social enjoyments . I assure you I am no advocate of abstinence ( misnamed temperance ) societies , but moderation in all things is what I consider to he temperance , and what I wish to see practised ( not talked of ) in our Lodges . It will be objected by many that our meetings would fall off if the banquet was much economized : I cannot , however think of our Brethren as the late Sir Joseph Yorke , thought of
the whole English community , " that without a good dinner , and generous wine , aye , and plenty of it , there are no subscriptions to be had for charity ; " in this observation , I hope the worthy baronet did not include the Masonic fraternity . We have upwards of 100 Lodges called London Lodges , and these on an average , expend at the banquet table upwards of 100 / . per annum . Now by curtailing the expenditure 33 , ^ per cent , for three years a fund of 10 , 000 / . would arise : how then can our charities want support , when by such a small sacrifice so much may be done , by the London Lodges alone ? We have under the charter of the Grand Lodge of Englandupwards of 600 Lodges , if each of these were to
, follow the same example look at the result . Not above one fourth of that number subscribe voluntarily to our charities ; now I really think that every Lodge can afford one guinea per annum to each charity , say to three . What is three guineas a year to such noble objects ? By these means 630 / . per annum would be raised for the support of each . Again as to individual subscribers they are very few in proportion to our numbers , about the average of one to each Lodge . Now I am sure there is
not above one subscribing Member in ten of the Masonic body who cannot afford to lessen his indulgences weekly to the amount of Is . 3 d . which in fifty-two weeks amounts to 31 . 5 s . ; this would enable the greater number of our Members to be subscribers to each of our three charities , viz : the two Schools , and the Asylum . Any man of very limited income can do what I have stated , for where the will is the way will not be wanting . This advice , if generally adopted , would in a very
short time render our Fraternity truly noble , in act as well as in word , by carrying out the grand and fundamental principles of our Order , and , " Ye shall be as feet to the lame , and eyes to the blind , " & c , & c . Should any part , or the whole of these crude observations , appear worthy your notice , in the next number of the Masonic Quarterly Review , the sincerity which has dictated them , will I hope make up for my want of ability ; and should they aid the cause I have so long had
at heart , —the regeneration of our Lodge management—we shall shortly see our Charities properly ancl generally supported . I am , dear Sir , and Brother , Yours Fraternally , UTILITY .