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Article THE FREEMASONS' QUARTERLY MAGAZINE. ← Page 2 of 5 →
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The Freemasons' Quarterly Magazine.
" jewel" to be worn in the bosom of the good Mason , even as its more sparkling , but less heavenly representative , sits on the outward breast . Now let us briefly think within ourselves what Masonic Charity really is .
Much is done—much that is great and good , refined in theory and noble in . practice—and , alas for all human things ! much is left undone , or , worse still , clone badly . The expensive character of festal meetings is surely against the main purposes of Masonry . A good dinner has never , and
probably never could be , construed into a stumbling-block of offence , but , with the example of the Continental Lodges before us , our own plain knowledge of the " art of dining / ' and our experience of how much can be done for a little , we unequivocally express our belief that one-third of the money at present
lavished upon dinner and supper banquets would satisfy the entire wishes of really conscientious members ; and we would cling to the fond hope that few Masons can forget the obligations , to which their first evening in a Lodge rendered their honour , as w ell as their conscience , bound and indebted .
But the evil does not rest here . It might be easy , painfully easy , to show that the main funds of many Lodges are literally sivalloiued up—and a painful balance might be struck between seven-shilling " light wine" ( as Mr . Skimpole calls it ) , of doubtful quality , and the often ludicrously inefficient assistance rendered to a " Brother " in distress . Surely it is a satire upon
-the principles of Masonry , to live beyond our means in one matter which is purely incidental , and to be found wanting in what is the avowed essential feature of our Order ! But we have a specific object in view in introducing tins uncomfortable subject to the notice of our Brethren—we mean
the conduct of many of those who have enjoyed high office , either as Provincial , Past , or Grand Officers , and especially the latter . Happily for the true cause it advocates , Masonry not only possesses some noble Charities , but likewise not a few men and Masons , who make them their anxious and honourable charge . The competition for the expensive office of Steward to the Girls' and Boys' School is alone sufficient to prove that our
Note: This text has been automatically extracted via Optical Character Recognition (OCR) software.
The Freemasons' Quarterly Magazine.
" jewel" to be worn in the bosom of the good Mason , even as its more sparkling , but less heavenly representative , sits on the outward breast . Now let us briefly think within ourselves what Masonic Charity really is .
Much is done—much that is great and good , refined in theory and noble in . practice—and , alas for all human things ! much is left undone , or , worse still , clone badly . The expensive character of festal meetings is surely against the main purposes of Masonry . A good dinner has never , and
probably never could be , construed into a stumbling-block of offence , but , with the example of the Continental Lodges before us , our own plain knowledge of the " art of dining / ' and our experience of how much can be done for a little , we unequivocally express our belief that one-third of the money at present
lavished upon dinner and supper banquets would satisfy the entire wishes of really conscientious members ; and we would cling to the fond hope that few Masons can forget the obligations , to which their first evening in a Lodge rendered their honour , as w ell as their conscience , bound and indebted .
But the evil does not rest here . It might be easy , painfully easy , to show that the main funds of many Lodges are literally sivalloiued up—and a painful balance might be struck between seven-shilling " light wine" ( as Mr . Skimpole calls it ) , of doubtful quality , and the often ludicrously inefficient assistance rendered to a " Brother " in distress . Surely it is a satire upon
-the principles of Masonry , to live beyond our means in one matter which is purely incidental , and to be found wanting in what is the avowed essential feature of our Order ! But we have a specific object in view in introducing tins uncomfortable subject to the notice of our Brethren—we mean
the conduct of many of those who have enjoyed high office , either as Provincial , Past , or Grand Officers , and especially the latter . Happily for the true cause it advocates , Masonry not only possesses some noble Charities , but likewise not a few men and Masons , who make them their anxious and honourable charge . The competition for the expensive office of Steward to the Girls' and Boys' School is alone sufficient to prove that our