The Wisconsin Idea Of Masonic Charity.

and this would seem to be one of them . From certain remarks quoted in the September number of the Voice of Masonry , it appears that Bro . ALDRO JENKS , Grand Master , or Past Grand Master , of Wisconsin , still looks with favour upon the scheme ,

and is of opinion that if relief by lodges , instead of by individual brethren , is objectionable , the objecting Grand Lodges should at once " prohibit thc formation' of relief lodges and boards of relief in cities , shut up their Masonic Homes and Orphan

Asylums , and do away with their Grand Lodge Charity Funds , " on the ground that " they also are organised schemes of Masonic Charity , intended to do away , to a certain extent , with the necessity for exercising individual Masonic Charity . ' * But either

the scheme itself must have been greatly modified since it was originally made public , or Bro . JENKS has misinterpreted it . Thc idea , as we understood it at the time , was somewhat as follows : A brother who is far away from home falls into necessitous

circumstances through illness or other just cause , and hearing there is a lodge of brethren in the neighbourhood in which hc happens to be , he appeals to them for relief and is relieved . So far all is in strict accord with the principles of the Craft . But ,

according to the Wisconsin scheme , the lodge which thus helps the brother in his distress has the right to claim reimbursement of the relief it has administered from the lodge of which the necessitous brother had been or happened to be at the lime of

his distress a member ; and if his lodge is unable to meet such claims , then the duty of reimbursing the outlay devolves on the Grand Lodge of tlie jurisdiction in which his lodge is located . This was the scheme to which we and all the most important

Grand Lodges in thc United States took exception at the time it was promulgated , on the ground that it reduced Masonry to a kind of benefit society . But says Bro . JENKS—What Wisconsin was desirous of doing was

to substitute organised for individual relief and if you object to this , then , in order to be strictly logical , you must do away with all organised relief , whether it take the form of a Masonic Home for the aged or a Masonic

Asylum for the orphan , or is administered by a Grand Lodge or local Masonic Board of Relief . To this proposition we raise the most decided objection . We did not take exception to the Wisconsin scheme for relief because it was an organised scheme ,

but because it had in it nothing whatever of the principle on which all Charity—whether Masonic or non-Masonic ; whether organised or individual—is rightly held to be based . It is not Charity to relieve a person in necessitous circumstances ,

and then call upon thc lodge of which he is , or once was , a member for reimbursement of your outlay ; nor has it thc slightest resemblance lo that organised Charity which provides a home or small annuities for the aged poor brother or his widow , or

education and a temporary home for thc distressed children of a deceased brother . Organised relief of this kind , equally with the relief afforded by the individual , is Charity , and for this , if for no other reason , that is granted freely and voluntarily , and

without the slightest hope or expectation of reimbursement . There was also this further objection to the Winconsin scheme of Masonic Charity , which wc raised at the time , and which , in our opinion , still holds good , namely , lhat no one lodge had the

rig ht to bind any other lodge to the payment of any particular sum in relieving a distressed member . Yet , under the Wisconsin scheme , thc right of determining what should be expended in relieving a distressed brother rests with the lodge which

advances the relief , not with that which is called upon to reimburse it . On thc whole , Bro . jKNKS ' s explanations , so far from modifying or removing our objections to the Wisconsin theory ,

have had no other effect than to strengthen * them , and we shall lip delig hted when we hear there is no longer any such theory to worry and annoy our transatlantic brethren .

United Grand Lodge.

UNITED GRAND LODGE .

The following is the business to Le transacted on Wednesday next , the and inst .: The minites of the ( Juarlerly Communication of the 7 th September for confirmation . A r < solution will be moved in the name and on behalf of his Royal Hig hness the Most Worshipful Grand Master , expressive of the feelings ol Grand Lodge on the melancholy occasion of the lamented death of the late M . W . li . o . the Earl of Lathom , G . C . B ., Pro Grand Master ,

United Grand Lodge.

Nomination of a Grand Master / or the ensuing year . Nomination of a Grand Treasurer for the ensuing year . Appointment and investment of a President of the Board of Benevolence . Election of a Senior and Junior Vice-President of the Board of Benevolence . Election of 12 Past Masters to serve on the Board of Benevolence for

tne year ensuing . Report of the Board of Benevolence for ^ the last quarter , in which are recommendations for the following grants : The widow of a brother of the Vitruvian Lodge , No . S 7 , London ... ... ... ... ... £ 50 0 0 A brother of the Brooke Lodge , No . 2005 , Chingford 75 ° ° A brother of the Corinthian Lodge , No . 13 S 2 , London ... 50 0 o A brother of the Farringdon Without Lodge , No . 1 745

, London ... . ... ... ... ... 50 o 0 The widow of a brother of the Lodge of Peace , No . 140 , Meltham ... ... ... ... 50 o o A brother of the Huddersfield 'Lodge , No . 290 , Huddersfield ... ... ... ... ... 75 0 o The widow of a brother of the Silurian Lodge , No . 471 , Newport , Mon . .,. ... ... ... 50 o o A brother of the Selwyn Lodge , No . 1901 , London ... 50 o o

REPORT OF THE BOARD OP GENERAL PURPOSES . To the United Grand Lodge of Ancient Free and Accepted Masons of England . The Board beg to report that it has considered a letter addressed to the Grand Sec . by R . W . Bro . John Locke , Dist , G . Master Barbados , directing atten . tion to the terrible sufferings , occasioned by the recent disastrous hurricane , of a large number of the white population of the island , many of whom were widows

and families of brethren who had belonged to local lodges . The Board , following the precedent established in similar cases , recommend that a sum of , £ 500 be voted out of the funds of Grand Lodge , to be placed in the hands of the Dist . G . Master for distribution , according to his discretion , among those of the white population of the island whose cases are most deserving . Such distribution not to be restricted to families of Freemasons .

The Board further beg to report that the purchase of the freehold premises in Wild-court , in the rear of the Temple , and large dining-hall has been completed and the purchase money paid , and that the Premises Committee have under consideration the plans prepared by the Grand Superintendent of Works , for the erection , on the site of Nos . 57 and 58 , Great Queen-street , of the

proposed additions to Freemasons' Hall , which will include a museum and library , additional accommodation for the Grand Officers , a Committee-room , an office for the Asst . G . Sec , and other rooms , the necessity for whicli has long been felt . The Board hope to be able to present to Grand Lodge at the Quarterly Com munication in March , for its sanction and approval , a full report on the matter , including a provisional contract for the carrying out ofthe work .

The Board have also to report that the following presentations have been made to the Library and Museum since the last meeting of Grand Lodge , all of which have been accepted with thanks :

TITLE OR OBJECT . By WHOM PRESENTED . Fac-simile of engraved List of Lodges , 173 ? ... " ) , f . T-. . r > n r \\ t &«• History of the Chapter ot Paradise , No . 139 ... Charles Stokes , M . E . Z . Constitution , Regulations , & c , of the Grand Lodge ") of Rhode Island ... ... ... ... > EdwinBaker , G . Sec ., RhodeIsland . Trestle Board for the use of Lodges ... ... J

History of Knight Templary in South Australia ... Harry B . Taylor . History of R . A . Masonry in Whitby , 17 S 2-1 S 9 S ... Rev . E . Fox-Thomas , P . P . G . C , & c . Photograph of Old Masonic Ritual ... ... 7 Dr . ChetwodeCrawley , LL . D ., & c ., Rules , Orders , & c , G . L . Ireland , 17 GS J Past S . G . D . Ireland . Constitutions of the G . L . England , 1784 Alex . C . A . Higerty , P . P . G . W . Boyle ' s View of London and its Environs , 1798 ... In . Lane , F . C . A ., P . A . G . D . C , Sic . History of Scoon and Perth Lodgj , No . 3 ... D . Crawford Smith ( Author ) .

" Robert Samber " ( a reprint ) Edward Armitage , P . P . G . W ., & c . " Free and Freemasonry " ( a reprint ) ... ... Robert Freke Gould , P . G . D ., & c . Three Masonic Veterans ... ... ... 1 r- n n 1 \ n o n r-Freemasonry in the 40 th Regt I * T " ? f ' M > B- > Prov G - Report of the Prov . G . Secretary , iS 33- S ... ) eC " UoW' 1 , Preston's Illustrations , 1 S 12 ... ... ,.. ~»

Constitutions G . L . England , 1 S 41 ... ... [ .. , r , r > - J n n r- w , o A Pilgrimage of the Freemasons \ B h E > D , amond . P . P . G . W ., & c . Masonic Doctrines ... ... ... ... _) History of the Lodge of Lights , No . 14 S ... John Armstrong , P . P . G . W ., Sic . Print of an old Masonic Certificate ... ... Col . Howland Roberts , P . M ., & c . Photograph of old R . A . Jewel Alex . C . Chapin , Prov . G . S . N . Dorset .

The Board also submit a statement of the Grand Lodge accounts at the last meeiing of the Finance Committee , held on Friday , the nth day of November instant , showing a balance in the Bank of England ( Law Courts Branch ) of ^ . " 6628 2 s . 4 d ., and in the hands of the Grand Secretary for petty cash . £ 100 , and lor servants' wages ^ 100 . The report cannot be concluded without referring to the irreparable loss the Craft has sustained by the death of our beloved Pro Grand Master , the Earl of

Lathom , who , during the more than 35 years he had been officially connected with Grand Lodge , had . won the affection and respect of every member of the Craft he loved so well , and by whom his death will be so deeply mourned . ( Signed ) RICHARD LOVELAND LOVELAND , President . Freemasons' Hall , London , W . C , 15 th November , 'S 98 .

A report of a meeting of the Governors and Subscribers of the Royal Masonic Banevolent Institution for Aged Freemasons and Widows of Freemasons , held on the 20 th May , 18 9 8 , will be laid before Grand Lodge , in which the following addition to the Rules was then agreed to , is submitted for approval—That any Masonic Charitable Association ( whose Rules must first have

been duly registered in the books of the Institution ) upon payment of donations amounting to 50 guineas , shall have the privilege of nominating one of its executive officers as a Life Governor , with two votes at each election of annuitants , and for every further completed sum of 50 guineas he shall receive an additional two votes , or in lieu thereof , the Association may nominate a second executive officer for the like privileges .

Names of Brethren nominated to the offices of Senior and Junior Vice-Piesident of the Board of Benevolence : Bros . David Dixon Mercer , P . G . P ., as Senior Vice-President , and Henry Garrod , P . G . P ., as Junior Vice-President .

Names of Past Masters nominated to serve on the Bjard of Benevolence : Bros . James Bunker , P . M . 1158 ; William H . Caton , P . M . 1365 ; George B . Chapman , P . M . 299 ; John Ellinger , P . M . 2222 ; William Fisher , P . M . 834 ; Simon H . Goldschmidt , P . M . 1329 ; Frederick W . Hancock , P . M . 54 8 ; William Kipps , P . M . 1275 ; Edward Nightingale , P . M . 87 ; Charles Pulman , P . M . 7 i Charles Henry Stone , P . M . 507 ; and William Wills , P . M . 1901 .