Masonic Benevolence In 1894.

MASONIC BENEVOLENCE IN 1894 .

The statements of receipt during the year which terminated on Monday , with which we have been furnished by thc Secretaries of our Masonic Institutions show clearly that , whatever fortune may befal our Order , the brethren are determined that nothing in the shape of impecuniosity shall be allowed to mar the efficiency of our Charitable Institutions . In 1 S 93 there

was a falling off in the recipts in consequence of the unexampled efforts that had been made the year previous in order to ensure the success of the Benevolent Jubilee , yet the total of the sums received by the three Charities amounted to not far short of . £ 60 , 000—the actual sum was . £ 59 , 051 14 s . gd . —or more than a year ' s interest on £ 2 , OJO . 3 Consils . In 1804 , the

receipts were as follow : Royal Masonic Institution for Boys , £ 24 , 186 i 6 s . SJ . ; Royal Masonic Benevolent Institution , £ 20782 35 . 1 id . ; and Royal Masonic Institution for Girls , ^ 20 , 043 7 s . id . ; giving a grand total for the three of ^ 6 5 , 012 7 s . Sd . The bulk of this money is derived from the donations and subscriptions which are raised by means cf

the Anniversary Festivals , and the Returns from which were finally represented by the following figures , namely : BDVS' School , £ 19 , 092 6 R . ( id . ; Girls' School , ; £ iS , 05 ( i 12 s . 7 d , ; the Benevolent Institution , £ 13 , 08665 . yd . ; the total of the three being £ 50 , 235 5 s . Sd . But the amounts entered under the head of " Donations and Subscriptions " in the statements which are

appended to these remarks are Boys' School , £ 20 333 2 s . 2 d . ; Girls' School , £ 7 > 5 ° 7 19 s . 7 < J . ; and Benevolent Institution , . £ 14 , 1 12 10 s . 3 d . ; or together , £ 52 . 013 12 s . Thus the total of the receipts under this head exceeds that of the Returns announced by £ 1778 6 s . 4 d ., the excess in the case of the Boys ' School being £ ^ 1240 7 s . ; and in that of the Benevolent Institution ,

£ 1026 3 s . Sd . ; while , in the case of the Girls' School , the actual receipts fall short of the sum announced by £ 488 135 . The reader who is not familiar with the ins and outs of our Festival figures may run away with the idea that a mistake must have occurred in compiling these Inst figures , or that

an excess of zeal on the part of the officials may have led them to include a few shadowy promises just in order to give the figures a more imposing appearance . Yet there is seldom a year passes in which the Returns from one or other of the Festivals do not fall short of the Donations ard

Subscriptions which are actually paid over to the Institution it relates to . Thus , as regards the year in which the Girls' School Centenary occurred—that is in 1 S 88—the Donations and Subscriptions received were less than the Donations and Subscriptions announced by between £ 6 oao and £ 7000 . In 1 S 91 , when the Boys' School held so successful a Festival at

Brighton under the Earl of Lathom , Pro G . M ., and the Returns amounted to some £ ^ 29 . 000 , the receipts from all sources , including dividends , G rand Lodge and Grand Chapter grants , & c , kc , did not greatly exceed ^ 27 , ; while in 1892 , when the Benevolent Jubilee was celebrated , the difference between the Returns announced ( £ 69 , 000 ) and the total of receipts from all

sources was rather more than £ 7000 . In 1893 . too , while the Girls' School and Benevolent Institution both received more than was announced at their respective Festivals ; the Boys' School was ^ 1448 9 s . 2 d . to the bad as regards this particular head of receipt . These differences are to be accounted for by the fact that every year at the Festival of each of the Institutions ,

there is included in the Returns as announced , an amount , more or less considerable , of what is known as " Association Money , " that is , of Donations qualifying as Life Subscribers and Life Governors , the payment of which is spread over five years . Thus , as regards the Girls' School in 1894 , the Donations and Subscriptions are less than the Festival

announcement by not quite £ 500 , but there is outstanding to its credit over ; £ IIOO , Ihe bulk of which will be paid over in the course of the next two or three years . We may add , as regards the same Institution , just to show how uncertain is the time when the payment of a subscription may be looked for , that cheques for about one-third of this apparent deficiency of nearly £ 500

wr-re received within 48 hours after the accounts for 1894 had been closed . However , we need not dwell longer upon details of this kind . It is enough for us to know that the receipts of our three Institutions during 1894 reached the handsome total of £ 65 , 012 7 s . 8 d ., which , as compared with the ^ 59 . 051 14 s . 9 d . received in 1893 , shows an increase of nearly £ f ) ooo .

Masonic Benevolence In 1894.

The following are the statements of receipts we have been referring to : —

ROYAL MASONIC INSTITUTION FOR HOYS . Donations and Subscriptions ... ... ... ... £ 2 <> , jj 3 2 2 Grand Lodge ... ... ... ... ... 150 o o Grand Chanter ... ... ... ... ... 10 10 o Perpetual Presentation ( Kent ) ... ... ... 12 G 0 o o Life do . ( Warwickshire ) ... ... ... 525 o o

Dividends and Interest on Cash at Call ... ... ... 157 G 1 1 Legacy ... ... ... ... ... ... 120 1 7 Music Fees ... ... ... . ... GQ 7 6 Prize Fundi ... ... ... ... ... 21 o n Science and Art Department ( Grant earned ) ... ... 3 S 7 < i Sundry Receipts ... ... ... ... ... Sg G 10

£ 24 , 186 if " . 8 ROYAL MASONIC BENEVOLENT INSTITUTION . Donations , & c . ... ... ... ... ... £ 14 , 112 10 3 Grand Lodge ... ... ... ... ... 1 G 00 o o Grand Chapter ... ... ... ... ... 150 o o Dividends ... . . ... ... ... 3552 3 5 Perpetual Presentation ... ... ... ... 1260 o o Profit on Sale of Stock ... ... ... ... 42 10 o

£ 20 , 7 82 3 11 ROYAL MASONIC INSTITUTION FOR GIRLS . Donations and Subscriptions ... ... ... -k ^ lt ^ ' !) 7 Grand Lodge ... ... ... ... ... 150 o o Grand Chapter ... ... ... ... ... 10 10 o

Dividends ... ... ... ... ... 1023 15 7 Interest on Deposit ... ... ... ... 3 S 0 8 Receipts for Musical Instruction ... ... ... 31 S 8 <> Window Memorials ... ... ... ... 2 S 2 n Income Tax Recovered ... ... ... ... 85 14 1 Miscellaneous ... ... ... ... ... 20 1 7 ? .

£ 20 , 043 7 1 R . M . B . L R . M . I . t ; . R . M . I . B . Total . iSSS £ 21 , 361 15 1 £ 40 . 259 4 4 £ 12 , 283 2 5 £ S 2 , cjo 4 1 in 1 SS 9 18 , 729 18 7 14 , 986 9 G 14 , 727 10 2 48 , 443 iS 3 1890 21 . 303 13 4 21 , 763 19 1 12 . 472 G 9 55 . 54 ' " ) 2 1 S 91 22 , 23 s 14 5 13 , 190 IS 2 27 . 333 11 3 G 2 . 7 G 3 3 10 1892 Gi , S 49 2 G 12 . 77 s 2 I 15 . S 37 IS o 110 , 465 2 7 1 S 93 20 , 436 2 S 17 . 052 3 2 21 , 563 S II 59 . 051 14 ' » 1 S 91 20 , 782 3 11 20 , 043 7 I 24 , lS 6 16 S G ? , oi 2 7 8

the 7 yea ° rs . } ) C , SG ' ' ° 6 £ ' W 3 5 £ ™ S , m 14 2 £ 4 6 4 . 182 S 1

fheTyear " } £ - ' | S S £ 2 W ' - A ««» 3 « io 7 £ 06 , 311 ' 5 5 Average per Institution ... ... ... ... £ 22 , 103 18 6 The following is a statement , month by month , of the cases relieved , and the sums expended in relieving them , by the Board of Benevolence : CASES RELIEVED . AMOUNT . January ... ... 29 ... ... £ 630

February ... ... 35 ... ... 720 March ... ... 33 ... ... 705 April ... ... 33 ... ... 875 May ... ... 36 ... ... 930 June ... ... 33 ... ... 835

July ... ... 24 ... ... 505 August ... ... 12 ... ... 225 September ... ... 14 ... ... 255 October ... ... 47 ... ... 1430 November ... ... 40 ... ... 1040 December ... ... 35 ... ... Sio

37 ' £ S 9 Go On comparing these figures with the returns for 1893 , we find there has been a slight reduction—from 373 10371—in the number of Cases Relieved , and a substantial decrease of £ 5 65—from . £ 9525 to £ ^ 8960— in the aggregate of the

sums distributed amongst them . In 1892 , there were 334 cases relieved with £ ^ 8320 , so that as regards amount the year just concluded occupies a position about midway between 1892 and 1 893 , though there is an excess of 37 in the number of Cases as compared with the former .

HiiiAM , THE BUILDER . —A name given to Hiram Abiff . Some modern writers have contended that Hiram was not an architect , but simply a metallurgist ; but such writers are entirely mistaken . Josephus especially records on the contrary that he was " an eminent architect , over and above " his fame for " working in gold , silver , and other metals . " The Bible also expressly declares that he was " skilled to work " in " stone " just as in " gold and silver , ' in '' brass and in iron , " in " purple , blue , and fine linen , and in crimson , " as well as to "grave any manner of graving , and to find out any device which shall be put to him with th "

cunning men . Thus it is perfectly clear that , artistically and intellectually , Hiram was ahead of his contemporaries , avid well fitted to build that glorious Temple of the Most High . In reading the accounts in the Rooks of Kingsand Chronicles , we must bear in mind that they are repetitive , containing the same statement more than once , and must be taken as a whole . The argument that Hiram Abiff was not a builder is a perverse chimera in our humble opinion . Some have counfounded him with " Abdemon , " mentioned . by profane historians , but quite erroneously . —Kcunintr ' s Encyclopaedia of Freemasonry- .