-
Articles/Ads
Article UNITED GRAND LODGE. ← Page 2 of 3 Article UNITED GRAND LODGE. Page 2 of 3 Article UNITED GRAND LODGE. Page 2 of 3 →
Note: This text has been automatically extracted via Optical Character Recognition (OCR) software.
United Grand Lodge.
attention of Grand Lodge should be drawn to the state of the funds of the Lodge of Benevolence . In the year rS / 2 they received s £ 6 or o , and they spent si § 37 oo ; in other words they had , £ - £ 2300 to the good . This state of prosperity had been going on for some time . Some years back he
proposed to apply the surplus funds in apprenticing the children of Masons . At that time they had £ 10 , 000 in hand ; they had now £ 30 , 000 , What object could they have in accumulating these sums in-the Bank of England , when it should go in benefitting Masons ? Some said it
should go to benefit posterity ; but if they wanted to do so , one shilling a year from each Mason would effect that object . He hoped at next Grand Lodge to show how they could employ their surplus . If thev could save £ 2300
in one year , they could afford to give £ 250 to one poor lady . If they gave her £ 50 it was but a drop in the ocean , but if they gave her ^' 250 it was something that would give her a start in life . For himself , he would vote her more , and he hoped they would not refuse to vote her that amount .
Bro . James Mason said it had always struck him when attending the Board of Benevolence that there was too much hesitation in giving liberally . When they found from tlie President of the Board that their funds were so large he thought thej' should have no hesitation . He
believed that the more generous Masons were with their wealth , the more they would get , and be enabled to do an immense amount of good . All the grants were unanimousl y carried . The following report of the Board of General Purposes was taken as read .
" Report of the Board of General Purposes to the United Grand Lodge of Ancient Free and Accepted Masons of England . " The Board of General Purposes beg to submit a statement of the Grand Lodge Accounts at the last meeting of the Finance Committee ,
held on Friday , the ijth day of August , shewing a balance in the hands of the Grand Treasurer of £ 3 , ^ 32 14 s 5 < 1 ,- and in the hands of the Grand Secretary , for petty cash , £ 75 , and for servants' wages cid 8 S 19 s . od .,
and avail themselves of the opportunity to congratulate the members of the Craft on the very satisfactory condition of the accounts . ( Signed ) HOUAI : V . LLOYD , President . "
Bro . Horace Lloyd in moving tbe adoption of this report , said he did not suppose the most critical brother present , if there was one , could lind'anything to olfend him in ils shortness , and he therefore assumed it would not meet wilh opposition , but . as it referred to the satisfactory condition of the funds perhaps he would be pardoned if he detained the brethren for a few moments
in shewing them by some very simple figures , how well justified the Board were in saying that tlie finances v ere prosperous . The President of the Board of Benevolence h . itl shewed them what was the dale of the funds with which he had to deal , and at how great a rate they were being
udded to and accumulated . On behalf ol the Hoard of General Purposes , lie might say that there was not of course tlie same necessity for accumulating its funds , if it were not that they had a certain debt to payoff , which they incurred at the time ofthe construction of the new buildiinrs .
It was Uieir great desire to pay that oil as speedily as possible , and he thought the brethren would . see they were in a fair way to do so . The finances of any corporate body or association were to be judged of in three ways : What was the income they were raising r what was
their expenditure ? and what was their state in respect to debt ? In all those aspects the finances of the Board were satisfactory . On the first point , in 1870 their income was X ' 829 . 5 ; in 1871 , £ 8578 ; and in 1872 , £ 9 642 ; of that large sum not much more than X ' 1700 was
raised by rents of property , ar . d not more than from . ijO to /_' ioo from all exceptional sources , M eli as ft is paid by Grand l . Wiiei . is v . hen appointed . ;> i : d lis' vnrious fees obtain ! d !'¦ : .. m dis-; : •::: ¦ . Cd . is . h iodo ' . ci d th ' . ' ivf . iiv that a sum
xv ' ui ' . di ir . nsi I ..- very dose on ' ocoo a year was r ii > . r In . c : t ! i ¦ ddc-onie body hy ; i taxation whicli ni- und iCol ; lo say fell as lightly as any taxation irmu s d on any tax-paying community , from tht
United Grand Lodge.
quaterages of the lodge . On the second point , the expenditure , in 1870 it was £ 6382 ; in 1871 which was a heavy year , , = £ 6795—and that included one large grant ; and in 1872 , sfe' 6007 19 s . The present year was not yet completed , but he thought its expenditure would be equally
satisfactory . The expenditure showed a diminution on the third point , debt ; they contracted a loan of s ^ 19 , 000 , which represented what he might call our national debt . " They had paid off ^ 8300 of this , leaving a balance £ 10 , 700 . In the last year , out of their savings they had paid off
£ 3 , 700 . If they went on at the same rate , in three years they would have swept off the whole loan . Under these circumstances he thought they were justified in looking at their finances as in a satisfactory condition . The motion having been seconded was put and carried .
Bro . Hervey , read memorials from the Friendly Lodge , No . , 383 , Montego Bay , for assistance to build a Masonic Hall . Bro . Frederick Bigg , W . M . No . 1261 , moved " That at least seven days' notice shall be given to the W . M . of a lodge before such lodge is posted as being in arrear of its subscription . "
He said that at last quarterly communication he , in obedience to summons , attended , with his Wardens , at some inconvenience , but on his arrival found a notice that his lodge among others had not paid its dues , and that he and his Wardens could not be admitted . He , however , was anxious
to comply with the summons , and ottered to pay anything that might be due ; he was told that if he could name the amount it would be received , but the Secretary of his lodge was not in attendance , and he himself had no knowledge of what tlie amount was . Consequently he and his
Wardens were obliged to retire , and . had to pass the rest of their- evening as best as they could , in the west-end of London , where plenty places of amusement ' were open . To obviate such an inconvenience , he thought that if a lodge was in arrear , notice should be given by Grand Secretary , seven days before the . meeting of Grand Lodge ,
of such default . It would sometimes occur that the Secretary of a lodge was not a Past Master , and not a member of Grand Lodge , and consequently he would not be present , and tlie Master would not know the amount of unpaid dues . He did not ask for an innovation , but for an improvement , and he thought that it would be a graceful act if Grand Secretary seconded his motion .
Bro . Clabon thought the question should be discussed , though lie could not quite understand llro . Higgs request . Bro . Horace Lloyd said the ditiicuily was met by the Book of Constitutions , though not one lodge in twenty carried out the directions of
that book , but they omld not complain if they suffered any inconvenience when they did not so comply . Certainly tho Alaster of a lodge was not the person to come and complain . At page C >(> the Book of Constitution said : " All monies received or paid on account ol the lodge shall be
entered in proper books ; the lees or dues received on account of and payable to the Grand Lodge a / id Provincial (' rami Lodge shall be kept separate and distinct from the money belonging to the lodge , and shall be deposited in the hands of the Master , instead of the Treasurer of the
lodge , and shall he transmitted to the Grand Lodge and Provincial Grand Lodge at such times as the laws require . " He was quite aware that they were all mixed up together , but brethren had no right to complain if any inconvenience arose , which they might avoid by following the
strict letter of the law , If Bro . Bi gg had followed that out , and had had the dues placed in his hands , he would have made himself responsible for their being paid . l'he law was quite right , and if a lodge , in defiance of that law , trusted to its Secretary and Treasurer , the Master
must take the consequences . The motion was then rejected . Bro . Benjamin Head , P . G . D ., ' moved " That the sum ol cdo l .-e given from the fund of General Purposi s . 1 'hat the money be placed
in the hinds m the Secretary of the Royal Masonic Bent volent Institution for Aged Freemasons and Vidows of Freemasons , to snpnly the inmates at Croydon with coals during the •1 ° win tei season . .
United Grand Lodge.
Bro . Joshua Nunn seconded the motion , which was then put and carried . Bro . William Smith , P . M . No . 33 , moved " That in future the laws and regulations of the Fund of Benevolence governing the Lodge
of Benevolence be read once in every year previous to the Lodge enteiing on business at the meeting in the month of January , and that Article 17 ofthe laws and regulations of the Fund of Benevolence on the Book of Constitutions be altered accordingly . "
Bro . Smith msde a very short statement in support of his motion , and informed Grand Lodge that the brethren attending the Lodge of Benevolence were well acquainted with the laws
regulating it , and . that , as he believed , all who now formed it could read and write , there jyould be no difficulty in impressing upon them its rules . His motion he thought would save a great deal of time .
Bro . Joseph Smith , P . G . P . seconded the motion , and would even go further than Bro . W . Smith , and proposed that the rules should not be read to the Lodge of Benevolence at all . It was quite unnecessary-for the brethren ' s time to be taken up every meeting of the Board for a quarter of an hour .
Bro . J . M . Clabon , President of the Board , cordially agreed in the motion , although he knew nothing of it until it was presented to the Board of Masters . Grand Secretary now read the Laws and Regulations four times a year , to brethren who knew them by heart . He ( Bro . Clabon ) ,
did not go entirely with Bro . Joseph Smith in desiring to dispense altogether with the reading of the laws , but thought they might be usefully read once a year , when the new members of the lodge joined . The motion was put and carried unanimously .
Bro . W . Smith , P . M . then moved , " That in future a room be set apart for the reception of Provincial Brethren on Quarterl y Communications and other meetings of Grand Lodge . " He made his motion on these grounds , that the attendance of provincial members was very
large . There was usually a much larger attendance of them than there was that night , although there was then as targe an attendance as there was at all September quarterly communications . He had heard a gieat many of them complain of
want ol accommodation—not , of course , the distinguished brethren on the dais—but the provincial bretlnen generally , to whom it would be a very- great convenience to have a suitable room to meet in .
A brother , whose name did not transpire , seconded the motion . llro . McIntyre opposed the motion . He thought it would be a great advantage to provincial brethren that they should mix wilh those in London . A room could be set apart for
the London and provincial brethren , but that might be left to the Board of General Purposes . He most strenuously protested against the motion , and against the proposition that the provincial biethren should be . sent into a room by themselves . He agreed that every accommodation
should be given , even to the throwing open the whole of the rooms that belonged to Grand Lodge ; but let them have no segregation of provincial brethren from the London brethren ; He was sure that every provincial brother would rather come where his London brethren were , and it might be referred to the Board of General
Purposes to provide ample accommodation . Bro . James Mason , P . G . S . B ., would propose an amendment to that effect . It was one of those matters of detail which ought not to be brought before Grand Lodge . Questions of this kind wen : peculiarly within the province of the Board of General Purposes , and it needed very little consideration from the members then
present . Bro . W . Smith said that , with the consent of Grand Regist-ar , he would withdraw his motion . The Board would no dotibt attend to the matter after he had made tlie suggestion , but the
suggestion ought not to have been renaercu ! necessary . 'I'he Board was very jealous { of any suggestion being made to _ ' *• The subject iiad been a source of comp laint for a considuabie time . He would n . a : < e no chin gc against the Buiud about that , but he be-
Note: This text has been automatically extracted via Optical Character Recognition (OCR) software.
United Grand Lodge.
attention of Grand Lodge should be drawn to the state of the funds of the Lodge of Benevolence . In the year rS / 2 they received s £ 6 or o , and they spent si § 37 oo ; in other words they had , £ - £ 2300 to the good . This state of prosperity had been going on for some time . Some years back he
proposed to apply the surplus funds in apprenticing the children of Masons . At that time they had £ 10 , 000 in hand ; they had now £ 30 , 000 , What object could they have in accumulating these sums in-the Bank of England , when it should go in benefitting Masons ? Some said it
should go to benefit posterity ; but if they wanted to do so , one shilling a year from each Mason would effect that object . He hoped at next Grand Lodge to show how they could employ their surplus . If thev could save £ 2300
in one year , they could afford to give £ 250 to one poor lady . If they gave her £ 50 it was but a drop in the ocean , but if they gave her ^' 250 it was something that would give her a start in life . For himself , he would vote her more , and he hoped they would not refuse to vote her that amount .
Bro . James Mason said it had always struck him when attending the Board of Benevolence that there was too much hesitation in giving liberally . When they found from tlie President of the Board that their funds were so large he thought thej' should have no hesitation . He
believed that the more generous Masons were with their wealth , the more they would get , and be enabled to do an immense amount of good . All the grants were unanimousl y carried . The following report of the Board of General Purposes was taken as read .
" Report of the Board of General Purposes to the United Grand Lodge of Ancient Free and Accepted Masons of England . " The Board of General Purposes beg to submit a statement of the Grand Lodge Accounts at the last meeting of the Finance Committee ,
held on Friday , the ijth day of August , shewing a balance in the hands of the Grand Treasurer of £ 3 , ^ 32 14 s 5 < 1 ,- and in the hands of the Grand Secretary , for petty cash , £ 75 , and for servants' wages cid 8 S 19 s . od .,
and avail themselves of the opportunity to congratulate the members of the Craft on the very satisfactory condition of the accounts . ( Signed ) HOUAI : V . LLOYD , President . "
Bro . Horace Lloyd in moving tbe adoption of this report , said he did not suppose the most critical brother present , if there was one , could lind'anything to olfend him in ils shortness , and he therefore assumed it would not meet wilh opposition , but . as it referred to the satisfactory condition of the funds perhaps he would be pardoned if he detained the brethren for a few moments
in shewing them by some very simple figures , how well justified the Board were in saying that tlie finances v ere prosperous . The President of the Board of Benevolence h . itl shewed them what was the dale of the funds with which he had to deal , and at how great a rate they were being
udded to and accumulated . On behalf ol the Hoard of General Purposes , lie might say that there was not of course tlie same necessity for accumulating its funds , if it were not that they had a certain debt to payoff , which they incurred at the time ofthe construction of the new buildiinrs .
It was Uieir great desire to pay that oil as speedily as possible , and he thought the brethren would . see they were in a fair way to do so . The finances of any corporate body or association were to be judged of in three ways : What was the income they were raising r what was
their expenditure ? and what was their state in respect to debt ? In all those aspects the finances of the Board were satisfactory . On the first point , in 1870 their income was X ' 829 . 5 ; in 1871 , £ 8578 ; and in 1872 , £ 9 642 ; of that large sum not much more than X ' 1700 was
raised by rents of property , ar . d not more than from . ijO to /_' ioo from all exceptional sources , M eli as ft is paid by Grand l . Wiiei . is v . hen appointed . ;> i : d lis' vnrious fees obtain ! d !'¦ : .. m dis-; : •::: ¦ . Cd . is . h iodo ' . ci d th ' . ' ivf . iiv that a sum
xv ' ui ' . di ir . nsi I ..- very dose on ' ocoo a year was r ii > . r In . c : t ! i ¦ ddc-onie body hy ; i taxation whicli ni- und iCol ; lo say fell as lightly as any taxation irmu s d on any tax-paying community , from tht
United Grand Lodge.
quaterages of the lodge . On the second point , the expenditure , in 1870 it was £ 6382 ; in 1871 which was a heavy year , , = £ 6795—and that included one large grant ; and in 1872 , sfe' 6007 19 s . The present year was not yet completed , but he thought its expenditure would be equally
satisfactory . The expenditure showed a diminution on the third point , debt ; they contracted a loan of s ^ 19 , 000 , which represented what he might call our national debt . " They had paid off ^ 8300 of this , leaving a balance £ 10 , 700 . In the last year , out of their savings they had paid off
£ 3 , 700 . If they went on at the same rate , in three years they would have swept off the whole loan . Under these circumstances he thought they were justified in looking at their finances as in a satisfactory condition . The motion having been seconded was put and carried .
Bro . Hervey , read memorials from the Friendly Lodge , No . , 383 , Montego Bay , for assistance to build a Masonic Hall . Bro . Frederick Bigg , W . M . No . 1261 , moved " That at least seven days' notice shall be given to the W . M . of a lodge before such lodge is posted as being in arrear of its subscription . "
He said that at last quarterly communication he , in obedience to summons , attended , with his Wardens , at some inconvenience , but on his arrival found a notice that his lodge among others had not paid its dues , and that he and his Wardens could not be admitted . He , however , was anxious
to comply with the summons , and ottered to pay anything that might be due ; he was told that if he could name the amount it would be received , but the Secretary of his lodge was not in attendance , and he himself had no knowledge of what tlie amount was . Consequently he and his
Wardens were obliged to retire , and . had to pass the rest of their- evening as best as they could , in the west-end of London , where plenty places of amusement ' were open . To obviate such an inconvenience , he thought that if a lodge was in arrear , notice should be given by Grand Secretary , seven days before the . meeting of Grand Lodge ,
of such default . It would sometimes occur that the Secretary of a lodge was not a Past Master , and not a member of Grand Lodge , and consequently he would not be present , and tlie Master would not know the amount of unpaid dues . He did not ask for an innovation , but for an improvement , and he thought that it would be a graceful act if Grand Secretary seconded his motion .
Bro . Clabon thought the question should be discussed , though lie could not quite understand llro . Higgs request . Bro . Horace Lloyd said the ditiicuily was met by the Book of Constitutions , though not one lodge in twenty carried out the directions of
that book , but they omld not complain if they suffered any inconvenience when they did not so comply . Certainly tho Alaster of a lodge was not the person to come and complain . At page C >(> the Book of Constitution said : " All monies received or paid on account ol the lodge shall be
entered in proper books ; the lees or dues received on account of and payable to the Grand Lodge a / id Provincial (' rami Lodge shall be kept separate and distinct from the money belonging to the lodge , and shall be deposited in the hands of the Master , instead of the Treasurer of the
lodge , and shall he transmitted to the Grand Lodge and Provincial Grand Lodge at such times as the laws require . " He was quite aware that they were all mixed up together , but brethren had no right to complain if any inconvenience arose , which they might avoid by following the
strict letter of the law , If Bro . Bi gg had followed that out , and had had the dues placed in his hands , he would have made himself responsible for their being paid . l'he law was quite right , and if a lodge , in defiance of that law , trusted to its Secretary and Treasurer , the Master
must take the consequences . The motion was then rejected . Bro . Benjamin Head , P . G . D ., ' moved " That the sum ol cdo l .-e given from the fund of General Purposi s . 1 'hat the money be placed
in the hinds m the Secretary of the Royal Masonic Bent volent Institution for Aged Freemasons and Vidows of Freemasons , to snpnly the inmates at Croydon with coals during the •1 ° win tei season . .
United Grand Lodge.
Bro . Joshua Nunn seconded the motion , which was then put and carried . Bro . William Smith , P . M . No . 33 , moved " That in future the laws and regulations of the Fund of Benevolence governing the Lodge
of Benevolence be read once in every year previous to the Lodge enteiing on business at the meeting in the month of January , and that Article 17 ofthe laws and regulations of the Fund of Benevolence on the Book of Constitutions be altered accordingly . "
Bro . Smith msde a very short statement in support of his motion , and informed Grand Lodge that the brethren attending the Lodge of Benevolence were well acquainted with the laws
regulating it , and . that , as he believed , all who now formed it could read and write , there jyould be no difficulty in impressing upon them its rules . His motion he thought would save a great deal of time .
Bro . Joseph Smith , P . G . P . seconded the motion , and would even go further than Bro . W . Smith , and proposed that the rules should not be read to the Lodge of Benevolence at all . It was quite unnecessary-for the brethren ' s time to be taken up every meeting of the Board for a quarter of an hour .
Bro . J . M . Clabon , President of the Board , cordially agreed in the motion , although he knew nothing of it until it was presented to the Board of Masters . Grand Secretary now read the Laws and Regulations four times a year , to brethren who knew them by heart . He ( Bro . Clabon ) ,
did not go entirely with Bro . Joseph Smith in desiring to dispense altogether with the reading of the laws , but thought they might be usefully read once a year , when the new members of the lodge joined . The motion was put and carried unanimously .
Bro . W . Smith , P . M . then moved , " That in future a room be set apart for the reception of Provincial Brethren on Quarterl y Communications and other meetings of Grand Lodge . " He made his motion on these grounds , that the attendance of provincial members was very
large . There was usually a much larger attendance of them than there was that night , although there was then as targe an attendance as there was at all September quarterly communications . He had heard a gieat many of them complain of
want ol accommodation—not , of course , the distinguished brethren on the dais—but the provincial bretlnen generally , to whom it would be a very- great convenience to have a suitable room to meet in .
A brother , whose name did not transpire , seconded the motion . llro . McIntyre opposed the motion . He thought it would be a great advantage to provincial brethren that they should mix wilh those in London . A room could be set apart for
the London and provincial brethren , but that might be left to the Board of General Purposes . He most strenuously protested against the motion , and against the proposition that the provincial biethren should be . sent into a room by themselves . He agreed that every accommodation
should be given , even to the throwing open the whole of the rooms that belonged to Grand Lodge ; but let them have no segregation of provincial brethren from the London brethren ; He was sure that every provincial brother would rather come where his London brethren were , and it might be referred to the Board of General
Purposes to provide ample accommodation . Bro . James Mason , P . G . S . B ., would propose an amendment to that effect . It was one of those matters of detail which ought not to be brought before Grand Lodge . Questions of this kind wen : peculiarly within the province of the Board of General Purposes , and it needed very little consideration from the members then
present . Bro . W . Smith said that , with the consent of Grand Regist-ar , he would withdraw his motion . The Board would no dotibt attend to the matter after he had made tlie suggestion , but the
suggestion ought not to have been renaercu ! necessary . 'I'he Board was very jealous { of any suggestion being made to _ ' *• The subject iiad been a source of comp laint for a considuabie time . He would n . a : < e no chin gc against the Buiud about that , but he be-