Approaching Jubilee Festival Of The R M.B.I.

APPROACHING JUBILEE FESTIVAL OF THE R M . B . I .

The Committee of Management of the Royal Masonic Benevolent Institution , in the Report which they presented at the annual meeting of the Governors and Subscribers in May last , after appealing to the Craft for a continuance of that

support which had been so generously accorded them in past years , expressed the hope that " on the occasion of the Jubilee Festival in 1892 , they would rally round" the Committee "in such numbers and to such good purpose " that they will feel themselves "justified in recommending a still further extension of its benefits . "

With this hope there is a generalconcurrence of feeling amongst the brethren , but the time has now come when it seems desirable that we and all who are interested in the general welfare of this important Charity—and , for the moment in a more especial degree ,

in the success of the approaching Jubilee—should bestir ourselves in order that when the event is celebrated the hope expressed by the Committee may be realised . Thus far we think the worthy

Secretary of the Charity , Bro . J AMES TERRY , has no reason to be dissatisfied with the result of his efforts in obtaining the services of brethren as Stewards . The list of those who have

given in their names to act in this capacity exceeds 500 , and among them are included sundry of the Provincial Grand Masters and their Deputies , a formidable array of influential and hardworking brethren , and the representatives of many of our

principal lodges in town and country . There is also another fact with which our readers must be tolerably familiar , namely , that at most , if not all , of the annual Provincial Grand Lodges which have been held during the past four months , the greatest

sympathy has been expressed with this Institution , while in several cases the amount of the grant which is ordinaril y voted to it on these occasions has been substantially enlarged . These two circumstances—the list of Stewards alread y

enrolled and the increased grants from several of the Provinces—are decidedly favourable indications . They show that our lodges and brethren are wasting no time in making the necessary efforts in behalf of the Jubilee , and we

trust that in the interval of between three and four months which still remains , such an addition will be made to the Board of Stewards as will put all doubts at rest as to the success of the celebration .

But the anxiety of the Committtee of Management is not so much in respect of the Jubilee on its own account—though this is certainly an important element in their consideration—but because , as they tell us in their last Report already referred to ,

they are desirous of " recommending a still further extension " of the benefits dispensed by the Institution to our aged indigent brethren and their widows . They are bold men , these members of the Committee . They have appreciably increased

the number of annuitants on the Male and Widows' Funds during the last ten or a dozen years , so that the Institution already stands committed to an annual expenditure for annuities alone of upwards of ^ 15 , , while the income , including the

grants from Grand Lodge and Grand Chapter— -which are not necessarily permanent—is only about £ 4000 . But their wish is no more than natural . They know better than the Craft generally how numerous is the body of brethren and widows

of brethren who , by unavoidable circumstances , have been reduced from affluence to penury ; how great is the amount of suffering which prevails amongst them ; and how imperative it is that at a Festival of more than ordinary importance

like the approaching Jubilee , an extraordinary effort should be made , and successfully made , so that they may feel themselves justified in recommending a still further increase in the number of annuitants . At the election in May last there

Approaching Jubilee Festival Of The R M.B.I.

were 147 candidates , of whom 66 were for the Male Fund and 81 for the Widows' Fund . Of these there still remain on the lists no less than 106—namely , 45 men and 61 widows—while the number of those whose petitions have been—or before the year ' s end will be—approved will , in all probability , and in spite

of the greater stringency of the qualifications , raise the total to between 130 and 140 . There are thus good and sufficient reasons for this anxiety of a Committee which , in the face of recent increments and more stringent qualifications , finds itself year by year confronted with an array of

candidates , of whom only a very moderate proportion can be admitted to the benefits of the Charity . It will , indeed , be a most gratifying result of the efforts which the Committee and their Secretary are now making , if the proceeds of the next

Anniversary Festival of an Institution which is doing such a vast amount of good for our indigent Old People should , prove to be of such magnitude as will enable the Committee to increase its funded property and at the same time recommend a " further extension of its benefits . " '

There is another circumstance to which reference may properly be made . The Secretary in his circular to the lodges calling their attention to the near approach of the Jubilee Festival expresses a hope—not perhaps in so many words—that the authorities of the Institution may be able to enlist the

active sympathy in its behalf of the most illustrious of all English Freemasons , who has just been celebrating in the privacy of his family the Jubilee anniversary of his birthday . Bro . TERRV has also enumerated the additional privileges in the shape of votes which the Committee , after due consideration , has resolved on

offering to the brethren as an inducement to them either to act on this special occasion as Stewards , or to contribute to the funds of the Charity . As regards the first of these statements we are not in a position to say anything more than that the authorities are endeavouring to enlist the support of the

illustrious personage indicated , and we trust their endeavours will be successful . As regards the special inducements held out to brethren to give their support to the Charity next year , the fact that upwards of 5 o brethren have already given in their names as Stewards and that a large number of these are justly

hopeful of being able to compile exceptionally large lists of contributions , is evidence that the inducements in question have not been offered in vain . We are aware there are those who look upon these special votes as involving a certain amount of injustice to brethren who have contributed in past years or who

may contribute in future years amounts of equal value for fewer privileges . But to all such brethren we take leave to point out that an extraordinary effort on some particular occasion and for a special purpose may reasonably be considered a justification for granting extraordinary privileges . The Committee , as we

have said , are anxious to obtain such an amount as will enable them to increase the funded property and extend—with the sanction and approval of the general body of Governors and Subscribers—the benefits of the Institution to more of those who are appl ying for them than the present circumstances

of the Charity justify . To do this they must raise a far larger amount than is obtained at ordinary Festivals , and every one must realise for himself that this will involve a greater amount of labour and enthusiasm than usual . We , therefore , regard this offer of special privileges as justified by the special requirements of the occasion .

It only remains for us to repeat the hope we have already expressed—that the Committee of Management and Bro . TERRY , by the extraordinary efforts they are now making , may succeed in obtaining such a sum as will enable them to recommend an increase in the number of annuitants , so that the present list of

candidates may be brought within more manageable compass , and every brother and widow whose petition is accepted in future years may see before them a fair chance of their being admitted within a reasonable time to the benefits they so urgentl y need ,