Royal Masonic Institution For Boys.

ROYAL MASONIC INSTITUTION FOR BOYS .

The adjourned meeting of the General Committee of this Institution was held on Saturday last at Freemasons' Hall . Bro . the Earl of Euston , P . G . M . of Norths and Hunts , Chairman of the Provisional Management Committee , presided , and among those present were Bros .

C . F . Hogard , P . G . Std . Br . ; J . L . Mather , P . A . G . D . ' of C ; Major A . B . Cook , P . A . G . D . of C ; F . Mead , C . H . Webb , G . P . Gillard , Rev . R . Morris , M . A ., LL . D , A . Durrant , G . Gregory , W . M . Stiles , W . W . Morgan , A . E . Gladwell , B . Kaufmann , John Barnett , jun , W . Smith , Stanley Attenborough , G . Bolton ,

H . Dickey , S . Leith Tomkins , P . G . D . ; Richard Eve , P . G . Treas . ; H . Algar , John Pollard , W . A . Scurrah , George Plucknett , P . G . D , Treasurer of the Institution ; W . Masters , E . G . Harewood , Robert W . Bourne , W . F . Smithson , C . Greenwood , W . H . Saunders , J . C . Hopwood , J . Moon , G . Cooper , P . G . D . ; Jas . Stevens ,

Joseph Tanner , George Mickley , M . A , M . B ., S . Richardson , E . E . Brown Kidder , A . M . Cohen , G . Corbie , F . W . Ramsay , M . D , J . S . Cumberland , W . H . Ferryman , P . G . P . ; John Jones , H . Massey , Joseph D . Langton , Secretary Provisional Management Committee ; and Fredk . Binckes , P . G . S . B . ( Secretary ) .

The Earl of EUSTON said he had to read the further report of the Provisional Management Committee , which was as follows : " The Provisional Committee report that they have conferred with Bro . Binckes on the terms of his retirement , and have arranged that he shall retire from the oflice of Secretary at the end of

the present year ( 188 9 ) upon a retiring allowance of ^ 350 per annum for life . They recommend that this arrangement be carried out , and the necessary notices given under the laws of the Institution for this purpose , and that this Committee be empowered to take the necessary steps to carry into effect the

arrangement with Bro . Binckes . The Provisional Committee further recommend that the salary of any future Secretary shall not commence with a sum exceeding ^ 300 per annum . " That , he said , was all the Committee had to report that day for the Committee to come to a resolution upon .

Bro . J . S . CUMBERLAND desired to know if the Committee had considered the subject of the Secretary ' s salary not commencing at a sum hi g her than ^ 300 a year alone , or along with it tbe granting him a pension when he had served a certain time . The Earl of EUSTON said he thought that

subject was not for consideration on the present occasion because they only recommended that the salary of any future Secretary should not commence at a sum higher than ^ 300 a year . Bro . CUMBERLAND said he was very glad the Committee had done so , because he thought it should be so

done . Still , he thought it should be an instruction to the Committee to consider whether a Secretary should be entitled under any circumstances , after having served the Institution many years , to a pension . Bro . W . A . SCURRAH said that before they proceeded any further the meeting ought to have the minutes

read . Bro . J J ONES remarked that the minutes of the July meeting were read at the ordinary meeting of the General Committee on the 3 rd inst . Bro . BINCKES also said that the minutes were read in the ordinary course at that meeting and confirmed .

Bro . SCURRAH enquired whether anything was then done carrying out the minutes . Bro . BINCKES replied that there was not . The meeting was , according to previous arrangement , adjourned .

Bro . SCURRAH said he understood that the meeting of the 3 rd inst . was to be onl y a formal meeting , and that a great many brethren stayed away because they thought the minutes would not be read . He again enquired whether anything was done in carrying out those minutes .

Bro . BINCKES said no ; but the minutes could be read again if the brethren wished it . Bro . J J ONES informed the brethren that Bro . Plucknett was in the chair on the 3 rd inst . ; itwas a regular meeting . The minutes were read and confirmed , and there was a general understanding that

there was nothing to be clone but the passing of the minutes , and he did not think it was ri ght to read the minutes again now . Bro . CUMBERLAND asked whether there was any reason why the minutes should be again read ? Would it not be opening up a precedent for future occasions ?

It was explained at the former meeting that the meeting of the 3 rd inst . would have to be adjourned and that only the minutes would be read . He was quite sure that if Lord Euston thought the minutes ought to be read he would have them read . Reading the minutes again would be only wasting time .

Bro . J ONES said he was present on the 3 rd inst , and he moved that that clay ' s meeting should be advertised . That had been done , and he thought that was in form and perfectly regular . That meeting had been more than usually advertised . Bro . SCURRAH would ask the Secretary through the Chairman whether anything was done beyond the

reading of the minutes . Bro . BINCKES said nothing more than the motion for adjournment , and that the meeting be advertised . A short discussion then ensued as to who were entitled to be present , and the information being given that only Life Governors could attend the room was cleared of all but the elected members of the General

Royal Masonic Institution For Boys.

Committee and Life Governors , a brother having , however , mentioned that the question to be discussed must come before the Quarterly Court of Subscribers . Bro . CUMBERLAND then moved the adoption of the report , that ^ 350 a year was recommended as a retiring allowance to the Secretary . He said it gave him

great pleasure to make this motion , for more than one reason . First of all , Bro . Binckes had performed very valuable services to the Institution with which he had long been connected . He did not care much for remarks made outside ; he looked more at thc services rendered ; and he hoped the time was far distant when the brethren

would forget what any brother had done to help them and tbe poor children and the Schools . He ventured to say that no brother would contradict his statement , that Bro . Binckes had been the pioneer of the Masonic Institutions . Other brethren mig ht sit and dine ; but surely after the report they had received from the

Investigation Committee , all the sins of omission and commission were not to be charged upon the shoulders of Bro . Binckes . It the House Committee had allowed him a little more latitude than he ought to have had , it was not so much his fault as theirs , who ought to have held a strong hand upon him . He went further :

if Bro . Binckes had done a little bit wrong , was there any brother in the room who , during his life , had not done wrong ? He ought not to be persecuted because , by some mischance or other , he had done something or had said something which had not met with the approval of all the brethren . Bro . Binckes knew perfectly well

that the inquiry orig inated in a certain thing with reference to himself ( Bro . Cumberland ); therefore , he ( Bro . Cumberland ) could speak of it . He trusted that as a man and a Mason , having served the office well , he was not now to be persecuted , to be kicked , and told to go about his business . Masonry was not for

that . Alasons were strong enough to say they were now going- to make a change , and would not turn him out as one unknown and his works forgotten . He did not think they would find such another man as Bro . Binckes for some years to come . It was quite certain though that some were present who

were with him , and some who were against him , with regard to this vote ; but he hoped he would never be the man to kick a fellow man when he was down ; he hoped rather he was one to help a man when he fell . Bro . Binckes had done a great deal for the Institution . True , he had been paid for what he had done . Well ,

every one had to be paid . But Bro . Binckes , they all knew , had worked very hard for the Institution . He had brought it to a state of great prosperity , and after so many years' service they ought not to let him go without some recognition of his services . He had very great pleasure in proposing that the recommendation of the Provisional Management Committee be accepted ,

and he sincerely trusted , although remarks had been made against this proposal , not only by London brethren , but by brethren in the provinces , it would be well received . They did not want Bro . Binckes to think that what he had done would be forgotten . Bro . Alderman HARWOOD ( Bolton ) , Chairman East Lancashire Charity Committee , seconded the motion . Bro . W . A . SCURRAH enquired with regard to the second part of the Report whether it was necessary ? He should move that that portion be expunged . He perfectly agreed with the recommendation that the salary of the future Secretary should not be more than ^ 300 a year , but he maintained that the power of

electing the Secretary was not in the Provisional Committee . They might do what they liked in the way of recommending , but the election of Secretary was in the hands of a General Committee . All that the Provisional Management Committee had to do in this respect was to report to the General Committee .

Bro . A . M . COHEN : There are only two paragraphs in the Report . Bro . the Rev . Dr . MORRIS , Head AIaster : Power to select and recommend would meet all the difficulty . Bro . RICHARD EVE , P . G . Treasurer , said that part of the Report was drafted by himself , and it , in his opinion ,

met all the difficulties . It was necessary that some one should take steps and put everything in trim . When it was requisite to call the brethren together who were entitled to vote at the election of Secretary it was necessary that advertisements and notices should be issued . All those would be submitted according

to the rules to a body that had the power to elect , and that body was the brethren now present . But it was necessary that the Provisional Committee should take preliminary steps to see that all brethren in England should have an opportunity to come in and offer their services , and the Provisional Committee

wanted the fullest opportunity to let them know ; therefore , they asked to be the agents of the general body , and nothing more . For himself , he should be happy to be divested of the power to elect from some sixty a hundred , or , perhaps , three or four hundred , candidates . He only hoped they would elect the proper

man . Bro . SCURRAH said the same power was given to this Committee as was g iven to the defunct House Committee . They required no further authority from the present meeting ; they acted as the House Committee in every sense of the word . Bro . RICHARD EVE said if Bro . Scurrah would look

to Rule 45 , he would see the Committee had power to inquire into the character and qualifications of candidates . That was all the Provisional Committee wanted . There was no power to advertise in . the Rules . Bro . CUMBERLAND quite agreed with Bro . Scurrah that it was not necessary for the Provisional Committee

Royal Masonic Institution For Boys.

to ask for matters of that kind ; the Provisional Com mittee entirely took the place of the House Committee ' All they had to do was to report to the brethren from time to time , except in proposing a pension or a lu nn sum to a brother . That must be referred to a Quarterly Court for confirmation . He took it that any Com mittee had a ri ght to do that without coming to th " > general body , and without asking for any aquittance -M

all . The election of a Secretary was to be not it a Quarterly Court , but at a General Committee . He wished the Provisional Committee had been adjourned until they had recommended certain rules and reguli tions for the government of the affair for the tin 'J being . He thought all the brethren who could be present at the Quarterly Court ought to be at it .

Bro . J J ONES requested leave to propose an amendment that the sum should be reduced to £ r , L and , in doing so , said that he was actuated b y a feeling of ri g ht , and that the Committees were the trustees of the whole body of subscribers . Three hundred pounds was quite sufficient . Far be it from

him to say anything against Bro . Binckes but , having considered thoroughly the whole position , he could not say justly , as a public official of many years' standing , that the School was what it should be . The parish school of Shoreditch was better than this School at Wood Green . ( Cries of

" Oh , oh . " ) He was prepared to prove it ; he was not at all inconsistent , and he onl y wanted to be just . t \ representative meeting was held in the large hall uf Freemasons' Tavern , and it was there positively affirmed confirmed and agreed , that what was done should be done well . Now it had not been done well . The Pro .

visional Committee were actuated by a desire to do what was ri ght . The Institution was before the brethren and had to be supported . The brethren in the provinces would justl y disagree with this proposition that a new Secretary should not have more than £ 300 a year , and that the retiring Secretary should have ^ 350

. Bro . BROWN KIDDER wanted to know whether it was with the consent of the Provisional Committee that Bro . Binckes gave the Steward and Matron a testimonial on their seeking for a new appointment ? The Earl of EUSTON : I think that question is out of order at the present time .

Bro . J AMES STEVENS , in supporting the ori ginal proposal , thought it would be a disgrace to Freemasons to allow Bro . Binckes to retire without some recognition of his services in the past . But he wished to ask from what source would the proposed pension be derived ? The funds of the Institution were supplied for the

purposes of Charity—not for pensions . He feared it was not in the power of the Committee to apply the funds in the way of pensions . The Earl of EUSTON said be believed the Committees of the Institution had the power . Bro . Dr . MICKLEY acknowledged that pensions were

given in many Institutions and in private concerns , notwithstanding that the servants were paid for their work . He knew it was the hope of reward that sweetened labonr , and that the labourer was worthy of his hire . A Charitable Institution , however , was on a different footing to a private concern . They were here

assuming to themselves a ri ght for an indefinite number of years to give a pension , and they were pledging the Institution to it . He did think they ought to give the subject their serious consideration . Bro . SCURRAH , as one who was connected with the largest hospital in London , could say that some few

years ago an executive officer at that institution was growing old , and the Committee of that time , after obtaining counsel ' s opinion on the subject , granted that man ^ 300 a year pension for the remainder of his life . They need not go outside the Boys' School for a precedent . They had a pensioner at the present time on the list ; there was one in the Girls' School , and one in

the Benevolent Institution . Going outside again , the Commercial Travellers' School had pensioned off their Secretary . Bro . Stevens' proposition had nothing to do with the matter . He ( Bro . Scurrah ) had no personal feeling in the matter . They mig ht quote as many wrongs as they liked ; they would not make a rig ht . Was it right for them to insist that all future subscribers to this Institution should understand that out of the

money they subscribed they were to contribute to these pensions ? His feeling in the matter was that they could pledge the future subscri p tions of the Craft for the purpose of this pension , and that they could do s 0 legitimately and fairly . He should be but too p leased to do all he could to support the resolution . , Bro . RICHARD EVE said Bro . Philbrick was quite u | opinion that it could be granted , and he was qm ' ° opinion that this Committee , with the consent ot < Quarterly Court , could do it fairly , and charge it to tne institution . . . Bro . CUMBERLAND said that whatever they did tW day could be refused by the Quarterly Court to »' l , 1 ( - it must be referred .

The motion was then put , and carried . .. The minutes of the Provisional Management LW - mittee were read , in which it was announced that - Hercome , of the St . Anne ' s School , had been elea Matron , and notice given to Mr . Hall , the Met Officer , terminating his engagement . . , c The petitions for placing two boys on the '"' ^ next April were considered and agreed to , and

were granted to four former pupils . u J , The names of Albert Escott , Greenwich ; - ^ Nash , Richmond ; and J . Blyth , St . John s were added to the Committee . . v i 1 eth Bro . BROWN KIDDER renewed his question | ^ it was with the consent of the Committee th * jVCd Dove , the Matron , and Mr . Dove , the Steward , r