A Masonic Benevolent Institution For Cheshire.

A MASONIC BENEVOLENT INSTITUTION FOR CHESHIRE .

Cheshire occupies a prominent position among the Provinces which of late years have established local institutions for the benefit of their poorer members and their children , or for the widows and orphans of deceased brethren . It must be nearly , if not quite , 30 years since the Cheshire Masonic Educational Institute was founded , and the good that it lias done

since is beyond all praise . Scores of children have by its means received such a training in the better class of schools situated in the neighbourhood ot their homes as has enabled them to go forth into the world with every prospect of being able to earn an honourable livelihood ; while the continuance , if not the permanence , of the Institute may be looked upon as

assured by reason of the very substantial amount of capital which has been invested in its behalf , and the generous measure of support it receives annually from the brethren in the shape of donations and subscriptions . The existence of this Institute may possibly have had the effect of diminishing the amount contributed by the Province towards our Central Charities .

Indeed , it would be strange had it been otherwise . Charity begins at home , and our Cheshire brethren are fully justified in looking , first of all , after the children of their own poor or deceased members , and then presenting what there may remain , after satisfying their own necessities , for the benefit of the general body . Something , however , has more recently influenced them

—it may have been their own innate generosity , or they may have been prompted by the urgent advice of their respected Prov . Grand Masterto raise goodlier sums for the general Masonic Institutions , the Boys' School in 1891 and the Royal Masonic Benevolent Institution at its Jubilee in February last having been the fortunate recipients of such amounts as we

had never previously had the opportunity of associating with their Province . But Cheshire does not appear to be quite satisfied that these further efforts are all it is capable of making ; and acting , we suppose , on the principle that no duty is ever thorough ! } ' fulfilled while anything which may or will enhance its value remains undone , it has now resolved on establishing its

own Benevolent Institution for the purpose of providing permanent relief for its aged members and their widows . Early in October a meeting of the Provincial Charity Council was held at the Chambers of Bro . RICHARD NEWHOUSE , Prov . G . Sec ., when it was resolved io adopt certain recommendations to be submitted to the Commiltee of Benevolence .

which was to be held at Crewe on the 30 th ult ., and in the meantime , in order that the brethren generally throughout the Province might have an opportunity of considering the proposals , the Report was printed and circulated and we are pleased to learn lias had a most favourable reception . These proposals are to the effect that during next year a sum of not be of

less than ^ 1000 shall raised for the purpose establishing a Pro - vincial Benevolent Fund . When this sum has been obtained , steps shall at once be taken to place the Fund on a working basis , and provide for at least two Annuities , the sum raised being invested in Consols or other trustworthy securities . It is intended that the Annuities shall be one half

of those granted by the Royal Masonic Benevolent Institution . That is to say , £ 20 for men and £ 16 for widows ; that they shall be confined to worthy , aged and indigent Cheshire Freemasons and their widows ; that they shall be either preliminary or subsidiary to those of the Central Institution j and that they shall cease and determine whenever the local

Annuitants are elected to the benefits of the more important Charity . It is further proposed that , as regards its management , " a similar relationship to that which exists between the Royal Masonic Benevolent Institution and the Grand Lodge of England shall subsist between the proposed Institution and the Provincial Grand Lodge of Cheshire , viz ., that whilst the

Institution will , as regards its funds and management , be outside the purview of Provincial Grand Lodge , yet th . it its establishment , its working , and its well-being generally , shall be by its By-laws subject to the fostering care of Provincial Grand Lodge , to which it shall report annually , and that , so far is may be practicable , its management , if not altogether identified

with , 3 'et should be under the wing of , the Provincial Committee of Benevolence , which is so thoroughly representative of the entire Province , < ind which has done such excellent work since its re-organisation . " The further recommendations include one for the appointment of the present Charity Council as a Provisional Committee , and others for the granting of

privileges in the shape of votes to donors and subscribers , according to the amounts given or subscribed ; the holding of an annual Festival in aid of l'ie proposed Institution ; the conferring of certain privileges on brethren who offer their services as Stewards ; and the appointment of the Prov . G . Master , Bro . Lord EGERTON of TATTON ; the Dep . Prov . G . . Master , Bro . Sir HORATIO LLOYD ; with Bros , the Hon . AL \ N DE TATTO . V EGERTON ,

A Masonic Benevolent Institution For Cheshire.

M . P ., P . P . G . W . ; J AMES SALMON , J . P ., P . P . G . W . ; and J CLVYTON , P . P . G . W ., as Trustees . That such a scheme as this , carried out on the lines indicated , will be of incalculable benefit to the Province of Cheshire we sec no reason whatever

to doubt . Other Provinces—notably that of West Lancashire—have their Annuity Funds , which have been of material service to the poor local brethren since they were founded , whether they were preliminary or subsidiary to the central Charity in London or not . Seeing the number of candidates who offer themselves for the benefits of the

latter , a considerable time must elapse , save in the case of those who are fortunate enough to have strong interest to back their claims , before they can hope to be elected Annuitants . By means of this Provincial Fund , however , Cheshire will be able to assist those of its poor members and widows who may be qualified and accepted as

candidates for the general Charity , while they are waiting to be elected , and for this reason it is we are rejoiced to hear that the scheme , so far as it has been considered by our Cheshire brethren , has experienced a most favourable reception , the Provincial Grand Master and other members of the Province having already responded so generously , that before the year is out the

Provisional Committee of the Fund will have in hand not £ 1000 , but nearly ^ 2000 , with which to give effect to the proposal . We trust this may be looked upon as a good augury for the permanence of the intended Fund ,

and that in the course of a few years Cheshire will be in a position to point to a Benevolent Fund as firmly established in the good opinion of the brethren and as competent to fulfil its task as the present Cheshire Educational Institute .

National Great Priory.

NATIONAL GREAT PRIORY .

A meeting of the National Great Priory of the United Orders of the Temple and Malta in England and Wales was held at Mark Masons ' Hall on Friday , the 9 th inst . Present : The V . E . Great Sub Prior , the Earl of Euston on the throne ; the V . E . Provincial Prior for East Anglia Sir Knight Capt . Philips ; the V . E . Prov . Prior for Devonshire , Sir Knight the Rev . T . W . Lemon , D . D . ; the V . E . P . P . G . Commander of Essex , Sir Knight Col . Somerville Burney . National Great Officers : Sir

Knights the Rev . H . G . Morse , Prelate ; F . A . Philbrick , O . C ., Chancellor ; the Rev . R . N . Sanderson , as Constable ; Frank Richardson , Marshall ; Ralph Clutton , Treas . ; R . H . Thrupp , Reg ., and many other officers , past officers , and sir knights , The Great Prior , having taken his seat on the throne , opened National Great Priory in ample form . The Registrar called the muster roll .

Sir Knights Major-General Hay and Captain Elwes were presented and instructed as Vice-Chancellor and Herald respectively . The minutes of the meeting of National Great Priory on the 13 th May , 1892 , having been read and approved , V . E . Sir Knight Col . Gerard Noel Money , C . B ., was introduced , accompanied by his Banner Bearer and Sword Bearer , and did homage on his appointment as Provincial Prior of Kent and Surrey . The report of the council was taken as read .

On the motion of V . E . Sir Knight Col . BURNEY , the proposal for the amalgamation of the Kemeys Tynte and Temple Crossing Preceptories to form one Prcccptory under the title of " The United Preceptories of Kemeys Tynte and Temple Crossing " was sanctioned . Sir Knight PHII . HRIC ' K , Cj . C , Chancellor , then moved the grant of a pension of _ £ i « o a year to E . Sir Knight W . Tinkler , late Vice-Chancellor .

He said that the late Vice-Chancellor had been for a considerable time in failing health , but in spite of much physical suffering had manfully struggled to carry on the duties of his office . At last the time had come when it was necessary Io relieve him of his duties and of this Sir Knight Tinkler had been the first to recognise the necessity . The Great Prior's Council considered that Sir Knight Tinkler ' s long and faithful services to the Order deserved special reco niiiion , and had

therefore recommended to Great Priory that a pension ol £ mo a year be granted to him to continue during pleasure . Me ( the Chancellor ) had become aware that some of the sir knights would have preferred that the pension should have been a permanent one , but pensions could only be granted during p leasure . The Council were as anxious as any sir knight present could be to make a suilable provision for one who had served the Order so long and well , and they considered their recommendation of a pension during pleasure was practically making a provision for life .

The G . Registrar , isir Knight 'Liini'i'i' , 111 seconding the motion , said that he had known Sir Knight Tinkler well , ihat in hisollieial cap icily he had had a great deal to do with him , and he desired to speak in the highest terms of the late Vice-Chancellor's devotion to the interests of the Order .