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The Freemason , S ATURDAY , F EBRUARY 21 1874

The Present Position Of Our Masonic Charities.

THE PRESENT POSITION OF OUR MASONIC CHARITIES .

Bro . Walker ' s recent pamphlet has called the attention of the Craft to our great Masonic Charitable Institutions , their actual position , their many claims , aud their increasing importance to

our fraternity . Indeed no one can rise from the perusal of Bro . Walker ' s Pamphlet without feeling how

very wide is the scope , and extended the radius of our Masonic charity , and with no little admiration for the past sacrifices and present exertions of our numerous and benevolent

brotherhood . Bro . Binckos , the active Secretary ofthe Boy ' s School , has also a short time ago stated , at a meeting ofthe St . James' Union Lodge , London ,

No . 180 , that there were about 40 , 000 or 45 , 000 enrolled Freemasons , but of that number only about 5 , 000 or 6 , 000 contributed to the Masonic charities , leaving about 35 , 000 who at

present did not contribute to the charities at all , and whom he should never relax his efforts to gain as practical supporters of the institution for which it was both his pleasure and duty to

plead . There can be no doubt too , whatever , that , a larger support should be given by the lodges to the Masonic charities , a large proportion of the

lodges not giving any grant to any of the charities whatever . This then seems at first si ght rather a dark picture , but there is a brighter side to it , namely the very cheering fact , that , during

the last year , we believe , in all £ 25 , 000 were contributed by the Craft to our great Metropolitan Masonic Charities . But the principal point which Bro . Walker ' s

pamphlet forces upon our notice , is , that there is a very large sum required annually to keep the charities in working order , and that , that sum has to be raised at any rale , supposing that they are

maintained at their present standard of numbers and expenditure . There seem , however , to be unmistakeable signs of the increasing wants of our Order , and

of increasing demands inevitabl y for more accommodation in our schools , and for more grants from our annuity funds . Let us take the Boys ' School as an illustration .

It has now no funded property—no actual income—and is , therefore , entirel y dependent on the annual subscriptions and donations of the Craft . It has now 15 - ) boys elected into the

institution , and these , with three perpetual and one life presentation , and eighteen admitted on purchase , give a total of 176 boys to be educated and maintained in 1874 .

In the election in April next there are 28 unsuccessful candidates from the October election , and 24 fresh candidates , making in all 53 candidates , of whom only 14 can be elected .

The question then fairly comes before us all , how are our charities to be efficiently maintained , how are these increasing claims to be met and provided for ?

The Present Position Of Our Masonic Charities.

It may be well to remember here , that though our Order is very numerous , and we have many rich members amongst us , yet we have also a large proportion cf brethren who are not able to

do a great deal , and that we must always be on our guard , lest we overstrain or overtax the willingness and the means of our fraternity , and above all , lest we so largely increase our

charitable institutions , as to induce some to gain admission into Masonry for the possible materia ] good they may obtain from it . But with this one word of caution , we would

ask once more , how can we make the support of our great charities more general and more regular in our Order ? One or two suggestions

occur to us . In the first place , the charities do not advertise , and they are not advertised sufficiently in The Freemason . Were the attention of the brethren called to the claims of the charities

occasionally in The Freemason , there can be no doubt , many more of the Order generally would be made aware alike of their claims and needs . Even the meetings of the Anniversary Festivals of the charities are not advertised in

The Freemason , and the brethren , except through the Stewards , and the non-Masonic papers have not the means of knowing the many details of these important gatherings . And what is still

more remarkable , the results of the elections are not uniformly advertised in The Freemason , the place of all others to insert them , one would think .

But no , they are sent to the Times , which many of our provincial brethren hardly ever see , or some other fashionable London paper . What The Freemason has done to fall into

such disrepute with those excellent brethren who manage our charities we know not , but certainly , though The Freemason , is now the only Masonic paper in England , it has received the

" cold shoulder " from them in a most remarkable degree , and the " sweet shady side " of Masonic suppoit and patronage , has been extended towards it . Though some of these worthy Masons sub .

scribe for themselves , the chanties do not extend the sli ghtest countenance , to a " friend and a brother Freemason , " and we would suggest to the House Committees , and to our

good and august Bro . Binckes , and the other Secretaries , that , if they will make a little more use of even so humble a medium as The Freemason , they will whatever may be the spiritualistic

results , we feel persuaded , greatly advance the cause they have all so much at heart . Most seriously we repeat , were the charities more regularly brought to the notice of the

brethren , through The Freemason , and their wants made known , their proceedings published , and the brethren generally taken into council and confidence , we feel convinced , from what we

know of our Order , a far more general and systematic support of our charities would be offered and annually maintained , through the length and breadth of our English Craft .

No one can deny the necessity of our charities , or their importance , which all must admit , their admirable arrangements , their undoubted value ,

and above all , their real charity , to those whom time and circumstances have compelled , to claim their fostering hand , or enjoy their friendl y aid .