Note: This text has been automatically extracted via Optical Character Recognition (OCR) software.
Next Tear's Festival Of The Royal Masonic Benevolent Institution.
NEXT TEAR'S FESTIVAL OF THE ROYAL MASONIC BENEVOLENT INSTITUTION .
It seems to be only a short while since that we were congratulating the executive , the Secretary , the friends and supporters of the Charity , but more especially the noble Chairman of the day and the Craft generally , on the magnificent success of the Jubilee Festival of the Royal Masonic Benevolent Institution . The total of the Returns reached - £ 69 , 000 , and nearly
three-fourths of the London lodges , and with a single exception the whole of the Provinces into which the Craft outside the London district is mapped out , took part in raising this sum . No such result as this was ever heard of before , and it will be necessary that we should become a great deal richer and more enthusiastic in support of our Institutions ere we hear of its like
again . But though this happened so recently , we find ourselves once again within what it is the fashion to speak of as " measurable distance , " of the day when it will be necessary to make the usual appeal to the lodges and brethren in this country for that assistance in the shape of voluntary contributions without which it is impossible , or next door to impossible , for the Royal Masonic
Benevolent Institution to be carried on . The Committee of Management , with an eye to the future , as well as to the present maintenance of the Charity which has been placed under their charge , have caused to be invested in India Three per Cents . £ 50 , 000 out of the proceeds of the Festival , and as it is known that there was a very large amount of what is known as Association
money included in the total raised , the payment of which will be necessarily spread over the next two or three years , there is small reason to doubt that the balance of the contributions received will about suffice for the requirements of the current year and no more . Until the recent large investment above mentioned , the permanent income of the Institution , consisting of
the grants by Grand Lodge ( £ 1600 ) , and Grand Chapter ( £ 150 ) , and interest on Government Stock , & c , amounted in round figures to about £ 4000 , against which there had to be reckoned the sum disbursed in annuities and half-annuities , amounting to about £ 15 , 000 , and a further £ 2500 required for expenses of management and maintenance of Asylum at
Croydon . Thus , prior to the Jubilee , the sum which had to be forthcoming annually from the donations and subscriptions of the lodges and brethren in order to make up the amount required for annuities and expenses ranged from about £ 13 , 500 to £ 14 , 000 . Since the Jubilee the permanent income has been increased by £ 1500 , and the permanent expenditure by £ 720 , that
is to say , £ 400 for the 10 newly-created male , and £ 320 for the same number of widow-annuities . Thus the present income may be set down at about £ 5500 , and the fixed expenditure at about £ 18 , 250 , so that the total to be raised annually in order to establish a balance between receipts and outlay , and leave a small margin in hand for contingencies , is little , if at all , short
° f £ i 3 i 000 ' The question , then , which we have to consider now is—what prospects are there oi this sum , or any near approach to this sum , being obtained at the Festival in February of next year 1 We fear the answer « c must conscientiously give is not very encouraging . In the first place , ihe services of a Chairman have yet to be obtained , and when the worthy
Secretary takes up the official Calendar and glances through the list of Prov . Grand Masters , there is in nearly every case a valid reason why each ° f these distinguished brethren should ask to be excused in respect of this particular Festival . Three of them presided at this year ' s Festivals , and two areiingaged to preside at the School Festivals of next year , while of the
'emaming number , wc find that in nearly every instance their respective Provinces contributed so handsomely at the recent Jubilee that , with due fcgard to their own necessities , and the calls made upon them by the ° ther Institutions , they ( the P . G . M . 's ) are fully justified in declining the Proposed honour and responsibility . A Prov . Grand Master who volunteers
his services as a Festival Chairman very naturally relies for support on the lod ges and brethren under his charge , and it is hardly necessary for us to a ( l'i that the latter invariably sustain him with all the means at 'neir disposal . But , as we have pointed out already , in nearly every case "ie Provinces did so well in February , that a little breathing time has become
n ° l merely desirable , but necessary . As for the London section of the ^ raft , our remarks apply with equal force to what they did at the same festival . Under these circumstances , it is not surprising that Bro . TERRY s Wild have failed as yet in his efforts to obtain a Chairman . As regards
fie number of brethren who have volunteered to act as Stewards , we fear it ls ^ 'ofully short of what it usually is about this period of the year . Four * ccks before Christmas the Board , in ordinary years , musters at least 100 br t'lliren , but on inquiry we find there are only some 60 who have sent in " ' names , so that a good deal remains to be done in order to bring filler anything like a fairly numerous Board . However , if there is any
Next Tear's Festival Of The Royal Masonic Benevolent Institution.
brother who is capable of making up a leeway it is the indefatigable Bro . J AMES TERRY . We are , of course , prepared for a substantial falling off both in the number of Stewards and the total they will be able to realise . The Schools , though they received a fair measure of support , unquestionably suffered by
the enthusiasm with which the Benevolent Institution was backed up both in London and the country . The Jubilee , as we have said , realised £ 69 , 000 , while the Girls' School received £ 10 , 000 , and the Boys' School , £ 12 , 000 . The same kind of thing happened in the year of the Girls ' Centenary , when the favoured Institution received over £ 51 , 000 , while
the Benevolent Institution , whose Festival fortunately preceded the Centenary , received £ 15 , , and the Boys' School less than £ 9 , 000 . Again , in the year that followed , the Girls' School obtained less than £ 5 , 500 , by the hands of only 150 Stewards , while the other Institutions were well up to the average . But as with the Girls'School , so with the R . M . Benevolent
Institution , much of the good resulting from a bumper Festival is undone if the Anniversary next ensuing shows a large falling off . We are , therefore , anxious that the Returns in February next , though we anticipate they will be much below the average , shall yield sufficient , or nearly sufficient , to clear the year's expenses ; otherwise , the Committee of Management will find
themselves under the necessity of selling some of their newly-purchased Stock , in order to make good the deficiency . However , we are sanguine enough to hope that between now and Christmas , a goodly addition will be made to the Board of Stewards , and that when next we call attention to the subject , wc shall have better news to lay before our readers .
Provincial Grand Lodge Of Cambridgeshire.
PROVINCIAL GRAND LODGE OF CAMBRIDGESHIRE .
The annual Provincial Grand Lodge of Cambridgeshire was held at Rothsay House , Newmarket , on the invitation of the Etheldreda Lodge , No . 2107 , on Friday , the 18 th inst ., for the dispatch of Masonic business . The Prov . G . M ., Bro . Col . R . T . Caldwell , presided , supported by the Dep . P . G . M ., Bro . Andrew H . Moyes , P . G . Std . Br . England , and the following P . G . Officers : Bros . Oliver Papworth , P . S . G . W . ; G . F . Rogers ,
P . J . G . W . ; Rev . L . R . Tuttiett , P . G . Chap . ; F . Dewberry , P . G . D . C . ; W . B . Sheppard , P . A . G . D . C ; P . H . Young , P . G . S . B , ; and A . J . Elworthy , P . G . P . Altogether about So brethren attended , including the following Grand Officers : Bros . G . Everett , P . G . Treas . ; J . Terry , P . G . S . B ., Sec . R . M . B . I . ; and Hamond Le Strange , P . G . D ., D . P . G . M . Norfolk ; whilst amongst the ... lu »* . * ... » .. ~ .- — -. £ ,- » - - - ~ •> — -- . ^ -...-. .. ~ .. v ... , ... it ...,. ..... vug . ] ,. LIU ,
visitors were Bros . J . Glass , P . P . G . S . of W . Essex ; J . Hodges , P . M . 1592 ; R . P . Clowes , J . W . 2201 ; H . Welham , P . M . 1224 ; Rev . Griffiths , 1592 ; and others . Letters of regret for inability to attend were received from Bros . Lord Henniker , P . G . M . Suffolk ; Lord Ampthill , P . G . M . Beds . ; E . Letchworth , G . Sec . ; C . F . Matier , G . Sec . ( Mark ) ; and others .
The minutes of the annual meeting held on November 20 th , 1891 , and of two Special Prov . Grand Lodges held on February 8 th and May 6 th , 1892 , were read and confirmed . Upon the roll of Prov . Grand Officers being called , it was announced that several of them were absent through ill-health .
The roll of lodges was next called over , and reports were made as 1 •, 1 No . 8 S , represented by Bro . W . P . Spalding , W . M ., present num her members , 80 ; No . 441 , by Bro . J . Royston , VV . M ., members 67 ; No . 809 , by Bro . J . Grover , VV . M ., members 56 ; No . 859 , by Bro . F . O . Carr , VV . M ., 156 ; No . 1492 , by Bro . R . L . Thornton , W . M ., members 23 ; No . 2107 , by Bro . VV . B . Sheppard , VV . M ., members 36 . Total , 41 S .
The Auditors' report of the treasurers accounts , which was of a very satisfactory character , was adopted . Bro . VV . Bray , P . M . 809 , P . P . G . S . of VV ., was unanimously elected P . G . Treasurer , in succession to Bro . Col . B . VV . Beales . The Prov . Grand Master then appointed and invested the Prov . Grand Officers for the year as under .-
—Bro . C . Geldord , P . M . 859 ... ... ... Prov . S . G . W . ,, T . Jennings , jun ., P . M . 2107 ... ... Prov . J . G . W . „ Rev . L . R . Tuttiett , J . W . 2107 ... ... ) Dm n nu ' „ Rev . J . H . Gray , P . M . 859 j Prov . G . Chaps . „ VV . Bray , P . M . 809 ... ... ... Prov . G . Treas . „ Oliver Papworth , P . M . 88 ... ... Prov . G . Sec . „ J . Sheldrick , P . M . 441 ... ... ... Prov . G . Reg . „ T . Hunnybun , P . M . 88 ... ... Prov . S . G . D . „ G . VV . Whitehead , P . M . 809 ... ... Prov . J . G . D . „ H . E . Greef , S . W . 441 ... ... ... Prov . G . S . of VV . ,, F . Dewberry , P . M . 441 ( re-appointed ) ... Prov . G . D . C . „ J . L . Rutter , S . D . 88 ... ... ... Prov . A . G . D . C . „ R . L . Thornton , VV . M . 1492 ... ... Prov . G . S . B . „ F . O . Carr , W . M . 859 ( re-appointed ) ... Prov . G . Org . „ J . A . Dawson , S . D . 2107 ... ... Prov . G . Purst . „ j . P . Gray , 88 ... ... ... •) „ G . Bull , Std . Br . 441 ... ... ... [ Prov . G . Stwds . ,, T . Worlledge , S . D . 859 ... ... )
Note: This text has been automatically extracted via Optical Character Recognition (OCR) software.
Next Tear's Festival Of The Royal Masonic Benevolent Institution.
NEXT TEAR'S FESTIVAL OF THE ROYAL MASONIC BENEVOLENT INSTITUTION .
It seems to be only a short while since that we were congratulating the executive , the Secretary , the friends and supporters of the Charity , but more especially the noble Chairman of the day and the Craft generally , on the magnificent success of the Jubilee Festival of the Royal Masonic Benevolent Institution . The total of the Returns reached - £ 69 , 000 , and nearly
three-fourths of the London lodges , and with a single exception the whole of the Provinces into which the Craft outside the London district is mapped out , took part in raising this sum . No such result as this was ever heard of before , and it will be necessary that we should become a great deal richer and more enthusiastic in support of our Institutions ere we hear of its like
again . But though this happened so recently , we find ourselves once again within what it is the fashion to speak of as " measurable distance , " of the day when it will be necessary to make the usual appeal to the lodges and brethren in this country for that assistance in the shape of voluntary contributions without which it is impossible , or next door to impossible , for the Royal Masonic
Benevolent Institution to be carried on . The Committee of Management , with an eye to the future , as well as to the present maintenance of the Charity which has been placed under their charge , have caused to be invested in India Three per Cents . £ 50 , 000 out of the proceeds of the Festival , and as it is known that there was a very large amount of what is known as Association
money included in the total raised , the payment of which will be necessarily spread over the next two or three years , there is small reason to doubt that the balance of the contributions received will about suffice for the requirements of the current year and no more . Until the recent large investment above mentioned , the permanent income of the Institution , consisting of
the grants by Grand Lodge ( £ 1600 ) , and Grand Chapter ( £ 150 ) , and interest on Government Stock , & c , amounted in round figures to about £ 4000 , against which there had to be reckoned the sum disbursed in annuities and half-annuities , amounting to about £ 15 , 000 , and a further £ 2500 required for expenses of management and maintenance of Asylum at
Croydon . Thus , prior to the Jubilee , the sum which had to be forthcoming annually from the donations and subscriptions of the lodges and brethren in order to make up the amount required for annuities and expenses ranged from about £ 13 , 500 to £ 14 , 000 . Since the Jubilee the permanent income has been increased by £ 1500 , and the permanent expenditure by £ 720 , that
is to say , £ 400 for the 10 newly-created male , and £ 320 for the same number of widow-annuities . Thus the present income may be set down at about £ 5500 , and the fixed expenditure at about £ 18 , 250 , so that the total to be raised annually in order to establish a balance between receipts and outlay , and leave a small margin in hand for contingencies , is little , if at all , short
° f £ i 3 i 000 ' The question , then , which we have to consider now is—what prospects are there oi this sum , or any near approach to this sum , being obtained at the Festival in February of next year 1 We fear the answer « c must conscientiously give is not very encouraging . In the first place , ihe services of a Chairman have yet to be obtained , and when the worthy
Secretary takes up the official Calendar and glances through the list of Prov . Grand Masters , there is in nearly every case a valid reason why each ° f these distinguished brethren should ask to be excused in respect of this particular Festival . Three of them presided at this year ' s Festivals , and two areiingaged to preside at the School Festivals of next year , while of the
'emaming number , wc find that in nearly every instance their respective Provinces contributed so handsomely at the recent Jubilee that , with due fcgard to their own necessities , and the calls made upon them by the ° ther Institutions , they ( the P . G . M . 's ) are fully justified in declining the Proposed honour and responsibility . A Prov . Grand Master who volunteers
his services as a Festival Chairman very naturally relies for support on the lod ges and brethren under his charge , and it is hardly necessary for us to a ( l'i that the latter invariably sustain him with all the means at 'neir disposal . But , as we have pointed out already , in nearly every case "ie Provinces did so well in February , that a little breathing time has become
n ° l merely desirable , but necessary . As for the London section of the ^ raft , our remarks apply with equal force to what they did at the same festival . Under these circumstances , it is not surprising that Bro . TERRY s Wild have failed as yet in his efforts to obtain a Chairman . As regards
fie number of brethren who have volunteered to act as Stewards , we fear it ls ^ 'ofully short of what it usually is about this period of the year . Four * ccks before Christmas the Board , in ordinary years , musters at least 100 br t'lliren , but on inquiry we find there are only some 60 who have sent in " ' names , so that a good deal remains to be done in order to bring filler anything like a fairly numerous Board . However , if there is any
Next Tear's Festival Of The Royal Masonic Benevolent Institution.
brother who is capable of making up a leeway it is the indefatigable Bro . J AMES TERRY . We are , of course , prepared for a substantial falling off both in the number of Stewards and the total they will be able to realise . The Schools , though they received a fair measure of support , unquestionably suffered by
the enthusiasm with which the Benevolent Institution was backed up both in London and the country . The Jubilee , as we have said , realised £ 69 , 000 , while the Girls' School received £ 10 , 000 , and the Boys' School , £ 12 , 000 . The same kind of thing happened in the year of the Girls ' Centenary , when the favoured Institution received over £ 51 , 000 , while
the Benevolent Institution , whose Festival fortunately preceded the Centenary , received £ 15 , , and the Boys' School less than £ 9 , 000 . Again , in the year that followed , the Girls' School obtained less than £ 5 , 500 , by the hands of only 150 Stewards , while the other Institutions were well up to the average . But as with the Girls'School , so with the R . M . Benevolent
Institution , much of the good resulting from a bumper Festival is undone if the Anniversary next ensuing shows a large falling off . We are , therefore , anxious that the Returns in February next , though we anticipate they will be much below the average , shall yield sufficient , or nearly sufficient , to clear the year's expenses ; otherwise , the Committee of Management will find
themselves under the necessity of selling some of their newly-purchased Stock , in order to make good the deficiency . However , we are sanguine enough to hope that between now and Christmas , a goodly addition will be made to the Board of Stewards , and that when next we call attention to the subject , wc shall have better news to lay before our readers .
Provincial Grand Lodge Of Cambridgeshire.
PROVINCIAL GRAND LODGE OF CAMBRIDGESHIRE .
The annual Provincial Grand Lodge of Cambridgeshire was held at Rothsay House , Newmarket , on the invitation of the Etheldreda Lodge , No . 2107 , on Friday , the 18 th inst ., for the dispatch of Masonic business . The Prov . G . M ., Bro . Col . R . T . Caldwell , presided , supported by the Dep . P . G . M ., Bro . Andrew H . Moyes , P . G . Std . Br . England , and the following P . G . Officers : Bros . Oliver Papworth , P . S . G . W . ; G . F . Rogers ,
P . J . G . W . ; Rev . L . R . Tuttiett , P . G . Chap . ; F . Dewberry , P . G . D . C . ; W . B . Sheppard , P . A . G . D . C ; P . H . Young , P . G . S . B , ; and A . J . Elworthy , P . G . P . Altogether about So brethren attended , including the following Grand Officers : Bros . G . Everett , P . G . Treas . ; J . Terry , P . G . S . B ., Sec . R . M . B . I . ; and Hamond Le Strange , P . G . D ., D . P . G . M . Norfolk ; whilst amongst the ... lu »* . * ... » .. ~ .- — -. £ ,- » - - - ~ •> — -- . ^ -...-. .. ~ .. v ... , ... it ...,. ..... vug . ] ,. LIU ,
visitors were Bros . J . Glass , P . P . G . S . of W . Essex ; J . Hodges , P . M . 1592 ; R . P . Clowes , J . W . 2201 ; H . Welham , P . M . 1224 ; Rev . Griffiths , 1592 ; and others . Letters of regret for inability to attend were received from Bros . Lord Henniker , P . G . M . Suffolk ; Lord Ampthill , P . G . M . Beds . ; E . Letchworth , G . Sec . ; C . F . Matier , G . Sec . ( Mark ) ; and others .
The minutes of the annual meeting held on November 20 th , 1891 , and of two Special Prov . Grand Lodges held on February 8 th and May 6 th , 1892 , were read and confirmed . Upon the roll of Prov . Grand Officers being called , it was announced that several of them were absent through ill-health .
The roll of lodges was next called over , and reports were made as 1 •, 1 No . 8 S , represented by Bro . W . P . Spalding , W . M ., present num her members , 80 ; No . 441 , by Bro . J . Royston , VV . M ., members 67 ; No . 809 , by Bro . J . Grover , VV . M ., members 56 ; No . 859 , by Bro . F . O . Carr , VV . M ., 156 ; No . 1492 , by Bro . R . L . Thornton , W . M ., members 23 ; No . 2107 , by Bro . VV . B . Sheppard , VV . M ., members 36 . Total , 41 S .
The Auditors' report of the treasurers accounts , which was of a very satisfactory character , was adopted . Bro . VV . Bray , P . M . 809 , P . P . G . S . of VV ., was unanimously elected P . G . Treasurer , in succession to Bro . Col . B . VV . Beales . The Prov . Grand Master then appointed and invested the Prov . Grand Officers for the year as under .-
—Bro . C . Geldord , P . M . 859 ... ... ... Prov . S . G . W . ,, T . Jennings , jun ., P . M . 2107 ... ... Prov . J . G . W . „ Rev . L . R . Tuttiett , J . W . 2107 ... ... ) Dm n nu ' „ Rev . J . H . Gray , P . M . 859 j Prov . G . Chaps . „ VV . Bray , P . M . 809 ... ... ... Prov . G . Treas . „ Oliver Papworth , P . M . 88 ... ... Prov . G . Sec . „ J . Sheldrick , P . M . 441 ... ... ... Prov . G . Reg . „ T . Hunnybun , P . M . 88 ... ... Prov . S . G . D . „ G . VV . Whitehead , P . M . 809 ... ... Prov . J . G . D . „ H . E . Greef , S . W . 441 ... ... ... Prov . G . S . of VV . ,, F . Dewberry , P . M . 441 ( re-appointed ) ... Prov . G . D . C . „ J . L . Rutter , S . D . 88 ... ... ... Prov . A . G . D . C . „ R . L . Thornton , VV . M . 1492 ... ... Prov . G . S . B . „ F . O . Carr , W . M . 859 ( re-appointed ) ... Prov . G . Org . „ J . A . Dawson , S . D . 2107 ... ... Prov . G . Purst . „ j . P . Gray , 88 ... ... ... •) „ G . Bull , Std . Br . 441 ... ... ... [ Prov . G . Stwds . ,, T . Worlledge , S . D . 859 ... ... )