Royal Masonic Benevolent Institution.

ROYAL MASONIC BENEVOLENT INSTITUTION .

The annual meeting of the Royal Masonic Benevolent Institution for Aged Freemasons and Widows of Freemasons was held on the 21 st inst . at Freemasons' Tavern . Bro . J . A . Farnfield , P . A . G . D . C , Patron and Treasurer of the Institution , presided , and he was supported by Bros . J . Sampson Peirce , James Boulton , Major Woodall , W . G . Kentish , C . E . Keyser , Henry Lovegrove , A . C . Spaull , and others . The meeting was very numerously attended .

The minutes of the annual meeting of May 15 th , 1 S 96 , were read by Bro . J AMES TERRY , Secretary , and confirmed , and the report , which had been printed and circulated , was received and adopted . The minutes of the special meeting were also received and adopted , as was the report of the Audit Committee .

Bro . TERRY then read the following report of the Committee of Management : The Committee of Management of the Royal Masonic Benevolent Institution has very great pleasure in laying before the Governors and Subscribers a report of its proceedings during the past year . Tie Anniversary Festival on behalf of the Institution was held by direction of H . R . H . the Prince of Wales , K . G ., M . W . G . M ., Grand Patron and President ,

on Wednesday , the 24 th February last . H . R . H . the Duke of Connaught and Stra'hearn , K . G ., M . W . P . G . M ., R . W . Prov . G . M . of Sussex , and R . W . District G . M . of Bombay , presided as Chairman , and the Board of Stewards which suppc rted his Royal Highness comprised 434 ladies and brethren . The total amount of the donations and subscriptions obtained by the members of this Board was announced as £ 18 , 197 19 s . 3 d ., which has since been augmented by the receipt of outstanding lists , and additions to lists , to the still more substantial sum of

£ 19 , 083 14-=. 3 d . With the exception of the amount raised at the Jubilee Anniversary in 1892 , this is the third highest total ever obtained at an ordinary Festival in support of this Institution , and the Committee gladly avails itself of this opportui i * y of publicly recording its thanks to his Royal Highness , the Chairman , for his kindness and courtesy in presiding ; to the ladies and brethren who formed the Board of Steward ? , and by whose efforts , both individually and collectively , this great success was achieved , and to the lodges , chapters , and brethren who so

liberally responded to the appeals made to them for the means with which to carry on the beneficent work of the Institution during the present year . But more especially are the thanks of the Committee due to the 198 ladies and brethren representing the lodges and chapters in the London District , who amongst them contributed £ 10 , 404 19 s . 6 d . towards the general total , and to the brethren , from his Royal Highness , the Chairman ' s province of Sussex , who manifested their loyalty to their Provincial Grand Master , and their goodwill towards the Royal Masoric Benevolent Institution by raising in the aggregate £ 126 3 2 s . fid .

At the election in May , 1896 , there were on the two Funds of the Institution 442 annuitants , of whom 200 were on the Male Fund , and 242 on the Widows' Fund , while the number of applicants for admission was 113 , of whom 60 were men , and S 3 widows . To-day the number is 117 , namely , 65 men and 52 widows , there being thus a slight increase in number on this occasion , as compared with last

year . The Committee , however , while it is deeply sensible of the generous support accorded to the Institution at the recent Anniversary Festival , does not consider itself justified in recommending the creation of any additional annuities on either Fund , and thereby increasing the permanent annual expenditure . Moreover , at its meeting in April , a resolution was passed to present each of the unsuccessful candidates at to-day ' s election with a gift of £ 5 in commemoration of the Queen ' s

Diamond Jubilee , and the sum it is thus proposed to distribute will not fall very far short of £ 400 . Hence if the Governors and Subscribers see fit to adopt the views of the Committee , the numbers to be elected at this meeting will be 13 men and 18 widows including in each case the three deferred annuities as declared in February , together with 10 men and three widows to fill the vacancies which have occurred since February , andjwhich it is the opinion of the Committee should be filled up . If this recommendation is adopted , there will be elected today 23 men and 21 widows , including as already pointed out the three deferred

annuities on each fund , and the strength of the fixed establishment will remain precisely as it was after the election in May of last year when there were 200 on the Male Fund , receiving each of them £ 40 per annum , and 242 on the Widow ' s Fund each receiving £ 32 per annum , the total sum distributable among these 442 annuitants being £ 15 , 744 . To this must be added the further sum of £ 560 , payable under Law 9 of the Male Fund , among the widows of 28 recently deceased male annuitants , so that the amount required for disbursement in annuities during the ensuing year will be £ 16 , 204 .

The Committee reports that at a special general meeting of Governors and Subscribers held at Freemasons' Hall , on Wednesday the ioth February , it was resolved to amend the rules defining the '• Qualifications , & c , for the Widow ' s Fund , " by reducing the period during which an applicant ' s last husband must have been a subscribing member to a lodge from 15 to 10 years and the rule , as thus amended , was sanctioned and approved by United Grand Lodge at its Quarterly Communication , on Wednesday , the 3 rd March last .

The Committee very gladly embraces this opportunity of publicly recording its thanks to United Grand Lodge for the continuance of its annual grant of £ 70 towards providing those of the annuitants who reside in the Asylum at Croydon with fuel during the winter months , to the Supreme Council of the Ancient and Accepted Rite for its gifts of periodicals and comforts for the residents , and to the Emulation Lodge of Improvement for its renewed grant of £ 10 to be divided equally between the third highest unsuccessful candidates of each sex at to-day's election .

The Committee 13 also desirous of expressing its sincere and heartfelt thanks to the Honorary Surgeons of the Institution , J . Wayte , Esq ., and R . Percy Middlemist , Esq ., for their kind and unremitting attention to those amongst the annuitants , whether resident at the Asylum or non-resident , who during the past year have been unfortunately obliged to seek their advice and assistance , and also to H . J . Strong , Esq ., Honorary Consulting Physician , for the readiness with which he has at all times given to those who stood in ne ; d of it , the bensfit of his long professional experience .

The Committee is further desirous of recording its appreciation of the thoroughness with which the Secretary and his staff enter into the spirit of their duties , and is particular wishful 10 offer its congratulations to the former on the continued energy he is able to manifest after nearly 33 years of successful labour in the service ol the Institution .

The Committee is pleased to be in a position to state that the premises at Croydon are in a thorough state of repair , and that during the ensuing year only such care and attention will be needed and only the outlay of such a sum will be required as will suffice to maintain them in their present condition . The Audited Statement of Account for the year ended the 31 st December , 1896 , is appended . It has , as in past years , been compiled with the greatest care by the Finance Committee , and has been subjected to the most searching examination before being passed and approved by the Auditors . The Committee

Royal Masonic Benevolent Institution.

is therefore justified in expressing the hope that when the several items of receipt and expenditure have been scrutinised and compared with the corresponding items in previous accounts , the Governors and Subscribers will be enabled to arrive at the conclusion that the Committee has administered the funds entrusted to its care with a proper regard for economy and efficiency .

In conclusion , the Committee expresses its unabated confidence in the generosity of the Craft , both at home and abroad , and its firm belief that so long as it continues to observe its present policy by shaping it to the varying requirements of the moment in the discharge of its functions , the means that are required to maintain the Institution at its present high standard of efficiency will be invariably forthcoming .

Subjoined is the Statement , already mentioned , of the Receipts and Expenditure by the Institution during the 12 months ending the 31 st December , 1896 , together with full particulars of its permanent income . J . NEWTON .

On the motion of Bro . W . G . KENTISH , seconded by Bro . J . S . PEIRCE , this report was ordered to be received , adopted , and entered on the minutes On the motion of Bro . W . G . KENTISH , seconded by B-o . Dr . STRONG , Bro * =. Dixon , Gowan , and Moore were elected on the Committee of Management .

Bro . C . E . KEYSER , P . G . D ., said the next matter was the very important one of electing a Treasurer of the Institution , and he had great pleasure in proposing lhat their excellent Bro . John Albert Farnfield be re-elected to that office . ( Cheers . ) Many of the brethren wondered wh y Bro . Farnfield had been a bachelor so many years ; but the truth was he was so

wedded to the Benevolent Institution , that he thought it would be immoral to ally himself to any other object . ( Laughter . ) Having got him so clostly allied to the institution , the brethren should keep him there as long as they could . ( H *» ar , hear . ) He begged to move that Bro . Farnfield be reelected Treasurer of the Institution . ( Hear , hear . )

Bro . W . G . KENTISH , in seconding the motion , said he strongly believed Bro . Keyser must be a bachelor himself . He did not altogether agree with Bro . Keyser in his remarks with regard to Bro . Farnfield , but he seconded the motion with pleasure . The motion was carried .

Bro . FARNFIELD . * Brethren , I thank you . On the motion of Bro . Major WOODALL , P . G . Treas ., seconded by Bro . J . S . PEIRCE P . G . D ., Bros . Kempton , Attenborough , and Cleghorn were elected Auditors of tr * e Ins'itution , after which scrutineers of votes for the election were appointed , and the election of candidates for the annuities was proceeded with .

Votes of thanks to the Scrutineers and Bro . Farnfield , the Chairman of the day , and the acknowledgments of the same , terminated the business of the day . The successful candidates will be found in our advertisement columns .

Provincial Grand Lodge Of East Lancashire.

PROVINCIAL GRAND LODGE OF EAST LANCASHIRE .

The annual meeting of the above Provincial Grand LoJge was held on the 19 th inst ., under the presidency of Bro . Colonel Le Gendre N . Starkie , Prov . G . M ., at the Baths Assembly Rooms , Bolton . There was a very large attendance of members of the Order , the roll being signed by between 600 and 700 brethren . Bro . Colon * -. ! Starkie was supported by Bros . C . R . N . Beswcke-Royds , D . P . G . M . ; Edward Ashworth , J . Chadwick , and R . Newhouse , Past G .

Officers England ; Dr . D . J . Leech , P . S . G . W . ; C . D . Cheetham , P . J . G . W . ; S . F . Butcher , P . G . Reg . , * J . Newton , P . G . Sec . , * and upwards of 70 Present and Past Prov . G . Officers . The roll was called , and it appeared that of the 111 lodges in the province only one was net represented , and in that case an apology for absence from the Master had been received . The number of subscribing . brethren was returned at 448 S .

Bro . S . H . SHORROCK , P . G . Treas ., presented the accounts for the past year . They showed a balance from the previous year of £ 298 , and that the total receipts , inclusive of that amount , were ^ 1071 . After the necessary expenditure had been met there remained a balance in the bank of £ S ° 9-

Bros . G . B . Goodfellow , W . Craven , and J . H . Lord , the Auditors , presented their report . On the motion of Bro . J . HEELIS , P . P . S . G . W ., seconded by Bro . J . J . MEAKIN , P . P . J . G . W ., the accounts and Auditors' report were adopted , Bro . Col . STARKIE expressing his gratification at the prosperous condition of the province . The Prov . G . Tieasurer and Auditors were cordially thanked for their

services . The PROV . G . SECRETARY read the report of the Charity Committee . In moving its adoption , Bro . C . D . CHEETHAM , pointed to the necessity of all Charity vo ' . es possessed by lodges and individual members of the Order in the province being forwarded to the Charity Committee , so that

the voting strength of East Lancashire might be utilised t 6 ths fullest extent in the tlection of local candidates to the Masonic Charities . The PROV . GRAND MASTER endorsed the observations of Bro . Cheetham , and said it was of the highest importance that votes should not be lost owing to inadvertence or carelessness . The report was adopted .

Bro . CHEETHAM then moved that a grant of £ 50 be made to the East Lancashire Systematic Masonic Educational and Benevolent Institution . Bro . J . ANDREW , P . P . G . D ., seconded the motion , and urged that the amount should be increased lo ; £ ioo . The PROV . GRAND MASTER said the meeting was doubtless in full s > mpithy with liro . Andrew , but it was necessary that the great London Masonic Benevolent Institutions should not be forgotten .

The motion , as moved , was supported by Bro . J . T . HOOPER , P . P . G . Treas ., and adopted . Bros . A . Clegg , H . Hayes , J . Walker , T . Allitt , and Christopher Wren were elected members of the General Committee of the East Lancashire Systematic Masonic Educational Benevolent Institution .