Festival Of The Royal Masonic Benevolent Institution.

Festival of the Royal Masonic Benevolent Institution .

THE Sixty-fourth Annual Festival of the Royal Masonic Benevolent Institution for Freemasons and Widows of Freemasons was held at the Hotel Cecil on the 27 th February . The Right Hon . Lord Barnard , Provincial Grand Master for Durham , presided , and was supported by a large number of ladies and brethren , among whom were many

grand officers and a large contingent of brethren from the chairman ' s province of Durham . After banquet , the chairman proposed " The King , Protector of the Craft , " reminding the brethren that they drank the toast in a two-fold capacity . There could be no

question but they would heartily drink to the health of so gracious a personality , but they were specially reminded by their Masonic duties to drink to his Majesty ' s health , as they woulcl do to the Sovereign of the land in which they happened to reside .

" The M . W . Grand Master " was next given by the chairman , who alluded to his Royal Highness ' s good qualities in various walks of life

as soldier , in society , as an English gentleman , and as a Mason .

Bro . C . H . Backhouse , P . Prov . G . W . Durham , in the absence of Bro . Sir T . Richardson , P . Prov . G . W . Durham ,

proposed " The Grand Officers , " which was responded to by Bro . the Rev . H . R . Cooper Smith , P . G . Chap .

The Chairman then submitted the toast " Success to the Royal Masonic Benevolent Institution , " and said : He had already

alluded to the fact that Freemasonry gave them instructive lessons as to their duties in life—to their God , their country ,

and their neighbourand one of the duties they were performing that night , of social intercourse and mutual

friendship . But they must never forget the most important duty of universal beneficence and Charity . Their greeting of his remarks showed their

R . W BRO . TUB RT . IlO . V . LORD BARNAim , l'ROV . CM . DURHAM . CHAIRMAN OF THE FESTIVAL .

hearts were travelling in the same direction as his own . He thought they had no occasion to blame themselves for any want of charity towards those of their brethren , who , through no fault of their own , were reduced from comparative affluence to poverty and

distress . They extended it to them in a variety of ways , but he should like to say , and he hoped they would agree that the first place where Charity should be sought was in the lodge . In circumstances of temporary necessity the lodge could give all the assistance desired , but if this was beyond

their resources , an appeal could be made to a wider circle of brethren . In the Provinces they attempted to supplement and extend the benevolence of lodges by local Charities . There were two very useful Charities in Durham—one for the aged and the other for the education of the children of distressed Freemasons . Even the resources of the province

were at times unequal to the wants , and then they turned to the Central Charities , which were not limited to any particular locality , but for the whole of the Craft . The educational Charities were invaluable , but at the same time who was there amongst them who did not know a case—perhaps ,

manyof a brother or widow who had been in early life in good circumstances , but who had found themselves in their closing days in poverty ? What more benevolent object could there be than to enable him or her to end their clays in peace and freedom from anxiety ? He visited the Benevolent Institution ,

as he understood it was the usual custom on the eve of the Festival , and he only regretted he had not the opportunity of doing so a few months ago . He could then have gone to Durham , and told them what he had seen , and this would still more have increased their sympathy with the Charity . It had been the custom amongst Masonic Charities

to promote their interests by Festivals such as this . The two principal objects were to bring home the interests of the particular Institution to some

particular locality or province —and in Durham they had not been lost sight of . Another reasonwhich he had every

reason ( o believe had been achieved—was the financial success , and he was totally in the dark as to that . He was sorry

that on the present occasion they had not with them Bro . Robert Hudson , their late Prov . Grand Secretary—who had been called to the

Grand Lodge abovewho was one of the kindest hearted and most enthusiastic of Masons , for he issued an appeal hoping the province

would produce £ 5 , 000 . He ( the Chairman ) did not know what the figures were , but he hoped Durham had produced

between £ 6 , 000 and £ 7 , 000 . Others prominent in the province had been the present Prov . Grand Secretary , Bro .

Moor , and Bros . Bennett , Robinson and others . He had anticipated the

result of the day with considerable alarm , and it had not been removed by Bro . Colville Smith , who held the key of the situation . In a province such as Durham he had come to the conclusion that it would be hopeless to attempt to surpass the great success of last year . He had ,

however , in Durham met with the greatest support . The lodges numbered forty-live—with an average membership of 100 , and every lodge had sent up Stewards , and every lodge —with the exception of one or two—had given a handsome contribution . It showed that the financial resources were

carefully husbanded . In the Lambton Lodge of forty-one members , all had given a subscription . The number of annuitants in the Institution were 591 , and the sum required to provide the annuities was about £ 24 , 000 . He had heard a rumour that the Committee contemplated adding to the