Charity Stewards.

and I fully anticipated that the subject , from its importance , would be followed up b y future correspondence from the provinces . This anticipation , however , not having been realised , and as I think some further elucidation is required before all the duties , responsibilities , and privileges

of the Charity Stewards can be fully understood by the country brethren ( at least I feel myself to be in that position ) , I am induced to trouble you with the present communication , which , I trust , will lead to further correspondence , so that the whole- subject may be thoroughly ventilated , and result eventually in a benefit to our excellent charities .

As is well known , some time prior to the annual festival of those institutions , circulars are sent to the Worshipful Masters of lodges throughout the kingdom , soliciting brethren to undertake the office of Steward .

Past experience in lodge has proved to me that , in the great majority of instances , these are little better than waste paper , in consequence of the duties , and especially the monetary responsibilities which attach to the office of Steward not being clearly stated , owing to which the brethren , as a rule , naturally hesitate mi

, as ght be expected , to undertake an office of which they cannot " count the cost . " As regards the qualifications of the several classes ¦ of annual subscribers , life subscribers , and life governors of the several charities , every information is afforded ; but any explanation of the personal

liabilities and duties of the Stewards has hitherto , as it appears to me , been entirely ignored in these appeals . Now this point is , for the first time , to some extent ( yet not very clearly ) defined in Bro . Binckes ' s statement . He says— " Every Steward is called upon to pay a deposit of £ 4 or £ 5 according to

circum-, stances , towards defraying the expenses of the festival , in which sum is included his own dinner ticket and such tickets for the ladies' gallery as may be awarded . "

IS owl presume that one of two meanings attaches to this requirement : either that the Steward is to advance this sum of £ 4- or £ 5 out of the subscriptions collected by him for the charity , or that , in addition to his contribution and labour in aid of its funds , he is to pay such " deposit" out of his own pocket towards

( as the word implies ) a further indefinite amount of liabilit y which it is possible he may incur on account of the _ expenses of the festival . Which of these is correct ?

If , as I suppose , the latter , then it appears to me that it is a course of proceeding not only unjust towards the Stewards individuall y , but , what is more to the purpose , is one likel y to operate most injuriously to the best interests of the charity . I apprehend that the object of these appeals is to

induce brethren to undertake the office of Steward , not to provide a costly banquet , and to pay a considerable sum out of their own pockets solely for the enjoyment of those brethren who may partake of it , but for the purpose of soliciting subscriptions among the members of their own lodor provincein order

ge , to obtain as large an amount of funds as possible for the benefit of the charity , - in whose cause their services are enlisted . Now , there are very many brethren , like myself , with whom £ 5 notes are not ao very plentiful as to

Charity Stewards.

make the throwing away of one of them upon a good dinner ( however pleasant and enjoyable ) a matter of no consideration ; who would , nevertheless , be quite willing and ready to make some sacrifice in order to qualify themselves as life subscribers , and also to take upon themselves the office of Steward—in which , from long connection or influence with . their particular

lodge or province , they might be able to render valuable aid to the charity—but who would hesitate to undertake alf the labour and responsibilities of the office if , as appears to be the case , they are to be called upon to pay as much towards the expense of a single dinner as ( in the case of the Boys' School )

would constitute them life subscribers of the charity ! Again , the country Steward is on an unequal footing with the metropolitan one , inasmuch as he must either forego a partaking of the banquet which he so largely assists to provide for others , or if living , probably one , two , or three hundred miles from town , hs

must , in addition , incur about as large an expense in travelling to attend it . Tour last week's columns report that the festival of the Royal Benevolent Institution ; was celebrated on the 31 st ult ., and I see by the circular that the Board of Stewards comprised seventy-seven members , who , on the supposition that

they " deposited" the smaller sum named by Bro . Binckes ( £ 4 ) would thus pay for the expenses of the festival no less than £ 308 ! Of this sum if , as I can scarcely credit , it has been expended upon a single banquet , at least two-thirds of it have been diverted from the recipients of the charity—our aged brethren aud their widows —to pay

for a few hours' enjoyment of the Stewards and their riends . ISTow , in my humble opinion , if this system does really exist , the sooner it is reformed the more it will be to our credit as Masons , and the better it will be for the interests of our noble charities . Let us endeavour to induce a far greater number of brethren

to undertake the office of Charity Steward , by popularising it , and letting it be fully known that the office is really to be taken solely in the cause of charity ; and do not let it be felt that whilst a brother willingly gives £ 5 with one hand in aid of the orphans or the aged brotherfor whose cause he is earnestly

, working , he is , on the other hand , to be compelled to contribute an equal amount for a single dinner , to celebrate the result of his and his colleagues' labours . Let every one who attends the festival pay his fair share of the cost , and let every Steward , as would be but fair , be required to pay for his ticket , whether

present or not ; but do not put the claims of a single dinner on au equality with a life subscribership to a noble charity . I may be met with the objection that the Charity Stewards are only called upon to follow the precedent set , and to a greater extent , iu the case of the

Grand Stewards at the Grand Lodge Festival ; but the comparison does not , I think , apply . In the one case the office is , or at least ought to be , held solely in the cause of charity ; in the other it is undertaken for the honour and glorification of its possessor , and should be paid for accordingly . I am , dear Sir and Brother , yours fraternally , A COUKXET P . M .

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FEW have been taught to any purpose who have not * been greatly their own teachers .