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Article ROYAL MASONIC BENEVOLENT INSTITUTION. ← Page 2 of 3 Article ROYAL MASONIC BENEVOLENT INSTITUTION. Page 2 of 3 →
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Royal Masonic Benevolent Institution.
used to be in times past . This is an unmixed source of gratification to every Mason ; but I think we ought not to forget that while this is owing partly to the exertions of the Stewards , partly to a better feeling prevailing in the Craft , it is in a certain measure owing to the increased numbers . Aud what I want to draw your attention to is that these great numbers will
infallibly , in the ordinary vicissitudes of human life , produce a certain number of brethren who will require assistance in the annuity fund , whose widows will likewise require to be assisted by the annuity fund , and whose children will also require assistance in the schools . While we congratulate ourselves on our prosperity as a Charity , that charity is largely owing to our increased
numbers , and the increased numbers will bring increased claimants on our charity . All honour to the Stewards ; all honour to the Craft ; but except we are actuated by the same feeling of charity , our Charities will not come up to our increased numbers , and therefore it is necessary that on this occasion this principle should be strongly felt that , owing to our increased
numbers , the amounts raised by the Craft , though very gratifying , require to be kept up ; and if we only bear this in mind , if we we are thankful for the progress we have made , hut are determined that that progress shah only lead to further success , we are quite right ; if we rest on our oars wo are quite wrong .
The Institution for Granting Annuities to Aged Freemasons was suggested by the M . W . Grand Master , His late Boyal Highness the Duke of Sussex , in the year 1842 , since which 316 aged Brethren have been elected on the Funds , to whom have been paid , up to December , 1870 , £ 34 , 845 5 s . Od . After the election in May last there were 100 male annuitants ,
each receiving £ 26 per annum— £ 2 , 600 The Permannrif . annual income for the male annuitants at the present time is from Grand Lodge , £ 500 ; Grand Chapter , £ 100 ; Dividends on Funded Property , £ 088 10 s . Od . ; balance , £ 1288 10 s . Od .
The residue of the income , including the working expenses of this branch of the Institution , is made up from annual subscriptions , and two-thirds of the donations . The other has to be in vested . There are 21 approved male candidates on the list for the next election . The Freemasons' Widows and Orphans' Fuud was established
under the sanction of the late M . W . Grand Master the lit . Hon . the Earl of Zetland , in 1849 , since wliich period 128 widows of our aged Brethren have been recipients from tbe funds , to whom have been paid , up to December , 1870 , £ 15 , 538 10 s . Od . After the election in May last there were G 9 female annuitants , each receiving £ 25 per annum— £ 1738 10 s . Oil ., in addition to
which there aro seven widows entitled for three years to half their deceased husband's annuity , unless elected annuitants in the meantime . The permanent annual income for the widows at the present time is from Grand Lodge , £ 300 ; Grand Chapter , £ 50 ; Dividends on Funded Property , £ 403 10 s . Od . ; balance , £ 753 10 s .
The residue of the income , including the working expenses of this branch of the Institution is made up from annnnl subscriptions , and two-thirds of the donations ; the other third has to he invested . There are 20 approved female candidates on the list for the next election . There is an asylum at Croydon , attached to the Institution capable of affording accommodation for 34 inmates , each of whom have two rooms , and at present there are 32 oconpants ,
Royal Masonic Benevolent Institution.
the other annuitants , male and female , are permitted to reside where thoy please . The whole of the building has been paid for , and there is a sustentation fund of £ 1000 stock , the interest of which is applied to the repairs of the edifice , so that the subscriptions for annuities are not applied for the purpose of maintaining the building
I think that is a most gratifying account . But while there are so many poor and distressed brethren and widows claiming assistance , yon see there is strong reason for increased support of the institution . I wish its advocacy was in better hands than mine , but I trust to your Masonic feeling to do what is requisite , knowing that while you are thankful to the Great Architect
forgiving you the means of living in comfort yourselves , you will do your best to assist your poorer brethren . ( Applause . ) The toast was drunk with great enthusiasm , and the lists of subscriptions were read hy Bro . Farnfield , jun ., the total , amounting to £ 3377 16 s . fourteen lists still remaining out . This announcement was received with great cheering , so large
a total not having been realised for many years . The Bev . C . J . Martyn , G . Chap ., rose to propose " The Health of the Chairman . " In doing so he alluded to the high estimation in which that brother was held in the Craft , as testified by his having held tho office of Grand Treas . for 19 years . Such a servitude fell to the lot of very few , and spoke more for him than
any words could . It must be particularly gratifying to him to have presided over a meeting where the subscriptions had been so large ; it was a circumstance , in fact , that one might be proud of , because if the funds were not forthcoming , the affairs of the Institution could not go on at all . It was to he regretted that the Masonic charities were not better supported . He was sorry to find from the FREEMASONS' MAGAZINE , that four-filths of the
Ma ^ aa ^ 1 " ^ ' a ; a not c « at « 11 , wliieil was fl disgrKCC LO the order that ought to be wiped off . At the joint committee of tho Boys' and Girls' Schools a recommendation was made to to the Craft to increase tho funds of those Institutions by inducing all brethren with whom tbpy came in contact to become subscribers . As it was the drop of water that wore away the stone , so each brother , putting his shoulder to the wheel , would
make the subscriptions three times what they were that night . Beturning to the subject with which he started , the name of Bro . Tomkins , he wished them to receive it with great heartiness . It was hut seldom a brother came forward at such a short uotice to take the chair , and though of course they expected to see tbe Prov . G . M . for Middlesex ; there was no one they would
more desire for a president than Bro . Tomkins . The Chairman said it was a pleasure to preside at these festivals , to find the charities flourish , a pleasure to see the interest the brethren took in them , and a pleasure to find the brethren tell such truths as the Grand Chaplain had , which were acceptable to every one . He hoped they would take these truths
home , weigh , consider , and bring them into practical operation . They all had one object , the success of Freemasonry , and that could not flourish unless the Institutions were supported-The Chairman then gave " Success to the other Masonic Charities , " audstated that the Boy ' s School Festival would he held on the Sth of Wf . iv . li . anil tlmt ofthe Givl ' s School wnnlrl 1 „ . K > 1 < 1 ; .. x
May , that the Prince of Wales would preside at the latter , but it remained with His Royal Highness to fix tho date . Bro . Binckes replied for the Boy ' s School . It was a curious coincidence that the Girls' School had a Chairman for its Festival , but tho day on which it was to be held was not fixed : while the Boy ' s School Festival was fixed for the Sth of March , but it had not a Chairman . But there wero other circumstances pros-
Note: This text has been automatically extracted via Optical Character Recognition (OCR) software.
Royal Masonic Benevolent Institution.
used to be in times past . This is an unmixed source of gratification to every Mason ; but I think we ought not to forget that while this is owing partly to the exertions of the Stewards , partly to a better feeling prevailing in the Craft , it is in a certain measure owing to the increased numbers . Aud what I want to draw your attention to is that these great numbers will
infallibly , in the ordinary vicissitudes of human life , produce a certain number of brethren who will require assistance in the annuity fund , whose widows will likewise require to be assisted by the annuity fund , and whose children will also require assistance in the schools . While we congratulate ourselves on our prosperity as a Charity , that charity is largely owing to our increased
numbers , and the increased numbers will bring increased claimants on our charity . All honour to the Stewards ; all honour to the Craft ; but except we are actuated by the same feeling of charity , our Charities will not come up to our increased numbers , and therefore it is necessary that on this occasion this principle should be strongly felt that , owing to our increased
numbers , the amounts raised by the Craft , though very gratifying , require to be kept up ; and if we only bear this in mind , if we we are thankful for the progress we have made , hut are determined that that progress shah only lead to further success , we are quite right ; if we rest on our oars wo are quite wrong .
The Institution for Granting Annuities to Aged Freemasons was suggested by the M . W . Grand Master , His late Boyal Highness the Duke of Sussex , in the year 1842 , since which 316 aged Brethren have been elected on the Funds , to whom have been paid , up to December , 1870 , £ 34 , 845 5 s . Od . After the election in May last there were 100 male annuitants ,
each receiving £ 26 per annum— £ 2 , 600 The Permannrif . annual income for the male annuitants at the present time is from Grand Lodge , £ 500 ; Grand Chapter , £ 100 ; Dividends on Funded Property , £ 088 10 s . Od . ; balance , £ 1288 10 s . Od .
The residue of the income , including the working expenses of this branch of the Institution , is made up from annual subscriptions , and two-thirds of the donations . The other has to be in vested . There are 21 approved male candidates on the list for the next election . The Freemasons' Widows and Orphans' Fuud was established
under the sanction of the late M . W . Grand Master the lit . Hon . the Earl of Zetland , in 1849 , since wliich period 128 widows of our aged Brethren have been recipients from tbe funds , to whom have been paid , up to December , 1870 , £ 15 , 538 10 s . Od . After the election in May last there were G 9 female annuitants , each receiving £ 25 per annum— £ 1738 10 s . Oil ., in addition to
which there aro seven widows entitled for three years to half their deceased husband's annuity , unless elected annuitants in the meantime . The permanent annual income for the widows at the present time is from Grand Lodge , £ 300 ; Grand Chapter , £ 50 ; Dividends on Funded Property , £ 403 10 s . Od . ; balance , £ 753 10 s .
The residue of the income , including the working expenses of this branch of the Institution is made up from annnnl subscriptions , and two-thirds of the donations ; the other third has to he invested . There are 20 approved female candidates on the list for the next election . There is an asylum at Croydon , attached to the Institution capable of affording accommodation for 34 inmates , each of whom have two rooms , and at present there are 32 oconpants ,
Royal Masonic Benevolent Institution.
the other annuitants , male and female , are permitted to reside where thoy please . The whole of the building has been paid for , and there is a sustentation fund of £ 1000 stock , the interest of which is applied to the repairs of the edifice , so that the subscriptions for annuities are not applied for the purpose of maintaining the building
I think that is a most gratifying account . But while there are so many poor and distressed brethren and widows claiming assistance , yon see there is strong reason for increased support of the institution . I wish its advocacy was in better hands than mine , but I trust to your Masonic feeling to do what is requisite , knowing that while you are thankful to the Great Architect
forgiving you the means of living in comfort yourselves , you will do your best to assist your poorer brethren . ( Applause . ) The toast was drunk with great enthusiasm , and the lists of subscriptions were read hy Bro . Farnfield , jun ., the total , amounting to £ 3377 16 s . fourteen lists still remaining out . This announcement was received with great cheering , so large
a total not having been realised for many years . The Bev . C . J . Martyn , G . Chap ., rose to propose " The Health of the Chairman . " In doing so he alluded to the high estimation in which that brother was held in the Craft , as testified by his having held tho office of Grand Treas . for 19 years . Such a servitude fell to the lot of very few , and spoke more for him than
any words could . It must be particularly gratifying to him to have presided over a meeting where the subscriptions had been so large ; it was a circumstance , in fact , that one might be proud of , because if the funds were not forthcoming , the affairs of the Institution could not go on at all . It was to he regretted that the Masonic charities were not better supported . He was sorry to find from the FREEMASONS' MAGAZINE , that four-filths of the
Ma ^ aa ^ 1 " ^ ' a ; a not c « at « 11 , wliieil was fl disgrKCC LO the order that ought to be wiped off . At the joint committee of tho Boys' and Girls' Schools a recommendation was made to to the Craft to increase tho funds of those Institutions by inducing all brethren with whom tbpy came in contact to become subscribers . As it was the drop of water that wore away the stone , so each brother , putting his shoulder to the wheel , would
make the subscriptions three times what they were that night . Beturning to the subject with which he started , the name of Bro . Tomkins , he wished them to receive it with great heartiness . It was hut seldom a brother came forward at such a short uotice to take the chair , and though of course they expected to see tbe Prov . G . M . for Middlesex ; there was no one they would
more desire for a president than Bro . Tomkins . The Chairman said it was a pleasure to preside at these festivals , to find the charities flourish , a pleasure to see the interest the brethren took in them , and a pleasure to find the brethren tell such truths as the Grand Chaplain had , which were acceptable to every one . He hoped they would take these truths
home , weigh , consider , and bring them into practical operation . They all had one object , the success of Freemasonry , and that could not flourish unless the Institutions were supported-The Chairman then gave " Success to the other Masonic Charities , " audstated that the Boy ' s School Festival would he held on the Sth of Wf . iv . li . anil tlmt ofthe Givl ' s School wnnlrl 1 „ . K > 1 < 1 ; .. x
May , that the Prince of Wales would preside at the latter , but it remained with His Royal Highness to fix tho date . Bro . Binckes replied for the Boy ' s School . It was a curious coincidence that the Girls' School had a Chairman for its Festival , but tho day on which it was to be held was not fixed : while the Boy ' s School Festival was fixed for the Sth of March , but it had not a Chairman . But there wero other circumstances pros-