Note: This text has been automatically extracted via Optical Character Recognition (OCR) software.
Contents.
CONTENTS .
PAGE CHARITY 95 ROUND AND ABOUT . BY " THE DRUID" 96 MASONIC MEMS 98 EMINENT MASONS AT HOME : No . 7 . —THE REV . STUDHOLME BROWNRIGG , M . A ., AT THE NATIONAL SOCIETY , WESTMINSTER { with a Portrait ) ... 102 THE SENIOR DEACON 704
PAGE ROBERT BURNS AND FREEMASONRY 105 FACTS AND FANCIES -. —GRAND LODGE OF SCOTLAND . — KNIGHTS TEMPLAR , & C . ... 106 AMONG THE BOHEMIANS . BY "KING MOD" 10 S COLONIAL AND FOREIGN ... 109 GATHERED CHIPS no ANSWERS TO CORRESPONDENTS no
Charity.
CHARITY .
THE extent of the Masonic Benevolence for the past year is known , and the sum of ^ 48 , 443 . 18 s . 3 d . is the total of subscriptions to the three Masonic Institutions which the English Craft in the United Kingdom voluntarily support from year to year . Although the income for the year to each charity is somewhat lower than the average of the past seven years , as will be seen
from the table given below , yet , considering the depression which still hovers over most of the professions and in dustries of the country , the sum speaks well for the charitable propensities of the Brethren . There are hundreds of Brethren in affluent walks of life whose names do not appear
in the printed lists of subscriptions , but a very wide experience of these cases would undoubtedly show that the finger of charity is as keen with them as any of those who appear as supporters of the Institution . It is the silent gift to those who wc know are worthy of assistance that most nearly brings us to the requirements of those charitable obligations demanded of us in the
sublime ceremony of initiation . There are many who believe that this teaching of charity has in some measure destroyed the raisoti detre of Freemasonry . It may be so . There are more applicants for vacancies in the schools every year ; there are increasing numbers of supplicants for relief from the funds of the Board of Benevolence ; and it is not owing to the unfortunate state of
commerce that these applications are made . It is a grand thing to know that the Craft is equal to meeting the majority of these cases , and that it can thus ameliorate the embarrassments of men who have slid from their estates down the easy tracks of misfortune and ill-luck . But it would be a far grander
thing for ourselves , outside humanity , if there were fewer applicants for relief from within our ranks , so that the Craft might build up an edifi . ce of outside charity which the world might know of and respect , and , through that knowledge , respect more soundly the basis upon which the teachings of Freemasonry rest . There should be no feverish elections for children in the charitable
schools of the Craft , and no bitter disappointments when the gates of eligibility have closed upon some hopeless applicant whose claims for admittance are greater than those whose wider circle of friends have secured the more votes . This question of election to
the schools must sooner or later receive some calm attention , so that the abuse to which the existing system leads may be in some measure lessened . The details of the year ' s income are as follows : — ROVAL MASONIC BENEVOLENT INSTITUTION " .
Donations and subscriptions ... ... ... ... ... ... . £ 15 , 1 : 5 16 8 Grand Lodge ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... , ( , 00 o o Do . Chapter ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... , 5 ,, 0 „ Dividends ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... Ij 733 n , a Interest on cash at cait ... ... ... , „ ... ... ... , 0 s 8 1
ROYAL MASONIC INSTITUTION 1-OR GIRLS . ' ' ' ° " Donations and subscriptions ... ... ... ... ... .... £ 11 , 073 8 5 Grand Lodge ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... I 5 o o o Grand Chapter ... ... _ ... ... ... ... ... ... " 10 IO o Part payment North Wales Life Presentation ( Centenary ) ... ... ... 250 o o Dividends on stocks and interest on dep's ' ts ... ... ... ... 3 . 014 2 7 Miscellaneous receipts ... ... ... ... ... ... ... "' 48 S 8 6 ROYAL MASONIC INSTITUTION FOR HOYS . M 9 '"'
Donations and subscriptions ... ... ... ... „ , ... , £ 13 , 803 12 4 Grand Lodge ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... 150 o o Grand Chapter ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... 10 10 o Dividends ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... 54 8 0 . 6 Music fees ... ... ... ... ... „ , ... ... 05 11 o Miscellaneous ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... 119 7 4 £ 14 , 727 10 1 ' The average and total sums received during the past seven years
are : — R . M . B . I . R . M . I . G . B . M . LB . Total . ' 38 ; . £ 18 , 44 . 5 6 o . £ 12 , 650 1 2 . £ 25 do 17 1 £ 56 , 110 4 3 ISSJ 19901 7 8 14 , 928 19 o ' 3 993 10 it 4 8823 17 7 1885 21 , 374 7 1 16 , 768 19 6 16 , 272 16 o 54 . 416 2 7 1886 ' 8 , 194 13 6 15 , 546 18 10 13 , ° 56 15 5 46 , 798 7 9 1887 28 , 968 4 4 16 , 429 o 6 15 , 661 16 r 61 , 059 o n 188 S 21 . 361 15 1 49259 4 4 12 , 283 2 5 82 904 1 10 18 S 9 ' 8 . 729 18 7 14 , 986 0 6 14 , 727 10 : ¦ 4 . 443 ' 8 3 lotalsfov ~ l £ , 4 6 , 979 12 3 £ 140 , 5691210 £ 111 , 006 8 1 £ 39 8 , 55-: ' 3 2 the 7 years ) ;_ peTywr } £ - ° fi 6 * * " ° < £ = 0 . 08 , , 6 £ 15 , 838 i 2 £ 5 6 , 936 10 5
During tlie year the Board of Benevolence granted relief to 35 8 applicants at a cost of ^ 9 , 144 , an average of nearly ^ , " 25 . 10 s . each person . There is no question but that these figures could be very happily increased by a recognised system of representation each Lodge or
Chapter should undertake from year to year . Thus , if the W . M . of each Lodge and Chapter should represent during his occupancy of the chair the interests of the Benevolent Institution , the Senior
Warden represent the Boys' Institution , and the Junior Warden the Girls ' , each to form his own list of subscriptions , and be answerable to the representatives of the several Institutions through the Secretary of the Lodge or Chapter , then a very healthy state of competition would be set up and an excellent and beneficial result to the Grand Charity of Masonry would ensue . Each officer would
or should head his own list with a personal donation of five guineas j and if his efforts among his friends in the Lodge or elsewhere only resulted in procuring another five , each Institution would immediately rise in the value of its charitable income . In its crude state this suggestion might be open to many objections , but where
charity is concerned objections are very often a wholesome necessity . Perhaps some Brethren could not afford the large sum of £ i 5- 5 $ - in three years , but surely the possession of the three highest offices in a Lodge should be worth the amount .
Note: This text has been automatically extracted via Optical Character Recognition (OCR) software.
Contents.
CONTENTS .
PAGE CHARITY 95 ROUND AND ABOUT . BY " THE DRUID" 96 MASONIC MEMS 98 EMINENT MASONS AT HOME : No . 7 . —THE REV . STUDHOLME BROWNRIGG , M . A ., AT THE NATIONAL SOCIETY , WESTMINSTER { with a Portrait ) ... 102 THE SENIOR DEACON 704
PAGE ROBERT BURNS AND FREEMASONRY 105 FACTS AND FANCIES -. —GRAND LODGE OF SCOTLAND . — KNIGHTS TEMPLAR , & C . ... 106 AMONG THE BOHEMIANS . BY "KING MOD" 10 S COLONIAL AND FOREIGN ... 109 GATHERED CHIPS no ANSWERS TO CORRESPONDENTS no
Charity.
CHARITY .
THE extent of the Masonic Benevolence for the past year is known , and the sum of ^ 48 , 443 . 18 s . 3 d . is the total of subscriptions to the three Masonic Institutions which the English Craft in the United Kingdom voluntarily support from year to year . Although the income for the year to each charity is somewhat lower than the average of the past seven years , as will be seen
from the table given below , yet , considering the depression which still hovers over most of the professions and in dustries of the country , the sum speaks well for the charitable propensities of the Brethren . There are hundreds of Brethren in affluent walks of life whose names do not appear
in the printed lists of subscriptions , but a very wide experience of these cases would undoubtedly show that the finger of charity is as keen with them as any of those who appear as supporters of the Institution . It is the silent gift to those who wc know are worthy of assistance that most nearly brings us to the requirements of those charitable obligations demanded of us in the
sublime ceremony of initiation . There are many who believe that this teaching of charity has in some measure destroyed the raisoti detre of Freemasonry . It may be so . There are more applicants for vacancies in the schools every year ; there are increasing numbers of supplicants for relief from the funds of the Board of Benevolence ; and it is not owing to the unfortunate state of
commerce that these applications are made . It is a grand thing to know that the Craft is equal to meeting the majority of these cases , and that it can thus ameliorate the embarrassments of men who have slid from their estates down the easy tracks of misfortune and ill-luck . But it would be a far grander
thing for ourselves , outside humanity , if there were fewer applicants for relief from within our ranks , so that the Craft might build up an edifi . ce of outside charity which the world might know of and respect , and , through that knowledge , respect more soundly the basis upon which the teachings of Freemasonry rest . There should be no feverish elections for children in the charitable
schools of the Craft , and no bitter disappointments when the gates of eligibility have closed upon some hopeless applicant whose claims for admittance are greater than those whose wider circle of friends have secured the more votes . This question of election to
the schools must sooner or later receive some calm attention , so that the abuse to which the existing system leads may be in some measure lessened . The details of the year ' s income are as follows : — ROVAL MASONIC BENEVOLENT INSTITUTION " .
Donations and subscriptions ... ... ... ... ... ... . £ 15 , 1 : 5 16 8 Grand Lodge ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... , ( , 00 o o Do . Chapter ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... , 5 ,, 0 „ Dividends ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... Ij 733 n , a Interest on cash at cait ... ... ... , „ ... ... ... , 0 s 8 1
ROYAL MASONIC INSTITUTION 1-OR GIRLS . ' ' ' ° " Donations and subscriptions ... ... ... ... ... .... £ 11 , 073 8 5 Grand Lodge ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... I 5 o o o Grand Chapter ... ... _ ... ... ... ... ... ... " 10 IO o Part payment North Wales Life Presentation ( Centenary ) ... ... ... 250 o o Dividends on stocks and interest on dep's ' ts ... ... ... ... 3 . 014 2 7 Miscellaneous receipts ... ... ... ... ... ... ... "' 48 S 8 6 ROYAL MASONIC INSTITUTION FOR HOYS . M 9 '"'
Donations and subscriptions ... ... ... ... „ , ... , £ 13 , 803 12 4 Grand Lodge ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... 150 o o Grand Chapter ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... 10 10 o Dividends ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... 54 8 0 . 6 Music fees ... ... ... ... ... „ , ... ... 05 11 o Miscellaneous ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... 119 7 4 £ 14 , 727 10 1 ' The average and total sums received during the past seven years
are : — R . M . B . I . R . M . I . G . B . M . LB . Total . ' 38 ; . £ 18 , 44 . 5 6 o . £ 12 , 650 1 2 . £ 25 do 17 1 £ 56 , 110 4 3 ISSJ 19901 7 8 14 , 928 19 o ' 3 993 10 it 4 8823 17 7 1885 21 , 374 7 1 16 , 768 19 6 16 , 272 16 o 54 . 416 2 7 1886 ' 8 , 194 13 6 15 , 546 18 10 13 , ° 56 15 5 46 , 798 7 9 1887 28 , 968 4 4 16 , 429 o 6 15 , 661 16 r 61 , 059 o n 188 S 21 . 361 15 1 49259 4 4 12 , 283 2 5 82 904 1 10 18 S 9 ' 8 . 729 18 7 14 , 986 0 6 14 , 727 10 : ¦ 4 . 443 ' 8 3 lotalsfov ~ l £ , 4 6 , 979 12 3 £ 140 , 5691210 £ 111 , 006 8 1 £ 39 8 , 55-: ' 3 2 the 7 years ) ;_ peTywr } £ - ° fi 6 * * " ° < £ = 0 . 08 , , 6 £ 15 , 838 i 2 £ 5 6 , 936 10 5
During tlie year the Board of Benevolence granted relief to 35 8 applicants at a cost of ^ 9 , 144 , an average of nearly ^ , " 25 . 10 s . each person . There is no question but that these figures could be very happily increased by a recognised system of representation each Lodge or
Chapter should undertake from year to year . Thus , if the W . M . of each Lodge and Chapter should represent during his occupancy of the chair the interests of the Benevolent Institution , the Senior
Warden represent the Boys' Institution , and the Junior Warden the Girls ' , each to form his own list of subscriptions , and be answerable to the representatives of the several Institutions through the Secretary of the Lodge or Chapter , then a very healthy state of competition would be set up and an excellent and beneficial result to the Grand Charity of Masonry would ensue . Each officer would
or should head his own list with a personal donation of five guineas j and if his efforts among his friends in the Lodge or elsewhere only resulted in procuring another five , each Institution would immediately rise in the value of its charitable income . In its crude state this suggestion might be open to many objections , but where
charity is concerned objections are very often a wholesome necessity . Perhaps some Brethren could not afford the large sum of £ i 5- 5 $ - in three years , but surely the possession of the three highest offices in a Lodge should be worth the amount .