Boyal Masonic Benevolent Institution
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BOYAL MASONIC BENEVOLENT INS TITUTION. ing to £8140, or a total sum of considerably over £15,000 a year. In face of these figures it was hardly necessary to point out 51ST ANNIVERSARY FESTIVAL. that the resources of the Craft were severely tested to keep up this amount , and it was on this account that these Festivals were instituted The 51st Anniversary Festival of this—the youngest of the three English that thc brethren might have the oppportunity, once at least in every year, Masonic Charitable Institutions—was held on Wednesday evening, at to bring before the Craft in general the pressin**;* wants of those who had Freemasons' Tavern , when about 400 brethren and ladies sat down to dinner. been unfortunate , and who had to come and ask thc more fortunate for They were presided over by Bro. C. E. Keyser, J.G.D, who was supported assistance. There were incidents which might be told of those who had by Bros. Viscount Dungarvan , P.G.M. Somersetsh i re, and Lord Ampthill , applied for relief , but it would take a long time to bring before the brethren P.G.M. Bedfordshire. tlie instances which came to the notice of the Committee and those who After dinner the usual toasts were proposed. managed the affairs of the Institution ; but hc might tell them that there The C HAIRMAN , in giving the toast of " The Queen ," observed that was one lady who was receiving—and receiving gladly—the benelits of this among Freemasons this toast was always received with the greatest enthu- Institution , of about 14s. a week, who was once the wife of a man worth siasm , for three reasons—in the first place, the Masonic body were conspicuous three-quarters of a million of money. Another case brought before them for their loyalty to the Crown , and thc Queen was the head of the British was that of a candidate for the next election , who was a schoolmaster, Empire, of which they were all proud to be members ; in the second place, ori ginall y holding a high position in his profession in the northern parts the Queen was the mother of three of the greatest lights that had ever dis- of London. From no fault of his own , but through disestablishment , his tinguished Freemasonry ; and , third ly—and this was one claim which school was broken up, and he was now asking for the pension of some 15s. especially commended itself to Freemasons—the Queen was so greatly a week. There were numbers of such cases and one of the most sad interested in everything which concerned the welfare of her subjects ; she circumstances connected with it was that although the income of the was interested in all our great Charities, and it was not surprising that she Institution was so large, and that last year £69,000 was collected—the was Vice-Patron of the Masonic Institutions. He hoped the time was not largest sum ever got together on an occasion of thc kind—of which far distant when she would become Patron of this Institution. She was £50,000 of that had been invested to produce a permanent income, they President of the Institution which provided pensions; but he thought they could onl y add a few more pensioners lo the list , and they knew when there knew how much the other branch would commend itself to her consideration , was such a large amount collected that there must be a react ion , notwithstandin g and he hoped she would also become a contributor lo the widows. that there were 117 candidates coming forward in May next. There was HAIRMAN The Prince of Wales The C , in giving " , M.W.G.M , the only one election a year in this Institution. There would be only 25 vacancies, Grand Patron and President of the Royal Masonic Benevolent Institution ," so that 92 candidates would be disappointed , and have to wait anotheryear. It said it was hardly necessary to remind the brethren of the enormous strides was therefore manifest that the Institution was greatly in want of assistance. I'Veemasonry had made since the Prince of Wales had been the head of Although thc Boys' School and thc Girls ' School wanted support which in , lhe Order. He was nominated 1S74, elected in 1875, and installed in he hoped they would receive, the Benevolent Institution must nave stead y April in that year. At that time the number of lodges on the roll was 1526 , and regular support , ancl it would be a sad thing if it did not get it. He and they now mustered very nearl y 2500. He thought that spoke for itself, did not know what amount Bro . Terry was going lo announce, but he lt showed that under the direction of their most popular Grand Master, hoped—taking all lhe adverse circumstances into consideration , they would Freemasonry had made immense strides, not only in the number of lodges, not be let down loo low. If thc lists were not quite what they oug ht to be but in their prosperity. He sincerely hoped his Roya l Highness might be he hoped many of the brethren would give a little more themselves and also spared to preside over the Craft for many, many years to come. With induce their friends who had not yet come to the fore, to subscribe so regard to the Princess of Wales, she was a lady who had taken a great interest tbat the list might loe a respectable fi gure. The Institution had this year in thc Masonic Institutions , and on all occasions she felt that Alasons were had several dilliculties to contend with. He would like to tell them her great supporters . He hoped she would associate herself with this Insti- from the chair. In thc firs t place, they had to follow thc great tution and take the same interest in it that she had in the others. Thc Festiva l of last year, and it was quite manifest that where £69,000 had been Duke of Connaught , Past G.M , and P.G.M. for Sussex, had shown his subscribed to one Institution in one year it must exhaust the resources of great interest in the Craft by presiding at the Festivals. Last year be took brethren and lod ges. In the second place, another circumstance militated the chair at the Girls' School Festival. Her Majesty 's third Masonic son against the success of the Benevolent Institution , the unusual delay in find- unfortunatel y had passed away —the Duke of Albany but during his life - ing a Chairman. Bro. Terry had grea t dilliculties in this respect. Most of time he took a great interest in the Craft , and at the time of his death he the provincial brethre n rather " funked taking the chair. Had that been was Prov. G.M. for Oxfordshire. As long as Royalty so supported the all he was not sure they would have had such very grave cause of comp laint , Order it must flourish. because he thoug ht , for various reasons, more brethren would have come in Bro. Viscount D UNGARVAN , replying to the toast of " The Pro G.M , to serve the office of Steward. But this delay was productive in several cases the Deputy G.M , and the rest of the Grand Officers , Present and Past ," of serious disadvantage to this Institution , and he hoped that that statement said it was only the second time he had had the honour of attending the made from the chair would induce brethren to make up their minds at once Festival of the Benevolent Institution. On that occasion , as on the former , and not leave letters unanswered for a month. Brethren had been very he had the privilege of returning thanks for that toast, although that ni ght kind , however , and had come forward to support him and Bro. Terry. He he had hoped tbat a senior Grand Officer present would have performed the (Bro. Keyser) was onl y too proud to take the position of Chairman. He duty. He therefore asked to be excused if he did not perform his task so regretted that owing to the depression in trade and agriculture , it was eloquentl y as might have been desired. It was with great regret he stated impossible for some to put their hands in their pockets, and therefore that his province had not on that occasion so supported this Institution as he made the more earnest appeal to those who were able to do so. They it had in the past. However, the brethren must agree that it was not well did not close their list now, and he trusted that the amount which would be to ride a willing horse too hard . He was quite sure of this, that not only finally collected would be sufficient to prevent the Institution from his own province , but every province in England would support that Insti- drawing on its invested funds. There was no doubt whatever that this tution as loyally as ever. He could not sit down without congratulating the Institution commended itself to the depths of tbe heart of every genuine Chairman on the way his own Province of Herts had supported him. Freemason. Freemasons were not a Benefit Society, and had no intentions The CHAIRMAN , in giving the toast of the evening, " Success to the of becoming so, and it was the essence of their princip le that they Koyal did their Masonic Benevolent Institution for Aged Freemasons and Widows best to provide for those who, from no fault of their own , were brought of Freemasons ," said his difficulties in this matter were increased and down from a good position to accept 14s.