The Approaching Festival of the Royal Masonic
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CONT ENTS. PAGE . in enlisting the services of Stewards, and the Stewards whose L PADERS — The App roaching Festival of the Roya l Masonic Benevolent Institution ... S3 duty it is to canvass for subscriptions and donations have an The Mas onic Home of Pennsylvania ... ... ... ... 84 hill task to fulfil in order to obtain what is The Schaw Statutes of 1598-9 ... ... ... ... ... 84 up required. But , Anot he r Mas onic MS. ... _ ... _ ... ... ... ... Sj taking one year with another, they are generally successful , and Prov incial Grand Lodge cf Stirlingshire ... ... ... ... 85 Pi ovincial Grand Lodge of Banffshire _ ... ... ... ... S6 they are so, because they and we and all who are anxious to Provincia l Grand Chapter of Aberdeenshire ... ... .. ... 86 Ladi es' Banquet , Concert , and Ball of the Scots Lodge , No. 2319 ... 86 maintain our Institutions in the highest possible state of efficiency Craft Masonry ... ... ... ... ... ... 87 never dream of relaxing, even for a single year, their efforts to Maso nic Notes ... ... ... ... ... ... 89 Corre spondence ... ... ... ... ... ... 90 raise the sinews of Charity. Reviews ... ... .:. ••• ••• ••• ••• 9° Royal Arch ... ... ... ... ... ... ... 93 We have said that the deficiency to be made good in the case Lodges of Instruction ... ... ... ... ... ... 93 of the Royal Masonic Benevolent Institution is, in round fi gures, Otitua ry ... ... ... ... ... ... ... 93 Masonic and General T idings ... ... ... ... ... 94 about £14,000, or, perhaps, as it is desirable we should allow a small margin for any unforeseen expenditure that may arise, we shall do well to state the sum as THE APPROACHING FESTI VAL OF THE ROYAL £14,500. Are the prospects of obtaining this amount encouraging ? We think so. Since we MASONIC BENEVOLENT INSTITUTION. last wrote a substantial addition has been made to the Board of There is fust about time remaining for us to take a last look Stewards, which now numbers, all told, about 350 ladies and round and form , as far as possible, some idea of the prospects brethren. This is somewhat in excess of the Board which so suc- lhat await us on VVednesday, the 26th instant, when the first of cessfully supported Bro. Viscount D UNGARVAN as Chairman at thc great Anniversary Festivals of the year—that of the Royal last year's Festival, so that, as far as numbers go, the case is Masonic Benevolent Institution—will take place under the hopeful. Again, we have noticed in the numerous reports of auspices of Bro. the Right Hon. Lord GEORGE HAMILTON , lodge meetings which we have published during the last few M.P., Secretary of State for India, Provincial Grand Master of weeks many instances in which lodges who are sending Middlesex. "VVe cannot say there is much that is new to be Stewards have shown themselves jubilant over the prospect of added to what we have already written on the subject , but that obtaining big lists, and, though these instances are only few in little is, at all events, of an assuring character, and unless the number , still , as a straw suffices to show the direction of the omens prove false altogether, there are fair grounds for hoping wind , so these few cases may be looked upon as indicating the tliat the gathering on the day in question will prove a success. It possibility of a satisfactory result. But, again we sav, such a result is very necessary that this should be the case. The demands is greatly needed. The total of the Returns received at the three upon the resources of the Institution are greater than at any Festivals which have been held since the Jubilee was celebrated is previous period in its existence. Last year the number of only £36,633, or, an average per year of £12, 211 , and in this is annuitants on the Male Fund at ,£40 per annum was augmented included a sum of £1260 paid for a Perpetual Presentation tothe fro m 195 to 200, and there are 240 on the Widows' Fund in Male Fund; but the total of the four years preceding the receipt of £32 per annum each , the sum annually distributed Jubilee was £58,525, giving an average per year of £14,631. It imongst these 440 old people and the 30 widows who receive will be seen, therefore, that there is plenty of ground to be made each one-half of her late husband's annuity being £16,280. good if the average for the four years since 189.2 is to be brought 10 this must be added the salaries of the executive officers and to a level with that of the four years which preceded it. other expenses of management and for the maintenance of the Nor in our review of the circumstances connected with the Asy lum at Croydon , so that the total outlay cannot be Set down Royal Masonic Benevolent Institution must we altogether lose at less than £19,000 per annum , and to meet this are the grants sight of two other important facts. Though, in consequence of hy Grand Lodge and Grand Chapter and the interest on invested the magnificent success of the Jubilee Festival , the Committee of capital amounting in round fi gures to some £5000. There is, Management found themselves in a position to fund £50,000, therefore, an annual deficiency to be made good of about and, by so doing, materially augmented the permanent income— £14,000, and it is from the Anniversary Festival that we. look that permanent income still stands at little more than one-fourth to obtain this sum. We are aware that all this has been said of the permanent expenditure. Hence, when more is raised at times out of number, and will be repeated annually so long as any given Festival than is absolutely required for the service of ••here is a Benevolent Institution to claim our support. But none the year, the Committee are enabled to invest the surp lus, and the less is it our duty to keep on pegging away and stating and thereby slill further augment the capital of the Institution. It restating the facts again ancl again , so that the Institution may is the necessity for raising so large a sum annuall y that causes not lose even the smallest fraction of a contribution for want of so serious a pressure on the general body of the Craft to main- these periodical reminders. Our readers, when they lind these tain our Institutions in a state of efficiency, and whatever li ghtens particulars are being described at such frequent interval s in our that pressure must be a decided boon to the Craft. We must columns, must bear in mind that there are three large Masonic also bear in mind that, notwithstanding the great increase which Institutions to be provided for. These three Institutions dis- has been made of late years in the number of annuitants on the Hlrse 'imongst them in the course of each succeeding year a two Funds, and the greater stringency of the regulations as to sum amounting in the aggregate to £45,000, and we shall be the qualifications of candidates, there is still at each succeeding overstating the case if we set down the income—including the election a marked disproportion between the number of vacancies several grants by Grand Lodge and Grand Chapter—at £10,001?. to be filled and that of the candidates who have been found -us the amount which it devolves upon the authorities of the eligible to fill them. The lists of candidates for the ree Charities to raise by voluntary subscri ptions is £35,000, election in May next were approved at the meeting of the ' >t is needless to say that so enormous an amount takes a Committee of Management on Wednesday and they contain no eal of raising. The Secretaries who arc chiefl y concerned less than 113 aged people—60 men and 53 widosvs— all in a state of more or less abject poverty, while thc vacancies that were larger." It seems also that the estimate of the sub-Committee declared , including the three on each Fund to deferred annuities, —" that we have room for double the number of brethren now wcre onl y 33, namely, on the Male Fund, 19—iC immediate and under our care "—is looked upon as a moderate one. But the 3 deferred ; and on the Widows' Fund , 14, that is to say, II most satisfactory statement of all is that, owing to Mrs. Q UEEN 'S immediate and 3 deferred. And though in accordance with our ex- generous gift and the liberal support of the brethren , the Com- perience of past years, it is tolerably certain that these fi gures mittee are now in possession of a " new building of large capa- will be sli ghtl y increased between now and the third week in city," and have been enabled , '* without encroaching upon our May , there will still remain from 70 to 80 old brethren and invested funds , to put in general good condition all of our widows for whom no election is possible and who must continue property," and that " for several years there will be need only of to endure their poverty, with such patience and philosop hy as they enlarging and building up our investments ancl our permanent may be able to command , for at least another 12 months. However, income." 'I he new building contains 22 sleeping apartments, we have now described the position of the Royal Masonic each of which is intended to accommodate two brethren , ancl to Benevolent Institution in all its most important features, and it furnish and fit these would , of course, entail a considerable outlay only remains for us to express the hope that a fortnight hence even at the moderate cost of 200 dollars per room.