-
Articles/Ads
Article THE ROYAL MASONIC BENEVOLENT INSTITUTION. ← Page 3 of 3 Article THE ROYAL MASONIC BENEVOLENT INSTITUTION. Page 3 of 3
Note: This text has been automatically extracted via Optical Character Recognition (OCR) software.
The Royal Masonic Benevolent Institution.
and the Sth and 13 th February following , the resolution of the 22 nd December previous , to determine and arrange the qualifications of candidates and other incidental matters was taken into consideration , with the following results . Brethren , to be eligible as candidates for election as annuitants , must have attained to sixty , or , in cases of total blindness , fifty years
of age ; they must not be in receipt of an income in excess of . £ 20 per annum ; and must have been Installed Masters for at least seven years , as well as subscribing members to a lodge or lodges during the whole of that period ; or , they must have been registered Master Masons for twenty years , during at least ten years of which they must have been regular
subscribing members to some lodge or lodges . The following were likewise accepted as being elig ible , namely , any brother who , having served the office of Steward to two of the three Masonic Charities , shall have paid ten guineas to each of such two Charities , and at the same time has been a regular subscribing member to some lodge or lodges for seven years ; and
also any brother who , having served as Steward to the Asylum for Aged and Decayed Masons , shall have constituted himself a Life Governor of the same by a donation of twenty guineas , provided further that he shall have been a registered Mason and a regular subscribing member to some lodge or lodges during a period of seven years . In all cases the candidature was
to be supported by a petition ; Grand Lodge or other satisfactory certificates ; certificates of birth or baptism , or other satisfactory evidence of age ; testimonials verifying the case ; and recommendations from the lodge or lodges to which the petitioner had been a subscribing member , which recommendations , in the case of country lodges , were to be confirmed by the
Provincial Grand Master or his Deputy , and countersigned by the Provincial Grand Secretary . It was further resolved that the elections should be held in July , and the petitions be sent in to the Secretary on or before the first YY ' ednesday in May ; that the annuities should be of £ 10 each , and that only six be granted for the first twelve months ; and in the event of
there being a sufficient number of candidates for the said six annuities , that three should be allocated to the provinces and three to the metropolis . The votes and mode of voting were also settled , the former ranging from one vote for a guinea donation to four votes to a Life Governor ( twenty guineas ) , with two votes for every additional ten guineas , Stewards
contributing ten guineas , when serving as such , or within the next twelve months , receiving one additional vote . Lodges received the same voting privileges as subscribers , but for fourteen or twenty-five years only , according as they subscribed ten or twenty guineas , or as Life Governors , so long as thc lodge remained in existence , in the event of their contributing fifty guineas . As
to the mode of voting , every one possessing such privilege might vote by proxy , provided the proxy were a subscriber , all proxy-papers to be numbered , signed by the Secretary , and forwarded by post , while no second proxy-paper was to be issued except with the . concurrence of the Chairman on the day of election . Moreover , each subscriber , for every vote he was
entitled to , had as many votes as there were vacancies to be filled , which votes he might give to one candidate , or distribute at pleasure . Subscriptions declared and paid on the day of election entitled the parties so paying them to votes , but subscribers in arrear of payment were deprived of their voting powers till such arrears were paid up . In the case of equality of votes , the Chairman of the day had a second or casting vote .
Al the meeting on the Sth of Ma )' , six petitions for election were submitted , of which three were approved and two deferred , but afterwards accepted , while the remaining one , that of an out-pensioner of Chelsea Hospital , was rejected in the absence of any proof of the applicant ' s allegations . Of the five accepted and ultimately elected , three were from Metropolitan
and two from Provincial brethren . When this portion of the business had been disposed of , Bro . John L . Stevens drew attention to the very satisfactory statement made by the M . YV . Grand Master at the Grand Festival which had been held a short time previously , when his Royal Highness was " most graciously pleased to declare his willingness to patronise * the
Institution , ' provided it were so regulated as to afford the fullest means for the application of the Annuity principle ; and lhat in such case hc was not desirous that the management of the Institution should be taken out of the hands of those who had projected and thus far supported it . " It may be imagined that such an expression of goodwill coming from such a
quarterthough , as will be seen later on , the goodwill was but transient—gave ( he liveliest satisfaction to the Committee , and it was at once arranged that a deputation consisting of Bros . Bell , Crucefix , and YY atkins should wait upon his Royal Highness for the the purpose of thanking him for his kindness
ancl explaining to him the present position of the Charity . The hope was also expressed that so gracious a statement would serve to stimulate the Stewards at the festival fixed for the 19 th of June , to make additional efforts to promote the success of thc Asylum .
The first result of the statement made by his Royal Highness as just referred to was that a special general meeting of the subscribers was called for the 17 th May , when an attempt was made to induce the brethren to abandon their plan for thc erection of an Asylum in favour of the principle recommended by his Royal Highness of granting Annuities . However , the
meeting was adjourned , without any resolution being adopted , till the 24 th of the month , when it was unanimously agreed , " that this meeting acknowled ges with equal satisfaction and gratitude the declaration of his Royal Hi ghness the M . YY . Grand Master in favour of an Annuity Institution for the relief of Aged and Decayed Freemasons ; and most strongly
recommends the adoption of his Royal Highness ' s suggestion by carrying out the annuity principle , and that the erection of an Asylum be deferred until the sum of ^ , ' 7000 shall have bcen received and invested , the interest of such sum to be applicable to thc purposes of Annuities . All moneys collected beyond the above sum to be set aside expressly as a Building and Endowment Fund , the interest thereof to accumulate and be added to the principal . "
The Royal Masonic Benevolent Institution.
It was also resolved that a copy of the resolution , which was confirmed at another special meeting held the week following , should " be embodied in a memorial to the M . YY ' . G . M . praying that hc will be pleased to extend his protection ancl support to the consummation of this trul y Masonic Charily . " At the regular Committee on the 12 th June , it was further resolved " that the several laws and regulations as promul gated on thc 2 Jnd December ,
1 S 3 S , with the additional one of Sth May last ( giving one vote to a lodge subscribing £ 1 is . annually ) be the laws and regulations for governing this Institution on the Annuity princi ple , " and Bros . Bell , Crucclix , and Sangster were appointed a Sub-Committee lo draw up a memorial for presentation to the Grand Master . At a special meeting on the _ 6 lh of thc month the Sub-Committee reported that they had prepared thc memorial in
which the question of trusteeship was necessaril y referred to , and as a consequence of this reference , Bro . J . C . Bell formally submitted the resignation of his office as Trustee , as Bro . Joseph Partridge had done at the preceding meeting , the consequence being the unanimous adoption of a resolution to the effect "that , in consequence of certain of the Provisonal Trustees having tendered their resignation , a special general meeting of the
Governors and subscribers be called for thc 17 th July next , for the purpose of appointing Permanent Trustees , and also for carrying into effect the previous resolutions for the future government of this Institution , and of considering and determining on the plan to be laid before the M . YY " . . Grand Master . " Previous , however , to this important meeting' taking place as arranged , the regular meeting , changed for the occasion to the 3 rd instead of the 10 th
July , was held , and after the failure of an attempt to non-confirm a resolution adopted on the 12 th June , rendering any brother ineli gible as a candidate who had " received parochial relief within a period of two years prior to his application , " Bro . Crucefix , as President of the Board of Stewards at the festival on the 19 th June , reported that the chair had been taken by Bro . Rowland G . Alston , Deputy Prov . Grand Master of Essex , that the event had passed off most successfully , and that the subscriptions
announced amounted to £ 534 , including , as usual , the Treasurer ' s receipts since the previous report . As a matter of course , the thanks of the meeting were unanimously voted to all who had had a share in bringing about so satisfactory a result . At length the day fixed for the special meeting arrived , and a letter from Bro . Z . YVatkins , resigning his trusteeship having been read , the brethren at once proceeded to the important business which had called them together ,
The first point to be considered was how to reconcile the resolution passed on the 24 th May previous , in which the principle of granting Annuities as suggested by the Duke of Sussex was accepted , and the erection of an Asylum deferred until certain conditions had been fulfilled , with the resolutions passed on the 22 nd December , 183 S , and to this end it was proposed , seconded , and carried affirmativel y
That it ' . is expedient to explain and reconcile those resolutions , so as to admit of their being carried into operation without vitiating the principles respectively involved , and that for this purpose it be strictl y understood and determinedist . That the said sum of £ 2000 already invested shall remain intact , without diminution or increase , as the nucleus of a fund for the erection and endowment of the Asylum , and until a subsequent sum of £ 7000 has been raised . 2 nd . That the interest on the said sum of £ 2000 , together with all receipts beyond
that sum , shall be applied in making good the Annuities to be granted and in accumulating the said sum of £ 7000 . 3 rd . That until the said sum of £ 7000 , clear of the said sum of £ 2000 , shall have been accumulated , the erection of the Asylum shall be deferred , and that the interest only of the said sum of £ 7000 shall be applicable to the purposes of Annuities . 4 th . That in and from the accumulation of the said sum of £ 7000 , the said sum of jfzooo , together with all other moneys received by ' this Institution , and all accumulations of interest respectively , shall be applied as a fund for the erection and endowment of the Asylum .
As will be seen hereafter these resolutions were confirmed at the annual meeting on the 31 st July . In the meantime steps were taken lo elect Permanent in lieu of Provisional Trustees , and at the adjourned meeting on the 24 th of the month , a ballot for the purpose was taken with the result that Bros . Richard Percival , Grand Treasurer ; Benjamin Bond Cabbell , P . G . J . W . ; Charles Grote , John C . Bell , and Z . YVilliams , were declared elected . Difficulties , however , arose in connection with this step , and it was
some time before the question of Trusteeshi p was settled . It was further arranged that the Annuitants about to be elected should be paid quarterly in advance , and likewi . se that the General Committee should hold their regular meetings on the second Wednesday in February , March , Ma ) -, June , August , September , and November , while thc quarterly general meetings to be convened by advertisement should take place in January , April , July , and October , the annuitants and officers to be elected at the meeting in July .
'Ihe annual meeting Was held on the 31 st July , when Bros . Geo . Colcott , William Povey , John Dyson , Nathaniel Pearce , and YVm . Johnson were elected Annuitants , after which " the memorial to his Royal Highness the Grand Master was submitted . The greater part of this important document was occupied with a statement of particulars of the amount of contributions already received and of the various resolutions which from time to time had been passed by the governing body and have already been detailed . It then proceeded as follows :
Y'our memorialists having thus stated to your Royal Highncbs a short outline of tlieir proceedings , beg leave most dutifully to state that the regulations adopted apply solely to the immediate object of granting Pensions or Annuities , and although these regulations have bcen adopted after much and anxious consideralion , and with an earnest and unanimous desire to carry out the proposed object in the most beneficial manner , yet they are aware they are open to creat improvement to be obtained bv thi .
benefit of your Royal Highness ' s judgment and advice , and from the experience to be derived from the practical working of thc system . Y ' our memorialists have not yet thought it necessary to form any code of regulations for the governmrnt of the proposed Asylum—an Institution which they have much at heart—except sq far as the present regulations mav be considered aunlicable . and thev
have abstained from framing these regulations , not merely on the ground that it would be premature at present so to do , and with a view to avail themselves of the advantages of future experience , but also from an anxious desire and a warmly-cherished hope that they might be favoured with your Royal Highness's patronage , advice , and directionsa hope in which they now venture most ardently to indulge .
I he investment of the Committee ' s funds in the names of certain Provisional Trustees , and the appointment of Permanent Trustees , form the subject of the concluding paragraphs , and the whole memorial having been fully considered , it was resolved that it should be fairl y transcribed for presentation , and that Bros . Joseph C . Bell , R . T . Crucefix , John C McMullen , and Z . Watkins be a deputation to wait op . His Royal Highness for that purpose . ( To de continued ) .
Note: This text has been automatically extracted via Optical Character Recognition (OCR) software.
The Royal Masonic Benevolent Institution.
and the Sth and 13 th February following , the resolution of the 22 nd December previous , to determine and arrange the qualifications of candidates and other incidental matters was taken into consideration , with the following results . Brethren , to be eligible as candidates for election as annuitants , must have attained to sixty , or , in cases of total blindness , fifty years
of age ; they must not be in receipt of an income in excess of . £ 20 per annum ; and must have been Installed Masters for at least seven years , as well as subscribing members to a lodge or lodges during the whole of that period ; or , they must have been registered Master Masons for twenty years , during at least ten years of which they must have been regular
subscribing members to some lodge or lodges . The following were likewise accepted as being elig ible , namely , any brother who , having served the office of Steward to two of the three Masonic Charities , shall have paid ten guineas to each of such two Charities , and at the same time has been a regular subscribing member to some lodge or lodges for seven years ; and
also any brother who , having served as Steward to the Asylum for Aged and Decayed Masons , shall have constituted himself a Life Governor of the same by a donation of twenty guineas , provided further that he shall have been a registered Mason and a regular subscribing member to some lodge or lodges during a period of seven years . In all cases the candidature was
to be supported by a petition ; Grand Lodge or other satisfactory certificates ; certificates of birth or baptism , or other satisfactory evidence of age ; testimonials verifying the case ; and recommendations from the lodge or lodges to which the petitioner had been a subscribing member , which recommendations , in the case of country lodges , were to be confirmed by the
Provincial Grand Master or his Deputy , and countersigned by the Provincial Grand Secretary . It was further resolved that the elections should be held in July , and the petitions be sent in to the Secretary on or before the first YY ' ednesday in May ; that the annuities should be of £ 10 each , and that only six be granted for the first twelve months ; and in the event of
there being a sufficient number of candidates for the said six annuities , that three should be allocated to the provinces and three to the metropolis . The votes and mode of voting were also settled , the former ranging from one vote for a guinea donation to four votes to a Life Governor ( twenty guineas ) , with two votes for every additional ten guineas , Stewards
contributing ten guineas , when serving as such , or within the next twelve months , receiving one additional vote . Lodges received the same voting privileges as subscribers , but for fourteen or twenty-five years only , according as they subscribed ten or twenty guineas , or as Life Governors , so long as thc lodge remained in existence , in the event of their contributing fifty guineas . As
to the mode of voting , every one possessing such privilege might vote by proxy , provided the proxy were a subscriber , all proxy-papers to be numbered , signed by the Secretary , and forwarded by post , while no second proxy-paper was to be issued except with the . concurrence of the Chairman on the day of election . Moreover , each subscriber , for every vote he was
entitled to , had as many votes as there were vacancies to be filled , which votes he might give to one candidate , or distribute at pleasure . Subscriptions declared and paid on the day of election entitled the parties so paying them to votes , but subscribers in arrear of payment were deprived of their voting powers till such arrears were paid up . In the case of equality of votes , the Chairman of the day had a second or casting vote .
Al the meeting on the Sth of Ma )' , six petitions for election were submitted , of which three were approved and two deferred , but afterwards accepted , while the remaining one , that of an out-pensioner of Chelsea Hospital , was rejected in the absence of any proof of the applicant ' s allegations . Of the five accepted and ultimately elected , three were from Metropolitan
and two from Provincial brethren . When this portion of the business had been disposed of , Bro . John L . Stevens drew attention to the very satisfactory statement made by the M . YV . Grand Master at the Grand Festival which had been held a short time previously , when his Royal Highness was " most graciously pleased to declare his willingness to patronise * the
Institution , ' provided it were so regulated as to afford the fullest means for the application of the Annuity principle ; and lhat in such case hc was not desirous that the management of the Institution should be taken out of the hands of those who had projected and thus far supported it . " It may be imagined that such an expression of goodwill coming from such a
quarterthough , as will be seen later on , the goodwill was but transient—gave ( he liveliest satisfaction to the Committee , and it was at once arranged that a deputation consisting of Bros . Bell , Crucefix , and YY atkins should wait upon his Royal Highness for the the purpose of thanking him for his kindness
ancl explaining to him the present position of the Charity . The hope was also expressed that so gracious a statement would serve to stimulate the Stewards at the festival fixed for the 19 th of June , to make additional efforts to promote the success of thc Asylum .
The first result of the statement made by his Royal Highness as just referred to was that a special general meeting of the subscribers was called for the 17 th May , when an attempt was made to induce the brethren to abandon their plan for thc erection of an Asylum in favour of the principle recommended by his Royal Highness of granting Annuities . However , the
meeting was adjourned , without any resolution being adopted , till the 24 th of the month , when it was unanimously agreed , " that this meeting acknowled ges with equal satisfaction and gratitude the declaration of his Royal Hi ghness the M . YY . Grand Master in favour of an Annuity Institution for the relief of Aged and Decayed Freemasons ; and most strongly
recommends the adoption of his Royal Highness ' s suggestion by carrying out the annuity principle , and that the erection of an Asylum be deferred until the sum of ^ , ' 7000 shall have bcen received and invested , the interest of such sum to be applicable to thc purposes of Annuities . All moneys collected beyond the above sum to be set aside expressly as a Building and Endowment Fund , the interest thereof to accumulate and be added to the principal . "
The Royal Masonic Benevolent Institution.
It was also resolved that a copy of the resolution , which was confirmed at another special meeting held the week following , should " be embodied in a memorial to the M . YY ' . G . M . praying that hc will be pleased to extend his protection ancl support to the consummation of this trul y Masonic Charily . " At the regular Committee on the 12 th June , it was further resolved " that the several laws and regulations as promul gated on thc 2 Jnd December ,
1 S 3 S , with the additional one of Sth May last ( giving one vote to a lodge subscribing £ 1 is . annually ) be the laws and regulations for governing this Institution on the Annuity princi ple , " and Bros . Bell , Crucclix , and Sangster were appointed a Sub-Committee lo draw up a memorial for presentation to the Grand Master . At a special meeting on the _ 6 lh of thc month the Sub-Committee reported that they had prepared thc memorial in
which the question of trusteeship was necessaril y referred to , and as a consequence of this reference , Bro . J . C . Bell formally submitted the resignation of his office as Trustee , as Bro . Joseph Partridge had done at the preceding meeting , the consequence being the unanimous adoption of a resolution to the effect "that , in consequence of certain of the Provisonal Trustees having tendered their resignation , a special general meeting of the
Governors and subscribers be called for thc 17 th July next , for the purpose of appointing Permanent Trustees , and also for carrying into effect the previous resolutions for the future government of this Institution , and of considering and determining on the plan to be laid before the M . YY " . . Grand Master . " Previous , however , to this important meeting' taking place as arranged , the regular meeting , changed for the occasion to the 3 rd instead of the 10 th
July , was held , and after the failure of an attempt to non-confirm a resolution adopted on the 12 th June , rendering any brother ineli gible as a candidate who had " received parochial relief within a period of two years prior to his application , " Bro . Crucefix , as President of the Board of Stewards at the festival on the 19 th June , reported that the chair had been taken by Bro . Rowland G . Alston , Deputy Prov . Grand Master of Essex , that the event had passed off most successfully , and that the subscriptions
announced amounted to £ 534 , including , as usual , the Treasurer ' s receipts since the previous report . As a matter of course , the thanks of the meeting were unanimously voted to all who had had a share in bringing about so satisfactory a result . At length the day fixed for the special meeting arrived , and a letter from Bro . Z . YVatkins , resigning his trusteeship having been read , the brethren at once proceeded to the important business which had called them together ,
The first point to be considered was how to reconcile the resolution passed on the 24 th May previous , in which the principle of granting Annuities as suggested by the Duke of Sussex was accepted , and the erection of an Asylum deferred until certain conditions had been fulfilled , with the resolutions passed on the 22 nd December , 183 S , and to this end it was proposed , seconded , and carried affirmativel y
That it ' . is expedient to explain and reconcile those resolutions , so as to admit of their being carried into operation without vitiating the principles respectively involved , and that for this purpose it be strictl y understood and determinedist . That the said sum of £ 2000 already invested shall remain intact , without diminution or increase , as the nucleus of a fund for the erection and endowment of the Asylum , and until a subsequent sum of £ 7000 has been raised . 2 nd . That the interest on the said sum of £ 2000 , together with all receipts beyond
that sum , shall be applied in making good the Annuities to be granted and in accumulating the said sum of £ 7000 . 3 rd . That until the said sum of £ 7000 , clear of the said sum of £ 2000 , shall have been accumulated , the erection of the Asylum shall be deferred , and that the interest only of the said sum of £ 7000 shall be applicable to the purposes of Annuities . 4 th . That in and from the accumulation of the said sum of £ 7000 , the said sum of jfzooo , together with all other moneys received by ' this Institution , and all accumulations of interest respectively , shall be applied as a fund for the erection and endowment of the Asylum .
As will be seen hereafter these resolutions were confirmed at the annual meeting on the 31 st July . In the meantime steps were taken lo elect Permanent in lieu of Provisional Trustees , and at the adjourned meeting on the 24 th of the month , a ballot for the purpose was taken with the result that Bros . Richard Percival , Grand Treasurer ; Benjamin Bond Cabbell , P . G . J . W . ; Charles Grote , John C . Bell , and Z . YVilliams , were declared elected . Difficulties , however , arose in connection with this step , and it was
some time before the question of Trusteeshi p was settled . It was further arranged that the Annuitants about to be elected should be paid quarterly in advance , and likewi . se that the General Committee should hold their regular meetings on the second Wednesday in February , March , Ma ) -, June , August , September , and November , while thc quarterly general meetings to be convened by advertisement should take place in January , April , July , and October , the annuitants and officers to be elected at the meeting in July .
'Ihe annual meeting Was held on the 31 st July , when Bros . Geo . Colcott , William Povey , John Dyson , Nathaniel Pearce , and YVm . Johnson were elected Annuitants , after which " the memorial to his Royal Highness the Grand Master was submitted . The greater part of this important document was occupied with a statement of particulars of the amount of contributions already received and of the various resolutions which from time to time had been passed by the governing body and have already been detailed . It then proceeded as follows :
Y'our memorialists having thus stated to your Royal Highncbs a short outline of tlieir proceedings , beg leave most dutifully to state that the regulations adopted apply solely to the immediate object of granting Pensions or Annuities , and although these regulations have bcen adopted after much and anxious consideralion , and with an earnest and unanimous desire to carry out the proposed object in the most beneficial manner , yet they are aware they are open to creat improvement to be obtained bv thi .
benefit of your Royal Highness ' s judgment and advice , and from the experience to be derived from the practical working of thc system . Y ' our memorialists have not yet thought it necessary to form any code of regulations for the governmrnt of the proposed Asylum—an Institution which they have much at heart—except sq far as the present regulations mav be considered aunlicable . and thev
have abstained from framing these regulations , not merely on the ground that it would be premature at present so to do , and with a view to avail themselves of the advantages of future experience , but also from an anxious desire and a warmly-cherished hope that they might be favoured with your Royal Highness's patronage , advice , and directionsa hope in which they now venture most ardently to indulge .
I he investment of the Committee ' s funds in the names of certain Provisional Trustees , and the appointment of Permanent Trustees , form the subject of the concluding paragraphs , and the whole memorial having been fully considered , it was resolved that it should be fairl y transcribed for presentation , and that Bros . Joseph C . Bell , R . T . Crucefix , John C McMullen , and Z . Watkins be a deputation to wait op . His Royal Highness for that purpose . ( To de continued ) .