Royal Masonic Institution For Boys. Athletic Sports Fund.

ROYAL MASONIC INSTITUTION FOR BOYS . ATHLETIC SPORTS FUND .

£ s d j £ s d To Collections per Bros . j By Prizes - - 32 6 0 Mather and Binokes 18 10 6 Band Prizes - - 1 12 0 Bowyer 7 0 0 Festa 1 10 0 Dr . Morris 5 5 6 Balance due to President - - - ¦ 1 12 0 £ 33 18 0 £ 33 18 0 J . J . BERE , Hon . Sec .

Many brethren kindly contributed to tho " Athletic Sports Fund , " in sums ranging from one shilling to two guineas . Amongst the donors maybe mentioned the following : —Bros . H . B . Marshall , E . Bowyer , Binckes , Mather , Festa , Godson , Hunt , Moon , Ramsay , Saunders , Miekleby , Clarke , Stewart , Furnfield , Baiham , Strong , Taylor , Clever , Adams , Boulton , Cale sen ., Cale jnn ., Wdlan , Godman , Knight , Hobbs , Calling , Painter , Legge , Tilley . A few friends at Lloyd's ( per Bro . Knight ) subscribed £ 3 10 s . There was no printing account to pay , as Bro . Kenning made the Fund a present of the programmes .

Midsummer 1884 .

Correspondence.

CORRESPONDENCE .

We do not hold ourselves responsible for the opinions of our Cor . respondents . All Letters must bear the name and address of the Writer , not necessarily for publication , but as a guarantee of good faith . We cannot undertake to return rejected communications .

To the Editor of the FREEMASON ' CHRONICLE . DEAR SIR AND BROTHER , —It is to be hoped there are not many cases such as that pointed out by "HARRY" in one of yonrlate issues . I certainly never came across & similar case , but then my visiting experience has been of the most limited character , and snch an

in-PROFESSIONS AND PRACTICE

cident would have been impossible in my Mother Lodge . Nevertheless , I do not for a moment doubt the veracity of " HARRY , " nor do I envy the feelings of the " Secretary and Almoner" he refers to . When a brother seeks relief , and h s credentials are unimpeachable , it is a violation of the fundamental principles of the Order to send

him empty away . Bnt when an appeal 13 mnde during the time brethren are revelling in comfort and luxury , surely it is little less than brutal to refuse assistance . The case mentioned by " HARRY . " is the more heartless because it appears that special attention was directed by himself to the applicant for relief . He saw him , wan

and seedy , outside of the-banquetting-room ; he listened to his story of succeess and disappointment " , of trouble and want , even to the verge of starvation of himself and family , of his failure to obtain employment . Struck with the man ' s truthfulness , and filled with pity for his distress , " HARRY " made known the case in the proper

quarter . The poor , needy brother was questioned ; he proved his poverty and he pleaded necessity , but a deaf ear was turned to his entreaty , and whilst feasting and merriment reigned within the room , coldness met tbe wanderer as he emerged into the street . Sick at heart , stunned with the cruelty of a so-called brother , I can imagine

his feelings . If the facts be true as stated , and I have no reason to doubt them , then no words I can command would do justice to the disgust I feel for the man who could be so false to his duty , so recreant to the true spirit of Freemasonry . It is true , that " man's inhumanity to man makes countless thousands mourn . " It is such as

this " Secretary and Almoner —Almoner!—heaven save the mark !—who brings discredit upon the Craft , who represents the corruption that festers like a wound and poisons the life-blood of the Order . It is snch as he who gives opportunity to our enemies , many of whom reproach us with extravagance at the table

with luxurious indulgence , and all the evils tbat follow upon the gratification of selfishness and lustful desires . I hope that snch men , wherever they may be found , will be purged of their offences , and stripped of their office . A Lodge should not suffer for the faults of one man , and such a man , who could listen unmoved to

a true and pitiful story , and deny relit f that laid within his grasp . Help in this case , if only in the shape of a good meal , would have been welcome , but this lieartless Secretary did not even invite his poor brother to eat or drink . I blnsh for such a man , I repudiate his brotherhood . He is outside of the pale of humanity , much moro is

lie outside of the circle of Freemasonry . Now , Sir , I would just say a word or two in favour of a proposition made by " WATCHMAN " two or three weeks ago . If I remember rightly he advocated the establishment of what I should call a trade agency . I believe that if the authorities were to take up the matter

that another valuable Institution would be added to our existing relief organisations . It would be a good thing to bring employes and employers , who are Masons , together . I feel sure that were that done , many a heart would be made glad , and an opportunity would

be afforded to give help in the best and most practical form . I cannot see any objection to she plan , especially as it might be established and carried on at little or no coat to the executive . Anything tb-. \ t will prevent the recurrence of such a case as "HARRY" describes would be welcome , - A scheme , however , that leads to self-help

Correspondence.

ommeuds itself so strongly that I wonder something has not beon done long ago . Perhaps a few more instances such as I have referred to ieaa to 01 tne Kina

may somotning Deing uone . I am , Dear Sir and Brother , Yours fraternally ,

W ILIUM .

The Royal Masonic Benevolent Institution Election.

THE ROYAL MASONIC BENEVOLENT INSTITUTION ELECTION .

To the Editor 0 / the FREEMASON S CHRONICLE . DEAR SIB AND BROTHER , —Once again the Election for the Royal Masonic Benevolent Institution has come and gone , and through the munificence of Ihe brethren the Committee have felfc themselves justified in increasing the number of the annuitants by four additional

brethren and eleven moro widows . 24 of the former and 26 of the latter , making in all fifty ( three in each class being deferred until vacancies occnr ) , who have thus been relieved from pecuniary anxiety for tho remainder of their days ; but great as this number is , how mnoh more is required to be done . There are fourteen brethren and no

less than fifty widows left out in the cold . One case especially seems hard , that of Mrs . Elliot , who has already been a candidate for twelve years , and is still unsuccessful . Her husband was a member of Lodge No . 124 , in the Province of Durbam , aud subscribed from the time he became a Mason till his death , yet the Province has

evidently deserted the cause of this widow , inasmuch as it appears the Province has been successful in securing the return of other candidates since ; doubtless there is some good reason for this , but prima facie it appears very hard . Warwickshire and Devon , shire have two seventh applications in perhaps a still worse

plight . Of fifth applications Lincolnshire has one , as -well as a fourth , and second , with 17 , 20 , and 15 votes respectively . But as the Province has so many annuitants—boys and girls , on the respective Institutions—for which she is indebced to the kind assistance of other Provinces , I am afraid she cannot help the above

candidates much , consequently their ultimate success appears far off . Kent likewise has a fifth application case , Avhich the Province does not appear to favour , as the applicant has only 366 votes to her credit . Surrey is leaving her fifth application case with but 16 votes . Hants and Devon combined , and Lodge of

Friendship , London , with their fifth applications , should have no difficulty next year . Of third applications London has two ; one from Mount Lebanon Lodge , with 30 votes polled , and one from the Vitruvian ; the latter Lodge is somowhat in the same category as tbe Province of Lincoln , in the cases it already has , and candidates are still coming

forward for the benefits of the various Institutions . Hants has a candidate to whom apparently the cold shoulder has been shown , inasmuch as only 64 votes have been polled . Kent has two cases , with 671 and 225 respectively . These applicants are evidently out of favour , as Kent is a Province which can always command the return of one ,

if not two candidates , and here are three left to 9 hift for themselves , while a second application case is returned successfully . East Lancashire and Suffolk have one candidate each , with 8 (!) votes a piece ; something is evidently wrong here , as both theBe Provinces returned first applications . There remains one more in the category

of third applications , viz ., from Berks and Bucks , but as she carries 1215 votes forward , she may look with tolerable certainty for success at the next election . As for the second and first applications , with so many candidates and so few vacancies it is only exceptionally strong Provinces or combinations of Provinces , or if in London , of

Lodges , tbat applicants can count upon any reasonable hope of success . It is a curious fact how closely the average number of years that the late husbands of the whole of the candidates and of those who were successful have subscribed agree . The aggregate of the former is 1675 , with an average of 22 \ years ,

and of the latter 569 , with an average of 22 years 3- £ months . The same coincidence occurs among the male applicants , viz ., Total aggregate , 996 years 3 months , average 23 years 9- | f months ; successful 573 , average 23 |; and yet one of the unsuccessful ones accumulates 90 years' subscription himself . The election of the

male annuitants is a much easier matter , as there are never so many candidates , and as a rule more vacancies . The reasons for this are first , that the applicants are not eligible for five years after the time allowed for widows ; secondly , tbat they shrink from the painf nl necessity as long as they can ; and lastly , the obituary list is far

higher in their case , as for instance no less than four deaths occurred between the time of making np the lists and the Election . I am sorry to observe how few of the candidates are recorded as having done anything when in their power towards the Institutions one of which they are now reaping or seeking benefits from .

Out of the 42 male annuitants only 3 , or 1 in 14 , viz ., Bros . Dearsley , Atlkins , and Prattent , all of whom happily are successful ; even the brother who accumulates 90 years subscriptions seems to have forgotten the principles of our Order , another unfortunate brother who has subscribed 29 years , and in or

about 1880 lost £ 12 , 000 , seems to have been equally oblivious ; while others again who have obtained Provincial Grand Honours have ignored the claims on them . Among the late husbands of the 76 widows , 7 , or 1 in 11 , appear to have contributed to one or more of the Institutions , and only 3 have been successful . The seven

contribntors were Bros . Timms , Cooley , Redman , Shury , Feaviour , Searle , and Bellerby , the three last successful . There were also 13 with Grand or Provincial honours , only one of whom remembered tbe Institutions , viz ., Bro . Bellerbv P . G . Steward . I must now make a

few observations as to the result list of the male candidates . The highest on the list is a sixth attempt ; in it the applicant succeeded , though bis annuity is one of the deferred ; it is a case from Warwick , with 718 votes . There are two fourth applications , and both are far behind ; one is from Hants , with only 75 votes