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Article MASONIC IMPOSTORS. Page 1 of 1 Article BESTOWAL OF PROVINCIAL HONOURS. Page 1 of 1
Note: This text has been automatically extracted via Optical Character Recognition (OCR) software.
Masonic Impostors.
MASONIC IMPOSTORS .
r "pHE Province of West Yorkshire has taken the * initiative in a movement which should prove of great and lasting benefit , not only to that important Province , but to every section of the country , and ultimately to the whole Masonic system '; while at the
same time greatly extending the benevolent practices of the Craft , by making it easier for those really in distress to secure relief , and rendering it all but impossible for the Masonic Impostor to gather a
continuous harvest , as the result of his appeals to the charitable instincts of his fellows , backed up by the use—rightly or wrongly—of Masonic sentiments , signs , and tokens .
As we have urged on many previous occasions the question of dealing with Masonic distress in our midst is one that calls for general consideration and speedy reform . In theory we as Masons are not slow to boast of what we do to relieve the wants of our less
fortunate Brethren ; in practice it will be found all but impossible for any self respecting , really deserving Brother , temporarily stranded , to obtain that Masonic assistance to which he would be honestly and justly
entitled , and which very few among us would be unwilling to give , if we had some sort of guarantee that the Craft , as a body , and its officials in particular
were working together in order to check imposture , and provide a recognised channel for the dispensation of Masonic relief to those really entitled to receive it .
We reproduce the report of the West Yorkshire meeting elsewhere in this issue , and refer our readers to it , feeling convinced the arguments and proofs therein contained must be of interest to all who are
really concerned with the proper working of the Craft , and we hope that the official publicity now given to the question will have better results than have attended the arguments and efforts of Brethren in the past .
There is one particular point , however , upon which we cannot agree with some West Yorkshire friends . It will be seen it is there proposed that a Brother ' s Grand Lodge Certificate should be endorsed every time relief
was rendered—we wrote " Masonic " relief , but assistance given in a time of dire necessity that is to be for ever aftewards shown in black and white to a Brother ' s detriment , is not by any means Masonic , and could
never be allowed if the Fraternal spirit of the Craft is to be exercised . Years back we suggested that all sums granted in Masonic relief , by recognised Lodge Almoners , should be reported to Grand Lodge , and a
record kept—and under certain conditions we argued that it would be desirable to send the applicant ' s Certificate to Grand Lodge , to be checked , but not marked , and returned as soon as convenient , or retained
if fraud or continuous begging was proved . By that means it might take a few weeks to check an impostor ' s career , but then no injustice would be done to reall y deserving Brethren who found it necessary to appeal .
Bestowal Of Provincial Honours.
BESTOWAL OF PROVINCIAL HONOURS .
THE Masonic column of the " Manchester Herald " has a reference to the remarks of Bro . Cuzner , which appeared in our issue of 26 th ult ., and our comments thereon ; and the writer appears to wax wroth in connection therewith . It is true the speech
itself is given in our pages as though uttered at a Provincial Grand Lodge , but we were careful to explain in our editorial that the remarks were made at the banquet which followed the recent meeting of the
Provincial Grand Lodge of Cheshire . It is quite t unnecessary to tell us that such a speech " was never delivered in Provincial Grand Lodge in this world , " and it was because we know the impossibility of such an event that we wrote as we did under the title
" Masonic Reform . " Where is the harm in discussing reforms in open Lodge , calmly and dispassionately ? Surely it is better to do so than smother fire until it breaks out in open revolt !
Our contemporary makes the following reference to the question at issue : " This bestowal of Provincial honours is a very sore subject . There is only a certain number to give away , and everyone from the I . G . to
the W . M . of a Lodge thinks he is entitled to a small but modest share . In this way we should be in the position of Artemus Ward's regiment—all officers and no privates . Look at the Cheshire list this year , and
it will be seen that there has been much ' system ' in the bestowal of Provincial honours . Thirty or forty years ago they were kept in a select circle . This cannot be said under the present regime . They are
spread over the Province , and it is very possible that any direct representation from a given Lodge would receive due and careful attention from ' the powers that be . ' " All this is very pretty , but it is begging the
question . We do not think many Officers in a Lodge other than the Worshipful Master desire , or expect , Provincial recognition . The hardship arises when a Provincial chief is unable to reward more than
halfand sometimes less than half—the Worshipful Masters of the year in his Province . It is then that invidious distinctions and arbitrary selections have to be made , and we do not see any very great harm in Brethren
rising in our midst to ask the " powers that be " if there is not some way of getting over the difficulty . It is . a poor case that will not bear criticism of an honest character , and he must be a very poor ruler
who is afraid to discuss with his followers any question of policy concerning the welfare of the whole body , even if reform may seem to point to a curtailment of the powers of the chief himself . The motto of our
Masonic rulers should be " Pro bono publico , " and their actions rather for the welfare of the cause and its followers , than for their own personal aggrandisement .
In saying this , however , it must not be supposed we imagine the Masonic chiefs are selfish . All that is wanted is freedom to discuss this and other reforms .
Note: This text has been automatically extracted via Optical Character Recognition (OCR) software.
Masonic Impostors.
MASONIC IMPOSTORS .
r "pHE Province of West Yorkshire has taken the * initiative in a movement which should prove of great and lasting benefit , not only to that important Province , but to every section of the country , and ultimately to the whole Masonic system '; while at the
same time greatly extending the benevolent practices of the Craft , by making it easier for those really in distress to secure relief , and rendering it all but impossible for the Masonic Impostor to gather a
continuous harvest , as the result of his appeals to the charitable instincts of his fellows , backed up by the use—rightly or wrongly—of Masonic sentiments , signs , and tokens .
As we have urged on many previous occasions the question of dealing with Masonic distress in our midst is one that calls for general consideration and speedy reform . In theory we as Masons are not slow to boast of what we do to relieve the wants of our less
fortunate Brethren ; in practice it will be found all but impossible for any self respecting , really deserving Brother , temporarily stranded , to obtain that Masonic assistance to which he would be honestly and justly
entitled , and which very few among us would be unwilling to give , if we had some sort of guarantee that the Craft , as a body , and its officials in particular
were working together in order to check imposture , and provide a recognised channel for the dispensation of Masonic relief to those really entitled to receive it .
We reproduce the report of the West Yorkshire meeting elsewhere in this issue , and refer our readers to it , feeling convinced the arguments and proofs therein contained must be of interest to all who are
really concerned with the proper working of the Craft , and we hope that the official publicity now given to the question will have better results than have attended the arguments and efforts of Brethren in the past .
There is one particular point , however , upon which we cannot agree with some West Yorkshire friends . It will be seen it is there proposed that a Brother ' s Grand Lodge Certificate should be endorsed every time relief
was rendered—we wrote " Masonic " relief , but assistance given in a time of dire necessity that is to be for ever aftewards shown in black and white to a Brother ' s detriment , is not by any means Masonic , and could
never be allowed if the Fraternal spirit of the Craft is to be exercised . Years back we suggested that all sums granted in Masonic relief , by recognised Lodge Almoners , should be reported to Grand Lodge , and a
record kept—and under certain conditions we argued that it would be desirable to send the applicant ' s Certificate to Grand Lodge , to be checked , but not marked , and returned as soon as convenient , or retained
if fraud or continuous begging was proved . By that means it might take a few weeks to check an impostor ' s career , but then no injustice would be done to reall y deserving Brethren who found it necessary to appeal .
Bestowal Of Provincial Honours.
BESTOWAL OF PROVINCIAL HONOURS .
THE Masonic column of the " Manchester Herald " has a reference to the remarks of Bro . Cuzner , which appeared in our issue of 26 th ult ., and our comments thereon ; and the writer appears to wax wroth in connection therewith . It is true the speech
itself is given in our pages as though uttered at a Provincial Grand Lodge , but we were careful to explain in our editorial that the remarks were made at the banquet which followed the recent meeting of the
Provincial Grand Lodge of Cheshire . It is quite t unnecessary to tell us that such a speech " was never delivered in Provincial Grand Lodge in this world , " and it was because we know the impossibility of such an event that we wrote as we did under the title
" Masonic Reform . " Where is the harm in discussing reforms in open Lodge , calmly and dispassionately ? Surely it is better to do so than smother fire until it breaks out in open revolt !
Our contemporary makes the following reference to the question at issue : " This bestowal of Provincial honours is a very sore subject . There is only a certain number to give away , and everyone from the I . G . to
the W . M . of a Lodge thinks he is entitled to a small but modest share . In this way we should be in the position of Artemus Ward's regiment—all officers and no privates . Look at the Cheshire list this year , and
it will be seen that there has been much ' system ' in the bestowal of Provincial honours . Thirty or forty years ago they were kept in a select circle . This cannot be said under the present regime . They are
spread over the Province , and it is very possible that any direct representation from a given Lodge would receive due and careful attention from ' the powers that be . ' " All this is very pretty , but it is begging the
question . We do not think many Officers in a Lodge other than the Worshipful Master desire , or expect , Provincial recognition . The hardship arises when a Provincial chief is unable to reward more than
halfand sometimes less than half—the Worshipful Masters of the year in his Province . It is then that invidious distinctions and arbitrary selections have to be made , and we do not see any very great harm in Brethren
rising in our midst to ask the " powers that be " if there is not some way of getting over the difficulty . It is . a poor case that will not bear criticism of an honest character , and he must be a very poor ruler
who is afraid to discuss with his followers any question of policy concerning the welfare of the whole body , even if reform may seem to point to a curtailment of the powers of the chief himself . The motto of our
Masonic rulers should be " Pro bono publico , " and their actions rather for the welfare of the cause and its followers , than for their own personal aggrandisement .
In saying this , however , it must not be supposed we imagine the Masonic chiefs are selfish . All that is wanted is freedom to discuss this and other reforms .