Mark Benevolent Fund.

MARK BENEVOLENT FUND .

THE festival in celebration of the 24 th anniversary of tho establishment of the Mark Benevolent Fund was held on Wednesday evening , at Freemasons' Tavorn , nnder the presidency of Sir Reginald Hanson , M . P ., P . G . W . Ladies , as usual , sat down to banquet with the brethren , and the Chairman was supported by the

following , among others : —The Lady Mayoress , Lady Eleanoi Ilarbord , tho Earl of Euston , the Lord Mayor , Mis ? Hanson , Lady Hanson , tho Hon . Judge McLeod , Sir John Monckton , Miss Harrison . Col . A . B . Cook , Mrs . A . B . Cook , Mrs . Saycr , Col . Shirley , Mrs . Mead , Bros . R .

Berridge , Frank Richardson , Mrs . Field , Edgav A . Baylis , Sir Georgo Prcscott , Bro . Lennox Browne , Mrs . Lennox Browne , Bros . Jas . Moon , F . Mead , Major Clifford Probyn , Gordon Miller , Capt . Marshall , R . Clowes , C . F . Matier ,

Major Collins , W . Shurmur , E . Monteuuis , George Cooper , and C . Belton . During dinner a band performed a beautiful selection of music . After dinner the loyal toasts were dnly proposed and honoured .

Sir Reginald Hanson proposed the toast of the M . W . Pro Graud Master the Most Hon . the Marquis of Hertford , and the Past Masters , the Deputy Grand Master the Earl of Euston , and the Grand Officers , Present and Past . He said the brethren mentioned in the

toast wero brethren to whom Mark Masonry owed a great deal , in fact , without their continued and active support Mark Masonry would not have attained its present position of eminence . None had been more conspicious in this work than the Earl of Euston , who had especially devoted

himself to Mark Masonry , though in other branches of Masonry he had shown such devotion that he ( the Chairman ) referred with pardonable pride to being Inner Guard of his Craft Lodgo , and admitting Lord Euston when he presented himself for initiation .

The toast having been enthusiastically received , Lord Euston thanked tho Chairman for the kind words he had

used with regard to him personally . Tho one and sole object of the Grand Officers was , he said , to increase and fortify the Order , to multiply and do good for it , and to encourage those who came after them to do batter than

thoy if they could . They themselves followed very good men . They wero nil trying to maintain the objects of Mark Masonry to the best of thoir skill and ability , and if the Grand Officers who came after thorn wonld do as they did he felt confident , that the order would bo enhanced in

value and in numbers . Before sitting down his Lordship gave the health of the Chairman , who had , iu every capacity of life he had been called upon to fill , whether as a man of business , or as Chief Magistrate of the City of London , or as Master of his Lodge , or as Grand Warden in Mark

Masonry , always done and acted to the best of his skill and ability ; and very well too had he done it . In everything he had been asked to do he had shown keenness and

zealousness . This bad been exhibited in his desire to promote the good of Mark Masonry , and moro especially had he shown these qualities in promoting the great object which Mark Masons had ever at heart—Charity .

Sir Reginald Hanson , m reply , said he only wished he could say he deserved one-half the kind expressions which had been used by Lord Euston with respect to him . It was unusual to propose the health of the Chairman so early in the evening . His own experience of benevolent

festivals was that the Chairman ' s health was not proposed until after the toast of the evening and when the Stewards ' lists had been read . In the present instance , however , it might be that as gratitude was a lively sense of favour to some they were expressing their thanks to him for

something they expected him to do . But he was afraid that considering the circumstances of the commercial , political and Masonio world at the present time , the result of the night ' s meeting would not be so good as previously . One of the charitable associations attached to the Craft had this year

received the largest sum ever collectad by them in one year , and the other two had received considerable sums . The Festival of the Mark Benevolent Fund coming the last was liable to suffer , especially after the tremendous exertions made on behalf of the others . They did not

begrudge them their success , bat rejoiced at it . He then proposed the toast , prosperity to the Mark Benevolent Fund . The presence of the ladies and brethren indicated their sympathy with the Fund , which did not vie with the other Charitable Institutions of Masonry . Still , it had

Mark Benevolent Fund.

a certain work to do , and ho thought that hitherto they had done it exceedingly well . Whatever was given to this Mark Benevolent Fund went almost direct into tho hands of those who most required it without any expense . He was not saying this to tho detriment of tho other Masonic

Institutions . They had not the great expense of sending out balloting papers ; they had no great secretarial staff ; but the whole of the management was done by honorary advisers and secretary ; a very small amount of printing and stationery was required , and , therefore , with a very

slight diminution what would be collected on this auspicious occasion went to those aged people or those children who required help . Those of the brethren and ladies who would look at the books placed before them would find that a certain scale of voting was accorded to subscribers .

Fortunately from one point of view , unfortunately from another , those votes had never be exercised . It might be said that when there was no voting , interest was not excited , and consequently people did not subscribe as much as they ought to do . In many of the Charities with

which they wore connected outside Masonry the interest which was taken and the requests which wore made to every subscriber to vote for this ; that , or the other candidate was an appeal brought before the public ; it was a form of advertisement , which they wero told was a characteristic

of the 19 th century and particularly of the last ten years . Still , that was somewhat false , and it was a question whether a great deal of money was not wasted , not only in Charities , but elsewhere in advertisement . It was all very well to throw a sprat to catch a herring , but it was hardly well to

throw a herring to catch a sprat . The Mark Masons knew this , they did not spend a lot of money iu postages to every subscriber , and the money of the Benevolent Fund was not diminished to that extent which ifc necessaril y must be if they had regular and frequent elections . But

they did have this opportunity , and it was a very p roud thing to say that of all those aged Mark Masons who had applied to the Board for relief , there had been no obviously proper case that was not relieved , and tho children had all had assistance , and that too without having the expense

of elections , —old or young , if they had a fair claim on the charity of the Fund , had been duly and properly relieved . That was a great matter of which they might bo justly proud . But it was only by the constant and regular benevolence of Mark Masons and their friends that they

could continue this and be prepared for the necessaril y increased claims which must come upon them as tho members of Mark Masonry increased . And it was for that reason he appealed to them , although , by the benefactions of former years and proper investments for

the annuities and for finding the School fees for the children and giving them £ 5 each a year for their outfit enabled them to meet these calls . He hoped that next year the

funds would be increased ; if not , they could not do as they had been doing . He now left the matter in the hands of the brethren with confidence , notwithstanding the appeal to their general charity .

Bro . Matier then read the list of subscriptions , the total of which amounted to £ 1 , 636 10 s 6 d . Sir John Monckton proposed the Ladies , and Bro . Frank Richardson replied ; Major Carroll responded to the toast of the Stewards , and

the Lord Mayor and Judge McLeod to that of the Visitors . A concert , in which Madame Isabel George , Miss Ethel Bevans , Miss Kate Chaplin , and Bros . Charles Chilley , Turle Lee , and F . Bevan took part , under the direction of Bro . Frederick Bevan , followed .

This Distinguishes Freemasonry.

THIS DISTINGUISHES FREEMASONRY .

IN the beginning God created the heaven and the earth . And the earth was without form , and void ; and dai'kness was upon the face of the deep ; and the spirit of God moved upon the face of the waters . And God said , Ljt there be light ; and there was light—let the earth be ,

and it was . And the Logos or World , the revealer or declarer of God ' s wisdom , power , and beauty , was , in the beginning , with God . By this Word God has accomplished

and He continues to accomplish , all things His wisdom designed . Yea , He that built all things , by His Word , is God . The Word spoken is not spoken of Himself , but the Father that dwelleth in him , He doeth the works . There be gods many and lords many , but to us there is only one God , and one Lord , who tabernacled in flesh and