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Article THE BUSINESS OF CHARITY. Page 1 of 2 Article THE BUSINESS OF CHARITY. Page 1 of 2 →
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The Business Of Charity.
THE BUSINESS OF CHARITY .
SINCE the celebration of the Anniversary Festival of the Mark Benevolent Fund , a report of which we published in our last issue , there has been somo amount of discussion in Masonic circles in regard to the observations made on that occasion by Sir Reginald Hanson , in regard to what we may term tho
business of Charity . Whatever Sir Reginald Hanson may have intended to imply when ho spoke as he did , it is very certain that his remarks have been construed by some into an expression of opinion adverse to the system under which the Charitable Institutions of the Craft are conducted , as compared
with the similar organisation associated with the Mark Degree . Looking at the report of his speech as given in onr last issue it must bo admitted his remarks give no absolute cause for uneasiness , yet , bearing in mind the position of the speaker , and his known interest in the welfare of all the Masonic Charity Funds , it is unwise to allow them to pass by without considering or comment , more especially as
some of his hearers—perhaps led away by their enthusiasm for everything associated with the Mark Degree—have made more ofthe subject probably than Sir Reginald intended his remarks to justify . Wo do not believe it has over been desired or even contemplated that the Mark Benevolent fund should enter the lists in competition with the Charitable Institutions of the Craft , but thoir intimate
association with each other naturally loads to a spirit of friendly rivalry , and the right to mako comparisons between the two , which , in the ordinary course of events , might be expected to prove beneficial all round . But in dealing with comparisons great discrimination is necessary , and the line must be very carefully drawn to keep apart friendly and unfriendly comments .
bir Reginald Hanson made special reference to the fact that nearly all the money subscribed to the Mark Benevolent Fund went almost direct into the hands of those who most required it , without any expense , and we would here point out to those who see in his remarks any attack on the Craft Institutions that he
specially mentioned that lie was not saying so to the detriment of those Institutions . He pointed out that the Mark Fund had not the great expense of sending out balloting papers ; that they had no great Secretarial staff ; and that the whole of the management was done by honorary advisers and Secretary . Later on he said it was a question whether a great deal of
money was not wasted , not only in Charities , but elsewhere , in advertisements ; " 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 in postage stamps to every subscriber , and the money ol the Benevolent Fund was not diminished to that extent which it . necessarily must he if they had regular
The Business Of Charity.
and frequent elections . " We see nothing in all this to justify the belief that Sir Reginald Hanson was unfavourably criticising the Institutions of Craft Masonry , but , as we have said , there are so > me who believe he was doing so when he spoke as he did . The two cases are so different as to be virtually outside
the bounds of comparison . The subscriptions announced after Sir Reginald ' s remarks amounted , to - £ 1 , 636 10 s 6 d , a sum which is sufficient to justify the heartiest congratulations of tho Mark Degree , but it represents the contributions of a whole year , whereas the three Institutions ofthe Craft receive that nmonnt . on the average , everv nine or ton davs . even
, „ ... , 7 v _ , , v v * in ordinary times , while on such occasions as the celebration of a special Festival of one of the three , as was the case this year , the receipts show a very much larger average . We may at once dismiss the idea , then , of honorary Secretaries , although in each case there is no lack of honorary advisers , and at the
same time acknowledge the great disparity existing between the two systems and the consequent absurdity of comparing the one with the other . After all , it is not so very many years back that the Secretary of the Crirls' School was an honorary officer—and we think it will be found that either of the Institutions
will compare favourably with the Mark Benevolent Fund in this matter in their earlier years , but the day for an honorary staff in their case has long since passed ; there is now enough work for a Secretary and assistants , especially when the Secretary deems it a part of his duty to work night as well as day in the interest of the fund he serves . Then , again ,
on the question oi cost a ballot papers and tneir postage , expenses of election , and so forth ; it is useless to cry out against evils that cannot be remedied , and equally impolitic to compare the working of the older Craft Institutions with the younger organisation of the Mark Degree . The latter has been fortunate , but it must also be borne in mind its scope is not
nearly so extensive as that of the Craft Institutions , which do infinitely more for each of those they help , at far greater expense per head . It must also be recognised that the Mark Degree—in so far as this question is concerned—is very young . A few years hence it may not be possible to relieve every case that is put forward , indeed , next year may see an alteration in this resnect . if sudden adversitv overtook even three
or four members of the Mark Degree , and if that did happen all the arguments used to the advantage of the Mark Fund would be upset in a moment , and all the evils pointed out as existing elsewhere might be introduced into the Association which is now so happily free from them . Even one candidate beyond the number that could reasonably be relieved would necessitate the provision
of ballot papers , their postage , and the expense of an election , including payment for Secretarial duties , for the honorary advisers and Secretary would hardly include the addressing of the ballot papers as a part of their labour of love . All these facts have to be taken into account in attempting any consideration of the
Note: This text has been automatically extracted via Optical Character Recognition (OCR) software.
The Business Of Charity.
THE BUSINESS OF CHARITY .
SINCE the celebration of the Anniversary Festival of the Mark Benevolent Fund , a report of which we published in our last issue , there has been somo amount of discussion in Masonic circles in regard to the observations made on that occasion by Sir Reginald Hanson , in regard to what we may term tho
business of Charity . Whatever Sir Reginald Hanson may have intended to imply when ho spoke as he did , it is very certain that his remarks have been construed by some into an expression of opinion adverse to the system under which the Charitable Institutions of the Craft are conducted , as compared
with the similar organisation associated with the Mark Degree . Looking at the report of his speech as given in onr last issue it must bo admitted his remarks give no absolute cause for uneasiness , yet , bearing in mind the position of the speaker , and his known interest in the welfare of all the Masonic Charity Funds , it is unwise to allow them to pass by without considering or comment , more especially as
some of his hearers—perhaps led away by their enthusiasm for everything associated with the Mark Degree—have made more ofthe subject probably than Sir Reginald intended his remarks to justify . Wo do not believe it has over been desired or even contemplated that the Mark Benevolent fund should enter the lists in competition with the Charitable Institutions of the Craft , but thoir intimate
association with each other naturally loads to a spirit of friendly rivalry , and the right to mako comparisons between the two , which , in the ordinary course of events , might be expected to prove beneficial all round . But in dealing with comparisons great discrimination is necessary , and the line must be very carefully drawn to keep apart friendly and unfriendly comments .
bir Reginald Hanson made special reference to the fact that nearly all the money subscribed to the Mark Benevolent Fund went almost direct into the hands of those who most required it , without any expense , and we would here point out to those who see in his remarks any attack on the Craft Institutions that he
specially mentioned that lie was not saying so to the detriment of those Institutions . He pointed out that the Mark Fund had not the great expense of sending out balloting papers ; that they had no great Secretarial staff ; and that the whole of the management was done by honorary advisers and Secretary . Later on he said it was a question whether a great deal of
money was not wasted , not only in Charities , but elsewhere , in advertisements ; " 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 in postage stamps to every subscriber , and the money ol the Benevolent Fund was not diminished to that extent which it . necessarily must he if they had regular
The Business Of Charity.
and frequent elections . " We see nothing in all this to justify the belief that Sir Reginald Hanson was unfavourably criticising the Institutions of Craft Masonry , but , as we have said , there are so > me who believe he was doing so when he spoke as he did . The two cases are so different as to be virtually outside
the bounds of comparison . The subscriptions announced after Sir Reginald ' s remarks amounted , to - £ 1 , 636 10 s 6 d , a sum which is sufficient to justify the heartiest congratulations of tho Mark Degree , but it represents the contributions of a whole year , whereas the three Institutions ofthe Craft receive that nmonnt . on the average , everv nine or ton davs . even
, „ ... , 7 v _ , , v v * in ordinary times , while on such occasions as the celebration of a special Festival of one of the three , as was the case this year , the receipts show a very much larger average . We may at once dismiss the idea , then , of honorary Secretaries , although in each case there is no lack of honorary advisers , and at the
same time acknowledge the great disparity existing between the two systems and the consequent absurdity of comparing the one with the other . After all , it is not so very many years back that the Secretary of the Crirls' School was an honorary officer—and we think it will be found that either of the Institutions
will compare favourably with the Mark Benevolent Fund in this matter in their earlier years , but the day for an honorary staff in their case has long since passed ; there is now enough work for a Secretary and assistants , especially when the Secretary deems it a part of his duty to work night as well as day in the interest of the fund he serves . Then , again ,
on the question oi cost a ballot papers and tneir postage , expenses of election , and so forth ; it is useless to cry out against evils that cannot be remedied , and equally impolitic to compare the working of the older Craft Institutions with the younger organisation of the Mark Degree . The latter has been fortunate , but it must also be borne in mind its scope is not
nearly so extensive as that of the Craft Institutions , which do infinitely more for each of those they help , at far greater expense per head . It must also be recognised that the Mark Degree—in so far as this question is concerned—is very young . A few years hence it may not be possible to relieve every case that is put forward , indeed , next year may see an alteration in this resnect . if sudden adversitv overtook even three
or four members of the Mark Degree , and if that did happen all the arguments used to the advantage of the Mark Fund would be upset in a moment , and all the evils pointed out as existing elsewhere might be introduced into the Association which is now so happily free from them . Even one candidate beyond the number that could reasonably be relieved would necessitate the provision
of ballot papers , their postage , and the expense of an election , including payment for Secretarial duties , for the honorary advisers and Secretary would hardly include the addressing of the ballot papers as a part of their labour of love . All these facts have to be taken into account in attempting any consideration of the