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Article ROYAL MASONIC INSTITUTION FOR BOYS. ← Page 2 of 2 Article ROYAL MASONIC INSTITUTION FOR BOYS. Page 2 of 2
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Royal Masonic Institution For Boys.
something had been done , and their hands were actually tied , with this exception , that if they forfeited the bargain they got £ 450 back out of £ 650 deposit which they had paid . He only wished to point out that he was not objecting to what the Board had dine —( heir , hear ) —but he would remind the Chairman of the Board that it was distinctly stated—and it was also stated on the circular calling the last Quarterly Court—that a report would
be sent out to the Subscribers as to what was likely to be done and what would be done . His impression was that when Bro . Eve was in the chair he said that nothing should be done without taking the Subscribers into their confidence , and the Subscribers and Governors were of opinion that they would be consulted . He desired to point out that the Subscribers had not
been consulted . No doubt Bro . Eve himself felt that the resolution which was passed gave him power to do certain things . He did not rise to oppose : the matter was in the hands of the brethren ; but he did think that a little statement of what was intended to be done might have been printed and circulated very cheaply as well as the report , and might have been sent out to the Subscribers .
Bro . RICHARD EVE remarked that he remembered very well saying that nothirg " conclusive " would be done without consulting the subscribers ; what had been done was not conclusive , because they could even now forfeit £ 200 The report of the Board of Management was now before the brethren , and they stated what had been done in this matter ; and he said it would be folly of the worse description if they had suit out particulars of the es * a'e
they thought of purchasing . What would the owner of the estate have said ? what was the price he would have asked —( hear , hear , and cheering)—when he knew thev were desirous of obtaining desirable land near London ? The honorary solicitor had taken care of all those particulars and it was a definite instruction to him to do so . Let the Court give the Board a definite instruction to forfeit the sum of money . The Board had dealt with the
subscribers as fairly and fully as they could . The property , he thought , was the best that could be got for the School . They had secured a good site . He said at the former Court that nothing conclusive should be done until they had laid the matter before the brethren . ( Hear , hear , and applause . ) They knew full well after the statement made to the brethren ( all the
Board were business men ; they were not little children dealing with the matter ) that if it had come out lhat the land was wanted , as soon as it was known the price would go up immediately , and they trusted their honorary solicitor to carry the matter through discreetly , so as not to have an increase in the price . They had to thank Bro . Attenborough very much for what he had done .
Bro . C . D . CHEETIIAM ( East Lanes . ) , wished to say a word or two with rrgsrd to Ihe matter . The brethren of East Lancashire did not doubt for a morrpnt the ability and integrity of the Board of Management of the Institution . There was no brother in the province who had not the highest estimation for every brother on that Board ; but Ihey did say that before any step was actually taken , the
Subscribers and Life Governors of the Institution should have been consulted . It was all very well to say that they had been consulted ; ihey had been consulted in one sense ; but it was impossible to get brethren to come up slwaj'S from Lancashire and Yotkshire and attend Quarterly Courts of the Instil ution . It put a brother togreat expense tocomeup from the large provinces and considering the large amount of money raised in the provinces for the
Institution he thought ihey ought to be treated in a fair and upright way . ( Hear , hear . ) If an intimation had been sent to every Life Governor and Subscriber as to whether that S : hool should be removed , he questioned very much whether ihey would have hed any dissentients at all ; but having determined to go on at a large expense without consulting the Subscribers the brethren felt that the Institution would suffer very much . ( Cries of
" No , no . " ) Brethren said no ; but he spoke on behalf of his own province , namely , the Eastern Division cf Lancashire , which was the largest in the whole country , lhat had not a brother elected on the Board . He thoroughly understood them , and they felt this matter very keenly . Or behalf of the Province of East Lancashire he objected to the scheme being rompletrd until the Subscribers and Life Governors . of the Institution had had a stalemtnt r-f it laid before them and their opinion asked upon it .
Bro . HAKRV BEVIR ( Wilts ) thought it right to say that the provinces had an ample opportunity at the Quarterly Courts of expressing their opinions , and they were as will able to judge as the general body of Subscribers . There was no difficulty about it in his province if a brother wished a matier brcight lo the notice of ihe Subscribers . It was by no means the fact that the Board of Management was in any sense dominated by the London
brethren . The Beard was very largely composed of provincial brethren . Indeed , he believed the present meeting was more largely composed of provincial than of London brethren . He would not like it to be thought that that proposal was a proposal of the London brethren , and that there was an opposition by provincial Subscribers . On the contrary , he believed that proposal was carefully discussed
and considered with the express , co-operation of the provinces . He believed the more the proposal was considered the more likely it would be to be carried lo a satisfactory conclusion , and it would be acknowledged to be in the interests of all the children committed ( o their care . He did not propose , after the full statement of the Chairman of the Board , to say anything on the proposal , but he would say
that since the proposal had been under the consideration of the Craft it would ba enough to say that it would be better to remove the boys at Wood Green to a better site . If any brother in the room had to send a boy to school would he like to send him to Wood Green , having regard to its surroundings ? The answer would be no . Then they ought to deal with the children committed to their charge in that Institution wilh the
. 'fimecare as if they were their own . ( Hear , hear . ) He was reminded very propeily by Bro . Glass , that the Board had not done anything without giving every detail in connection with the Institution . There were published accounts from time lo time ; nothing whatever was kept back ; and he hoped the proposal that had been made would commend itself to the Subscribers to the Institution , and that throughout the Craft at large it would icceive very hearty , vrry general , and most liberal support .
Bro . C . E . KEYSER , P . G . D ., said , as treasurer of the Institut i on , he was sorry to hear it said that some support would be withdrawn from the Institution by seme cf the lodges in the large provinces . He sincerely 1 oped there would be nothing of the kind . ( Hear , hear . ) The Board of
Management was scting in the interests of the Lraft , The original suggest on that the School should be moved came from the Pro Grand Master , the Provincial Grand Master for West Lancashire ; who was the first to set the 1 all rolling a few ) cars ago , when he presided al one of the festivals of the Institution at Brighten . It afterwards took definite shape , and was brought
Royal Masonic Institution For Boys.
to its present satisfactory position . He hoped the brethren from West York - shire , who were most liberal supporters of the Institutions , and the brethren of E . and W . Lancashire , and of other provinces , would think over the matter , and consider that the Boird were taking the best and wisest course . If those brethren did not agree with the Board as to the scheme , he hoped they would agree with the manner in which it had been carried out , and that thev
would support the Institution . There was no resolution , he knew , before the meeting . They would not like to do that . if it was not for the best , and if they had not the support of the provinces . If it was the wish of the majority of the brethren , he hoped the provinces would back the Board up , and send up thousands of pounds , as they had done before , when the centenary of the Institution came round in ! e-s than two years' time . ( Applause . )
Bro . ROBERT WYLIE , Dep . Prov . G . M . West Lancashire , observed , in reference to the remark made by the Treasurer ( Bro . Keyser ) with respect to the suggestion as to the removal of the School having originally come from the Earl of Lathom , that he had it himself from his Lordship that the meaning which was given to those words of his was not what he intended they should convey . However , he would say this , that if it was decided by
the majority that they should have the new building and a new site they might depend upon it that not onl y West Lancashire but East Lancashire and other provinces would support it . They took a great and broad view of what an Institution required and what it did not require . They had Institutions of their own in Lancashire , but they were ready and willing to give way to the majority and to assist not only the Boys' School but every other Masonic charity .
Bro . W . C . LVI ' ( West Yorkshire ) said the only reason he took any part in the discussion was that want of confidence it was the crux of the whole matter . The province he came from complained naturally that after the passing of the resolution several months ago that they had not been taken into the confidence of the Board of Management . The scheme was one by which a school on which they had been spending ^ 100 , 000 would be given away for £ iS 000 or ^ 30 , 000 . ( Cries of " No , No . " )
Bro . W . C . LITTON : Many brethren of the northern provinces and some other provinces understood so , and in West Yorkshire there were resolutions constantly coming in from large centres protesting against it . He spoke from the feeling which he knew existed . Those resolutions were carried , and the brethren resolved not to support the Institution . ( No , no ) . It was easy to dissuade people from giving , and if this was done in
Yorkshire and Lancashire , and other provinces , it would take years to undo the mischief that was done . The brethren were dissatisfied that they had not had confidence placed in them . The report of the experts ought to have been in the hands of the School months ago . The brethren had now formed opinions that there was some extravagance of expenditure in the scheme . He agreed wilh Bro . Cheetham that he was afraid that much support would te withdrawn from the School .
Bro . JOHN GLASS ( Board of Management ) , said that Bro . Lupton complained that his province had not been represented on the Board . He begged to say the Province of West Yorkshire had a distinguished member on the Board of Management . ( Hear , hear . ) He should like to take that opportunity of saying there was not a brother on the Board who had taken
a greater interest in the School than the brother nominated and selected by West Yorkshire . That brother was Bro . Smithson —( hear , hear)—one of the most Ective members . Bro . Smithson was in favour of the scheme , and his opinion was worth the opinion of more than 50 lodges . Bro . Smithson gave his most hearty co-operation .
Bro . CHARLES LEE ( Warwick ) , wished to say on behalf of his province , who were in favour of the removal , that he hoped that it would be an instruction to the architect that the building was to be a school and not a palace . He would like to have some idea of the cost of the building . There should be no extravagant building . Wood Green was an extravagant building for a school .
Bro . W . H . SPAULL ( Shropshire ) , said his province had before the Provincial Grand Lodge a resolution from West Yorkshire , and it was ordered to lie on the table—thus signifying their assent to what had been done by the Board of Management . As to the removal , he thought there would be no two opinions considering the surroundings . Bo . Hebb , he was
sure would like to have a building where he could see everything without moving from hisdeskand giing from place to place . Heb ^ gged to propose " That this Quarterly Court , after hearing the statement of the Chairman of the Board of Management , fully approves of the action the Board has taken for the removal of the Boys' S : hool . " Bro . W . G . KENTISH ( London ) seconded .
Only nine hands were held up against the motion , and the Chairman declared it carried .
Bro . W . W . B . BEACH replying to a vote of thanks for presiding , propesed by Bro . Eve and seconded by Bro . Hy . Smith ( West Yorkshire ) , said I lhank you most heartily for the vote you have been good enough to pass . I have taken no part myself in the proceedings because I felt , as your Chairman , having expressed no opinion on the subject , it was best to keep an open mind so that I might hear the arguments lor and against the Board cf
Management . After hearing those proposals so ably adduced on both sides I think those brought forward by the Board of Management are fully justified , and I hope that those who have conscientiously and fully opposed them up to the present occasion will be able to convey to their provinces the statements they have heard , and that we shall have from them the same staunch support of the Schools as we have had in times past . ( Cheers anu hear , hear ) .
The court then proceeded with the election of 14 candidates for admission into the School . There was a tie for the 14 th place , and the Court recommended the Board of Management to admit both boys at the earliest opportunity . Bro . EVE assured the meeting that the Board would g ive favourable consideration to the suggestion . The following are the unsuccessful candidates :
Name . Votes . , Name . Votes . Miners , Arnold Beverly 3031 ! Illingworth , Edison 91 { Baker , Arthur 2 SS 5 ! Thompson , Thomas James 7 ° ! Griffits , Kinloch 24 S 0 I Peel , Gilbert William 4-1 " Linnett , Benjamin Welleslcy ... 219 S Brinjes , Frederick Edgar ~ >^ Armstrong , Thomas Bennett * ... 1955 Moulton , Ronald Verlcv - ' ] Venables , George Vernon 1936 ' Wright , Charles Philip : - ' \
Dover , Arthur F . dward 1 S 07 ; Booth , John Robinson - ¦?" Manley , Leonard Oliver 1210 Sanderson , Alfred 2 ' \ Mansell , Colston Thomas 1124 I Burnett , James Murdoch 2 [ i St » phenson , Herbert Wilfred ... 111 O i Smith , Sydney Gsorge ' ^ Kales , Arthur Douglas 1032 j l . yle , Arthur James ' (' •! Oldham , George Harold 1010 , Johnstone , Walter Latimer ¦••11 Bowman , Harrison 100 O Travis , Thomas Goodier "j Morris , Alfred Daniel 986 Hatchwell , Leonard Douglas ... '
Note: This text has been automatically extracted via Optical Character Recognition (OCR) software.
Royal Masonic Institution For Boys.
something had been done , and their hands were actually tied , with this exception , that if they forfeited the bargain they got £ 450 back out of £ 650 deposit which they had paid . He only wished to point out that he was not objecting to what the Board had dine —( heir , hear ) —but he would remind the Chairman of the Board that it was distinctly stated—and it was also stated on the circular calling the last Quarterly Court—that a report would
be sent out to the Subscribers as to what was likely to be done and what would be done . His impression was that when Bro . Eve was in the chair he said that nothing should be done without taking the Subscribers into their confidence , and the Subscribers and Governors were of opinion that they would be consulted . He desired to point out that the Subscribers had not
been consulted . No doubt Bro . Eve himself felt that the resolution which was passed gave him power to do certain things . He did not rise to oppose : the matter was in the hands of the brethren ; but he did think that a little statement of what was intended to be done might have been printed and circulated very cheaply as well as the report , and might have been sent out to the Subscribers .
Bro . RICHARD EVE remarked that he remembered very well saying that nothirg " conclusive " would be done without consulting the subscribers ; what had been done was not conclusive , because they could even now forfeit £ 200 The report of the Board of Management was now before the brethren , and they stated what had been done in this matter ; and he said it would be folly of the worse description if they had suit out particulars of the es * a'e
they thought of purchasing . What would the owner of the estate have said ? what was the price he would have asked —( hear , hear , and cheering)—when he knew thev were desirous of obtaining desirable land near London ? The honorary solicitor had taken care of all those particulars and it was a definite instruction to him to do so . Let the Court give the Board a definite instruction to forfeit the sum of money . The Board had dealt with the
subscribers as fairly and fully as they could . The property , he thought , was the best that could be got for the School . They had secured a good site . He said at the former Court that nothing conclusive should be done until they had laid the matter before the brethren . ( Hear , hear , and applause . ) They knew full well after the statement made to the brethren ( all the
Board were business men ; they were not little children dealing with the matter ) that if it had come out lhat the land was wanted , as soon as it was known the price would go up immediately , and they trusted their honorary solicitor to carry the matter through discreetly , so as not to have an increase in the price . They had to thank Bro . Attenborough very much for what he had done .
Bro . C . D . CHEETIIAM ( East Lanes . ) , wished to say a word or two with rrgsrd to Ihe matter . The brethren of East Lancashire did not doubt for a morrpnt the ability and integrity of the Board of Management of the Institution . There was no brother in the province who had not the highest estimation for every brother on that Board ; but Ihey did say that before any step was actually taken , the
Subscribers and Life Governors of the Institution should have been consulted . It was all very well to say that they had been consulted ; ihey had been consulted in one sense ; but it was impossible to get brethren to come up slwaj'S from Lancashire and Yotkshire and attend Quarterly Courts of the Instil ution . It put a brother togreat expense tocomeup from the large provinces and considering the large amount of money raised in the provinces for the
Institution he thought ihey ought to be treated in a fair and upright way . ( Hear , hear . ) If an intimation had been sent to every Life Governor and Subscriber as to whether that S : hool should be removed , he questioned very much whether ihey would have hed any dissentients at all ; but having determined to go on at a large expense without consulting the Subscribers the brethren felt that the Institution would suffer very much . ( Cries of
" No , no . " ) Brethren said no ; but he spoke on behalf of his own province , namely , the Eastern Division cf Lancashire , which was the largest in the whole country , lhat had not a brother elected on the Board . He thoroughly understood them , and they felt this matter very keenly . Or behalf of the Province of East Lancashire he objected to the scheme being rompletrd until the Subscribers and Life Governors . of the Institution had had a stalemtnt r-f it laid before them and their opinion asked upon it .
Bro . HAKRV BEVIR ( Wilts ) thought it right to say that the provinces had an ample opportunity at the Quarterly Courts of expressing their opinions , and they were as will able to judge as the general body of Subscribers . There was no difficulty about it in his province if a brother wished a matier brcight lo the notice of ihe Subscribers . It was by no means the fact that the Board of Management was in any sense dominated by the London
brethren . The Beard was very largely composed of provincial brethren . Indeed , he believed the present meeting was more largely composed of provincial than of London brethren . He would not like it to be thought that that proposal was a proposal of the London brethren , and that there was an opposition by provincial Subscribers . On the contrary , he believed that proposal was carefully discussed
and considered with the express , co-operation of the provinces . He believed the more the proposal was considered the more likely it would be to be carried lo a satisfactory conclusion , and it would be acknowledged to be in the interests of all the children committed ( o their care . He did not propose , after the full statement of the Chairman of the Board , to say anything on the proposal , but he would say
that since the proposal had been under the consideration of the Craft it would ba enough to say that it would be better to remove the boys at Wood Green to a better site . If any brother in the room had to send a boy to school would he like to send him to Wood Green , having regard to its surroundings ? The answer would be no . Then they ought to deal with the children committed to their charge in that Institution wilh the
. 'fimecare as if they were their own . ( Hear , hear . ) He was reminded very propeily by Bro . Glass , that the Board had not done anything without giving every detail in connection with the Institution . There were published accounts from time lo time ; nothing whatever was kept back ; and he hoped the proposal that had been made would commend itself to the Subscribers to the Institution , and that throughout the Craft at large it would icceive very hearty , vrry general , and most liberal support .
Bro . C . E . KEYSER , P . G . D ., said , as treasurer of the Institut i on , he was sorry to hear it said that some support would be withdrawn from the Institution by seme cf the lodges in the large provinces . He sincerely 1 oped there would be nothing of the kind . ( Hear , hear . ) The Board of
Management was scting in the interests of the Lraft , The original suggest on that the School should be moved came from the Pro Grand Master , the Provincial Grand Master for West Lancashire ; who was the first to set the 1 all rolling a few ) cars ago , when he presided al one of the festivals of the Institution at Brighten . It afterwards took definite shape , and was brought
Royal Masonic Institution For Boys.
to its present satisfactory position . He hoped the brethren from West York - shire , who were most liberal supporters of the Institutions , and the brethren of E . and W . Lancashire , and of other provinces , would think over the matter , and consider that the Boird were taking the best and wisest course . If those brethren did not agree with the Board as to the scheme , he hoped they would agree with the manner in which it had been carried out , and that thev
would support the Institution . There was no resolution , he knew , before the meeting . They would not like to do that . if it was not for the best , and if they had not the support of the provinces . If it was the wish of the majority of the brethren , he hoped the provinces would back the Board up , and send up thousands of pounds , as they had done before , when the centenary of the Institution came round in ! e-s than two years' time . ( Applause . )
Bro . ROBERT WYLIE , Dep . Prov . G . M . West Lancashire , observed , in reference to the remark made by the Treasurer ( Bro . Keyser ) with respect to the suggestion as to the removal of the School having originally come from the Earl of Lathom , that he had it himself from his Lordship that the meaning which was given to those words of his was not what he intended they should convey . However , he would say this , that if it was decided by
the majority that they should have the new building and a new site they might depend upon it that not onl y West Lancashire but East Lancashire and other provinces would support it . They took a great and broad view of what an Institution required and what it did not require . They had Institutions of their own in Lancashire , but they were ready and willing to give way to the majority and to assist not only the Boys' School but every other Masonic charity .
Bro . W . C . LVI ' ( West Yorkshire ) said the only reason he took any part in the discussion was that want of confidence it was the crux of the whole matter . The province he came from complained naturally that after the passing of the resolution several months ago that they had not been taken into the confidence of the Board of Management . The scheme was one by which a school on which they had been spending ^ 100 , 000 would be given away for £ iS 000 or ^ 30 , 000 . ( Cries of " No , No . " )
Bro . W . C . LITTON : Many brethren of the northern provinces and some other provinces understood so , and in West Yorkshire there were resolutions constantly coming in from large centres protesting against it . He spoke from the feeling which he knew existed . Those resolutions were carried , and the brethren resolved not to support the Institution . ( No , no ) . It was easy to dissuade people from giving , and if this was done in
Yorkshire and Lancashire , and other provinces , it would take years to undo the mischief that was done . The brethren were dissatisfied that they had not had confidence placed in them . The report of the experts ought to have been in the hands of the School months ago . The brethren had now formed opinions that there was some extravagance of expenditure in the scheme . He agreed wilh Bro . Cheetham that he was afraid that much support would te withdrawn from the School .
Bro . JOHN GLASS ( Board of Management ) , said that Bro . Lupton complained that his province had not been represented on the Board . He begged to say the Province of West Yorkshire had a distinguished member on the Board of Management . ( Hear , hear . ) He should like to take that opportunity of saying there was not a brother on the Board who had taken
a greater interest in the School than the brother nominated and selected by West Yorkshire . That brother was Bro . Smithson —( hear , hear)—one of the most Ective members . Bro . Smithson was in favour of the scheme , and his opinion was worth the opinion of more than 50 lodges . Bro . Smithson gave his most hearty co-operation .
Bro . CHARLES LEE ( Warwick ) , wished to say on behalf of his province , who were in favour of the removal , that he hoped that it would be an instruction to the architect that the building was to be a school and not a palace . He would like to have some idea of the cost of the building . There should be no extravagant building . Wood Green was an extravagant building for a school .
Bro . W . H . SPAULL ( Shropshire ) , said his province had before the Provincial Grand Lodge a resolution from West Yorkshire , and it was ordered to lie on the table—thus signifying their assent to what had been done by the Board of Management . As to the removal , he thought there would be no two opinions considering the surroundings . Bo . Hebb , he was
sure would like to have a building where he could see everything without moving from hisdeskand giing from place to place . Heb ^ gged to propose " That this Quarterly Court , after hearing the statement of the Chairman of the Board of Management , fully approves of the action the Board has taken for the removal of the Boys' S : hool . " Bro . W . G . KENTISH ( London ) seconded .
Only nine hands were held up against the motion , and the Chairman declared it carried .
Bro . W . W . B . BEACH replying to a vote of thanks for presiding , propesed by Bro . Eve and seconded by Bro . Hy . Smith ( West Yorkshire ) , said I lhank you most heartily for the vote you have been good enough to pass . I have taken no part myself in the proceedings because I felt , as your Chairman , having expressed no opinion on the subject , it was best to keep an open mind so that I might hear the arguments lor and against the Board cf
Management . After hearing those proposals so ably adduced on both sides I think those brought forward by the Board of Management are fully justified , and I hope that those who have conscientiously and fully opposed them up to the present occasion will be able to convey to their provinces the statements they have heard , and that we shall have from them the same staunch support of the Schools as we have had in times past . ( Cheers anu hear , hear ) .
The court then proceeded with the election of 14 candidates for admission into the School . There was a tie for the 14 th place , and the Court recommended the Board of Management to admit both boys at the earliest opportunity . Bro . EVE assured the meeting that the Board would g ive favourable consideration to the suggestion . The following are the unsuccessful candidates :
Name . Votes . , Name . Votes . Miners , Arnold Beverly 3031 ! Illingworth , Edison 91 { Baker , Arthur 2 SS 5 ! Thompson , Thomas James 7 ° ! Griffits , Kinloch 24 S 0 I Peel , Gilbert William 4-1 " Linnett , Benjamin Welleslcy ... 219 S Brinjes , Frederick Edgar ~ >^ Armstrong , Thomas Bennett * ... 1955 Moulton , Ronald Verlcv - ' ] Venables , George Vernon 1936 ' Wright , Charles Philip : - ' \
Dover , Arthur F . dward 1 S 07 ; Booth , John Robinson - ¦?" Manley , Leonard Oliver 1210 Sanderson , Alfred 2 ' \ Mansell , Colston Thomas 1124 I Burnett , James Murdoch 2 [ i St » phenson , Herbert Wilfred ... 111 O i Smith , Sydney Gsorge ' ^ Kales , Arthur Douglas 1032 j l . yle , Arthur James ' (' •! Oldham , George Harold 1010 , Johnstone , Walter Latimer ¦••11 Bowman , Harrison 100 O Travis , Thomas Goodier "j Morris , Alfred Daniel 986 Hatchwell , Leonard Douglas ... '