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Article HISTORY OF THE AIREDALE LODGE, No. 387, ← Page 4 of 5 →
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History Of The Airedale Lodge, No. 387,
mutually agreed not to have another meeting until the proper time in May , viz ., in two months . " At the same time "it was unanimousl y agreed that for the future the postage of no more letters should be paid . " The next meeting was held on May 9 th , 1838 , and it was then proposed by the Secretary , Bro . William Ellison , seconded by Bro . Beck , P . M .: That the Sick Fund should bo discontinued provided that half of the stock of money should go to that mu-posa to the first who may need it . The aforesaid carried unanimously .
It was also decided — That not not more than seven should be returned to Wakefield ami London out of the lodge ; but that if any person should like to be returned anxiously he may by returning himself , ancl so reducing the number from the lodge . In accordance ivith the preceding resolutions thus passed , on May 21 st , 1838 , the returns were made to Grand and Prov . Grand Lodges with payments
to 31 st December , 1837 . Only seven members were so returned , viz ., John Sutcliffe , John Wintcrbnrn , John Bland , Jolm Beck , Nicholas Walker , James BroAvn , and William Ellison , Secretary . Besides the severe depression of trade at this time the lodge had a far more serious cause of alarm and anxiety in the personal dissension amongst a few of the members , and for a time these unfortunate troubles were a sore trial . Probabl y this was the most critical
period in the history of our lodge . There is much to admire in the strai g htforward , manly way in ivhich the Secretary ( Bro . Ellison ) explained some of the difficulties at this time , in a letter to Bro . W . H . White , the Grand Secretary , ancl although to many the idea of further economy being possible b y the refusal to pay postage , as resolved uponmay seem somewhat absurdin those days of cheap postageyet
, , , it should be remembered that letters in 1838 cost 5 ch , Sd ., 10 d ., and some , according to distance , over Is . each , consequently postage must reall y have been a most serious item of lodge expenditure if indulged in to any extent . The letter referred to ( as well as a note entered in the minute book respecting the Provincial returns made at saiue time , read as follows : —
"Owing to some partial disturbance among our brethren , depression of trade , etc ., etc ., we have unfortunately had our members reduced to the small number of seven , tho' we hope in our next returns the quantum will bo considerably augmented aud all affairs finally restored to peace . " We now find tho expenses to be very burdensome , since so many have declared off , with the rent , expenses of journeys , and the largo quantity of letters coming from London and country lodges , which ive have regularly received , that ive are compelled to adopt some
economical mode to abridge our payments or follow the rest of our brethren . This latter part wo are not inclined to consent to , therefore wo have unanimously agreed to stop paying the postage of all letters coming from any lodge whatever to ours , and now give you notice to send us no more unless you pay the postage . AVe have no particular inclination to see any future quarterly returns , nor any other annual letters , but will place confidence in your benevolence and wisdom in the distribution and management of affairs , tho' you may always expect us punctual in our yearly returns for the members wo have regularly attending , but it will bo two years before we make out our returns again , except that we have some initiations . Baildon , May 24 , 38 . "
At the same time the returns were sent to the Provincial Grand Lodge through the hands of a ropemaker , with the sum of 14 s ., and in all respects expressed the same as those sent to London , to ivhich refer . Our Lodge seems to have been so generally abandoned to die a natural death at this time , that these seven brethren arc fairl y entitled to the credit of preserving our warrant and saving the lodge from erasure , ivhilst the personal sacrifices they must have made prove beyond doubt a genuine love of the
institution and an exemplary reverence for the tenets and benevolent objects of our Order . Like many noble acts ancl intentions which , too often , are never recognized until many years have passed , and frequently not until after the death of many trul y great men , the example of these Avorth y brethren did not immediately bear good fruit . The lodge seems to have been completely
Note: This text has been automatically extracted via Optical Character Recognition (OCR) software.
History Of The Airedale Lodge, No. 387,
mutually agreed not to have another meeting until the proper time in May , viz ., in two months . " At the same time "it was unanimousl y agreed that for the future the postage of no more letters should be paid . " The next meeting was held on May 9 th , 1838 , and it was then proposed by the Secretary , Bro . William Ellison , seconded by Bro . Beck , P . M .: That the Sick Fund should bo discontinued provided that half of the stock of money should go to that mu-posa to the first who may need it . The aforesaid carried unanimously .
It was also decided — That not not more than seven should be returned to Wakefield ami London out of the lodge ; but that if any person should like to be returned anxiously he may by returning himself , ancl so reducing the number from the lodge . In accordance ivith the preceding resolutions thus passed , on May 21 st , 1838 , the returns were made to Grand and Prov . Grand Lodges with payments
to 31 st December , 1837 . Only seven members were so returned , viz ., John Sutcliffe , John Wintcrbnrn , John Bland , Jolm Beck , Nicholas Walker , James BroAvn , and William Ellison , Secretary . Besides the severe depression of trade at this time the lodge had a far more serious cause of alarm and anxiety in the personal dissension amongst a few of the members , and for a time these unfortunate troubles were a sore trial . Probabl y this was the most critical
period in the history of our lodge . There is much to admire in the strai g htforward , manly way in ivhich the Secretary ( Bro . Ellison ) explained some of the difficulties at this time , in a letter to Bro . W . H . White , the Grand Secretary , ancl although to many the idea of further economy being possible b y the refusal to pay postage , as resolved uponmay seem somewhat absurdin those days of cheap postageyet
, , , it should be remembered that letters in 1838 cost 5 ch , Sd ., 10 d ., and some , according to distance , over Is . each , consequently postage must reall y have been a most serious item of lodge expenditure if indulged in to any extent . The letter referred to ( as well as a note entered in the minute book respecting the Provincial returns made at saiue time , read as follows : —
"Owing to some partial disturbance among our brethren , depression of trade , etc ., etc ., we have unfortunately had our members reduced to the small number of seven , tho' we hope in our next returns the quantum will bo considerably augmented aud all affairs finally restored to peace . " We now find tho expenses to be very burdensome , since so many have declared off , with the rent , expenses of journeys , and the largo quantity of letters coming from London and country lodges , which ive have regularly received , that ive are compelled to adopt some
economical mode to abridge our payments or follow the rest of our brethren . This latter part wo are not inclined to consent to , therefore wo have unanimously agreed to stop paying the postage of all letters coming from any lodge whatever to ours , and now give you notice to send us no more unless you pay the postage . AVe have no particular inclination to see any future quarterly returns , nor any other annual letters , but will place confidence in your benevolence and wisdom in the distribution and management of affairs , tho' you may always expect us punctual in our yearly returns for the members wo have regularly attending , but it will bo two years before we make out our returns again , except that we have some initiations . Baildon , May 24 , 38 . "
At the same time the returns were sent to the Provincial Grand Lodge through the hands of a ropemaker , with the sum of 14 s ., and in all respects expressed the same as those sent to London , to ivhich refer . Our Lodge seems to have been so generally abandoned to die a natural death at this time , that these seven brethren arc fairl y entitled to the credit of preserving our warrant and saving the lodge from erasure , ivhilst the personal sacrifices they must have made prove beyond doubt a genuine love of the
institution and an exemplary reverence for the tenets and benevolent objects of our Order . Like many noble acts ancl intentions which , too often , are never recognized until many years have passed , and frequently not until after the death of many trul y great men , the example of these Avorth y brethren did not immediately bear good fruit . The lodge seems to have been completely