Note: This text has been automatically extracted via Optical Character Recognition (OCR) software.
Correspondence.
CORRESPONDENCE .
The E-Iitor ia not regpomihU for the opiMom expressed by Correrpondenli . MASONS' MARKS . TO THE EDITOK 07 THE r !! EE . _ A _ 0 _ . S' MAGAZINE A-. 'D __ . VSO _ . IC MntROIl . Dear Sir and Brother , —As my old friend and very able brotherE . W . Shawappeals to meI can most
, , , fully confirm his statements , that for years he has been studiously collecting " Masons' Marks , " and that he is , I believe , the first authority ou the subject in our Order . If Bro . Tarker ' s remarks , not meant , I think , in any hostile spirithave the effect of bringing forth
, my learned brother ' s long-promised volume , it will be of the utmost interest and value to the Craft . I do trust that ou this occasion the members of our great fraternity will show their sense of Bro . Shaw ' s long aud unremunerative labours , by largely supporting his endeavour to lighten up the obscurity of
our past- history , and to offer a most valuable ancl striking illustration of our common Masonic archicologi-. No one is more competent to do so , aud no one has for many years laboured more diligently than Bro . Shaw to make his work worthy of the Order .
May it be successful . I will only add that in 1 SG 2 , as Bro . Shaw says , he opened out the subject , and that I ivas , and am still , most deeply indebted to his valuable assistance in tlie prosecution of our common study . Yours fraternallv , A . F . A . ' WOODEOED , P . G . C . Swilliugton , Leeds , . Jan . 20 , 1 SGS .
Tramps.
TRAMPS .
TO THE EDITOI ! or Tin . n ;_ :::. _ A _ o _ . s' _ r . u .. _; . _ .. E A .. D _ r _ . so ^ ic ____ n . o : _ . Eespected Friend , —The subject of this my second letter to thee will be " How thy Society treats thy wayfaring brothers ( by some called tramps ) , and how thy wayfaring brothers treat thy Society . ' '
To make myself clearly understood by thee , I will divide them into two classes , the " worthy" and " unworthy . " The " unworthy " ( and their name is le _ rion ) as a class never ought to have been admitted " into any lodge , they prowl about tho country scarcely
soliciting assistance from Freemasons , but rather demanding it . Their importunity and impertinence are almost unbearable , and far too often , to spare further annoyance , the pittance of one or two shillings is doled out to them . Should they find a newlyinitiated memberthey make such a claim liis
, upon charity that refusal ( in his inexperience ) is impossible . They visit towns periodicall y , ancl should " the almoner be changed between their visits , they invariably state it is their first visit to the town ; but should ( he same almoner be in office , he is either avoided or some story cooked up to awaken his
sympathy . Should he refuse relief , he is subjected to abuse , and they pass ou to victimise some other member . The " worthy" is of a very different class , and theirs , " like angels' visits , are ' few ancl far between . "
Tramps.
They only apply when overtaken by unforseen misfortune and are reduced to the lowest ebb of poverty ancl distress ; and far too often the appeal of the really deserving is treated with such callousness ( begotten by being repeatedly victimised by the " unworthy " ) that makes them suffer the greatest privations rather than subject their veracity to be again doubted .
It would only bo repeating the experience of every Freemason who has acted as almoner to enlarge on this subject . I prefer rather to give thee my ideas as to how it may be remedied , and to show how the" unworthy " may be prevented from imposing on thy society , and how the " worthy " may meet with that prompt charity which may fairly be designated
the characteristic of every Freemason ' s heart . The whole of England is divided into provinces . First , let there be a principal almoner appointed to each province . This can easily be doue at the provincial lodge meetings . To further illustrate my meaning , I will take a province and will assimilate
my language to the titles used by thy society . As the Deputy Grand Master of England is the Provincial Grand Master of West Yorkshire , perhaps that province ms . y be considered as well organised as any other province . Let the lodge or lodges ( if morethan one ) in each town in the province appoint an
Almoner ( giving into his hands sufficient money to meet the claims of the first month ) , to whom all applications for relief shall be referred , Let him ,, and him alone , administer relief ; and at the end of each month lay his accounts before the lodge or lodges , as the case may be , and where there is more than one lodge in a town let the amount of relief
sodisoursea be refunded by the united lodges . AVhen a worthy member applies for relief , let him be promptly and liberally relieved . When an '' unworthy ' . ' applies for relief , let him be positively denied . Tiie Almoner having forms printed which would only require the name , date , number , and
nameof lodge , and number of certificate filling in , let him at once post to each Almoner in the province "that an unworthy had called upon him , " thus putting all of them on their guard . The principal Almoner ,, upon receipt thereof , to post to the principal Almoners of the adjoining provincesthe principal
, Almoners in such provinces in like manner to post toeach lodge Almoner in their respective provinces . I am quite aware that this plan would cause a great deal of trouble ; but after the first year there would be little or nothing for the Almoners to do , as the " unworthies '' would find their occupation gone .
Further , in all cases ivhere relief is given , let the date , amount , ancl by what lodge given be endorsed on the certificate . If the brothers of the lodge to which the reci pient belongs refunded the amount , then let such repayment , when made , appear on the certificate ; also , if no relief were given without
production of the certificate , and then the certificate endorsed . Tiiis mode alone would drive several unworthies oil the road , as they would be afraid to expose a certificate with so very many endorsements thereon , as it would show they had no other occupation than passing from place to place , getting relief from the Freemasons . And I would further recommend that the Almonershave forms to fill up and post to the lodge of which
Note: This text has been automatically extracted via Optical Character Recognition (OCR) software.
Correspondence.
CORRESPONDENCE .
The E-Iitor ia not regpomihU for the opiMom expressed by Correrpondenli . MASONS' MARKS . TO THE EDITOK 07 THE r !! EE . _ A _ 0 _ . S' MAGAZINE A-. 'D __ . VSO _ . IC MntROIl . Dear Sir and Brother , —As my old friend and very able brotherE . W . Shawappeals to meI can most
, , , fully confirm his statements , that for years he has been studiously collecting " Masons' Marks , " and that he is , I believe , the first authority ou the subject in our Order . If Bro . Tarker ' s remarks , not meant , I think , in any hostile spirithave the effect of bringing forth
, my learned brother ' s long-promised volume , it will be of the utmost interest and value to the Craft . I do trust that ou this occasion the members of our great fraternity will show their sense of Bro . Shaw ' s long aud unremunerative labours , by largely supporting his endeavour to lighten up the obscurity of
our past- history , and to offer a most valuable ancl striking illustration of our common Masonic archicologi-. No one is more competent to do so , aud no one has for many years laboured more diligently than Bro . Shaw to make his work worthy of the Order .
May it be successful . I will only add that in 1 SG 2 , as Bro . Shaw says , he opened out the subject , and that I ivas , and am still , most deeply indebted to his valuable assistance in tlie prosecution of our common study . Yours fraternallv , A . F . A . ' WOODEOED , P . G . C . Swilliugton , Leeds , . Jan . 20 , 1 SGS .
Tramps.
TRAMPS .
TO THE EDITOI ! or Tin . n ;_ :::. _ A _ o _ . s' _ r . u .. _; . _ .. E A .. D _ r _ . so ^ ic ____ n . o : _ . Eespected Friend , —The subject of this my second letter to thee will be " How thy Society treats thy wayfaring brothers ( by some called tramps ) , and how thy wayfaring brothers treat thy Society . ' '
To make myself clearly understood by thee , I will divide them into two classes , the " worthy" and " unworthy . " The " unworthy " ( and their name is le _ rion ) as a class never ought to have been admitted " into any lodge , they prowl about tho country scarcely
soliciting assistance from Freemasons , but rather demanding it . Their importunity and impertinence are almost unbearable , and far too often , to spare further annoyance , the pittance of one or two shillings is doled out to them . Should they find a newlyinitiated memberthey make such a claim liis
, upon charity that refusal ( in his inexperience ) is impossible . They visit towns periodicall y , ancl should " the almoner be changed between their visits , they invariably state it is their first visit to the town ; but should ( he same almoner be in office , he is either avoided or some story cooked up to awaken his
sympathy . Should he refuse relief , he is subjected to abuse , and they pass ou to victimise some other member . The " worthy" is of a very different class , and theirs , " like angels' visits , are ' few ancl far between . "
Tramps.
They only apply when overtaken by unforseen misfortune and are reduced to the lowest ebb of poverty ancl distress ; and far too often the appeal of the really deserving is treated with such callousness ( begotten by being repeatedly victimised by the " unworthy " ) that makes them suffer the greatest privations rather than subject their veracity to be again doubted .
It would only bo repeating the experience of every Freemason who has acted as almoner to enlarge on this subject . I prefer rather to give thee my ideas as to how it may be remedied , and to show how the" unworthy " may be prevented from imposing on thy society , and how the " worthy " may meet with that prompt charity which may fairly be designated
the characteristic of every Freemason ' s heart . The whole of England is divided into provinces . First , let there be a principal almoner appointed to each province . This can easily be doue at the provincial lodge meetings . To further illustrate my meaning , I will take a province and will assimilate
my language to the titles used by thy society . As the Deputy Grand Master of England is the Provincial Grand Master of West Yorkshire , perhaps that province ms . y be considered as well organised as any other province . Let the lodge or lodges ( if morethan one ) in each town in the province appoint an
Almoner ( giving into his hands sufficient money to meet the claims of the first month ) , to whom all applications for relief shall be referred , Let him ,, and him alone , administer relief ; and at the end of each month lay his accounts before the lodge or lodges , as the case may be , and where there is more than one lodge in a town let the amount of relief
sodisoursea be refunded by the united lodges . AVhen a worthy member applies for relief , let him be promptly and liberally relieved . When an '' unworthy ' . ' applies for relief , let him be positively denied . Tiie Almoner having forms printed which would only require the name , date , number , and
nameof lodge , and number of certificate filling in , let him at once post to each Almoner in the province "that an unworthy had called upon him , " thus putting all of them on their guard . The principal Almoner ,, upon receipt thereof , to post to the principal Almoners of the adjoining provincesthe principal
, Almoners in such provinces in like manner to post toeach lodge Almoner in their respective provinces . I am quite aware that this plan would cause a great deal of trouble ; but after the first year there would be little or nothing for the Almoners to do , as the " unworthies '' would find their occupation gone .
Further , in all cases ivhere relief is given , let the date , amount , ancl by what lodge given be endorsed on the certificate . If the brothers of the lodge to which the reci pient belongs refunded the amount , then let such repayment , when made , appear on the certificate ; also , if no relief were given without
production of the certificate , and then the certificate endorsed . Tiiis mode alone would drive several unworthies oil the road , as they would be afraid to expose a certificate with so very many endorsements thereon , as it would show they had no other occupation than passing from place to place , getting relief from the Freemasons . And I would further recommend that the Almonershave forms to fill up and post to the lodge of which