VOL. III.
OXFORD, N. C., WEDNESDAY, OCTOBER 24, 1877.
NO. 43.
Many wise and good nien object to
tlio present jdan of supporting the Or-
plutn AsyUiin, and tldnk a better can
be devised. The Masons of Jlississi])-
pi are now studying tlio same diflicnlt
problem in tlieir own jurisdiction. An
intelligent committee has gatlierod
facts and statistics and embodied them
in a very elaborate report. “\Ve pur-
Ijose to discuss some of the topics
mentioned in this report, and to dis
sent from the conclusions which our
illustrious brethren have reached. This
discussion will have direct reference to
our own Oiphau "Work. Let our own
peoide (whether Masons or not) con
sider carefully what course is wisest
and best, and let us work harmonious
ly on any plan that may accomplish
the end proposed. We publish the
entire report that it may be deliber
ately pondered, and that we may all
study thoroughly the lessons which it
teaches;
At the last Annual Grand Com
munication of the Most Worship
ful Grand Lodge of Masons in tlie
State of Mississippi, the following
w'as adopted:
Eesolved, That a special com
mittee of five be appointed to di
gest and mature a plan for the
organization and maintenance of
a Masonic Widows’ and Orphans’
Home and Industrial School in
this Grand Jurisdiction; said
committee to report to the Grand
Master, who shall cause said re
port to be printed, and send .tlie
same to the Subordinate Lodges
during tbe recess of the Grand
Lodge, that they may instruct
their Representatives at the next
Annual ‘Grand Communication
liow to vote thereon
The undersigned Committee,
appointed pursuant to said leso-
lution, being desirous of obtam-
inn- all the information possible
upon the subject, before nreparing
their report, in order that the
Grand Lodge may profit by the
experience of other Masonic bod
ies who now have charitable in
stitutions in practical operation
or who having tried the experi
ment, have from any cause failed
respectfully solicit from you^ an
answer to the following inquiries :
1. What Masonic charity is at
present maintained in the juris
diction in wliich you reside ?
2. What are its objects 1
a. What are the details of its
organization and government ?
4. How are the means of sup
port obtained 1
5. What, if any, modification
of the plan upon which it is con
ducted, either as to its object, or
ganization, government, means of
support or in any other respect
you can suggest, which will ena
ble us to devise a better system ?
6. If there are any other Ma
sonic charitable institutions with
which you are familiar, please
inform us specifically regarding
them, or if you cannot do this,
please do us the kindness to place
this letter in the hands of some
brother who can do so.
7. If any Masonic charitable
institution with whose workings
you are familiar, has failed, please
state what in your opinion caused
such failure ?
The Committee will thankfully
receive any suggestions hearing
upon the important matter which
you may be pleased to make, or
cause to be made to them, and
also any documents relating to
the subject which it may he con
venient for you to send to them.
Please address your replj’ to
the Chairman of the Committee
at Vicksburg, Miss,
Very truly and fraternally yours,
Fkhdeeic Speed, Ch.
Thomas Reed,
William S. Patton,
II. W. Walter,
A. P. Barry,
Committee.
Replies were received from
Canada, Colorado, California,
Connecticut, Florida, Illinois,
Idaho, Iowa, Ireland, Kentucky,
Louisiana, Missouri, Michigan,
Montana, North Carolina, Ne
braska, New Jersey, Oregon,
Rhode Island, Scotland, Utah,
West Vii-ginia and Wisconsin,
from which it appears tliat in the
following Grand Jurisdictions no
Masonic charitable institutions of
the character contemplated by
your resolution have been organ
ized, viz: Canada, Colorado, Con
necticut, Florida, Idaho, Iowa,
Louisiana, Michigan, Montana,
Nebraska, New Jersey, Oregon,
Rhode Island, Scotland, Utah,
West Virginia and Wisconsin.
Canada—This Grand Lodge in
structed Bro. Otto Klotz, Chair
man of the Committee on Benev
olence, to reply to our circular,
and to him we are indebted for a
full response to our interrogate
ries. In 1863, the Grand Lodge
set apart S6,000 from its general
fund to constitute a “Benevolent
Fund,” of wliich only the interest
is available. In 1864, this fund
was supplemented by the appro
priatiou of ten per cent, of the'
entire receipts of the Grand
Lodge, hut the income of the fund
being inadequate to meet the de^
mands upon it, the deficiency is
met by annual appropriations;
that for 1876 amounts to $4,000,
and it is proposed to increase the
permanent fund, at an early day,
to $20,000, the funds in the treas
ury admitting of sucli an appro
priation. This fund is mainly
disbursed by the Boaid of Gen
eral Purposes to needy brethren
and widows and orphans of de
ceased brethren, and is in addi
tion to the sums donated by
“private” Lodges or individual
brethren. Applications are re
quired to be sent through the
Grand Secretary, and by him
laid before the Board ; this body
refers them to a sub-comiuittee
which examines into the merits of
each case and apportions the
amount to he donated to each
applicant. If the Grand _ Lodge
is in session, this report is sub
mitted for its action, but if the
meeting of the Board of General
Purposes, which occurs more fre
quently than those of the Grand
Lodge' is not held .at the same
time, its action is final, although
this Board makes full reports of
all its proceedings to the Grand
Lodge at its stated Communica
tions. The Board keeps syste
matic records of all donations and
of the recipients of its bounty.
This plan is found to work well
in practice, and it is thought that
no better system can be devised.
Local boards of relief have been
organized, in which Lodges,
Chapters and Perceptories join.
These organizations are, as occa
sion demands, aided by the Grand
Lodge. There is no Masonic
1 charitable institution, of a public
character, in Canada, hut, some
years since, a fund was collected
for the purpose of building an
asylum for aged and decayed
Masons,tlieir widows and orphans.
Owing to a want of faith in the
I'c-sult of such an experiment, at
the last meeting of the Grand
Lodge, the trustees of the fund
surrendered it to the Grand Lodge,
but its disposition was not deter
mined upon. It is stated that
such an institution is not required
in a sparsely settled country like
Canada, where the number of
those who would avail themselves
of its benefits is too small to jus
tify the expense, and it is thought
best to support those in need of
assistance at their own homes,
wliere they would be near their
friends and relations. It, also, is
stated that careful enquiry has
elicited the fact that of several
hundred whose names appear
upon the “ benevolent account ”
but six were found who were
without relatives, and to whom
ail asylum would be preferable to
the present system. Masonic
schools are rendered unnecessary
by the admirable public school
organization which is in operation
in the Province of Ontario, which
embraces the jurisdiction of the
Grand Lodge oi Canada.
Connecticut—Is about establish
ing a Home for Aged and Infirm
Masons, their Widows and Or
phans. A fund of one hundred
thousand dollars is to be raised
before anv^ attempt to organize is
made. This fund is to be raised
h)' contribution, but the Grand
Secretary, who is our informant,
failed to sav whether tbe contri
bution is to he voluntary or en
forced.
England—We deeply regret
that no notice was taken of our
request for information concern
ing tlie great Masonic charities of
England, by the Grand Lodge,
or any of its officials, because
these charities are not only the
most extensive, but the most suc
cessful of which we have -any
knowledge. The following ac
count was published in the Lon
don Masonic 3Iagazine during the
year 1873 ;
“ The first estahlished toas the
Royal Masonic Institution for
Girls. It was founded March
25th, 1788, for the purpose of
clothing, maintaining and educat
ing the daughters of brethren de
ceased, or whose means prevented
them affording their children a
suitable educ.ation. The receipts
for the first year were 664 guineas;
the amount realized at the Annual
Festival in 1873 was £7,500, be
ing £2,000 over any preceding.
'Fhe total numbw of gills in the
Institution at the present tinae is
one hundred and thirty ; received
from the commencement, 1,008.
Its property consists of
L.inds and institute Imildiugs.paid fer,£30.032
3 per cent, consols, - - - 29.950
Total, - - - - £60-012
“ The average cost of maintain
ing the girls for the past year was
£37. 16s, including all expenses
(equal to $198, or about $3.64
per week.)
“ The second estahlished was tbe
Royal Ma-sooic Institution for
Boys. It was founded July 3d,
1798, under tbe name of the In-
istitution for Clothing and Edu-
I eating the Sous of Deceased and
Indigent Freemasons. In 1868
its name was changed to its pres
ent designation. For more than
fifty years after the organization
of this charity, its beneficiaries
were clothed, and, at the option
of their parents, sent to schools
situated near their residences. In
1866 a house and ten acres of
land were purchased, and in 1857
twenty-five boys were admitted
to receive the benefit of a com
plete education and the comforts
of a home, the remaining boys
being placed in other schools as
heretofore. The accommodations
have been gradually increased
until about two hundred can now
be received. The property had
cost on the 31st of December,
1870, £47,116, only £4,000 of
whicli remained unpaid. 'Fhe re
ceipts of 1872, from donations,
subscriptions, purchased admis
sions, presentations, etc., were
about £10,000, and the expendi
tures some £360 less. The yearly
cost pel head was £62, 16s, (or
$314, equal to $6.00 per week.)
The Boys’ School stands alone in
the charities in not having any
fund. It is supported entirely by
the j^early contributions of the
brethren.
“ The third estahlished was the
Royal Masonic Benevolent Insti
tution for Aged Freemasons and
Widows of Freemasons. It was
founded at a Grand Lodge held
on the 2d of March, 1842, and
was established for granting an
nuities to Masons only. In 1849
the Widows’ Fund was founded.
The annuities have been gradual
ly increased until at present they
stand £36 for Masons, and £28
for widows. At the first festival
held in 1847, the amount realized
was £819, 16s., while in 1873 the
large sum of £6,866, 16s., was
received, being £3,000 more than
was collected at any preceding
festival. In 1842 there were fif
teen male annuitants; there are
now one hundred and fifteen. In
1849 there were only five female
annuitants ; there are now eighty-
two, and eleven widows receiving
half of the late husband’s annuity.
Connected with this charity is an
asylum containing apartments for
thirty-three annuitants, who en
joy the privileges of the house, in
addition to the annuity, and are
also provided with fuel during the
winter months.
“ The Male fund has now £23,-
700 invested in Government
stocks. The Female Fund has
£14,200 invested in like securi
ties. The Asylum above referred
to is valued at £5,000. The
Boys’ School and stocks amount
to £47,000; while the property
of the Girls’ School represents
£60,000, making a total of real
estate and stocks belonging to
these three charities amounting
to the magnificent sum of £150,-
000, (in round numbers $729,-
000.) This endowment has been
raised entirely by the munificence
of the Brotherhood, in excess of
the yearly maintenance and ex
penses of these three charities.”
The estimated requirements for
the year 1874 were:
For the Girls' School, - - - £7,D00
For the Boys’ School,. - - - {>,,‘100
For the- Ag,e(i Males, _ _ - 4,824
For the Aged Females, « _ - B,08O
Loans to-repaid, - - - 4,000
Mahrog a total of - - - £29,104
Or about $141,600; and no
doubt was entertained tliat even
more than this amount would be
cheerfully contributed. It i i
furthermore stated that the Grand ,
Lodge, from its Benevolent Fund,
gave away, in 1874, nearly £3,-.
000, or about $14,580.
The Grand Lodge, at
its last Communication, adopted,
subject to the approval of its
subordinates, a resolution, of
which the following is a full syn
opsis ; It regards the establish
ment and maintenance of a Home
for worthy indigent Master Ma
sons, and for the widows and or
phans of Masons, as a high privi
lege and sacred duly; and pledges
the hearty sympathy and the
substantial aid of the Grand
Lodge and its constituent Lodges,
to found and support an enter
prise so commendable, so fully in
accord with the spirit of Freema
sonry, and" so essentially a tangi
ble exemplification of Charity,
the chief corner-stone of our In
stitution. Said Home to be under
the management of a Board of
Trustees, consisting of eleven
Master Masons, members of con
stituent Lodges—five of whom
shall be ex-officio, viz: the Grand
Master, Deputy Grand Master,
the Wardens and Grand Treasur
er, the remaining six members of
said Board to be elected by the
Grand Lodge. The Trustees are
to divide themselves, by lot, late
three classes of two each; one
class to hold office one year, an
other two years, and the other
three years i and subsequent to
the first election two members
are to be elected annually, to
hold office three years'; but neith
er of the ex-officio members of
said Board of Trustees shall he
eligible to any office in said Board.
The Grand Lodge appropriates
the sum of $5,000, and levies
additional dues on the Lodges of
$3.O0 for each initiation, and
twenty-five cents per annum for
each member, as a building fund,
and for the maintenance of said
Home—s-aid moneys to be re
mitted to the Grand Secretary
with tbe annual returns of each
Lodge, and to he paid over by
the Grand Secretary to the
Treasurer of said Board, and any
neglect or failure on the part of
a Lodge to pay over the moneys
required, will subject a delin
quent Lodge to the same penalty
as for a failure to pay annual
dues. The Trustees are to pre
scribe their own by-laws and
rules, subject to the approval of
tlie Grand Lodge, and are to
make full reports of all their do
ings at each Annual Communica
tion. No site is to be selected,
plans adopted, nor money ex
pended, except by concurrent
vote of a majority of all the Trus
tees, who are authorized to solicit
and receive donations and con
tributions for the Home, and all
contributions or donations of
$500 or over from any person,
shall entitle the donor to an
Honorary Membership in the
Board, with the privilege of jrar-
ticipating in debate upon any
question, but without a vote.
Vacancies are to be filled by ap
pointment of the Grand Master,
the appointee to serve until the
next meeting of the Grand Lodge,
when the vacancy shall be filled
(continued on fourth page.)