THE BUILDER NOVEMBER 1927

Masonic Charity in England

By BRO. GILBERT W. DAYNES, ENGLAND

THE subject of charity is one that should always be of perennial
interest to every Freemason under whatever Constitution he may own
allegiance. From the MS. Constitutions, or Old Charges, of the
Operative Masons of mediaeval England we have ample evidence that
the custom of granting relief to brethren, who were in want, had
been in vogue for centuries before the dawn of the Grand Lodge era.
Dr. Robert Plot, writing in the 17th century, alludes to this
custom, as one of the predominant characteristics of the Craft at
that time.

Coming to the period of Grand Lodge, in Anderson's Constitutions of
1723, we find it laid down in the Charges of a Free-Mason, under
the heading Behaviour towards a strange Brother:

But if you discover him to be a true and genuine Brother, you are
to respect him accordingly; and if he is in want, you must relieve
him if you can, or else direct him how he may be relieved.

In the earliest lodge, and other, records in England, we find
frequent testimony that the Freemasons contributed towards the
"relief of indigent and decay'd Brethren." This relief, or charity,
extending in scope as the organizations grew, has become
systematized. in several different ways, in the United Grand Lodge
of England, and in its subordinate lodges.

In 1724, a proposal was made in the premier Grand Lodge:

That in Order to promote the Charitable Disposition of the Society
of ffree Masons and render it more Extensive and beneficiall to the
whole Body a Monthly Colleccon be made in Each Lodge according to
the Quality and Number of the said Lodge and put into a Joynt
Stock.

Some years elapsed before anything materialized, but in 1729 lodges
commenced making donations to Grand Lodge towards this Fund of
Charity; and thus was begun, in as small and modest a manner as
possible, a scheme to relieve distressed Freemasons. The Grand
Lodge of the Antients, shortly after their formation in 1751, also
inaugurated a Charity Fund, to which each member of every lodge had
to contribute quarterly. Upon the Masonic Union of 1813 the general
Funds of both Grand Lodges became united, a Board of Benevolence
being constituted to dispense the Fund of Charity.

THE BENEVOLENT FUND

The Fund of Benevolence has been growing steadily throughout the
19th and 20th centuries, and is augmented yearly by a contribution
of four shillings ($1.00) from each subscribing member of every
London lodge, and two shillings ($0.50) from each subscribing
member of every Provincial and Military Lodge (1). District lodges
are exempt from this payment. Each lodge makes this payment out of
its general funds, and the brother's annual subscription to the
lodge covers this outgoing. For the year 1926 the income of the
Fund of Benevolence was 50,526 pounds ($252,631.02) and out of it,
in addition to casual relief, grants were made amounting to 33,984
pounds ($169,922.50). At the beginning of 1927 the Fund stood at
the sum of 257,469 pounds ($1,287,347.08).

THE CHARITIES

In the next place there are the three great Masonic Charities. They
comprise the Royal Masonic Institution for Girls, founded through
the influence of Chevalier Bartholomew Ruspini in 1788; the Royal
Masonic Institution for Boys, founded by the exertions of members
of the United Mariners Lodge in 1798; and the Royal Masonic
Benevolent Institution, which had its inception in 1835, although
the Home at Croydon was not erected until 1850. The annual income
of these three Charitable Institutions is derived principally from
the result of their respective yearly Festivals. Once every year
each Institution holds a Festival, and it is usually presided over
by some distinguished brother, generally a Provincial Grand Master.
This leads to a considerable amount of healthy competition, the
brethren and lodges in the chairman's Province endeavoring by their
donations to exceed the results achieved in previous years. This
vigorous and stimulating rivalry has resulted in the augmentation
of the Funds of the three Institutions to quite an appreciable
extent. For each of these Festivals brethren from all over the
country volunteer as Representative Stewards, and collect as large
an amount as possible, both from lodges and from individual
brethren, many of whom become Stewards on the lists of the
Representative Stewards. As every Steward, whether a Representative
Steward or not, has to contribute a sum of not less than ten
guineas ($52.50) some lists assume substantial proportions, and
there are generally several over 1000 pounds ($5000.00) at each
Festival. It is customary, in the majority of lodges, to send up a
Representative Steward yearly, each Institution being supported in
turn. In such cases the Master, or some well-known brother, with
especially persuasive powers, acts in that capacity. To help
brethren who do not feel able to contribute, in one payment, the
substantial sums required to enable them to acquire permanent
voting power in the Institutions, Benevolent Associations are
formed all over England, which make a regular collection from their
members; and from time to time, when funds permit, ballot for the
privilege of becoming a Life Governor, or Life Subscriber. In 1927
there were 19,669 Stewards for the three Festivals, and the total
sum realized was 223,743 pounds ($1,118,719.25). This was exclusive
of the Festival of the Mark Benevolent Fund, which resulted in a
collection of 9,048 pounds ($45,244.10).

THE MASONIC HOSPITAL

Another Institution, which has the generous support of the
Fraternity, is the Freemasons' Hospital and Nursing Home. This had
its beginnings during the Great War, although mooted before then.
Since 1919 it has, through the liberality of lodges and brethren,
acquired an endowment fund of over 160,000 pounds ($800,000)
besides paying its way so far as its annual income and expenditure
is concerned. In connection with the Hospital there is also a
Samaritan Fund, to assist necessitous brethren to defray the small
hospital fees. This fund, for the year ending June 30, 1926,
received by donations from the Craft the sum of 3,876 pounds
($19,380.91). Many Lodges of Instruction, for instance, have
collection boxes for this Samaritan Fund, and at each meeting every
brother is invited to place at least one penny in the box. It is
surprising how these small, but regular, gifts mount up, besides
giving each brother a really personal interest in the work of this
Institution.

LOCAL CHARITIES

In addition to these Central Charities there are, of course, many
others. All the largest Provinces, as well as many of the smaller
ones, have their own local Institutions, most of them raised and
maintained upon a most generous basis. These funds do not come into
the Masonic limelight, but they nevertheless receive openhearted
and liberal support, given in the true Masonic spirit; without
thought of advertisement, or advancement in Masonry.

Then, one step further removed from the central organization, there
is the charity provided by individual lodges. We have already seen
how each lodge contributes towards the general Fund of Benevolence.
In addition, annually, if its funds permit, it contributes to one
or more of the great Masonic Charities already referred to, as well
as endeavoring to augment its own Charity Fund, created to relieve,
as far as possible, the distress of any of its members who may fall
upon evil days. The amount required each year to satisfy these
claims is obtained in many ways, and much depends upon the
individuality of each lodge. In some cases frugal meals and simple
refreshments enable substantial sums to be given to charity; in
other cases the net fees from all initiates and joining members are
placed in the Benevolent Fund; and in yet other cases collections
are made at each lodge meeting for the same fund. This last method
is almost universal, and brings nightly before the brethren the
claims of charity. In some lodges this regular collection is made
for some specific object, and not for the Charity Fund generally.
I remember once in a lodge I visited an appeal was made for a
Christmas present for the daughter of a deceased brother being
educated in the Girls' School and a capital response was the
result. In this way, too, local charitable objects, not Masonic,
are assisted, sometimes occasionally, but often annually. From the
Lodge Charity Fund any necessary casual charity can be dispensed,
and it is from this fund that any deserving brother of the lodge,
or his widow, or children, can be helped whilst awaiting the more
permanent assistance from the Fund of Benevolence, or one of the
Central Institutions, or it may be even in augmentation, if
necessary, of any such assistance.

In most lodges, to assist in the proper disposal of the charitable
funds, the Worshipful Master annually appoints an almoner. Besides
looking after the distribution of casual charity he deals with any
case of distress within the ranks of the lodge. This brother
reports to the lodge his activities, and makes such appeals for
help in money, or other assistance, as may be required.

Having briefly passed in review the various Charitable Institutions
and Benevolent Funds organized by the United Grand Lodge of
England, and its dependent lodges, which I think it will be
admitted are wide reaching and ample in their scope, let us not in
conclusion forget those individual brethren--the fount of these
benevolent schemes--whose regular donations and subscriptions
enable them to fulfill their objects. By brethren, when framing or
revising lodge by-laws, making their annual lodge subscription
sufficiently large to provide adequate funds for charity, by the
regular contribution of brethren to the charity collection made
each lodge night, and by the substantial contributions of brethren
to the Central and Provincial Charity Institutions, such brethren
have endeavored to carry out in practice those precepts, concerning
the relief of the distressed, which are so forcibly illustrated
within the lodge. These brethren have realized that what
Freemasonry is to anyone depends upon what that person puts into
it, whether in service or in money. 

NOTE

(1) Amounts given in dollars are only approximate, the English
pound is figured at $5.00, the shilling at 25 cents. The shillings
and pence have also been ignored. [Ed.]
