CHAPTER XXVI

THE ROYAL MASONIC INSTITUTIONS
i. THE RoyvAt Masonic BENEVOLENT IN- STITUTION FOR AGED FREEMASONS AND WIDOWS‘\0OF FREEMASONS.
Tuts Institution was founded as the result of efforts initiated by Dr. Crucefix about 1834- 35 to found a home for aged Freemasons. An annuity fund was formed in 1842 (during the Grand Mastership of the Duke of Sussex), and Grand Lodge voted the sum of £400 a year towards the granting of Annuities to Aged and Distressed Freemasons. As the Institution steadily progressed, it enlarged its sphere of usefulness by establishing, in 1849, a Fund for the Widows of Freemasons. To this, Grand Lodge voted an annual grant of £100, and Grand Chapter £35 per annum.
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in the same year an amalgamation of this Institution was effected with the Asylum for Aged Freemasons at Croydon—where there was a home for thirty-two residents.
The majority of the Annuitants to-day live in their own homes, but thirty-two are still accommodated at Croydon, where they live rent free and are allowed coal and light in addition to their annuities. Medical attendance and nursing are also provided free.
In 1867, the earlier system of classifying the Annuitants according to age was abol- ished. The maximum payment toa married Brother is now £68 per annum, to an un- married Brother £64 per annum, and to the widow of a Freemason £56 per annum.
Apart from the Annuitants who are now living, about 250 widows and over 100 Brethren have received over £1,000 each from the funds. Six Widows have been paid over £1,500 each.
There are now about 2,200 Annuitants on the Funds of the Institution, who are paid
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in the aggregate no less a sum than £101,000 per annum. To this must be added the cost » of the Home at Croydon, and Administra- tion, the total of which amounts to about £9,000.
The annual expenditure of this Institution is, therefore, about £110,000,
The Royal Masonic Institutions
2. THE RoyaAt Masonic INSTITUTION FOR GIRLS.
This Institution was founded in 1788 by the Chevalier Ruspini, P.G.Sd.B., a ‘ Modern.’
Since the foundation some thousands of Girls have been trained or assisted in their education.
Eighty-one Girls were admitted to the benefits of the Institution without ballot -during the year 1944.
Four hundred special Naval, Military and Air Force Nominations have been reserved for the benefit of the Daughters of Brethren killed or incapacitated during the War.
The Senior School (400 Girls) is situated at Rickmansworth, Hertfordshire. The funtor School (120 Girls) is situated at Weybridge ‘Surrey.
Girls are admitted to the Junior School at the age of seven, and proceed to the Senior ‘School at about the age often. They remain normally until the age of sixteen, but many are retained until seventeen and even later should circumstances justify that course.
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At present about goo girls are receiving the benefits, 500 of whom are in the schools, the remaining 400 being in receipt of Out- Education Grants varying according to age and circumstances from £45tof{60per annum.
The school has been very successful in the results attained in the Cambridge Local Examinations. During the year 1944 fifty- three candidates were entered for the School Certificate, and fifty-one passed, thirteen obtaining exemption from matriculation.
During the same year seventy-nine girls received grants for further education after their school career was over.
At the present moment, 115 girls are studying at University or other Training Colleges by the aid of such grants.
The income from investments last year was just under £25,000.
The annual expenses of the Institution
approximate to £108,000 per annum, and are likely to increase in future.
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3. THE Royat Masonic INSTITUTION FOR Boys.
(Incorporated by Royal Charter.)
The Royal Masonic Institution for Boys was founded in 1798, mainly by Brother Burwood, an ‘ Athol’ or ‘ Ancient’ Mason, since which time 8,524 sons of Freemasons have been elected to receive benefits of education, clothing and maintenance.
The present Senior school at Bushey, Herts, accommodates 400 boys, and the estate upon which it is built comprises up- wards of eighty-eight acres. The Foundation Stone was laid with Masonic Ceremonial in ‘May, 1900, by H.R.H. the Duke of Con- naught, acting on behalf of the M.W.G.M., and the boys went into residence in January,
1903.
A Junior School, the Foundation Stone of which was laid by H.R.H. the Most Worship- ful Grand Master on June 8th, 1926, occupies a site of fifty-two acres at the junction of the main London road with Falconer Road, Bushey, adjoining the Senior School Estate, and is designed to accommodate 400 boys.
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Eight hundred and fifty boys are now actually receiving benefits, of whom 590 (over eight years of age) are in the Bushey Schools ; 136 (over age, when elected, for admission to Bushey) are receiving grants of £35 per annum until sixteen years of age ; 4I are receiving grants of £30 per annum until, without re-election, they may be admitted to Bushey as vacancies arise; 83 ex-pupils are being assisted with grants—34 in their careers at Universities, Hospitals and other places of higher education, and 49 for their advancement in life by help to- wards payment of apprenticeship premiums, Evening Institute fees, etc.
Boys are admitted by election to the Institution’s benefits at five, and are edu- cated at schools near the residences of their parents or guardians until eight ‘years of age, when, according to seniority of age, they are drafted into the Bushey Schools. They there remain until sixteen years, but boys of special ability may be retained for higher education up to eighteen years. Over 2,117 boys have received this benefit since 1893, and 72 are at the present time retained.
The efficiency of the education given at Bushey is demonstrated by the fact that in
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1902 the Senior school was placed under the Board of Education as a Division ‘A’ Secondary School, and has since been placed on the Board’s ‘ List of Secondary Schools recognised as efficient.’ In various public examinations the results have been highly satisfactory, and the school takes a high position in the country for sound work and excellence in training its pupils.
At its inception the Junior School was recognised by the Board of Education as an efficient Preparatory School.
The Board of Management has power to assist with grants pupils after their discharge from Bushey or out-education, and a Scholarship Fund is also in existence, enab- ling boys to proceed to Universities, Inns of Court, and other places of higher technical or professional training. With this assistance, many boys have been able to take their degrees and so qualify for many important positions in life—viz., solicitors, doctors, chemists, teachers, etc.—and many occupy high places in the commercial world.
* In the Great War, 1914-1919, 750 old boys served their King and country; 106 laid down their lives, and many others were
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wounded. Many distinctions were gained including a C.M.G., O.B.E., D.S.O., forty- nine military crosses and medals, etc.
In the World War, 1939-1945, about 1,260 Old Boys are serving in the Services and Merchant Navy. Of this number 449 hold Commissioned Rank. One hundred and nineteen have laid down their lives or are “missing.” Many distinctions have been gained, including 2 O.B.E. (Civil Division), 3 M.B.E., 4 D.S.0., 9 M.C. (2 with Bar), 10 D.P.C; (7 with Bar), 1°D:C:M.,:2 DiS. My t M.M., 4 D.F.M., 1 A.F.M. and 3-B.E.M. (x Civil Division), etc. ;
There are two elections in each year, and 11x boys were admitted to benefits in the year 1944. ‘Since 1910, 4,668 candidates have been admitted without a ballot, receiv- ing benefits four months in advance of the usual date, thus relieving their friends from much anxiety and expense. In addition, 515 duly qualified boys, whose fathers were killed or became incapacitated on or through active service in time of war, have been similarly admitted without a ballot to the benefits of the Institution.
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At the present time, the absolutely reliable income is about £19,000, while the annual expenditure is over £107,000 ; thus a sum of over {£88,000 is annually required to be raised by voluntary contributions.
With the approval of the Quarterly Court of October 9, 1925, the purchase of the Bushey Grange Estate of 185 acres was completed, thus ensuring the protection of the property of the Institution on all sides from building encroachments, while in 1936 the adjoining Coldharbour Estate consisting of 107 acres, was also completed.
A Royal Charter of Incorporation was granted to the Institution by His Most Gracious Majesty the King, Grand Patron, by Letters Patent dated June 15, 1926.
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