Morning journal and courier., 1884-01-12
NIasonic Mutual Benefits.

Ing In the Blue lodge room Tn Masonic Tenn pie, Most Worshipful Brother Eli s. Gu in thrd presiding.
 The reading of the minutes of the last an- nual meeting was dispensed with, and the president called for the reading of the score tary's report, which was in substance as fol- lows:
 REPORT OF THE SECRETARY. To the officers and members of the Masonic
 Mutual Benefit assoeiation, New Haven,
 Conn.
 4 decade has now passed since this associa- tion was organized. We, who ten years ago met for the purpose of organization, little thought that at this time our association would number on it's rolls the names of thou sands of Masons, or that we could during ten years have paid to the families of our de- ceased members one-third of million Of dol iars, and this too at cost to each member of about eighty-three cents per annum for the entire running expenses of the association, such as salaries, printing, postage, etc., etc., and at cost of $8.93 per annum for each $1, 900 of benefits er insurance such never theless is fact, as will be seen by the annual report of your officers.
 The actual amount paid in benefits with the close of this, our tenth year, has been $332, TOT. Of this amount $50, ,OoO has:been paid without direct assessment, and there is $21, ,1s8 96 in bonds and cash standing to the credit of the contingent fund. There has been received from interest alone since our organization the amount of $4, ,68O.95.
 This showing must certainly be gratifying to the members and can but inspire them with confdenoe in the official board who have given their services gratuitously and managed it's concerns with the utmost prudence.
 Members of the association who are enjoy. ing iis benefits should show to their brethren who are not members of this or some other kindred association it's benefits and adVan- tages and urge upon them the necessity Of making provision for their families in the event of their death. It IS 8 duty which we all owe our families, as we know not how soon we fnay receive the summons which may leave them dependent on others, unless by our acts we wisely provide for them while we can.
 Much has been written regarding the per maneicy of these associations. Many were the predictions, especially by those who were not friendly to them, that it was question of short time-from five to eight years at most when the d6ath rate would increase to such an extent that it would become too bur densome for men of moderate means. Our reports will show, from the organization of this association up to thespresent time, an unbroken, continuous prosperity, until, al this time, we are in better condition in point of membership and finances than ever before. Our death rate has averaged less than one l per cent which is lower than was predicted some years ago, We must not, however, Hatter ourselves that it will always continue so low, as it must of necessity increase to from one and one-quarter to one and one half per cent, and the amount of assessment must fuctuate. Some years our deaths will be more than ethers and when such is the case our assessments must be larger. The object of our reserve or contingent | fund is to draw upon when the assessment exceed certain percentage. For this reason ] this fund should be increased as fast as DOS sible while it can be dotie without burdenins | the members. All authorities on this subject agree that the permanency of these fraterna associations depends materially upon our re serve or contingent fund. Some of our asso citations have wisely provided for increasing the fund while they were young in years an6 ] it could be done without burdening theil members Our fund so far has been made | up of application fees and the interest ac cumulating on the investment of our funds
 The official board have had this matter | under serious consideration and looked at i 1 in all it's bearings, and they have felt warran ted in recommending for your adoption, ar amendment to the Bylaws, providing tha five per cent of the moneys received iron assessments for death claims be added to ths contingent fund. By so doing about $2, 5O( per annum will be added to this fund in ad dition to that already provided for Thi will have but little effect on the payment O. claims without assessments, for had this beer in operation during the last year we woule still have paid sic, ,O0O without direct assess ment.
 Another amendment which the oficia Board present for your consideration is ont providing that the members must be affiliated Master Masons, or in other words, if they re main non-afhliated over one year their mem bership terminates in the association. Thii allows 8 member ohe year after taking g demit to affiliate with another lodgs whicl is ample time, and will also allow those wht now are non-afiliates one year to becom, | members of some lodge.
 The board feel justified in recommending this amendment as cases have been broush to their noties where members have psi6 | their dues and become clear upon the book of their lodge in order to take membership in this association, and as soon as that wa! accomplished they would take their demi and enjoy the benefits of this association without contributing to the support of thei1 lodge. Our association is purely Masonic, { man must be Master Mason in good stand ing in bis lodge to become 8 member, ant the Board feel that it is just that he should remain so to enjoy the benefits of the asso citation.
 To relieve the distressed is a duty incum | bent upon all men, but more especially upoI Masons, and my experience with the mem bers has been that their assessments are mos cheeerfully paid, and it would be source oi great qualification to them if they could set l the amount of good that has already beer done in this way. There are very many cases where the $2 900 paid the families or the death of our members is all that is Jeff not for this money they would become i'm mediately dependent upon the lodge for funeral expenses and relief.
 l During the past year thirty death claimi have been paid, amounting to 1000 TWenty-four of this number were paid by assessment and six from the accumulation from the assessments, being at rate oi
  age of the memberships termenated by deatl and lapses. has been forty five and one-hal years. The average age. of members ad mitted is thirty-five years, three months.
 There have been since the organization o this association, 3,O1+ certificates of mem bership issued, III of which have. been ter minated by death and 176 were terminated by non-payment of assessments, suspension in their lodge, etc. fw The amount paid by those who have ter minated their membership by lapses ha been $1o, ,O03.25. s.-ss egz | STATISTICS E4-
 The statistics from the secretary's repor show that during the past year thirty hay died.
 The financial statement is as follows: | RECEIPTS.
 Received from new membership fees. s 1,5l0
 Assessments. .......... 63,O44 ( | 's Reinsiatements. ......... 1e8 0
 Interest. S29 2 Cash on hand, per last report contingent
 fund. 1,164 6 Cash on hand as per last report, assessment
 l.[66