Morning journal and courier., 1886-01-09
MASONIC MUTUAL BENEFITS.

Annual Meeting of the New Haven 'Association-TheS Seeretary's' Report
 -InterestIng Facts.
 The twelfth annual meeting of the Masonic Mutual Benefit association of this city was held in the blue room of the Masonic Temple last evening" The meeting was called to or der by the president, Eli s. Quintard, at 7:45 o'clock. The president in few remarks congratulated the members upon the pros perity of the association and the good work, and then called for Secretary Fred H. Wal dron's report From this report the follow ing facts of interest are obtained: This association has paid with the close of this year $466 707 nearly half million dollars to the widows and families of our deceased brothers; this amount has been distributed among I'll per sons.
 and one half dollars for each S1 OO0 insurance Dur ing the past six years a light year has followed nual reports We trust the same result will follow during the coming year.
 In 1881 the cost was sis as against Ss for 1882 In 1888 the cost was $l2 against S11 for 1884 s1 900 benefits yet the cost since the organization has averaged but S9 78 per $l 900 per annum The members of this association who have paid every assessment since the organization have paid S201 75 and that covers twelve years, makes an of er insurance benefit, or less that one per cent This
 
 ton.
 For the first time since the establishment of our payment of death claims, thereby demonstrating to the members that this fund is to be used for claims in the event of e large excess of deaths from accident, epidemic or other cause year S, foo % was drawn from this fund, which with $1o 900 % taken from the surplus fund, makes Sls,ooo. % paid from these two funds during the At the commencement of the year the average The age of sixty-eight members admitted during this year is s6s years or aD average Of s4 years
 The age of the ffty-one members dropped from The age of the forty members deceased was Total age of members at close of .o,- Total age of 6s new members .. 2,36s Add year for average member ,oo, .
 snip. -..-.-.-..--...---.. <,oSo
 Total. ...........:..... 11s,a5l years Less age 40 deceased members 22S3
 4246
 Total. 115,oO5 .'
 Average age of association at present time, Az years, months, 13 days.
 organization is SC, ,520.95.
 Amount paid by members who have withdrawn or been suspended, $l9,216.9O.
 The report of membership is as follows: Number per last report 2,691, new mem bers during the year 6S total 2,759. From this number are to be deducted for loss by non-payment of assessment 51 and by deaths 40, making the present membership ;, ,66S. Of this number 2, ,3S2 are residents of Con rscticut and 7S0 are residents of New Haven. The number of lodges represented is 271. The membership outside of Connecticut is divid ed as follows Massachusetts 129, New York 79. Maine 6, New Hampshire 6, New Jersey II, Rhode Island 5, Vermont 10, Virginia 5, Pennsylvania 10, Florida 4, Washington, D. O. 4, Missouri 1, Iowa 3, Indiana 3, Ohio l, Tex as 4, Alabama 1, California 1, Colorado 1, Canada 3, West Indies 1, Non-Afiliates 1.
 The report of the treasurer, John P. Tut tie, was as follows:
 Cash balance in my hands per last Received from secretary during the year s4,soooo
 445s.s4 Paid orders of the board of directors. S2 660 9 Leaving balance hand. $11, ,s18.62
 I have also the property belonging to the association:
 New Haven S Derby bond, per cent. S9, ,00000 New Haven town bond. per cent 100000 Essex Town bonds, 41a per cent. O00 N. Y, N H. & Hartford, per cent. 12,ooooo Cash as above. -1l,SlS6@
 Total $so,s1s6a
 After the report was read there was an in- formal discussion on the plan of graded assessments" now being adopted by many benefit associatoins throughout the country. By this plan the assessments are graded ac cording to age, the young members in case of death much less than those more ad- vanced in years. It is thought by many that unless this plan is adopted the associations must eventually "die out" from the fact that young men will decline to join associations where there are so many old men and the chances of frequent deaths being largely in creased thereby. From the discussion last evening there appeared to be considerable difference of opinion in regard to such a change, but the majority were in favor of continuing the present plan for at least a year longer before making any such radical changes as some of the members seemed to favor.