The daily morning journal and courier., 1895-01-12
MASONIC MUTUAL BENEFIT.
THE ANNUAL MEETING OF THE
 ASSOCIATION.

In Q Very NIfhIlIylHB
 Both the Funds and Membership ln-
 creased Despite the Year of Business De-
 pression-The Election of Directors ana
 Officers.
 The twenty-frst annual meeting of the Masonic Mutual Benefit association was held last evening in the Masonic rooms, in Clark building, on Church street, the president of the association, MT. c. E. Prince, presiding, President Prince in a few. remarks congratulated the members on the prosperity of the association and submitted his address for the year. President Prince noted the fact that though he had been president for six years he had been absent but one regular meeting. The directors were complimented for their faithful ness: 'Twenty-one years have passed into history since our organization, and during all these years our aim has been to see that every just claim is promptly and cheerfully paid, and we now look with pride and pleasure at the record of over $1, ,00O, 900 having been dispensed by us, with the least possible burden to our members.
 'It is also a source of congratulation to find that our membership has not decreased in these trying times, and that our finances are in as good condi- 4. Ai...-. a..,a4,o A ,yoo, ooso
 Your official board has wisely, in my opinion, continued the services of the special agent and the result of his work during the past year, when busi- ness has been at d low ebb and many of our brothers distressed financially, shows the result of faithful service, and we are assured of the still further out come of his efforts in the past, as the work of a good commercial traveler with saleable wares must meet with success"
 With the making of various sugges- tions the presidents report closed, the main facts and figures as to the socie- tvs condition and progress being em- bodied in the reports of the other ofti- cers
 The report of the secretary MT. F. H, Waldron, extends greetings and well come for this, the twenty-hrst annual, and records the continued prosperity of the association despite the long busi- ness depression: in fact, although a year ago the report was very fiatterihg, the one this year Is still better. There are more membersson the roll; the lla- bilities are less and the contingent fund is unimpaired. Proceeding, MT. Waldorn says;
 During the year 1S93. we reduced our contingent fund something over $21, 900 during the year 1894. while we have paid $10,560 from this fund, the accu- mutations have been about equal there- to, leaving about the same amount in the fund as at the beginning of the year
 We commenced the year 1894 with seventeen unassessed deaths on the books; we comnenca the year 1895 with but eight.
 With the close of this years business there has been paid from the funds of this association the magnificent sum of $1, IFS, ,S09 to the families of our de- ceased members, There have been 1885 deaths, 172 of which, amounting to $344,000 have been paid from the surplus and contingent funds.
 Some insurance companies show an amount paid their members In ndividends or dividends standing to their credit. We may justly claim that every death benefit paid from our surplus and con- tingent fund is so much paid in divi- dends; therefore our association has paid dividends to our members amount ing in the aggregate to $3440OO. Every card issued on which there are two as- sessments, and the payment of three, four or five death clatnsds so much paid in dividends Instead of assessing the full amount and then afterwards re- turning 1t to our members in the way of dividends the amount remains in their own possession.
 After giving various items of general information relative to the assignment of benefits by members, relief afforded III tiii liloldilGCp lHc year, un- der the law allowing advance benefits, suggestions as to what should be done to relieve cases of distress, and as to the method Qf procedure in changing the destination of benefits, the report says:
 This Masonic home is intended for the support of aged, indigent, sick and infirm Free Masons, and the widows of Free Masons, and to provide for, main- tain and educate the orphans of decaas- ed Free Masons, etc.
 It has occurred to me that a member | of our association having lost wife 1 and children and having no one de- pendent upon him for support and de- siring to make a change in his benefi- ,ciary by giving the amount due at his death, or a portion of it, to this home would be erecting to his memory a monument which would endure for all | time.
 | The business of the association through the mails makes quite an item annually. During the past year I have l forwarded through the postof1ice 5S, ,S9S l pieces of mail matter. During the same period I have received 13,240 pieces