N2: * R.eport of W.'.BENNO LOEWY read at tKe Annual Contmunication of National Lodg'e No. 209 F. (SL A. M. CKapter Roont, Masonic Hall New^ YorK, December 22, 1905 047567 H s 6-3 1 H 6'S' /V :i 71 ^?f G New Yotk, Decembet 22, 190S. TO THE MEMBERS OF NATIONAL LODGE, No. 209 F. & A. A. My Dear Btothefs: In confotmity with the custom, I present to you the following report of my administration. I desire to state, at the outset, that for many reasons I have decided to confine it to a plain statement of facts and to a few recommendations, which my interest in National LodQe, and its success in the future, impels me to make. In this closing hour of our masonic year, it be- comes our sad duty to remember those brothers, who have been called to the Celestial Grand Lodge above since our last annual Communication. These are : 3Bro. /TO. If. /IDen&elson— affiliated flDa^ 13, 1808. Die5 January 17, 1905. Bro. 5osepb "fcarves— IRaiscD /IDarcb 9, 1858. mnaffiliateO jfebruar? 21, 1873. IRestoreb /iDarcb 24, 1893. DieO Hpril 26, 1905. 3Bro. Jacob jfranftel—1Raise5"Mo\)embcr 23, 1894. H)ie& 5uls 30, 1905. JSro. E&warb Scbwars— 1Raise& IRov. 6, 1863. /IDaDe %itc /IDember TFlopember 13, 1903. 2)ic^ Hugust 9, 1905. Bro. Solomon James— IRalseb June 23, 1880. H)(e& flovember 4, 1905. /iDas tbci? rest in peace I NUMERICAL STRENGTH. Number of Master Masons, Dec. 23, 1904 479 Ffopositions feceived to Dec. 8, 190§ 2§ Elected 2S Initiated 21 Passed 26 Raised 2g Affiliated 1 Restored 1 Total §06 Died S Difflitted 1 unaffiliated f ot non-payment of dues § Dropped from our roll to affiliate with Marshall Lodge -2 13 Total number of Master Masons enrolled Dec. 22, 190S 493 Net Gain in membership for the year, 14. Awaiting M. M. Degree 1 Awaiting F. C. Degree 3 Awaiting E. A. Degree 3 Awaiting Ballot - 2 The following is an account of the receipts and disbursements during the year : RECEIPTS, Proposition fees $27§.00 Initiation fees 83S.00 Affiliation fees 4g.00 Dues 2782.00 $3937.00 Interest from Savings Banks : Greenwich $1 OO. 1 2 Dry Dock 76.64 Manhattan §4.96 231.72 Total Receipts $4, 1 68.72 DISBURSEAENTS. Ghatity S4S.68 Notices, books, Sc 346.7 1 Postage 28S.1 Futietal expenses 128.30 Rent 30S.00 Salary of Secfetaty 400.00 Salaty of Tilet 1 00.00 Salaty of Ofganist 7g.00 Salaty of Ass't Organist 48.00 Aptons, paraphernalia, Sc 67.1 8 Christmas presents 42.00 AdvertisinQ 20.00 Grand Lodge Dues 346.7S Pursuivant 31 §.00 Extra services. Tiler & Assistant 53.00 Entertainment 373.SS Proposition fee returned 40.00 $3,49 1 .27 Net receipts over disbursements $ 677.4S THE FOLLOWING IS THE CAPITAL ACCOUNT OF THE LODGE: On deposit in the Dry Dock Savings Bank. . $2,247.68 Greenwich Savings Bank. 2,g78.87 Manhattan Savings Bank . 1 ,6 1 2.3 1 Columbia Bank 1,025.98 tt it 66 66 Total $7,464.84 Capital of the Lodge, Dec. 22, 1904 6,787.39 Net Cain in capital account, 1905 ■ • ■ • $677.45 Of the present capital, the Widows and Or« phans Fund is credited with $2,021.69. Outstanding dues. . . .$2,580.00 I deem it my duty to bfitiQto your attention the following four propositions which, in my judgment, require your serious consideration : I. CHANGE IN MEETING NIGHT: Shortly after my installation, I was attacked, in one of our sectarian journals, because of the fact that the Lodge over which I had the honor to preside, met on Friday night. Many of the members of the Lodge agreed that it was desirable to change the night, if it could be done, but no one, with whom I spoke, would consider a proposition to move from the Masonic Hall. Without bringing the matter officially before the Lodge, I proceeded to make enquiries as to whether some suitable room could not be obtained in Aasonic Hall for some other night of the week than Friday, and found it could not. The Trustees of the Masonic Hall and Asylum Fund, have purchased property on West 24th Street upon which an Annex to the present Masonic Hall is about to be erected, and I would recommend that an effort be made by early application, to secure a suitable room in the new Annex, for some other even- ing of the week than Friday. H. INCREASE IN DUES: The dues of the Lodge are, and for many years past have been, six dollars per annum. Under existing laws, there must be paid out of these dues to the Grand Lodge for its general fund, fifty cents, and, under the amendment passed during the present year, for the Masonic Hall and Asylum Fund, fifty cents, making a total to the Grand Lodge of one dollar per member. Under subdivision A of section 4 of Article Xa, of our By-Laws, one dollar per annum is applied to our own "Widows and Orphans Fund" from the dues of each member, thus leaving net, for the general purposes of the Lodge but four dollars from the annual dues of each membet. This sum, as pfoven by the experience of the past few yeats, is not sufficient to meet the demands made upon National Lodge. The disbursements during the administtation of my ptedecessof, amounted to $4,- 098.78; the disbursements during my administration, amounted to but $3,491.27, while the total possible net receipts for dues from SOO members, applicable to general purposes, would amount to but $2,000. It thus appears that the Lodge is dependent, to a large extent, upon the amounts received from initiation fees, which always necessarily must be an uncer- tain quantity— the only other source of income being the interest upon the capital of the Lodge, which, during the administration of my predecessor amounted to but $200, and during my administration to $232.71. I therefore respectfully recommend your serious consideration to the propriety of raising the annual dues of the Lodge from six dollars to seven dollars. in. INCREASE IN INITIATION FEES. The present initiation fee is fifty dollars. Out of this initiation fee, must be paid as follows : To Grand Lodge $3.§0 To Pursuivant IS.OO To Widows and Orphans Fund as pro- vided by subdivision B of Section 4 of Article Xa of our By-Laws 10.00 A total of 28.50 leaving net, for the general purposes of the Lodge, the small sum of $21.50. The Lodge has now four hundred and ninety-three Master AVasons in good standing upon its roll. It can, therefore, well afford to be critical in admitting new members, and charge a fair initiation fee to those who seek membership. Aany lodges, which are not in nearly as prosperous a condition as ours, charge as high as one hundred dollars initiation fee, and the time will cer- tainly come when some of my successors will recom- mend the advance of ouf initiation fee to that figure. I believe, however, that so large an increase should not be made at one time, and therefore respectfully recom- mend to your earnest consideration the propriety of in- creasing the initiation fee, by proper amendment to our By-Laws to SEVENTY-FIVE DOLLAf?S. IV. INCREASE IN THE SALARY OF THE SECRETARY. With our constant increase in membership, the duties of the Secretary become more onerous from year to year, and the compensation now paid to him, naturally more inadequate. The salary of our Secre- tary as fixed by Section 4 of Article 3 of our By- Laws, now is $400, per year, payable quarterly, and he receives no other compensation. Since the Secretary's salary was fixed at that sum, our membership has large- ly increased, and the increase has been steady, and may be expected to continue. It is the duty of the Secre- tary to collect dues, and in order to successfully per- form this essential duty, he must call upon members as well as write repeatedly, in addition to sending out the regular bills and receiving such money as may be tendered him in the Lodge. Experience has shown that the large amount collected during the administration of the present incumbent of the office of Secretary and of his immediate predecessor, is due to the fidelity and zeal which these two brothers displayed and the large amount of time which they expended in their personal efforts to collect dues. The amount of other corres- pondence which has become necessary through the large increase in our membership and the number of no- tices to be sent out, also takes up much time, and in my humble judgment, the present compensation is en- tirely inadequate, and should be largely increased and I earnestly recommend to your favorable consideration, an amendment to our By-Laws, increasing the salary of the Secretary to FIVE HUNDRED DOLLARS per year. In conclusion, my deat Bfothets, I desife to thank you again for the honot which you have confetted up- on me, by electing me the Aastet of your Lodge. I have endeavored to perform the duties of my office faithfully, and have ever striven to advance the inter- ests and standing of our Lodge. To the many Broth- ers, both among the officers and floor members who have so kindly assisted me in my efforts, I hereby ex- tend my sincere thanks. For the Lodge, I will always cherish a warm spot in my heart, and I sincerely hope that its future may be ever bright, and its affairs ever prosperous. Fraternally, BENNO LOEWY, AVaster. O. H. LaBARRE 407 fotihth aventje Ne-w Tohk ,.„ Cornell University Library HS539.N55 N271 ''*''Si'ifiiiS'iii)K,.if,tl^''®'°''^ symbol Benno Loe 3 1924 030 289 890 olin.anx