Mackey A G - Encylopedia of Freemasonry - The Grand Masonic ...

BENAI
BENEVOLENT 103
Benal. See Bonaim.
Benakar. The name of a cavern to which
certain assassins fled for concealment .
Bendekar. A significant word in the high
degrees . One of the Princes or Intendants of
Solomon, in whose quarry some of the traitors
spoken of in the Third Degree were found . He
is mentioned in the catalogue of Solomon's
princes, given in 1 Kings iv. 9 . The Hebrew
word is 1I7, the son of him who divides or
pierces . In some old rituals we find a corrupt
form, Bendac a.
Benedict XIV. A Roman pontiff whose
family name was Prosper Lambertini . He
was born at Bologna in 1675, succeeded
Clement X II. a s Pope in 1740, and died in
1758 . He was distinguished for his learning
and was a great encourager of the Arts and
Sciences . He was, however, an implacable
enemy of secret societies, and issued on the
18th of May, 1751, his celebrated bull, renewing
and perpetuating that of his predecessor
which excommunicated the Freemasons . (See
Bull .)
Benediction . The solemn invocation of a
blessing in the ceremony of closing a Lodge is
called the benediction . The usual formula is
as follows :
"May the blessing of Heaven rest upon us,
and all regular Masons ; may brotherly love
prevail, and every moral and social virtue
cement us ." The response is, "So mote it be .
Amen " • which should always be audibly pronounced
by all the Brethren .
Beneficiary. One who receives the suprt
or charitable donations of a Lodge .
Those who are entitled to these benefits are
affiliated Masons, their wives or widows, their
widowed mothers, and their minor sons and
unmarried daughters . Unaffiliated Masons
cannot become the beneficiaries of a Lodge,
but affiliated Masons cannot be deprived of its
benefits on account of non-payment of dues .
Indeed, as this non-paym ent of ten arises from
poverty it thus furnishes a stronger claim for
fraternal charity .
Benefit Society, Masonic . In 1798, a
society was established in London, under the
patronage of the Prince of Wales, the Earl of
Moira, and all the other acting officers of the
Grand Lodge, whose object was "the relief of
sick, aged, and imprisoned brethren, and for
the protection of their widows, children, and
orphans ." The payment of one guinea per
annum entitled every member, when sick or
destitute, or his widow and orphans in case of
his death, to a fixed contribution . After a few
years, however, the Society came to an end, as
it was considered improper to turn Freemasonry
into a Benefit Club .
Benefit funds of this kind have been generally
unknown to the Masons of America,
although some Lodges have established a
fund for the p
The Lodge of Strict
Observance in the City of New York, and
others in Troy, Ballston Schenectady, etc .,
some years ago, adopted benefit funds . In
1844, several members of the Lodges in Louisville,
Kentucky, organized a society under the
title of the "Friendly Sons of St . John ." It
was constructed after the model of the English
society already mentioned . No member was
received after forty-five years of age, or who
was not a contributing member of a Lodge ; the
per diem allowance to sick members was
seventy-five cents ; fifty dollars were appropriated
to pay the funeral expenses of a deceased
member, and twenty-five for those of
a member's wife ; on the death of a member a
gratuity was given to his family ; ten per
cent of all fees and dues was appropriated to
an orphan fund ; and it was contemplated, if
the funds would justify, to pension the widows
of deceased members, if their circumstances
required it .
But the establishment in Lodges of such
benefit funds is in opposition to the pure system
of Masonic charity, and, they have, therefore,
been very properly discouraged by
several Grand Lodges, though several still
exist in Scotland .
Benevolence. Cogan, in his work On the
Passions, thus defines Benevolence : "When
our love or desire of good goes forth to others,
it is termed good-will or benevolence . Benevolence
embraces all beings capable of enjoying
any portion of good ; and thus it becomes universal
benevolence, which manifests itself by
being pleased with the share of good every
creature enjoys, in a disposition to increase it
in feeling an uneasiness at their sufferings, and
in the abhorrence of cruelty under every disguise
or pretext." This spirit should pervade
the hearts of all Masons, who are taught to
look upon mankind as formed by the Great
Architect of the Universe for the mutual
assistance, instruction, and support of each
other.
Benevolence, Fund of. This Fund was
established in 1727 by the Grand Lodge of
England under the management of a Committee
of seven members, to whom twelve
more were added in 1730 . It was originally
supported by voluntary contributions from
the various Lodges, and intended for the relief
of distressed Brethren recommended by
the contributing Lodges. The Committee
was called the Committee of Charity .
The Fund is now derived partly from the
fees of honor payable by Grand Officers, and
the fees for dispensations, and partly from an
annual payment of four shillings from each
London Mason and of two shillings from each
country Mason ; it is administered by the
Board of Benevolence, which consists of all
the present and past Grand Officers, all actual
Masters of Lodges and twelve Past Masters .
The Fund is solely devoted to charity, and
during the year 1909 a sum of £15,275 was
voted and paid to petitioners .
In the United States of America there are
several similar organizations known as "Boards
of Relief ." (See Relief, Board of .) [E . L . H .]
Benevolent Institutions, U . S. There
are five institutions in the United States of an
educational and benevolent character, deriving
their existence in whole or in part
from Masonic beneficence : 1 . Girard College,