MemorialOfSurrender1833

Unanimously adopted by the Grand Lodge of Massachusetts, December 27, 1833. This text is found beginning on page IV-314 in the Proceedings. (Typography and spelling left as recorded.)

MEMORIAL

To the Honourable Senate and House of Representatives in General Court Assembled.

The Memorial of the Undersigned the Master and Wardens of the Grand Lodge of Freemasons, within the Commonwealth of Massachusetts, respectfully represents:

That the said Grand Lodge was established and organized in the Town of Boston in said commonwealth as a voluntary association, on the 30th of July A.D. 1733 - assuming and exercising, all the powers rights and priviledges, which by the ancient laws and usages, recognized by the Fraternity of Freemasons, in their consociated capacity, it was empowered so to assume and exercise: That in the legitimate exercise of those powers, and priviledges, and in its official capacity, as the head of a prosperous and growing benevolent association, by the liberal donations of individual Freemasons, and by the usual contributions of the Subordinate Lodges, it was in time enabled to create and establish the Fund known as the "Charity Fund of the Grand Lodge of Massachusetts" subject to the provision that the income thereof should be held in sacred trust for and faithfully applied to charitable purposes, to the relief of the distressed & suffering and your Memorialist[s] have the gratification to believe that the letter and the spirit of this provision have ever been, and they trust will long continue to be scrupulously observed and performed.

Your Memorialist[s] further represent, That from the period of its establishment untill the year 1817 this fund was held by, and under the control and direction of the said Grand Lodge, acting as a voluntary association. This tenure wasnot only thought to be insecure, but the management of the Funds was found to be attended with the various and unavoidable difficulties which are always incident to the conduct of property thus situated. Under these circumstances, and in the belief that an act of incorporation would increase the security of the Fund, and facilitate the distribution of its charities, Francis J. Oliver Esqr. and others members of the said Grand Lodge, petitioned and obtained of the Hon. Legislature on the 16th of June 1817 an act by which the Master, Wardens and Members of the Grand Lodge, were incorporated and made a body politic, authorized and empower'd to take by purchase or gift, grant or otherwise, and hold real estate, not exceeding the value of twenty thousand Dollars, and personal estate not exceeding the value of sixty thousand dollars, and to have and exercise all the priviledges usually given by acts of incorporation to charitable societies. And so far as the knowledge of your memorialists extends, or their experience enables them to judge, they most confidently believe and affirm that all the transaction of the said Grand Lodge (with the single exception hereafter noted) have been conducted with a scrupulous regard to the original purposes