Provincial Grand Lodge of Mark Master Masons of Leicestershire & Rutland
A Short History
The Mark Benevolent Fund was founded in 1868 by the Reverend George Raymond Portal, MA Grand Master 1869-1873, (in 1881 Canon Portal). It is the official charity of the Grand Lodge of Mark Master Masons, the third largest branch of Freemasonry. His views on charity were far more radical and progressive than the general thinking of the time. He felt that for charity to be effective, it had to be disbursed swiftly and without the bureaucratic formalities of other Masonic charities. To him it was wrong for there to be any delay in providing assistance to those in need and his own Latin tag “Bis dat qui cito dat” – he gives twice who gives promptly – became, and still is, the principal guideline of the Mark Benevolent Fund (M.B.F.) The Fund has disbursed many millions to individual petitioners and an even greater sum in grants to charities within the wider community.
The Fund comprises of twelve Trustees who in turn form the two committees who review applications:
- The Petitions Committee who assess applications from individual Mark Master Masons or their dependants who may be in distress.
The Worthy Causes Committee which looks at applications from registered charities and other worthwhile organisations.
When it comes to individual Petitioners things are handled slightly differently. When a Lodge Almoner is made aware of a Brother or his family in distress he would arrange a visit to assess the circumstances and then complete a grant application form which is then passed to the M.B.F. Each application is reviewed, any further information deemed necessary asked for and then submitted to the M.B.F. Petitions Committee.
Every pound received in donations to the M.B.F. starts in the pocket of a Mark Master Mason. No public or third-party funding is requested or received.
In 2021, the Mark Benevolent Fund made 37 grants to local charities, Provinces and other worthy organisations across England and Wales, and a number of grants for relief to individuals.
Major Capital Grant to support Hospices in England & Wales
In April 2021, the Trustees of the Mark Benevolent Fund announced a Major Capital Grant to hospices to commemorate the significant contribution made to the Crown and the nation by H.R.H., The Prince Philip, Duke of Edinburgh.
The Grant of £1,286,000 was distributed through Mark Lodges in England & Wales who each nominated a local hospice to receive a £1,000 donation wholly funded by the M.B.F.
Of our 1,286 lodges of Mark Master Masons, 230 different charities were chosen which in turn manage the running of 273 hospices throughout England, Wales, The Channel Islands and the Isle of Man.