HOMES FOR BOYS.

Auckland Star, Volume LXII, Issue 6, 8 January 1931, Page 5

HOMES FOR BOYS.

MAGNIFICENT GIFT.

AUCKLANDER'S GENEROSITY.

ENDOWMENTS WORTH £50,000

CONTROL BY MASONIC LODGE

A gift of property valued at more than £50,000 has been made to the Grand Masonic Order by Mr. I'. S. Pottei, of Auckland. \ Some twelve months ago Mr. Potter, besides providing land and cottages at Pan 11111 re for the accommodation of aged Freemasons and their wives, presented the New Zealand Grand Lodge with a property at Papakura.' This property he has now most generously endowed with a view to the establishment oi homes for boys, under control of Grand Lodge. \ declaration of trust has been made appropriating certain lands, mortgages, shares, debentures and other assets ot an estimated value of £00,26;> as an endowment for the proposed home. Ihe endowment and the income derived from it are to be applied in establishing and maintaining upon the land previously presented, and any other land that later may be acquired, a home or homes for the orphan sons of Freemasons; but if sufficient such boys are not availably boys of " non-Masonic parents mayqualify for admission.

Management by Board. The management of the homes is to be controlled by a committee consisting ot the donor, during hid lifetime, and n fewer than six Auckland city or lapakura Freemasons, to be appointed annually by the New Zealand boaid of Bene volence, and the board is also to fix the conditions of management inore th 10 boys are to be admitted to any one home connected with the trust. If ad diti'onal accommodation is ', cr l m ' e ' J arate homes may be erected out of the trust moneys. • About one-fifth of the value of the endowment is made available foi hmld ino-s, furnishings, and equipment, and it"is an essential condition that the income from the other four-hftbs of the capital shall always be available foi the management and upkeep or the homes. "Home," Not "Orphanage." The donor has expressed the desire 'that the institution shall be known as a Masonic home, not a Masonic orphanage. Various conditions have been laid down to ensure thoughtful and kindly treatment of the inmates, and to provide for their education, pocket money, remuneration for work done on the property, etc. The property at Papaknra, conveyed by the donor to the ew Zealand Grand Lodge trustees last year, consists of some nine acres. The endowment now made is in fulfilment of Mr. Potters announcement, made last year, .of his intention to provide for the institution. Valuable City Block. The real estate in the endowment consists of a business block in Queen Street, Auckland, near the Town Hall, and valued at £21,(580. The rent from the property is between £000 and £700 a year. There is also some 1900 acres of land, consisting of two farms, and there are also income-producing assets amounting to between £1900 and £2000 per annum. The idea of the-donor is that each home shall be such that the ten boys in it will be able to say, "This is our home." He desires that there should be nothing of the "institution" about them. One of the purposes of limiting the number of inmates to ten is that there shall be intimate personal touch between the matron of each bungalow and the boys in it. The donation of such a large property, worth nearly half the accumulations of the New Zealand Grand Lodge funds in 40 years, is unique in the history of Freemasonry in New Zealand, but as "he gives twice who gives quickly," the value of the gift is doubled.