In the Mussar Yeshivos, they (?) decided, that when the Bachurim waited in line to wash their hands for a meal, each should fill the cup for the next in line so as to “earn” Chessed from an action they would have taken anyway. The dozens in line are still filling up the cup each time, except they are doing it supposedly “altruistically”, instead.
In other words, they took on the role Chazal delegated to the servants of “Nosnim layadayim”, just as the important students got the “privilege” of cleaning the Yeshiva (even Yehoshua didn’t clean, just organize). (This wouldn’t work with Tevillas Yadayim, by the way.)
But how is it Chessed to help someone who can just as easily help himself?! It most probably isn’t. No one benefits one iota, except the last in line, and no one did anything extra but the first.
I don’t know why they ceased this custom. Maybe that’s why it was called the “Talmud Torah” of Kelm (sorry!).
As opposed to Chassidei Ashkenaz of old who kept similar notions as private as possible (and emphatically didn’t regard it as Chessed to share their insights with other “Mevakshim”), Mussarkeit has today become almost a minimum requirement in some circles. At least Mussarites mostly stopped coming up with crazy, new ways of being interpersonally “holy”.