Freemasonry & Community Service

Submitted by Site Administrator on Fri, 2006-06-23 19:27. [ Community Service Committee ]

Making a Difference Every Day

Most men join the Masonic Fraternity primarily for the opportunity to perform meaningful community service. Freemasonry is the most charitable fraternal organization in the world — in both our philanthropy and our time.

Masons donate over $1.5 million a day to charity — that’s half a billion dollars a year going to support national, regional, and local community organizations.

National Level

Masonry has many branches, all of which have special charities that they support:

The Shrine Masons are responsible for 22 hospitals, three burn centers, and 19 crippled children’s hospitals. This is the largest network of crippled children’s hospitals in the country — and there is never a charge for treatment. These hospitals also do not accept any money from insurance companies or the government.
Scottish Rite Masons support learning centers for children with dyslexia. These centers help them to read and eventually to navigate the world. This group also supports research in schizophrenia.
York Rite Masons help people with serious eye problems.
Many states sponsor the MSAT program, which trains teachers to identify and refer children who are at risk for or involved in substance abuse.

New York State Level

Freemasons established and maintain the world-renowned Masonic Medical Research Laboratory, which works on basic research for heart disease and aging. The lab is part of a 15 building complex that also houses the Masonic retirement home. It’s located on 340 acres of land in Utica. The New England Journal of Medicine recently featured the lab for its work in discovering a link between a certain cardiac arrhythmia and Sudden Infant Death Syndrome (SIDS).

New York State Freemasonry also sponsors:

An active visitation program for Veterans’ hospitals
Drug and Alcohol Prevention Program (including Drug-Free School Zones)
Child Identification Program
Blood Donor Program

In the Adirondack Mountains, the Masons own an entire lake situated on 1,600 wooded acres. The only buildings on Round Lake are part of “Camp Turk” — the Masonic Youth Camp. The beautiful, clean, spring-fed lake is open for two three-week sessions each year — one for boys and one for girls. The camp is open to the children, grandchildren, and friends of Masons. Many Lodges will sponsor less fortunate children from their areas, enabling them to attend the camp free of charge.

Local Level

In your own community, you’ll find Masons involved in all of the above programs — and many more. Lodge members support local Salvation Army units, Ronald McDonald Houses, and thousands of other worthy causes. And of course, you’ll find our Brothers actively involved as private citizens in charitable causes that are close to their hearts.

Part of the Masonic ritual reads that the greatest virtue is charity — for “charity extends beyond the grave through the boundless realms of eternity.” We Masons are very proud of our members’ traditions of helping one another and mankind in general. We hope you will join us in our attempt to make your community a better place to live and work!

Community Service Committee

GOAL:

For every Lodge in this jurisdiction to be actively involved in at least one program or project which aids its community.

OBJECTIVES

Assist Lodges in selecting and implementing a community project by providing instructional material and seminars.
Keep Lodges informed of new projects and procedures which will enhance the overall Community Service Program.
Awarding those Districts, Lodges and/or individuals who perform community services with exceptional distinction.