Masonic Relief Charity and You

MASONIC RELIEF, CHARITY AND YOU

We hear all sorts of figures bandied about concerning how much Masons

contribute to Masonic Charity. Trying to prove or disprove these

figures is a monumental nightmare. Each jurisdiction and Masonic

organization has its own peculiar accounting system. Some figures are

not a matter of published record. Various accounting periods

contribute to the confusion.

Recent estimates which stand the scrutiny of conservative

verification, indicate that more than One Million, Four Hundred

Thousand Dollars ($1,400,000.00) a day are expended in Masonic

benevolences in the United States. That's just a little more than One

Half Billion Dollars a year! ! In anybody's language, that's a lot of

money!

But, is it?

When you break it down, it represents just about $152.07 per year per

each Master Mason in the United States. Or, to reduce it even

further, it represents less than the cost of a cup of restaurant

coffee per day for each Master Mason in the United States.

The term, "Masonic Benevolence," encompasses a wide spectrum of the

acts of Brotherhood. It is a traditional example of "the Masonic Way.

" The first recorded act of Masonic Charity is found in the minutes

of The Lodge of Edinburgh (Mary's Chapel) No. I of December 27, 1729.

"And lastly The societie upon applicon from one David Mitchell/ a

poor distrest journayman mason appointed Henry Wilson their former

Warden to give him three pounds scots And to take credite therefor in

his accompts."

Since that time Masonic Lodges throughout the world have dispensed

charity to poor and distressed Brethren and extended it to their

widows and orphans. Charity contains the lubricant and the cement of

life. It is an essential ingredient of Masonry. It has been said that

"the Masonic Way is to give without remembering and to receive

without forgetting."

There are countless instances of Masonic charity that are never

recorded. The "charity box" was used in many lodges, with Brethren

contributing according to their conscience and abilities, and the

funds being used at the discretion of the Master or by a Committee.

We find clues in old minute books of these funds being used for such

things as firewood for a Masonic widow, crutches for a Brother's

invalid daughter, or a horse so a Brother could do his spring

plowing. Even today, lodges perform thousands of acts of charity

which are not recorded. For specific needs, the hat is still passed.

To aid

the distressed is a duty incumbent on all mankind, but especially an

obligation of Masons.

Grand Lodges have Charity Funds which are used in a variety of

benevolent ways. Some of these funds amount to millions of dollars.

In more than half of the Grand Lodges, specified amounts of the Grand

Lodge per capita tax is prorated to charity. For instance, in

Connecticut, the Grand Lodge per capita tax is $14.00, with $10.50 of

that earmarked for charity. In other Jurisdictions, such as Idaho and

South Carolina, the prorated portion is only twenty-five cents.

An interesting account of the Masonic relief provided after the Great

Chicago Fire of 1871 was presented to The Illinois Lodge of Research

by Illustrious Brother Samuel K. Zipp. Extracts

from that paper follow:

"In 1871 Chicago was a city on the move and the move was forward.

Often called the Queen City of the North and West, it was also

thought by many to be one of the wickedest cities in the land.

"It had a population of 334,000 and was six miles long and three

miles wide. The Fire destroyed more than half of the city area, and

sent many thousands into the streets homeless, penniless and

desperate. At the time the fire started, Freemasonry in Chicago was

flourishing, and there were quite a few Masonic Halls in operation.

DeWitt C. Cregier was Grand Master and there were six hundred forty-

nine Lodges working in the state thirty-one of them were in the City

of Chicago.

"When the fire ended many of the members of the Masonic fraternity

were in dire straits their families scattered, and their homes gone

with everything they owned lost. The leaders and responsible members

of the fraternity realized at once that many of their brethren were

in desperate need. They also knew that this was not necessarily the

same type that would be distributed by the state, county and city.

These brethren went into action and a number of separate committees

were formed to

administer Masonic relief.

"Among the first reports received was the one telling of the loss by

eighteen Lodges of their charters, records, jewels, and

paraphernalia. Other losses of Masonic items occurred to R.A.M.

Chapters R. & S.M. Councils and the Grand Council of the State and

Commanderies of Knights Templar. All of the appendant bodies of the

Scottish Rite and the entire contents of the Grand Master's office

were destroyed.

"As word of the losses spread to the Masonic Fraternity,

contributions amounting to $83,089.06 in cash and $7,545.44 in

supplies were received by the Masonic Board of Relief. It is

interesting to note where the contributions came from. As an example,

five lodges from the State of Maine sent $450. the Lodge of

Columbia, a small town of 12,000 in southeastern Pennsylvania sent

$75 the Craft of

Louisiana sent $400 the Lodges of Illinois sent $15,897.85 the

Dakota Territory contributed $60.50 and, British India sent $26.65.

"Perhaps one of the most drastic losses suffered was by the Scottish

Rite Bodies of Chicago. Everything they possessed was consumed by the

flames, and the reports were that the loss was upward of $10,000, and

insurance covering only about 5% of this total.

"Once again the response was immediate, and the amount was generous.

Illustrious Josiah H. Drummond, Grand Commander, issued a circular to

all Bodies in the Northern Masonic Jurisdiction asking that aid be

sent to the distressed brethren of Chicago. The Supreme Council

remitted all unpaid dues to that day, and contributed $1,300 for the

relief of the various Bodies. Another source of support came from the

Grand Commander of the Southern Jurisdiction, Illustrious Albert

Pike, by contributing from his own limited resources, as well as

asking the Bodies in his Jurisdiction to help. An additional

$2,799.59 was received from the Committee for Relief of Knights

Templar and Ancient and Accepted Scottish Rite Masons and divided

among four Scottish Rite Bodies.

"One lesson learned from the Great Chicago Fire was the knowledge

that in time of need, others do care. The response to these appeals

to the Masonic Fraternity at large was so great that on February 1,

1872, it was decided that sufficient funds had been received to meet

all legitimate demands. A special report telling this, as well as the

progress that was being made, was sent to every contributing Lodge in

Illinois and other states. Contributions kept coming in even after

this notice was sent.

"What were some of the principal kinds of aid given individual Masons

and their families? Groceries, wooden ware, dry goods, flour,

clothing, stoves, hardware, boots, shoes, fuel, tools, furniture,

crockery, labor, rent, doctor bills paid, medicine, cash and railroad

tickets. Very little actual cash was given. The value of the largest

amount issued by the Masonic Board of Relief was $365., and the

smallest amount $1.25

"The final report states that 645 applications were received,

representing 3,145 persons. This does not include aid given to lodges

or appendant bodies for the purchase of furniture and paraphernalia."

The many charity and benevolent programs of the appendant, concordant

and affiliated bodies and organizations are more visible

manifestations of Masonic relief. The Shrine Hospitals for Crippled

Children and the Shrine Burns Institutes have captured the

imaginations of everyone with the truly great benevolent work which

they accomplish. Their combined operating expenses amount to

something like One Million Dollars a week. The Shriners' Hospitals

are for the treatment and care of

children afflicted with crippling diseases, deformities, or

dangerously acute burns, and the research facilities and related

training programs. What a wonderful effort. So many of their

accomplishments with children of all races, creeds and colors border

on the miraculous.

The benevolences of the Scottish Rite of both Southern and Northern

Jurisdictions are among some of the greatest of unheralded acts of

Masonic concern. The Scottish Rite Hospitals for Crippled Children in

Decatur, Georgia and Dallas, Texas, in operation for more than fifty

years, have annual budgets in

the millions of dollars. Tens of thousands of children of all races

have been returned to useful living as a result of these great

charities.

The Scottish Rite Foundation of Denver was founded in 1952, the first

of its kind. It followed the discovery and development of new medical

therapeutic techniques which can bring the gift of speech to brain-

injured (aphasic) children. Formerly, most of these children were

doomed to a life of silence, and perhaps classed as imbeciles.

The work of the Foundation is to assist in rendering the therapy

treatment to afflicted children through the facilities of the

renowned Children's Hospital of Denver. Treatment of such cases may

run from one to three years, and most of them completely cured.

The members of the two Denver Valleys support this program by their

contribution of $2 per year, or a $50 Life Membership, plus earnings

from the endowment fund. There are no salaries, office expenses or

administrative costs. The Foundation assumes about 60x10 of the cost

of the program parents who are in a position to do so, with the

assistance from charity funds at the disposal of the hospital, cover

the balance of the cost. Several Masonic and appendant organizations

have adopted the

Foundation as their favorite charity project, by making substantial

contributions to its efforts.

A plan to interest members to include the Foundation in the

preparation of their Wills, begun a few years ago, is bearing fruit.

A number of handsome bequests have come to the Foundation. From the

earnings of these bequests, and the support of Scottish Rite Masons

and friends, the perpetuity of this program is assured. The future

looks bright indeed for the speech-handicapped child. Scottish Rite

Masons everywhere may point to this program with pride.

In the Northern Jurisdiction of the Scottish Rite, the benevolent

effort is primarily centered on their Schizophrenic Research Program,

which deals with the cause, nature, prevention and cure of

schizophrenia. The Supreme Council of the Northern Jurisdiction is an

acknowledged leader in this important field of medical research. An

impressive number of distinguished doctors and researchers have been

supported by the Scottish Rite in their research.

An increasing number of Masonic bodies are granting scholarships to

deserving students in many fields of scholastic endeavor. As one

Grand Master reflected, "It's an insurance policy for the future."

Many Grand Lodges maintain and operate Masonic Homes, Orphanages,

Hospitals, and Infirmaries. This is a major effort representing many

millions of dollars of investment and is a multi-million dollar

annual expenditure. (For a complete description of these facilities,

see Masonic Digest, "Masonic Homes, Orphanages and Charity Funds.")

The Knight Templar Eye Foundation of the grant Encampment, Knights

Templar, is a multi-million dollar activity providing research,

surgery and hospitalization for individuals with diseases or injuries

of the eyes which could result in blindness. A unique feature of the

Eye Foundation is that it has "no investment in bricks and mortar."

There are many other benevolent activities worthy of note, including

the Royal Arch Research Assistance Program of the General Grand

Chapter of Royal Arch Masons International the Knights Templar

Educational Foundation The New York Masonic Foundation for Medical

Research and Human Welfare the Illinois Masonic Medical Center the

Tall Cedars of Lebanon's project for Musuclar Dystrophy victims the

Eastern Star Training Awards for Leadership (ESTARL) program

the "Grotto" cerebral palsy-spastic program the support of youth

groups, such as The Order of DeMolay, The Order of Rainbow for Girls,

The Order of Job's Daughters and others. These fall under the

"umbrella" of Masonic benevolences. The good works they provide to

humanity can be related to dollars and cents, but cannot possibly be

measured by the money expended.

Suffice it to say, that Masons Care! The "price tag" can best be

measured in the length of each individual Mason's "cabletow," which

stretches and stretches.

Masons are not asked to "give 'til it hurts. " Masons give 'til it

HELPS. You, as a member of this great Masonic Fraternity can take

pride in the knowledge that you and your Brethren are part of this

great Masonic benevolent effort.

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