Short Talk Bulletin November 1979 MASONIC RELIEF, CHARITY AND YOU
Music on this page is: concerto for clarinet in bb movement 2 adagio by Brother Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart
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.