By their very nature, Freemasons have a charitable disposition and so it is hardly surprising that kindness and charitable giving are deeply ingrained within the principles of Freemasonry. They form the characteristics of a Freemasons heart and give us all a great sense of pride and satisfaction.
Our charitable activities are wide-reaching and of importance, extending across the whole of the Globe. We have seen remarkable stories from across the country of how our members are coming together – from helping to raise vital funds for food banks, disasters abroad and Teddies For Loving Care, teddies that help children get over the fear and trauma whilst be treated by hospital staff.
Cornwall Freemasons are no exception, only recently, Cornwall Freemasons proved they are second to none when it comes to putting their hands in their pockets, “to give to charity if you could without detriment to yourself, your family, and your connections”. On Sunday the 21st of May we held our annual Charity Giving day at King Arthurs Hall, Tintagel.
- 130 people attended, made up of Freemasons and charity representatives.
- A total of £124,715 was distributed to over 50 different Charities.
- 32 donations made and presented by WMs/representatives from 18 Cornish lodges.
- 28 donations made by our PGM on behalf of our very own Cornwall Masonic Charitable Foundation.
- 3 donations from the Masonic Charitable Foundation.
- £1,500 from the Royal Arch Chapter.
A short video link of the day is now available on YouTube, copy and paste it into your browser:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=G_dpRPHEap8
The Provincial Grand Almoner, Tim Cockings, and I have organised a training workshop for the Lodge Charity Stewards and Almoners. This is to be held at Truro College on Saturday the 1st of July. The day will be designed to help them understand better their responsibilities and how to carry out their roles in the most efficient and effective way possible. It will allow them to know where they can go for assistance and how to access the relevant documentation and forms to make life easier. I cannot emphasise how important these two roles are. They need our support to enable them to help the lodges raise funds in order for us to be able to continue supporting the less fortunate amongst our brethren as well as support our local charities that greatly need our fund-raising help.
On the 23rd of May I attended a Charity Stewards Induction Day at Grand Lodge, the day was very informative. I now clearly understand my new role and its responsibilities, and I will endeavour to use this knowledge to help our brethren, in the best way I can.
What is the role of the Provincial Grand Charity Steward?
The role of a Provincial Grand Charity Steward include:
CORE ROLE
- To work with the Provincial Executive on agreeing and implementing strategy on fund raising and the distribution of funds including the use of charity for community engagement and publicity.
- To oversee and encourage brethren in all matters relating to charity within your Province.
- To be responsible for the management and discharge of the Provincial Charity Strategy.
- To manage all requests received within your Province for charitable aid.
CORE RESPONSIBILITY
- To provide regular updates to the PGM and his Executive Team on charitable work.
- To liaise with and enthuse Lodge Charity Stewards throughout your Province thereby enabling them to motivate and to encourage their members to give time and effort.
- To share ideas and to offer advice to Lodge Charity Stewards on best practice for fundraising, holding charity funds, maintaining records and the distribution of funds.
- To promote and assist lodges with the setting up and the use of Relief Chests managed by MCF.
- To provide appropriate training and support for Lodge Charity Stewards.
- To recognise and champion outstanding efforts by Charity Stewards and Lodges.
- In conjunction with your Provincial Communications Officer, to communicate information and appropriate charitable news throughout your Province.
- To disburse authorised funds and maximise the impact through liaison with the Provincial Communications Officer and Communications team.
- To apply due diligence to, and report back on charitable grant applications received from both masonic and non-masonic organisations.
- To act as a link between UGLE and MCF for charitable purposes.
- To promote the charitable work of UGLE, MCF, Province, Lodge, and members.
- To sit on community funding panels as required.
- To organise and facilitate special charity events.
- When in Festival, to work closely with the Festival Director and help whenever possible.
- To assist with establishing the Provincial Strategy regarding the targets.
Finally, it was a great honour for me to be asked to take over from W. Bro Mike Prichard as the Provincial Grand Charity Steward, especially as many know, I have always been involved with various levels of charity work. The 1st of April was a great day for me when our PGM invested me with the collar and jewel, a day I will never forget. I will do my utmost to represent you all as best I can.
PROUD TO BE A CORNISH FREEMASON.
