Freemasonry at its Best!
"Angel Mail" Update - April 3, 2006
Welcome to Our Newest Masonic Angel Funds
We are pleased to report the following new Masonic Angel Funds:
106 St. Aspinquid #198 York ME 02/07/2006
107 Thomas Talbot Lodge Billerica MA 02/14/2006
108 Quaboag Lodge Warren MA 03/07/2006
Since the Universal Lodge Masonic Angel Fund carries the designation of MAF #0,
this places us at 109 Masonic Angel Funds in twelve states.
Spring Benevolence Builder Grant Series
We are pleased to announce that a new series of Benevolence Builder
Grants has been funded by The Lodge of St. Andrew.
This grant series will run from April 3, 2006 through June 15, 2006 and will
conclude early if the funds are exhausted.
Any Massachusetts Masonic Angel Fund in good standing may apply for a 50%
replenishment of benevolences conferred during the grant period. Please note
that each qualified Masonic Angel Fund may receive up to a cap of $1,000 for
this series. This means that we can replenish 50% of your benevolences up to
$2,000 during the life of this grant series.
To apply for a Benevolence Builder Grant simply email the particulars of each
benevolence to info@masonicangelfund.org - DO NOT save up your benevolences to
be submitted at one time - the money might very well be depleted before you
submit your request. Please send your requests as you confer the benevolences.
As always, we express our sincerest thanks to our Brethren in The Lodge of St.
Andrew for their continued generosity to Massachusetts' Masonic Angel Funds.
Spring Outreach Time is Here!
If you haven't been out to visit your schools lately this is an ideal
time to make contact. After a winter of high energy bills, many families will be
struggling with spring clothing purchases, afterschool program tuition and fees
for summer programs. Over the past few years MAF has built an impressive track
record of providing camperships and tuition assistance with structured summer
recreation programs for children of working parents. Also, don't forget to
mention bicycle helmets - this is the time of year when the kids start riding
their bikes again...
Benevolence Stories
Below we have shared a very few benevolence stories. We receive so
many bulletins from our affiliated MAF's that it is often difficult to choose
which stories to include in a bulletin. Below is a representative sample:
Noblesville Masonic Angel Fund
One of our newer Masonic Angel Funds is in Noblesville, Indiana. MAF #97 was
established by Noblesville Lodge #57 on June 7, 2005. Recently, the MAF trustees
at Noblesville forwarded an email to us from one of the teachers whose student
they helped. We present it below.
I am not sure of you know me but I know who you are!! I just want to thank you
so much for helping my little [name deleted] in my classroom. With brand new
hearing aids it is a whole new world for [name deleted]. He is one of the
neatest kids that you could ever meet. Now that he has the right hearing aids he
can use Noblesville equipment that allows me to wear a trainer that magnifies my
voice into his new hearing aids. His other hearing aids were so old that we had
to use old equipment that did not work successfully for him. All of us here
really appreciate your support through the Masonic Lodge! I have no relatives
that are affiliated with the Masonic Lodge, but my husband's grandfather was a
member in Shelbyville. I am aware of all the wonderful things that are supported
through your organization. [name deleted] is the kind of kid I wish I could take
home with me!! He has a huge heart and has a lot of struggle along the way. He
is so PROUD of his new hearing aids! His smile is still ear to ear. I would like
to send you an open invitation [to visit her classroom]. Possibly sometime you
could visit and [name deleted] could read you a story. We have some thank you
notes for you and the Masonic Lodge. Thank you again!!
Noblesville Lodge is just beginning their journey with the Masonic Angel Fund.
This was their first "major" benevolence but the members felt strongly about
helping this child in need of proper hearing aids. His teacher's letter shows
just how much of a change it is possible for us to make in the life of a
youngster like this.
Paul Revere Lodge MAF (Brockton, MA)
Under the tireless work of trustee Bruce Pratt, the Paul Revere Lodge Masonic
Angel Fund in Brockton, MA has provided numerous benevolences of clothing,
medicine and clothing over the past few weeks.
Needham Masonic Angel Fund (Needham, MA)
This benevolence story is rather touching when one view's the situation in which
this eighth-grade boy has found himself. We will let the words of the NMAF
trustees speak for themselves:
This student’s mom passed away about a year ago from cancer. His father now has
cancer and is not doing well. This student is currently living with family
friends. He is having great difficulty adjusting to his new environment. The
Guidance Counselor has encouraged this student to get involved in lacrosse to
help him deal with this situation. The Guidance Counselor feels this program
will help greatly and lift his self esteem. The Guidance Counselor has found a
portion of the needed equipment (used) at a cost of $100.00. The father cannot
afford to pay for any of this equipment. To obtain the balance of the needed
equipment, Bro. Derek Eaton approached The Needham Sportsmen Center, and they
have donated a lacrosse stick and balls. Bro. Eaton had asked The Needham
Sportsmen Center if they would discount the items, but the Needham Sportsmen
Center donated these items at no cost.
Once again we see a great example of MAF trustees using their personal contacts
in the community to help a child in need. We have seen time and again cases
where a local business will donate merchandise to help out in a tough situation.
As we have said many times before, MAF assistance does not always involve
writing a check.
King Hiram's Lodge (Provincetown, MA)
Over the past several weeks the Foundation has received numerous updates from
King Hiram's Lodge treasurer and MAF trustee Hersey Taylor. These letters tell
the story of a Masonic Angel Fund that helps out time and again with basics such
as clothing, food, medicine and other necessary items. This consistent record of
good works comes as no surprise from a Lodge whose history includes charitable
highlights such as providing breakfast for every school-age child in town during
the Great Depression.
Zip Code Directory
Several people in the MAF community have asked for an easier way to find out if
a particular community is covered by an extant Masonic Angel Fund. Our current
directory of Masonic Angel Funds lists the city where the sponsoring Lodge is
located. However, there are many of our constituent MAF's that serve children in
several towns.
In order to come up with a "zip code search engine", our webmaster needs a list
of all zip codes that are served by each Masonic Angel Fund. Please save us some
postage by emailing your MAF name and the zip codes/city names it serves to
webmaster@masonicangelfund.org
- information should be submitted as it is in the following example:
Universal Lodge Masonic Angel Fund
02653, Orleans
02643, East Orleans
02662, South Orleans
02631, Brewster
02642, Eastham
02651, North Eastham
Thank you for providing our webmaster with the information necessary to fuel
this new search engine.
Share Your News!
Do you have benevolence stories you would like to share with the rest of the MAF
on-line community? If so, please email them to
angelfund@listserver.blackwidowweb.net and we will pass them along to your
colleagues.
Regards to all,
Bob Fellows, Co-Founder/Board Secretary
Masonic Angel Foundation, Inc.