Charity Challenge - 2009
The Hills District
BOARD OF BENEVOLENCE
CHARITY CHALLENGE
With the promise of an allocation of $6,000 from the Board of Benevolence yet another Charity Challenge is well under way, this time in the Hills area of our Monash Gully District.
Five Lodges meeting at the Belgrave and Ferntree Gully Centres have indicated their support and it is possible a sixth Lodge, Belgrave Mark, may have decided to participate as this is being typed.
The Board of Benevolence is encouraging District Lodges to be involved in local groups and charities in their area, initially by raising funds for them but, in the process, showing the world that Freemasonry really does care and that it is ‘deeds not words’ that matter.
Participating Lodges are then encouraged to present their case for the charity of their choosing to a Charity Dinner on Friday, March 27, 2009. At the dinner a spokesman for the Lodge will be offered 10 minutes to explain to the gathering, and to members of the Board, the ways and means that their Lodge adopted in becoming involved, their involvement with that Committee and the way the Lodge brought the need to the attention of the wider community – and the financial success. The evening’s presentation may be assisted by any aid but it must be presented by the Lodge itself.
A panel from the Board will then adjudicate on the presentations and has agreed to make three [3] special grants or ‘prizes’ to be added to the monies already raised - $3,000 for the best presentation, $2,000 for second and $1,000 for third. Those Lodges not successful will be encouraged to put their case to the Board of Benevolence for further consideration. Essentially there will be no losers.
The breadth of groups to be supported is breath-taking! Belgrave Lodge has decided to support the Belgrave Girl Guide Association; Lodge Devon – Ronald McDonald House, a residential home for the family of in-patients at Monash Hospital; Lodge Arboreal is to support the Laga Girls Orphanage in Timor Leste where contact was initially established during the Working Tools for East Timor Appeal and who hope to involve Mater Christie College; Ranges Memorial Lodge are to support the Spinocerebellar Ataxia Support Group [a Brother’s family is closely involved] and Peace and Loyalty are currently seeking out their charity to support.
Plans for the Charity Challenge Dinner are well advanced with each participating Lodge being responsible for a table of eight to support their spokesman. Profits from the dinner will return to the individual Lodges to bolster the funds raised.