Freemasons encourage others to get involved

HIGHVELD – Brotherly love was shown among the Masonry community of Kinross when a donation of R40 000 was handed over to Masonry’s Mr Lee Martin and Mr Jeremy Baker at the Highveld Lodge in Kinross on Saturday, 8 February.

Each man received a cheque to the value of R20 000 for contribution towards their living costs that have been expanding due to medical and economical strains. Mr Martin is currently going through cancer treatment.

The brotherhood does not only look out for each other. They play an important role in assisting charities and organisation in South Africa and around the world.

“What is common amongst society is that the Freemasonry does a lot for the Freemasons. This is true, but we also do a lot for the non-Masonic charities,” said Mr Chris Adams, president of the Board of the Benevolence of the District of South Africa North, under the English Constitution.

Around the world, it is widely accepted that Freemasons in America give over a million dollars a day to non-Masonic charities and organisations. Freemasonry in England are the second largest contributors towards charity after the Lotto. In the South African District, Freemasonry has given nearly R29-million over the past 26 years to non-Masonic organisations.

“We look for organisations that are well run, have good governance and where the money will be used for worthwhile projects. We spend a lot of time and put in hard work raising money, therefore we use money raised towards capital costs,” said Mr Adams.

The Freemasons have a very good history of given nearly R2.5-million to Childline over the past years. Reach for Recovery and Headways have also benefited from their contributions.

The Down’s Syndrome Association of Tshwane were recipients of nearly R500 000. The money was used to build new premises to cater for the increasing number of people with Down’s Syndrome.

More recently, funds were donated to the Stepping Stone Hospice in Alberton. These funds went toward a palliative care centre, training care workers who can go into the community to help people deal with terminal and life threatening diseases.

Many other organisations have benefited from the generosity and hard work of the Freemasons. These organisations have gained more maths and science classrooms, teaching and learning centres which could be turned into conference centres as an extra income, central heating installations, building of book stores, just to name a few of their many projects.

“With society today, we all need to think about others. We need to give to the limits of our capacity to people who need it, because we live in an unequal society. We not only give money to people, we have a Masonic Services Committee that collects clothes, food and old appliances for distribution to the needy.”

“I would like to encourage the public to have a philosophy where you give to people. Find a charity to support where the money is not being wasted,” said Mr Adams.

There is a myth that Freemasonry is for men only in society. In South Africa, there are also female Masonic organisations.

The United Grand Lodge of England, District of South Africa North is a male only organisation, which is spread from Vereeniging in the South to Musina in North, and from Klerksdorp in the West to Swaziland in the East. There are 100 lodges with nearly 2 000 Freemasons within those lodges.

Lodges can also be found in Botswana and Mauritius as well. Mr Adams welcomes talking to men about Freemasonry.

If you want to know more about Freemasonry go to https://www.dglsanorth.org.za/ or if you want to get in touch with them, you can email roland@dunstan.org.za or dgsec@freemasonjhb.org.za.