Freemasonry Matters

Grateful sea cadets shower praise on Freemasons

OLDHAM Sea Cadets now have have up-to-date washing facilities, thanks to the generosity of the East Lancashire Freemasons. The cadets, aged 10-18, sometimes have weekend training sessions and, up until a few weeks ago, there was only one shower at the Yates Street site. Now the shower room now been transformed with new tiles and three new shower cubicles. The corridor leading to the room was finished with new tiles. The Freemasons raised £4,500 and the Oldham District Freemasons volunteered to do the work. Philip Maycock, commander of the unit, thanked the East Lancashire Freemasons for the £4,500 donation and the Oldham Freemasons who carried out the work voluntarily. He said: “It’s overwhelming. The amount of work they have done has made a big difference.”

St Mary’s Lodge of Freemasons donates £1,520 to Melton charities

A total of £1,250 was presented to local charities from the St Marys Lodge of Freemasons. The presentations were held at the Freemasons Hall, Wicklow Lodge on Burton Road. The Master of St Mary’s Lodge, Vaughan Griffiths, awarded £200 to Melton and Rutland Branch of the Multiple Sclerosis Society, £250 to the Mount Group Riding for the Disabled in Somerby, £250 to the Melton Branch for Parkinson’s UK and £270 to the Loughborough Branch of Rainbows Hospice for Children and Young People. Head of the Leicestershire and Rutland Freemasons, David Hagger said: “I’m proud that the Freemasons of St Mary’s Lodge have been able to make a major contribution to society by supporting several of our local charities in Melton.” The Melton branch of the Motor Neurone Disease Association and also the Melton and Rutland Visionary Choir, which is currently being set up to assist the visually impaired, are to be receive their donations of £250 at a later date.

Hartlepool Freemasons’ help for school

A primary school’s fundraising campaign to raise money for equipment in their new building got a welcome boost from Hartlepool’s Freemasons. The charitable organisation gave the Seaton school £250 during their open day when visitors were invited to take one last look around the old building. We are really looking forward to our new building which is fitting for the needs of a modern day school Carol Cliffe Holy Trinity is moving to a new building in September and the current site in Crawford Street will be demolished. The school is trying to raise £55,000 to kit out their new buildings with computer technology and interactive white boards.

Freemasons replace defibrillator stolen from Exeter Cathedral

Freemasons replace defibrillator stolen from Exeter Cathedral A lifesaving defibrillator stolen from a cathedral is to be replaced with the help of a donation from the Freemasons. The Grand Master of Devonshire masons has offered to replace the machine after learning of the theft from Exeter Cathedral. The defibrillator was installed as a safety mesure to help save lives at the cathedral after a member of the congregation collapsed and died during an Easter Sunday service. The device – which delivers an electric shock to help improve chances of survival if someone is suffering a cardiac arrest – cost £3,000 and was donated to the cathedral three years ago.

Freemasons donate £2,000 to Newton Abbot College for their electric car club

STUDENTS at Newton Abbot College will be able to continue their vital work in their Electric Car Club to produce the racing cars of the future. The Devon Freemasons presented them with a cheque for £2,000 so they can do more in the field of electric car technology. This follows a previous cheque for £300 given to the college by St. Georges Lodge who are based in Exeter. Students from the college have been working for several years under the guidance of John Musty, their technology teacher and club leader now on the development, design and racing of Formula 24 electric racing cars. To date they have produced ‘Lucy’ who is among the best electric cars in Devon and are currently building ‘Freddy’, who will hopefully overtake Lucy. John’s aim is not only to produce the best electric car, but also to encourage the students to become top class engineers in the future, and this donation will continue to allow those dreams to prosper.