Gifts Feb 2003

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Last updated
20 August 2008

At the meeting of the Standing Committee of the Provincial Grand Charity held on 12^th February 2003 at Derby, the following grants were approved:

	£500 to the Penguin Club (Belper & District), to assist with the provision of a holiday for adults with special needs;
	£300 to the Town End Friday Club, Chapel-en-le-Frith, to assist with the provision of social events for elderly people;
	the widow of a former member was given over £800 to meet the costs of urgent building work at her home;
	a widow living in Dorset was granted £349 to purchase a new washing machine;
	six members were assisted with their subscriptions from the Albert Wilson Fund;
	seven widows of former members were added to the Seasonal Relief list, which means that they will in future receive birthday and Christmas gifts of £125 on each occasion.

The Masonic Music Foundation made the following grants:

	the final payment of £10,000 to Derby Cathedral choir, completing a total grant of £40,000 over four years;
	a further £200 to meet the full costs of a viola for the daughter of a former member, £1,000 having been granted at the last meeting;
	a maximum payment of £1,500, less possible donations from the three Buxton Lodges, to Fairfield (Buxton) Band towards the purchase of two brass instruments to be used by young people;
	£200 to Chapel-en-le-Frith Male Voice Choir, for the purchase of new music for charitable concerts

Other News

The Grand President, R.W. Bro. D.C. Law, reported that the ambulance, jointly funded by the Provincial Grand Charity and the May Hearnshaw Trust, had now been purchased and was to be presented to the St. John’s Ambulance at Chesterfield on 16^th March, 2003. It will be on duty, along with the ambulance donated by the Mark Degree, at the MTGB Festival in Derby.

The Provincial Grand Treasurer, W. Bro. E.J. Mitchell, reported that the accumulated funds towards the MTGB Festival now stood at £1.303M, which, together with accrued interest, totalled £1.425M. Lodge Charity Stewards have been asked by the MTGB to predict the amount their Lodges will have donated by the date of the Festival, June 4^th. W. Bro. Mitchell suggested that Charity Stewards ignore potential interest when calculating their figures, and provide the best estimate of their known contributions.

53 of the 80 Lodges within the Province have now met their targets, or will do so in the next few weeks. If Charity Stewards are holding onto funds now is the time to send them to the Provincial Office, so that they can be included in the figures before the Festival.

The Chairman, W. Bro. B. Quartermain asked the Standing Committee to agree a donation from Provincial Charity funds towards the Festival, and a sum of £100,000 was agreed.

The Grand President announced that he had decided to appoint two “unofficial” Assistant Almoners to assist the incoming Provincial Almoner, W. Bro. B.G. Carter, one each from the North and South of the Province. He also reminded members that this was the last meeting at which W. Bro. E.C. Brookes would be reporting as Chairman of the Petitions Sub-Committee, as he would be retiring at the annual meeting of Provincial Grand Lodge. He asked that his own thanks and those of the Province be recorded for his work for the Provincial Grand Charity over many years.

The Chairman reported on a recent meeting he had attended with representatives of Ashgate Hospice, at which he had learnt details of the Day Centre to be constructed later this year, and it was agreed that the Provincial Grand Charity should donate the furnishings which are likely to cost around £30,000. The contribution will be properly recognised by suitable long-term publicity e.g. “donated by the Freemasons of Derbyshire” or similar.

The Secretary reported that an application had been received from Leonard Cheshire Services in Sheffield, seeking assistance towards the purchase of a replacement vehicle for their Care at Home service. The Grand President suggested that the cost might again be shared by the Province and the May Hearnshaw Charity, which was agreed. A further report will be made in the next edition of Derbyshire Circle.

Graham Sisson
Charity Secretary


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