Sponsored by West Kent Lodge of Charity 9610
A FAMILY DAY OUT TO CELEBRATE OUR QUEEN'S 60 GLORIOUS YEARS
THE LONDON 2012 OLYMPICS
& THE MID POINT IN OUR 2015 MSF FESTIVAL
Hewitts Farm Court Road (A224)
Chelsfield, Orpington, Kent, BR6 9BX
SATURDAY 2nd JUNE 2012 at 12 noon until 5pm.
NO CHARGE FOR ENTRY!
Dear Brother or Comp Charity Steward,
West Kent Lodge of Charity are organising a very special day in 2012 for all the members of the
Province and their families. We thought you and may and the members of your Lodge or Chapter
may just be interested in joining our Diamond Day Out event in June 2012.
It is our intention to celebrate the Queens Jubilee, the 2012 London Olympics and the mid point
in our 2015 MSF Festival with members of our Province and their families.
There will be a HOG ROAST, other HOT FOOD, a BEER TENT, and over 50 stalls for Family Fun.
There will be displays of the Army Cadets Marching Band, Birds of Prey, a fantastic 15 minutes of
football control and entertaining games including a tug of war.
We are expecting that the number of applicants will likely exceed pitches available. We will therefore
hold three lists - Confirmed Bookings; Provisional Bookings and a Waiting List.
We attach our Booking Terms and Conditions but if you require any further information or have any
queries please contact either of the named people below.
We look forward to seeing you on Saturday 2nd June 2012 and hope that you will have an enjoyable
and worthwhile day.
Kind Regards
Fred Halligan & Roland Stokes
Fred Halligan
1 Prospect Place
Bromley
Kent
BR2 9HL
Tel: 020 8466 7795
email: fredhalligan@aol.com
Roland Stokes
The Coach House
Lees Road
Laddingford
Kent
ME18 6DB
Tel: 01622 873390
email: roland.stokes1@btinternet.com
Booking Terms & Conditions
1) It is expected that demand for pitches will exceed the space available, therefore pitches will
be allocated on a “first come - first served” basis
2) Confirmation of pitch number allocated together with a plan of the area, will be sent on
receipt of payment.
3) It would be appreciated if payment could accompany the booking form. Pitches not paid for will
be held on a waiting list and cannot be guaranteed if demand exceeds the space available
4) Stall holders will be allowed to enter and set up between the hours of 8:00 am and 11:00 am
on the day of the event.
5) To comply with the Terms of our Insurance vehicles cannot remain within the
event area during the advertised duration of the event. Therefore, ALL vehicles MUST
leave the area no later than 11:15am and park in the car park provided.
Stall holders are kindly requested to leave their allocated area clean and litter-free at the
conclusion of the event.
TARIFF
NORMAL PITCH (4 Metres wide)
Private and Commercial £30:00
Reg’d Charities FREE OF CHARGE
Larger Pitches are available (6, 8or 12 metres wide)
Charges are pro rata to the above
PLEASE INDICATE CLEARLY ON THE BOOKING FORM IF YOU REQUIRE A LARGER PITCH
AND CLEARLY STATE THE SIZE
N.B. Unless requested otherwise, a normal 4 metre pitch will be allocated.
For further information contact:
Fred Halligan 020 8466 7795 or Roland Stokes 01622873390
A DIAMOND DAY OUT
Sponsored by West Kent Lodge of Charity 9610
A FAMILY DAY OUT TO CELEBRATE OUR QUEEN'S 60 GLORIOUS YEARS
&
THE LONDON 2012 OLYMPICS
Hewitts Farm Court Road (A224)
Chelsfield, Orpington, Kent, BR6 9BX
SATURDAY 2nd JUNE 2012 at 12 noon until 5pm.
ERECTION OF STALLS FROM 8am.
To apply please complete the form below and send, together with payment,
to Fred Halligan 1, Prospect Place, Bromley, Kent, BR2 9HL
Cheques should be made payable to West Kent Lodge of Charity 9610
Number of Piches required ............. 4 metres wide
Payment enclosed £....................
West Kent Lodge of Charity 9610
Type of Stall(s)....................................................................................................
NAME(block capitals please).............................................................................
ADDRESS.............................................................................................................
.............................................................................POST CODE..............................
Tel:..................................................... email:..........................................................
SIGNED....................................................... DATE............................................
For further information contact:
Fred Halligan 020 8466 7795 or Roland Stokes 01622873390
To All Lodge and Chapter Charity Stewards November 2011
Dear Brother/Companion
2012 Provincial Inter-Lodge/Chapter Quiz
The Inter-Lodge/Chapter Quiz which is always a popular event will be held onThursday 29th March 2012, at Oakley House, Bromley.
The quiz arrangements are as follows:
2. Only one team member may be a non Lodge/Chapter member (Ladies excepted).
3.Entry Fee: £20.00 per team
The Quiz will commence promptly at 7.30 p.m.
Money raised from the Quiz will be donated in the name of the winning Lodge/Chapter and the second and third teams, to the 2015 Festival for The Masonic Samaritan Fund. Perhaps it will be your Lodge or Chapter that will be the 2012 Provincial Quiz Champions.
As this is a very popular event and will be on a ‘first come first served basis’ please help us by booking your team in early by completing the attached form and returning it as soon as possiblebut no later than 27th February, 2012.
Lodges/Chapters ordering sandwiches for teams taking part must order in advance on the booking form provided.Moneyfor sandwiches will be collected on the night for the sandwiches booked in advance.(Teams unable to attend but have ordered sandwiches must pay for them)
If you have any queries please contact -W.Bro.Derek Pearce Tel. No. 0200 8777 7347. E-mail: Derek@ponyinvest.co.uk.
Yours sincerely and fraternally,
Philip May
Provincial Grand Charity Steward
Charity Meeting 16th November 2011
The Grand
Charity
2011 marks 30 years of activity by the Grand Charity and its achievements are:-
Grand Charity News
Very poor rainfall in the Horn of Africa (which includes Somalia, Kenya, Djibouti, Ethiopia and Uganda) has led to the driest period in 60 years for some areas, causing severe drought which, according to OCHA, is threatening the lives of over 10 million people including an estimated 250,000 children under five who are suffering from moderate acute malnutrition and 40,000 are suffering from severe acute malnutrition within the region - high impact nutrition interventions are a priority.
In response to this situation the President of the Grand Charity has approved an emergency grant of £20,000 to the British Red Cross, to provide emergency relief across the region.
June 2011 Grand Charity Grants Total £470,000
The second installment of major of grants of 2011, awarded by The Freemasons’ Grand Charity, totals £470,000. Sixteen charities have been awarded grants for projects based throughout England and Wales in the areas of medical research, support for vulnerable people, youth opportunities and religious buildings.
The Second Installment of The Freemasons’ Grand Charity Minor Grants
The second instalment is assisting eleven charities, with a total of £32,150. Grants range from £2,000 to £5,000 and are given in the areas of medical research, youth opportunities, and support for vulnerable people.
Matched Funding
The Grand Charity Matched Funding Scheme provides matched funding of up to £5,000 per Province on a rolling four-year programme so that twelve Provinces participate each year – West Kent are eligible this year and in 2015.
This initiative has been well received and I have made applications for the full amount of £5,000 and the results will be published in December.
2015 West Kent Festival for the Masonic Samaritan Fund
The total raised for the 2015 Festival for the Masonic Samaritan Fund at 27th October 2011 stands at £967,358 of which £97,485 has been donated by Chapters. Included in the above amount is £105,995 in reclaimed tax on ‘Gift Aided’ donations and £23,061 in interest. 186 Lodges and Chapters have so far made contributions.
Fund Raising
Provincial Raft Race
The third Provincial Raft Race, organized by the West Kent Lodge of Charity, took place on the Thames at the Pier Hotel, Greenhithe on Saturday 3rd September. We had a record number of entries this year from the major Masonic Centres and raised £1,737 for the 2015 Festival. Plans are already in place to repeat this event on 1st September 2012.
Provincial Cinema
After the very successful private showing ‘The Dish’ at the Stag Cinema, Sevenoaks in October last year Roland Stokes is reviewing films for another exclusive event on Sunday 26th February 2012. Make a note of the date – full details to follow.
Provincial Quiz
The date for the 2012 Provincial Quiz has been set for Friday 29th March 2012 at Oakley House. Entry forms are attached to this report – why not form a team from your Lodge or Chapter.
Provincial Theatre
After the success of our first theatre trip to ‘Oliver’ at the Theatre Royal, Drury Lane last November Sean Costelloe has secured a block booking of 300 seats for ‘The Wizard of Oz’ at the London Palladium on Friday 18th May 2012. Tickets are available on a first come first served basis. A booking form is attached to this report.
A Diamond Day Out
A family day out to celebrate the Queen’s Diamond Jubilee, the 2012 Olympics in London and the halfway stage in the 2015 Festival. There will be over 50 stalls, a hog roast, hot food, beer tent, displays of the Army Cadets Marching Band, birds of prey, 15 minute football control display, vintage cars and lots more. The Lodge West Kent of Charity is organising this special day out for the members of the Province their families and friends on Saturday 2nd June 2012 - 12 noon to 5pm at Hewitts Farm, Court Road, Chelsfield, Orpington, Kent, BR6 9BX
The Golden Mile
At the Diamond Day Out the Charity Team is going to make a serious attempt at ‘The Golden Mile’ –one mile of £1 coins. Time to find the coin collection box sent with the festival launch documents and save your loose change.
Provincial Summer Ball
To be held on Friday 22nd June 2012 at Charlton Athletic Football Ground. A gala occasion with Todd Miller
and the Joe Loss Orchestra.
Movember
18 Members of the Province have donated their top lips to support the Movember Appeal raising funds and awareness for Prostate and Testicular Cancer. To date the team have raised over £1200 which is spectacular for the first week, with the brethren growing all manner of moustaches which they have to keep until the end of November. To show your support of our Movember campaign make a donation by donating online at:http://mobro.co/freemasonsofwestkent
Provincial Benevolent Fund
Lodges and Chapters are invited to submit applications for the 2012 Provincial Benevolent Fund grants. Applications are accepted up to 31st January 2012 - a form is now available as a download from the Provincial Webs
Community Funding
The Charity Committee would be pleased to receive applications for grants for Community Funding supporting smaller local organizations involved in caring for the elderly, the disabled and young people.
The Column
The new periodical newsletter for Charity Stewards has been well received and will continue to provide a regular flow of information on Charity matters. It will be regularly updated and circulated by e-mail and is published on the Provincial Website in the Charity section.
Has your Lodge or Chapter considered making a donation to the festival in lieu of sending Christmas cards ?
If so, why not maximize your donation by using the attached ‘Gift Aid’ form.
Wishing you and your families a very Happy Christmas and Prosperous New Year
Philip May
Provincial Grand Charity Steward
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| Some of the Movember team taken at Dartford last week. |
18 Members of the Province have donated their top lips to support the Movember Appeal raising funds and awareness for Prostate and Testicular Cancer.
To date the team have raised over £1200 which is spectacular for the first week, with the brethren growing all manner of moustaches which they have to keep until the end of November.
We will be holding a finale dinner to mark the end of this event and will circulate some images of our successes and failures to grow a moustache for Movember in 2011.
Movember is dedicated to growing moustaches and raising awareness and funds for men's health; specifically prostate and testicular cancer. We are donating our top lip to the cause for 30 days in an effort to help change the face of men's health. Our Moustaches will spark conversations, and no doubt generate some laughs; all in the name of raising vital awareness and funds for cancer's affecting men.
Some startling facts -
* 1 in 9 men will be diagnosed with prostate cancer in their lifetime
* This year 37,000 new cases of the disease will be diagnosed
* 1 in 2 men will be diagnosed with cancer in their lifetime
* 26% of men are less likely to go the doctor compared to women
To show your support our Movember campaign by making a donation by either:
*Donating online at: http://mobro.co/freemasonsofwestkent From here you can find members of the team to donate directly to or to the team as a whole.
*If you are of the old school you can write a cheque payable to 'Movember', reference the team name “Freemasons of West Kent” and Registration Number 1537414 and send it to: Movember Europe, PO Box 68600, London, EC1P 1EF
If you'd like to find out more about the type of work you'd be helping to fund by supporting Movember, take a look at the Programmes We Fund section on the Movember website: http://uk.movember.com/about
Thank you in anticipation for supporting the team's efforts to change the face of men's health.
Andrew Essinghigh
On behalf of the Charity Team
_______________________________
Provincial
Theatre Trip to “The
Wizard of Oz” on Friday 18th
May 2012
On behalf of
the “Special Events Team” I am pleased to
inform you that arrangements are now in place for our
second Provincial Theatre Trip, which will again be
supported by our Provincial Grand Master, The R.W. Bro
Jonathan Stuart Winpenny together with his wife
Gillian.
We are able to
offer one free ticket for every ten purchased. This means
that if you order ten tickets we only require payment for
nine which will cost £445.50.
The
Ticket price for single ticketsMovember Updateis £49.50
each.
All
proceeds will be for the 2015 Festival for the Masonic
Samaritan Fund.
Children,
Family Members and None Masonic Guests are most
welcome.
The Special
Events Team hope that we can count on your support and that
by offering ten tickets for the price of nine will
hopefully encourage lodges to consider this as an
opportunity to arrange a social event for your members.
Perhaps you could also consider organising a Pre-Theatre
Dinner for your party in one of the nearby
Restaurants?
If you are able
to support us please complete the accompanying
“Booking Form” and together with the requisite
payment send it to me as soon as you are able. All cheques
are to be made payable to “Province of West Kent
Festival Account” and can be post dated for 3rd
January 2012. All Tickets will be allocated on a
“First Come First Served Basis” and I look
forward to hearing from you.
Yours sincerely
and fraternally,
Sean T.
Costelloe, PPrJGD (West Kent), SLGR.
On behalf of
“The Special Events Team”
See
Andrew for Booking
Wizard of Oz
Letter Sent 23 10 11 PW Protected
The Special
Events Team is a Committee Sponsored by The West Kent Lodge
of Charity No.9610
to
assist and organise special Fund Raising Events for the
2015 Festival
Brethren All.
As
some of you may remember I grew a most ridiculous moustache
a couple of years ago for charity. Well the month of
November is upon us again and I would like as many members
of the lodge as we can muster to join in the fun this
year.
About
The Campaign
During
November each year, November is responsible for the
sprouting of moustaches on thousands of men’s faces
in the UK and around the world. The aim of which is to
raise vital funds and awareness for men’s health,
specifically prostate cancer and other cancers that affect
men.
http://uk.movember.com/
Please
can you state your interest in joining in, It would be
superb if we can put a Lodge team together and hopefully
raise some decent funds for these superb
charities
S&F,
Andrew
Charity Steward
Freemasons Grand Charity
£250,000
to Parkinson’s UK
Parkinson’s
UK has been given a major boost in Parkinson’s
Awareness Week 2011 (11 – 17 April) by the award of a
major grant of £250,000 from the Freemasons Grand
Charity.
The
money is to be divided and distributed to branches
throughout the country, providing funding at local
level
For
more information click here
The Lodge has given on 1st April to
Kent Air
Ambulance £500 (Masters List for 2010-11)
British Heart Foundation £100
2015 Festival £350
Japan Disaster
£50,000
to assist following Japan disaster
On 11th March, a massive
earthquake struck Japan, triggering a tsunami that swept
across the east coast, leaving a trail of destruction.
Thousands of people have already died and thousands more
are missing or injured. The President of the Grand Charity
has approved an emergency grant of £50,000
to the British Red
Cross, to assist with its Japan Tsunami
Appeal.
Since
the earthquake struck, there have been repeated
earthquakes, with magnitudes of 6.6, every 30 to 60
minutes. The tsunami alert is still active. Landslides have
been reported in 37 areas. Roads, bridges, railroads, dykes
and buildings are damaged in about 460 places and many
roads are impassable.
The
scale of the disaster is still unfolding, with search and
rescue teams frantically working whilst dealing with
ongoing earthquakes. The threat of a second major tsunami
is high, and there are also fears about the stability of
the Fukushima nuclear plant.
For further details
Click Here
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My
Son Steven is again running in the London Marathon in aid
of British
Heart Foundation. May I ask you to think of making a
donation at
http://www.justgiving.com/scbutler2011
Many
thanks
Brian
Secretary
Sunday 28 November 2010
Freemasons'
Grand Charity donates £25,000 for Haiti cholera
epidemic
Brethren
all,
Over the
last few weeks I have been assessing the situation with
Crayford Lodge and Charity in particular the 2015 Festival,
There have been a couple of seminars I have attended which
have given me some insight into how the charity works and
the input we can give.
Although
I think most would agree, Freemasonry is not just about
charity or giving blindly. I would also be so bold as to
say each and every one of us remember that moment had a
call on us when being initiated for that thing we refer to
as the “distinguishing characteristic of a
Freemason’s heart”- Charity.
During
this time of economic uncertainty I am not asking people to
dig a little deeper or put anything in they cannot amply
afford, but I believe each of us could be doing a little to
help the festival along its way.
I will
be utilising the expertise with WBro Ron & WBro Brian
ovr coming months how we can assign a couple of events to
raise funds for the festival, but it’s really how
each of you can contribute.
For my
part the easiest, painless way to give is little and often,
over the coming 5 years this method from each brother will
assist in making the targets hit and hopefully amply
surpassed.
So, what
are we giving to – The Masonic Samaritan
Fund.
Who
do they help – Me & You! Freemasons, their wives,
children or dependants, or the widows, children or
dependants of deceased Freemasons
How
do they help us – Supporting those who are in Medical
need. This need may arise out of financial crisis or the
length of time the NHS takes to respond to the requirments
of the applicant in distress. To date, the Fund has
supported treatment for over 6,500 individuals ranging in
age from 18 months to 104 years
How
would I like you to help.......
As
stated above, little and often is best for the Majority of
us. £1 per week per member of Crayford Lodge would raise
approximately £10,000 during the Festival. If this was all
made as Gift Aid then there would be a further £2,500 which
is a remarkable sum for just £1 from each
member
This
would be the ideal – But the idea of driving to each
of you weekly collecting £1 would soon become tiresome, so
it needs to be easy, little to no effort required &
regular. I think the only way to do this for the majority
is Direct Debit, something I know many are not keen on, but
it is the simple solution to giving.
Here are
some basic figures I would like each of you to think about,
please do send on your comments or thoughts – and
certainly let me know if you require a form! The
festival has set some Honorifics that give some simple
targets for us.
Individuals
Vice
Patron - £6 Per Month
Patron
- £12 Per Month
Grand
Patron £24 Per Month
Lodge
Patron
£1200 (£800 needed to gain this)
Grand
Patron - £2,400 (£1900 Needed to gain
this)
As
you know there is a festival Jewel which is available for
any brother pledging £50 during the course of the festival.
The cost of the jewel is £10.
In
addition to the above there has just been an increase in
the interest rate on the Fund to 2.25%
Current
Figures are -
The
total raised for the 2015 Festival for the Masonic
Samaritan Fund to 30th September is
£519,960,
Included in this amount is £50,061 in reclaimed tax on
‘Gift Aided’ donations and £4,804 in interest.
Further
to This I would also like to encourage brethren to consider
a Direct Debit to the Relief Chest. Again another regular
small amount will mean we can continue the sterling work we
already do with local charities maybe giving a little more
the ones chosen or enabling us to assist in helping more
local causes as the Lodge see fit.
Apologies for
the Length of the email, I feel it important the we all
know what we can be doing and refer back to the feeling of
the moment we were received in to
Freemasonry...
Fraternally
and sincerely kind regards,
Bro
Andrew Essinghigh
Charity
Steward Crayford Lodge 6336
25th Octobewr 2010
E-Flash Message
The Freemasons’ Grand Charity
The President of The Freemasons’ Grand Charity has
approved an emergency grant of £25,000 to the Red Cross
following devastating flooding in Pakistan.
Further details can be viewed by visiting:
http://www.grandcharity.org/news.php/54/emergency_grant_authorised_for_red_cross_pakistan_floods_appeal
Recent Minor Grants
A total of £36,000 has recently been approved for eleven
national charities, they are the latest awards through The
Freemasons Grand Charity Minor Grants Scheme which provides
support for smaller charities in the areas of youth
opportunities, vulnerable people and medical research.
For further details and a full list of the charities which
will receive grants visit:
http://www.grandcharity.org/news/55/new_minor_grants_approved
This E-Flash Message can be viewed on the Provincial
Website
www.freemasons-westkent.org.uk
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RaftRace2010
At Lodge of Instruction on Thursday 12th August 2010 it was
agreed we donate the sum of £50 to Cancer Research in
memory of Mrs Doris Capper
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e
Prepared and Published by W Bro Tony Whiting
On behalf of the Provincial Grand Secretary
The Lodge has made grants at March 2010 as follows.
£250 to Kent Air Ambulance in conjunction with Alison
Prangnell who is trecking through Cuba to raise funds
£250 to Wizz Kids. To assist with mobility
£500 to our Grand Lodge Relief Chest
£30,000
IN RELIEF FOR HAITI EARTHQUAKE
Following
the devastating earthquake which took place in Haiti on
Tuesday 12th January 2010, the President of The
Freemasons’ Grand Charity has approved two emergency
grants totaling £30,000. The funds have been issued to the
British Red Cross and Plan.
The
7.3-magnitude quake, Haiti's worst in two centuries, struck
at 1653 local time (2153 GMT) on Tuesday. The epicentre was
within 10 miles of the centre of the densely-populated
capital, where around one million people live, more than
50,000 people are feared dead.
The
British Red Cross has been awarded £20,000 to assist with
their relief efforts. Red Cross volunteers in Haiti
are currently assisting the injured and supporting
hospitals who do not have enough capacity to deal with this
emergency. The most urgent needs at this time are search
and rescue, field hospitals, emergency health, water
purification, emergency shelter, logistics and
telecommunications.
Plan
has also been granted £10,000 in support of their efforts
in dealing with the immediate aftermath of the disaster.
Plan’s priorities are assisting children and their
families and getting people into safe accommodation
wherever possible, as well as working with survivors to
help ease their psychological trauma.
For
further information please visit:
http://www.grandcharity.org/pages/30000_granted_for_haiti_earthquake_relief.html
<</a>http://www.grandcharity.org/pages/30000_granted_for_haiti_earthquake_relief.html>
Charity need not be
about
Money
Food for thought
Two Choices
What would you do?....you make the choice. Don't look for a
punch line, there isn't one. Read it anyway. My question
is: Would you have made the same choice?
At a fundraising dinner for a school that serves children
with learning disabilities, the father of one of the
students delivered a speech that would never be forgotten
by all who attended. After extolling the school and its
dedicated staff, he offered a question:
'When not interfered with by outside influences, everything
nature does, is done with perfection.
Yet my son, Shay, cannot learn things as other children do.
He cannot understand things as other children do.
Where is the natural order of things in my son?'
The audience was stilled by the query.
The father continued. 'I believe that when a child like
Shay, who was mentally and physically disabled comes into
the world, an opportunity to realize true human nature
presents itself, and it comes in the way other people treat
that child.'
Then he told the following story:
Shay and I had walked past a park where some boys Shay knew
were playing baseball. Shay asked, 'Do you think they'll
let me play?' I knew that most of the boys would not want
someone like Shay on their team, but as a father I also
understood that if my son were allowed to play, it would
give him a much-needed sense of belonging and some
confidence to be accepted by others in spite of his
handicaps.
I approached one of the boys on the field and asked (not
expecting much) if Shay could play. The boy looked around
for guidance and said, 'We're losing by six runs and the
game is in the eighth inning. I guess he can be on our team
and we'll try to put him in to bat in the ninth inning.'
Shay struggled over to the team's bench and, with a broad
smile, put on a team shirt. I watched with a small tear in
my eye and warmth in my heart. The boys saw my joy at my
son being accepted.
In the bottom of the eighth inning, Shay's team scored a
few runs but was still behind by three.
In the top of the ninth inning, Shay put on a glove and
played in the right field. Even though no hits came his
way, he was obviously ecstatic just to be in the game and
on the field, grinning from ear to ear as I waved to him
from the stands.
In the bottom of the ninth inning, Shay's team scored
again.
Now, with two outs and the bases loaded, the potential
winning run was on base and Shay was scheduled to be next
at bat.
At this juncture, do they let Shay bat and give away their
chance to win the game?
Surprisingly, Shay was given the bat. Everyone knew that a
hit was all but impossible because Shay didn't even know
how to hold the bat properly, much less connect with the
ball.
However, as Shay stepped up to the
plate, the pitcher, recognizing that the other team was
putting winning aside for this moment in Shay's life, moved
in a few steps to lob the ball in softly so Shay could at
least make contact.
The first pitch came and Shay swung clumsily and missed.
The pitcher again took a few steps forward to toss the ball
softly towards Shay.
As the pitch came in, Shay swung at the ball and hit a slow
ground ball right back to the pitcher.
The game would now be over.
The pitcher picked up the soft grounder and could have
easily thrown the ball to the first baseman.
Shay would have been out and that would have been the end
of the game.
Instead, the pitcher threw the ball right over the first
baseman's head, out of reach of all team mates.
Everyone from the stands and both teams started yelling,
'Shay, run to first!
Run to first!'
Never in his life had Shay ever run that far, but he made
it to first base.
He scampered down the baseline, wide-eyed and startled.
Everyone yelled, 'Run to second, run to second!'
Catching his breath, Shay awkwardly ran towards second,
gleaming and struggling to make it to the base.
By the time Shay rounded towards second base, the right
fielder had the ball . the smallest guy on their team who
now had his first chance to be the hero for his team.
He could have thrown the ball to the second-baseman for the
tag, but he understood the pitcher's intentions so he, too,
intentionally threw the ball high and far over the
third-baseman's head.
Shay ran toward third base deliriously as the runners ahead
of him circled the bases toward home.
All were screaming, 'Shay, Shay, Shay, all the Way Shay'
Shay reached third base because the opposing shortstop ran
to help him by turning him in the direction of third base,
and shouted, 'Run to third!
Shay, run to third!'
As Shay rounded third, the boys from both teams, and the
spectators, were on their feet screaming, 'Shay, run home!
Run home!'
Shay ran to home, stepped on the plate, and was cheered as
the hero who hit the grand slam and won the game for his
team
'That day', said the father softly with tears now rolling
down his face, 'the boys from both teams helped bring a
piece of true love and humanity into this world'.
Shay didn't make it to another summer. He died that winter,
having never forgotten being the hero and making me so
happy, and coming home and seeing his Mother tearfully
embrace her little hero of the day!
AND NOW A LITTLE FOOT NOTE TO THIS STORY:
We all send thousands of jokes through the e-mail without a
second thought, but when it comes to sending messages about
life choices, people hesitate.
The crude, vulgar, and often obscene pass freely through
cyberspace, but public discussion about decency is too
often suppressed in our schools and workplaces.
If you're thinking about forwarding this message, chances
are that you're probably sorting out the people in your
address book who aren't the 'appropriate' ones to receive
this type of message Well, the person who sent you this
believes that we all can make a difference.
We all have thousands of opportunities every single day to
help realize the 'natural order of things.'
So many seemingly trivial interactions between two people
present us with a choice:
Do we pass along a little spark of love and humanity or do
we pass up those opportunities and leave the world a little
bit colder in the process?
A wise man once said every society is judged by how it
treats it's least fortunate amongst them.
You now have two choices:
1. Delete
2. Forward
May your day, be a Shay Day.
The West Kent 2015 Festival Jewel
Cost £60 from Provincial Office
PREPARED
10th DECEMBER 2009
The
Freemasons’ Grand Charity distributes funds for
Hospices
Continuing
an annual programme of support, The Freemasons’ Grand
Charity is donating £500,000 to hospices across England and
Wales. The money is an important contribution towards the
millions of pounds needed each and every year to ensure
these respected services can continue providing free
physical, emotional, social and spiritual care to patients
and their families. In total 225 services will receive a
grant. In addition to this grant £150,000 was awarded to
Lifelites, to provide educational and recreation technology
for children in hospices.
Freemasons have been dedicated
in their support for hospices across England and Wales for
the past 25 years, and this year takes the total donations
to the sector to more than £8 million, complementing the
generosity Provincial and individual Masonic Lodges
regularly show for their local services.
A full
list of hospice grants is available to print or view
at:
http://www.grandcharity.org/hospice_grants.php
<</a>http://www.grandcharity.org/hospice_grants.php>
eFLASH
message
PREPARED 28th
OCTOBER 2009
£25,000
FOR TORRENTIAL RAIN AND FLASH FLOOD VICTIMS IN SOUTHERN
INDIA
The
President of The Freemasons’ Grand Charity has
approved an emergency grant of £25,000 to Save the
Children, following the Kirshna River bursting its banks
flooding 5 districts in India. The grant will help 20 of
the worst affected villages in Southern India by providing
them with essential and life-saving relief, as many
families were unable to salvage even basic hygiene
materials, cooking utensils or dry clothes.
To date,
nearly two million people have been affected by the severe
flooding which has caused destruction to homes,
agricultural land and livelihoods. Tragically, the disaster
has claimed over 300 lives and more than 70,000 homes have
been severely damaged, resulting in half a million people
being displaced to relief camps in Andhra Pradesh and a
further 650,000 people are in temporary shelter in
Karnataka.
The
money given to Save the Children will supply 30,000 people
with use of water pumps, household kits, educational kits
and child friendly spaces where children can go to receive
a meal each day and access clean water. There is particular
concern that the 800,000 and more children affected are
vulnerable to malnutrition and waterborne illnesses which
could easily increase the death toll.
Visit The
Freemasons’ Grand Charity website at
www.grandcharity.org <</span>http://www.grandcharity.org/>
Regards
Bob
King
Provincial
Information Officer
Our thanks to W.Bro Ron Bodkin for organizing a Race Night
on Friday 8th May
To all members and friends who supported Crayford Lodge
Race Night
I thank you all for a wonderful night, and to inform you we
raised the SUM £461 FOR CHARITY
Thanks you all once again
Best Wishes
Ron
----------------------------------------------
Mike Hitchens presenting Wii Machine to Gravesend Stroke
Recovery Unit on behalf of the Lodge as a token of our
thanks for looking after our Perceptor during his recent
illness
Brethren,
For charity I am making myself look like a fool! Please
donate to support me and this great cause! Should wish to
join me, albeit already into Movember please let me know.
During Movember (the month formerly known as November) I'm
growing a Moustache. That's right I'm bringing the Mo back
because I'm passionate about tackling men's health issues
and being proactive in the fight against prostate cancer.
You can donate to my Mo by either:
Clicking this link
https://www.movember.com/uk/donate/donate-details.php?action=sponsorlink®o=2023866&country=uk
and
donating online using your credit card or PayPal account,
or Writing a cheque payable to 'The Prostate Cancer Charity
Re: Movember', referencing my Registration Number 2023866
and mailing it to:
The Prostate Cancer Charity
First Floor Cambridge House
100 Cambridge Grove
Hammersmith
London W6 OLE
The money raised by Movember is used to raise awareness of
men's health issues and donated to The Prostate Cancer
Charity which will have an enormous impact on many men's
lives and the awareness will help us to fight prostate
cancer on every front - through research, support,
information and campaigning.
Did you know...
Prostate cancer is the most common cancer in men in the UK.
35,000 men are diagnosed every year and one man dies every
hour.
1 in 11 UK men will be diagnosed in their lifetime .
For those that have supported Movember in previous years
you can be very proud of the impact it has had and can
check out the details at:
[ Fundraising Outcomes ].
Movember culminates at the end of month Gala Partés. If you
would like to be part of this great night you'll need to
purchase a [Gala Parté Ticket].
Thanks for your support,
Andrew Essinghigh
Samantha visit to Tanzania
PREPARED
8th AUGUST 2007
£50,000
FOR ASIAN FLOOD RELIEF APPEAL
In the wake of
the worst flooding to hit Asia in many years, The President
of the Grand Charity, Grahame Elliot, has approved an
emergency grant of £50,000 to the British Red Cross Asia
Floods Appeal.
In recent
weeks, Afghanistan, Bangladesh, China, India, Nepal and
Pakistan have all been hit by major floods caused by the
monsoon rains.
Landslides and
flash-floods have killed several hundred people and
hundreds of thousands more have been left homeless. Many of
the people affected are amongst the world's poorest and
they now have little or no access to food, clean water and
healthcare and are at risk from the outbreak of waterborne
disease.
The grant to
the Red Cross is a significant contribution towards the
initial £250,000 appeal target and will help to provide
emergency relief in the affected countries, including the
delivery of food, water and basic
healthcare.
Visit The Freemasons’
Grand Charity website at www.grandcharity.org
<</span>http://www.grandcharity.org/>
For
further information contact The Freemasons’ Grand
Charity on 020 7395 9261.
Province of West Kent
eFLASH message
PREPARED 6th JULY 2007
Freemasons Grand Charity Information Release
General Meetings £1/2 million gift for charities
A General Meeting of The Freemasons’ Grand Charity
has approved donations of over £1/2 million to charities
across England and Wales. The grants will help 14 charities
supporting vulnerable people including those with
disabilities, youth opportunities and research into medical
conditions.
The Freemasons’ Grand Charity distributes money given
by Freemasons and their families. The latest grants take
the total support for non-Masonic charities announced
during 2007 to nearly £1.9 million.
Visit: The Freemasons’ Grand Charity website at
www.grandcharity.org
Attached to this eFlash is Copy of the full report should
you wish to read or print it.
WMs Appeal
Pasted
Graphic
Brethren. I ask you to support me as generously as you
possibly can during my year as Master in giving a helping
hand to little Ellie; who has no hands or feet.
W.Bro
Peter Evans. Master 2007-08
At the
Feb GP meeting it was
confirmed the Lodge will Grant the sum of £500 to Joanna.
Also the Lodge will apply to be a Grand Patron of the
Provincial Benevolent fund
To commemorate our 60th Anniversary we have deposited £600
with the West Kent Masonic Charities
Association
Can we help Joanna ?
This will be discused at the Lodge GP Meeting on Thursday
1st February 2007