Freemasons Child Health Fellowships at Otago University
October 8, 2020
Powering Potential
January 11, 2021
‘Borrow a Brother’
Since time immemorial Freemasons have been borrowed by members of the community to help out or have been asked to help out or have offered to help out. It is generally something they do willingly as charity and community go hand in hand in Freemasonry.
A nice little story from Whanganui…
‘On Saturday 15th August 2020, on a bright, clear, blue sky day, brethren from The St. Andrew Kilwinning Lodge No 79 in Whanganui picked up their tools and went to work on a small lifestyle property own by Ceinwen ‘Cyd’ Welsh, deconstructing a set of dog kennels and chicken enclosures, clearing the way for a patch of ground to be turned in to raised garden beds.
Master Craig Ancell had been in contact with Ms. Welsh just before the Covid lockdown in March, on the solicitation of Ash Williamson District Grand Master for the Ruapehu District, who had himself been solicited by Brother Alwyn Evans of the Old Monktonians Lodge No.8938 in Cardiff, Wales, who is the cousin of Ms. Welsh. He explained that Ms. Welsh had recently suffered a stroke and was having difficulty with being able to work on her small lifestyle property in Fordell, Whanganui, and asked if any member of the local lodges in Whanganui might be able to render assistance to her.
The Master and Lodge Almoner Craig Ancell, made contact with Ms. Welsh prior to the Covid-19 lockdown and assisted her in purchasing green groceries during the lock down period, culminating in getting together a working bee of lodge members, including the Worshipful Master of the United Lodge of Whanganui No 438, in helping Ms. Welsh clear some land to be used for raised garden beds. This was completed on a beautiful winters day in August.
Craig Ancell received a very warm and grateful letter of thanks from Dr Ian Hooper of the Old Monktonians Lodge, expressing their sincere gratitude for the reaching out of Masonic brethren on the other side of the world, in rendering assistance to a person in need whose association with Freemasonry was purely by filial connection.
It shows that Freemasonry and charitable work truly has no borders. A warm Masonic connection has now been forged between two lodges on opposite sides of the earth from each other, all in the name of charity.’