Odessa Masonic Lodge installs officers for 2015

November 17 found the members of Odessa Lodge No. 156, Free and Accepted Masons conducting their 107th annual installation of officers. Principal officers for the new year are: Dennis Thompson, Master; Jerry Schafer, Senior Warden, Marcus Horak, Junior Warden, Norman Ott, Secretary/Treasurer and Michael Kiesz, Senior Deacon.

What do Freemasons do?

This oldest fraternity in the world has, through the ages, enjoyed deep and lasting fellowship and friendship within its membership while continually promoting good character and good deeds within its lodge rooms as well as in the community. However well Masons know each other and each other's deeds and efforts in the world, Masonic contributions beyond these bounds are much less known to the general public.

First, consider the many appendant bodies in addition to the basic Masonic Lodge: There is the Order of Eastern Star, Scottish Rite, York Rite, Grotto, Amaranth, DeMolay, Rainbow Girls, Job's Daughters, "Shriners," and more. In a recent district meeting of the Grand Lodge of Washington, it was announced that the dollar contribution to charity and research by the combined Masonic bodies throughout America, amounted to $8 million dollars per day with a great majority of those funds going to the Shriners’ Hospitals. Consider the following quote from freemasons- freemasonry.com:

"The most visible part of Masonic philanthropy, however, is the provision of hospitals, health care and medical research. This work involves huge budgets and it is easy to point with pride to the Shriners' Hospitals and to the sublime simplicity that motivates the philanthropy behind them: if a patient can be helped, the services are provided – cost is never a consideration. Basic medical research, on the other hand, has a lower public profile, for it is not as photogenic as large hospitals and smiling patients, but its results are every bit as important and they illustrate perfectly the universality of Masonic giving, for they benefit all mankind.

It is a relatively simple matter to calculate the extent of Masonic Philanthropy in the areas of health, educational and institutional support of the elderly, and to set out significant contributions to non-Masonic national charities; for example, special support is given to the Muscular Dystrophy Association by the Tall Cedars of Lebanon, and to the American Diabetes Foundation. But it is far more difficult to calculate the increased community activity by individual Masons who have been inspired to greater service by the teachings of their Craft."

For an example of medical research, explore: http://www.mmr l.edu doing high level heart research and more, or, http://www.c mmrf.org

Scottish Rite's work in Spokane is RiteCare, explained by the following, in their words: "In the early 1950s in Colorado, the Scottish Rite of Freemasonry of the Southern Jurisdiction of the United States initiated a program to help children with speech and language disorders. The results obtained from this program led to the establishment of RiteCare® clinics to provide diagnostic evaluation and treatment of speech and language disorders, as well as learning disabilities.

Today, there are 178 RiteCare® clinics, centers, and special programs operating or planned for children and therapists located throughout the United States. Each facility is staffed by speech-language pathologists or other trained personnel. Through the support of Scottish Rite members, these clinics, centers, and programs continue to increase. The value of this philanthropy has long been apparent. Tens of thousands of youngsters across the United States have been helped significantly. With the good work of dedicated clinicians and parents, the Scottish Rite has achieved successes that could only be imagined a few years back. Children who might have remained educationally behind for a lifetime can now talk, read, and lead productive lives."

These are only a very few of the multitude of Masonic charities and medical research and services.

Odessa Lodge No. 156 begins "at home," with Bikes-for-Books in the Odessa Schools, the now annual Community Thanksgiving Dinner and processes materials for the Washington Grand Lodge scholarship programs, within which, two Odessa high school students were recent recipients.

So while a few days ago Odessa Lodge No. 156 once again installed officers, it remains a foundation block in a much larger charitable contribution to this country and beyond. This is what Freemasons do.