10 THE YORKSHIRE MASON SUMMER 2024
pitch in and contribute, as we say in part of our
ritual your donations “will be thankfully received
and faithfully applied.” We hope it won’t be
necessary of course, but it might just be that it is
you or your family that come to rely on MCF at
some point.
You will I am sure find it of interest that since our
last Festival, which raised £1.8 million, the Province
has benefited to the tune of some £3million, which
shows just how much we need to fully support
MCF. In 2022 – 2023 alone we have received 114
grants to support our Masonic community
amounting to £305,000 whilst twenty-five local
charities have received £106,000. We rely on MCF
to “see us right,” along with charities within the
Province which we support, so now it’s time to “do
right by MCF.” It’s called payback time!
Other things that we have been doing to involve
families include the celebration of a Brother’s 50
year, or perhaps 60 or 70-year, membership.
Lodges have increasingly turned these events into
a family one where, in something akin to the old
television programme of “This is Your Life,” the
“victim” is quizzed on his life and times and often,
under interrogation, reveals facts and stories which
amuse, enthral and at times astound! This is a
growing occurrence and much like today we open
our doors and have fun with our families.
You might also have accompanied someone today
who has “nipped out for a quick blood test.” Not
something that you might have thought was a
regular occurrence at a Masonic meeting but,
courtesy of our own Provincial Charity, for the last
few years, we have made available a PSA test
facility. Today some 120 plus Brethren have
attended for screening and, whilst we hope that all
are found to be in good shape and “in the green”, if
there are any that could benefit from further
investigation then our efforts will have been
worthwhile.
Something else that I do need to trumpet for all to
hear is the recent creation of a new Lodge, the
Cornerstone Lodge, which has been created with
those in mind who have recently become
Freemasons. The Province is grateful to Tony
Stevenson for taking up the cudgels over the last
eighteen months to help bring the new Lodge to
fruition and to Steve Walker whose brainchild it
was to create a focus for new and young