Missouri Masonic Children’s Foundation (MOCHIP

Missouri Masonic Children’s Foundation Misssouri Child Identification and Protection Program

By RWB Mitchell Penn MOChip State Coordinator

Freemasonry is a Beautiful System of Morals.

We’ve all heard this, at least once during our Masonic journey. This message came very soon after we each made a decision to improve our own lives, the communities in which we live, and by proxy the entire world. Each man must choose his own path, and our fraternity offers a multitude of ways in which we can make a difference.

The Missouri Masonic Children’s Foundation is just one of those. Its principal focus, as most of you know, is the MOCHIP program. There are so many ways to get involved, some of which are often overlooked. Every Freemason has an opportunity to be out in his community, working to provide peace of mind while equipping the families of Missouri with a tool to use in the unlikely case of a missing or abducted child. Giving up a Saturday to volunteer at an event is a small price to pay for such a worthy cause.

Since the outbreak of COVID-19, our ability to get out and do events has been limited, to say the least. I recently had the honor of working with men and women from an area of our state known as the bootheel. Wardell Lodge 157 and Bernie Lodge 573 joined forces to hold an event in Caruthersville, MO. We didn’t set any records, as far as numbers go, but we were able to process 16 children. I have to say that despite the goal being the identification of kids, the day was spent in fellowship among like minded individuals, all working toward a common goal. Isn’t that what Freemasonry is all about? The conversations on ritual, membership decline, and fraternal relations left me feeling enlightened. We laughed in agreement that we are truly in this together - a Saturday well spent. Another such Saturday was recently spent at the Joplin Scottish Rite Temple. This is the hometown of one of our MCF Board members, RWB Chris Nickle. He gave us the nickel tour, no pun intended, of one of most beautiful pieces of Masonic architecture that I have yet to witness. Our entire Board of Directors was on hand to help with the day’s event, as well as RWB Chad Wagoner, DDGM of the 45th Masonic District. This was the first event since COVID-19 restrictions began, and it was used to refine some of our processes. You see RWB Chad is a physician and gave some keen insight on how to reduce risks. It is so easy to overlook what seem to be minor details, only to get an outside view of what has the potential to be a giant problem. Thank you, Chad, and the entire MCF Board, for your guidance. Two heads are truly better than one.

I speak for the entire MOCHIP family when I say that we are ready to get back to operations. We are ready to come to your town, to your safety fair, to your back to school event, and work with you to improve our world, one Saturday at a time. Thank you all for your continued support.