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From the Provincial Grand Master Support the 2013 Festival Appeal for the RMTGB It is both a great pleasure and a huge privilege to be able to write this forward endorsing the launch of the Festival for the Royal Masonic Trust for Girls and Boys. I had long ago made up my mind that any Charity designed to protect the welfare of our young people whose mission statement says that its aims are “to continue to relieve the poverty and provide an education and preparation for life for the children of the family of a Freemason and, where funds permit, for any children, as their fathers would have done, had they been able so to do’’ surely must, in all conscience, receive our fullest support. I believe, that we as Freemasons, should support the Trust through this Provincial Festival to ensure that the RMTGB which relies heavily on the Festival System can continue to meet its’ long term commitment so stated in it’s mission statement. Some brethren may not fully understand or appreciate the meaning of the word Festival, but we all understand the meaning of the phrase ‘Masonic Charities’, and that they are the cornerstone of our Order. In this world of ours, a world with such a sharp decline in social conscience, it becomes increasingly urgent that the valued work of our National Masonic Charities be continued and that we are able to remember that these charities, and in particular the RMTGB, must be the very focus of our charitable giving over the next five years. I am very appreciative that already, Lodges and Individuals, along with other Orders, have already proved their commitment resulting in generous donations and encouraging sums. Front cover: Joseph and Holly two of our younger beneficiaries
RW Bro Rev’d Malcolm Lane, Provincial Grand Master for the Province of Monmouthshire I look forward to your continued support in order that together we can yet again raise a sum worthy of the Province of Monmouthshire in the knowledge that we shall be helping those who through no fault of their own find themselves in distressed circumstances. The Trust, governed by Freemasons with a wide range of relevant skills and with years of experience in supporting children and their families can be considered as the jewel in the crown of Freemasonry. This Charity transforms the lives of almost two thousand children and young people every year and it could be a young person belonging to you. Malcolm C G Lane, Provincial Grand Master.
The origin of Monmouthshire can be traced as far back as 1536 when Monmouth comprised the lordships of Newport, Abergavenny, Monmouth, Chepstow, Caerleon and Usk. Its status as a Welsh county fell into doubt in 1543 when it was omitted from the second Act of Union which established the Court of Great Session legal system in Wales. As a result, until 1900 certain Welsh laws were deemed not to apply to Monmouthshire, such as the closure of public houses on Sundays! Its status as part of Wales was re-confirmed in 1974 when the administrative county was replaced by Gwent. Gwent was then broken up in a further reorganisation of local government in 1996 and replaced by five Unitary Authorities. Of these new authorities one is called (incredibly) Monmouthshire, which is administrated from Cwmbran and includes Monmouth, Abergavenny, Caldicot, Chepstow and Usk. The “new” Monmouthshire is by far the largest authority by area but is less populous than the others. The other four are Newport, which had City status conferred in 2002, Caerphilly, Blaenau Gwent, and Torfaen. The Province of Monmouthshire was first designated as such in 1753, some 36 years after the formation of the United Grand Lodge of England in London. The earliest Lodge in the Province was formed as number 126, and lapsed in the same year! The oldest surviving Lodge is the Loyal Monmouth Lodge, number 457 (originally number 671), which was officially formed in 1839 although the Warrant is dated 21st December 1838. It continues to meet at Monmouth, the original county town. Several Lodges failed to survive. Formed in 1813, one of the most interesting was Les Enfants de Mars et de Neptune. The Founders comprised
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The Masonic Province of Monmouthshire
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about 200 French prisoners of war. Membership was also afforded to a number of local people, and when peace was declared in May of 1814, the departing French prisoners left 11 English Brethren behind. They formed themselves into the Philanthropic Lodge number 658 and continued to meet until 1828. In the early days, Lodges met in hotels or hostelries. One of the earliest met at the Crown and Thistle Inn at Monmouth. The earliest building used primarily for Masonic purposes was the building presently used by Loyal Monmouth Lodge, which they acquired in 1841. By 1847 there was a Masonic Hall in Newport High Street, but prior to that, earlier Lodges met at the old Parrot Hotel (changed to the Talbot Hotel some years later), and the Westgate Hotel. The foundation stone for the existing building in Dock Street was laid on April 4th. 1855, and the building has since been extended along Ruperra Street, and more recently extensively restored. There have been 14 Provincial Grand Masters in Monmouthshire. The first Provincial Grand Master, Sir Robert de Cornwall of Berrington, was shared with the Provinces of Worcester, Salop, Gloucester and Hereford. He was Provincial Grand Master from 1753 to 1801, some 48 years! On the 30 October 2006, RW Bro Rev’d Malcolm Lane was Installed as Provincial Grand Master by RW Bro Peter Geoffrey Lowndes, the Deputy Grand Master. RW Bro Rev’d Malcolm Lane who was formally a banker, was ordained as a Deacon on the 10th February 2002 by the then Archbishop of Wales, and now Archbishop of Canterbury, the Most Rev’d Dr Rowan Williams at St Mary’s Priory Church in Abergavenny. RW Bro Lane was Ordained as a Priest on the 25 September 2005 by the Provincial Assistant Bishop of Wales, Right Rev’d David Thomas at the same church. The Province has 28 Lodges and approximately 1,400 members.
Our Mission “A man never stands as tall as when he kneels to help a child” For over 200 years the Royal Masonic Institution for Girls and the Royal Masonic Institution for Boys have helped to relieve poverty and advance the education of the children of deceased or distressed Freemasons. This purpose and other far wider terms of reference were taken up by the Royal Masonic Trust for Girls and Boys (the Trust) when, in 1986, it took over the running of the former charities. Today the Trust could at any one time be actively supporting as many as 2,000 girls and boys at schools, colleges or universities. The support provided takes many forms but the particular needs of the child remain the Trust’s clear priority. Every case is considered on its merits but a degree of poverty must exist for support to be considered. Despite a focus on educating children, the Trust is a Poverty Charity and to receive maximum support, a family’s annual income must be less than £5,000. Hope for the future
The Petitions Committee of the Trust meets four times each year to consider applications submitted on behalf of needy Freemasons and their families. Members of this Committee are often shocked and moved by the heartbreaking and tragic events they read about, and these clearly put into perspective why your continued support is so important. If the Trust accepts a Petition on behalf of a very young child the commitment will remain either until the child has completed his or her education, or until the financial circumstances of the family improve. In some cases this can mean supporting a family for as long as 20 years . This long-term financial commitment is substantial, and so the Trust needs to ensure it has funds not just for this year, but to be able to continue to protect its beneficiaries for many years to come.
When tragedy strikes! The Freemason father died suddenly of a heart attack in 1997. He left a widow and two young boys, Ben then aged six, and Alex three. Life insurance policies cleared the mortgage on the family home but there was no pension. The mother, having to
Both boys attend local State schools and since 1998 they have each received a termly maintenance allowance to assist with their upkeep, and an annual Christmas grant from the Trust to help bring some additional festive cheer. In 2001, four years after the death of her husband, the mother was diagnosed with lung cancer. Despite extensive surgery and a brief period of hope that the cancer had gone into remission, it began to spread. It is now so advanced that chemotherapy can do nothing for her. This mother is now approaching the end of her life. She continues to care for the boys and the Case Almoner visits the family on a weekly basis to make sure the Trust is kept constantly up to date about their needs.
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care for her young family, was unable to work and existed entirely on state benefits.
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This story, based on an existing case, is tragic but not untypical of the family situations the Trust encounters on a daily basis. Each year the Trust spends in the region of £9 million helping children like Ben and Alex. Right now the Trust faces a stark choice; to raise more money or to cut back its support for the distressed children of Masonic families. For today’s Freemasons to fail the distressed child of a Masonic family would be unthinkable.
“A Mason never stands as tall as when he gives generously to help the distressed child of another Mason” Keeping families together
It has not been decided who will care for Ben and Alex, now aged 16 and 12, when the inevitable happens but the Trust remains a constant in their lives, not just giving generous grants, but offering advice and support to help these Masonic dependants look beyond their tragic situation and to provide a guiding hand to their future.
Mission Statement To continue to relieve poverty and provide an education and preparation for life for the children of the family of a Freemason and, where funds permit, for any children, as their fathers would have done, had they been able so to do.
The Trust in action today Maintenance allowances to assist the family in the support of the child
Student accommodation Scholarships to top up student loans and grants while at university
Wh yo supp can
Summer Holiday Grants
£15, Will pro orphaned b with the st security of school env for a
Christmas Grants
£2,300 Will pay for a medical student to complete an elective period in a foreign hospital and assist in his/ her qualification as a doctor
£77 £750 Would pr Would purchase 11-year old a desktop term’s mai computer with allowanc printer, software and a 3-year family inco housing co warranty than £10
Fostering exceptional talent
£300 Would allow a child to join classmates on a school organised educational visit
£60 Would provide an achievement award in recognition of at least 6 GCSE passes at ‘A’ Grade
£350 Will buy a complete school uniform for a child to make sure they fit in with their peers on their first day at school
£250 Will buy a flute for a child to develop their musical interest
£130 Would prov a Christm Grant to a income fam
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Facts and Figures Computers and Special Needs Equipment
hat our port do!
,000 ovide an beneficiary tability and a boarding vironment a year
Single grants for books, clothing, child-minding, fees, educational travel, equipment and materials
£1,000 Would provide a scholarship for one year for a beneficiary from a low income family while attending University
70 rovide an d with one intenance ce where ome after osts is less 0,000 p.a.
vide mas low mily
2006 was also another successful year for Lifelites, the Trust’s project that provides education and entertainment technology for children’s hospices in England and Wales. On 1 January 2006 Lifelites was launched as an independent charity. It remains under the administrative umbrella of the Trust but is now able to seek the Masonic and non-Masonic support that will safeguard its future.
Our Presence in Monmouthshire The Trust is currently supporting two families from the Province of Monmouthshire. Over the last ten years nine families have been supported at a cost of over £88,000.
£800 Will allow a child to receive counselling following the death of a parent
£400 Would pay for one years music lessons for a child who is working towards graded examinations
During 2006 the Trust supported 888 girls and 812 boys at schools, colleges and universities. Many others benefited from grants from the subsidiary funds, Talentaid or received a Choral Bursary. In all over 1,800 young people were helped at a cost of over £9.2 million.
£420 Will pay for an Educational Psychologist Assessment to identify and help with a child’s learning difficulties
£260 Will pay for a child to go on an activity holiday as respite from their responsibilities at home, where their parent or sibling in disabled
£200 Would pay for one term of specialist tuition for a child with learning difficulties
In 1999 your local Children’s Hospice, Ty-Hafan near Cardiff became one of the first Hospices to receive assistance from Lifelites. In 2003, it received its first upgrade and to date over £138K has been expended on this Hospice alone. The Trust has also awarded St Woolos Cathedral, Newport £3,000 per annum to assist with the educational costs of two of its choristers. This support maintains the close link that Freemasonry has always had with Cathedrals and is part of the Trusts programme of non-Masonic grant giving.
Informal counselling and support
Making it happen – raising the money Legacy Giving By remembering the Royal Masonic Trust for Girls and Boys in your Will you can make a real difference to the level of support we provide. Legacies are immensely important to our work. Making a Will is a simple but very important step. It is the only way of ensuring that you decide who will benefit from your estate after your death. Your legacy can help us to change the lives of generations of children by enabling us to continue our work well into the future.
Planning an Open Day? Did you know that the Royal Masonic Trust for Girls and Boys has a professional presentation stand, which can be used to illustrate some of the important works carried out by this charity?
Guest Speakers The Trust will, on request, arrange for a speaker to attend Lodge meetings to talk about the work of the Charity. Please contact the Fund-raising Manager, Bro Ray Collings at the Trust on 020 7405 2644 or rcollings@rmtgb.org.
The Trust actively encourages all eligible donors to complete a Gift Aid declaration, which enables the benefit of your donation to be maximised. For your donations to qualify for Gift Aid you must pay an amount of Income Tax and/or Capital Gains Tax at least equal to the tax that the Trust reclaims on your donations in the appropriate tax year (currently 28p for each ÂŁ1 you give). Please ensure that you contact the Trust if your tax situation changes or if you change address.
Gift Aid Envelopes Gift Aid envelopes are also available. The envelopes enable the Trust to reclaim tax on donations made through alms collections, festive boards and ladies nights.
Support the Trust and come to the Festival Once every year the Trust holds a Festival, at which the total amount achieved, including promised donations, is announced. On each of these occasions a distinguished Brother, usually a Provincial Grand Master, presides and, in the latter case, the Brethren of his Province and their Ladies are invited to support him to the utmost of their ability.
In 2013, the Anniversary Festival is being held under the presidency of the Provincial Grand Master for Monmouthshire. Please support your Provincial Grand Master and qualify as a Steward of the 2013 Festival (see page 10).
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Please treat all donations made by me to the Monmouthshire Provincial Grand Charity 2004 as Gift Aid Donations
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Registered Charity No. 1108895
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GIFT AID DECLARATION
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Lodge Name No. Full Name: WBro / Bro Address
Post Code Phone No. I enclose a single Donation of £ I pledge the sum of £ each month / quarter / year Beginning on the first day of 200 for years
I am a UK taxpayer and have paid an amount of tax at least equal to the tax refund claimed by the charity from my donations. I will inform the charity if I do not pay an amount of tax that equals the tax deducted from this or any future donations. Signed
Date 200 FOR OFFICE USE ONLY
Number PM Entered on Database
/
/ 200
BANKER’S ORDER To: The Manager
Bank
Address Post Code Sort Code Please debit my account (number) and pay the sum of £ each month / quarter / year Beginning on the first day of 200 for years To: The Manager, HSBC plc, 1 Bridge Street, Newport, South Wales NP20 4UT Account in the name of “Monmouthshire Provincial Grand Charity 2004” Account Number 406 755 98 Sort code 40-34-27.
Signed
Date / 200
Bank payments to Quote this reference Number PM
Festival Honorifics
Become a Steward of the 2013 Festival by paying a minimum of £300 towards the Festival Appeal. Once qualified, you can apply to receive your Festival jewel.
Qualified Stewards may wish to become a Patron of the 2013 Festival by paying or promising to pay a minimum of £900 towards the Festival Appeal, this includes the £300 already paid to become a Steward.
Ladies may obtain Honorific Ranks in the Festival for half those amounts shown for Brethren.
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Qualified Stewards may wish to become a Vice-Patron of the 2013 Festival by paying or promising to pay a minimum of £600 towards the Festival Appeal, this includes the £300 already paid to become a Steward.
Qualified Stewards may wish to become a Grand Patron of the 2013 Festival by paying or promising to pay a minimum of £1,200 towards the Festival Appeal, this includes the £300 already paid to become a Steward.
Lodge Honorifics Lodges may obtain Honorific Ranks in respect of the 2013 Festival Appeal as follows: Subscriber
(£3,000)
Vice-Patron
(£6,000)
Patron
(£10,000)
Grand Patron
(£15,000)
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Our history...
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HRH the Duchess of Cumberland (below) was the Trust’s first Royal Patroness. With Chevalier Ruspini, a prominent 18th century Freemason, she founded The Royal Cumberland Freemasons’ School in 1788. Under the firm direction of the Duchess, King George III’s sister-in-law, the school educated and cared for poor and orphaned girls. Out of that school grew both the Royal Masonic Trust for Girls and Boys and The Royal Masonic School for Girls at Rickmansworth. This contemporary engraving, after a painting by the fashionable portrait painter Richard Cosway, is in the possession of the Trust.
The picture of about 1802 shows Chevalier Ruspini, one of the founders of the first Masonic school, leading the pupils into Grand Lodge in the presence of HRH George, Prince of Wales.
... Their future Christopher and Nicholas are the sons of a Freemason. Their father died of a heart attack. At the time, Christopher, then aged 17, had tried to resuscitate his father. Their mother, like many women, had given up work when her children were born. The Trust accepted a petition on the boys’ behalf. Christopher, an academic high-flyer, is now studying to be a large animal vet at the Royal Veterinary College, London, and is in receipt of a RMTGB Scholarship. Nicholas, who was on the special needs register at school due to his Dyspraxia, now attends a local college where he is studying Motor Vehicle Maintenance. This will allow him to develop and utilise his practical skills. He continues to be supported by the Trust. With RMTGB support both these boys will be able to follow their chosen careers and become valued members of society.
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The Future in your Hands Sarah and James (below) are three year old twins. Their Masonic father died very suddenly from a heart attack. The mother’s only source of income is from State Benefits. Each child receives a RMTGB Maintenance Allowance. This family could well need our help for 20 years.
Will you, in turn, support the Trust?
Grand President HRH The Duke of Kent KG GCMG GCVO ADC Grand Master President Andrew Stebbings Treasurer Nigel Buchanan Chief Executive Les Hutchinson Royal Masonic Trust for Girls and Boys 60 Great Queen Street, London WC2B 5AZ Telephone: 020 7405 2644 Facsimile: 020 7831 4094 Web-site: www.rmtgb.org Registered Charity No. 285836
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