Twelve months have passed since Bro Dr. Chris Tait was invested as Charity Steward, which in his opinion is one of the, if not most important roles along with Almoner you can be appointed. After all, Freemasonry at its heart is about charity. One year in and Bro Dr. Chris gives his thoughts on this important office:
Being a ‘light blue’ and and also in the role of Junior Warden it was a somewhat daunting charge to be given, especially after the previous caretaker of both Charity Steward and Almoner was Bro. Gordon Newman. Bro. Gordon Newman has been a mason and member of Lodge Temperance 2557 for 39 years and held the roles of Charity Steward and Almoner for more than 30 years! WBro, Peter Walker was appointed Almoner in addition to his long held office of Treasurer and myself Charity Steward.
An almost daunting task from my perspective as Lodge Temperance is fortunate to have many experienced and long standing members in addition to an influx of Light Blues and and Fellowcrafts. One of the special traits of Lodge Temperance is the level of support and guidance on hand to younger or newer members. What many of the experienced brethren do effectively on autopilot can seem at first complex and overwhelming. However, knowing I’d have the support and advice of the Lodge behind me I embarked on my first year as Charity Steward.
Being armed with the ‘Charity Stewards’ handbook, literature, the all important standing order forms for the brethren I stepped out. Three meetings in, I was in full swing, with several new members joining Lodge Temperance I was explaining the importance of charity and handling the important task of checking forms before sending onto Provincial Grand Lodge.
Then the letter arrived, Charity Steward Annual General Meeting, Byker Masonic Hall. Not knowing what to expect or more importantly what was expected of me, I joined my fellow charity Stewards from across the Province of Northumberland. There was, of course, nothing to feel anxious about, whilst the room was predominately filled with Charity Stewards who’d held the post for many years, I was not alone in being a newbie. We were briefed by Provincial Charity Steward WBro Auld, highlighting the excellent work every mason is doing in the Province of Northumberland and as we are in ‘Festival’ for 2020 in aid of the Royal Masonic Benevolent Institution (RMBI) an ambitious target of 2.5 million had been set for the Province. The good news being we are fully on target of achieving this goal, which is quite staggering given all monies raised comes from not rattling tins, but from each of our brethren. In a later post I’ll be explaining all about what being in ‘Festival’ means and the important charities UGLE is supporting.
In October, Lodge Temperance held the installation of WBro. Bell and I was invested as Charity Steward for a second year in addition to taking the role of Senior Warden. In the ensuing year I’m looking to build upon my first 12 months and begin educating (including myself) and brethren on the Masonic Charitable Foundation (MCF).
Congratulations to Bro Dr. Chris on the success of his new office in the Lodge!
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