Saturday saw the temple full of candidates and families.  The morning session played host to the latest 33rd degree ceremony and the afternoon session presented over 40 new KCCH honorees their newly minted Red Hat.

Click here for pictures from the event

Brothers,

It has been a busy summer trying to get ready for the 2009 season for “Masons helping Children”. Jr. Continues to work on the two displays. You will see the finished product of the indoor display at Scottish Rite on Wednesday Night.

Monogram Magic is making a table cover for an 8ft. table that will be under the indoor display unit with the Blue Lodge, Scottish Rite, Shrine and York Rite Symbols Monogrammed on the front. Jim Adams continues to work on the brochure and will have that soon. He is also looking at shirts with, “Ask Me…….What Masons do for Children ”
front and back to be worn during festivals.

Right around the corner is “Matthews Live”, no space is available there, I have talked to Mike Warr, PM Matthews Lodge about doing what we did last year, being on the porch of the Lodge and he has agreed for us to do that again. You may remember we had good response as the lodge is open with restrooms and a place to sit and get cool and enjoy the good food. Dates are Sept. 4th. – 7th. We will not put a up a tent. Masons Helping Children is on the tents so Jr. is working on how to put our name above the big units.

We are also approved to display at “Mint Hill Madness” and for the first time at “Celebrate Midland Magic” in October both at no charge. I know this is short Notice but we were trying to get most of this together before we call a meeting of all of you.
Lets meet at Scottish Rite on Wednesday the 2nd. at 3M and we can work right up top time to have dinner and the Scottish rite Meeting.

We need to talk more about staffing these festivals and while we are talking we can put the new pictures that have been laminated on the large posters for the outside display. I am excited about getting back out there and telling the world what Masons do for Children. I hope to see you on Wednesday at 3PM

Have a Great Weekend,
Don Wilson

Our day started early on Saturday with Jr. Harward, Max Walker, Jim Adams, Mack Archer and myself setting up our booth in front of the Masonic Lodge of Waxhaw. The day started bright and the people came. We never know what or who to expect as we man this booth and there were the usual good comments about  Masons.  The Shrine Hospital, which, some asked if it was going to close, our answer was today it is business as usual and that seemed to please all who had questions.

The Learning Center is still the best kept secret and we really wanted to talk about it. Shortly before noon a lady walked up with her two children and stated that their family had just moved to the area from St.Louis and the two children were having a hard time in the transition.  They felt they were behind in their work and getting worse, along with giving up. This family name and address has already been turned over to the Center.

We are still surprised with those who walk up and say thanks for what you do and hand us a dollar or two or five or in one case a twenty. There was one fellow who could not have been over 30 years old looking at the pictures of the Shrine Hospital. As I approached him he told me this beautiful story of how he and his wife and three children and taken on a foster child  a 13 years old young girl.. The agency told them the young girl need a stable home so that she could be admitted to the hospital for spinal surgery and the family agreed.  He talked about his ready made family and the  unexpected challenges due to her age, environment, parents that did not want her, rebellion, all those thinks that a young family don’t need. I asked one of the children what it was like to have this new addition in her home and her remarks were slow in coming and with her father’s approval she looked at me and said, “It was nice”.

Most of you reading this know that the afternoon was pretty much over because of the rain. Teenagers stayed around eating hot dogs, popcorn and cotton candy.  But was pretty much over for us.

Sunday found overcast skies with a little sunshine. The crowd picked up and we again had the usual well wishers. Max Walker and Mack Archer talked to all their neighbors. The discussion in our booth and with the few Member of Waxhaw Lodge was the visit from the Grand Master on Thursday. Jr. made it clear that he planned to have our portable display unit ready to be used by Waxhaw Lodge during this visit.

Again clouds threatened the afternoon but not before we had a visit from an Angel. She is a four year old in a wheelchair who is paralyzed from the waste down. I won’t go into her medical problems, there were several of us in the booth space sitting and stand around when she and her mother entered our booth.  It was lake a symphony as every man jumped up and looked and spoke to her and saw the radiant smile on that beautiful four year old face and the sweet wave of that small hand. I could have sworn there was a halo over her head, but I now believe it was the reflection of a tear that had somehow gotten in my eye.

The rains did come again on Sunday Afternoon and we dismantled and came home. As I reflect tonight on this week end, was it worth while, was it worth getting wet two days in a row? It was, you see if we were there for just one of the above, I would think it worth while. If Masons everywhere could see and hear what we see and hear, I think we would again be reminded of why we even exist. I believe that the Great Architect of the Universe gave us all we could handle this weekend.

Thanks to those who participated this week-end, Max Walker, Mack Archer, Bob Braswell, Jim Adams and Jr. Harward.

Fraternally,
Don Wilson

GCR Petition

Registration Form

4740 Randolph Road, Charlotte, NC

• This was the 16th Annual Matthews Alive Festival, however, I think the festival has been in existence much longer than that, but under another name. I want to say it was called Stumptown Festival, but I am not sure. The Masonic Charities for Kids display was there for the first time at the invitation of the Matthews Masonic Lodge. They have sold hamburgers and hot dogs, with all the trimmings, for many years in front of their lodge building, with great success, as we found out, when the public came looking for these men and their burgers.

• The first discussion I had with Mike Warr PM on Tuesday, before the Festival started on Friday, was, their Lodge was going to place a 10X10 tent on the lodge grounds behind their two 20×20 tents for our display. I wondered about this arrangement, but, this was our first festival in Matthews and with the exhibit space sold out, we were satisfied going anywhere they told us because this festival draws big attendance.
•  Jr. Harward PM and I arrived Friday morning to set up the display that he spent many hours building to accommodate the pictures from our charities, The Masonic Home for Children at Oxford NC, The Charlotte Scottish Rite Children’s Learning Center and the 22 Shriners Hospitals for Children. Our sole purpose was to inform the public of these charities, not too raise money or increase membership in the fraternity. In making the public aware of our charities, we also wanted to dispel the notion of the secret organization, the sect or the cult idea.
• Once we were ready to set up, Mike Warr PM said that the lodge had found the frame but, no top and he was personally going right then to buy us a tent. We could not let him do that so we asked about setting up in front of the lodge under the overhang on both sides of the entrance and were given permission to do that. Now this had to be providential as there was at least a 20 foot space between the lodge tent in the street and the one beside it which opened up to the yard and entrance of the lodge.The lodge opened their building up to the public and on the ground floor are rest rooms and a large dining hall. You can imagine the business these facilities received and we were there to hold the door. Sometimes folks were in a hurry when they came in but were less rushed when they came out. It did not matter where the public purchased their food they were still invited to come in, relax in the air conditioning and enjoy their food.
• We manned our display from 6 to 10 pm on Friday August 29th, 9 am to 9 pm on Saturday the 30th, Sunday the 31st, 12 noon to 9pm and Monday, Labor Day 9 am to 5 pm. I have already mentioned Jr. Harward PM who worked the entire time. We were joined during the week-end by, Bob Bryant and Mike Elliott PM who helped sep up the display, Jim Adams, Carl Pinion, Max Walker PM, DDGM , Mack Archer, Gary Isenhour PM and John Elliott as well as John Hall, Jack Stegall PM, and Billy Kiser who stopped by.
• The first person I talked to on Friday evening was a lady with a son who started fifth grade on Monday. She said he came home and told her he could not read as well as others in his class and he did not want to go back to school. She said, ”please, can the Scottish Rite Learning Center help him”? She was given the phone number of the Learning Center. One of our guys talked to a lady who came in to enjoy lunch with a child who had an obvious need for orthopedic help. She initiated the discussion and asked how to contact the hospital and we directed her through Oasis Shrine Center.
• There is story after story of needs, and we make no guarantee or promise of help only that we can direct them to the place to start. I said earlier that we were not raising money for the charities or trying to increase membership in the fraternity, however many discussions seem to go back to someone’s father, grandfather, brother or uncle who was or is a Mason, a 32 degree Mason or Shriner. Through these discussions, we were privileged, to give Matthews Lodge the names of four men interested in becoming Masons. We will give to Mint Hill Lodge a name of a man who inquired about membership in the Mint Hill area as that is where he lives and knows of the activity of that lodge.
• There are by-products of this effort, fellowship among Masons’ and many discussions of how we can do this better and more effective. It was brought to our attention that The York Rite Bodies should be a part of this effort and a contact has already been made with positive results. We look forward to their joining us. A steering committee is being formed and one of the first of many idea’s that will be presented to them is how do we take Masonic Charities for Kids into Parades?
• Fraternally, Don Wilson
• More Photos Here

Click the above pic to see more from our 2nd Annual Roger Hart Memorial Golf Tournament to benefit the Charlotte Scottish Rite Children’s Learning Center, held May 23rd, 2008 at the Charlotte National Golf Course – more details will follow.

Dear Fellow Culinarian,

My name is Chef John J. Cutitta, I am producing a Culinary Game Show in Charlotte North Carolina, March 3rd 2008. The top Culinary Schools are involved, Johnson & Wales University, The Art Institute of Charlotte and CPCC. The show will be held in a 1,000 seat auditorium at The Charlotte Scottish Rite Theater 4740 Randolph Road. In attendance will be Top Local Chefs and the top brass of the local ACF Chapter. We are raising money for two local charities. Many Restaurants and local purveyors have donated prizes.

Doors open at 5:00PM, the event will begin at 6:00 and end approximately 8:00PM. The Game show has three competition categories, a Jeopardy style Q&A round with “lock out buzzers” and contestant podiums. Second round. A hands on challenge “Beat the Clock” style,using pastry bags, whisks and channel knives.In the last leg of the evening a “blind palate test”Culinary Students will be picked from the audience to compete. prizes are still rolling in, many companies are being supportive and generous. Tickets will be sold the evening of the event at the door $10.00 each. Thank you for your anticipated participation.

Executive Chef John J. Cutitta (formerly the Executive Chef of Winged Foot Golf Club NY,Corporate Chef for City Tavern Restaurants and currently Chef Of Delectables By Holly)

PS: We are raising money for two charities that night: The Charlotte Scottish Rite Children’s Learning Center & Joe’s closet for the Community Culinary School of Charlotte

The schools involved are: Johnson and Wales University, The International Culinary School @ The Art Institute of Charlotte & Central Piedmont Community College Culinary Program

Other sponsors: The Scottish Rite Masonic Temple, Delectables by Holly Catering, The American Culinary Federation, Piedmont Natural Gas, SYSCO, US Foods, Wusthoff Cutlery, Earthfare, Dean & Deluca, City Tavern Restaurants, Ratcliffe on the Green, Blue, Table, Cabo fish Taco, and more still coming!