Page 14 - EssexMason (Issue 89)online_version

Provincial Charity Steward colin.felton@essexpgl.org

18 Months to “Save Our Festival”
By Colin Felton, ProvGChStwd

e have 18 months left to “Save our Festival.” Just 78 weeks, at the time of writing, to raise
W£2.2 million to reach our late Provincial Grand Master’s target of £6 million. Can we do it?
Yes we can with your help. Will it be tough? Of course it will - but I know what big hearted Essex
Freemasons can do when they have made their minds up and right now I need your help.
I promised our late PGM Rodney Lister Bass OBE that I would deliver his target – money desperately
needed by the Masonic Charitable Foundation (MCF) to maintain its and our programme across
Essex, supporting hundreds of different charities together with distressed Freemasons and their
families.
The suspension of meetings caused by Covid-19 saw our funds dry up. I reckon we have lost £1.2 million that Freemasons would have
given if they had not been in lockdown, but the need is as big as ever and somehow we must make up that shortfall.
We get back nearly £1 million each year from the MCF whether we are in Festival or not, which is why I intend to do everything I can
to deliver that promise in memory of our RW ProvGM. This is his Festival and in celebration of his life and the huge contribution he
made to our Province we are launching a number of new ideas to raise that £2.2 million and to close that gap – please do your best
to support them.

The Rodney Lister Bass Memorial Pin
The Rodney Lister Bass Memorial Pin comes in two versions, one in sterling silver and one gilded sterling silver (gold). They are in the
form of the late ProvGM’s initials and can be pinned to your Festival Jewel or to your lapel and can be worn with pride as part of your
Masonic regalia.

I am very conscious that for some of our members the pandemic has caused significant
financial hardship but I am asking those who can afford to do so to donate the money that
you would have spent - and to give it by purchasing a pin to help “Save Our Festival.”
Please buy a silver version for £25. Every penny counts if we are to achieve our target and
it would be wonderful to see these pins across the Province.
At the time of writing the pins are in the final design and manufacture stage but will soon
be available via Essex Mason.
https://www.essexmason.co.uk/ or Tel: 01206 560396.

The New Platinum Level Festival Target
Many Lodges have worked hard to get to Grand Patron status but realise they would not be able to achieve Double Grand Patron
before the end of the Festival. We have therefore set a new interim Platinum level target for Lodges willing to go that extra mile. To
work out how that figure applies to your Lodge or Chapter simply divide you existing Grand Patron target by three and then multiply
by four.
All Lodges & Chapters have been notified of their new targets by the Provincial Charity Team and we look forward to issuing certificates
to those units who go the extra mile.
Remember brethren, the targets are based on the number of members in a Lodge or Chapter, so it makes little difference how many
members you have – the targets are the same for everyone. Even if you cannot hit Platinum please aim as high as you can, it is not a
league table or a competition – it is a real need to “Save Our Festival.”
Rewarding Your Support
There have been many individual Masons, Lodges and Chapters that have gone that extra mile to help make Festival 2022 a success.
We want to mark the special contribution that some of you have already made and for others who will do so in the coming months.

From September 2020 we will be issuing a Festival President’s Award, a unique certificate in memory of Rodney Bass, which will be
presented to individuals, Lodges and Chapters who have made a special contribution towards making the Festival a success.
It recognises the enormous task we all face if we are going to reach our £6 million target. It is a reward for excellence, initiative and
hard work in helping to raise funds for Festival 2022. If you or your Lodge are organising a special event, doing something above and
beyond for the Festival then let us know and you could be one of the first to receive this new award.
Make a Pledge
With no meetings taking place during lockdown we know we are running out of time – but help is on its way. The MCF have agreed
that if your Lodge or Chapter will pledge support for the Festival and are willing to commit to a specific sum, then you have until
December 2022 before you have to hand over the money – that is nine months after the Festival officially ends and more than two
years from now.

Make your pledge now and that sum will immediately be credited to your Lodge or Chapter and to the Festival total and it will count
from the moment you notify us.
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