Last Thursday opportunity was taken by Eric Meacock, secretary of Nannup Day Lodge of Freemasons to present a cheque for $200 to the most worshipful grand master Peter Kirwin, who in his capacity as leader of Freemasons in Western Australia, recently took the initiative of nominating himself for the St. Vincent de Paul Society WA Inc. CEO Sleepout, where funds are raised for homeless persons throughout the state.
His nomination read: "One night isn't a lot, but it can make a whole lot of difference. Freemasons are often portrayed as coming from the higher end of society but it could not be further from the truth. The membership of our Society comes from all walks of life and one of our core beliefs is chartiy and to help others who are less fortunate than ourselves. As the newly appointed leader of Freemasons in WA I could not think of a better way than to lead by example and get involved with the Vinnies CEO Sleepout. The regalia I wear as grand master is based on history and used for ceremonial purposes but as Freemasons we are taught that it is what is in the heart that matters most, not the outward appearance of man. I hope many will support me in this endeavour to raise money for the Vinnies and also draw attention to the plight of the homeless".
The grand master set himself the task of raising as much as possible in the period to the night of the Sleepout which is June 27.
In the first few days of his endeavour the Freemasons and others have rallied and already $2390 has been donated and the Nannup Day Lodge donation will add to that total.
Another news item this week was the election of Ms Marie-Louise McDonald CEO of Masonic Care WA as the new president of the retirement village sector's peak national leadership group, The Retirement Living Council.