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You and I have heard and read the phrase “once upon a time” often over the years, especially as it relates to stories we’ve read to our children and grandchildren. And the final sentence of the story usually ends with “and they lived happily ever after.” Well, once upon a time, there was a story about a small town whose residents became quite concerned that some village children weren’t getting enough to eat. So, they began a food drive to donate needed staple foods, like canned fruits, vegetables, and juices. The charity was enthusiastically received and a large barrel with a hole in the top to drop in the cans was set upon the town square to receive donations. The day arrived when the barrel was to be opened and the cans of food distributed to children in need. But, when the lid was pulled off the barrel, to the shock of the people--there were no cans of fruit, vegetables or juice--there was nothing. After a few soul searching questions, the inescapable truth came out. Everyone in town expected everyone else to donate and they therefore, did not donate themselves. The result was that no food donations were made. Thankfully, this is a fictitious story. In fact, according to an article in the periodical, GIVING USA, 2002, individual Americans gave $177.05 billion to charity in 2001. Nine out of ten households contribute to charitable organizations. Our Masonic philosophy encourages us to improve the well being of our communities. We see the value of giving to our 32° Masonic Learning Centers for the treatment of dyslexia, schizophrenia research, our National Heritage Museum or Abbott Scholarships. We Masons are dedicated to “filling the barrel” with our charitable donations, and we don’t assume that someone else will do it. With that in mind, your Charitable Giving Committee hopes you’ll always assure that the men, women and children we help with our contributions, will “live happily ever after.” |
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