Helping Achieve Their Children

By Greg Hall

The Mission of IMCAP is to support children and young adults in need with developmental, social, financial, and educational means, encouraging them to achieve their goals, maintain high ambitions and seek opportunities as they grow and mature into future leaders of our society. The Vision of IMCAP is to serve the children and young adults of our Illinois Masonic Family, leading them towards a brighter future through support, engagement, and empowerment.

One never knows when life can make an unexpected detour from even the most well laid plans. As a Mason and father to three teenage girls, it is an understatement to say how important this program is in their development into productive members of society.

Let me introduce myself. My name is Greg Hall, currently Junior Warden in Batavia Lodge No. 404. My wife, Jill, and I, are parents to those three teenage girls. Like typical teenagers they are participants in various activities in and after school including marching band, show choir, and Winter Guard, the last being an organized sport that includes the use of flags, props, and dance to compete against other schools. They are also involved in our church youth groups, the children’s nursery, and mission trips to make homes warmer, drier, and safer in the Appalachian Mountains, everything that is required to be well rounded individuals. Now imagine the dismay of not having that opportunity to give them those tools they need and enjoy.

My story begins almost two years ago when I suffered a catastrophic injury that left me unable to work. The immediate fear was how to keep going, how to keep my family together. Did I have enough planning and safety nets in place to make sure that we do not lose everything? Fortunately, I was able to secure our home, and make sure that bills were covered. What we did not have was the means to continue to support my daughters in their education and extracurricular needs. This was a fear that devastated my wife and I as we knew the value of well-rounded experiences as well as our daughters mental health during these trying times, including during the pandemic when everything was up in the air.

In August of that year, a devastating injury, which meant loss of work, presented that unexpected detour. Though initially I had a short-term disability, the doctors soon concluded that my life, and that of my family would never be the same. Mounting bills from the hospital, doctors, physical therapy and so on were quickly mounting. Coupled with the loss of my salary it soon became apparent that the girls’ participation in their beloved activities would be disrupted. On top of that Christmas was right around the corner. Despair was setting in.

But my family belongs to the highest of fraternal organizations, a Brotherhood that literally takes an oath based on helping our fellow Masons and their families. I had attended Grand Lodge before and recalled hearing about a charity called IMCAP, Illinois Masonic Children’s Assistance Program, but did not understand how it worked. I went on the Grand Lodge website and read up on how they help. I just could not bring myself to ask for help. I did not feel worthy and thought that they would make me admit my mistakes that got our family into this situation. I was afraid of failure. As I went deeper into despair and the realization that all other avenues were exhausted, I went back to our Grand Lodge website and prayed. I sat there, terrified to start the application, when a sense of calm came over me. I was at the bottom; my girls were not able to move forward with their activities and I realized I had been thinking only about my feelings and how I would be perceived. Then I remembered what it is like to be around Masons and how we treat our Brothers with respect. I remember thinking, “What am I worried about the most?” And it turned out the answer was my family. At that moment asking for help was easy. I filled out the application and sent it into IMCAP. The response was immediate. It was professional. And most important it was compassionate. The team at IMCAP understood. They were eager to help. They coordinated with our school district, and they made my girls’ future happen. In the end the roadblock was not the paperwork or the scrutiny. The roadblock was my inability to ask for help. When I did, IMCAP was there to provide. They were our Christmas Angels during the holiday season.

We belong to an organization that offers many opportunities to its members, especially in times of need, and is designed to make good men better. Sometimes asking for help is exactly what is needed to make one a better man, father, Mason. Myself and my family will always be grateful for the support that IMCAP provided and that is because of the oath we all took as Masons. God blesses.

Through the partnership with Gale and her IMCAP team my daughters continued their music education with Cat and Kristen in orchestra and my third daughter Kendall in band. IMCAP aided with tutoring when the struggles of remote learning during the pandemic affected one of my daughters. These are things that cannot be overlooked during their development and with the help of IMCAP those needs were met during this time of constraint.

The Illinois Masonic Children Assistance Program is designed to allow children of Masons to have a well-rounded upbringing by guaranteeing a whole child. Whole child means more than putting food on the table or helping with clothes, although very much needed. It also includes opportunities to assist in education and extracurricular activities. When called upon, IMCAP programs guarantee that a child of a Mason continues to flourish in their development as a whole child during times of uncertainty. Fulfilling an obligation that all Masons take when joining our fraternal organization.

IMCAP met that obligation with my daughters by providing many opportunities for them to seamlessly carry on with their lives even though things were not the same at home. IMCAP provided the necessary funds to pay for continuing their extracurricular activities to pay fees. This allowed my oldest to continue her passion of Show Choir, which involves singing and dancing, something she did for four years during high school. IMCAP assisted in keeping Kendall and Kristen in both Color Guard and Winter Guard, organized sports in high school that involve dance and competitions. From the Greg Hall Family, thank you Gale and IMCAP.

Brother Greg Hall, Junior Warden, Batavia Lodge No. 404