Home rep newsletter

Masonic Home

Missouri

Representative Newsletter Fall 2013

Volume 1, Issue 1

What are the Duties of a Home Representative?

The Masonic Home of Missouri Representatives are essential to the success of our Outreach Programs. They assist by being the point-of-contact for local Lodges or Chapters and the people who need our assistance. The position of the Masonic Home Representative carries certain responsibilities. They include: 1. Educating yourself and your lodge members about the Outreach Programs available to eligible Master Masons, wives, widows, and female members of the Order of the Eastern Star and children throughout the State of Missouri.

2. The best way to do this is to attend a Representative Training in your area. Take the initiative and host one of these trainings for the District or for other area Lodges and/or Chapters.

3. Collect a list of all of the Masonic Widows from your Lodge and forward them to the Masonic Home to ensure that they are put into our database and receive our magazine, Outreach Brochure, a Widow’s Pin and notifications throughout the year of upcoming events.

4. Get your Lodge active in the Creating-A-Partnership (CAP) Program for area schools and children in your community. Remember to submit an article to the Missouri Outreach regarding your interaction.

5. Track your volunteer hours and turn them into the Masonic Home of Missouri. If your Lodge/Chapter visits Widows in the Holiday Season, keep track of how many visited the widows and how much work went into the visits.

You may submit your volunteers hours using one of our timecards or by visiting our Masonic Home of Missouri Representative page on our website at www.mohome.org

6. Discard outdated materials to avoid confusion. You can request new materials at any time by contacting Rhonda Lightfoot, Membership Relations Coordinator at (800) 434-9804.

7. Give out friendly reminders on the Penny-A-Day Donation. This fundraising campaign helps support our Outreach Programs. 100% of all unrestricted donations are used for direct client support.

Unfortunately, our donations do not cover all of the support that we continue to give and we have had to supplement much of the support of the programs with investment income.

8. Make Referrals. Keep your eyes out for members that may be in need of assistance from the Masonic Home. Keep track of members who stop paying their dues. Make sure it is not due to a financial issue. If a Mason is not a member in good standing, he will not be eligible for assistance from the Home, and neither would his widow in the event of his passing.

9. Utilize the Masonic Home of Missouri’s website at www.mohome.org to gain useful and up-to-date information. We also have a Facebook page and Twitter Feed. Read the Missouri Outreach Magazine and pass along the information contained within to others.

Our Staff is available to answer questions that you may have and we appreciate all of your hard work.

How to Contact Us: Hours: Monday - Friday 8:30 am - 5:00 pm (800) 434-9804 Toll Free (573) 814-4663 Local (573) 814-4660 Fax www.mohome.org

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Masonic Home of Missouri Representative Newsletter

Achievement Award Changes The Grand Lodge’s Achievement Award has changes this year, and we want to highlight the Masonic Home of Missouri’s portion of the award. Barbara Ramsey, Executive Director of the Masonic Home of Missouri, will be discussing the changes during the Grand Master’s Area meetings, and how they affect your Lodge. They will also be discussed at Home Representative Trainings as those are scheduled.

The Masonic Home of Missouri’s portion of the Award is as follows: 9) Lodge Masonic Representative attending training on all Masonic Home of Missouri Programs - 5 pts 10) Refer a name of a Mason/Sister/Child in need to the Masonic Home of Missouri - 10 pts 11) Participate in Creating -A-Partnership Program - 25 pts 12) Participate in Masonic Family Cares Program - 25 pts 13) Host a ladies luncheon/tea/dinner to share information about the Masonic Home of Missouri - 25 pts 14) Create or update a Widow’s List - 10 pts.

If you are interested in sponsoring a Training or a Ladies Luncheon/Tea/Dinner, please contact Rhonda at (800)434-9804 to reserve your date. More information about those events are in articles in this newsletter to help you with your planning.

Masonic Home Representative Training The Masonic Home of Missouri has a training program that encompasses all eight (8) Outreach Programs and the organizational structure of the Home for all Masonic Home Representatives and interested Masons. Lodges are encouraged to host one of these trainings and invite their members or even host a District Event where everyone can get the same information at one time...and ask questions. These trainings take about 2 hours and are an important step into understanding eligibility for the Programs and to educating others within your Lodge on what the programs entail.

As the impact of the Outreach Programs grows, so does some of the requirements. Make sure you have the latest information and are not relying on old eligibility requirements. Consider hosting a training today and getting others involved in helping those in need.

Are You in the Electronic Age? All publications, including the Widows List, Representative Newsletter, Magazine, and Annual Report are available through electronic means. If you would like to receive your information from us by email, please email Rhonda at rlightfoot@mohome.org to be added to our electronic database. A confirmation email will be sent to inform you that you have been added (and to make sure the email was entered correctly). Please check to make sure your Spam folder will allow mail from us.

Volume 1, Issue 1

Page 3

Referring Someone There are many ways to make a referral. Each Home Representative should have referral cards available that either they can send to us or give to the person who is requesting assistance to mail to us. Either party can make a referral on our website at http://mohome.org/Contact-Us.html or even doing the initial application on-line at http://mohome.org/ Outreach-Services.html. The Initial Application is also available as a downloadable pdf or an on-line version that will submit directly to the Home. The Representative or the person requesting assistance can also call or email the Home with their request.

The person being referred must be:     

A Missouri Master Mason in good standing, or A wife of a Missouri Master Mason, or A widow of a Missouri Master Mason, or Missouri Female Member of the Order of the Eastern Star, or Legal dependent of Missouri Master Mason or female member of the Order of the Eastern Star in good standing at the time of application. Legal dependent must 21 years of age or younger, or over the age of 21 with a physical or mental disability.

Because of the sensitive nature of financial requests, the Client Caseworkers cannot notify a Home Representative of the decision on assistance to a person they referred. We will however, mail you a card to say that we did receive the referral (provided you gave us your name and made the actual referral).

Creating-A-Partnership (CAP) Program Our Creating-A-Partnership (CAP) Program is a matching funds program that allows the Masonic Home of Missouri to partner with Missouri Lodges and Chapters to help children in need throughout the state. The Masonic Home of Missouri may match up to $2,500 per Lodge or Chapter each fiscal year (July 1 - June 30).

These needed funds come back to YOUR community to help with either an individual child/children or as a projectbased program. Lodges and Chapters can work with schools or local community organizations/families to identify an assistance need such as providing clothing, school supplies, coats, shoes, hats & gloves, hygiene items, eye glasses, dental work, etc. Many of our Project-Based recipients have assisted schools with their Buddy Pack Program, which provides food for needy schoolchildren. Matching funds must go toward the purchase of a specific item(s). The Masonic Home will not match funds for general operating expenses and all recipients of the funds must be a 501(c) (3) public charitable organizations, as defined by the IRS, or public entities such as school districts. This is not a supplemental aid program for Thanksgiving or Christmas community programs.

Once a need has been identified, the Lodge/Chapter must complete and submit an application and worksheet. The application can be accessed on the Home’s website or mailed to you upon request. Once items have been purchased, receipts need to be given to the Home, showing how the funds were spent. We cannot reimburse for items already purchased and cannot pay individuals for purchases.

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Masonic Home of Missouri Representative Newsletter

Masonic Family Cares Masonic Family Cares is a program that helps facilitate connections between Lodges, Chapters and youth organizations, and the Masonic brothers and sisters in their communities. This program is a great opportunity to connect with those members within your communities who might not be able to attend Lodge/Chapter meetings or a widow who would benefit from seeing a friendly face.

Many Lodges already do this project but do not report their participation or inquire into how the Masonic Home of Missouri can assist with it. How many times has your Lodge gone over to clean out gutters for a widow who might not have the financial resources to hire someone? Has your Lodge assisted with helping another Mason with yard work, or made simple house repairs?

Several times a month, the Masonic Home of Missouri receives phone calls for non-financial assistance requests and attempts to find a nearby Lodge or youth organization to assist with the request. There have been times when a dumpster was needed or concrete purchased that the Home has helped with the costs. By assisting with this program, your Lodge continues to help its members and honored widows.

Ladies Luncheons & Teas During the 2012 Masonic Home Representative luncheon, staff introduced a new way of reaching out to the Lodge members, wives, widows and Chapters of the Order of the Eastern Star. Replacing the ‘old’ Home presentations was the idea to hold Ladies Luncheons & Teas, with the area Lodge sponsoring the event and Staff from the Masonic Home of Missouri presenting the program.

Last year, Staff visited 22 Lodges and presented to the members, their wives, widows and many OES Chapters all over Missouri. Each Ladies event was done differently but all had the same goal of educating everyone about the Masonic Home of Missouri and its eight (8) Outreach Programs.

Branson Lodge No. 587 held a District event and invited everyone to attend. WB Herb Terrill, Masonic Home of Missouri Representative invited local talent to perform and Rainbow Girls helped with serving the carry-in meal. Rising Sun Lodge No. 13 holds an Annual Sweetheart Dinner each February and invites all Masonic organizations to attend and share their information. Jackson Lodge No. 82, Marceline Lodge No. 481 and Brookfield Lodge No. 86 joined together to host a soup and salad luncheon. All three Lodges invited members, wives, widows and the local OES Chapter to attend. Polar Star-Rose Hill Lodge No. 79 held a traditional Ladies Tea with hot tea and pastries. The local Jobs Daughters Bethel was present and invited to share about their activities, along with learning about our charity. The Lodge had extended the invitation to all wives, widows, OES, youth organizations, members, daughters and granddaughters.

Many more Lodges participated throughout the year and we encourage you to book your date early by calling Rhonda at 800-434-9804 and discussing ways to hold the event.

Volume 1, Issue 1

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Creating or Updating a Widow’s List Each July and November, the Masonic Home of Missouri sends a list of widows to the Lodges. We ask that the Home Representative contact the widow and makes sure that we have the correct mailing address. By keeping the Widows connected to the Lodge and the Home, we make sure that their needs are met when assistance is required. The Masonic Home of Missouri also mails out a resource magazine titled “Missouri Outreach” to all Missouri Masons, Widows and Order of the Eastern Star Chapter Secretaries. You can update the Widows list by emailing the corrections to Chantana Irvin, Masonic Family Cares and Widow Program Coordinator, at cirvin@mohome.org or by mailing it back to her attention at: Masonic Home of Missouri, 6033 Masonic Drive Suite A, Columbia, MO 65202.

Financial Counseling Program Update The Home’s Financial Counseling Program is an educational program that is able to assist Masonic affiliated members and their loved ones through difficult financial situations. Unlike the financial assistance programs offered by the Home, there is no Age & Length of Membership requirement for the services offered through Financial Counseling. Many of the participants of the program are referred from the Short-Term Financial Assistance program, but Masonic members can receive this free service by contacting the Home and requesting a Financial Counseling consultation.

The Financial Counseling staff assists participants in organizing their finances, creating a budget, prioritizing their expenses and debt, lowering or eliminating variable expenses, determining solvency, net worth, and basic liquidity, assistance in creating financial goals and a plan to obtain those goals, guidance through foreclosure or Deed In Lieu, and referral to other financial services that the Home cannot provide (such as debt consolidation and bankruptcy).

For the Kids! The Financial Counseling Program has recently introduced an new educational program for the Masonic youth organizations (DeMolay, Job’s Daughters, and Rainbow Girls) and other youth groups that are sponsored by a local Masonic Lodge or OES Chapter. Financial Counseling staff will be giving presentation to participating Lodges, Chapters, Bethels, and Assemblies across the state starting fall 2013. The presentation focuses on basic financial information that all young people should know. Topics covered include how to generate an income, explanation of income and federal taxes, prioritizing spending and savings, tracking and budgeting money, investments, explanation of credit and interest, credit reports and scores, and types of student loans.

Carly Dibben is the Home’s Financial Counseling Caseworker and is an Accredited Financial Counselor through AFCPE. She has been an employee of the Home since April of 2006. If you are interested in a Financial Counseling consultation or would like to arrange for a presentation for a local youth group, please contact Carly at cdibben@mohome.org or 800-434-9804.

The Logo has Changed...and Why? What’s with the new logo on the front of this newsletter...and where did our old one go? Well, 2014 will be an exciting year for our charity. We are celebrating our 125th Anniversary! On June 15, 1889, the Masonic Home of Missouri was dedicated by the Officers of the Grand Lodge. The first resident was admitted into the Home on July 12, 1889. She was Della Gale Farthing, age 12, from Greenville, Missouri. Throughout the years, the Masonic Home has continued to evolve to assist all Missouri Master Masons, their wives, honored widows, female members of the Order of the Eastern Star and children throughout the state.

The Board of Directors and Staff of the Masonic Home of Missouri would like to invite you to this special celebration on June 14, 2014 at the Masonic Complex. On Friday, June 13, 2014, a charity golf tournament will be held and in the evening a special ‘invitation only’ Children’s Reunion will be hosted. On Saturday the 14th, the Complex will host tours of the complex with special displays of items from the Delmar Boulevard Home, including stain glass from the Order of the Eastern Star Chapel, original dinnerware, photos, books, and many other items. A special ribbon cutting will be held later in the day by the Columbia Chamber of Commerce. We will have a commemorative coin, pin, and book available at the event.

We continue to work towards making this day as special as possible for all involved. Please check our website at www.mohome.org to find out more information. We look forward to seeing you there!

Nobody made a greater mistake than he who did nothing because he could only do a little - Edmund Burke Calendar of Events (as of October 31, 2013) Sunday, December 8, 2013 

Salem (Salem, MO) Lodge No. 225 Widows Dinner

Monday, December 9, 2013 

2:00 pm

6:30 pm

Grand River (Freeman, MO) Lodge No. 276 Ladies Dinner

Saturday, February 8, 2014 

Hermitage (Hermitage, MO) Lodge No. 288 Ladies Dinner

Wednesday, February 12, 2014 

Representative Newsletter mailed out

End of December, 2013

Saturday, February 22, 2014

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Missouri Outreach Magazine sent out to all Missouri Master Masons and Widows.

Saturday, February 1, 2014 

6:00 pm

Rising Sun (Kansas City, MO) Lodge No. 13 Sweetheart Dinner

6:00 pm

12:30 pm

Branson (Branson, MO) Lodge No. 587 Ladies & Widows Luncheon