Spring 2018
Mission & History
MAIN CONTACT INFORMATION Masonic Home of Missouri 6033 Masonic Drive, Suite A Columbia, MO 65202
In 1875, MWB John C. Ralls presented the idea of “a ‘Home’ for the indigent widows and minors (orphans) of worthy (deceased) Master Masons… to be located in some suitable and healthy place.” Through the hard work of many, the Masonic Home incorporated in 1886 and opened the doors of the St. Louis Home to its first resident, a 12-year-old girl named Della Gale Farthing, in 1889. The Home expanded into a full campus of service for indigent Masons and their families. The Masonic Home opened the Western Unit in Kansas City in 1986. In 1991, the Board of Directors made the difficult decision to close the St. Louis facility and relocate the residents living there. But also in 1991, the Board created the Outreach Program, a financial assistance program that could reach qualified individuals in their communities. In 2011, the Board of Directors also sold the Western Unit to focus 100 percent of its efforts on the Outreach Programs. Outreach expanded from one program to 10, each satisfying a slightly different need throughout the Masonic Family. Three provide financial assistance to Masons, their wives or widows, ladies of the Eastern Star, and their dependent children. Three Partnership Programs partner with lodges and chapters throughout the state to provide for needy children, help their fellow brothers and sisters with a project, help send veterans on Honor Flights, and give care packages to active military. The final four programs are non-financial, serving the membership through financial education, honoring Masonic widows and veterans, and providing information on community resources. We encourage you to check us out on our website at www.mohome.org, give us a call at 800-434-9804, or stop in and tour the Masonic Museum at the Masonic Complex in Columbia.
573-814-4663 Phone 800-434-9804 Toll Free 573-814-4660 Fax
2
Masonic Outreach
Website: www.mohome.org Masonic Complex hours: Monday through Friday, 8:30 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. Closed for state and federal holidays Executive Director Barbara Ramsey bramsey@mohome.org | Ext. 209 Director of Finance & Fund Development Jodi Blake jblake@mohome.org | Ext. 212 FUND DEVELOPMENT Truman Club & Vincil Society, Courtyard Paver Stones, Penny-A-Day, General Donations Julie Kirchhoff, Annual Giving Officer jkirchhoff@mohome.org | Ext. 230 Legacy Society, Planned Giving, Major Gift Donations Jackie Walters, Major Gifts Officer jwalters@mohome.org | Ext. 214 MASONIC HOME PROGRAMS Long-Term & Short-Term Financial Assistance, Children’s Outreach Dana Morgenthaler, Financial Assistance Caseworker danam@mohome.org | Ext. 211 Debbie Summers, Financial Assistance Caseworker dsummers@mohome.org | Ext. 219 Financial Education Carly Dibben, Accredited Financial Counselor cdibben@mohome.org | Ext. 217 Creating-A-Partnership (CAP) & Partnering To Honor (PTH) Letitia “Tisha” Woodard, Partnership Coordinator twoodard@mohome.org | Ext. 210 Widows & Veterans Programs, Masonic Family Cares Program Chantana Irvin, Masonic Family Cares Coordinator cirvin@mohome.org | Ext. 239 Museum & Masonic Complex Calendar Michelle Phillippe, Administrative Office Coordinator mphillippe@mohome.org | Ext. 213
CONTENTS
16 On the cover: A successful Jewish cigar magnate from St. Louis, Jacob Lampert became a Master Mason in 1878 and was elected as Missouri’s Grand Master in 1912. Lampert went on to serve on the Masonic Home of Missouri’s Board of Directors for five consecutive years, and in his will, he generously gifted $25,000 to the Home for an endowment fund in his name. The Masonic Museum’s exhibit highlights the legacy Lampert and his family left and how their contributions continue to affect those the Masonic Home serves.
4
Executive Director Notes
5
Giving to the Masonic Home of Missouri
6
Giving Makes a Lasting Impression
9
Selflessness through Service: Vern H. Schneider
12
Success Story
14
Program Spotlight
16
Museum Moment: A Legacy of Generosity
23
Financial Education: The Value of Estate Planning
25
Health: Choosing Care and Comfort
27
Tax Myths Debunked
29
Meet a Mason
30
What’s in the Numbers?
31
Calendar of 2018 Events
EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR NOTES
T
his issue is all about legacy, so it naturally talks about those who have left a legacy in various ways. We feature MWB Vern Schneider, who I personally feel has left a legacy of service to the Masonic Home that has not been seen in many decades and may not be seen again for many decades to come. It is a great honor and a privilege to know him, and I am grateful to have had the opportunity to work with him. We feature another Past Grand Master who left a legacy of service and financial support to the Masonic Home – Past Grand Master Jacob Lampert. The story of MWB Lampert not only tells his personal impact, but it also shows what can happen when we share our love for the fraternity and the Masonic Home with others. In many ways, this issue is also about making a plan. Those of you reading this who know me are laughing right now, because you know that I love to make a plan! A plan can help ease stress caused from uncertainty. This can be a benefit to individuals and their loved ones, which is a common theme you’ll see as you read through the various articles in this magazine. The uncertainty of financial struggles can impact a person’s mental, physical and emotional well-being. The Masonic Home’s Outreach Programs can help alleviate some of this stress. We feature articles for end of life planning to help families during those difficult times ensure that a loved one’s wishes are both known and followed. Finally, this issue also has a focus on leaving a charitable financial legacy that will have a lasting impact for others. I would like to take a moment here to acknowledge that few of us may have the opportunity to have a financial impact like MWB Lampert and his family. However, there is no such thing as a gift that is too small. Each donation made to the Masonic Home supports our Outreach Programs to make a difference in someone’s life. This makes every gift special and important. In addition, the Lampert story highlights the importance of sharing the message. Because his love, passion and dedication for the work of the Masonic Home was shared with his family, those individuals made the decision to leave their financial legacy to the Masonic Home. I would like to thank Vern Schneider and Mr. and Mrs. Keeler for their willingness to share their stories. I would also like to thank JoAnne and Dale Bryan for their participation in the Meet a Mason section. There is something very inspiring to see generations of families supporting each other in their Masonic and charitable endeavors. At the Masonic Home, we are honored that you share this with us. The Masonic Home has always been a family to those we serve and to those who give generously of their time, talents, and treasure. We invite you to learn more about this very special group of people.
Mission Statement
To assist eligible adults and children in need by practicing the principles of Freemasonry. 4
Masonic Outreach
GIVING
Make an Impact
W
hen you think about your life, what kind of legacy do you envision leaving? The decisions you make today determine that legacy—the way you lead your life, the way you treat people, your kindness, your compassion, and your generosity throughout your lifetime will be remembered by all whose lives you’ve touched. Your giving of yourself can be felt by those you’ve never met, even well after you are gone. A life lived with the intent to make the world a better place is sure to live on in the hearts of those around you for years to come. The Masonic Home created The Legacy Society to honor and recognize those who have chosen to leave a legacy by remembering the Masonic Home in their estate planning. Through the Legacy Society, your generosity can be acknowledged during your lifetime, rather than after the gift has been received. The Masonic Home is very appreciative of these gifts and their lasting impact. The Masonic Home cherishes the opportunity to extend our gratitude and to learn more about the legacy you want to leave. Why did you choose the Masonic Home? How has the Masonic Home touched your life or that of a loved one? To recognize your support of the Masonic Home, a silver leaf will be placed on the Legacy Tree with your name. When the gift is
TO JOIN THE LEGACY SOCIETY, PLEASE CONTACT JACKIE WALTERS AT 800.434.9804. received by the Masonic Home, a gold leaf will be placed on The Legacy Tree in your honor. Your legacy will live on in your support of the Masonic Home, just
as those who have come before you. As you read this magazine, you will see several of those stories. Will you consider joining these amazing individuals?
Disclaimer: The Masonic Home does not provide tax, legal or other professional advice. For assistance in planning charitable gifts with tax and other financial implications, the services of appropriate advisors should be consulted. Masonic Outreach
5
LEGACY
Giving Makes a Lasting Impression
T
he decisions we make throughout our lives create the blueprint of the legacy we leave behind. Some decisions allow us to be remembered kindly; others not so kindly. Some decisions make a lasting impression and forever change someone’s world. Such was the case when Henry C. and Gussie Seabury Grenner chose to remember the Masonic Home of Missouri in their respective wills in 1918 and 1922. 6
Masonic Outreach
Henry Clay Grenner was born in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania in 1852. After graduating from New York College in New York City at the age of 19, he worked in the printing and publishing industry. Upon his move to Pennsylvania in 1877, Grenner became part owner of the Titusville Daily & Weekly Herald. Grenner was also living in the oil regions of Pennsylvania at the height of the industry’s success in that area. So, in 1880, Grenner, a natural entrepreneur, entered
By Jodi Blake
the oil industry and found success in producing and refining oil. He built the International Oil Works at Titusville and was president of the company that operated the plant. Grenner moved to St. Louis in 1886 in order to begin “developing the independent oil trade throughout the west and southwest,” according to his biography in “The Book of Missourians.” There, he built an International Oil Works branch. In 1905, Grenner and Clem Laessing formed the Laessing and Grenner
Gasoline Company in St. Louis and opened the first “drive-in” gas station. They sold gasoline to drivers using a gravity-fed tank attached to an ordinary garden hose. They went on to open 40 gas stations in St. Louis. In Grenner’s career, he would form many partnerships with various prominent St. Louisans, including August Busch. Grenner was a well-known and highly respected member of the St. Louis community, and he is included in “The Book of St. Louisans” and “The Book of Missourians,” both published in 1906. He was a strong Republican and was appointed to various political positions, including United States Collector of Internal Revenue for the First District of Missouri by President McKinley in 1898. In 1895, Grenner affiliated as a member of Tuscan Lodge No. 360 in St. Louis from Oil Creek Lodge No. 303 in Titusville. He was also a member of the Order of Odd Fellows and the Order of Knights of Pythias. Henry married Gussie Seabury of New York in 1875. They had no children. Mr. Grenner amassed his wealth through oil and other endeavors. Mrs. Grenner was said to possess “a large amount of property apart and independent of her husband’s estate,” according to court documents. According to an October 24, 1922 report in the St. Louis Dispatch, Mr. Grenner died unexpectedly in the lobby of the Hamilton Hotel while attending a meeting of the Republican Party. Mr. Grenner’s will directed that the estate be held in a trust for Mrs. Grenner, in which the property would be donated to the Masonic Home of Missouri upon
“IMMORTALITY IS TO LIVE YOUR LIFE DOING GOOD THINGS AND LEAVING YOUR MARK BEHIND.” —BRANDON LEE her death. Mrs. Grenner lived until March 29, 1932. Through her will, she provided bequests for various family members and friends, 10 charitable organizations, and 23 clerks who assisted her over the years at her favorite stores in St. Louis. The remainder of the funds were set aside in a perpetual trust for the benefit of the Masonic Home of Missouri. Upon Gussie’s passing, the will was made public, and newspapers from Palmyra, Missouri to Honolulu, Hawaii covered the story of her gifts to the clerks. During her time in St. Louis, Mrs. Grenner had told her favorite store clerks that she would remember them in her will. They reported that they smiled at the pleasantries, but never expected anything. Mrs. Grenner kept her word, and the store clerks were “agreeably surprised” when they were notified of the $200 gift she had left for each of them. After Gussie’s passing in 1932, the $253,675 intended for the Masonic Home in the Henry C. Grenner Trust was distributed to the Masonic Home and set up as “The Henry C. Grenner Endowment Fund.” Special instructions
specified that the Masonic Home could only use the income earned. In addition to the donation from the Henry C. Grenner Trust, Gussie Grenner also included the Masonic Home in her will. She created a trust to be held by St. Louis Union Trust Company, and the entire net income was to be paid to the Masonic Home of Missouri in perpetuity. This means that, as with Henry’s endowment, the Masonic Home can never touch the corpus of the trust, but will receive income for as long as the fund exists. The original value of Gussie’s trust in 1932 was over $377,000. As of February 28, 2018, the Masonic Home has received over $1.8 million in income payments from this trust alone and nearly $3.6 million from the two trusts combined!
Grenner pictured in the August 4, 1919 edition of Oil Paint and Drug Reporter
Gussie Grenner’s signature from her will Masonic Outreach
7
LEGACY How could Henry and Gussie have imagined what an impact their generosity would have on the Masonic Home of Missouri? Their decision to leave such a legacy has served tens of thousands of people for nearly a century. Their generosity provided first for the residents of the Masonic Home on Delmar in St. Louis, Missouri, then for the residents of the Masonic Home’s Residential Living Facility in Kansas City, Missouri, and now for Outreach clients, children and veterans all across the state of Missouri. In the last fiscal year, the Masonic Home received almost $61,000 in income from Gussie’s trust, which covered the cost of almost 5 percent of the direct assistance provided throughout the year. Could Henry and Gussie have had any idea that nearly 90 years after issuing their original gifts, they would continue to make such an impact? MWB John D. Vincil said this of the Masonic Home in 1890: “It was born of sympathy, founded in love, and lives in the hearts and prayers of the good and true.” This is as true of the Outreach Programs today as it was of the Home in 1890. What a fitting beneficiary of the Grenner’s lasting legacy. Leaving a legacy is a deeply personal choice – one that can live on in the hearts of others for years to come. We all want to believe that our lives mattered and that we’ve contributed in some way to our world. Begin living the way you want to be remembered – your gift of self or resources can have the power to impact lives long after you are gone. What legacy will you leave? 8
Masonic Outreach
THANK YOU!
Selflessness through Service Vern H. Schneider has served the Masonic Home for six decades. By Brenna McDermott | Photos by Keith Borgmeyer
V
ern H. Schneider remembers an example of Masonic service from many years ago that remains with him. A man and a woman were killed in an accident at the start of the weekend, leaving two young children orphaned. By Monday, some of Schneider’s Masonic fraternal brothers had taken steps to ensure those two children were well cared for. “Those men undertook to provide a secure home for those
little children who had lost their dad and mom over the weekend,” Schneider said. “That just underscored the kind of work that the Masonic Home did.” Schneider’s memory of that fateful weekend long ago underscores his six-decade commitment to the Masonic Home of Missouri and its mission. Through his years of involvement, he and other dedicated servants have seen the Masonic Home through many changes, all to better
serve the needs of brothers and sisters in Missouri.
SIX DECADES OF SERVICE Schneider was born in 1924 in Wilder, Kansas. He was interested in the Masonic Home from the time he served as an officer in his original Lodge, Tuscan No. 360, in St. Louis. He respected the work the Home was doing and took advantage of any opportunity to Masonic Outreach
9
THANK YOU! be involved. As a lawyer, he did pro bono work for the Home before he became an officer. Throughout those decades, Schneider has witnessed the biggest changes in the Masonic Home’s history. He served on the Home Board during the 1980s, when the St. Louis Masonic Home facility experienced deteriorating buildings and had to consider changes. Schneider was board president when work began on the Kansas City Masonic Home facility. For that major accomplishment, Schneider credits the Masonic and Eastern Star representatives from the western part of Missouri for their assistance. Shortly after Schneider became Grand Master, the Kansas City unit opened in Jackson County in 1986. Executive Director Barbara Ramsey commends Schneider for his fundraising efforts. “Vern did a considerable amount of work fundraising for the Kansas City facility,” she says. “We are now starting to receive estates and trusts that leave money from that time frame.” Today, those funds are being used to care for clients in the Kansas City area. Schneider was also legal counsel for the Masonic Home when the St. Louis and Kansas City facilities were sold in 1991 and 2011, respectively. Schneider served the Masonic Home through its biggest change of all, when the Home transitioned from serving individuals by housing them in the brick and mortar facilities to serving through outreach programs. “Thus we recognized that while provision for 35 people is significant, there is a far greater 10
Masonic Outreach
group of people within the area that’s being served, that would need and desire help in taking care of their expenses in their latter years,” Schneider says. This major evolution both expanded the Masonic Home’s reach and allowed members of the Masonic family to stay in their homes and communities. “Ultimately it was decided that the Home would be where you, the person receiving assistance, might be,” Schneider says. “We were pioneering,” he says of the Board and the Masonic Home staff.
“I think [supporting the Home in assisting needy brothers and sisters] reflects the very core of Masonic thought.” — Vern H. Schneider “Ultimately it was recognized that we should be mindful of some basic needs that were tugging at the hearts of those people who lived in the Masonic Home, and I’m referring to the basic attachment that all of us have to our home, however humble it might be and wherever it might be located,” Schneider says. Today, the Masonic Home has developed a broader approach to serving the needs of Missouri Masons. From recognizing veterans to financial counseling, the Masonic Home is assisting more individuals than ever, and Schneider’s voice fills with pride when he reflects on what he calls extraordinary changes.
GET TO WORK
Schneider says providing for needy brother Masons, widows and orphans has made an impact on his life. Each Mason, regardless of his financial circumstance, should recognize his personal responsibility to support the Masonic Home in assisting needy brothers and sisters. “I think it reflects the very core of Masonic thought,” Schneider says. While people have many choices of organizations to support or serve, the Masonic Home is close to Schneider’s heart. “A member of the Masonic fraternity is encouraged to support the needy, he is afforded opportunities to learn of those who are in need, and so if you put the first sentence together with the second sentence, it means ‘Get to work,’ and provide for the needs of those people who are waiting for your help.” After six decades, “get to work” most certainly sums up Schneider’s years of service and accomplishments. When the Masonic Museum unveiled a new exhibit last fall, Schneider was surprised by one detail. A particular exhibit recognized those who have served the Masonic Home and the Missouri Masons best and longest—the men who had made the biggest impact. Schneider was a new addition to this list of titans. Schneider’s service, Ramsey says, has left a legacy of service and growth within the Masonic Home. “I will never know anyone else like him,” Ramsey says. Schneider is appreciative, but is quick to recognize the countless individuals who have served before him.
“There have been thousands and thousands of dedicated supporters of the Home that I have personally known over the years,” Schneider says. “And I can only just barely begin to touch on the types of dedicated service that has been rendered by so many people.”
ANTICIPATING THE FUTURE
Schneider retired as the Masonic Home legal counsel in 2017, and continues to work at his law firm, Rassieur, Long, Yawitz & Schneider, LLP, in St. Louis. Schneider says as the Home continues to grow and serve, it will be important to continue to focus on the human beings the Home serves by respecting the challenges and limitations of each individual and continuing to improve services and lines of communication. All Masons make at least a minimal financial contribution to the Home, but Schneider says that only scratches the surface of the needs of those the Home serves. “We need to think of ways that we can attract more people to provide financial support for the Home,” Schneider says. Each member of the fraternity, Schneider says, has a personal responsibility to ensure the Home continues to serve for years to come.
‘THE BREATH OF HUMAN DECENCY’
That attitude of service and selflessness is summed up in an encounter Schneider has never forgotten. He was in a Lodge meeting one night urging members to provide funds for the Masonic Home. At the end
Masonic Home Board Member: 1971-1975; 1980-1985 Masonic Home Board President: 1983-1984 Grand Master: 1984-1985 Masonic Home Legal Counsel: 1985-2017 of the evening, an elderly man approached Schneider and pulled a wrinkled one dollar bill out of his pocket. “He had very little to give,” Schneider says. “But out of that small bit of resources, he stepped
forward to ask if that wrinkled, old dollar should be used for the benefit of residents of the Masonic Home. I think that as long as the breath of human decency exists, there will be others just like that old gentleman.” Masonic Outreach
11
SUCCESS STORY
A Lifetime of Service The Masonic Home helps the Keelers get their finances back on track By Rebekah Hall | Photo of Keelers by Robin Powell
Carly Dibbens with Jeanne and Cecil Keeler
W
hen Cecil and Jeanne Keeler needed to transition from living at home to living at an independent facility, their options seemed slim. They had each been in and out of the hospital several times in the past few years, and they struggled with the resulting credit card debt. Cecil then turned to the Masonic Home’s Financial Education Program. The FEP serves Masons and their loved ones by helping them to organize their finances and prioritize their debt and expenses. The program provides financial assistance to Masons and 12
Masonic Outreach
their families through Financial Counselors assigned to help in times of transition. The Counselors are available for in-person consultations to help set goals, review budgets, and assist in finding additional support and resources. They also do educational presentations to lodges and chapters. This is how Cecil found out about the FEP, and he encourages other Masons to take advantage of their services. “It’s just a shame that more Masters of Lodges aren’t aware of the full scope of what Masonic Home does for a Master Mason,” Cecil says. Cecil joined the U.S. Army in
January of 1948 and served for four years overseas. He and Jeanne were married in December of 1948, and he was honorably discharged in 1956. Cecil then joined the Kirkwood Police Department in 1959, and he became a Mason in June of 1962. He was raised in Meramec Lodge No. 313 of Eureka, Missouri by the St. Louis Police Craft Team, as were two of his brothers and his brotherin-law, a process he describes as “an experience I will never forget.” “What impressed me about the Lodge was the basic tenets of Freemasonry,” Cecil says. “Honesty, integrity, charity. Those all fit our background and our upbringing.”
SUCCESS STORY Cecil was elected Master of Meramec Lodge No. 313 from 2006 through 2007. He says that Masonry’s commitment to helping others and expecting nothing in return is a priority that he shares. “The motto was that you do good because you want to do good, not because you want any recognition,” Cecil says. “I still try to adhere to that. If I do something charitable, I do it because I really want to do it. I feel if I’m doing it for recognition, it’s not really charity.” Jeanne says that Cecil’s involvement with the Masonic Lodge has rubbed off on her in their nearly 70 years of marriage. She didn’t participate in the Eastern Star, but her father was a Shriner, and her mother belonged to the Eastern Star. “It’s just a loving, peaceful, caring organization,” Jeanne says. “And they do so much good. Not only for people in the homes, but their children. It’s just amazing that they can do all of that.” Jeanne and Cecil are grateful to the Masonic Home, and they credit the Financial Education Program for helping them make the move to a high quality independent living facility and easing their financial burden. “The financial aid is just wonderful,” Cecil says. “But really the most gratifying thing is the peace of mind it gives us. It’s taking a big load off our shoulders. Knowing that the Masonic Home is there to help us, and knowing that we will be dealt with as human beings by caring people.” The Keeler’s have worked closely with their Financial Counselor,
Meramec Lodge No. 313 of Eureka, MO
Carly Dibbens, to manage their debt and bring structure back to their financial future. “It’s been a learning experience all the way through, but Carly’s wonderful,” Jeanne says. “She’s just here for us. We really appreciate it.” Carly began working with the Keelers in 2014. She says that the couple were afraid of legal repercussions for falling behind on their payments, but her counseling and the FEP’s curriculum helped make their problems manageable. “Our program really helped to alleviate that stress by explaining the process to them so that there wasn’t this fear of the unknown,” Carly says. “I get a letter every six to eight weeks from them thanking us for what we do for
them. They’re very appreciative and very invested in the program.” The couple now feels that they are in a better place with their finances and consider themselves lucky. Their involvement with Masonry has taken many forms throughout their lives, and Cecil is proud of the Masonic Home of Missouri for graciously upholding the tenets of Masonry. “The Masonic Home of Missouri embodies fully and completely the precepts, principles and models of the Masonic Lodge,” Cecil says. “The Masonic Home of Missouri fully lives up to the obligations that every Master Mason takes. That’s very important, and every Master Mason will understand that.” Cecil and Jeanne have been able to find peace of mind through the FEP, and they encourage more Masons and their families to utilize the resource and its Financial Counselors. “We greatly appreciate the financial help, but we appreciate even more the compassion and the generosity and the kindness that representatives like Carly show us,” Cecil says. “They show us great respect, and it just makes us feel wonderful.”
LEARN MORE For more information about the Financial Education Program, please call the Masonic Home of Missouri at 800-434-9804, or check out their page on the Masonic Home of Missouri website. Masonic Outreach
13
PROGRAM SPOTLIGHT
Getting smart with your money How the Financial Education Program can help Masons and their families organize their finances By Nicole Flood
P
ersonal finance can be intimidating, especially if you feel lost on where to begin. At the Masonic Home of Missouri, the Accredited Financial Counselor works to ensure the Missouri Masonic community has the tools necessary to organize their finances to help address current concerns and to avoid financial crisis in the future. “This program is a free service to Master Masons and their family members,” says Carly Dibben, Accredited Financial Counselor for the Masonic Home. “It’s a really great support service to help people organize and prioritize their finances.” The Financial Education Program began in 2012 to help address an influx of similar questions regarding job loss and mortgage crisis. Dibben saw a pattern emerge in the types of services being requested, so she helped create the Financial 14
Masonic Outreach
Education Program in an effort to not only provide counsel to those experiencing these concerns, but to also help provide participants with the tools to take control of their financial future. “The program grew from there,” Dibben says. “We’re now able to help people navigate a difficult situation while providing them with the tools they can use during future life transitions.” The Financial Education Program offers financial education services to Masonic members and their families through individual counseling consultations. Participants are not required to meet age or length of membership guidelines, and they can utilize this program for free. The Accredited Financial Counselor also provides large group educational presentations on several requested financial topics. These presentations are offered free of charge to Lodges and Chapters who wish to host a presentation.
“I’ve found that gaining a better understanding of their circumstances and the choices available to them helps to greatly reduce the stress participants experience during crisis and change,” Dibben says. “There’s a certain amount of relief in knowing what your options are and having the tools to take control of your financial situation. It removes the fear of the unknown and that makes a huge difference in empowering the people we work with.”
Program Services
Many of the individuals who receive one-on-one consultations in the Financial Education Program are referred from the Financial Assistance Program. Program participants are also able to selfrefer if they would like assistance in organizing their finances. The Financial Counselor is available to work with program participants to complete a Financial
Assessment. This allows individuals to grasp the full picture of their financial situation. This assessment includes their net worth, balance sheet, basic liquidity ratio, asset-to-debt ratio and a visual representation of reported expenses in the form of a pie chart. They can also provide participants with a spending analysis based on current bank statements. Sometimes financial distress can be avoided if an individual is aware of their spending and has adequate savings. Dibben adds that dealing with personal finances can be especially intimidating and as a result, people don’t always know or understand all the choices available to them. “Being able to understand what all the options are allows people to make more informed choices and maybe break the cycle of bad spending and saving habits to help them be successful with their personal finances,” Dibben says. During individual consultations, the Financial Counselor can help participants set and review progress towards long and short-term financial goals, adjust and monitor budgets, prioritize expenses, work on debt management and assist in locating additional support and services in their area. During inperson consultations, the Financial
Counselor can also help monitor clients who struggle managing their finances and/or are at high risk for exploitation. The Financial Education Program also provides support through difficult financial processes, such as deed in lieu, bankruptcy, foreclosure and more. In addition, the program provides
Carly Dibben
is an Accredited Financial Counselor through the Association for Financial Counseling, Planning and Education (AFCPE). For more information on the Masonic Home’s Outreach Programs, please visit us on the Masonic Home’s website at www.mohome. org or call 800-434-9804.
support in adjusting budgets and spending during times of transition such as moving, medical crisis, loss of a loved one or job loss. Additionally, the program helps participants understand how the move will change their monthly budget and assist them in identifying additional potential income sources. Whether a young Mason has had a change in budget due to a health issue or an older Masonic member or family member is transitioning from a home to an independent living facility, the Financial Education Program can provide counsel to help participants adjust their expenses and budget so they can find ways to live a happy and secure life. “While change and transition is hard, I’ve seen people flourish once they adjust to those changes,” Dibben says. “It’s rewarding to know that I was able to assist them in the process.” It is the sincere hope of the Masonic Home that the Financial Education Program will help to improve the lives of the people we serve. By giving them the skills and knowledge to make sound financial decisions, we hope to allow them to live more independent lives. Masonic Outreach
15
MUSEUM MOMENT
A Legacy of Generosity Jacob Lampert’s rich history in Freemasonry By Barbara Ramsey
J
acob Lampert was born to Moses and Esther Lampert on March 6, 1856, in London. When he was 2 years old, the family moved from London to New York City, where they lived until Jacob was roughly 10 years old; the family then moved to Detroit. Lampert attended public school until the age of 12, at which point he left the Detroit school system to start an apprenticeship as a cigar maker. The family moved to St. Louis in 1876, when Jacob was 20 years old. In 1884, Lampert started his own cigar manufacturing business. Year by year, his business grew until he was one of the most successful cigar manufacturers in the city. Lampert became one of the wealthiest, most respected citizens in St. Louis. Governor Elliott W. Major honored him by naming him to the Missouri Commission for the Blind. Lampert was also active in three Jewish community service groups in St. Louis, United Hebrew Temple, B’nai B’rith, and the Jewish Children’s Home. The secret of his success as a business man, according to contemporaneous accounts, was his distinct focus and strict personal integrity. Upon his death, he divided up the profits of his cigar manufacturing company among his employees and left the business to them. Lampert was one of eleven children, and before his father 16
Masonic Outreach
passed away, he helped support the family. After his father’s death, Lampert felt it was his privilege to furnish his widowed mother and sisters with all the comforts and luxuries he could provide. Brother Lampert lived for many years with his only surviving sister, Mrs. Rosa Graff, wife of Bernard M. Graff. He was very close to Rosa and her
daughter, Esther, and upon his passing, he left the majority of his estate to his beloved sister. Brother Lampert received the first three degrees of Freemasonry in Itaska Lodge No. 420, where he became a Master Mason on May 22, 1878. Brother Lampert went on to become Worshipful Master of the Lodge in 1885 and was re-elected in
Masonic Outreach
17
MUSEUM MOMENT
1886. Brother Lampert even lectured his father in the degrees of Masonry. Brother Lampert received the degrees in Scottish Rite Masonry in May 1902 and was elected K.C.C.H. in October 1905. The Supreme Council, in Washington, conferred him the 33rd Degree in October 1907. He was initiated in Moolah Temple, A.A.O.N.M.S, on November 21, 1902. He helped organize the Moolah Orchestra, which later became a premier 55-piece orchestra. Brother Lampert filled the position of first violinist. He also became a member of the Grotto Orchestra. Brother Lampert was appointed District Deputy Grand Master of the 33rd Masonic District in 1905 by Most Worshipful Brother A.S. Houston and served in that position until September 1906. In 1906, he was appointed Junior 18
Masonic Outreach
Grand Steward by Most Worshipful Brother D.M. Wilson. He continued to achieve gradual advancement in the Grand Lodge until he was elected Grand Master in 1912. In the summer of 1909, while Brother Lampert was serving as Senior Grand Deacon, an anonymous circular letter was sent to the secretaries of the various lodges throughout the state. The letter pointed out that the Senior Grand Deacon — Brother Lampert — was a Hebrew, and since he was in line for advancement to the elective position of Junior Grand Warden, he was also in line for Grand Master of Missouri. The letter stated that a Jew had never been elected to the position of Grand Master of Masons in the United States. The anonymous circular was signed “The Committee.” The letter was called to the
attention of the Grand Master. In his address to the Grand Lodge, Most Worshipful Brother Robert R. Kreeger condemned it as a great Masonic offense: “And the senders thereof, not possessing sufficient courage to sign their own names, this is nothing more or less than the spurious offspring of a cowardly brain, and is sent broadcast among the Brethren unheralded and unknown, and is merely the illegitimate production of an illegal committee. Practices of this kind will not be tolerated, and the offenders, if discovered, richly deserve the severest punishment provided by Masonic Law, and the condemnation of all good men, regardless of religious creed or belief.” The Committee on Jurisprudence at the same Session of Grand Lodge issued its own condemnation: “Masonry stabs no man behind his
back. The anonymous character of the circular constitutes its author a coward, and its attack on a Brother Mason for no other reason than his race is a violation of the fundamental principles of Freemasonry. Freemasonry among its members knows no sect, creed or race. They meet upon the level and have an equal right to aspire to any honor in the gift of the Fraternity; and the Mason who sought to deprive a Brother Mason of a Masonic right by seeking to stir up racial prejudice by the publication and circulation of the anonymous circular is guilty of a Masonic offense and should be punished accordingly.” The Grand Lodge unanimously adopted the report of the Jurisprudence Committee, and Brother Lampert was elected Junior Grand Warden at that Session of the Grand Lodge by an
overwhelming vote. He served the Craft faithfully as Grand Master from September 1912 to September 1913. When he retired from that position at the end of his term, private and public citizens as well as the press said that he had been one of the most popular Grand Masters to ever occupy that position. After leaving the Office of Grand Master, he remained a visible and prominent member of the Grand Lodge up to the time of his passing. Grand Master William F. Johnson memorialized him by saying: “His love for his near and dear relations was beautiful to behold. His reverence for his father and mother, his devotion to his sister and niece, and the attention paid constantly to their every interest, mark the true character of the man. Brother Lampert loved to live. He loved his business. He loved the
Liberal Arts and was particularly fond of music. His familiar figure will be missed and his cheery conversation and timely speeches on different Masonic occasions cannot be replaced.” His popularity as Grand Master was due to his firm belief in the teachings of Masonry and his practice of those teachings, both within the Lodge and in all dealings with his fellow men. He believed that right was right and wrong was wrong, and he always stood on the side of what he believed to be right. He was plainspoken and generous. The Masonic Home of Missouri was particularly dear to his heart, and he was an avid supporter. MWB Lampert was elected to the Masonic Home of Missouri’s Board of Directors in 1916 and served on the House Committee and Executive Committee. Brother Lampert Masonic Outreach
19
MUSEUM MOMENT served consecutively on the Board of Directors until his passing in 1921. In memorial to MWB Lampert, the Masonic Home Board wrote: “It may be truthfully said of him that he was a friend of the children and old people of this Home, and he spent much of his time in adding to the pleasure and comfort of the members of the Home. He was a liberal contributor to the Home during his lifetime. His zeal and devotion thereto were emphasized in his last will and testament by which he gave to the Home five times as much as to any other similar organizations.” In MWB Lampert’s will, he gifted $25,000 to the Home to be placed in the Jacob Lampert Endowment Fund, which was added to a previously gifted $5,000. (A $30,000 gift in the year 1923 is equivalent in purchasing power to over $432,000 in 2018.) MWB Lampert passed away on February 19, 1921, at the home he shared with his sister in St. Louis. Rabbi Samuel Thurman conducted the funeral on February 22, 1921, at the United Hebrew Congregation, where Brother Lampert was a member. The Most Worshipful Grand Lodge of Missouri conducted the Masonic Service. His popularity and high standing as a man and a Mason was clearly shown at his funeral, as the church building was so filled that hundreds could not gain admission. Roughly four years after MWB Lampert passed away, Rosa Graff contacted the Masonic Home with a desire to build a wading pool, in honor of her brother’s memory, for the children on the Masonic Home grounds. On May 13, 1926, 20
Masonic Outreach
MWB Lampert’s Masonic pocket knife and silver lighter from the Moolah Temple Orchestra.
the Masonic Home accepted her generous gift of a 25-by-75 foot wading and swimming pool to be known as the Jacob Lampert Pool, located north of the Hospital. Rosa Graff would not be the family’s last benefactor to the Masonic Home. MWB Lampert’s love and support of the Masonic Home was also passed down to his beloved niece, Esther Graff Levy. Esther Graff married Ellis Levy, and the pair moved from St. Louis to Los Angeles in 1936. They had two daughters and a son, whom she would name after her uncle: J. Lampert Levy. Esther Graff Levy passed away on August 18, 1962. In her will, she provided for her son to remain in the family home in Los Angeles as long as he wanted. Upon termination, Esther stated that 50 percent of the remainder of trust assets and the sale of the home would go to the Masonic Home to set up the Jacob Lampert and Rosa Graff Endowment Fund. In May 2006, the Masonic Home began receiving funds from the trust. The Masonic Home would eventually receive more than $2 million from the estate.
The generosity shown to the Masonic Home both during MWB Lampert’s life and in the endowment gift bequeathed in his will provided a lasting financial legacy for the Masonic Home. However, the greater legacy is the love he shared for the Masonic Home with others, particularly his beloved sister and niece. The financial gifts that MWB Lampert gave helped the Home through the Great Depression and beyond. The pool hosted countless hours of enjoyment for the children of the Home. The final gift from Esther Graff Levy will help the Masonic Home continue to provide assistance through our Outreach Programs to the Masons, Order of the Eastern Star Members, and children of current and future generations of Masons. The Masonic Museum, at the Masonic Complex in Columbia, Missouri, proudly features an exhibit on MWB Jacob Lampert, as well as Rosa Graff and Esther Graff Levy, in the Generosity Gallery. The Masonic Home invites you to visit the Masonic Museum Monday through Friday from 9:00 to 4:30.
AGENCY SPOTLIGHT
Let’s Do Dinner Serving up care and compassion one meal at a time By Fran Patrick
M
eals on Wheels (MOW) is a public-private partnership that addresses the challenges of aging by promoting health and improving quality of life for seniors facing the struggle of hunger, isolation and loss of independence. With 12,000 individuals turning 60 every day nationwide, it is crucial that Meals on Wheels America is in place to bridge the gap between seniors in need and seniors served, and to give back to a generation who have themselves served their community. “Meals on Wheels provides the ability for virtually every community across the country to efficiently and compassionately
Nationally,
1 IN 6 seniors struggles with hunger
WHAT ARE THE FACTS IN MISSOURI? IN 2017. . .
333,617 seniors are isolated, living alone 215,595 are threatened by hunger 371,107 are living in or near poverty
Program Profiles Total meals served by MOW programs 6,963,726 (Home delivered 4,890,790/ Congregate 2,072,936)
Total Nutrition Program expenditures $45,850,186
Total seniors served by MOW programs 99,556 (Home delivered 32,042 / Congregate 67,514)
$
Expenditures covered by federal OAA funding $10,524,637
Masonic Outreach
21
AGENCY SPOTLIGHT
18%
66%
38%
Belong to a Minority Group
Live in a Rural Community
Live in Poverty
care for their aging neighbors. At the heart of this community solution are more than two million volunteers who keep the wheels turning in urban, suburban, and rural communities across America – Meals on Wheels America. On a national level The Older Americans Act (OAA) has been the primary federal legislation act in place to support social and nutrition services to American citizens over the age of 60 for the past 50 years. OAA programs are vital to those individuals who are at risk of hunger, isolation, and losing their ability to live an independent life. With grants available, it is individual communities who work to raise funds and ensure the program’s sustainability. In 2017 the OAA covered 23 percent of the total cost to provide nutritious meals, safety checks, and friendly visits in the state of Missouri to over 95,500 seniors. “Every Meals on Wheels is an independent agency that determines its qualifying criteria and funding sources. We (Meals 22
Masonic Outreach
on Wheels Columbia) receive no federal funds and operate using grants, client fees, fundraising and our wonderful local donors. Each organization differs,” says JoNetta Weaver, Executive Director for Meals on Wheels of Columbia. As families separate and migrate past state borders, this can pose additional stress, as younger generations are less actively
As families separate and migrate past state borders, this can pose additional stress, as younger generations are less actively involved with the daily care for their aging relatives.
involved with the daily care for their aging relatives. MOW gives families the peace of mind that their loved ones are receiving nutrition, care and social interaction. According to the Lee Summit’s MOW website, the deliverers bring a personal contact with a “hello how are you” to persons that may not have any other contacts that day. Many friendships are formed over time as a result of these brief encounters. Aside from the benefits of a nutritional, hot meal, the humanitarian aspect is invaluable. “I look forward to the interaction with people as sometimes they are the only people I see all day.” says a MOW Recipient.
To find out more on how to help in your state and community MOW program, visit www. mealsonwheelsamerica. org/takeaction
FINANCIAL EDU
The Value of Estate Planning By Nicole Flood
N
o matter our age or marital status, each and every one of us has assets, health decisions and end-of-life care wishes that are easier to carry out when our affairs are in order. Through estate planning, you can help ensure your desires are carried out at the end of your life. “This allows for planning for the orderly handling of all matters upon the death or incapacity of a person,” says Tom Luckenbill, a lawyer who specializes in estate
planning at Luckenbill Law Firm, LLC. “Generally, estate planning deals with more than just your property. For instance, it also deals with life insurance and retirement account proceeds. It also has to deal with your desires about organ donation, death, and final arrangements.” THE LIVING WILL Having a living will helps designate your wishes in regards to your health care. This document
includes a selection of agents and instructions for them in the event of a serious illness or death. One section of the living will is the durable power of attorney for health care. The second section is called an advance health care directive. This allows you to list what types of health care methods you would like used or withheld under certain circumstances. This is where the DNR (do not resuscitate) form can be designated as well. In addition, you can include
Masonic Outreach
23
FINANCIAL EDU whether you would like a burial, cremation, or organ donation. “A living will is a good thing to do starting at age 18,” Luckenbill says. “Planning for the disposition of property depends on the particular person’s situation. Many people are naturally inclined to complete a plan upon the birth of a child because parents like to state, in a legally enforceable will, their desires as to successor guardians of children.” WEALTH TRANSFER IN DEATH When deciding how to leave your estate, he says there are three main ways to give upon death: through the will, a living trust, or beneficiary designations. “Death can be a very stressful event for the loved ones left behind,” Luckenbill says. “Estate planning and the communication of the plan can help to reduce some of this stress.” You likely already have a general idea of what your wishes would be. When starting this process, Luckenbill suggests making a list of life insurance policies, retirement accounts, bank accounts and real estate. He advises that this information will help in the process, and if you decide to hire legal counsel, feel free to interview two or three different options to ensure you are comfortable with the selected attorney. Creating a will allows you to designate how your estate will be distributed, and it protects your family and loved ones. Through your will, you can leave specified amounts or percentages of your assets. You can also include specific personal property you would like to give upon death. This 24
Masonic Outreach
can range from something as large as a house to as small as a prized baseball that holds sentimental value to your family. Whether it’s your life insurance policy or retirement plan, it’s important to designate beneficiaries on your accounts so the accounts can easily be transferred upon death. You can name both individuals and organizations as beneficiaries. “Life insurance is designed to create wealth upon the death of the insured,” Luckenbill says. “Life insurance death benefits are usually not subject to income taxes and the
to leave to 501(c)(3) charities since they don’t pay income tax on the funds.” Luckenbill also emphasized the value of inter vivos giving, a Latin term for “during the grantor’s life.” This refers to gifts made during one’s lifetime, as opposed to a transfer in death. Our natural inclination or fear of scarcity often causes us to wait to designate gifts until death, but you could consider giving now. If you become a monthly giver to an organization or church, this allows you to see the effect of your donation and how your gift helps your community.
“Death can be a very stressful event for the loved ones left behind. Estate Planning and the communication of the plan can help to reduce some of this stress.”
A GIFT TO THE MASONIC HOME OF MISSOURI You can leave a legacy to benefit your Missouri Masonic family and thousands of children in need with a gift to the Masonic Home of Missouri. Your planned gift to the Masonic Home in your will or estate plan through The Legacy Society allows the Masonic Home to recognize and thank donors during their lifetime, and it also ensures that your wishes are properly documented. To learn more and to join The Legacy Society, please visit www. mohome.org/the-legacy-society or contact our Major Gifts Officer at 800-434-9804.
— Tom Luckenbill
careful use of life insurance can be a very effective method to transfer wealth upon death.” You can leave some of your estate to a nonprofit or organization of your choice in several ways. “This can be stated in a Will, provided for in a living trust, or the organization can be named as a beneficiary of life insurance or retirement accounts,” Luckenbill says. “Pretax retirement funds such as IRAs, 401(k)s and 403(b)s are excellent
Tom Luckenbill specializes in estate planning at Luckenbill Law Firm, LLC. “I appreciate the opportunity to share my thoughts with the publication. If people have questions, they can contact me at 573-886-8940 or email tom@missourilegacy.com or complete the contact form at www. missourilegacy.com,” says Luckenbill.
HEALTH
Choosing Care and Comfort By Debbie Summers, BSW, Financial Assistance Caseworker
J
ane recently attended a distressing appointment with her cancer treatment team during which she learned that her stage four pancreatic cancer had not responded to several different treatment regimens. Jane phoned her Outreach caseworker in distress. “They mentioned hospice, but I am not ready to die,” Jane said. Jane’s poignant statement illustrates one of the many misconceptions regarding hospice care. Although hospice care has been widely offered in the United States since the mid-1980s, many are not aware of this specialized form of care. This is understandable, as most of us are not confronted with end-of-life issues on a routine basis. When we do find ourselves in these situations, we are often in a highly emotional state, which makes processing large volumes of information and decision making quite difficult to do. The Missouri Hospice and Palliative Care Organization provided the following facts about Hospice Care.
WHERE
Hospice is not a “place”—it is a type of care and a set of services. Hospice care comes to you wherever you already receiving care. Hospice care is typically delivered in the patient’s own home, a nursing home or an assisted living home. More rarely, other sites of care can include a hospital or a “hospice house.”
WHEN
Hospice is not a “crisis” service. Patients and families should ask their doctor whether curative treatment will work and what burden it will place on the patient. Hospice care is an option for people who have a life limiting illness and cannot be made well again by curative treatments. There are many examples of what this can look like in our lives. Hospice care can be provided for patients, like Jane, who have not received remission from curative treatments. Other examples include, but are not limited to, those in the end stages of Alzheimer’s disease, congestive heart failure, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), and
other chronic conditions. Hospice is not just for the last few days or the last two weeks of life. Hospice is designed to care for the patient and family during the last months of life. An early hospice admission helps the patient and family get the full benefit of hospice services, including the emotional support and family services necessary in this process.
WHY
The entire focus of the Hospice team is to improve the quality of life for patients during this time. The Hospice team is expert at controlling symptoms such as pain, nausea, constipation, skin issues, and anxiety. You do not have to be ready to die to receive hospice care. Rather, Masonic Outreach
25
HEALTH you should be seeking comfort and an improved quality of life. Hospice is ready to help you and your family make the most of the time that’s left.
WHO
The Hospice team develops a care plan that meets each patient’s individual needs for pain management and symptom control. The team usually consists of: • The patient’ s personal physician • Hospice physician (or medical director) • Nurses • Home health aides • Social workers • Clergy or other counselors • Trained volunteers • Speech, physical, and occupational therapists, if needed.
WHAT SERVICES ARE PROVIDED?
Among its major responsibilities, the interdisciplinary hospice team: • Manages the patient’s pain and symptoms • Assists the patient with the emotional, psychosocial and spiritual aspects of dying • Provides needed drugs, medical supplies, and equipment • Coaches the family on how to care for the patient • Delivers special services like speech and physical therapy when needed • Makes short-term inpatient care available when pain or symptoms become too difficult to manage at home, or the caregiver needs respite time • Provides bereavement care and counseling to surviving family and friends. 26
Masonic Outreach
Are you or a loved one facing a life-limiting illness? Advocate for yourself or loved one by scheduling a hospice consultation. A hospice consultation provides you with a chance to meet with a hospice staff person and ask questions. Although collaboration with your physician is important, you do not need a physician’s order to receive a hospice consolation. Use the links below to help you find a local hospice: In Missouri: https://www.mohospice.org/find-a-hospice/ Nationally: https://www.nhpco.org/find-hospice
IMPORTANT ADDITIONAL FACTS TO CONSIDER:
Under normal circumstances, hospice does not provide services in the home around the clock or for “shifts” that allow family members to go to work. Hospice team members provide services during visits that may last from 30 minutes up to a couple of hours. You may continue to see your own doctors, whether for your terminal illness or other illnesses. You do not need to be homebound to receive hospice care. Many patients get out, and some make trips while under hospice care. You may leave hospice care at any time. If you would like to return to curative treatment, discuss it with your hospice team. You will be eligible to re-enter hospice at any time without penalty. Hospice does not conflict with the beliefs of any major religion. All faiths recognize the value of spiritual support, pain relief, symptom management and counseling during the final phase of life.
Hospice is not just for the elderly or just for Medicare patients. Hospice serves patients of all ages, from infants to the elderly. Hospice is not a financial burden. Medicare Part A, Medicaid and many private insurers cover hospice services. Most hospices have a sliding scale for poor patients and some provide charity care for the truly destitute. The vast majority of patients and families never receive a bill from hospice. You may decline specific hospice services such as volunteers and housekeeping support. Hospice will neither hasten nor delay death. Hospice seeks to improve the patient’s quality of life and allow dying to take place naturally. It will not extend life through artificial or mechanical means. Nor will it shorten life through assisted suicide. There is no limitation on how long you can receive hospice care. True, your physician must certify that you are expected to live six months or less, but hospice services need not end at six months. Hospice care can extend well beyond the original six-month life expectancy.
IN THE NEWS
Tax Myths Debunked By Rebekah Hall
Tax season is upon us! This can be a confusing time, and misleading information about the filing process can make the procedures even more difficult. We have gathered some of the most common tax myths and explained the issues behind them to help you make clear, informed decisions about your taxes. Masonic Outreach
27
IN THE NEWS MYTH: CHILDREN WITH JOBS CANNOT BE CLAIMED AS DEPENDENTS Has your child under the age of 24 recently become employed? Your child can have a job and still be claimed as one of your dependents, so long as their job does not provide more than half of his or her support. “It is usually more advantageous for the parents to claim the child because they are usually in a higher tax bracket,” writes Samantha Dent, ABA, EA, a Business and Tax Advisor with Accounting Plus. “Even if your child works, they can still be your dependent. If the child has a Form w-2 with withholding to federal or state, then they can file to get the withholdings back.” MYTH: DEPENDENT CHILDREN WITH JOBS CAN HAVE THEIR W-2S ADDED TO A PARENT’S RETURN If your dependent child is employed, you should not include their W-2 on your return. They would need to file their own return and mark themselves as “dependent of another.” MYTH: UNTRACKED BUSINESS EXPENSES CANNOT BE DEDUCTED If your business records are lost or you have not tracked them as the year goes on, you can still deduct these expenses because business expenses can be reconstructed. “For example, if you drive your vehicle for business, but lose your mileage log, you can reconstruct
the log using an appointment book and calculating the mileage,” writes Dent. “And you can go back through your bank statements or credit card statements for the year to total up expenses that happened in prior months to be able to deduct them.” MYTH: MISSED W-2S CAN BE ADDED TO THE NEXT YEAR’S RETURN This cannot be done. Each year is handled separately, so if you miss a W-2 from a prior tax year, then you must go back to amend that year’s return and then add the income to it. MYTH: MARRIED COUPLES MUST FILE JOINTLY There is no requirement to file jointly simply because you’re married. However, there are lower tax rates and benefits available when filing jointly, which can help minimize your taxes. If you and your spouse are both high earners, you may experience a “marriage penalty” upon filing that bumps your income up to the next tax bracket, phasing you out of certain deductions or credits. You can use tax software to see if filing separately could help save you money.
MYTH: FILING AN EXTENSION MAKES AUDITING MORE LIKELY This myth, or the myth that filing early will increase your chances of being audited, does not have a basis in fact. In an article for U.S. News & World Report, Lisa Greene-Lewis, a certified public accountant and TurboTax tax expert, writes: “I hear this myth far too often, so let me put this one to bed. Studies have never found any correlation between extending the deadline for filing and getting audited. Another myth I often hear is that if you file early, you’re more likely to be audited. That’s not true either. Moreover, less than 1 percent of tax returns were audited for incomes under $200,000 last year according to IRS data.” MYTH: TAX RETURNS CANNOT BE FILED WITHOUT THE HELP OF A TAX PROFESSIONAL There are many tax programs and resources available online to make filing your taxes on your own not only possible, but simple and efficient. Programs like TurboTax walk you through the filing process from start to finish, and there’s no appointment necessary.
Tax season can be a stressful time, even without misleading information about the filing process. It is important to utilize resources like Accounting Plus and programs like TurboTax to ensure you have the correct information when filing. For more information on common tax myths and how to avoid them, please visit the Accounting Plus website: https://www.accountingplusinc.com/
Disclaimer: The Masonic Home does not provide tax or accounting advice, nor does it recommend any one provider or program. 28
Masonic Outreach
MEET A MASON
Dale Bryan
Previous Masonic Home Board member
“I served as the Sovereign Grand Commander in the ceremony where my father was Knighted as a K.C.C.H. [Knight Commander of the Court of Honour]. I know of no other son who has Knighted his father as a K.C.C.H.”
JoAnne Bryan
Mother of Dale Bryan, Eastern Star member
HOW HAS YOUR FAMILY BEEN INVOLVED WITH MASONRY OVER THE YEARS? I belong to the Eastern Star; I probably joined in 1962. My mother and my sister were also members, and my father was a Mason. Dale’s father and his brothers were also Masons. My whole family was involved.
WHEN DID YOU GET INVOLVED WITH MASONRY? I joined the lodge in 1976, at the Zeredatha Lodge in St. Joseph, Missouri.
WHAT DO YOU THINK IT IS ABOUT MASONRY THAT APPEALS TO YOUR FAMILY? I believe it’s because of the fraternity – that it is a brotherhood and a sisterhood.
WHAT IS YOUR EXPERIENCE LIKE AS A TRUMAN CLUB MEMBER? I became a Truman Club member before I went on the Board, and I think the Truman Club is wonderful for the Home. It helps us raise money and promotes awareness of what the Home is doing. We need to get the word out to more people, and that seems hard to do. But everyone who gets involved with the Club also becomes more involved with the Home.
WHY IS IT IMPORTANT TO YOU AND YOUR FAMILY TO BE A PART OF THIS ORGANIZATION? I support the Home Board because of the emotional and financial help that they give to our members when they’re in need of help. I’m totally awed by some of the people who are so generous with their giving to the Masonic Home because there are a lot of people who give far more than I can give. I feel like it’s not just an organization. We are a family.
WHY DO YOU FEEL THAT SUPPORTING THE MASONIC HOME IS SO IMPORTANT TO YOU AND YOUR FAMILY? When I served on the Board, I saw what the Home actually does and the people it helps. It helps so many people to be able to live a normal life. Whether by supplementing their income or whatever they need, the Home has so many different programs and helps in so many different ways.
AS DALE’S MOTHER, HOW DO YOU THINK HIS INVOLVEMENT WITH THE MASONIC HOME HAS AFFECTED HIM? Dale really liked it when he was on the Board because he knew he was helping people, and he’s very good at that. He and the friends he made there promote the Home as much as they possibly can, because they do know what the Home does to help people who are in need. It amazes me when I read some of the articles of people they’ve helped. It is a great organization. Masonic Outreach
29
WHAT’S IN THE NUMBERS?
Legacy Edition
63 million 250 number of adult Americans that volunteer their time, talents and energy to making a difference
5.3% of older Americans have made a charitable bequest commitment
4.5 average number of charities each person supports
78%
members of The Legacy Society at the Gold Leaf Level
members of The Legacy Society at the Silver Leaf Level
30
Masonic Outreach
Unlimited ways to leave your mark on the world
183 23
stones engraved in the Masonic Home Square & Compass Courtyard
77%
of the American population believes that everyone can make a difference by supporting causes
of planned giving donors gave 15 or more gifts to the nonprofits named in their wills during their lifetime
EVENTS
CALENDAR OF 2018 EVENTS
Let the Masonic Home of Missouri be part of the legacy that you leave, and join us as we strive to touch the lives of over 20,000 individuals this year! MAY 11TH
with Grand Lodge Annual Communication, this event allows Masonic Home Representatives the opportunity to get any new information about the Masonic Home. The Masonic Home will recognize and thank those working the Partnership Programs and Vincil Society members who are new or leveling up.
Registration deadline for Annual Golf Tournament
JUNE 18TH Masonic Home of Missouri 16th Annual Charity Golf Tournament sponsored by Central Bank of Boone County and Central Trust Company Held at the Columbia Country Club in Columbia, Missouri, this tailgating-themed day of golf will benefit the Masonic Home of Missouri Partnership Programs.
OCTOBER 8-10TH
AUGUST 31ST Deadline for gifts to be included in 2018 Vincil Society and Truman Club recognition
SEPTEMBER 22ND Truman Club Dinner Held at the Country Club of Missouri in Columbia, Missouri, this annual gala is sure to be a beautiful event. It will honor Masonic Home’s generous members of the Truman Club and raise funds for the Masonic Home’s programs.
SEPTEMBER 23RD Masonic Home Open House Held at the Masonic Complex in Columbia, Missouri, this event gives individuals an opportunity
to spend the afternoon touring the Masonic Museum and to view the breathtaking art glass from the Eastern Star chapels located at the Masonic Home in St. Louis.
SEPTEMBER 24TH Masonic Home Representatives’ Luncheon – Partnership Awards and Vincil Society Awards Held at the Holiday Inn Executive Center in Columbia, Missouri, in conjunction
Masonic Home of Missouri booth at Grand Chapter Session Held at the Capitol Plaza Hotel in Jefferson City, Missouri, the Grand Chapter Session is the annual meeting of the Grand Chapter of Missouri, Order of the Eastern Star. The Masonic Home will host a booth, provide information and answer questions about the Masonic Home and its programs.
DECEMBER 31ST Deadline for 2018 contributions ** Check out the Masonic Home website at www.mohome.org for an up-to-date calendar of events. Truman Club Regional events scheduled throughout the year will be added to that calendar.
Masonic Outreach
31
New website coming soon! mohome.org