Scottish Rite Philanthropies

Valley of Waco

A Tradition of Giving

Masons, since their arrival in North America, in the 1730's, have provided for their poor and penniless brethren. It is recorded in the minutes of Lodge No. 17, Queen-Town, Maryland: "May 29th, 1777, Ordered that a sum of 24 pounds be sent to Brother Samuel T. Wright, a distressed prisoner at New York."

Assisting our less fortunate Brethren is the bedrock upon which all Masonic philanthropies are built. It is the heart and soul of Scottish Rite charities.

We Continue the Tradition . . .
Our Valley is a part of this great tradition of philanthropy and charity. We support the Scottish Rite Women's Dormitory at the University of Texas in Austin and the Texas Scottish Rite Hospital for Children in Dallas. We also support and use the dyslexia and learning programs, which were developed by the staff at the Children's Hospital.

How We Fund Our Tradition . . .
We fund our tradition from gifts, proceeds from our investments, and the Almoner's Fund. This fund is used for our needy brethren and others who have an acute short-term crisis in their lives through which the Almoner can provide assistance. Should a brother wish to serve as a Representative of the Almoner, he should contact a member of the Almoner's Advisory Committee, or our office in Waco.

The Almoner . . .
The Brethren elect the Almoner annually. He is the Brother who is responsible for raising, investing, and disbursing monies from the Almoner's Fund. The "Basket of Fraternal Assistance" supports this Fund. The basket is passed at each reunion and stated meeting. No overhead is charged to this fund. Every penny is used for charitable purposes. Brethren may contribute to this fund at any time. Your gift will give you the opportunity to be part of our grand Tradition of helping our fellow man.

 

Serving Today - Building Tomorrow

2006 National History Day Winner

Congratulations to Collin Cresson!
(click here for more information)

 

History jumps from pages of books for Lorena 8th-grader
 Thursday, June 08, 2006

By Katy Moore
Tribune-Herald staff writer

 

A Lorena Middle School student will share a dramatic page of history June 14 with visitors at the Smithsonian National History Museum in Washington, D.C.

Collin Cresson, who will be an eighth-grader this fall, is one of nine students from around the nation selected to present their individual projects for the National History Day competition at the museum.

Collin’s project, titled “Taking a Stand, Turning the Tide,” is a one-man dramatic interpretation of the D-Day invasion at Normandy, which represented a turning point for Allied forces in World War II, on June 6, 1944. Collin portrays a soldier, a medic, a paratrooper and even General Dwight D. Eisenhower in the 10-minute performance.

In keeping with this year’s National History Day theme, “Taking a Stand in History: People, Ideas, Events,” Collin’s performance examines the crucial Normandy invasion and the courageous stands different individuals took to defeat German forces during World War II.

“National History Day has taught me how to research a time in history and make it come alive,” he said. “I am really excited to show my project at the Smithsonian.”

Collin and the other students selected to perform at the Smithsonian were  part of a larger group of more than 2,000 finalists participating in the National History Day competition June 11-15 at the University of Maryland. 

Collin’s project took second place honors at this year’s Texas History Day competition in April in Austin. To prepare for his performance, Collin interviewed World War II veterans and researched his subject matter through books and secondary sources. An elderly relative provided details of his experiences in the war, though not specifically at Normandy, which also contributed to Collin’s project.

“He’s just always loved history,” Collin’s mother, Laura Cresson, said.

Pat Browder, a Lorena Middle School history teacher and the history fair sponsor, said students pick a history fair topic in August.

All Lorena students are required to participate in the local history fair, but some students who get more involved with their topics progress to the regional level.

From there, some qualify for state and national competition. “They get a lot of information out of it, and they have a lot of fun,” Browder said.


Look What You've Done!

You and the other Members of the Waco Scottish Rite Bodies provided both the funds and the construction expertise to build this new house in the Mexia Area, along with the Habitat for Humanity, for Ms. Shronda Conner and her family. The Greater Mexia Area Habitat for Humanity sponsored the Dedication of the Home on May 21, 2006. Several Waco Scottish Rite Masons were in attendance, including Ill\Harold E. Jackson, Jr. 33°, Chairman of the Waco Scottish Rite Charitable Foundation, who presented the keys to Ms. Conner.
Be proud of all the Charitable Endeavors you are involved with, in and outside of your own community!

Waco Scottish Rite Bodies
 Community Grant Program

This program has been established to assist the communities, where Waco Scottish Rite Bodies Masons live, to improve and make the community a better place to live. It's mission is to provide support of special community needs, activities and projects for which normal funding is either not available or not totally available. Eligible activities and projects are limited to public community-wide activities and projects. The program will not provide funds for continuing operational costs and no advance commitment of funds can be made. The annual amount of community awards will be limited to the proceeds made on the funds designated to support this program. If you would like more information about this program, contact Waco Scottish Rite Bodies at 1-800-880-7208 or e-mail wsrb@hot.rr.com. To apply for a Community Grant Online, go to link below.

 

Texas Scottish Rite Hospital for Children

To request a patient application to the
Texas Scottish Rite Hospital for Children, 
e-mail the Waco Scottish Rite Bodies