In Arduis Fidelis Lodge are proud to have supported many charities over the years. Our most recent is the London Air Ambulance Appeal.
Our Masters Charity for 2023 is London Air Ambulance Appeal, this is because they require two new aircraft in order to keep the public safe and deliver critical prehospital care to the capital and surrounding counties.
We collect charity donations from members at our meetings, festive boards and other events.
We also have a Charity Officer who guides the Worshipful Master in charitable endeavours and news.
It is the Masters prerogative as to which charity the Lodge supports .
Charity is described as the distinguishing characteristic of a Freemason’s heart and all members of the Lodge are encouraged to be charitable within their means. Each new Master at his installation as Master of the Lodge nominates a recognised charity, which may be Masonic or Non-Masonic as his chosen Charity to support during his year in office.
For the past 15 years or so, successive Masters have nominated the New Masonic Samaritan Fund as their chosen charity and during that time a sum of over £25,000 has been donated to the fund, which provides medical care for Freemasons and their families where necessary.
The Lodge donated £500 to the Met Grand Masters Charity during our recent Official inspection by WBro Robert Grant MetGdInsp.
We were delighted last year to be inspected by our current grand inspector WBro Sanjiv Gohil PGSD.
From 2006 to 2014 the lodge has supported the Grand Charity Appeal (£2500) and the Masonic charities noted below, including the Laser Knife appeal and the RM Benevolent Institute. The 2014 Master asked for moneys to be put to a charity close to his heart, for Ovarian and Breast Cancer (£500)
in total we have donated:
£4540 to the Masonic Samaritan Fund;
£5500 to Royal Masonic Benevolent Institute (as part of the London Metropolitan Grand Lodge Appeal);
£1281 to the Lodge Centenary Fund
Details of preceding years are available from the Charity Steward.
Charity funds are collected by individual donations to the Masters List. The amount donated by each individual is confidential between the Charity Steward and the individual. There is no fixed sum expected, but whatever the individual can afford. A popular method of making a contribution is by way of purchasing raffle tickets sold at the Festive Board, which follows each Lodge meeting. Members also help by contributing Raffle Prizes, which may include unwanted gifts. The total proceeds of the Raffle are then donated to the chosen Charity.
The In Arduis Fidelis Lodge is listed as:
Patron Lodge of The Royal Masonic Benevolent Institution
Patron Lodge of The Masonic Trust for Girls and Boys
Patron Lodge of The New Masonic Samaritan Fund (now the Masonic Samaritan Fund)
The Grand Charity
The Grand Charity website can be accessed HERE
The Grand Charity is the central grant-giving charity of all Freemasons under the United Grand Lodge of England The three main areas in which the charity provides assistance are:-
‡ Masonic applicants in distressed circumstances
‡ Giving to Non-Masonic charities
‡ Support to other Masonic charities.
