The North Carolina Mason

November/December 2015 The North Carolina Mason Page 5 Building a Stronger Foundation A small act of charity will go a long way By Bryant D. Webster Grand Master "A small act of charity will go a long way." us read the fortune in my fortune cookie to- day. at simple truth is exemplified by the North Carolina Masonic Foundation, Incorporated. First formed on January 16, 1929, the Foundation ex- ists for the sole support of the Masonic Home for Children at Oxford and WhiteStone: a Masonic and Eastern Star Community. It does this in nu- merous ways: It collects tax-deductible donations and invests them, then pays the interest over to our charities, one-half each. It provides investment services to our charities, to help preserve and grow funds held by those charities, in ways not possible through fee-paid investment houses. Our Foundation provides credit facilities, as- sisting our charities with access to funds for build- ing and development, when bank financing is too costly or unavailable; and in thus doing, keeps the interest paid in the family. It provided emergency grants to the Masonic and Eastern Star Home (now WhiteStone: a Masonic and Eastern Star Community), when needed to prevent the De- partment of Insurance from sanctioning or con- trolling our Home. It provided the facilities and expertise to create the Masonic & Eastern Star Home Foundation, LLC, to allow a return to charitable admissions at WhiteStone: a Masonic and Eastern Star Community. But wait, there's more: the Foundation now al- lows lodges and other Masonic entities to access their investment facilities, again benefitting lodg- es, avoiding outside fees, and keeping the money in the family. ey make strategic purchases of property to protect our charities and our Grand Lodge from outside forces. ey aid in fundraising and development. is wonderful resource, our silent partner in charitable work, has been governed by a five- member board of directors. Each director is nomi- nated by the incoming grand master for a five-year term. I am pleased to have nominated Past Grand Master Leonard Safrit, current chair of the Board of Directors, for another term. His excellent ser- vice to our fraternity in this role has helped be- yond words. e Board is assisted by an able set of professional financial advisers who handle the trading and investments. Our silent partner must become stronger. It must continue to develop its fund-raising, both for our stand-alone charities and for itself. It must become more entrepreneurial – providing services of value to the Craft and generating charitable revenue in the process. It must grow in financial size, in order to assist our charities into the future. My theme for the year "Building a Stronger Foundation," speaks directly to this need. We took the first steps toward this at our Annual Communication in September 2015, approving Code amendments which will allow the Foundation to expand its Board to seven mem- bers if and when its Board determines that is neces- sary and advisable. If they so choose, I have identi- fied capable Masons who can join the Board and further the mission. We are contemplating other strategies which will strengthen the Foundation and our charities, and lead to increased support for them. Our stand-alone charities, MHCO and White- Stone: a Masonic and Eastern Star Community, still need your support. We must do more. "Faith ends in sight, hope ends in fruition, but charity extends beyond the grave." As each of us contemplates our call to "that undiscovered country" we must contin- ue our charity from the grave. at statement from our ritual is only true if we make it so. You can leave a legacy gift to our charities – directly, or through the North Carolina Masonic Foundation, which will carry on the good work forever. is can be done without injury to your- self or family. ere are many charitable giving tools that can benefit the charity and your family. A small percentage gift in your will costs almost nothing to create, and could have a huge impact. Further, ten percent of residuary in your will is un- likely to be missed by your family, but could make all the difference for one of our children or one of our seniors. We have persons at all of our chari- ties who can answer your questions about giving opportunities which take effect now and in the future. Information about contact numbers is in this North Carolina Mason, and on the websites of our charities. "A small act of charity will go a long way." I am certain that our forefathers in the winter of 1929 could not have forecasted the economic and societal changes that would occur during the existence of their new Foundation. ey would be astounded at the impact their small act of charity has had, two generations and more since their act. Each of us has the opportunity to have similar far-reaching impact by making gifts out of our largess when we transition to that Celestial Lodge above. "Building a Stronger Foundation" goes further. Each of us, as Masons, has profound duties to ourselves and to our families and our communi- ties. We must ensure that when we transition to the Celestial Lodge above, our affairs are situated in a way that our families are protected and the resources of our communities and our courts are not expended resolving matters we could have and should have handled while we were living. During this year, I will do my best to provide you with information about tools available to you: durable general powers of attorney, health care powers of attorney, wills, and trusts. ese docu- ments can be prepared by attorneys local to you, and can ensure that your family is on a firm foun- dation when you are no longer there to provide for them. Failing to plan is planning to fail. As Masons, we have a duty not to fail our families in this regard. Reach out to your lodge secretary, and inquire whether there is an attorney in your lodge or a nearby lodge who can assist you. Lodge secre- taries, please redouble your efforts to put occupa- tion information in MORI, so that we can identify professionals who can assist our Brethren. Brethren, it is high time that we take seriously the admonition to "improve ourselves in Mason- ry!" at does not happen automatically, or just by sitting in lodge. It occurs when we seriously examine ourselves, take stock of where we are, and develop plans to take steps that move us to- ward an improved reality. I humbly suggest that contemplating the fact that each of us will die, and getting our affairs in order, for the benefit of our families and our charities and communities, is a foundational step toward self-improvement. I and other attorneys and professionals in the Craft stand at the ready to assist you, but you must take up your own working tools and do your own work. "Every human being has a claim upon your kind offices. Do good unto all. Recommend it more es- pecially to the household of the faithful." "A small act of charity will go a long way." How far will it go? What will your act of charity be?

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