4 April 2025
SINCERE THANKS
Brethren and friends,
With the excitement and splendour of our recent Grand Installation fresh in our minds, Sharon and I would like to express our sincere gratitude to all of you for your support, encouragement and good wishes. We deeply appreciate all of your kind thoughts and are humbled by the trust you have placed in us.
As I commence my term as Grand Master, I am excited by a number of important events that are fast approaching and which I would encourage your active involvement.
CALL TO ACTION
As we are all aware, charity sits amongst the foremost of the many tenets that define our fraternity. Not only is it inculcated within our ritual and ceremonial but also practiced within our day-to-day lives.
With this in mind, I am pleased to announce that we have once again partnered with the Good Friday Appeal in order to raise much-needed funds for the Royal Children's Hospital. Whether it be through turning sausages at Bunnings stores, rattling tins outside a Ritchies supermarket or making a personal donation, your willingness and ability to assist would be greatly appreciated.
Here are the details of how you can help:
1. Sausage Sizzles
I am delighted that more than 170 Freemasons volunteers have signed on to assist at the Bunnings fundraiser Sausage Sizzles on Saturday 12 April. Rosters have been emailed to those who have volunteered and supplied all necessary information. If you have not received a roster, please email Ash@Long.com.au
While I thank all those who have volunteered, we still require help at Brunswick and Lilydale stores for both morning and afternoon shifts and we would like to have more volunteers for afternoon shifts at Clyde North and Mornington. We could also do with more volunteers at Bairnsdale, Bendigo (PM), Broadmeadows, Caroline Springs, Rosebud (PM), Sunbury and Taylors Lakes (PM). To volunteer, register immediately at https://www.trybooking.com/CZQNR.
I look forward to catching up with as many of you as I can on 12 April and enjoying a sausage or two.
2. Tin Rattles at Ritchies Supermarkets
We are in the final stages of organising tin rattles on Thursday 17 April, outside Ritchies supermarkets at Amberely Park (Narre Warren), Balnarring, Emerald, Pentridge (Coburg), Ringwood East, Ringwood North, Robinvale, Seaford, Sorrento, Glenferrie Rd Hawthorn, and Hawthorn Square.
To volunteer for a Tin Rattle, please send an email to Ash@Long.com.au.
3. Donate Directly to the Appeal
Individuals and Lodges can donate directly to the Royal Children's Hospital Good Friday Appeal. Clifton Hill Lodge has already raised more than $3,000 on its own GFA webpage.
If you were already considering donating directly to the appeal, why not do that through the link below, which will record your donation as part of the Freemasons Victoria total contribution, and issue you with a personalised thank-you letter and personalised receipt.
To donate click the link: https://fundraise.goodfridayappeal.com.au/fundraisers/freemasonsvictoria
It is my hope that we can raise $100,000 to support this most valuable cause. Please consider making a generous donation.
Sleep at the G'
Freemasons Victoria will once again be participating in the Sleep at the ‘G on 15 May. Arguably Victoria’s leading event in the fight against youth homelessness. Our efforts in 2024 saw us raise over $109,000 – a figure we hope to surpass this year. Again, your participation will serve to define our success.
This year’s Sleep at the ‘G event on Thursday 15 May is now less than six weeks away. We already have 47 participants registered, and we are keen to better last year's numbers. To register click the link: https://www.trybooking.com/CZIWL
Here are some key dates:
- Thursday 24 April – 4pm. Final registrations accepted at the $66.50 early bird rate, at https://www.trybooking.com/CZIWL
- Monday 28 April. Melbourne City Mission will release a special code for participating Freemasons. Each will need to register – at no additional charge – at the Sleep at the ‘G website. This will generate your own personalised webpage for fundraising.
- Wednesday 7 May – 4pm. Final registrations accepted at the $76.50 rate at https://www.trybooking.com/CZIWL (no registrations can be accepted after this time)
- Thursday 15 May – 6pm. The event begins
Let's work together to beat last year's fantastic numbers and again put our wonderful Craft on show. Brethren, I thoroughly look forward to taking part in both of these important charitable initiatives with you.
Sincerely and fraternally,
MWBro. Peter Henshall
Grand Master
