MAHOVA Family Day October 5, 2024
August 22, 2024
Monthly Devotional – September 2024
September 16, 2024
Brethren All:
As this year winds down, I want to thank you for the support, friendship,
kindness, and love which you have shown Barbara and me as we have traveled across the
Commonwealth. As we approach the traditional season of harvest and thanksgiving, I
have two further requests for your consideration and generous action in continuance of
our focus on brotherly love and relief
As you know, MAHOVA – Your Masonic Community, like much of our country,
feels the stress of the current economy. To address the needs of the future, a capital
campaign has been started to raise our endowment, so in time, it can provide the funding
necessary to support our day to day operations from its earnings. Many of our Lodges
have large assets, while some are not so well off financially, but all are full of the spirit
of generosity.
This year, our Family Day will be celebrated on Saturday, October 5 on the
grounds of MAHOVA. I hope many of you will be able to join us for a day of fellowship.
I am asking every Lodge to make a contribution of as much as they can to give our
MAHOVA Evergreen Campaign a good start. The support of MAHOVA at Family Day
will no doubt see some very large checks and perhaps an envelope of cash collected by
placing the Master’s Hat on the altar, a tradition in many Lodges in my area. Every gift
makes a difference and reaffirms our commitment to brotherly love and relief. Barbara
and I are so thankful for the many donations to MAHOVA that have been presented on
our visits across the Commonwealth this year, and we hope everyone will join us in
support of this appeal. Please plan to bring your donations to Family Day on October 5
or send them to me, and I will present them on your behalf.
Lastly, I hope you will join me in a statewide effort in the spirit of a season of
harvest and thanksgiving. I am asking every Lodge conduct a food collection campaign
from now until October 25. We often see images of people all over the world facing
hunger, but here in Virginia one in seven children are forced to face hunger. Virginia
has seven Food Banks and many communities have food pantries or similar programs.
My goal is for us to collect tons of food and then deliver it to your closest Food
Bank or similar organization, so we make the greatest impact at home. These deliveries
will be made during the week of October 28 to November 1, and each load should be
weighed, so at our conclusion, we can determine the impact we make statewide by
reporting the weights to our District Deputy Grand Masters. In this second effort, every
food item donated will make a difference and will be appreciated.
We would also love to make an outstanding impact with the Food Bank program
in the Richmond area as a result of our Family Day on October 5. Please consider
bringing a can or a non-perishable food item with you when you join us on this day of
fun and fellowship!
Thank you all for your continued support and generosity!
Sincerely and fraternally,
Jack K. Lewis
Grand Master
