Worshipful Masters Remarks at Rotary St. George Lodge Housing Project 2

NIS Conference Centre

8^th November 2022

My name is Edmund Jackson, I am the Worshipful Master of St. George Lodge 2616 EC, and it gives me much pleasure to deliver remarks on behalf of the Lodge, at this Press Conference. I am here with Worshipful Brother Francois Truchot, the Charity Steward of the Lodge and Worshipful Brother Trevor Thompson, who had the responsibility of coordinating the volcano relief efforts, on behalf of the Lodge, from the time the La Soufriere began erupting in April 2021.

St. George Lodge 2616 EC is a Masonic Fraternity, which has been in existence in St. Vincent and the Grenadines for over 125 years. St. George Lodge is but one of many lodges which forms a regional district known as the District Grand Lodge of Barbados and the Eastern Caribbean. Our District is also part of a much larger fraternity internationally, which is headed by the United Grand Lodge of England.

During the aftermath of the devastating volcanic eruptions in April 2021, the District Grand Lodge of Barbados and the Eastern Caribbean responded to the calls of the Government and people of St Vincent and the Grenadines for immediate assistance, by donating food, clothing, water, and cleaning supplies, in accordance with the List of Priority Needs identified by the National Emergency Management Organization (NEMO) and the Caribbean Disaster Emergency Management Agency (CDEMA). At that time, Lodge collaborated with NEMO and the Rotary Clubs in St. Vincent to distribute the above-mentioned supplies.

The District also provided to St George Lodge an amount of US $5,000 dollars, which was presented to the Rotary Clubs of St. Vincent to purchase meals for the displaced persons in the various shelters throughout the country.

The District Grand Lodge of Barbados and the Eastern Caribbean also sent out an appeal to our sister Lodges and Chapters in our District as well as to other Districts regionally and internationally. This appeal raised a substantial amount of funds and an initial disbursement of EC $55,000.00 dollars, was received, and in conjunction with funding from the Rotary Clubs of St. Vincent, used to undertake the first phase of the Rotary St. George Lodge Housing Project. The project, which assisted some 54 families, in the red and orange zones, was successfully implemented at a total cost of EC $170,000.00 dollars.

At this juncture, I must emphasize that charity is not uncommon to St. George Lodge or to the Masonic Fraternity in general. In fact, millions of dollars are contributed annually by the United Grand Lodge of England to organizations around the world. The District Grand Lodge of Barbados and the Eastern Caribbean has also made substantial donations to disasters in our own region, such as the volcanic eruption in Montserrat, and during the aftermath of hurricanes in recent years that devastated our sister islands such as Dominica and Antigua and Barbuda. The District has therefore responded decisively and in a timely manner to the assistance of St. Vincent and the Grenadines, during the time of our need.

It is against this backdrop, that St. George Lodge is again Partnering with the Rotary Clubs of St. Vincent to undertake the second phase of the Rotary St. George Lodge Housing Project, which will provide further assistance to persons in the red and orange zones, for the restoration and reconstruction of homes damaged during the volcanic eruption. St. George Lodge has committed just over EC $154,000 dollars, and in conjunction with funding from the Rotary Clubs of St. Vincent, will support 124 families, at a total cost of just over EC $449,000 dollars.

I, as Master of St. George Lodge 2616 EC, would like to publicly thank and extend our sincere appreciation to the District of Barbados and the Eastern Caribbean, for coordinating the collection of contributions from Lodges in the District and internationally. Please be assured that the funds received will be faithfully applied. I would like to also thank our sister Lodges and Chapters in the region and internationally for their kind and generous support and assistance.

I must recognize our corporate Partners, Coreas Hazells Inc and Kendra’s Aluminum Products Ltd and thank them for their generous support in providing the building materials, windows and doors needed to repair and restore the homes damaged by the eruption.

Finally, I would like to thank the recipients present here today, recognizing that your restoration needs are indeed greater than the sum you will be receiving, but with the understanding that it will contribute to the ongoing efforts to ensure that as many homes as possible are restored to their original condition.