THE NEW MASONIC SAMARITAN FUND is a Masonic Charity established with the active support of the United Grand Lodge of England in 1990 to provide financial support for needy, sick and infirm Freemasons, their wives, children or dependants. The Fund provides relief for those applicants who cannot afford the full cost of private health care and who are unable to obtain their treatment on the UK's National Health Service without undue delay or hardship. The Fund's proud boast is that since it was established no qualifying applicant has been denied.

THE PROVINCIAL GRAND LODGE OF HAMPSHIRE AND ISLE OF WIGHT has been charged with responsibility for the New Masonic Samaritan Fund Festival in 2005 having very successfully run Festival Appeals for the Royal Masonic Institution for Boys in 1984 (when over £2,000,000 was raised) and the Royal Masonic Benevolent Institution in 1994 (when over £4,500,000 was raised).

THE FESTIVAL PRESIDENT is the Provincial Grand Master R.W.Bro. Ernest F.R. Moss who relaunched the Festival Appeal on his being invested on 1st July 1998. The Festival Appeal will run until the year 2005 when a Festival Banquet will be held organised by the Provincial Grand Lodge to mark the culmination of the Appeal period and as a celebration to acknowledge the efforts of the brethren who have contributed to the Festival Appeal.

THE APPEALS DIRECTOR appointed by the Festival President is W.Bro. Mike Wilks, Assistant Provincial Grand Master, who chairs the Appeals Committee which comprises the six Assistant Provincial Grand Masters in the Province together with a Past Assistant Provincial Grand Master and the Provincial Grand Charity Steward. The Appeals Committee is overseeing the Appeal which is being organised on a group basis; each of the twelve groups in the Province (comprising on average 20 Lodges) having its own Committee chaired by the Province's Group Area Representative. The main thrust therefore is to localise the appeal through Group Committees to small groups of Lodges. Full details of the Appeals Committee and details of the Chairman and Secretaries of the Group Committees are included in the Provincial Year Book available to all Masons throughout the Province from the Provincial Office.

LODGE TARGETS HAVE BEEN SET by the Appeals Committee with Lodge honorifics on the basis of the average amount donated per subscribing member over the complete period of the Festival:-

The following six Lodges in the Province have already reached their target and have qualified for a Silver Award:-

The following six Lodges in the Province have qualified for a Bronze Award and are already well on their way to their target:-

How close is your Lodge to a Bronze?

THE APPEALS COMMITTEE publish a bi-annual News Letter distributed through Lodge Secretaries to all brethren within the Province. A Festival Tie has been designed and by consent of the R.W. Provincial Grand Master, may be worn in all Craft Lodges throughout the Province though not in other Provinces or in Grand Lodge. The tie may also be worn in Royal Arch Chapters within the Province by kind permission of the Most Excellent Grand Superintendent. Bow ties (two designs - gold or shadow weave) are also available and likewise may be worn in Craft Lodges and Royal Arch Chapters throughout the Province. The ties can be obtained through Group Committees.

STEWARDS FESTIVAL JEWELS ARE AVAILABLE TO QUALIFYING BRETHREN who have contributed not less than £50; OR TO QUALIFYING LADIES (who contribute not less than £25) at a cost of £10 or £5 respectively. The jewels, pictured below incorporate the Arms of the United Grand Lodge of England with a Shield incorporating the name of the Province, the year of the Festival and the logo of the New Masonic Samaritan Fund, the Stewards Jewel being on a ribbon identical to that issued by the Fund in respect of their own jewels. Application for jewels from brethren within the Province should be made through their Lodge Charity Steward to their Group Committee. Brethren outside the Province who qualify and who would like to purchase the jewel should communicate by e-mail with the Appeals Director; or direct with the Provincial Offices.

MESSAGE FROM THE APPEALS DIRECTOR: The brethren of this Province have set themselves very high standards. The Festival Appeals in 1984 and 1994 raised record totals. The objects of the New Masonic Samaritan Fund are close to the heart of all Freemasons and I have no doubt the brethren of this Province will once again work together to raise a Festival total worthy of this great Province. The brethren's response thus far as been outstanding: -

Brethren and Lodges are being encouraged to maintain this early momentum with a view to taking the Festival total to in excess of £2,000,000 by the Provincial Annual General Meeting in July 2000.

FURTHER INFORMATION ABOUT THE FESTIVAL APPEAL can be obtained from the Appeals Director - e-mail: mike@wilks.org.uk - or the Provincial Grand Secretary at the Provincial Offices, 85 Winchester Road, Chandlers Ford, Eastleigh, Hants. S053 2GG (Tel: (023) 80261555. Comments on the web page will be welcomed.