Celebration of the Craft:   May 19th, 2012 at 6:00 pm - 12:00 am, EDT

This celebration of the Scottish Rite will be similar to a telethon but broadcast over the internet on May 19th. Our Web Event will pay tribute to Freemasonry with entertainment, celebrities, humor, and educational programming.  Our host will be Ill. Norm Crosby, 33°.  It will be broadcast through the Scottish Rite web site at www.scottishrite.org.

For donations made online or called in during the Web Event, 50% of the net proceeds will benefit the Rebuilding the Temple Campaign to restore the House of the Temple and 50% will benefit Orient and/or Valley 501(c)3 organizations.

What can you do?:

1.       Mark May 19th on your calendar.

2.       Plan on watching with your Valley or at home.

3.       Let all of your Masonic friends know about the Web Event and its importance.

4.       Plan on making a gift to help us preserve and restore the House of the Temple and also benefit your Orient.

5.       Donations can be made online, by text, by phone, and on Facebook. Throughout the broadcast we will give up to the minute updates.  If every member made just a $5 contribution we would hit our goal of $1 million.

Brethren All: 

I am writing this as an appeal for a donation to the new Fisher House that will soon be opening on the grounds of the Veterans Administration Medical center (VA Hospital).

The Fisher House program is a unique private-public partnership that supports America's military in their time of need. The program recognizes the special sacrifices of our men and women in uniform and the hardships of military service by meeting a humanitarian need beyond that normally provided by the Departments of Defense and Veterans Affairs. Because members of the military and their families are stationed worldwide and must often travel great distances for specialized medical care, the Fisher House Foundation donates "comfort homes" built on the grounds of major military and VA medical centers. These homes enable family members to be close to a loved one at the most stressful times - during hospitalization for an unexpected illness, disease, or injury.

A new house has been built on the grounds of our VA hospital and will open within two weeks. While the house is almost ready for occupancy there is a need to purchase essential items, i.e. irons, ironing boards, towels, bed linens, etc, for which funding was not foreseen.  To purchase these items we need at least $2,000.  I am asking our members and lodges to look in their heart and make a donation so that we can purchase these and other living essentials for the home.  Please make your donations payable to the “Grand Lodge, F.A.A.M. of DC” and send the check to “Grand Lodge, FAAM of DC, 5428 MacArthur Blvd., NW, Washington DC 20016-2524”.       

I thank you for any consideration you may give to this appeal. 

Jesse Villarreal
Grand Master