EARLIER this month around twenty Freemasons and their wives/partners attended a coffee morning hosted at the Hervey Bay Special School in Frangipanni Avenue, Scarness. Their purpose was not only to enjoy a social gathering with coffee and cake, a service provided by the school’s Coffee Shop every Friday, but to present a donation to the school.
The local Masonic Lodges of Hervey Bay Daylight and Munduberra-Burnett pooled their resources to provide the funds for this latest donation being for new outdoor tables for the coffee shop. New tables were needed as the old ones were small, unwieldy and too heavy for the students and staff to move around. The new tables are much sturdier, easier to manoeuvre and can accommodate more customers.
The Masonic Lodges raises funds in a variety of ways but in this instance predominantly by running sausage sizzle stalls. They often operate stalls at Harvey Norman and Bunnings to name a couple.
Hervey Bay Daylight Lodge Worshipful Master, Derek Mayne, praised the assembled students for a wonderful morning. Specialist Education Teacher Ms. Jessica Roberts was presented with the cheque for the funds raised to purchase the tables and thanked the young staff for their hard work.
A good morning was had by all.
Freemasonry is a worldwide organisation whose origins are shrouded in the midst of time. There is an acceptance that its roots stem from medieval stone masons who operated under codes of conduct.
Over time, these codes of conduct were incorporated into ceremonies. Becoming a Freemason is a commitment to develop one’s own potential, to embrace values that see all people as equal and to help others in one’s community.
Charity is a central principle of Freemasonry, for example, in the 2021 - 2022 financial year Queensland Freemasonry donated $5.7 million to deserving causes.
Coffee mornings are held at the Hervey Bay Special School every Friday morning during the school term until 11am. The staff consists of Specialist Teachers and students who work in the kitchen to gain life skills and experience, often moving on to employment in the commercial food industry.
