June 2007
THE BUCKS MASONIC CENTENARY FUND
BMCF - YOUR CHARITY - WORKING IN OUR COMMUNITY
A BMCF Committee Meeting, the first in the new financial year, was held on 29th May 2007. The following are the highlights of the Committee’s discussions:
Grants
- The Committee approved 7 grants totalling £8,400.
- 4 grants were made to local charitable causes (Hospice of St Francis for day hospice equipment; a new Age Concern Buckinghamshire project in the rural day care centres at Wing and Steeple Claydon; implementation of an imaginative mathematical project by the Friends of Broughton Infant School, Aylesbury; Waddesdon Cricket Club for urgent replacement items for youth cricket).
- 2 “Top-up” grants were made (to Grand Union Lodge No 9641 and Grenville Lodge No 1787).
- A grant was made for refrigerated display equipment for a real community project – the Castlethorpe Village Shop Association has been formed following closure of the former village shop and village post office two years ago. The villagers and people from the local area combined to form a cooperative, non-profit venture to provide a new village shop and post office facility, with any (eventual) surpluses being paid to the parish council for community use.
- Remember – “Top-up” grants by the BMCF are available to augment donations by lodges to local charities. Lodges might wish to use this method during the next few years of the 2010 Festival Appeal.
BMCF Support for the Provincial “Care in the Community” Programme
- BMCF grants make a very real contribution to our community – and they are targeted to make a real difference by focusing on specific projects or facilities, complete in themselves, rather than responding to general appeals or requests to fund routine activities.
- Such BMCF grants are targeted to pay for a complete and identifiable facility or project, not as general contributions to a charity.
- The BMCF Centre/Area representatives have been encouraged to liaise with their local “Care in the Community” counterparts to help identify potential applicants to the BMCF for funding.
Lodge Subscriptions
- Whilst the response to the Treasurer’s requests for outstanding subscriptions has been very encouraging, we are in a new subs year!
- The (voluntary) annual subscription is still only £2.00 per lodge member and the BMCF Treasurer, John Mould, would appreciate payment of this year’s subs as soon as possible.
Next BMCF Committee Meeting
- Will be on 24th September 2007
- Subsequent Committee meetings to consider grant applications will be held in January and May 2008.
More Information
- Look on this website (www.buckspgl.org under the ‘Charities’ and “BMCF”) for more information about the submission of applications to the Fund Secretary
- The Provincial Directory 2006-2007 (pages 532 & 533) contains further information on the BMCF.
Contact the BMCF Honorary Secretary - W Bro Alan R Watkins (Tel: 01844 291275)