Freemasons in Lanarkshire raised £2,000 from a charity dinner to boost their donations to non-Masonic charities during the past year to more than £50,000.Four cheques of £500 were presented to four local charities by Brother James L. Jack, Provincial Grand Master, Lanarkshire Middle-Ward, accompanied by Provincial Grand Secretary Brother William Craig.Brother Jack said: ‘It was gratifying to raise this amount from our Charity Dinner but I think it’s even more wonderful to see our donations to non-Masonic charities break the £50,000 barrier in the past year: that’s a very impressive record.Charity is one of the key elements in Freemasonry and I am just delighted to be part of this generous gesture. It is a great effort from the lodges across the Province, many of whom support their own local charities as well.  I’m very proud of them’.The charities to benefit from this most recent presentation were Lanarkshire Cancer Care Trust, The Haven in Blantyre, The Shields Road Drop-in Centre in Motherwell, and The Hope Centre for Autism in Airdrie.

Principal speaker at the sell-out dinner in June was Brother Granville Angel, Prestonian Lecturer of the United Grand Lodge of England for 2007, who spoke on the subject of: ‘Freemasons who had won the Victoria Cross’.