By Desmond Tunde Coker
Freemasonry is an organization of men who are banded together in a dignified common purpose of making better world by which to live in, becoming better men, men who in their daily lives are projecting by their leadership and example true brotherly love, relief and truth.
That is why the St Patrick’s Lodge No9366 EC on Saturday, October 28, 2023, donated food items to the King George VI Memorial Home of Aged in Grafton in Freetown.
The donated items are: 10 bags of 50kg rice, a bag of salt, a bag of sugar, a cotton of tomatoes, Maggie, boxes of Tealeaf, Nescafe, three five gallons of cooking oil and other food items worth millions of Leones.
King George VI Memorial Home, commonly called Old People’s Home is specifically for the elderly destitute and desolate in Sierra Leone.
Speaking during the ceremony, the Worshipful Bro. Dephon Sigismond Ojumiri Carey (Secretary), reminded the residents and friends of their usual tradition of visiting King George VI Home yearly. He said that Masonry is built on the foundation of brotherly love, relief and truth, and that the first word in freemasonry is charity because they don’t know how their tomorrow will look like.
He said that some of the residents in the home were in a better position, but today they are in the Home.
Given the purpose of the visit, Worshipful Brother Emmanuel Adjayie Wilson-Taylor, said that there is nothing dangerous or different being a freemason “because it is the same God we are calling on and believe in and it is the same Bible we are using”.
He called on other organizations to continue to support residents of the home.
In his statement, the Worshipful Master of St Patrick’s Lodge, Edward Atere-Roberts thanked the management of the King George VI Home for their partnership citing that this is not the first time, and it will not be the last time for the St Patrick’s Lodge to continue to support the home with food items. He promised that they will continue to support the home.
Alhaji M.B. Jalloh, chairman of the Board of King George Vi Home and also CEO and Founder of Focus 1000, thanked St Patrick’s Lodge for supporting the home at a time when they are celebrating the month of aged. He said that they have about 48 inmates in the residence, and it is not easy to take care of them.
He said that the home relies on support from individuals and organisations.
He acclaimed St Patrick’s Lodge for their usual support to the home. He said that the clarification about Lodge will continue to change the perception some people hold about the organization. “I am a Muslim, but what I have learned so far gives me a clear insight as to what the Lodge is all about,” he said.