PHILANTHROPIC

The Service Project for the Grand Guardian Council 2005-06 will be
“Support Our Troops”.

Each Bethel is asked to participate in this Project. There are so many ways that you can do this: correspond with someone you know personally who is serving our country; contact your local recruiting office or National Guard Amory to find out if you have someone from your area that you can correspond with; work through me to provide letters and packages to those service men and women who may not be receiving anything.

Here is an idea of things to collect and bring to me to be sent overseas (all food items must be manufactured sealed):

It would also be a great idea to let the website www.mnjd.org know what you are doing and the 6th Messenger, we would love to hear about it!

We definitely want all Bethels to keep in touch with Mike Pierce from Bethel 85 Shakopee. He is in the National Guard serving our country. Mike’s email address is . He would love to get emails from you! Tell him about the activities your Bethel is doing to support our troops! We will get you his mailing address as soon as we get it.

If you have questions, contact me.

Laura Meyer -

Introducing Minnesota’s 2006-2007
Daughter H.I.K.E. Coordinator

“Your Name Could Be Here”

Applications are now being taken for Minnesota’s 2006-2007 Daughter H.I.K.E. Coordinator. The term of office is one year, beginning at the Annual Session of the Grand Guardian Council in June.

The duties of this position are: to promote H.I.K.E. at all Grand Bethel and Grand Guardian Council events; to work with the Adult H.I.K.E. chairman to plan activities that will raise funds for H.I.K.E.; and to bring awareness of H.I.K.E. to others if the opportunity arises.

If you are interested in this position, ask your Bethel Guardian for an application. All applications must be received by June 1, 2006. The new Daughter H.I.K.E. Coordinator will be announced during the Banquet Friday night, June 16, 2006 at the Sawmill Inn in Grand Rapids, Minnesota.

Thank you to all who are considering this important position.

Hugs,
Pam Leech, VGG and Ken Carroll, VAGG
(Contact the Vice Grand Guardian through if you need further information)

HIKE SUCKERS are for sale for 50 cents. The proceeds will go the HIKE Fund. Contact Linda Harmon through this website if you wish to order some.

       This years’ Grand Guardians’ project was the HIKE (Hearing Impaired Kids Endowment) Fund. During this year two awards were given out in Minnesota, the report is on this page. During the year $8,006.55 was collected for HIKE.

       At lunch on Saturday many pairs of beautifully painted sneakers were auctioned off to raise another $602.00 for HIKE. Thanks to Pam Anderson and her great talent for painting for creating the one-of-a-kind pairs of shoes. Watch for the pretty feet at camp!

       Here at the Annual Session of the Grand Guardian Council, theme baskets were auctioned off, ten of them. The bidding was brisk and a total of $398.00 was raised. This amount will be divided between the HIKE Fund and the newly established ‘Partners For Life’ campaign. This is a combined effort of the Grand Lodge and the Grand Chapter Order of the Eastern Star, which will raise funds in the campaign for the Masonic Oncology Pavilion at the University of Minnesota. This, of course, is part of the Minnesota Masonic Cancer Center at the U of M now fifty years caring for cancer patients and one of the leading research facilities in the nation.

The HIKE Fund, Inc. is the philanthropic project of the Supreme Guardian Council, JDI. Many jurisdictions have adopted this project year after year, in addition to their own projects.

The purpose of the HIKE Fund is to provide hearing devices for children with hearing impairments. From newborns through the age of twenty any child with a verified prescription from an audiologist or physician, certification that their parents are financially unable to meet this special need, may fill out the application and send it to the HIKE Fund, Inc. These forms are available through the Supreme Guardian Council at www.iojd.org , the HIKE Fund, Inc. at www.thehikefund.org, or the Grand Guardian Council of Minnesota. (See the Forms page and submit a request for these forms.)

HIKE Fund, Inc. checks have been awarded to young people from all parts of the United States, Canada and Australia. There have been many presentations in Minnesota. The money has been used to purchase FM systems, hearing aids, closed caption converters, alerting systems, tactile units and even football helmets. These various devices cost a lot of money and the HIKE Fund, Inc helps with the expense of these life-changing devices.

The HIKE Fund, Inc is a not-for-profit charity. It is registered with the Internal Revenue Service as a tax exempt charity.

The next time you see an event planned for the benefit of the HIKE Fund, Inc, please join in, participate or donate as much as you can for this worthwhile fund. You will feel good and the children thank you.

The Grand Lodge (Masons) and the Grand Chapter (Order of the Eastern Star) of Minnesota have joined together in an effort to raise funds for a state-of-the-art cancer research and treatment facility at the University of Minnesota. Partners for Life is the Campaign for the Masonic Oncology Pavilion. The original Masonic Cancer Center opened in 1955 and with the help of the Masonic Family organizations has become a well-known cancer research and treatment center. We will be joining in the effort to help raise much-needed funds, as the goal is $15 million dollars.

The Grand Guardian Council, Grand Bethel and individual Bethels may also each have other projects for the benefit of the communities in which they are located, or a statewide project. Watch for the announcement of these special projects and give your support enthusiastically.

It is SPRING and perhaps there is someone in your very own neighborhood who could use your help in cleaning up their yard, planting flowers or vegetables, mowing the lawn, putting up screen windows, painting or other little projects. Check around your block and see if you can lend a hand to someone who could use it. They will be very thankful and you will feel great! Be sure to tell them you are a Job’s Daughter and this is your way of making your neighborhood a better place.