Master Craftsman

Greetings My Brethren:

There are exciting things going on in the Valleys of New Mexico and I am pleased to announce the MASTER CRAFTSMAN correspondence course from Supreme Council. We have long been known as “The University of Freemasonry”, and we now have the opportunity to increase our knowledge through this correspondence course. Each candidate in the Fall Classes received this program as part of their taking the degrees.

I would urge each of you to purchase the course from the secretary of your Valley and enjoy the pursuit of Masonic knowledge.

San Juan Lodge #25 had the grand opening of their new Scottish Rite Childhood Language Center on September 6 in Aztec and it was very well attended. The Grand Master, Jay Harris and I were both able to attend and bring greetings as was Ill. Duane Walker, 33°, GC. This is an exciting time for our Language Centers as Belen and Edgewood will also be holding grand openings by the time you read this.

In case you missed it, the Lodge of Perfection of the Valley of Santa Fe held their monthly meeting at Mesa #68 in Albuquerque on August 25th. This meeting was well attended and the local DeMolay Chapter presented the New Mexico Scottish Rite Foundation with a check in the amount of $300 for the Language Centers. These young men are to be admired as they raised the money doing car washes. A heart felt “Thank You” to them and to the Chapter Dads.

Fraternally,

Thomas Payne 33°, S.G.I.G.

Scottish Rite Language Learning Centers

It is exciting to report to you on the progress of the establishment of three more Dyslexic Learning Centers in New Mexico. We currently have five Learning Centers operational. The first Language Learning Center opened in the Scottish Rite Temple in Las Cruces in 1991. The second Learning Center was opened in partnership with Mesa Lodge 68 in Albuquerque in 2007. Last year the New Mexico Scottish Rite Foundation partnered with Edgewood Lodge 82 in Edgewood and San Juan Lodge 25 in Aztec in opening Language Centers in their Lodges. Then this February the Foundation partnered with Bethlehem Lodge 56 in Belen in opening their Center, so now our fifth Language Learning Center is now operational. We have seven Therapists teaching our Children in these Centers.

Thanks to the generosity of Duane and Mary Ann Walker in their gift to the New Mexico Scottish Rite Foundation, we have been able to open the last four Learning Centers. We are in the process of collaborating with several Masonic Lodges across our State for the establishing of Learning Centers in their Lodges. The Scottish Rite Supreme Council perfected this learning program known as "Rite Care". We are using this program ito educate our language Therapists, and then we are establishing them in our communities in partnership with New Mexico Masonic Lodges. Tom Payne, the Souvenir Grand Inspector General in the Orient of New Mexico, recognized that Scottish Rite Masons, by ourselves, could not provide children across the State this opportunity. He chose to collaborate with the Grand Lodge of New Mexico and Masonic Lodges in making Dyslexic Learning Centers available in New Mexico through this partnership.

I am sorry to report that now with the World Economy in the state that it is, we currently have had to put the expansion of Learning Centers on a temporary hold. The Foundations have the financial ability to fund the current Centers, but it is not prudent to institute additional Centers until the economy makes an improvement. However, this does not mean that Masonic Lodges can not make progress in the field of Children's Learning Centers. The Scottish Rite has this same "Rite Care" program available on CD's and the lessons can be studied from a TV screen with a DVD player. Any Lodge can start a Learning program with an investment of $2,500.00 using this method of language teaching.

It is with tremendous pride that Scottish Rite Masons in the Orient of New Mexico can report to you on the miracles these Language Learning Centers are performing. The good news is that the Las Cruces Learning Center has a waiting list of 18 Children ready to enter into the program in the fall. Mesa Lodge has a waiting list of 30 students. San Juan Lodge has a waiting list of 9 students. Now however I must report the troubling news: Not all of these children on these waiting lists will be admitted into our Centers this next year. For example next year the Center in Las Cruces will only have openings for 8 new children to commence the program. This same condition exists with the other Centers.

May I ask you if you have "Fed a Child's Mind this Year"? An only an increase of new money into the funding of these Centers will cure this problem. This is where you can help. You, are the source of the power to make changes in the life of our Children. We ask you to respond, and make your contributions to the New Mexico Scottish Rite Foundation and/or the Las Cruces Scottish Rite Foundation. You too, can be a Partner in Feeding the Minds of Children!

This Web Site Updated: June 26, 2009 6:32 PM