East Lancashire Masonic Charity

£10,000 for the Scouts at Bowley International Camp Site - August 9th 2007

A most memorable event took place, at Bowley Scout Camp when a cheque for £10,000.00 from The Masonic Province of East Lancashire Community Fund, was presented by The Assistant Provincial Grand Master, W/Bro Derek N. Thornhill, JP, PSGD, to the Chairperson of the Bowley Camp Site Management Board, Janet Frost. Also in attendance on this special evening was the District Charity Steward of Accrington Masonic District, W/Bro Raymond Tattersall, and the District Communications Officer W/Bro Fred Sumner-Smith, Deputy Chairman of Blackburn and Darwen Masonic District, W/Bro Paul Aspinall, the District Charity Steward, W/Bro David Lightbown, the District Communications Officer, W/Bro Ian Ashton, and members of The Lancashire Scouting Lodge of Allegiance No 6384, W/Bro Roger Flitcroft, W/Bro Chris Creelman, (who is the Regional Commissioner for Northern England and the Isle of Man), W/Bro David Thornton, (who is the County Secretary for West Lancashire),   W/Bro Clive Carroll, Bro Howard Alderson-Perkins and members of the East Lancashire Scout Association, Mrs Joyce Flitcroft and two Explorer Scouts who have just returned from the 21st World Jamboree in Essex.

East Lancashire Masonic Charity provides care for needy Freemasons, their widows and dependant relatives, whilst also reaching out to others in local and national communities who are deserving of charitable support

Bowley Scout Campsite at Great Harwood is the home of East Lancashire Scouts and a popular Scout campsite, which provides camping and outdoor facilities for East Lancs Scouts and Guides as well as youth groups nationally and internationally.  

There are many parallels between Scouting and Freemasonry.   Many Scouters are Freemasons, and the Aims, Objectives and Beliefs etc are very similar.   The Scouting Founder, Baden Powell, whilst not himself a Mason, was aware of its values.   Rudyard Kipling who's Jungle Book was a great inspiration to Baden Powell, was a Mason.

The Kindred Lodges Association has an aim of fostering relationship amongst Freemasons who are or have been involved in youth work.   There are 38 UK Lodges attached to this Association, which bear scouting names, and with a membership largely comprised of Scouting Masons.    The East Lancashire Masonic Charity donation of £10.000 has been promoted particularly by members of The Lancashire Scouting Lodge of Allegiance No.6384, which holds its meetings in Darwen and West Lancashire.

Masonry provides many donations of varying amounts to many worthy causes.   The Environmental Building Project at Bowley caught the interest of the Charity administrators who willing made this donation.   It is of particular interest in view of its environmental/conservation of energy attributes, and the benefits that will be gained by many young people and other regular users of the Bowley Scout Camp Site facilities.   

Scouting in general is undergoing a remarkable uplift at the present time during this 100 th Anniversary Year, which has been so widely publicised - particularly during the International Jamboree in Essex , which has been attended by 40,000 young people from over 200 Countries.   It is therefore a fitting time for this wonderful Masonic Donation.

East Lancashire Scouts were delighted to receive this donation towards their environmental project to build an amazing new facility at Bowley Camp Site and Activity Centre near Great Harwood. The East Lancashire Masonic Charity in making this donation of £10,000 to Bowley was sharing a joint venture with the East Lancashire Institute of Education at Blackburn College .

The ‘House of Straw' is a single story building, covering approximately 4,800 sq.ft . and will be built on an available site at Bowley Camp Site. It will be a unique, environmentally friendly building comprising meeting rooms, teachers' facilities, training rooms, sleeping accommodation and a separate toilet and shower area. It will also have wheelchair access and facilities for the disabled. When completed it will be the largest straw building in Lancashire and is being seen as the ultimate ‘craft project', an ongoing experiment testing out new building technologies and utilising the latest in low cost, low energy solar and wind powered eco systems.

The venture will be built largely by the young people themselves with the college providing funds for the primary construction as well as the technical expertise for the project. The Scouts are providing the land for the project as well as utilising the building after the construction for a wide variety of applications.

Janet Frost Chair of the Management Board at Bowley Camp Site, commented, ‘Scouting has always been at the forefront of environmental awareness and we are very grateful to the Masonic Charity for providing a substantial injection of funds' W.Bro. Derek Thornhill APGM said on behalf of the East Lancashire Masonic Charity, we are delighted to be involved in this exiting project, to work with the Scouts and help provide facilities for the young people of Lancashire . This is a truly exciting and innovative project and that this donation is given, to fulfill the need to help young persons, to become worthy citizens in future years, and we look forward to seeing the building in action an d are delighted to be able to give our support at a time when the Scout Movement is celebrating its Centenary.

 

Further information is available from:- Fred Sumner Smith

Accrington District Communications Officer