Lincolnshire’s next Festival – #Lincs2025 – starts in January; but what is a festival?
Lincolnshire’s Provincial Charity Steward Pete Tong explains the Masonic Festival concept
Every year, thousands of Freemasons receive help from the Masonic Charitable Foundation to meet financial, healthcare and family needs. Countless others also have their lives improved because of the grants they award to community causes. Without the Festival system, the provision of this charitable support would not be possible and whilst Festivals are the responsibility of the Province, the Masonic Charitable Foundation – as the custodian of the funds raised – has a duty to ensure that a range of information is available to help initiate, plan, manage and celebrate a successful Appeal.
- What is a Festival?The Festival refers to a Masonic Festival comprising the Appeal and the Festival Event or Finale. The Festival Appeal is the process of raising funds. It includes the planning, launch, execution and administration of an Appeal but not the Festival Event. The Festival Event is the celebration held at the end of the Festival Appeal to mark its conclusion and to announce, for the first time, the total amount raised for the Masonic Charitable Foundation. The Festival Event can take many forms although traditionally it comprises a dinner attended by Festival Stewards and their wives or partners. The Festival is a partnership between the Province and the Masonic Charitable Foundation, the aim of which is to raise funds. The Festival also provides an opportunity to increase the awareness of the Foundation’s work and the support it provides to Freemasons, their families and the wider community.
- Understanding the Festival systemA total of 44 of the 47 Provinces under UGLE take part in the Festival system. Each Province typically holds a Festival once every 11 years. Many Provinces elect to hold a five, six or seven year Festival Appeal; the Guidelines therefore follow this pattern meaning that the Festival launch will occur in year four, five or six of the 11 year cycle.
- The importance of Provincial Festival AppealsThe Masonic Charitable Foundation is often faced with the misconception that additional donations are not needed due to the income it receives from its endowments and the Annual Contribution. In reality, the donations raised through Festivals currently contribute around 67% of the Masonic Charitable Foundation’s total income each year. In 2014-15, the Foundation spent almost £27.5m supporting beneficiaries, whereas the income received from investments amounted to only £6.2m. This statistic clearly demonstrates that Festivals are vital if the Foundation is to continue its activities.
- Jewels Jewels can be an important incentive for members to support the Festival but can also be strongly disliked as some see them as ‘boasting’ about what the individual has given. However, the jewels cost the Province nothing. The Masonic Charitable Foundation will pay for the design and manufacture of the Jewel on behalf of the Province. The quantity of the initial purchase will be agreed between the Foundation and the Province. Additional orders can be placed if necessary. The design of the Jewel must be approved by the Grand Master through the Masonic Charitable Foundation. Jewels should only be worn by those members, who through the amount they have donated, have qualify to wear them. It is normal etiquette for the Festival Jewel not to be worn outside of the Province.
- Collecting donations Brethren will be able to donate either within the Lodge at meetings in which case use will be made of envelopes similar to the current Gift Aid Envelopes. The means of dealing with those will be similar to the current envelopes except that the money will be banked by MCF and all Gift Aid claimed through MCF. More details of this will be explained within Lincolnshire as we get closer to the launch of #Lincs2025.
