1998 - A Year of Exciting Progress at The Masonic Homes
Many new and exciting events are on the horizon at the Masonic Homes as R.W. Grand Master James L. Ernette begins his term of office:
Almost immediately after the installation of the new Grand Master, services of the Masonic Homes will be vastly expanded. Effective January 1, the two Masonic Eastern Star Homes of the Grand Chapter of Pennsylvania, Order of the Eastern Star, -- one in Warminster, Bucks County, and the other in Bellevue, Allegheny County -- will merge with the Masonic Homes of the Grand Lodge of Free and Accepted Masons of Pennsylvania. The union of the three homes will expand the continuum of quality care services provided to individuals across the Commonwealth. The core admission eligibility for all three homes will be extended to Masons and their family members and to Eastern Star members.
Joseph E. Murphy, Executive Director/CEO of the Masonic Homes, chats with Richard Spieth, President of the Masonic Homes Resident Council.
A state-of-the-art amphitheater to accommodate multi-media presentations is expected to be built and completed at the Masonic Conference Center on the Patton Campus of the Masonic Homes by the end of 1998. The amphitheater will be built onto Memorial Hall and will have a capacity to hold up to 100 people in the theater, plus a number of breakout rooms for group discussions, and areas for refreshments, registration, restrooms and storage. Additional parking is also planned. The multi-media format will allow compatibility with all existing media types (movies, slides, overheads, etc.) as well as computer-generated images or computer controlled presentations. Future possibilities for this new amphitheater include an option for teleconferences.
The Masonic Homes expects to open a Mental Retardation Respite Care Program in March 1998. The program is being developed to meet the needs of the individuals based on results of a survey in the February 1997 issue of The Pennsylvania Freemason. The program will accommodate eight adult guests with mental retardation. The Mental Retardation Respite Care Program will serve as a temporary home for adult children with mental retardation, which will allow the parents or care-givers to take a vacation or respite. Within the caring, secure environment and beauty of the Masonic Homes, the program will provide quality services to ensure the well-being of each adult guest during his or her stay.
The nine-year Masonic Health Care Center renovation project will be completed on April 1, 1998. Then, the Masonic Health Care Center will have the capabilities to provide outpatient, physician, ancillary, and assisted living care; dementia care; transitional care; and skilled nursing services to more than 580 people.
The upcoming year also promises to show an expansion of the independent living services at the Masonic Homes. The first phase of the independent living cottage construction project, consisting of 36 cottages with varied floor plans, was completed in August, 1997. The second phase, adding another 36 cottages, is expected to be completed in the spring of 1998. Phase three, which would complete the project with 28 cottages for a total of 100 cottages, will be pursued if demand exists from individuals eligible for admission to the Masonic Homes.
The Masonic Homes' "Mission of Love" is possible only through the immense charity and contributions from the Masonic Fraternity, their families and friends of the Masonic Homes. For more information about the Masonic Homes, contact: Executive Director's Office, Masonic Homes, One Masonic Drive, Elizabethtown, PA 17022, or call (717) 367-1121, extension 33262.
R. W. Grand Master James L. Ernette gets an "on-the-job" look at the Masonic Health Care Center construction site during the renovation project.
Masonic Homes' Admission Policy Expanded
On September 26, the Committee on Masonic Homes expanded the Admissions Policy to serve more individuals who are interested in residing at the Masonic Homes.
Traditionally, the Masonic Homes served Pennsylvania Master Masons, their wives, widows, mothers, daughters, and sisters. With the expanded policy, daughters of Pennsylvania Master Masons will be eligible for admission regardless of their marital status, and widows of Pennsylvania Master Masons will be eligible through their Masonic husbands' memberships, even if they remarry. Beginning January 1, 1998, the Committee on Masonic Homes also will offer admission to Pennsylvania Eastern Star members and their spouses, who must be Masons from jurisdictions recognized by the Grand Lodge of Pennsylvania.
Joseph E. Murphy, Executive Director/CEO of the Masonic Homes, explained that the Committee expanded the Admissions Policy to accommodate the needs and requests for services by fraternal family members. Due to the recent construction and renovations on the Masonic Homes' campus, there currently is, or soon will be, availabilities in all areas and for every level of care, from short-term subacute care, skilled care, nursing and personal care, to assisted living, residential living and independent living options.
"We are pleased to be able to respond to the many requests from the Fraternity by offering a variety of new and expanded services to enhance the quality of life for all whom we serve. All of these improvements are due to the continued support from brethren and loved ones," Murphy said. "This Admissions Policy allows us to share our 'Mission of Love' with more individuals who desire to become part of our Masonic Homes' family."
Grand Master, Masonic Homes Leaders To Meet With PA Masons in Florida
Pennsylvania Masons and their wives residing in Florida will be invited to meet in Tampa or Palm Beach Gardens in March with R.W. Grand Master James L. Ernette, others from the Grand Lodge of Pennsylvania, and the Executive Director/CEO of the Masonic Homes accompanied by the Admissions, Development, Outreach and Marketing staff.
Invitations will be sent during January to Pennsylvania Masons residing in Florida for either the Friday, March 27, session in Egypt Shrine Temple, Tampa; or the Saturday, March 28, session in Amara Shrine Temple, Palm Beach Gardens. Each get-together will begin with a reception at 11 a.m., lunch at noon, program at 1 p.m., and social hour from 2 to 3 p.m. If you are a Pennsylvania Mason residing in Florida and have not received an invitation by January 30 and would like to attend one of the gatherings, please call the Masonic Homes toll-free at 1-800-462-7664.
In addition to the fraternal opportunity that the gatherings in Florida will afford, the purpose of the two sessions is to share important information on the full continuum of new services and benefits provided at, and by, the Masonic Homes.
Our Masonic Homes Are Known Internationally As The Outstanding Example of Masonic Charity
Located on 1,400 acres of picturesque Lancaster County farmland, the Masonic Homes in Elizabethtown is one of the largest Masonic Homes in the nation, known internationally as an outstanding example of Masonic Charity. Established in 1910 by the R.W. Grand Lodge of Free and Accepted Masons of Pennsylvania, the Masonic Homes is a continuing care retirement community and children's home committed to providing for the physical, social, mental and spiritual needs of each of its residents and customers. This is a "Mission of Love" which is provided through the support of all Masons as an extension of the fundamental teachings of Masonic Charity. Admissions to the Masonic Homes are governed by the Committee on Masonic Homes, which approves or disapproves applications for admission primarily on the basis of need. All services are offered without regard to race, color, national origin, ancestry, religious creed, sex, age or handicap of the applicant.
The Masonic Homes currently serves more than 1,300 adult residents in various levels and types of services, from independent living to residential and personal care services, including varying levels of health care service.
The Masonic Children's Home currently provides services to 40 school-age children from around the Commonwealth. By providing a modern, attractive and homelike environment for the care of these young people, Freemasons are preparing them to be productive citizens of the future. The goal of the Masonic Children's Home is to give each child a chance to receive friendship, care and guidance. The children attend area public schools and are encouraged to participate in extra-curricular activities to enhance their personal development. On-campus recreational activities include indoor and outdoor pools, basketball courts and tennis courts. A Masonic affiliation is not required for admission to the Masonic Children's Home, but each child must be sponsored by a Masonic Lodge.
