GORE BAY – Before the Gore Bay Masonic Lodge #472 officially ceased operations, they supported health care in the community by donating a total of $27,500 to the Gore Bay Medical Centre towards future renovations to the facility.
“Wow! This is wonderful news,” stated Dr. Robert Hamilton, when contacted by The Expositor on the donation. “This speaks to being another example of a service-oriented community group that pulled together to help out the community.”
“It’s wonderful news, and their contribution will make a very positive impact on the medical centre going forward,” said Dr. Hamilton.
The Masons’ final dinner and general meeting was held at Manitoulin Golf on September 18.
“All brethren present reviewed five motions to continue the process of legally closing the Lodge,” explained Mason Willis Campbell. “One of the final motions was to make a donation of $7,500 toward the Gore Bay Medical Centre for a total of $27,500 toward the future renovations. Also, $4,500 was donated towards NEO Kids in Sudbury.”
“Brothers present including Don Carter, Willis Campbell, Jim Wright, Hye Clark, Art Madore, Bill Clark, Scott McDougall, Brian Carter, Aaron Wright, Loyalle McDougall and Greg Bond,” said Mr. Campbell.
As has been reported previously, with declining membership and with meetings and gatherings curtailed because of the current pandemic, the Gore Bay masonic Lodge No. 472 (1906-2020) shut down permanently.
Mr. Campbell had explained previously, “Membership has been declining for a while now and with COVID-19 we can’t hold meetings, so that put this whole issue on the table and we said let’s go ahead with what was going to be inevitable. So, we applied to the Grand Lodge to go dark as of December 31, 2020.”
Mr. Campbell had pointed out at the time the Masons had surplus funds on hand with closing down, and these funds have gone to the Gore Bay Medical Centre, Mindemoya Hospital Auxiliary, Shriners Kids Hospital in Montreal and NEO Kids in Sudbury.
