In 1928 the then Grand Master of the Grand Lodge of Greece, Miltiadis Pouris, with members of the Council of the Grand Lodge such as the brothers Spyridon Nagos, the later Grand Master Dimitrios Papoulias and the MP Georgios Rallis, son of Prime Minister Demetrios Rallis and grandfather of George Rallis, also Prime Minister in 1980 and a Mason, created the Masonic Foundation for the purpose of “the construction and maintenance of a Great Hall in Athens for the benefit of charitable works and the care and education of needy children”.
Thus they institutionalized, in the best possible way, the purpose of the universal Masonic brotherhood, emphasizing in particular the ministry that Masons should develop “to our fellow human beings in need” and especially to children. Since then, most often in silence and some publicly, the Masonic work produced has been disseminated either directly by the Masonic Foundation and the Grand Lodge, or indirectly by individual Brethren and our Lodges. Important social contributions, of Greek Freemasonry, in the post-war period, were the establishment and operation of the “Melis” and “Phoenix” Night Schools of Secondary Education by the residential lodges. A highlight was the founding and operation of the “Hellenic Cancer Society” in 1958 by the surgeon George Katsafados, a scientific friend of George Papanicolaou and the then Grand Eleanor of the Grand Lodge of Greece , Alexandros Tzazopoulos.
Another magnificent work of these brilliant Masons in 1965, when Alexandros Tzazopoulos was Grand Master, was the creation of the special Guesthouse of Agion Anargyroi called “Guest House and Care of Patients” in the area of Kaliftaki Kifissia, in order to help cancer patients from the Greek province who lacked means of accommodation in Athens. This Guesthouse was expanded, equipped, staffed with medical and nursing personnel and operated as a single Anti-Cancer Hospital under the name “Agioi Anargyroi”.
In 1986, on the initiative of the Venerable Monsignor of the “Byzantion” Lodge, a voluntary blood donation was started at the Dracopouleio Blood Donation Centre, which in 1989 was adopted by the Grand Lodge of Greece, with the aim of institutionalising the donation of blood twice a year at the Aghia Sophia Children’s Hospital for children with Mediterranean Anemia. Since then, more than 20,000 bottles of blood have been donated by the Masons living in the Prefecture of Attica. In 2016, on the initiative of members of the “Byzantion” Lodge, the Charitable Association “Synodotes” was also created with the purpose of consenting to the donation of human cells, tissues and organs. In the course of the eight-year activity of “Syndotes”, a donor was identified with a seventeen-year-old child suffering from leukemia, who was successfully transplanted and eventually saved.
In recent years, the Masonic Foundation and the Grand Lodge of Greece have chosen to exercise their charitable action by offering aids to our fellow human beings in need, but mainly with targeted action to organizations, institutions and structures that host children. This action is carried out through donations and scholarships worth more than three hundred thousand euros a year.
This year a part of the Masonic Foundation’s Masonic offerings that are part of the “Masons for Children” event is :
- Four incubators of a total value of 110.000,00 €, two of which are of open/closed type and two of closed type, which will be delivered next month to the Aghia Sophia Children’s Hospital , represented at the event by its Governor Mr. Emmanuel Papasavvas and the Director of Blood Donation Mrs. Sophia Ioannidou
- A 9/seater mini Van Opel Vivaro, with a total value of 26.000,00 €, which has already been delivered and transferred to Special Olympics Hellas, represented by their President, His Excellency Ambassador Extraordinary Mr. Dionysios Kodellas and the General Secretary Mrs. Mariza Economou
- Two auxiliary fire trucks to the Fire Brigade, transporting personnel and equipment, 4×4, brand ISUZU, with a total value of 60.000,00 €, which were received by the Operations Coordinator of the Fire Brigade in Attica, Major General Panagiotis Niafas
- Two Social Assistance Robots, created by an interdisciplinary team of the Laboratory of Computer Applications and Robotics, University of Macedonia, are called “Margarita” and are intended to support people on the autism spectrum. These robots are intended to be given to the Association of Parents & Guardians of the disabled of West Attica “Elpida”, represented by its President Mrs. Ekaterini Katsanaki and the Association of Parents & Guardians of the disabled “Open Embrace”, based in the Municipality of Agioi Anargyroi, represented by its President Emmanuel Diagoumas.
- Super Market gift vouchers, of a total value of 15.000,00 €, part of which was given for Easter aid, 2.000,00 € given to the “Elpida” Association and 5.000,00 € given to the “Agios Alexandros” Home for Daughters of Paleo Faliro
Finally, I would like to mention the donation of Shriners International, known as the Ancient Arabic Order of the Nobles of the Mystic Temple, a masonic fraternity based in Tampa, Florida, founded in 1870, with 350,000 members worldwide and operating 28 non-profit specialized hospitals that provide free treatment and rehabilitation services to children with larynx, severe orthopedic problems and advanced burns.
The Hellenic Shrine Club, a member of the Shriners International organization, composed of Greek Masons members of the Grand Lodge of Greece, has already started a very close cooperation with the Grand Lodge, in order to achieve in the best way its development and the realization of its noble aims.
