Freemasons’ support for flood recovery could reach $1m

By Murray Silby

Nov 25, 2022

**Difficult to comprehend:** The scale of flooding across parts of the Goulburn Valley has been overwhelming and Freemasons Victoria has pledged to assist with the recovery.

Freemasons Victoria says it could contribute up to $1 million to flood recovery programs in the state, including in the Goulburn Valley.

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Rodney Lavin, from the Freemasons Foundation, was in Shepparton recently to contribute funding for men’s health equipment at GV Health and spoke about the organisation’s plans to support flood-affected people.

“The Freemasons Foundation has committed $500,000 and Freemasons Victoria, which is our operational side, has put in $200,000,” Mr Lavin said.

He said initially, Freemasons brethren impacted by the floods would be provided with ex gratia payments, but the wider community would also benefit at a later date.

“We’ll make significant contributions in the hundreds of thousands of dollars, but to groups around here (Shepparton), whether it be through local government organisations, or whatever, that already have the systems in place,” he said.

“So for the public, that’s how we’ll help, but for Freemasons, they’re doing it directly through their lodges.”

**Financial pledge:** Rodney Lavin, of the Freemasons Foundation, says the organisation’s contribution to the flood recovery could reach $1 million. Photo by Rechelle Zammit

Mr Lavin said there had been a strong response from Freemasons around the country who had been moved by the devastation and wanted to help flooded-affected communities.

“We’ve had plenty of donations from our brethren, from Freemasons, and they range from a chap the other day, one of our brothers, he’s on a full pension in his 80s and he gave me $50 cash and he said, ‘Can you put that towards the flood appeal?’ Now, $50 when you’re on a pension is a lot of money,” he said.

“I also had one of our brothers donate $50,000. We’ve got interstate Freemasons that are all contributing to our appeal, so we think in the end it might be 800 (thousand), 900, it could be $1 million we put towards the flood victims.

“A lot of people don’t realise the Freemasons still exist. We do exist. We’re often not out there blowing our own trumpet, but the Freemasons are around and we do care.”