Philanthropy

Annual Winston-Salem Scottish Rite Masonic Charity Golf Tournament

Net Proceeds Benefit the North Carolina RiteCare Childhood Language Program

NCSRMF Mission and Purpose Statement

The North Carolina Scottish Rite Masonic Foundation is a 501.C.3 charitable organization dedicated to providing present and future benevolent financial support toward the training of licensed professionals and treatment of children with speech, hearing, and learning disabilities who may receive services with little or no cost to families. Along with 170 such programs nationwide, we are achieving this mission through the generous support of our members, sponsors, and the public. In addition, North Carolina Scottish Rite members also support Masonic Youth organizations and victims of natural disasters recognized by the Masonic Service Association of North America.

RiteCare Scottish Rite Childhood Language Program

About the RiteCare Scottish Rite Childhood Language Program

In the early 1950s in Colorado, the Scottish Rite of Freemasonry of the Southern Jurisdiction of the United States initiated a program to help children with speech and language disorders. The results obtained from this program led to the establishment of RiteCare Scottish Rite Childhood Language Program (SRCLP) clinics to provide diagnostic evaluation and treatment of speech and language disorders, as well as learning disabilities.

Today, there are SRCLP clinics, centers, and special programs operating or planned for children and therapists located throughout the United States. Each facility is staffed by speech-language pathologists or other trained personnel. Through the support of Scottish Rite members, these clinics, centers, and programs continue to increase.

The value of this philanthropy has long been apparent. Tens of thousands of youngsters across the United States have been helped significantly. With the good work of dedicated clinicians and parents, the Scottish Rite has achieved successes that could only be imagined a few years back. Children who might have remained educationally behind for a lifetime can now talk, read, and lead productive lives.

Funding for the SRCLP provided by the Scottish Rite Foundation, Southern Jurisdiction, USA, Inc., and local Scottish Rite Foundations

**We currently are updating our online directory of clinics, if you need assistance locating a facility in the meantime, please contact us at council@scottishrite.org or call 202–232–3579 (M–Th., 7 am to 5 pm ET).**

Program Eligibility

The North Carolina Scottish Rite Masonic Foundation has supported childhood language disorders clinics in Greenville and Boone since 1972. Support from the Foundation has provided professional help for the children of thousands of North Carolina residents.

As a rule, the SRCLP Clinics accept preschool children who have difficulty speaking or understanding the spoken word or school-age children who have difficulty learning to read. Some centers also offer literacy training for adults.

Inquiries on age groups and program offerings in specific areas should be addressed to the director of the local Scottish Rite facility. Equally important, all services are available regardless of race, creed, or the family's inability to pay.

While all children in need are eligible for available SRCLP treatment, please consult with your local facility for specific financial information.

Lives Changed

One thing that continues to amaze me is the willingness of a Scottish Rite Brother to help those is need. Not long after AppState's Scottish Rite Donation article was published in the Scottish Rite Journal, I received an email. Michael Clark, 32° of the Valley of Winston reached out about a wonderful donation opportunity.

His father Chester Clark had passed away March 16, 2022 at the age of 91. Mr. Clark was a life long supporter of Masonic charities, though not a mason he was a proud supporter of Shriners Hospitals for Children. Mr. Clark was born during the Great Depression and later served as an Army Combat Engineer Officer during the Korean War. He attended NC State and graduated with a Mechanical Engineering degree. Due to hearing loss during his time as a Combat Engineer in Korea, Mr. Clark need the assistance of hearing aids. Not long before his passing he purchased new hearing aids. When he passed, it was decided by his family to donate his hearing aids to AppState and be used in a RiteCare Clinic to benefit a child in need.

"My father was a generous man who gave without asking for thanks or recognition" said Brother Clark.

Brother Michael Clark's first memory of anything masonry "was when my father was driving and we stopped where some Shriners were collecting donations." His father would say "son, the Shriners are one of the few groups you can give to and know the money will only go to help others and not themselves." Brother Clark is a graduate of Appalachian State University, Life Member of Thomasville Lodge 214, Member of the Valley of Winston Scottish Rite and carries Veteran Status with Oasis Shriners Oasis Patrol. Brother Clark is retired and currently the Chaplan of Hartman Lodge 222 in Bluefield VA.

After months of planning and work with audiologist Dr. Russell with AppState Beaver College of Health Sciences, I had the pleasure to hand deliver the hearing aids to our RiteCare Clinic. Almost one year from Chester Clarks passing, I received amazing news from the clinic. A 13 year old girl has be fitted, tested and selected for the hearing aids. Her other devices were outdated and one device was working.

We are exciting for years of quality hearing that will be provided by Mr. Clark's donation.

Thank you to Brother Michael Clark, 32° and the amazing gift from his father Chester Clark.

Remarks of Gratitude - Madeleine Lefler (Recipient of the Hillery H. Rink, Jr. Scottish Rite Graduate Scholarship for Speech-Language Pathology)

Lives Changes- winstonsalem-madeleinelefler.jpg

Hi everyone! I'm Madeleine. It is truly a pleasure to meet and speak with you all today. I am just one of the many grateful students who has benefited from your financial contributions this year, and today I want to share with you a little about myself, my aspirations, and how the scholarship I received has made a significant difference in my life.

I grew up in Brevard, North Carolina with my three younger siblings and a large variety of pets. I am an avid reader who enjoys theology, fantasy, and everything in-between, and an outdoor enthusiast who finds respite in hikes and rock-climbing.

A variety of personal aspirations drew me to the field of speech-language pathology, but first and foremost was my desire to help performers overcome vocal dysfunction. As a classically-trained vocalist, I have experienced vocal dysfunction in deeply-personal contexts. My performances as an undergraduate student at Belmont University were often overshadowed by vocal fatigue and pain. I grew to learn that there were many reasons for this (muscular tension was primary, but my poor posture, sleep, and nutrition were contributors as well). As I learned more about the field of speech-language pathology, I realized that I could combine my experiences as a performer with a clinical degree that would help me prevent other performers from making the same mistakes that I made.

When I began in the speech-language pathology graduate program at App State, I realized that I could expand my goal from providing therapeutic services to performers, to working with people of all ages and walks of life whose communicative struggles were the result of a variety of diagnoses. I found myself supported in this academic journey by some of the most exceptional professors with whom I have ever had the pleasure of working. Learning from these professors, reading relevant literature, and learning from the phenomenal clinical advisors I have had so far in the program has transformed and affirmed my goal of "one day working with performers" into the goal of founding my own clinic.

My vision is for a voice-specific clinic that caters to a variety of people who experience vocal and communicative dysfunction, but specializes in rehabilitating the voices of performing artists. It's still a fledgling idea, but your generosity made it possible for me to take time to consider, dream, and plan my professional future, instead of constantly worrying about my finances.

I think it's important to quantify what this scholarship has meant to me, materially. It was five months' rent! Almost half a year in a wonderful, warm space with a fantastic roommate. It was five months of relief, knowing that checking my bank account wouldn't automatically result in a panic attack. Five months of knowing that I could afford to occasionally say "no" to employment opportunities, and instead spend that time studying or catching up on some much-needed sleep. Your generosity enabled me to invest my time in learning, and that learning will make me a better clinician, and (I hope) radically improve the quality of the therapy that I will one day provide for my clients.

I know that I speak for myself and my fellow students when I say that it is a supreme honor to be supported by you, to learn from you, and to share in this beautiful place that you call home. Thank you for choosing to invest your hard-earned money in the students who attend Appalachian State University. As Benjamin Franklin once wrote, "An investment in knowledge pays the best interest."

App State's donations from Scottish Rite exceed $2 million

The organization's latest donations mark 60-plus years of university and community support

https://today.appstate.edu/2022/05/19/scottish-rite