What if we cared about those living in poverty as much as we care about celebrities? Woodgreen is a Toronto organization that helps all kinds of people find their potential. One of its programs is Homeward Bound, which helps struggling single mothers earn a college degree and start careers. 

A new ad campaign for Homeward Bound imagines tabloid magazine covers that focus not on celebrities, but mothers who are having a hard time. The women in the ad are students or graduates of Woodgreen's program, but they may well represent the women in line with you at the grocery store. There's also a video of a celebrity gossip-type TV show with the same message, which you can see at the Homeward Bound page.

The District Theatre Night was wonderful evening with 260 in attendance. It was an amazing performance of the classic "Annie" by local artists who received several standing ovations for their outstanding performance.
 
A heart felt message by R.W. Bro. George Warner DDGM Toronto West of the District project to support research into M.S. was well received and compared the challenges that were similar between M.S. sufferers and those of the orphans in the musical, and how both issues can have happy endings.

Congratulations to Bro. Sammy who sold 59 tickets for the evenings performance.  Over 20% of the evenings tickets passed through his hands.  A successful example of of hard work and dedication. 

Last night West Gate hosted Kilwinning and King Hiram Lodges at the January  Regular Meeting.  We even had a visitor from the other side of the world.  Bro. Headifen of Old Mancunians Lodge No. 3140 dropped by for some well known West Gate hospitality. Strong attendance makes for a vibrant lodge room that inspires and motivates.

During the evening our newest member, Bro. Davies was initiated into the craft as the main event.  Other items included education questions and answers.   R.W. Bro. Morrison also described his entry into masonry along with the highlights of major events of his travels.

Sunday, March 30, 2014  3 PM

Brock University, 500 Glenridge Ave., St. Catharines, Ontario

Guest Lecturer: Dr. Renée Lafferty-Salhany, Associate Professor, Department of History, Brock University

Presentation: "Brothers in Arms: Freemasons and the War of 1812"

Admission: No charge. A [tax deductible] contribution is requested to the Masonic Foundation of Ontario, Brock University Partnership - Project Number 2937

Renée Lafferty-Salhany currently teaches in the Centre for Canadian Studies as well as the History Department. Her areas of interest are modern Canadian history and culture, religion and denominationalism, and the history of voluntary organizations and public policy. Prior to joining the department at Brock, she worked as a Post-Doctoral Fellow at York University, researching an ongoing project on the history of Alcoholics Anonymous and the emergence of public health programmes in Ontario after 1935. She is also presently working on a manuscript study of children's homes and orphans' asylums in Halifax, Nova Scotia, between the late 1800s and 1960.

Dr. Renée Lafferty-Salhany gave a short presentation on her research on Freemasonry at the 2012 Sankey Lecture. The video of this presentation can be found here.

Sankey Lecture website: www.sankeylectures.ca. There is information about this year’s lecture, as well as the videos of the first four lectures are available for viewing.

Three West gate Lodge brethren attended River Park Lodge's Past Master night.  The canidate was Bro. Bailey, the
son of our own late R.W. Bro. Geoff Bailey. Masonry has gained a brother Mason in general with River Park Lodge gaining a new member in particular.  Congratulations.......we know your Dad is very proud.

Because the opportunities for organ donation are relatively rare and the impact is life-saving, it's important that Ontarians give serious thought to organ and tissue donation and register their consent to donate. By registering, you are essentially making a decision to help save lives, if you are able, after death through organ and tissue donation. By making this decision, you give hope to patients waiting for a life saving or life enhancing transplant and their families.

Your decision to register is confidential. It can be changed or withdrawn at any time. As part of your donation decision, you can choose to donate organs and tissue for transplantation and/or research, as well as specify organs and/or tissue for donation. Your registration decision is stored in the Ministry of Health and Long-Term Care database and is only disclosed at end of life to Trillium Gift of Life Network, Ontario’s organ and tissue donation and transplantation agency, when all life saving efforts have failed, for the purposes of sharing your decision with your family. Even your physician who is responsible for your care will not know about your decision to donate. Your decision to save lives through organ and tissue donation, does not impact the treatment that you receive in a medical emergency or in the hospital. Families are approached to obtain consent for organ and tissue donation at the hospital during end-of-life discussions. If their loved one has registered their consent to donate organs and/or tissue (meaning their organ and tissue donation decision is recorded in the Ministry of Health and Long-Term Care database), this information is shared with the family. By registering your consent to donate, you relieve your family of the burden of making this decision on your behalf.

Testing is done to confirm the medical suitability of the organs and tissue, and to determine which patients waiting for organ transplantation are the best match for the donated organs. A Trillium Gift of Life Network coordinator speaks with the donor's family to get a medical and social history of their loved one, similar to the questionnaire completed when donating blood. Organs and tissues will not be recovered if they are not suitable for transplantation.

Recovery of organs occurs in the operating room, usually within 24 hours by physicians and trained health care professionals with skill and respect. Donation typically does not impact funeral or burial plans, and it often occurs while families are making these arrangements and contacting others. In fact, an open casket funeral is possible. Trillium Gift of Life Network stays in contact with families to inform them when organ and tissue recovery is complete.

Trillium Gift of Life Network staff work closely with healthcare professionals to support the grieving families through the decision to donate, and to ensure as many people as possible benefit from the generous gift of organs and/or tissue. Trillium Gift of Life Network will later send a letter to the family thanking them for their gift and to inform them of the outcome. 

Make sure your decision to save lives is known. Please take 2 minutes to register your consent.