Masonic Foundation of Ontario

To the Most Worshipful, the Grand Master, Officers and Members of the Grand Lodge A.F. & A.M. of Canada in the Province of Ontario

Most Worshipful Sir and Brethren:

This Report does not appear in the Preliminary Reports and Fraternal Reviews of Grand Lodge.

On behalf of the Board of Directors I am pleased to present this report on The Masonic Foundation of Ontario to the one hundred and fifty-fifth Annual Communication of Grand Lodge.

On Tuesday morning it was my privilege to preside over the forty seventh annual meeting of The Masonic Foundation of Ontario and present the 2010 Annual Report to the assembled members and guests. The annual report highlights the regular, ongoing activities of the Foundation, as described by the Directors, and I highly recommend it for your perusal. The report was widely circulated at the Foundation's information booth, and extra copies are available from the Foundation's office. All lodges in Ontario will be furnished with a copy. As you read through the report, you will appreciate the wide spectrum of social needs addressed by the Foundation. Our main focus has always been the needs of children and young people, but we have not ignored our "more experienced" generation.

Financially, the Foundation grew by $2 million, spurred mainly by investment income, the result of a recovering economy and the addition of bequests near the end of the last fiscal year. Details of the financial position and operating results may be found in the annual report.

We were very pleased that twenty-six Districts registered their District charity projects with the Foundation and received, or will receive, a financial bonus from the Foundation upon presentation of the proceeds of their work to their local charity. District charity projects are important in making communities better places to live and work, and the Foundation encourages, and is very supportive of, this activity. We thank the District Deputy Grand Masters and their fund raisers for their hard work.

During the year we updated and refreshed our website to make it more user friendly, easier to navigate and easier for our webmaster to update. We hope this medium of communication will continue to improve as time goes by.

At the conclusion of the 2009 annual general meeting, Sam Kalinowsky retired after nine years as a Director, Vice-president, and for the last five years of that term, President of the Foundation. Under his leadership the capital of the Foundation grew by 40%. His energy and enthusiasm have been an inspiration to the Board of Directors and we are most fortunate to have had the benefit of his leadership and dedication.

The Foundation continues to enjoy tremendous support from the Grand Master, and, indeed, the whole of Grand Lodge, and for this we are grateful.

This year marks the conclusion of the six year term of Director and Vice-president Allan C. Dvorak. Al has exemplified great leadership skills and we wish him every success as he assumes new and greater responsibilities in our Masonic family. We thank him for his passionate devotion and expertise.

No organization could function without the unsung heroes of administration. We are fortunate to enjoy the excellence of Mel Duke, Secretary, and Marlene Victor, administrative assistant. Without their dedication and support the Foundation would not enjoy its current success. The Directors salute them for their hard work.

On a personal note, I have enjoyed the support and confidence of the Board of Directors and am thankful for their devotion to the Foundation.

At Tuesday's annual general meeting of the Foundation, Gary J. Bryan was elected to the Board of Directors. Gary brings a wealth of investment expertise and experience to the Foundation; we welcome him and look forward to working with him over the next several years.

Last year we enjoyed an increase in the number of Districts registering their District charity project with the Foundation. We will work hard again this year to support the Districts and the DDGMs in any we can to make their projects as successful as they can possibly be. We are available to assist you. Just ask.

We have begun the process of examining our commitment to our long-standing funding of programs to ensure we are meeting our mandate and fulfilling the needs of society in the most effective and efficient manner. A committee has been struck to examine our programs in detail and make recommendations to the Board of Directors. This is an important initiative and will take some time to complete and implement.

We will continue to strive to make the Foundation the charity of choice of the Masons of Ontario…for the cause of good.

All of which is respectfully submitted on behalf of the Board of Directors, Officers, and Committee Chairmen of The Masonic Foundation of Ontario.