Recent and archived news

2019-10-23

---------- Forwarded message ---------

From: Joelle Schwartz <jschwartz@mahova.com>

Date: Wed, Oct 23, 2019 at 10:30 AM

Subject: Masonic Home CEO Announcement

This just in:

The Masonic Home of Virginia announced that Anne B. Hagen, CPA, will be its Chief Executive Officer, effective November 1.

Hagen will replace James D. Cole, CPA, who will relocate to Washington, D.C., to assume full-time duties as the Sovereign Grand Commander of the Ancient and Accepted Scottish Rite of the United States, Southern Jurisdiction. Cole had served as CEO of the Home since January 2006.

The Masonic Home of Virginia, located in Henrico County, is a continuing care community for retired Masons and their wives and widows. Currently, there are 194 residents at the Home.

Hagen said she appreciates the governing board’s confidence and looks forward to “continuing the excellent standards” set by Cole.

Alan W. Adkins, President of the Masonic Home, explained that the residents and the staff maintain a very close relationship – “just like we’re one big family.” Adkins pointed out that the Home was recognized in 2018 and 2019 by theRichmond Times-Dispatch as one Richmond’s Top Places to Work.

In its decision to select a successor to Cole, Adkins noted, the governing board of the Home sought to continue the standard of excellence forged by Cole’s vision and leadership through a policy of promotion from within the organization. The governing board on October 11 unanimously adopted a resolution to promote Hagen, who has served as Chief Financial Officer of the Home since August 2009.

Hagen, a resident of Moseley, consistently displays her “passion about family, faith, and community,” Adkins added. She had served for 15 years as the Director of Finance for Commonwealth Catholic Charities.

She supplements her successful professional career through significant volunteer activities:

• Virginia Society of CPAs – Executive Committee of the Board of Directors;

• Virginia Credit Union – Supervisory Committee; and

• St. John Neumann Catholic Church – Vice Chair of the Finance Council.

Barbara M. Ramirez, SPHR, SHRM-SCP Director of Human Resources

2018-05-24

---------- Forwarded message ---------

From: Joelle Schwartz <jschwartz@mahova.com>

Date: Thu, May 24, 2018 at 1:47 PM

Subject: MAHOVA ON MY MIND

MAHOVA on My Mind

Thank you for a terrific Ambassadors Conference last Saturday.  For those of you who were here, we had a great day in spite of the rain!                                                                                          

And boy, do I mean RAIN!  Maybe downpours would be more like it when we were sitting in the Chapel for the closing Q&A session with Most Worshipful Jim Cole.

I appreciate all of you who came, and especially those who brought their wives.  I hope they enjoyed seeing the Home, and learning what a great place it is to live.

More updates will be coming soon.

Thanks again for all you do for our

Masonic Home, the Crown Jewel of Masonry.

Please contact Joelle with questions.  804-237-6723 or jschwartz@mahova.com

2019-03-07

Terry Hilton <thilton@mahova.com> wrote:

Greetings Regional and District Masonic Ambassadors and Brethren:

I hope the new year finds you doing well and making the DDGM Official Visits as much as you can in your area.  It is a great way to help your Lodge Ambassadors.

As you know, we are all getting ready for the Division Leadership Conferences.  As a Representative of our Masonic  Home, I will be attending each of these conferences.  Although you may not know me yet, I do look forward to meeting you and answering any questions you may have. I know full well that you are out there working in the Lodges and keeping the Masonic Home “top of mind” with all the Brethren in your Lodges. THANK YOU for your service.

If you have questions about the OUTREACH program, I will do my best to answer them in person for you.

Hopefully we will figure out a way to say HI and shake hands.  I hope you are all getting the Mahova on my Mind newsletter that we have been sending out.  The goal is to also get our Lodge Ambassadors on this list to save you the time of forwarding the emails.  If you have any suggestions or comments about this new communication tool, please let me know.  Joelle and I have been hard at work in the Development Office to give you what you need to do a good job in your Lodge so don’t hesitate to ask questions or give me your ideas.  Attached is a recent copy in case you missed it. 

I will be in Warrenton and Alexandria this weekend.  Let’s get together if you are there!

Fraternally,

Terry F. Hilton

Development Office

Masonic Home of Virginia

804-237-6707

2017-11-30

TO: Masonic Home Ambassadors 

FROM: James D. Cole, Chief Executive Officer 

DATE: November 28, 2017

RE: New Masonic Home Ambassador Chairman

I am pleased to announce that Most Worshipful Gary W. Taylor has appointed Worshipful Joel T. Bundy as the new Chairman of the Grand Lodge Committee on Masonic Home Ambassadors. 

Dr. Bundy has proven to be an effective Ambassador in so many ways throughout his home region of Hampton Roads. He is currently serving as Regional Masonic Home Ambassador for Region 11. In 2015, Joel served as Worshipful Master for South Norfolk Lodge No. 339 where he is also a Life Member.

Worshipful Brother Joel has compiled an extensive background in medicine after serving with the US Navy from 1984 to 1997. His list of professional awards and achievements are too numerous to mention. He currently works for Sentara Leigh Hospital as Vice President- Medical Affairs and also serves on the corporate level as Executive Medical Director in Accreditation and Patient Safety.

Active in Tall Cedars, Royal Arch, Scottish Rite, York Rite, Knights Templar and in the four Research Lodges in which he holds membership, Brother Bundy is a very enthusiastic Mason who strongly believes in the Masonic Home and in its corps of hardworking Ambassadors. 

Please welcome Worshipful Brother Joel in his new leadership role and again join me in thanking Worshipful Tommy Hayes for his outstanding service as the outgoing Chairman.

2017-02-08

Hello Brother Ambassador, Please "Save the Date" of Saturday May 20th on your calendar, to attend our Annual Ambassador Conference at the Masonic Home! Also, please remember that your first 2017 Activity Report is Due to your Region Ambassador by March 15th! You only need to report the following activity since November....1) How many MAHOVA programs have you presented in your District Lodges?....2) How many awards?....and 3) List any special Fundraisers or activity for the Home. That's all! Keep it simple, but please report on time. Have a great day, and enjoy the attached February Newsletter.

S&F, Tommy Hayes Chairman, CMHAs

2017-01-27

Brother Ambassador:

Thank you for the outstanding work that you do for our Masonic Home. It has been an absolute joy working with you, whether it has been over the past four years or just the past few months. I am writing to inform you that I will be leaving my position at the Masonic Home to take a position with the Federal Maritime Commission.

My time at the Masonic Home predates my being raised a Master Mason. Needless to say, the Masonic Home and Freemasonry are inseparable for me, which made this an incredibly difficult decision to make.

I know that you will continue to be a great advocate of our Home. As you know, it is truly our Crown Jewel. Thank you for making my time as an employee of the Masonic Home so enjoyable, and making my job so much easier through your support. If there is anything that I can do for you, please don’t hesitate to ask.

In the meantime, I look forward to hearing your talks as an official “outsider” in the coming weeks and months.

Sincerely and fraternally,

Sean Watterson

2016-12-14

On Wednesday, December 14, 2016 3:33 PM, Tommy Hayes <thayesmingo@aol.com> wrote:

Greetings Brother Ambassadors!

For your information, as we approach the end of the year, I would like to provide you with a Masonic Home update.

* Currently there are 200 residents residing at the home. This number is down, but expected. Several residents have recently moved from the village to the home.

* In a recent Dept. of Social Service inspection, The Masonic Home, again, had zero deficiencies.

* There are currently 20 people being helped through the Outreach Program, and the Outreach budget is continuing to increase.

* There will be new Outreach Program, and Care for Others brochures available by our next Ambassadors Conference, that will be held on Saturday May 20th.

* The average age of a new Virginia Master Mason is 35-36.

* The November 19th Open House was a success, with over 60 couples touring the home.

Thanks again for your work for the Masonic Home of Virginia.

Be blessed & Let you light shine,

Tommy

Chairman. CMHAs

2016-10-08

From: Tommy Hayes <thayesmingo@aol.com>

Date: Sat, Oct 8, 2016 at 8:15 PM

Subject: Great Ambassador Support!

Hello Brother Ambassador! I hope you are doing well.  Looks like Matthew rained on our parade today for Family Day. Looking forward to next year. Yesterday, I had the pleasure of meeting with the Masonic Home Board of Governors. It was discussed that our Board members would like to support Ambassadors as much as possible, and would be glad to assist you by being a guest speaker in your District Lodges. I think this is a fantastic idea, and I encourage you to consider contacting one of of Board members to schedule a talk. You can find the Masonic Home Board of Governors contact information on pages 47 & 48 of your 2016 Masonic Directory. I think that you will be pleased with all the information and support that our Board members can provide. Thanks for your support of The Masonic Home of Virginia!

S&F,

Tommy

Chairman, Committee on Masonic Home Ambassadors

2016-10-07

Masonic Family Day CANCELLED!! Due to the bad weather forecast for Saturday, October 8, 2016, Masonic Family Day scheduled for tomorrow has been cancelled.

2016-05-09

Remember that our focus this year is to organize more trips to the Masonic Home, and to obtain a "Ray of Light" for your District. I hope that you will work towards these goals.

BEST PRACTICES NOTES from April 23, 2016 Conference

Q. 1.  Share Ideas on how to raise money for the Masonic Home

A.  Awards programs such as the Morlock Award, Stokes Award etc.

Ambassadors shared the following………

* Shared that they pass out envelopes to every individual so that they may donate as they choose and then put their name of the outside of the sealed envelope.  

* He puts the Members names and how much they donated on the outside of their envelopes which makes them easier to submit.

* Being repetitious is a very important key in keeping the members interest and focus. It was mentioned that he starts off the meeting by shaking hands with the Lodge members and asks them to contribute towards the Morlock Award –

“Be Persistent” is his motto.

* Shared that when he speaks at each Lodge he mentions to them that they each participate and contribute to these award programs.

* Shared that in the past they have help Fish Frys to raise money.  Followed up by telling the group where they hold their Fish Fry and that they made flyers and placed them around the community in order to bring in the public.  “Need the publics participation”!!

* Suggestion was made that they should remind the members that they can write a check if they don’t have cash in hopes that they will donate more than the allotted $5.  Also, please be sure to mention that the donation is tax deductible.

* Made the suggestion to the group to be sure to mention that the Home accepts bequests and also mentioned that he likes the format for this breakout session.

Suggestion was made that the lodges could get a group together and come up to the Home for Masonic Family Day.

* Spoke and told the group that he visits the Lodges at least once a quarter.

* Lodge adopted a resident here at the Masonic Home and they come to visit her.  He reports back to the members and shares the stories about the visits with her and this makes it real for the members.  They will be coming to the Home to celebrate her 100th Birthday!

* This is a difference between the Masonic Home and the everyday local Nursing Homes.

* There is a website set up for the Masons – mahova.vamasons.org.  Website is set up with Notetbooks, slides, videos for Masons

* Shared that he really likes the format of todays meeting.  Mentioned setting up an exhibit of some type at their picnic to show the members what the home is about and make a presentation for them as well.

* Mentioned switching the types of fundraisers the lodges are having, such as:  If your particular lodge has a fish fry, change it to a BBQ dinner instead – Basically, shake it up and try something different for your area!

* Mentioned that the lodges should be approached about donating at least 10% of the proceeds from their fund raisers to the Mason Home.  Mentioned that members who do not attend lodge should be contacted and find out why they are not attending.

* Stokes Award was received by taking care of the widowed wives of deceased members and in turn they have received very large bequests for their kind and attentive part they played in their lives.  They made them feel apart of the organization even though their loved one was not there. Also mentioned that it should be made a practice to try and car pool with lodge members who may not be able to drive or for any other reason – SHARE.

* Shared that his goal was to reach out to the widows and make they are aware of the Home.

* Mentioned that he would like to receive Quarterly or Regular Communications from the Masonic Home.

* Mentioned having a Breakfast at the Lodges at least once a month and charge $5 with proceeds going to the Mason Home.  Also mentioned opening the breakfast up to the whole district

2016-01-13

As a reminder, please mark April 23rd on your calendar to be sure to attend our Annual Ambassador's Conference at the Masonic Home.

This year, we will have a break out session for Lodge Ambassadors. I would like for all District Ambassadors to be sure to talk with your Lodge Ambassadors about attending, and to confirm how many will be attending from your Districts, when you confirm your attendance.

I would also like to encourage each of you to attend your Masters and Wardens Association Meetings to report on your activities, encourage home support and visits, and to schedule programs in your lodges.

I wish you a fantastic 2016, and look forward to seeing you soon!

S&F,

Tommy

Chairman, Grand Lodge Committee on Masonic Home Ambassadors

2015-12-04

~ Please be sure to promote Amazon Smile and United Way sign ups between now and year end, as it is time for online shopping, and United Way sign ups at work. Encourage brothers to select The Masonic Home of Virginia as their charity of choice for each.

~ Please note that our 2016 Ambassador's Conference will be held at the home on April 23rd. Be sure to put it on your calendar. I would like for DMHAs to invite your Lodge Ambassadors to attend, and confirm which ones will be attending. We will have a Lodge Ambassador break out class, as well as a New District/Region class. I hope you will attend.

~ Our Ambassador Report dates have changed to two times a year instead of four. The reporting period began in November. DMHA reports will be due to RMHAs on March 15th, and Sept. 15th. I would like these reports to be YTD, so the Sept. report will include talks, awards, and special events reported in March. RMHAs probably have already distributed the new DMHA simplified reports to you. If you have not received yours, please contact your RMHA, or let me know if I can help.

2015 Masonic Day Program >>