April 2001  |
August 22, 2000, was a wonderful day for the Scottish Rite
Masons in Mississippi. On this day, the Mississippi Department
of Rehabilitation Services recognized the Mississippi Scottish
Rite Aphasia Foundation as the recipient of their 2000 Community
Service Award. Ill. Howard E. Kerce, 33°, Deputy of the Supreme
Council in Mississippi, accepted a handsome plaque at their Service
and Employee Awards Ceremony at the Holiday Inn Crowne Plaza Hotel
in downtown Jackson, with more than 900 in attendance including
State Officials and State Legislators. The plaque cited the Foundation's
support to thousands of disabled children. Scottish Rite Masons
have donated their time, resources, hard work and funds, thus
ensuring the children's placement and treatment in our Language
Disorders Clinics that specialize in language disorders and reading/learning
disabilities.
This event provided an opportunity to tell the audience about
the expressions received from parents regarding the important
role the clinics play in the lives of their children. Just to
see children progress from not being able to speak to the point
of their being mainstreamed into the regular school system speaks
volumes.
| Pictured right, Mr. H. S. McMillan (l.), Executive Director, Mississippi Department of Rehabilitation Services, presents the "2000 Community Service Award" to Ill. Howard E. Kerce, 33°, Deputy of the Supreme Council in Mississippi, in recognition of the Mississippi Scottish Rite Aphasia Foundation's service to disabled children in the "Magnolia State." |  |
Ill. Kerce said: "Yes, we are proud and humble. Our role as advocates for children with Childhood Language Disorders will be intensified so we can reach more in our society and thus continue to be viable and visible in our communities."
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Costing more than $200,000, the mobile clinic is the result of a grant proposal submitted to the Federal Government by Radford University. Its purpose is to provide clinical services to areas, such as southwest Virginia, which are either significantly underserved or, in some cases, without medical services at all. The Virginia Scottish Rite is pleased to promote so vital a program through a five-year grant which will provide $50,000 per year for treatment of childhood language disorders through the mobile clinic. The Virginia Rite's support will be indicated by color signage on the mobile clinic as pictured below and to the right above. Unfortunately, the new logo cannot be pictured here in color, but it is very appealing and should inform a whole new population of Scottish Rite Freemasonry and our main philanthropy. Congratulations to Ill. David Kruger, 33°, S.G.I.G. in Virginia, and the Brethren of the "Old Dominion State" for seeing a real need and supporting it so generously!
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The C. J. Davidson Memorial Lecture annual series continues in 2001 with a presentation by Suzanne Carreker, an expert on multisensory strategies for developing literacy skills. The program, titled "Literacy: The Whole Nine Yards," is of special interest to teachers, administrators, diagnosticians, and counselors. It will be presented on March 23, 8:30 am–3:30 pm at the Civic Center Theater in Lubbock, Texas. Admission is free. For more information, contact: Scottish Rite Learning Center of West Texas, PO Box 10135, Lubbock, TX 79408.
Many American companies and now
World Enterprises are evidencing their sense of social responsibility
through a variety of programs. Aside from serving society, these
programs develop brand loyalty, increase a company's sales, and
offer an opportunity for many organizations, including the Scottish
Rite, to obtain additional resources for charity, most notably
our Childhood Language Disorders Centers, Clinics, and Programs
across the Southern Jurisdiction. By the redemption of cash register
tapes, coupons, or labels, we can obtain much-needed equipment
for our local clinics. Every time we participate in one of these
programs and, as a consequence, get a new computer or software
or other premium, we save dollars that can be expended on another
aspect of our philanthropy.
One of these opportunities is Campbell Soup's Labels for Education Program. (PO Box 3130, Grand Rapids, MN 55745–3130). This program gives each Valley the chance to become involved in a painless fund-raiser. There is no charge for participation. Just go about your everyday living and buy products you would probably purchase anyway. Save the labels and bring them to your Valley meetings for forwarding to Campbell Soup.
The results can be significant. For instance, one computer per Valley each year means, 217 free computers or a saving of $260,400 (based on $1,200 per computer) for our Scottish Rite Valleys!
In addition to Campbell Soup's program, there are other such campaigns locally and nationally. Why shouldn't we participate in one of them and help our charity?
Submitted by Ill. Bruce A. Dehlin, 33°, Washington, D.C., and Miami, Florida, Scottish Rite Bodies
Anthony is six-and-one-half years
old and in the first grade. At age three, he started at the Scottish
Rite Clinic in Seattle, Washington. He was diagnosed with developmental
dyspraxia of speech, a disorder which interferes with a child's
ability to plan the motor movements necessary for speech. In the
summer of 1997, he moved to Vancouver and soon after began receiving
services at the H. J. Casey Scottish Rite Clinic for Childhood
Language Disorders in Portland, Oregon.
At that time, less than 50% of what Anthony said could be understood. It was recommended that Anthony's entry into kindergarten be delayed because of his communication problems and his difficulties "staying on task." However, his mother was encouraged by the Scottish Rite's clinician to enroll Anthony in kindergarten because of the stimulation he would receive from other children. After several weeks of school, it became apparent that Anthony's attention deficits were making it difficult for him to remain in school.
Together, Anthony's mother and Dr. Phil Levinson of the Portland Clinic worked on the child's medical needs and behavior issues. This subsequently led to a more productive atmosphere in school and his sessions at the clinic. Anthony successfully completed kindergarten. Currently, he is in the first grade and is very proud of his accomplishments. At the clinic, he continues to work on articulation (75% of what he says can be understood now), grammar, and the schoolwork related to reading which he frequently brings in to share with Dr. Levinson. Anthony's case proves that Portland's Scottish Rite members have every right to be proud of providing the means to help children with language disorders!
The Guthrie, Oklahoma, Scottish Rite Charitable and Educational Foundation is proud to announce the "birth" of its first satellite clinic. Located in Lawton, Oklahoma, it offers testing and therapy services to communicatively impaired children who reside within 70 miles of the new clinic site.
| Therapist Dana Hilbert in the OK State's new clinic in Lawton, Oklahoma |  |
For many years, the Foundation has wanted to offer charitable services, like those offered through the Guthrie Scottish Rite Clinic, to additional counties in the area. The Foundation first realized its potential for extending services over nine years ago, when it began its outreach screening program. Since then, the program has provided over 33,500 screenings to area children. Approximately 10% to 20% of the children screened were identified as needing speech, language, hearing, or medical services. The Foundation realized that while identifying and referring communicatively impaired children are important parts of its work, actually treating and helping those children who are not receiving services should be a priority as well.
During 2000, Ill. Robert G. Davis, 33°, General Secretary of the Guthrie Scottish Rite Bodies, oversaw the project and established its goals; Clinic Director Nancy Wright and Clinician Monica McGuire worked diligently to insure a program of high standards; and the Foundation provided funds for purchasing the materials and equipment necessary to implement the program.
After the members of Lawton Lodge No. 183 of Lawton, Oklahoma, voted unanimously to allow the satellite clinic to operate from that Lodge facility, the Lawton satellite clinic was launched on June 16, 2000, at a special ceremony hosted by the Lodge and O.E.S. Chapter No. 514. Local print and news media covered the event. The Lodge is providing additional support by involving its members in seeing that the building is secure and available at appropriate times.
The Foundation contracted with Ms. Dana Hilbert, M.S., C.C.C., to provide up to 20 hours of clinic services per month. Ms. Hilbert is a local public school speech pathologist who possesses the enthusiasm and talent to make this program a success. Currently, seven children are receiving weekly services. The program is off to a great start thanks to the cooperation and enthusiasm of all involved.
Victoria L. Cardwell recently wrote to Ill. David Kruger, S.G.I.G. in Virginia, to thank the Brethren of the Orient of Virginia for their support. She said: "There is truly no way to tell you how appreciative and honored I am to receive the Virginia Scottish Rite Foundation Fellowship. It is such a tremendous opportunity to become involved in the research that supports the field of communication disorders. You are making a difference in so many lives, including mine!"
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Victoria L. Cardwell, a recipient of the Virginia S. R. Foundation Fellowship |
This is only one of the several letters of appreciation received because of the Virginia Scottish Rite's support of Radford University. The Scottish Rite Summer Clinic and the award of five academic fellowships are annual events. The Summer Clinic is where student speech-language pathologists, audiologist, and others in related fields improve their professional competence by hands-on experience with children affected by language and learning disorders. The Virginia Scottish Rite's service in this area was recognized by the Roanoke Times in a June 24, 2000, newspaper article about the clinic, and the program took a major step forward when it was moved on October 13, 2000, to Radford University's newest academic building, Waldron Hall. The Speech and Hearing Clinic is a state-of-the-art facility, and a large bronze plaque honors the Virginia Scottish Rite's support by naming the Children's Language Center Room after Ill. Arney H. Dalton, 33°, the late General Secretary of the Valley of Roanoke. One of the scholarships funded by the Scottish Rite Foundation is also in memory of Ill. Dalton. A second Virginia Scottish Rite Foundation scholarship is named in honor of Bro. George E. Dewese, 32°, K.C. C.H., and his wife, Matsue, in recognition of their generous support.
As Monica Griffin recently wrote, "The Virginia Scottish Rite Foundation Scholarship is important to me because it gives me the opportunity to put my goals into action." Congratulations, Brethren, on a job well done and best wishes for continued success!
| Every week, about 80 children come to the Scottish Rite's Childhood Language Disorders Center in Charleston, West Virginia, for help with their speech and language skills. Gradually, they improve their ability to speak clearly and communicate with others. When a child has made suitable progress, the Center holds a brief graduation ceremony before the child is discharged. Jack, a pre-schooler from Ripley, West Virginia, was a typical graduate last year. He was very hard to understand when he entered therapy and became frustrated and angry when people couldn't understand him. Jack's parents worked diligently with his speech therapist, Brother Gene R. Tackett, 32° (pictured above with Jack), and after 5 months, Jack was ready for discharge. By that time, he was able to speak more clearly than most children his age. Congratulations to all! |
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Every year, the Medford, Oregon, Scottish Rite serves the community in more ways then one. Over 300 people are regularly served an all- you-can-eat breakfast of pancakes, eggs, ham, and sausage. Instead of paying for the meal, diners are asked to make a donation to the Scottish Rite Clinics for Childhood Language Disorders. Over $3,000 is donated each year. These funds help provide speech therapy for children with severe speech-language disorders. Thank you, Medford Brethren and their ladies!
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For the sixth year in a row, the Salem, Oregon, Ladies Auxiliary organized and hosted a dinner to benefit the Scottish Rite Clinics for Childhood Language Disorders. Food for the body and music for the spirit were in abundance. Diners were treated to an excellent swiss steak dinner prepared by Rick Langerud and served by the Salem Scottish Rite. Following dinner, the Salem Senate Aires, a barbershop chorus, presented a medley of tunes. The chorus, whose members range in age from 15 to 92, have competed in World Championships. |
The Spokane, Washington, Scottish Rite Center for Childhood Language Disorders recently celebrated the accomplishment of one of its graduate, Chandler Nilles. Chandler began speech and language therapy on December 2, 1998. At that time, he primarily pointed and made vowel sounds to get what he wanted. He was very frustrated when his family could not understand his wants and needs.
Today, after months of intensive, individual therapy and parent training, Chandler is able to communicate successfully. He now enjoys talking to his family and his playmates at preschool. Chandler's parents report he is a much happier child, but they now have a new problem. They can't get him to be quiet!
Congratulations to Chandler and his family for a job well done!
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Chandler's graduation day was a joyous occasion for the entire Nilles family at the Spokane, Washington, Scottish Rite Center for Childhood Language Disorders. Pictured (l. to r.) are: Language Center Board Member Bro. Jack L. Hill, 32°; Speech-Language Pathologist Nikki Cole; Chandler's mother Lisa Nilles; Chandler Nilles; Chandler's father David Nilles; Chandler's grandmother Inez Hodge; and Language Center Board President Bro. Edwin E. "Ed" Weber, 32°, K.C.C.H. Photo: Bro. Tom A. Rousseau, 32°, K.C.C.H., Imperial Photographer |
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Eleven-year-old Brittany Brightwell
flips, spins, and tumbles at least three evenings a week after
school. As a dedicated young gymnast, she recently beat more than
60 competitors at the North State Texas Championship and won first
place in the uneven bars. Like most young gymnasts, Brittany knows
all about discipline, hard work, and physical endurance. She also
knows about overcoming a physical challenge to reach her goals.
Brittany was diagnosed with juvenile arthritis when she was two.
She's been a regular visitor to Texas Scottish Rite Hospital for
Children (TSRHC) in Dallas since.
Juvenile arthritis is characterized by inflammation in the joints that can cause stiffness, pain, and even muscle atrophy. While arthritis is generally thought of as an adult's disease, there are actually about 250,000 American children living with arthritis. What sets Brittany apart, though, is not the fact that she has arthritis; rather, it's the way that she refuses to let it slow her down. Her coaches even awarded her a special plaque in recognition of her persistence, perseverance, and dedication.
Brittany's commitment serves as inspiration not only for other gymnasts, but also for others with arthritis. She offers advice for other kids dealing with the same disease: "Some people just lay in bed when what they really need to do is get up and exercise. If you don't do anything, it will just get worse. If you exercise and get your muscles built back up, then you'll be able to move better." Brittany's doctor at TSRHC, Lynn Punaro, M.D., agrees: "The worst thing you can do for arthritis is nothing. One of the reasons children with arthritis tend to do better than adults is that they stay active. When a joint is swollen due to arthritis, it may be uncomfortable, and you may not want to move it. But when you don't move it, you don't use the muscle. And when you don't use the muscle, the muscle becomes atrophic; then you can't move it. So exercise and physical therapy are directed at strengthening the muscles around the joints to allow for better movement. The fact that Brittany is so active is to her benefit."
Even Brittany's parents look to her as a source of inspiration: "When we think we can't do something, we look at her and remember her challenges," her mom says. "Brittany is our hero."
Reprinted from TSRHC's Rite
Up (Volume 3, Issue 2)
Photo: Rick Smith, TSRHC Media Services
Recently, the Scottish Rite Masons of the Valley of Charleston, West Virginia, completed a trailer float designed to promote Scottish Rite Freemasonry and our Order's Childhood Language Disorders Program. It will be used in Shrine parades as well as Thanksgiving, Christmas, and other parades held in the area of Charleston and surrounding counties. When possible, children who are attending the Lee O. Rockwell Scottish Rite Clinic for Childhood Language Disorders in Charleston will ride on the float along with appropriate officers of the Scottish Rite, Shrine, or other supporting Masonic Bodies. The float was designed by Ill. Clyde W. Ranson, 33°, and Ill. Hurford H. Bolyard, 33°.
| Pictured (l. to r.) with the parade trailer float recently completed by the Brethren of Charleston, West Virginia, are: Ill. Jim J. Crawford, Sr., 33°, Personal Representative, Valley of Charleston; Ill. Clyde W. Ranson, 33°, Membership Chairman for Beni Kedem Shrine Temple; Ill. James E. White, 33°, Potentate of Beni Kedem Shrine Temple; and Ill. C. B. Hall, 33°, S.G.I.G. in West Virginia. |
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Dreams of playing golf are now
within reach for patients at Texas Scottish Rite Hospital for
Children (TSRHC). In June, the hospital was awarded a multi-year
grant in the amount of $150,000 by the United States Golf Association
(USGA) Foundation, Inc. for the expansion and enhancement of the
TSRHC Junior Golf Program. Over a course of three years, this
generous gift will allow TSRHC to hold teaching seminars and golf
clinics and to provide patients access to golf courses in their
hometown. The grant also will help provide patients with golf
equipment, as well as allow the hospital to develop special prostheses
that will enable children with special needs to play the game.
"Although our main focus at TSRHC is to provide the highest quality medical and therapeutic care to our children, it's also our goal that each child reaches his or her potential as independent individuals with a strong sense of self-confidence and self-esteem," said Ill. J. C. Montgomery, Jr., 33°, President at TSRHC. "Being awarded a grant by the USGA Foundation enables us to move one step closer to accomplishing our goal of expanding programs that focus on the abilities, strengths and talents of our children, rather than their disabilities."
In order to maximize the use of the Jas. F. Chambers, Jr., Youth Fitness Park, Dana Dempsey, TSRHC's therapeutic recreation coordinator, is dedicated to developing specialized programs for the hospital's young patients. With a goal of making services and programs available to the children once they return to their community, Dana also communicates with hometown contacts, such as local golf professionals, to motivate young patients to continue playing golf after they return home.
With the USGA grant, sessions called First Swing Seminars will be held to teach golf professionals and other allied healthcare professionals how to teach golf to patients with disabilities. In addition, the hospital will hold 12 Learn to Golf clinics throughout the three-year grant period. The clinics will be taught by PGA and allied healthcare professionals and will be designed to introduce patients to golf and give them the opportunity to enjoy the game. Patients who attend the clinics will receive personal instruction, written materials on the rules of golf, information about PGA professionals in the area who have completed a First Swing Seminar, golf equipment, and adaptive prosthetic devices as needed. Scholarships for golf lessons in a patient's home community and rounds of golf also will be offered.
The USGA Foundation Grants Program was established in 1997 by the United States Golf Association to better realize its mission to promote and conserve the best interests and true spirit of the game of golf. The program awards grants to organizations that educate individuals about the game, provide access to the game, and make affordable participation in the game a reality.
TSRHC and its Junior Golf Program are grateful and proud to have been selected by the USGA Foundation as a beneficiary of their grants program.
Reprinted from TSRHC's Rite Up (Volume 4, Issue 2); Photo: TSRHC Media Services
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W.M. Herman J. Lee, Jr., 32°, Master of Patterson Lodge No. 87, Patterson, Louisiana (l.), and Bro. Robert M. Shivers, P.M., 32° (r.), both members of the Valley of Baton Rouge, Louisiana, spearhead their Lodge's unique program benefiting public libraries in a tri-state area. |
Heading back to school can be defined in many ways: the end of summer freedom, new teachers and classmates, going to bed earlier, school shopping. But all those events aren't inevitable. Many parents can't afford to buy a pair of shoes for their children, let alone a bunch of new duds.
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| The Spokane, Washington, Scottish Rite "Shoes for Kids" program was again a huge success in 2000, when children in need came to the Spokane Masonic Temple and received 942 pairs of shoes and 2,826 pairs of socks. Valley Brethren are working with Spokane School District 81 to expand the program, and similar efforts are spreading rapidly throughout the Pacific Northwest as inquiries come from other Scottish Rite Bodies wishing to start similar programs. Photo: Bro. Tom A. Rousseau, 32°, K.C.C.H., Imperial Photographer |
But thanks to a new program of the Spokane, Washington, Scottish Rite, last year 500 low-income kids got a new pair of shoes. The program serves children, referred by a school counselor, in grades kindergarten through sixth, attend District 81 schools. The "Shoes for Kids" program took a test run the previous spring
Reprinted, edited for length,
from an article, "Scottish Rite Makes Sure Kids Have Good
Shoes,"
by Maisy Fernandez, Correspondent, The Spokesman-Review, a daily
newspaper of Spokane, Washington.
At Texas Scottish Rite Hospital for Children, Dallas, Texas (TSRHC), one of the most important aspects of a child's surgery takes place when the child is out of the operating room. Effective pain management is viewed by doctors and nurses as an integral part of a child's healing process. The less pain children have to deal with after surgery, the more they can concentrate on rest and recovery.
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Cory Biffle, an eight-year-old patient at the Texas Scottish Rite Hospital for Children, says "I had an epidural, and it helped me a lot. I did not have that much pain." Photo: Rick Smith, TSRHC Media Services |
While several of the methods routinely used by doctors at TSRHC are considered somewhat "new" in other pediatric hospital settings, they've been in use at TSRHC for years. One such method is the use of PCA, or patient-controlled analgesia pumps. This type of machine, which administers medication intravenously, allows patients to control their own medication administration (within limits) with just the touch of a button. Ironically, patients with PCA pumps generally end up using less medication than they would have received the traditional way.
"Typically, when you give children the power to control their own medication, they don't tend to perceive as much pain. Because they can press the button whenever they start to feel pain coming on, they tend to end up using less overall. They receive the medication before their pain has had a chance to escalate," explains Laura Kubin, R.N., pain management coordinator.
Another beneficial method of pain control is the use of epidural analgesia. This type of medication is called regional anesthesia because it affects certain areas of the body without inducing a sleep state. Epidural analgesia is routinely used for scoliosis, clubfoot, and tendon or ligament surgeries at TSRHC. Post-operatively, epidurals are generally used to continue pain management for a couple of days after surgery. For severe pain, they can be used in combination with other methods of pain control.
"Children generally respond very well to epidural analgesia. We've found it to be a highly effective form of pain management for many of our patients," the hospital's Director of Anesthesiology Fay Safavi, M.D., says.
While the proper pharmaceuticals and methods are keys to pain management, it actually takes more than medicine to ease children's pain. Communication is a major part of the puzzle. Because pain is not a measurable quality, caregivers must rely on communication from patients to determine the severity of pain, and thus the medication protocols. This can be particularly challenging when dealing with patients too young or unable to talk. In these situations, doctors and nurses must be adept at reading children's nonverbal clues.
Communication with patients, while imperative, is not the whole story when it comes to investigating and assessing a child's pain. Parents and loved ones can also be crucial to the task. "Parents know their kids. They know the little subtle things to look for when their child is hurting. Communicating those things to us can help a lot. So it's important to include them in the child's pain management program," Kubin says.
Unfortunately, it is virtually impossible completely to prevent pain that's associated with major surgery. The good news, though, is that it can be significantly controlled. According to Dr. Safavi, "Patients have the right to ask to be pain-free after surgery. At TSRHC, we are fortunate to have the ability to provide our patients with excellent and effective methods of post-operative pain relief."
Reprinted from TSRHC's Rite Up (Volume 3, Issue 1)
For 12 years, the Brethren of the
Valley of Wenatchee, Washington, have provided coffee and cookies
to weary travelers at rest areas across the state. All donations
from this effort (over $15,000 to date) support the Orient's Childhood
Language Disorders Program. In the summer of 2000, the Wenatchee
Scottish Rite Bodies purchased a trailer to store and transport
supplies and equipment. Pictured with the trailer above are Dr.
Frank F. Allen, 33°, Personal Representative of the S.G.I.G.
in Washington (right), and Brother Paul Merighi, 32°, Venerable
Master.
Photo and text submitted by Steven L. Guffy, 32°, K.C.C.H.
The Brethren of the Orient of
Virginia have joined with Radford University in providing a position
for a speech-language pathologist for a new mobile clinic. The
38-foot vehicle has been outfitted to provide several counties
in southwestern Virginia with a variety of health and human services,
among them speech-language diagnosis, referral, and treatment
for children.
The Brethren of Lafayette Lodge
No. 87 in Patterson, Louisiana, have developed a special way
to benefit their local communities. They have placed large 30-gallon
plastic tubs, each identified by a Square and Compasses emblem
and the Lodge's name, in banks, stores, and other public places
in a tri-state area. The sign reads: "Give New or Used Books
to Local Public Libraries." But more than books are being
donated. Videotapes, photographs, paintings, handcrafted items,
crayons, poster or crepe paper, and other school supplies also
show up in the bins. To date, over 5,000 books, a film projector,
and sundry other school-related items have been collected. Over
1,000 donated books are now on local library shelves, and the
rest have either been sold or recycled.