Peter H. Jantz, 33°, Mark E. Pressey, 32°
Paul E. Miller, 32°, Leon D. Olson, 33°
P.O. Box 416, Santa Ana, California 92702-0416

The California Masonic Child ID Program is reaching children across the state.

The California Masonic Child ID program started in 1998 when then Grand Master Anthony P. "Tony" Wordlow, 33°, appointed Bro. V. Allen Winter, 32°, Valley of Sacramento, California, as Chair of the newly formed California Masonic Child ID Committee. The first individual Child ID systems, costing $15,000 each, then consisted of a desktop computer with a large thumbprint reader with a motorized video camera. The unit was a great success for the Masonic Booth at the 1998 California State Fair where over 12,000 children were ID'd. In subsequent years, the Masonic Booth's numbers grew to 40,000 in 1999; 60,000 in 2000, and over 100,000 in 2001. Today the committee has over 14 units using laptop computers deployed around the state, in addition to dozens of Lodge-owned systems from Lodges that participate in the program. New systems today cost less than $2,000 each.

Lodges and other Masonic Bodies have been encouraged to purchase their own units to increase coverage around the state, and the Grand Lodge of California Child ID Committee hopes to make the program available to other Grand Lodges as well. A calendar of ID events is kept for both committee and other Masonic units and is made available to the public through the californiamasons.org web site. The full committee web site can be found at http://www.freemason.org/committees/kids, and includes tips for deployment and documents for downloading.

The California Masonic Foundation funds the program including the cost of writing a proprietary computer program in 2001, which has been made available to all Grand Lodge Jurisdictions and local Lodges at a nominal cost through the offices of the Grand Lodge of California. (Call 1-800-831-8170 or write: Grand Lodge of California, 1111 California St., San Francisco, CA 94108-2284.)

The Masons of California provide a very attractive Child ID Booth for use at fairs, schools, churches, and health services.

In the past four years, over 250,000 children have had their ID's taken by the Masonic Child ID program. The children have their pictures and thumbprints digitally scanned (no pun intended) into the computer. No ink is used, so it is a clean, quick process. The images are placed into a template that includes space for names, nicknames, distinguishing marks, doctor, dentist, and other biographical facts. Parents fill in these details at their convenience.

Parents and other caregivers receive a document that can be copied quickly and distributed to police or posted around the community in case the child disappears. The process takes less than a minute, and no information is retained by the system. The information is for the use of parents only.

In Southern California, the program has been excellently managed by California Masonic Child ID Vice Chairman Bro. Ronald C. Perry, 32°, Valley of Long Beach, and has been used in the Masonic Booth at the San Diego County Fair at Del Mar which is sponsored by the San Diego Scottish Rite. Ill. David L. Heafner, 33°, Valley of San Diego, has organized that booth for the past seven years and is also a member of the California Masonic Child ID Committee. He has deployed the system for the past four years with great success. In 2002 alone, over 4,500 children were processed at the booth.

Also, Ill. Leon D. Olson, 33°, Secretary, Valley of Bakersfield, reports that two Bakersfield Brethren, Ill. Allen C. West, 33°, and William R. Smoot, 32°, K.C.C.H., have expanded the Child ID program beyond the past three Bakersfield County Fairs to include Child ID programs at local preschools, elementary schools, churches, and health services. Support for their work has come from the Bakersfield Police Dept., County Sheriff's Dept., and several local businesses, including a computer store, Home Depot, and a General Motors dealership. Three teams of three Brethren each are now providing Child ID services, and plans are to expand to ten teams. A telephone center has been created to handle calls from parents and schools. (For more information on how to implement the Bakersfield program in your area, contact Secretary Leon D. Olson at 661-323-5234.)

Then, with the support of the M.W. C. Ray Whitaker, 33°, and with the Grand Lodge of California supplying both the backdrop for the booth and the computer equipment, the Santa Ana Valley coordinated the Freemasons of Orange County, together with Brothers from Long Beach in Los Angeles County, to staff an All Masonic Booth at the Orange County Fair from July 12 to July 28, 2002. From the beginning, it was obvious that the concept of the children's ID facility would draw parents to the booth and, as a spin-off, generate the opportunity to offer information on Masonry to those expressing an interest. This worked better than hoped, as it was primarily the mothers and wives encouraging the men to take notice.

This highly successful program was reinforced recently by some tragic cases of child abduction and assault, one of the worst being perpetrated in Orange County during the time of the Orange County Fair. The Masons of Orange County had at least four Brothers present at the booth at any one time, from 10:00 am to 11:00 pm, the day being split into three-hour shifts. A web site was created by Bro. Joe E. Money, 32°, Valley of Santa Ana, for volunteers to register for their shifts. Saddleback Laguna Lodge No. 672 blocked out an entire day for their members to participate, and Irvine Valley Lodge No. 671 had seven members assisting at the booth for most of the fair. One of them, Bro. Leonardo H. Muñoz, 32°, Valley of Santa Ana, volunteered over eight time slots on almost as many days.

Computers make the Child ID Program quick and easy.

As the days progressed, more and more parents were interested in having their children sit down for the minute or so that it takes for the thumbprint and photo to be taken and the form to be printed out. Almost without exception, all the Masons who volunteered, together with some of their wives, thoroughly enjoyed the experience. This sense of satisfaction went so far that many stayed well past their allotted time, perhaps due to the hugs of appreciation being given out by grateful moms.

The Orange County Fair generated over 90 expressions of interest from men who requested more information about the Fraternity, and there were several questions from ladies on how to join the Eastern Star. In addition, over 4,500 children were processed through the ID Program during the fair, and there were expressions of interest and requests from school and community organizations to bring the program to them on a regular basis. As a result of the Child ID program at that fair, four Brothers (Douglas A. Scheufler, 32°, K.C.C.H.; James L. Yates, 32°, President, Santa Ana Scottish Rite Language Center; Jack W. Slagle, 32°, and Robert S. Hummell, 32°) conducted a Child ID Program at Huntington Beach and processed 64 children. Also, publicity generated by information published in the Los Angeles Times helped promote Freemasonry generally.

The Santa Ana Valley is already planning its participation for 2003, and, with the enthusiasm generated from this year, the Santa Ana Brethren hope to make the Masonic presence in Orange County communities even more noticeable in a positive way.

Note: This article was compiled by Ill. Peter H. Jantz, 33°, Personal Representative, Valley of Santa Ana, using materials developed by Bros. Mark E. Pressey, 32°, Paul E. Miller, 32°, and Ill. Leon D. Olson, 33°. Bro. Pressey, Valley of San Diego, is a member of the California Grand Lodge Masonic Child ID Committee, a Past Senior Grand Steward, and will be the Vice Chair of the California Child ID Committee in 2003. Bro. Miller, Valley of Santa Ana, was the Chair of the Orange County Fair Committee. Ill. Olson is the Secretary of the Valley of Bakersfield, California.