Houston Chapter No. 385
Charitable Projects

Houston Chapter serves a large variety of charities in many different ways -- by chapter concensus during business meetings, through donations by individual members, by fundraising events centered around our sewing and craft clubs, via payment of per capita tax to Grand Chapter which supports their charitable efforts, and by helping our masonic brothers so that their ability to support their charities is enhanced.

And by far our greatest support is given to our members, who are Master Masons and the female relatives of Master Masons. Indeed, that is the primary purpose for which our order was founded... to give love and support to these women, and to provide a place to channel their energies in supporting and loving the community around them.

Here is a partial record of the charitable projects that Houston Chapter and its members have been involved in. Our main purpose in presenting this list is to keep our members who can't make all the meetings (and even those who can) up-to-date on what is being done, and to give persons outside of our organization an idea of what types of charities we support and the extent of that support. At the end of the list are many charities that are supported not only by our chapter's membership, but by Eastern Star members all over Texas.

  • Worthy Matron's Special Projects and special Chapter projects for this year:
    • Operation Eastern Star, benefitting an active overseas military unit
    • OES Handicrafts, benefitting M. D. Anderson

  • Faith, Hope and Charity Fund - donations may be made to this fund, usually as a memorial to a deceased member. The interest received from the fund is used in several ways.
    • Get well and birthday cards to members
    • Christmas and Easter gifts to shut-in members
    • Floral arrangements for funerals
    • Special needs as they arise

  • Charity Committee - mostly local charities supported with monetary donations, funded by our Birthday and Anniversary collections, further enhanced by budgeted funds, recommended by the committee and voted on by the Chapter. Usually funds are collected and disbursed quarterly. The charities that will be supported this year by the Charity Committee will be selected during the year. Charities supported in recent years were:
    • M.D. Anderson - caps (painted by our member, Ann Corscaden)
    • OES Handicraft (supporting M.D. Anderson Cancer Center)
    • Shriners' Crippled Childrens Hospital
    • Shriners' Burn Institute
    • Texas Children's Hospital
    • Goodfellows
    • Star of Hope
    • The Rose
    • Linda Percell (mission trip to Bulgaria)
    • William Trace Baptist Church
    • Grand Chapter of Texas - ESTARL

  • Houston Chapter's other ongoing projects:
    • Sickness and Distress
    • Food for the Bereaved
    • Eastern Star funeral services
    • Visitations made by the WM, WP, and other members
    • M.D. Anderson / OES Handicrafts - bazaar and dinner to benefit the childrens' cancer ward (held in March every year). Many chapters in the Houston area participate.

  • Holland Lodge No. 1 - by paying our rent on time! Also volunteering our help when needed for other functions, and donations of time, money or other needs as we are able and as they are brought to our attention.

  • Grand Chapter projects -- these are supported through our per capita tax to Grand Chapter as well as by vote of the chapter or through individual member contributions.
    • ESTARL fund - Eastern Star Training Awards for Religious Leadership. These awards are religious education scholarships for ministerial students.
    • M.D. Anderson (cancer treatment and research)
    • Arthritis Foundation
    • Heart Fund
    • Knights Templar Eye Foundation
    • Shriners Hospitals
    • Scottish Rite Hospital in Dallas
    • Other special projects designated by Grand Chapter and the Worthy Grand Matron.

  • General Grand Chapter projects -- a portion of our per capita tax goes to these charitable purposes. Individual chapters and individual members also may choose to donate additional funds.
    • International Temple Fund
    • Other special projects designated by General Grand Chapter.

  • Masonic projects -- these are supported indirectly as a result of our associations with our lodge brothers, collectively through our relationships with the Grand Chapter, Grand Lodge, and other related organizations, and individually as family members of the same organizations.
    • Grand Lodge home and school in Waco, Texas
    • Shriners' Crippled Children's Hospital and Burn Center in Galveston, Texas
    • George Washington Monument, Washington DC

  • Local Churches -- as an organization of members who believe in a supreme being, many if not most of the members of the Order of the Eastern Star are also active in their local churches or congregations. Although individual churches do not usually benefit directly through monetary donations from our Chapter, many of our members are faithful to their beliefs and take an active role in carrying out the needs and ministries of their respective faiths.

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Date last modified: 04 October 2003.
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