Michael Sinatra, 32°, K.C.C.H.
1439 NW 97 Terrace
Coral Springs, Florida 33071–5945

It does not matter if we give from our wallets or not, so long as we give from the heart.

There are times when we dig into our wallets and present a person or charitable organization a cash donation. We receive requests not only from our Blue Lodge and Masonry's various Appendant Bodies but also from numerous deserving organizations. At times, we feel so inundated by all these requests that we just feel like saying "Enough!" While this is understandable, there are alternative, non-monetary ways of giving to charity.

One of the greatest forms of charity is saving a person's life. Ancient Jewish lore states: "One who saves a single human life is accounted as if he saved the whole of humanity." I know it's virtually impossible (and not practical) for us to be running into burning buildings or to retrieve drivers from cars that end up in canals, but we can easily donate blood. This is a great form of charity as we do save lives and give in a totally anonymous manner. Donating anonymously is a great and selfless form of charity since no credit is sought for the gift.

Another form of charity is helping an unemployed person secure a position. It's relatively easy to present an out-of-work person financial aid; however, in giving him a job, you enable that person to become a viable part of society, thereby increasing his self-esteem and self-worth.

Also, by participating in one of our many different Degree Teams, whether within a Lodge, Valley, or other Masonic jurisdiction, we give of our time and talent, wonderful and personal forms of charity. The lessons we relay to the candidates—honor, morality, and responsibility as husbands, fathers, and citizens—are very meaningful to building character by example and cannot be taken lightly. We teach these lessons in our unique way, hoping and praying that the candidates absorb and grasp these concepts and employ them during their lives, thereby making them better people in a better world.

Helping a person who has a disability, whether it is physical or something as basic as an inability to read or speak, is a charitable act. Our Scottish Rite Childhood Language Clinics, Centers, and Programs throughout the United States need volunteers, and this is a special way to help children and, in addition, gain great personal satisfaction. Drop by your local Scottish Rite facility. They will be glad to see you and able to place you in a job you will really enjoy.

In short, it does not matter if we give from our wallets or not, so long as we give from the heart. If so, we are truly charitable men. And that goes for our ladies, too. As the Venerable Master states in the Fourteenth Degree as he pours out the libation to the memory of our dearly departed Brethren: "The thanks and gratitude of the widow and orphan are a Mason's most acceptable offerings to God." So, the next time a Brother asks if you can lend a helping hand, try saying, "By all means, Brother!" Remember, there is an Eye that sees all, an Ear that hears all, and a Book in which all deeds are recorded.

Michael Sinatra is employed by MediaOne of Broward County as their Fleet and Facilities Manager. Raised in 1978 and currently a member of J. Dewey Hawkins Lodge No. 331, Oakland Park, the Scottish Rite Bodies of Lake Worth, and Amara Shrine Temple, Palm Beach Gardens, Florida, Brother Sinatra has been Senior Warden in the 14° for the past eight years, was invested a K.C.C.H. in October 1997, and received the Double Eagle Award in May 1999.