        THE NATIONAL MASONIC FOUNDATION FOR THE PREVENTION
          OF DRUG AND ALCOHOL ABUSE AMONG CHILDREN, INC.

           Lawrence J. Chisholm, 32, Executive Director
         1629 K St. NW, Suite 606, Washington, D.C. 20006

Amid the despair of addiction among our future, our children, 
Freemasonry has stepped forth as a beacon shining brighter with 
each passing day.  The seed planted by the Conference of Grand 
Masters in 1986, germinating into a program established in 1987 
has now, in a little over two years, become increasingly 
recognized as being in the forefront of the solution to this huge 
problem afflicting the youth of our Nation.
     Starting with a nucleus of eight dynamic Grand Lodges, the 
Foundation's "Contributing Grand Lodges," as of this writing, now 
number twenty-four!  They are: American Canadian Grand Lodge, the 
Grand Lodges of Arizona, California, Connecticut, Delaware, 
District of Columbia, Idaho, Illinois, Maine, Maryland, 
Massachusetts, Montana, Nevada, New Hampshire, New Jersey, New 
York, North Dakota, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, Texas, Utah, 
Vermont, Washington, and Wisconsin.  Several more Grand Lodges 
have indicated a willingness to join, pending annual meetings.  
All but the most recent members have active and productive 
prevention programs either planned or, in most cases, underway.
     Although the Foundation could not be sure, even as late as 
1986, that its policy (targeting prevention programs among 
children as the primary answer to the drug epidemic) would be the 
prevailing one, it today has been accepted by government 
officials at all levels and by enforcement and treatment 
professionals as the rational--and achievable--solution.
     In 1986, not even the elements of a possible solution were 
clear.  Willingness existed among most of society to attack the 
growing drug abuse problem, but frustration prevailed because 
there was no agreement on what might be the most effective and 
appropriate response.  Given that unlimited resources are not 
available, what would work?
     The Foundation identified the elements to the solution of 
the drug and alcohol abuse problem as being four:  awareness, 
treatment, enforcement, and prevention.  While awareness 
activities (e.g., books, poster contests, TV and print media, 
classroom presentations, etc.) are essential to drawing attention 
to the problem, our feeling has been that publicity activities in 
our society have been so well done that no new emphasis was 
needed from us.  There is, in fact, a fallacy lurking in 
publications and publicity programs.  There are those who seem to 
believe that enough of such activity will drive the drug and 
alcohol abuse problem away through sheer volume.
     If we persist in such thinking about this problem, if we 
believe that we can talk it to death, if we simply pass out 
anti-drug pamphlets to children and say "go and sin no more," 
then we are in for frustration and eventually, the feeling that 
the problem is insoluble.  Awareness programs with children, if 
they are to work, must be paired with activities that work 
directly with at-risk children.
     Treatment programs must be made available if we hope to 
consider ourselves a humane society.  If someone who has fallen 
into the pit of addiction can somehow summon the will to crawl 
out, our society must hold out a helping hand.
     Enforcement activities are absolutely essential to keep the 
dam from bursting.
     But treatment and enforcement professionals themselves are 
telling us that, even with the most optimistic projections of 
available funding, they cannot hope to stem the tide of addiction 
unless something is done to reduce demand.
     All four elements are necessary to unraveling the drug 
epidemic dilemma, but prevention is the only one that holds 
promise for reversing it.
     Foundation representatives recently met with the Director 
for Drug Abuse Prevention in the President's Office of Drug 
Control Policy, Dr. Herbert Kleber.  Dr. Kleber cited 
Freemasonry's Student Assistance Training as exactly the type of 
prevention program that can succeed against today's torrent of 
childhood addiction, and he agreed that William Bennett's office 
would cite Freemasonry's program in their public presentations.
     A few weeks later, the Foundation met with the Drug 
Enforcement Administration (DEA) Director for Demand Reduction, 
William Alden, who made the same point.  He stressed to us that 
all their activities and heavy expenditures of time, energy, and 
money have simply served to reemphasize time and again that the 
only hope against this problem is prevention and that the type of 
program Freemasonry has pioneered is what they are fervently 
hoping will succeed.
     Late last year, the Director of the National Masonic 
Foundation met with executives from the three most noted 
rehabilitation centers in the United States: the Betty Ford 
Center (California), Hazelden (Minnesota), and Caron Foundation 
(Pennsylvania).  They pointed out that ethical rehabilitation 
centers have now or are building adolescent treatment facilities, 
with emphasis on catching the addiction before it takes root. 
They too have recognized that any hope of dealing with this huge 
cancer in our midst lies in working with at-risk or early-using 
youngsters.
     All of the foregoing and others have been quick to recognize 
the unique strengths that Freemasonry has to deal with this 
problem.  All recognize that ultimately the solution to the drug 
abuse epidemic lies in community action, Freemasonry is already 
there in those communities now--as it has been for hundreds of 
years.  Also, it is clear that the principles of 
Freemasonry--caring for others, relief of the distressed, the 
power of truth, faith, hope, charity--underpin our resolve to 
confront this disaster that threatens to erode our republic from 
within.
     In a little over two years, United States Freemasons have 
established a national office in the Nation's capital--and a 
national identification--for the Craft's fight against adolescent 
drug and alcohol addiction.  The National Masonic Foundation for 
Prevention of Drug and Alcohol Abuse Among Children and its 
ten-member Executive Committee has created a comprehensive and 
effective prevention program and assisted member jurisdictions in 
establishing and operating those programs; has established a 
network of Foundation representatives within member Grand Lodges; 
has produced and distributed to member Grand Lodges a complete 
Public Service Announcement package for TV, including supporting 
materials for each TV station contacted; has created a 
comprehensive publications program, including a monthly 
newsletter, and a growing videotape and book lending library.
     For more detailed information on the programs of the 
Foundation (and specifically on the "Masonic Model" Student 
Assistance Training program), or if you would like to contribute 
to the work of the Foundation, write to the address at the 
beginning of this article.

                                   










Brother Chisholm has been Director of the Foundation since its 
inception in May 1987.  He is the present Deputy Grand Lecturer 
for the Grand Lodge of the District of Columbia, is Past Master 
of Joppa  No. 35 there, and has had a varied career as an 
administrator and writer, including 2 1/2 years with the Masonic 
Service Association.  He also does volunteer work with addicted 
children and adults.


The Foundation identified the elements to the solution of the 
drug and alcohol abuse problem as being four:  awareness, 
treatment, enforcement, and prevention.

If someone who has fallen into the pit of addiction can somehow 
summon the will to crawl out, our society must hold out a helping 
hand.

The National Masonic Foundation for Prevention of Drug and 
Alcohol Abuse Among Children and its ten-member Executive 
Committee has created a comprehensive and effective prevention 
program and assisted member jurisdictions in establishing and 
operating those programs.

Freemasonry has a unique strength in dealing with the drug 
problem.

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