STB-MA92

THE DRUG AND ALCOHOL ABUSE PROBLEM--
          LODGES CAN HELP!

hy Worshipful Brother Lawrence J.
Chisholm, Executive Director, National
Masonic Foundationfor Prevention of Drug
and Alcohol Ahuse Among Children

This STB is the third in a series of the Masonic 
Response to the devastating problem of drug and alcohol
abuse among children. (See 5-87 and 1-89 STB). This
Short Talk is specifically aimed at what individual lodges
can do! However before undertaking any program
please check with your Grand Lodge to see what may he
doing on within your Grand Jurisdiction and what pro-
gram your lodge could undertake that would best fit into
an overall program within your state. We need to work
together!
Editor

Freemasonry embodies the values that are 
needed to combat our nation's drug and alco-
hol abuse problem--belief in God, patriotic
support for our country, and a full apprecia-
tion of and respect for others from all walks of
life. It is only natural that Freemasons should 
feel the impulse to do something to help with 
youthful drug and alcohol abuse.
There is probably no one in this country 
who isn't aware of our nation's drug and 
alcohol abuse problem. There have been count-
less programs launched to address the prob-
lem in a variety of ways. From Nancy Reagan 's 
"Just Say No" public awareness campaign, to 
localcommunitytreatmentcenters,tothesolid 
community relations work of cops on the beat, 
there are many efforts already underway to 
stem the tide of drug and alcohol abuse.
There are many things a Blue Lodge can do. 
However, a good idea and the best intentions 
are not always enough to increase awareness, 
raise money, or get participation in drug and 
alcohol abuse prevention. There are practical 
hurdles that must be overcome for a Blue 
Lodge's efforts to be successful. Here's a 
checklist of some of the questions that should
be asked and answered before embarking on a 
drug and alcohol abuse prevention related 
effort.

 Where does the program fit in with what 
else is going on in the community?

 Is there or has there already been a similar 
effort that failed? Why?

 Is there another charitable organization or 
govemment agency or non-profit social ser-
vice organization which might consider the 
proposed program to be a duplication?

 Whose cooperation would be beneficial or 
necessary to the success of the program?

 What budget might be needed for the pro-
gram? Where will the money come from?

 How much time and what kind of time (i.e., 
evenings, weekends, days) will the program 
require?

 How should the program be run--i.e. would 
one Brother, or a Masonic family member or 
group, be most appropriately in charge of most 
of the project, or should there be a sizeable 
committee? Should the working group orcom-
mittee include other representatives from the 
community?

 How should the program be publicized? 
What newspapers, television stations and radio 
stations should be contacted? Who will write 
news releases?

To get a sense for the importance of these 
questions, consider some of the observations 
of R.W. William V. Quackenbush, Second 
Queens (NY) Masonic District, who, after 
marching in a "Just Say No to Drugs" Parade, 
thought a poster contest in the public schools 
in his area would be a great way to help 
convince kids to stay away from drugs and 
alcohol. According to Brother Quackenbush, 
the following points are important to running 
a successful poster or essay contest:

 The brother who takes on this project should
be retired, or otherwise have free time avail-
able, in view of the fact that schools are most 
easily visited during the day.

 There must be a budget. Decide on prizes 
and miscellaneous operating expenses and then 
solicit funds. Usually, each school should be 
allotted the same amount.

 Meet with the district director of Drug and 
Alcohol Abuse (or, if none available, with the 
school principal) and get their support of the 
poster program.

 Prizes--U.S. Savings Bonds, plaques or 
something for the school's use (athletic equip-
ment, musical keyboard, etc.). Remember that
clothing as gifts presents size problems.

 Get appropriate local govemment officials 
to attend the award presentation ceremonies.

 Take pictures and prepare appropriate cap-
tions. If local newspapers do not cover the 
awards ceremony, take the pictures to them. 
Media coverage is very important.

 Posters can be displayed in banks, commu-
nity centers, etc.

 Funds left over could be given to the kinder-
garten classes for a party.

What kinds of programs can a Blue Lodge 
sponsor to help with the drug and alcohol 
abuse problem? Here are some ideas. Many of 
the programs listed below have already been 
sponsored by Grand Lodges. Many can be 
done on a smaller scale by Blue Lodges or 
BlueLodgescanworkwiththeirGrandLodges 
in support of these kinds of programs.

 Poster contest in the public schools- (See 
above.)

 Essay contest in the public schools on a 
drug and alcohol abuse prevention theme-- 
Bandera Lodge No. 1123 in Bandera, Texas 
awarded a computer to each of two winners-- 
a fifth grader and an eighth grader--as part of 
the contest it sponsors each March during
Public Schools Week.

 Computers teaching about drug and al-
cohol abuse prevention--The Wisconsin 
Grand Lodge makes computer programs avail-
able to its Blue Lodges at a nominal cost. 
Students answer a series of questions. Once 
the questions are completed, the student eams 
the reward of playing a follow-up computer 
game. The computer programs were origi-
nally developed with the assistance of the 
Grand Lodge of Kansas.

 Make lodge facilities available for 12-
step meetings! (Alcoholics Anonymous, 
Narcotics Anonymous, Al-Anon, etc.)--Sev-
eral U.S. Blue Lodges have made this their 
major program emphasis and have built warm 
relationships with people in the community 
who are part of the solution rather than part of 
the problem.

 Bumper stickers, for the cars of Blue 
Lodge members and family, to give evi-
dence of Freemasonry's support--An at-
tractive Masonic bumper sticker is available 
from the National Masonic Foundation at nomi-
nal cost.

 "Masonic Model" Training Video--Avail-
able from the Foundation at nominal cost, 
shows a "Masonic Model" trained team in 
action. Also available is a 5-minute "Message 
to the Brethren" from Brother Ernie Borgnine, 
useful for initiating a Lodge discussion of the 
problem of drug and alcohol abuse.

 Prepare and distribute literature and 
audio visual materials to Brethren, friends, 
and the community--American Canadian 
Grand Lodge has an active information-distri-
bution campaign which includes incorporat-
ing drug and alcohol education into Masonic 
Youth programs; distributing four pamphlets--
"Just Between You and Me, Brother", "For 
the Good of the Order", "Three Dangerous 
Words", and "Thought You'd Like To
Know"--which contain discussions of the 
effects of alcoholism on adolescents and oth-
ers, recognizing and preventing substance
abuse in the family, and where to get help. 
(Sample copies of these pamphlets are avail-
able from the National Masonic Foundation.)

Grand Lodge of Utah distributed a tape, 
"How to Talk to Your Kids About Growing 
Up Without Drugs and Alcohol" and has spon-
sored, in cooperation with U.S. West Tele-
phone, in-school talks by Ken Muhle, a recov-
ering substance abuser who is a U.S. West 
employee.

 Tap the talents of the Brethren to provide 
a focus for a substance abuse prevention 
message--"Rob the Drummer", a Connecti-
cut Brother who interweaves his considerable 
drumming skills with an anti-drug message 
for school children, has been the centerpiece 
of programs in schools.

In-school programs of the Grand Lodge of 
Massachusetts feature a mascot--"Little No! 
No!"--which is featured on T-shirts and but-
tons distributed to elementary school chil-
dren.

 Sponsor road races, walkathons, or simi-
Iar athletic events--The Rhode Island Grand 
Lodge holds an annual 5-mile "Race for Drug-
Free Youth". Blue Lodges provide a wide 
range of support--fruit and juice for the run-
ners, a public address system, first aid sta-
tions, sign painting, attendants to park cars, 
clowns for entertainment, messengers, T-shirt 
designs, race brochures, etc.

 Support existing programs in your com-
munity--Grand Lodge of Montana supports 
the "Center for Adolescent Development" with 
funds, use of lodge halls for meetings and 
workshops, assistance and leadership with 
community fund drives, and volunteer work 
by Brethren trained to be Community Coordi-
nators. It also supports the Montana Teen
Institute and Teens in Partnership with schol-
arships for high school students to attend their 
summer camps.
Grand Lodge of Pennsylvania provides 
financial support for the Maternal Addiction 
Project at the St. Francis Medical Center in 
Pittsburgh and the Gateway Rehabilitation 
Center, and numerous "Masonic Model" train-
ing sessions for Pennsylvania educators.
Grand Lodges of Massachusetts, New 
Hampshire, Maine, and others support DARE 
(Drug Abuse Resistance Education), a nation-
wide program featuring school presentations 
by specially trained police officers.
New York Grand Lodge worked with State 
officialstocreateacompleteDrug-FreeSchool 
Zones program.

 Dinners, shows~rder of Eastern Star of 
Michigan kicked off its "Because We Care" 
campaign with a Dinner Show featuring pro-
fessional magic and comedy acts. Funds from 
this and the Annual "Family Christmas Ses-
sion" were contributed to South Central Michi-
gan Substance Abuse and to the National Foun-
dation.

 Organize or participate in a parade high-
lighting Blue Lodge involvement in Drug 
and Alcohol Abuse Prevention--Warren G. 
Harding Lodge #260 in the State of Washing-
ton paraded its message before 30,000 specta-
tors in a "Viking Fest Parade". The National 
Masonic Foundation has copies of an excel-
lent Blue Lodge report from Warren G. Harding 
#260 describing the role such an individual 
Blue Lodge can play in making an effective 
presentation.

For a set of publications describing these 
and other Masonic programs that are fighting 
the drug abuse battle, contact the National 
Masonic Foundation.
If you have, or have an idea for, a program, 
let us know at the National Masonic Founda-
tion, 1629 K St., NW, Suite 606, Washington, 
DC 20006.
