PRINTER'S NO. 3312

THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF PENNSYLVANIA

HOUSE RESOLUTION

No.

873

Session of

2015

INTRODUCED BY PAYNE, READSHAW, BARRAR, BIZZARRO, CALTAGIRONE,

COHEN, D. COSTA, SCHLEGEL CULVER, DeLUCA, DIAMOND,

DiGIROLAMO, DUSH, GIBBONS, HELM, HENNESSEY, HICKERNELL,

Recognizing and honoring the Grand Lodge of Free and Accepted

Masons of Pennsylvania for its work and commitment to

children.

WHEREAS, The Fraternity of Free and Accepted Masons is the

oldest, largest and most widely known fraternal organization in

the world; and

WHEREAS, In 1717, four lodges of Freemasons meeting in

London, England, formed the first Grand Lodge; and

WHEREAS, The first Grand Lodge chartered Symbolic Lodges and

delegates from the 13 lodges holding charters from the

Provincial Grand Lodge of Pennsylvania; and

WHEREAS, The Lodge is one of the oldest Grand Lodges in this

country; and

WHEREAS, The Lodge is of the Ancients' tradition and its

ancestor Grand Lodge is the Grand Lodge of Free and Accepted

Masons of England, which was founded in 1751; and

WHEREAS, The headquarters of the Lodge is in the Masonic

Temple at 1 North Broad Street in Philadelphia; and

WHEREAS, Brother Raymond T. Dietz is the current Grand Master

evil, help for the weak, forgiveness for the penitent, love for

one another and above all reverence and love for God"; and

WHEREAS, Shriners International, also commonly known as the

Shriners, is an organization that is an appendant body of

freemasonry and that operates 20 children's hospitals in the

United States with two in this Commonwealth, including one in

Erie and one in Philadelphia, and two children's hospitals in

Canada and Mexico; and

WHEREAS, Shriners Hospitals for Children is one of the

largest pediatric subspecialty health care systems in the world,

children through innovative care, world-class research and

outstanding teaching programs for medical professionals; and

WHEREAS, Each of the 22 children's hospital locations

specializes in one or more of the broad service lines of

specialized care, and all care and services are provided to

children up to 18 years of age regardless of the families'

ability to pay; and

WHEREAS, For more than two decades, the Scottish Rite Masons,

Northern Masonic Jurisdiction, have been national leaders in the

effort to help children and their families overcome the painful

WHEREAS, The treatment of dyslexia, which is an inherited

neurological disorder that affects the way individuals learn to

read and speak as well as how they process things

mathematically, is critical to enable individuals to achieve

fully functional lives; and

WHEREAS, Dyslexia affects one out of every five individuals

and affects boys and girls in equal numbers; and

WHEREAS, The efforts of the Lodge, and freemasonry in

general, through the Shriners and the Children's Dyslexia

Centers on behalf of children are invaluable and indispensable;