Alexandria Scottish Rite Charity Efforts

The Scottish Rite's philanthropic emphasis is on helping children.

• It helps young children with language/communication problems.

• It funds scholarships for academically qualified undergraduate and graduate students.

• We also honor our outstanding teachers.
   

CHILDHOOD LANGUAGE DISORDERS:

How It Began: In the early 1950s in Colorado, the Scottish Rite of Freemasonry of the Southern Jurisdiction of the United States initiated a program to help children with speech and language disorders. The results obtained from this program led to the establishment of RiteCare® clinics to provide diagnostic evaluation and treatment of speech and language disorders, as well as learning disabilities.
 

Today:  There are 178 RiteCare® clinics, centers, and special programs operating or planned for children and therapists located throughout the United States. Each facility is staffed by speech-language pathologists or other trained personnel. Through the support of Scottish Rite members these clinics, centers, and programs continue to increase. The value of this philanthropy has long been apparent. Tens of thousands of youngsters across the United States have been helped significantly. With the good work of dedicated clinicians and parents, the Scottish Rite has achieved successes that could only be imagined a few years back. Children who might have remained educationally behind for a lifetime can now talk, read, and lead productive lives.

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The Orient of Virginia: Virginia Scottish Rite Masons have four programs.  There is a year-round program, operated by the Scottish Rite Childhood Language Center Inc., and located in the Earl H. Wicker Building at the Scottish Rite Temple in Richmond. There is a program operated at the Scottish Rite Childhood Speech and Language Center, located at Old Dominion University's Child Study Center in Norfolk, and a Scottish Rite Summer Language Clinic, located at Radford University in Radford, Virginia.

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The Valley of Alexandria: The Alexandria Scottish Rite is most closely associated with the fourth program, the Summer Clinic for Childhood Language Disorders at the James Madison University in Harrisonburg, which was started in 1985. We support training and treatment to help children overcome language disorders. We fund fellowships and scholarships for students studying to be speech pathologists, and we fund clinics and treatment programs for the children

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When we visit James Madison University or other clinics and speak with therapists, parents, andmost of all with the children who are overcoming their difficulties we can see just how critical our efforts have been.

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Our Ultimate Goal:  These children and their families can attest that we Scottish Rite Masons really do make a difference; we have quite literally given so many children the chance to have the kind of life they could only have dreamed of having. But we have helped to make it a reality, not a dream.

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We hope you will join with us in this important work.  The personal satisfaction is enormous, the results are real, and we all are the better for it.

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SCHOLARSHIP PROGRAMS:  All Virginia Scottish Rite Masons help to fund three full-time Graduate Fellowships granted at each of three Virginia Universities:  James Madison (Harrisonburg), Old Dominion (Norfolk), and Radford (at Radford), at $6,000 each.  In addition, there is a $12,500 Doctoral Fellowship at James Madison.  Students selected for these Fellowships must be highly academically qualified in the study of Speech Pathology and Audiology, and Communication Sciences.  They are also requested to employ their skills in Virginia after graduation.

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In addition, the Alexandria Scottish Rite supports a yearly Graduate and Undergraduate scholarship in American History at George Mason University.  This is maintained in memory of Charles E. Webber who served many years as the top Scottish Rite Mason in Virginia.

The Alexandria Scottish Rite also grants about 15 scholarships each year on applications forwarded to the Trustees by the Grand Lodge of Virginia.  These applicants must meet a dual criterion of financial need and good academic standing.

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TEACHER OF THE YEAR PROGRAM:  The Alexandria Scottish Rite also has an annual dinner to honor outstanding area public school teachers.  They and their families, and the principals of their school, are invited to the dinner.  Each teacher is recognized, given an opportunity to speak, and presented with a $500 check from the Scottish Rite.

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