The Scottish Rite Club of Freemasonry will have their Annual Shoe Distribution Kick-Off. The Kingsport Masonic Lodge will be celebrating its 100th year anniversary during this school year, chartered on January 30, 1918.
Kick-off will be Wednesday, November 1 at 8 a.m.
The Scottish Rite will be celebrating its 60th year of putting shoes and socks on needy youths. We have inited Head Start, Kingsport City and Sullivan County needy youths coordinated through the family resource officers at these schools. In addition to our annual six day distribution, the Scottish rite club maintains a local inventory of shoes and socks to assist in emergency situations during the enitre year. In addition to the shoe program (mercy fund) the Scottish Rite Club provides hospital equipment including beds, walkers, wheel chairs to needy families.
You do not have to be a member of the Masonic fraternity to participate. Last year the Scottish Rite Club put 1012 pairs of shoes and socks on needy youths.
Coffee and donuts will be served starting at 8 a.m. We have invited state and local politicians, Kingsport Times News, local television crews, city and county mayors, alderman and commissioners, city and county board of education members. State Masonic officers, Scottish rite officers, our donors and volunteers and our very dear friends at k-mart who deeply discounted their prices to make this possible.
The program will open with prayer, pledge of allegiance, short speeches and photo opportunites. Our first fittings will be Head Start starting at 9:15 a.m.
