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Masonic Foundation of Japan Newsletter
(Latter Half of Year 2005 Jul-Dec)

Vol. 4 January 2006

The year we are facing is going to be a very significant year, in which the bill for a drastic reform of the current public benefit corporation system will finally be submitted to the Diet producing a new system of non-profit organizations for us. Please keep in close touch with the new development. We take this opportunity to appreciate your kind cooperation with us and are pleased to provide you with the VoL No. 4 of the newsletter of Masonic Foundation of Japan.

Trustees of the Masonic Foundation of Japan

1. Charity Donations

(1) New developments in our activities under the Open Target account

Instead of making one time solicitations through our homepage, we decided to tie up with the reliable organizations as follows to identify worthy and continuous projects for our donations.

1) Mason Scholarship Fund for Children at Protection Homes

2) Mason Fund to donate welfare vehicles

Donations of welfare vehicles needed by houses for the handicapped, day care centers and training centers, etc. will be made in January on the basis of recommendations by the partner. The donator's name "Masonic Foundation" will be shown on the car.

3) Mason Fund to donate auto wheelchairs to support the quality of life of the disabled

The following three applications were received in December. The item (b) was approved in December and the remaining two items will be reviewed in January.

(a) Chiba-ken Welfare Organization for the Disabled: ¥0.5 million
(b) Tokyo Metropolitan Sports Association for the Disabled: ¥0.3 million
(c) Tobiyamano Sato Welfare Association: ¥0.5 million

4) Mason Fund to support small community shops, training centers for the handicapped

Donations of office articles, operation equipment and disaster relief fund needed by small community shops and work training centers will be made next quarter on the basis of the recommendation from "Kyosaren."

5) Mason Fund to subsidize the production of audio description CDs for DVD movies

We are now under discussion with Japan Braille Library to assist them financially in the production of 7 titles of audio description CDs which amount to 1.4 million. The CD will enable the visually handicapped to enjoy audio description along with the DVD movies to be played simultaneously on the PC.

6) We also made other donations as follows under the Open Target a/c

Total: ¥2.3 mil

(2) Disaster Relief Donations

Our attempt to make a donation of ¥3 million for the disaster caused by the hurricane "Katrina" was not realized due to no response from the respective lodges in Alabama, Mississippi and Louisiana.

(3) Overseas Organ Transplants

Total: ¥6.0 mil

For your reference, Miss Yumi Honda, whom we supported in the first half of the year and Mr. Nobutaka Yamachika mentioned above, were both operated successfully and on the steady recovery.

2. Basic Principles in drafting the charitable plan for FY2006

As one of the important principles, we decided at the Board meeting to encourage each Masonic group to expand their own charity activities. Our target is that the charitable activities of Masonic group should occupy about 20% of the total budget. Your cooperation is highly appreciated. For more details, please refer to the attachment (B).

3. Coin parking lots introduced on the compound

When we met with Mori Trust last July for the first time on the issue, we expressed our objection on the basis of the following points:

  1. Securities concerns to get worse
  2. Beautification point of view to affect the value of the Building
  3. Loss of flexibility in using the parking lots in case of Children's Festival and special events of Masonic Organizations, etc.

After all, however, the Board of Trustees concluded that we had better admit their request to keep a good relationship with Mori Trust, because legally speaking under the Basic Contract with Mon Trust, they have a right of free sublease of the property and will most probably win their request if they insist.

As the conditions of our consent, we requested that Mon Trust should observe the following principles:

  1. Maintenance of good securities to prevent troubles in the parking area by placing a special guardman in the day time of the weekdays and patrol team during the night of weekdays and for weekends as per the attached schedule (c).
  2. Special attention to be given to the type, design and color of the equipment, etc. to keep a harmony with the environment
  3. Guaranty of the 10 lots to be secured all the time for Mason members
  4. Special cooperation to be given at Children's Festival and flexible services such as insuring free tickets to Mason members when needed

Under the situation, your patience and understanding are very much appreciated.

4. Donation of Land and Building from Aomori Lodge No. 10

We are pleased to announce that the land of 987.70 m2 and the building of 258.08 m2 of Aomori Lodge No. 10 were officially donated to us and recorded on the statement of the property in October. The property will be utilized by the Lodge as before.

5. Shift to new public benefit accounting standard for FY2006

The Board decided that we should adopt the New Standard for the fiscal year of 2006 starting with April 1. Some of the important changes of the accounting method are as follows:

  1. The Cash Flow Budget and the Cash Flow Statement are no longer included among the financial statements to be disclosed to the public.
  2. The Statement of Changes in Net Funds has to be prepared in the form of flow method which should list up all revenue and expense items in gross amount. This document is replacing the Cash Flow Statement and is showing the efficiency of the operation as a P/L statement does.
  3. We have to classify the net funds at the end of FY2005 into two parts to clarify the fiduciary responsibility; one is designated net funds, and the other is general net funds for free usage. The basic asset of the land at Shibakoen donated when the Masonic Foundation was established and the donation made by Mrs. Laffin are some of the designated net funds.
  4. The portfolio securities which are not intended to be kept until the maturity have to be evaluated at the market price at the end of the fiscal year.

In fact, the Cash Flow Statement is very important document for the purpose of internal control, and we have to submit it, anyway, to the Ministry in charge as before until the Reform of the Public Benefit Corporation System is firmly introduced in the near future. For further details, please refer to the circulars available at the Office.

6. New Counsellors and New Officers of Masonic Foundation for FY2006

Your kind attention is invited to the attached list (D), showing the new members of the Board of Trustees, Supervisors and the Board of Counsellors, who were elected in the last elections. Your continued patronage is highly appreciated.