Masonic Foundation of Japan Newsletter

Vol. 5 July 2006

Greetings to the members of the Masonic organizations in Japan

We hope you are getting well with the approaching mid summer after the excitement of the World Championship Game of Soccer in Germany.

On May 26, the bill for the restructuring of the public benefit corporation system passed the Diet, and it is expected to be effective in the year of 2008 after fixing the remaining issues of tax treatments of the new system, the structure of the judgment committee and judgment standards for the public benefit corporation. We, all officers of the Masonic Foundation, are determined to make a full preparation from the point of the long term benefit of the Foundation. Please keep in close touch with the new development of the system. For the outline of the new system, please refer to the attached papers (A).

Trustees of the Masonic Foundation of Japan

1. Charity Donations

- FY2005 (January-March 2006) -

This quarter, according to our policy to tie up with trustworthy organizations in selecting our donation targets, we made the following donations under the open target account, stepping up our activities to support small community shops and the feebles at the bottom of the society.

• Mason Fund to donate auto wheelchairs (cooperator: Spinal Injuries Association)

• Mason Fund to donate Welfare Vehicles (cooperator: Red Feather Association)

• Mason Fund to support small community workshops, etc. (cooperator: “Kyosaren”)

With the total of these items reaching 25.45 million, the grand total donation for the FY2005 amounted to 99.67 million and accomplished the 99.7% of the plan. For your reference, the heart transplants for Mr. Hideyuki Hibari and Mrs. Taeko Amino, whom we supported last autumn, were both operated successfully on February 15 and April 27 this year respectively.

- FY2006 (April-June 2006) -

• FY2006 donation presentation ceremony

The 8th donation presentation ceremony for the FY2006 was held at the Blue Lodge Hall on April 21 at 13:30. Bro. Kitamura, Chairman, Bros. Kobayashi and Ikegami, Trustees, Bro. Tauchi, Chairman of the Counselors Board, Bros. Kojima and milrti, Counselors, Bro. Kawasaki, Supervisor attended the ceremony. According to the FY2006 charity plan, Chaiiman presented checks or certificates of donations to 21 organizations (36 persons) as per the attachment (B). They exchanged a good piece of information during the tea party after the ceremony as usual. Concerning the whole pictures of the charitable activities for the FY2006, please refer to the homepage of the Masonic Foundation.

• Masonic Children’s Festival (Y3 million: sponsored by the Grand Lodge of Japan)

The 31st Masonic Children’s Festival was held on May 21, Sunday, blessed with the blue sky. The Festival was a great success, in spite of the concerns with the coin-parking equipment, receiving 1,089 attendants of children, entertainers, volunteers and Masonic related people. Mrs. No. 1 hula dancer in Hawaii for 2005 gave a pleasant surprise to everybody, and the colorful culture dance of the Philippines also gave a fresh impression. Most impressive, however, was, again, the sound milsic of the “Come Come Band” which strongly trembled the heart of listeners toward the end of the festival. They came in the morning from “Kofuso” in Ibaraki-ken and waited for a long time very quietly to play such a strong performance at the last moment.

• Other donations were made under the Open Target account as follows:

1. Children Protection Home “Narasa” Construction cost of the Fence ¥1.55 mil
   The first children home in the Yaegaki Islands of Okinawa was newly opened in August 2005. The Fence Construction project was introduced to us by Red Feather Association.
   
2. Japan Adaptive Rowing Association Donation of rowing boats ¥3.44 mil
   We decided to support the activity of the Association which promotes the adaptive rowing sports for the handicapped and enable them to participate in the Pamlympics which is going to be held in Beijing in September 2008.
3. The increased scholarship fund for the children houses in the nation. ¥1.0 mil
   Two scholars were additionally selected this year under the recommendation of National Council of Social Welfare Association to cope with the increasing applicants. (Scholarship: ¥0.5 million per person per year)

• Overseas organ transplants through NPO Japan Transplant Support Association

Intestines transplant for Yamashita Mirai-chan (3 months old) at Jackson Memorial Hospital of University of Miami ¥2.0 mil

2. Supplementary budget and additional charitable projects

On March 3, Masonic Foundation received a spot inspection of the Ministry, which is a routine practice once every three years. According to the report dated March 30, it was admitted that the operation of the Foundation was generally practiced in a proper way. It pointed, however, that we should be more positive to our charitable activities to be in line with the revenue earned. To comply with this guidance, the Board is expecting to compile a supplementary budget, under which additional projects will be considered in the following categories:

1) To increase the Mason College Scholarship Fund

2) To step up activities to support the feeble at the bottom of the society

3) To support sports activities and events of the handicapped

4) To support children and their families suffering from chronic diseases

5) To step up our support for the activities to promote the self-independent efforts of young people

6) Support for independent living activities of the handicapped

This April, a new regulation called “independent Living Support Regulations for the Handicapped” went into effect, causing various problems such as a cut of government subsidy for various homes and increased service cost to users. We expect that our support in this filed will be seriously needed because the homes for the handicapped which were supported by the government in the past have to find their new style of business or finance.

3. Bro. Richard A. Cripe, Jr. elected to the Board of Trustees

On April 4, the Board of Counselors had a supplementary election according to the item 13th of By-Laws of the Masonic Foundation. Bro. Cripe was elected a member of the Board of Trustees and will remain in the office till the end of 2007 which was the remaining term of Bro. lane who recently resigned.

4. New non-profit organization system which passed the Diet

(attachment A)

5. New listings on honor roll

According to the recommendation and blessed by all members of the Board, the following names were added to the Honor Roll of the entrance hail of Masonic Center Building.

• Bro. George I. Purdy (Ex-Trustee of Masonic Foundation of Japan 1962-1995)
• Bro. Henry Yaskal (Ex-Secretary of Masonic Foundation of Japan 1975-1996)
• Bro. Joe A. Diele (ExChairman of Masonic Foundation of Japan 1972-2000)

6. For the Financial Statements and Charitable Activities for FY2005, and Cash Flow Budget and Charitable Activities Plan for FY2006, please refer to the homepage of Masonic Foundation of Japan which will become available toward the end of June or refer to the information file for public perusal available at the Office. Especially, you are encouraged to refer to the home page because the English version is available now.