Charity and Community Engagement
CHARITY
Knights Templar have charitable funds which regularly contribute to nominated charities. These include the following.
Wellington District Education Fund
Supporting the award of the Wellington Masonic District Knights Templar Award to a student at He Huarahi Tamariki School for teenage parents in Tawa.
Newsletters
View the He Huarahi 2023 T1 Newsletter here.
View the He Huarahi 2017 T4 Newsletter here.
Prizegiving 2022
On Wednesday 7th December 2022 R Em Kt Nik Straugheir, District Grand Prior of the Wellington District, attended the He Huarahi Tamariki School for Teenage Parents prize giving. Each year the Wellington District supports the school by providing two prizes for graduating students, a $1,000 scholarship for further education and a laptop computer provided by ITRecycla based in Lower Hutt.
Usually one student receives the scholarship award and another receives the computer equipment, however in 2022 Caci Borren-Robertson was the recipient of both awards due to her outstanding achievements throughout the year. Caci who graduated is enrolled for 2023 at Weltec Te Pukenga for a certificate in Automotive Engineering. The thank you note demonstrates how much this means to Caci and the value of our support.
The Wellington District has been providing awards at the school’s prize giving for the last 17 years, which has been made possible by the contribution the Brother Knights make to the District Charitable Trust collection at installations, thereby ensuring we continue to support this worthy cause.
The Northern Foundation
The Northern Foundation is for the establishment, promotion, encouragement, benefit and assistance to the youth of the Northern District, with youth being defined as any person under the age of 25 years.
The Central Foundation
Providing for the loan of musical instruments to deserving school children.
COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT
Nelson public talks and re-enanctment
In 2015, Nelson Priory very successfully ran a series of talks in Nelson about the Knights Templar culminating in a re-enactment of an old French ritual. Over 100 people attended the demonstration, including members of the Press. Copies of the Templar Rules from circa 1130 were also made available. The event was very favourably reported in the Nelson Mail. The efforts of the Ven. Prior David Marsh were instrumental in making this event such a success. Read about it here.
Funeral attendance
Although a sad occasion, the funeral arrangements for Heaton Haglund particularly requested attendance by Crusader Priory members in full uniform. Heaton was a well-known “personality” in the Wairarapa. With the permission of the Grand Master, Heaton’s casket was carried into the church by six members of his Priory in full regalia (minus hats and swords) in fulfilment of his particular request and with the blessing of his family. Well over 500 people attended this funeral and the attendance of the Knights was favourably reported in the Wairarapa Times-Age.