To the Editor:The Maple Shade-Moorestown Masonic Lodge sponsored a Child Identification Program (CHIP) during the Sidewalk Sale on Sept. 8 (thanks to Mary Anne Constantine, the coordinator of the Sidewalk Sale for the Maple Shade Advisory Board of Commerce).
For those who missed the article in the Aug. 31 Progress, the program provides a digital picture and video interview, fingerprints, a dental imprint, a DNA swab, and height/weight information at no cost to the family.
The digital picture and video interview were recorded to CD, immediately deleted from the computer, and the CD and other information/samples given to the family for safekeeping.
It should be noted that no information (beyond a permission form allowing us to process a child) was retained by the Masons.
Offering CHIP required a lot of coordination and a lot of help. Some of that help was requested and some of it was unexpected.
Everyone involved deserves public thanks because they made it possible for us to process 36 children.
That wasn’t as many as we’d hoped to process, but I’m told it was a good first effort.
We would like to thank the following members of the Masonic family whose help was requested: MW Larry Plasket, RW Pat Weisgerber, and RW Ray Taylor from the Mason’s CHIP program for their support in arranging for, setting up, and running our event; Dr. James Susack, DMD, who traveled a good way to help us with the dental imprints; all the participating Masons from the Maple Shade-Moorestown Lodge and the Tall Cedars of Lebanon-Camden Forest 5; and the ladies of the Amaranth Chapter of the Eastern Star.
We would also like to thank the following individuals who volunteered: Barbara Gee, RN, sister of one Maple Shade Mason and wife to another, who came to help Dr. Susack and ended up helping out just about everywhere; Stephanie Latshaw, wife of a Maple Shade Mason who stayed and helped her husband with the digital photos and digital interviews; WB Bob Hertneck, from the Merchantville Lodge, who surprised everyone by designing a height chart for use by the CHIP team and delivered it during our event; Diane Simonsick for bringing us many of her cub scouts (Pack 41) when she learned of our event; and Diane Painter who brought girls from local youth sports teams.
Again, thanks to everyone who participated and helped. I was glad that Maple Shade-Moorestown Lodge could offer this program to the community and look forward to offering it again in next year.
Glen A. Tarr Senior Deacon Maple Shade-Moorestown Masonic Lodge
