March 2025:
Masons4Mitts Is Back—with Springtime Masons Nights!
Our favorite Masonic baseball fundraiser is back—with new early-season Masons Nights games on deck!
Each year, the California Masonic Foundation teams up with the San Francisco Giants, Los Angeles Angels, Los Angeles Dodgers, and San Diego Padres for Masons4Mitts, one of the fraternity’s most beloved and successful philanthropic initiatives. Through Masons4Mitts, we are able to provide high-quality leather baseball mitts for children playing in junior baseball and softball leagues associated with our Major League Baseball partner foundations, supporting those programs and providing young people with a safe place to play while they develop key collaboration skills, learn about health and nutrition, build productive study habits, and more.
In 2024 alone, Masons4Mitts raised more than $300,000 for the program, and over the past 16 years, it has raised more than $2.3 million—impacting the lives of more than 100,000 children.
But it takes more than just generous donors to make this program a reality: It takes Masonic leadership. And just like hitting a round ball with a round bat, that’s sometimes easier said than done. So we called Gregory Cherry, director of Masonic philanthropy, out of the bullpen to give us some pointers on ways to rally your team for the cause—and to get the most out of Masons4Mitts for your lodge.
Here, Cherry offers some scouting tips on maximizing your lodge’s impact—and maximizing Masons4Mitts' impact on your lodge.
In fundraising, remember that it’s not about you. It’s about the mission! As a Masons4Mitts team captain, remember that you’re not asking someone to give you money. You’re asking them to invest in a program that’s doing good work and making a real difference in your local community. In fact, you’re doing your lodge members a favor by connecting them to a cause they might care about too, giving them a chance to make a difference.
It’s all about the kids. That is what Masons4Mitts is ultimately about. The program helps kids who may not have the same resources others have. Maybe they can’t afford to attend summer camp or buy their own sports equipment. Your gift of $20 (or more) can make a world of difference in a kid’s life.
It’s a community activity. Fundraising is all about group involvement. A single $20 gift may not mean much on its own, but when 1,000 Masons get involved—or 2,000—suddenly we’re talking about a real impact. There is strength in numbers. And when one person leads by example and makes a gift, that has a powerful ripple effect within a lodge. Suddenly everybody wants to get involved. So don't be shy about celebrating members' gifts–it's what helps the next guy do the same.
It’s fun! That’s one of the keys to fundraising. Fundraisers shouldn’t be pulling teeth. They aren’t waiting in line at the DMV. They’re talking about baseball! It’s fun and impactful, and that is most important thing to remember.
Masons Nights are a great team-building activity. This year, Masons Nights are being held earlier in the baseball season than in previous seasons. These games are an amazing opportunity to come together for a fun night away from the lodge. They’re also a way to get to know other Masons from your district or area and to meet with Grand Lodge officers. Teams often recognize the Masons in the crowd through a pregame check presentation, ceremonial first pitch, scoreboard display, or other tip of the cap.
They’re also a great prospecting opportunity. Newcomers seldom get such an opportunity to meet with Masons from multiple lodges in such a relaxing and low-stakes environment. So be sure to invite prospects, friends, and families along, too!
A little friendly competition goes a long way. We’re all ultimately playing for the same team here (the kids!), but let’s be honest: It's nice to beat your rivals. So while the Dodgers may be the defending World Series champions, the reigning Masons4Mitts champs are the South Bay Spartans, who raised $42,780—or 2,139 mitts—helping the Northern California region claim top prize. Let's see who can take them down this season!
Finally…
Pass the hat and sing a song. If you’re in a lodge and unsure of what to do, the most effective fundraising advice is to get the members to sing “Take Me Out To The Ballgame,” and then pass a hat. It will raise the energy in the room while having the social effect of inspiring everyone to contribute to the hat.
The vernal equinox marks the beginning of spring, and it is in spring that my attention is drawn to nature. Our ritual reminds us of the importance of nature. From the acacia, the beehive, the ashlars (i.e., stone), the sheaf of corn, oil, and pomegranates, symbols from nature are abundant in our craft.
Upon reflection, it becomes apparent that these symbols of nature offer deeper meanings than their stated definitions. The most significant of these is driven home in the degree in which we are reminded that the world(s) around us are “all conducted by the same unerring law of Nature”—i.e., when we recall why we study nature. We do so because “the observation of [nature’s] beautiful proportions first determined man to imitate the Divine plan, and to study symmetry and order.” Put another way, by observing nature and its order, humankind became inspired to further study the universe; and as our ritual reminds us, this led to the creation of the arts, sciences, and societies.
Nature is awe-inspiring and wondrous. It reminds us that we are part of a larger universe gifted by the divine. Those feelings and insights readily well up within us when we hike, garden, or even take walks in our neighborhoods. Yet the divine is unknowable. We are not able to directly see or comprehend the divine. Nevertheless, we can get a glimpse of the divine via nature—by observing and studying the divine’s works—and can see that the divine is active and resides in the creation, continual structuring, and blossoming of the universe. Nothing can be more humbling and inspiring than that observation; and I hope that this spring, you take a moment to see the beauty that exists in the divine’s works, which are all around you, and which includes you.
David Ferreria
Grand Chaplain
Use this content to spread the word about resources provided by the California Masonic Foundation, the Masonic Homes of California, and more.
Masonic Health Services:
Services at MCYAF Across the Lifespan
The Pavilion at the Masonic Homes
Masonic Homes of California Resources
Masonic Philanthropy:
Stay on track of lodge business and prepare for important deadlines. Here’s your March checklist.
Executive Committee
- Schedule inspector’s official visit and examination of the books, due by end of the month.
- Attend or make plans to attend the 2025 Leadership Retreats. Register now.
Senior Warden
- Begin preparing 2026 program plan.
- Begin preparing 2026 budget, remembering to set aside funds for retreat attendance
- Begin preparing 2026 officer appointments.
- Begin preparing 2026 installation of officers.
- Review all candidates’ progress toward advancement.
Junior Warden
- Begin tracking 100 percent officer giving to the Annual Fund, with officers setting an example through gifts that represent their capability as well as their commitment to our charitable programs. Do your part and give today!
Secretary
- Continue to collect delinquent dues from members (were due on January 1).
- Send list of members with late dues to the master for the Retention Committee.
- Send any suspension notices.
- Charity Committee considers remissions.
- File financial reports with Grand Lodge (unless your lodge uses Intacct, in which case you do not need to submit anything).
Treasurer
- If your lodge has employees, file W-3 with IRS along with copies of all W-2 forms.
- File financial reports with Grand Lodge (unless your lodge uses Intacct, in which case you do not need to submit anything).
Audit Committee
- Audit lodge books, to be completed by end of April.
Questions? Contact Member Services at memberservices@freemason.org or (415) 776-7000.
- 46% - Donated Funds
- 32% - Not applicable
- 31% - Donated clothing, food, or other essential items
- 11% - Volunteered at a staging site or other event
- 11% - Provided relief for individual affected members or their families
- 9% - Other, Supported and promoted neighboring lodges donation drive, First Responders Appreciation located at Pacific Palisades, We reached out to our brothers to see if they were effected and were in need of anything.
