THE deep connection between aged-care provider Whiddon and Freemasonry goes back nearly 80 years in Australia.
And that decades-old relationship was rekindled on Tuesday when Moree Whiddon donated an Automated External Defibrillator to Lodge Courallie to house at Moree Masonic Hall.
The Frank Whiddon Masonic Homes of NSW was founded in 1947, and established by a group of Freemasons wanting to provide care and support for older Masons and their spouses.
The name honoured Grand Master Frank Whiddon, who played a key role in the organisation’s early development.
Frank Whiddon Masonic Homes was later rebadged The Whiddon Group, and is now known as Whiddon – but the connection to its Masonic roots remains essential to the group’s identity and mission.
Whiddon CEO Chris Mamarelis, regional general manager Sally Renshaw and Whiddon deputy CEO Alyson Jarrett were in Moree on Tuesday to officially hand over to defibrillator to Lodge Courallie Worshipful master Doug Hill, and right worshipful brother Henry Trow.
Chris Mamarelis said the ties between Whiddon and Masonry was strong.
“We’re a community organisation, and have been part of the Moree community now for some time,” Mr Mamarelis said.
“It’s important we get involved with initiatives like this, so we sourced an appropriate defibrillator for the Moree Lodge and had it shipped out here.
“Local lodge members approached Whiddon, basically with a request to provide them with a defibrillator for their lodge.
“There are a lot of older gentlemen attending lodge meetings. This was something they were after to support their members, and we were more than happy to make a donation,” he said.
Worshipful master Doug Hill said AEDs are user-friendly portable, electronic devices used to analyse heart rhythms.
They deliver an electrical shock to restore a normal heartbeat in cases of sudden cardiac arrest and are commonly found in public places. AEDs can significantly increase a person’s chance of survival during a cardiac emergency.
“A lot of our members are ageing and there are more and more places now with defibrillators on hand,” Mr Hill said
“We decided to acquire one for lodge members, as well as people who use and hire the hall. Just two days after contacting Whiddon about possibly donating one to Lodge Courallie, their CEO, Mr Mamarelis, got back to me and said ‘no worries’, they’d sponsor us.
“Whiddon sourced a defibrillator for the hall, and it’s a great outcome for our organisation,” he said.
Mr Mamarelis said the defibrillator will now be strategically mounted with an accompanying plaque at Moree Masonic Hall.
“It was great to be able to come to Moree and present the defibrillator in person to Moree Lodge members,” Mr Mamarelis said.
“This is what community is all about – we’re both community organisations, and if we can help each other, it can only be a good thing,” he said.
