The Brantford Scottish Rite Association was formed in 1915. In the beginning the meetings were few, but the members of the Scottish Rite in Hamilton were very active in supporting our organization by attending the annual meeting of the Association in good numbers, and supplying part of the program.
In 1920 the Association started to portray the Tenth Degree for the Murton Lodge of Perfection, and continued to do so for over 75 years. Members of our Association continue to portray the 17th Degree for the Hamilton Sovereign Chapter of Rose Croix at their Spring Assembly.
For several years after 1929, to show some visibility in the community, the Association contributed to the Widows Home. In 1936, the first hospital bed was purchased for use in the community. The thinking, at the time, was to aid people who required the equipment for a short period of time. The Association would purchase the equipment, store it and have it available for use, without charge, to prevent people in the community from having to buy expensive equipment for a short period of time and then being unable to sell it. Over the years, the number of beds increased, and the variety of equipment increased to include wheelchairs, walkers, bedside tables, canes, crutches and other useful articles that are required to assist people in the community to recover from surgery, illness or injury.
In recent years, the Government has become more involved in the public welfare. The Government has been offering assistance to all the citizens of Ontario, such as the Assistance Devices Program, which covers 75% of the cost of a piece of equipment if needed for the long term. The hospitals, through the Government, have been offering crutches and other small equipment at very nominal prices. Home Care has been covering the cost of ambulatory equipment for up to three months after a patient is discharged from hospital etc.
Thus, the Association has decided to limit its equipment to more expensive items: electric hospital beds, new lightweight wheelchairs with raised leg rests, and light-weight, folding walkers, as well as wheeled walkers. The “loan time” is still for a maximum six- month period, while waiting for purchased equipment to arrive, or just to assist during your short-term recovery period.
The equipment is handled through a Volunteer Committee of the Brantford Scottish Rite. Association. Our volunteer will arrange with you to meet them to have the contract signed. Then you arrange to meet with them to pick-up the equipment (walkers or wheelchairs), or have our volunteer deliver it to you. For our electric hospital beds the volunteer will arrange to meet with you to have the contract signed and then we arrange for a third party for delivery, set-up and pick-up the bed for a nominal fee, which you pay directly to them. Once you are finished with the equipment you just call our Brantford Scottish Rite Association Cell number at (519) 754-1877 and our volunteer will make arrangements accordingly.
This community aid program is supported by donations from the recipients of the service, charitable organizations, including other Masonic bodies, and the dues paid by its members. The Association strives to maintain a high-quality product, delivered in an efficient manner to the citizens of Brant County and surrounding area.