GOLDEN CHERSONESE PRECEPTORY & PRIORY NO. 290

By W Bro Louis Ruehlmann

2020 CHRISTMAS PROJECT

6 December 2020

Four Orphanages throughout Kuala Lumpur

Regardless of one’s faith, Christmas time is a wonderful time of year, with its huge ornamented and lighted Christmas trees in shopping malls, with Christmas music and carols being played aloud. But most of all, this time of year brings out that certain “Christmas spirit.” And it’s contagious. That Christmas spirit is based on universal love, compassion and forgiveness; a vision of doing everything with a positive mindset and from a place of love.

For Charity is neither Christian nor Jewish, nor Chinese nor Hindu. As stated in our Craft ritual ‘For by the exercise of brotherly love we are taught to regard the whole human species as one family, the high and low, the rich and poor, who, as created by one Almighty Parent, and inhabitants of the same planet, are to aid, support and protect each other'.

The Brother Knights of the Golden Chersonese, Preceptory & Priory (GCPP) No 290, of Malaysia, not only share in those universal feelings of Love, Charity and Benevolence but they take it as their solemn duty to practice Charity the whole year round. However as Knights Templars, the Christmas season holds a special meaning to our Order. Our charities may not be proclaimed from the housetops, but the records of even the smallest preceptor of Knights Templar should prove that Charity and Hospitality are yet the grand characteristics of this great Order.

It is a wonderful tradition of the GCP&P to invite children from Orphanage homes to visit us at our premises, to entertainment them with a Panto, a type of musical comedy stage production designed for family entertainment, and to provide food, and for Santa Claus to hand out gifts to these most deserving children. It makes one proud to be a Golden Chersonese Templar.

This year presented somewhat of a problem as due to Covid-19 movement restrictions we could not meet at our usual premises at the Read Masonic Center, KL. Never to be out done our ever-resourceful Em Knight David Oakley solved our dilemma, suggesting that, if they cannot go to us we will go to them. Under the leadership of Em Knight Anthony Ramesh, our Eminent Preceptor & Prior and with the willing assistance of each and every Brother Knight a plan was set in motion to simultaneously visit the following four orphanages on the 6th of December 2020, all at the same time and while keeping within the Covid-19 restrictions.

**The Semnyih Sehati Sejiwa Orphanage, the Seavic Lodge is supporting the Rent & Utilities of the House

To implement such a plan takes not just a charitable heart, but resources as well. Here again our Brother Knights delivered:

► Rumah Charis, 41 children

► Rumah Kanak Trinity 22 children

► Rumah Jaireh 8 children with AIDS.

► Sejiwah Sehati Orphanage 22 children.

Total children 93, plus care workers 11.

· Chicken Meals - donated by Texas Chicken by Tan Sri C.K Teo

· Gifts for the Children – Sourced and wrapped by Em Knight David Oakley and his Wife Gai

· Belgium Waffles – Donated by the Belgium embassy through the auspices of Bro Knight Pascal Hubert Auguste Joseph

· Pizza’s – Donated by Bro Knight Tony Mario Anastasi

· Biscuits & Chocs – Em Kt Russel Stuart,

· Cloths for Jaireh Children - donated by Bro Knight Roger Deslorieux

· Books and Presents for Semenyih children – donated by Bro Kt Erric Chew

Along with the Christmas cheer for the children the following donations (by cheques) were given to the Orphanages as follows:

(a) Rumah Charis - RM1500

(b) Rumah Jaireh - RM1200

(d) Semenyih - RM1000

The Rally and Collection Point

Home of Em Kt Khoo Boon Khean

A FEW WhatsApp MESSAGES From the Members

Rt Em Brian Shegar

Well done GCPP Kts . SOE is emulating your fine efforts and providing Texas Chicken boxes to 4 orphanages

[11:43, 06/12/2020] Dato Vijay Natarajan:

The Belgium waffles have landed!!! Well done HE Bro Kt Pascal

Bro Kts Roger Mano KBK and Sub Prior WSM all looking great. Well done

[11:44, 06/12/2020] Dato Vijay Natar: Btw, the singaporeans haven’t tasted TEXAS FRIED CHICKEN yet so don’t tell them... they will conquer it for themselves😂

[11:52, 06/12/2020] Dato Vijay Natar: I will be donating a nursery hamper to Islam’s wife on behalf of KT GCPP

FYI both bro Kts KBK and Erric Chew have donated a substantial sum to cover the medical maternity charges . Bless their kind hearts

A child is born......

Merry Christmas

Paul Subramanian

Now to get our Bro. Kt.'s to sing the Templar Hymn with the same enthusiasm and energy as these kids!

[13:19, 06/12/2020] Dato Vijay Natar: Suraj makes a great Santa!

[13:36, 06/12/2020] Suraj: Thank you! Was A very HOT Santa! 😂

Swee Min It's very gratifying to see from the photos n videos of 100+ smiling children happily enjoying their Texas Fried Chicken ,Belgium waffles n opening their Xmas presents.

Thank you BroKts for your contributions n efforts this morning. We have again overcome the current covid19 situation n continue to bring joy to these children.

Well done BroKts.

Stay safe n healthy

AbAbAb

Hope it's not too early to wish u n your family a Merry Christmas and A Happy New Year .

[19:27, 07/12/2020] Em Knight David Oakley: Thank you so much for the pizza Tony. You really helped

[19:29, 07/12/2020] David Oakley: And we should recognise the support from Tony And Pascal.