For kids only, Georgia Mason's "Heart of Georgia Masonry" is the Masonic Home of Georgia, located at the end of Nottingham Drive in Macon near I-16.  They've been helping children from all over the state since 1905.  Since then the home has served over 2,100 children, and Georgia Masons have been the financing behind it.  Four hundred twenty-five Lodges yield some 47,000 Masons who work together to keep the home going, including our Masons here at Rose Hill Lodge #484.

    Love, security, personal growth, and achievement are the guiding principles of the Masonic Home.  Their primary goal is to prepare children and families for reunification whenever possible.  In other cases, their aim is to prepare children for independent living by providing a structured living environment where the children can learn responsibility for their actions, and become resourceful so they can function in today's society.

    The Education Department of the home is responsible for meeting the educational needs of each child.  Meeting these needs includes choosing the appropriate academic environment, providing extra tutorial assistance, allowing students to participate in a variety of extra-curricular activities, and monitoring their academic needs on a daily basis.  The kids attend public schools in Macon, but as they get older, they're placed in private schools, with an emphasis on education.  Those who want to go to college or trade school are funded through the home to do just that.  It's like having good parents.

    Numerous activities are planned throughout the year for the children, with many of the lodges sponsoring picnics, day trips, or trips to Florida.  The home has a camp in Shellman's Bluff, where the children go each summer for about three weeks.