The delegates at the Quesada Course (Bro. Kevin Bird in the centre)
Freemasonry in Valencia is unique in many ways, owing to the unusually high proportion of members who are of a certain age when compared with both the national average and, quite possibly, the international one. We often hear the saying that “old age doesn’t come alone”, and it is undeniably true. The older we become, the more we must rely on others for help and support.
The Lodge Almoners of Valencia do everything they can to assist their Brethren and their partners—whether that means offering a sympathetic ear, helping with a hospital appointment, or providing a lift to the Lodge when driving becomes difficult.
The Provincial Grand Almoners continue to support Lodges with practical guidance and initiatives, such as the “Early Detection is the Best Protection” campaign on prostate cancer.
Recently, we held a series of seminars at Costa Nova and Quesada—“First Responders Awareness Training”—which offered practical advice on how to act when encountering someone in need of immediate, potentially life‑saving assistance.
The course covered key areas including: arriving safely at the scene, carrying out a visual assessment, removing yourself or the casualty from further danger, placing the casualty in the recovery position, administering CPR correctly, and understanding the purpose and use of a defibrillator.
These two‑hour sessions were extremely well received and warmly praised by all who attended, and we thank them for their participation.
A very special thank you goes to Brother Kevin Bird of Dama de Elche Lodge No 163 for delivering the course and entertaining the audience with vivid—and at times humorous—anecdotes.
Of course, we hope none of us will ever need to put these new skills into practice, but it is reassuring to know that we now have a number of members across the Province who are better prepared to help should the need arise.
Report by: W. Bro. Chris Ward – Provincial Grand Almoner