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Over one million (1,000,000) children are reported missing or kidnapped each year in the United States alone according to some statistics. Stepping in to assist in this enormous problem has been the fraternity of Freemasons with their CHIP - Child Identification - Programs.
It's a unique concept: Masons - at no cost or obligation to the families involved - will provide a photo or videotape, fingerprints, and teeth impressions to the parent(s) of a child so as to aid in their identification should some tragedy (abduction, accident, or whatever) befall the child.
Many grand jurisdictions throughout the world are now implementing such
programs in the hopes that the location of a missing child might be more readily
found.
There are several US states which participate and several have their own websites to announce upcoming program dates and locations. The Massachusetts ChIP Program is one such example.
The cost of such programs are - clearly - high, both in terms of materials and personnel donated time. (Maine, for example, provides a short video tape of the child, believing that such a tape played on local news media will help an interested public more readily recognize a child than a single photograph.) Having people available to perform the technical tasks (obtaining good fingerprints on a two year old isn't the easiest job in the world <grin>) as well as simple logistics (setting up tables, directing parents to the next 'station', keeping children from becoming bored with the wait which sometimes occurs) is extensive and exhaustive yet Freemasons give freely of both time and money for this wonderful charity.
If your child (or grandchild) hasn't taken part in such a program, contact the Grand Lodge in your locale to see if they offer one. (A list can be found at this site under the "List of Lodges - Craft/Blue")
Seeing the effectiveness of such a program, the Lions clubs in some states are also offering such services and we commend them for their efforts to help keep children safe. It's an example of a great idea that can really help!
Important note: Some anti-Masons have eschewed these child identification programs with dark allusions about 'Big Brother' and microchip implanting fantasies. They hint about sinister motivations involving this extraordinary program and that the Freemasons are part of some over-arching conspiracy to identify children....
In fact, NOT A SINGLE PIECE of information collected about the children is kept by the Masons. Not a name, not a tooth imprint, NOTHING!!! All materials - video tapes, etc. - are given to the parent (or grandparent) who brings the child to the event. Freemasonry sees a way to help in the continuing battle against child abduction and is taking a leading role - but a handful of detractors continue to hint that there is some ulterior motive involved.
In my jurisdiction, for example, computers are used to provide a DVD of the child answering innocuous questions ("Do you have any pets?" "What do you like best in school?") so as to assist law enforcement in seeing the mannerisms and speech of a missing child thus giving them a better tool for their search efforts and also a much more personal involvement with the victim. However, these computers were specially bought so that immediately following the creation of the DVD, ALL information about the child is erased. You cannot enter a new child's information unless the old information has been erased. In the unlikely event of a computer crash, the information is also erased. Even further, if the computer has been idle for more than 10 minutes, it will erase all of the information - in each case using Department of Defense encryption standards. The absurdity of those saying that the Masons are storing information is beyond the pale and completely false.
We invite them to provide PROOF of their ludicrous and insulting claims!
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