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The Orange Order stands for civil and religious liberty for
all, special privileges for none. It also has worked tirelessly
and without recognition for those less fortunate than ourselves.
Charitable work takes up a lot of our efforts and County Antrim
Grand Orange Lodge would like to pay tribute to all the Lodges
within their jurisdiction who worked hard by organising Church
Services, cultural events, musical evenings, bar b ques, sponsored
marathon runs, sponsored walks, Gospel Concerts and sales
etc, etc, which contributed to a magnificent sum of £42,075.97
raised in 2003 and donated to Cancer Research, Chest Heart
& Stroke, Breast Care Fund, Leukaemia Research, Asha Kiran
Special Needs School in Bangalore India, various Sunday Schools,
Breast Cancer Awareness, Arthritis Care, Dublin City Mission,
outreach work in India, Diabetes UK, Diabetes Research, Greystone
Road Presbyterian Church Romanian Appeal, N.I. Kidney Research,
R.V.H. Colorectal Fund, Motor Neuron Fund, Irish Church Missions,
Presbyterian Orphan Society, Cystic Fibrosis, Spina Bifida,
Ballee Visually Handicapped Club, Fields of Life, Covenant
Christian School, Children's Hospice, Marie Curie, Action
Cancer, Baptist Church in Sibiu in Romania, Saddleford Special
Care School, Protestant Truth Society, and the Lord Enniskillen
Memorial Orange Orphan Fund. I am sure you will agree that
this is a tremendous achievement and worthy of recognition.
County Antrim Lodges Charity collections increased by nearly
£9,000 in 2003 compared to 2002, which is worthy of
recognition. The County Grand Secretary William Leathem said
County Antrim Grand Orange Lodge will during 2004 implement
a positive, proactive and progressive programme called "Forward
Within the Community". In an effort to promote and educate
the community we have planned a number of cultural awareness
evenings throughout the County. The launch of the campaign
will be in Ballymoney on Thursday 1st April 2004 in the Joey
Dunlop Leisure Centre commencing at 7.45 p.m. followed by
presentations on Saturday 17th April in Seven Towers Leisure
Centre, Ballymena at 7.45 p.m., Monday 19th April 2004 in
Lagan Valley Island Civic Centre, Lisburn at 7.45 p.m. and
finally Thursday 29th April 2004 in Sixmile Leisure Centre,
Ballyclare at 7.45 p.m. Admission to all of these events is
£6.00 and is open to all. We also have planned an exhibition
of our Faith and Heritage by having an Open Day on Friday
2nd April 2004 in Joey Dunlop Leisure Centre, Ballymoney from
10.00 a.m. - 3.00 p.m., admission free and again open to all.
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