Masons give $25K to Sandstone Trust in memory of Bob Waters

By Tom Rivers, Editor Posted 20 May 2016 at 12:00 am

Provided photos – Medina Sandstone Society President James Hancock, left, accepts a $25,000 check for the Sandstone Society from the Medina Masonic Lodge. The Masons gave the money of memory of Roberts Waters, a long-time Mason and also the president of the Sandstone Society until his death at age 90 on July 29, 2015. The masons in the photo include, from left: Lodge Master Alan Kozody, Jonathan Incho, Allan Kropf, and Robert Donovan, district deputy grand master.

MEDINA – The Medina Masonic Lodge has given $25,000 in memory of their long-time member Robert Waters to an organization that promotes local history and supports many community causes.

Waters was president of the Medina Sandstone Society until his death at age 90 last July 29. The Masons donated the $25,000 to the Sandstone Society, which will likely use the money to grow the Sandstone Trust, a fund used for community projects.

Waters pushed to create the Sandstone Trust, which has about $100,000 in the endowment fund. In the Trust’s five years it has given about $20,000 worth of grants to local programs, projects and organizations. Most of those grants run from $200 to $600 or even $1,000 in unusual cases.

The Sandstone Society board of directors will decide how to use the $25,000. Hancock said he expects it will go to the Sandstone Trust, which could result in more grants to be given annually for the community.

“It was a wonderful gesture on their part,” Hancock said about the donation from the Masonic Lodge.

The Masons sold their building on West Center Street in January to the World Life Institute. Some of the proceeds from the sale were used to make the donation in memory of Waters.

“Everybody was just overwhelmed,” Hancock said about the gift. “It was such a nice thing for them to do for Bob.”

The Masons continue to be active in Medina. They are meeting at the lodge in Middleport, while working on community service efforts in Medina.

The donation from the Masonic Lodge to the Sandstone Society was announced on Wednesday during an event at City Hall, where there is a Medina Sandstone Hall of Fame. This group pictured includes, front row from left: Sue Holland of the Sandstone Society; Barb Waters, wife of Mr. Waters; and Jim Hancock, current Sandstone Society president. Back row: Medina Masonic Lodge members Robert Donovan, Robert Harrold, Lodge Master Alan Kozody, Jonathan Incho and Allan Kropf; and Sandstone Society members Peggy Schreck, Don Colquhoun and Tim Moriarty.