Masonic Cancer Center Auxiliary

The Masonic Cancer Center Auxiliary began on May 20, 1958 shortly before the 80-bed Masonic Cancer Hospital opened on October 4, 1958.  Their purpose, as stated in the earliest By-Laws, was "to render humane service to the Masonic Memorial Hospital and its patients."

The Auxiliary had branch units in Austin, Mankato, Brainerd and Kasota.  The first record book shows 128 members as of January 29, 1959 and by December 31st they had 546 members!  The branch units have closed and now, most of our members are from the Twin City Metro Area.  Our numbers have also decreased with around 130 members.

The Auxiliary began by purchasing much needed items such as televisions, radios and record players, movie projector and screen to help to the patients.  They opened a beauty shop, purchased the necessary equipment and arranged to staff it with students from Robinson Beauty School.  The salon was open twice a month and the services provided were free to the patients.  They also purchased personal items such as razors, manicure sets, nail clippers, women's gowns, bed jackets and men's robes to distribute to the patients.  The Auxiliary also purchased a library cart and books and magazine subscriptions as an in-room service for the patients. 

Birthday parties were given each month for the patients and their guests for nearly 30 years.  Each month a different OES group such as an Auxiliary branch unit or an OES Chapter or Chapter group hosted the party and provided ice cream, cake, presents, party favors, presents and entertainment.

Masonic Cancer Center Auxiliary Legacy

In the first 10 years, the Auxiliary gave over $10,000 in items to the Masonic Cancer Center and its patients and approximately 4061 patients were served.  We also provided volunteer assistance at the Nursing stations and the members of the Auxiliary helped to conduct tours for various groups.  Listed below are some of the highlights of our contributions.  They are not all inclusive but are meant to show the scope and depth of our group's contributions to provide for the comfort of the patients at the Masonic Cancer Center.  One thing that is blatantly missing here is the total number of hours the members of the Masonic Cancer Center Auxiliary, the Chapters and Lodges, families, and friends and donators have volunteered to make our endeavor such a success.

1958  -  1983:  The First 25 Years

• Monthly birthday parties were given with ice cream and cake, presents and entertainment in the Lounge Area every 2nd Wednesday.  They entertained about 100 patients and guests each month.
• A traveling library cart was bought and stocked with books and magazine subscriptions purchased by the Auxiliary.  "In-room" library service was offered weekly by volunteers. 
• Beauty shop equipment was purchased; a beauty shop was opened and staffed by students from the Robinson Beauty School.  The shop was open twice a month to offer free services to all patients.

The Auxiliary purchased the following: 

• Several television sets and radios and electric shavers for patient's use,
• Typewriters for use by the patients,
• A kiln for Occupational Therapy, a movie screen and projector and a record player with records,
• Tickets and transportation for patients to attend Twins baseball games, the Shrine Circus and City Christmas Lights tours,
• Patio furniture for the roof-top lounge,
• Reclining loungers,
• Dressing gowns, night gowns and bed jackets to distribute to the patients. About 1100 women's housecoats and men's robes to give to patients.

• Christmas trees, stands and decorations and decorated the Masonic Cancer Center lobbies for Christmas and bought lilies to decorate at Easter.

1984  -  2008:  The Next 25 Years

During the mid-1980's patients from the Masonic Cancer Center were transferred to the Oncology Units at the main hospital.  The monthly birthday parties and the library cart service were discontinued. The beauty shop was closed.  Instead, the Auxiliary began to distribute lap robes and slippers and cake and coffee to the patients in their room.  We pay special attention to the holidays and give extra favors such as plastic eggs with candy at Easter or a pen and pen case at Christmas.

We began to collate Cancer Information Books for the patients under the direction of the Comprehensive Cancer Center Program Manager and Short Stay Patient Packages.  We continue to collate Patient Admission Information Packages every Tuesday and Thursday morning. 

We began to deliver cake and coffee in the First Floor Infusion Bay Unit at the Masonic Cancer Center.   This was in addition to the 3rd Floor at the Masonic Cancer Center and the 7C-7D Oncology Units in the main hospital. 

We continued to support the Children's Oncology Department by making surgical dolls, purchasing stuffed animals to distribute and making lap robes for the children. 

We are proud to continue to decorate the lobby of the Masonic Cancer Center as well as the Oncology Units in main hospital at Christmas. 

As the hospital grew, the Auxiliary realized their needs and helped to purchase items to fill voids.  As an example, in 1966, 2 additional floors were added to the Masonic Cancer Center.  The top floor had a roof-top lounge and the Auxiliary purchased patio furniture to furnish it.

Currently we have around 23 active members to deliver lap robes, Cathi Caps, slippers and Angel Food cake or cookies and coffee each month.  We meet on the 2nd Wednesday of each month.  We began to collate patient information packages which evolved into collating Patient Admission Information Packages twice a month on the 2nd and 4th Tuesday. We also have a member who gives hand massage to patients!

Masonic Cancer Center Auxiliary Current Projects

We receive many donations from our OES Chapters throughout Minnesota.  We also receive contributions from churches in the Metro Area and from many 'sewing groups' throughout the United Stares.  As an example, we recently received some Cathi Caps from a group of 'snowbirds' in Texas who sewed their creations and sent them to a member of our Auxiliary.  Another time we received 50 lap robes from a mother and her daughter, both OES, who made them independent of the Patriotic Unit or their Chapter.   Throughout our history we have always been blessed by receiving donations of material, batting, yarn and sometimes, money.

Lap Robes:  Many lap robe tops are made by some of the Minneapolis Chapters and other groups and given to the Minneapolis Patriotic Unit to finish.  The Minneapolis Patriotic Unit takes the lap robe tops, cuts a backing, adds the batting, ties off layers and sews the sides to complete the lap robe.  Additionally, the St. Paul Masonic Home and Patriotic Unit supplies some of our lap robes and we have Chapters such as the Moorhead #164 Chapter, church groups in Canby and Northfield and individual non-OES sewing groups that make many lap robes for us each year.  These lap robes are offered to each patient in the two Oncology Units at Fairview Hospital, the Out Patient Infusion Unit on the 1st Floor of the MCC and the Out Patient Treatment Unit on the 3rd Floor of the MCC.  Volunteers also knit or crochet beautiful lap robes.

 We deliver over 600 lap robes each year.

Cathi Caps:  Cathi Caps come to us in many different stages of completion.  They are knitted, crocheted or sewn.  We recently received Cathi caps made of knit material, cut out and ready to sew and one of the members of the Minneapolis Masonic Home and Patriotic Unit took them home to sew and complete them for distribution at the MCC.  These caps are invaluable to patients who know that they will undergo chemotherapy and we offer them in advance of their treatment.  We offer 2 Cathi caps per patient; one to wear and one to wash!  

We deliver on average 150 Cathi Caps each year. 

Surgical Dolls with Dressing Gowns:  Surgical dolls with cute dressing gowns are made and given to the Children's Surgical Unit at Fairview Hospital.  The nurses use them to help the child understand their diagnosis and to give them something to "cling to".  The nurses embellish the doll, drawing a sad face on one side and a happy face on the other.  They also add an IV to help the child to relate to their treatment or condition.  Every child is encouraged to take their doll with them when they leave the hospital.  We make the dolls out of different colored muslin (white, tan and brown) in order for the child to relate.  This project has become a challenge in that we can't make enough dolls to cope with the number of children that are in the hospital!  We receive an average of 30 dolls each month. 

We donated 285 dolls and gowns last year. 

Slippers:  We receive many knitted and crocheted slippers in all sizes to give to the patients.  Many of these are made by our own Auxiliary members.  The slippers are most popular during the winter months and we offer them when available. 

Preemie Caps:  Little Preemie Caps are crochet or knitted are donated by members of our OES Chapters.  They are given to North Memorial Hospital Neo-Natal ICU to cover the heads of premature babies.  The ICU keeps some and, distributes the rest to other Neo-Natal ICUs in the Metro area.  One of our Chapter members has made over 900 preemie caps so far!

We recently conducted a study to determine how much time it took to complete our project items.  Listed below is the average amount of time.

The Masonic Cancer Center Auxiliary meets as follows: 

• Months:  January through December
• Day:  2nd Wednesday to deliver lap robes, etc. patients and 2nd and 4th Tuesday to collate Patient Admission Info Packages
• Where:  Masonic Cancer Center Auxiliary Office
• Time:  4 hours beginning at 10:00 a.m.
• Membership:  Open to all members of OES Chapters.  Our group is on a volunteer basis and the membership is $5.00 per year. 

VISITORS ARE ALWAYS WELCOME!