Greetings from a Past Grand Master of AF & AM Masons of Kansas.

Freemasons have long been committed to children and families through our scholarship program, children's learning centers, model student assistance program and sponsorship of youth groups.

The Kansas Masonic Child Identification Program, or KS CHIP, is sponsord by the Freemasons of Kansas. It is a program consiting of a photo, fingerprinting, identifying information, a short video interview and a DNA Swab. The National Center for Missing and Exploited Childgren (NCMEC) recognizes this as one of the most complete child recovery and identification programs in the nation. In 1999 alone, over 797,500 children were reported missing in the United States.

Kansas Masons are committed to helping address this problem by providing completed packages of children for parents or guardians at NO COST to the families.

At a Kansas Masonic CHIP Event, Masons generate individual completed identification kits that are give to the parent or guardian to take home for safekeeping (we keep nothing but a permission form). It takes approximately 15 minutes to process 1 child and complete their kit. These kits are AMBER ALERT compatible which provides Law Enforcement with important tools to assist in the speedy and safe recovery of a missing child.

Through the benevolence of the Freemasons of Kansas' membership and our sponsors we are pleased to present this service free of charge. Kansas Freemasons are committed to offering this program to the families of Kansans on an ongoing basis. KS CHIP would like to reach out to every community. Events will be held in schools, shopping malls, county fairs, and at Masonic Centers. KS CHIP events increase abduction-awareness that, if properly publicized, discourage would-be predators from considering that community.

Fraternally,

Sterling P. Hornbuckle III