Greater Arlington Soccer Club, Inc.

Greater Arlington Soccer Club, Masonic Child ID Progam Spring Season 2010.

Greater Arlington Soccer Club, Inc. will be sponsoring the Florida Masonic Child ID program again this season.  The event will take place on September 11, 2010 from 9:00AM - 3:00PM.  This program will be provided free of charge.

What is the Child ID Program?

It is a program adopted by the Grand Lodge Free and Accepted Masons of Florida in 1991, to provide a significant community service to the many communities in Florida.  All too often, we see or hear of a story of a lost, runaway or apparently abducted child.  Between June 1984 and September 1992 there were 29,514 nationally reported cases, and unfortunately, the numbers are increasing.  This program is designed to facilitate the safe recovery of these youngsters by the authorities.

The Masonic Child ID Program is a public service offered throughout the state of Florida at NO COST, to the
Parents and guardians of children of all ages, infants to teenagers.  The program provides a professionally videotaped record of a child or young person’s unique visual appearance, mannerisms, voice, and very specific answers to very specific questions.  The parents, or guardian are given the ONLY  copy, along with some helpful information and a form on which to record other vital information

Videotapes are excellent tools in helping to recover a missing child.  Videos are multidimensional, affording a number of visual angles and allowing the viewer to see and hear the child’s unique mannerisms and voice inflections.  Like photographs and fingerprints, videotapes should be updated yearly.

DNA  parents are requested to take a few strands of hair with the follicle for DNA.  The simplest way to keep DNA is to save a child’s tooth after it falls out.  All of these samples should be stored in a plastic bag and placed in the freezer – hopefully never to be used.

Fingerprints can allow police to trace a child’s whereabouts by ascertaining if a child was in a certain location or if he touched certain objects.  Fingerprints can also be enlarged and scanned to other police departments to help locate a missing child.  Any effort that can lead to a child’s recovery in the critical first hours after a child is reported missing can help prevent tragedy.  The Masonic Fraternity provides the family with a professional set of fingerprints and given, free of charge, to the parents for safekeeping.  No information is taken from the parent or child at the time of video and fingerprinting.  The video and fingerprints are given to the parents with the instruction on how to use the document.