100,000 Children Have Participated in Mass. Child Identification Program

[Clara T]

http://www.glmasons-mass.org/Grand_Lodge/IMAGES/JPG/gm+amie.jpg

A major milestone in child protection: 100,000 children have participated in the Massachusetts Masonic Child Identification Program.

SPRINGFIELD, MA-The Massachusetts Masonic Child Identification Program (CHIP) is the most comprehensive in the world because it includes Toothprints®. When John and Sherry Clark of Monson brought their 10-year-old son, John, Jr. and 7-year-old daughter Amie to the Masonic CHIP program at the Springfield Civic Center as part of Kid's Safety Day, their goal was to take advantage of this free program that includes a videotape interview, fingerprints, and Toothprints. They had no idea that Amie would be recognized as the 100,000th child in Massachusetts to participate in the CHIP program.

To celebrate this major milestone, Amie was presented with four tickets to next year's Melha Shriners Circus, a certificate recognizing her new status, and a $100 U.S. Savings Bond by the Grand Master of Masons in Massachusetts, Fred K. Bauer. Amie will also be the featured guest at the circus.

The CHIP program is provided free of charge by Massachusetts Freemasons in cooperation with local dentists who are members of the Massachusetts Dental Society, and the Massachusetts Crime Prevention Officers Association. All materials including the Toothprints and fingerprints are given to the parents and no copies are kept on file.

Toothprints were developed by Dr. David Tesini of Framingham, a pediatric dentist as another means of identifying a child that fingerprints alone may not guarantee. According to Peter Banks, Director of the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children, when a Toothprint is taken, sufficient proteins remain in the saliva on the wafer from which a DNA test can be successfully performed for yet a second means of identification from the Toothprint. He also stated that, since the Toothprint wafer is sealed in a "zipper"-type plastic bag, enough scent remains for a trained dog to identify and track it. The Massachusetts Masonic CHIP program is the only child identification program to offer Toothprints.

http://www.glmasons-mass.org/Grand_Lodge/NEWS/100k_child.html

[OPERATIONMINDCRIME]

1. I Had To Get Tooth Casts When I Was A Kid Too. The DNA Preservation Is

cool now though. Good for MA!

[Clara T]

3. I find it to be creepy

Although this procedure is not without discomfort, but being the wave of the future we strongly recommend that implants be placed in newborns when it will cause no more psychological trauma than the cutting of the umbilical cord or a circumcision. FDA and AMA approved, there are no health risks. In fact, due to sky rocketing missing persons statistics, especially among children, there is currently legislation on the floor to make these implants mandatory in all humans under the age of 85. In a statement yesterday, Vice President Hillary Rodham Clinton said, "I still believe it takes a village. And in a village everyone knows everything about everybody."

[fed-up]

2. I like-All materials inc Toothprints & fingerprints-given to parents n/t

[Richard Steele]

4. That's the only thing that makes it OK with me.

Back in the 80s when I first heard about these programs,
the data was often being retained by local Police Depts.

They didn't seem to be anything more than a way for the PD
to expand its fingerprint files.

But giving all this stuff to the parents- WTG Shriners!