Scottish Rite of Albany to host free child ID event Saturday

ALBANY — Losing a child is a parent’s worst nightmare, and that is what the Scottish Rite of Albany is trying to prevent by hosting a Georgia Child Identification Program (CHiP) Saturday that will include a performance from the RSMMSA Blue Harmony Performing Ensemble at the organization’s lodge, located at 2800 N. Jefferson St.

“It is going to be a really great event,” band director and Scottish Rite member Scot Kroll said. “They set up stations and provide up-to-date information such as fingerprints and pictures in case of an emergency, such as an abduction. The entire kit is provided to parents free of charge.”

According to Kroll, Saturday’s CHiP program will provide the comprehensive identification kits for parents and as a public service.

“At the GACHiP event, Freemasons set up the equipment necessary to generate completed identification kits,” Kroll said. “There is no age limit, and each child/person, progresses through several stations, taking about 10 to 15 minutes for the entire process. The recorded information is presented to the child’s parent or guardian to take home for safe keeping.

“The Blue Harmony Ensemble is a traveling group. We take a small number of students from each of the artistic disciplines and participate in community events like this one at the Scottish Rite.”

According to the GACHiP website, the program provides parents or guardians a collection of information should a child ever go missing. The information, which is presented on small computer discs, includes:

— Full color digital photographs showing various poses of the child. These color photographs can be circulated by the police to the media in the case of an abduction and can be used in the Amber Alert Program.

— A complete set of digital fingerprints. Everyone’s fingerprints are unique and are a well-known tool for recovery, investigation and identification.

— DNA and scent: The swift recovery of a missing person can be aided by tracking dogs.

— Information about the child including distinguishing features such as hair and eye color, scars, etc. The disc will also contain contact information for parents or guardians.

All of the identifying information about the child collected at the event is given to the child’s family. The GACHiP program retains only the permission slip that must be signed prior to participation in the event. All other data are permanently erased after the child’s document is prepared.

“There will also be barbecue plates for sale — I think they are $8 — and a silent auction, all to benefit the CHiP program and the Scottish Rite Foundation, which includes Children’s Hospital of Atlanta,” Kroll said. “The program begins with the Blue Harmony Performing Ensemble at 5 p.m.”

For more information or to purchase barbecue plates, call (229) 432-6939.