Masonic Charity to a Brother – A Personal Testimony
The calendar tells me we are 364 days from the start of the next Triennial Conclave events getting underway in Salt Lake City. The pace is starting to pick up, and I am looking forward to meeting many of you before we gather there, and even more of you in Salt Lake City.
Some have inquired why I have chosen the image of barefeet in the snow and ice as the theme image for my work. Well, it is a clear reference to a statement in our vow as Knights Templar, but itr is also my personal commitment to each of you, and indeed, every Templar, his spouse or widow and his orphaned children. I believe that we Masons have a pretty poor track record in tending to the distressed brother and Frater. Oh, we are really good at giving our money to our charitable work, but we have been less than helpful to our own when they are in distress. I can speak from my own experience.
Several years ago, my community suffered a deadly flood over Memorial Day weekend. In my community alone, over 600 homes were flooded, many (like mine) for the first time since 1972 when Hurricane Agnes blew through the Mid-Atlantic. The call went out for help, and the silence was deafening. My wife and I did have insurance to help with some of the costs, but that didn’t cover it all. We didn’t even get help from men I thought were my brothers to aid in the cleanup. But, there was one very notable exception, and I literally stumbled on it during a break from the cleanup.
I had received a mailing from the Scottish Rite Northern Masonic Jurisdiction (SR-NMJ) asking for donations to their Grand Almoner’s Fund. I hadn’t even thought of inquiring, since I was living in the Southern Jurisdiction and have not been an active member of the NMJ for many years. But, I took a chance that I might get some help, and then reached out to my home Valley of Toledo. I shared what had happened with the secretary, and he said he would be back in touch. A few weeks later, he contacted me and said the Grand Almoner Fund had a check for me, and was there a way we could meet in person, because he didn’t want to send it in the mail. It was right before the Triennial Conclave in Indianapolis, so I suggested we could meet there. Conveniently, our Past Grand Master, Sir Knight Bill Koon, is also a member of the Valley of Toledo, so he was kind enough to bring the check. At this point, I had no idea how much it would be, but assumed a few hundred dollars–not enough to pay off much of the bills, but a help indeed. The check was for $11,000, which was the total amount my wife and I were out-of-pocket for the cleanup itself. She and I were speechless. I was able to thank the then-Sovereign Grand Commander, Ill. Dave Glattly, since he was in attendance, and pledged to do what I could to repay the generosity.
There are other instances where our Fraternity has fallen short in coming to the aid of our own family when there have been needs. Whether or not I am elected to be your next Deputy Grand Master, I pledge to you that I will make it my mission to elevate the vow we have all taken as a core mission of our Order, and do whatever I can to help our Commanderies, Grand Commanderies, and Grand Encampment improve our care for the distressed Knight, his spouse, widow, and orphans. The model of friendship and brotherly love shown by the NMJ Grand Almoner’s Fund and its leadership is one which I strongly desire to be copied as far as we can do so. To make that happen, I’m willing to walk 40 miles, barefoot and over frozen ground, if need be. I am not a wealthy man in a material sense, but as a man of faith, I know with my trust in God and in each of my fellow Sir Knights, we can once again become known for our faithful service to the poor and weary pilgrims in our midst, as well as to our worthy Fratres and their families. We can do nothing less.