Blue SlipperSTORIES
Connie Herman
WIDOWS’ GUILD
GREETINGS from LINDA JACKSON
Director of Philanthropic and Widows Support
Happy New Year! I hope your holidays were merry and bright. As we embark on a new year, this edition of Blue Slipper Stories is focused on the thousands of Masonic widows who are not yet members of the Masonic Widows’ Guild. If you are already a member, we are so glad you’ve joined us! If you are not a member yet, this is your call to action.
With a simple phone call or email expressing your desire to join, you will receive a packet of information and your Blue Slipper pin, as well as a membership directory if you would like one.
However, and more importantly, as a member of the Masonic Widows’ Guild (requiring no obligation on your part), you will have access to information, programs and services which can help you in a time of need, with the added benefit of connections to other women who share this unique and special bond.
Our Masonic Widows’ Guild continues to grow, with a current membership of 1,740. In 2024, we hosted 10 events throughout Pennsylvania to recognize and honor widows.
The Masonic Outreach Program provided financial assistance totaling $82,000 to 27 widows and a combined total of $185,000 to members and families. Our panel of legal and financial professionals helped 20 individuals needing expertise and guidance, and 10 individuals had access to free medical equipment through our Loan Closet.
Masonic widows are automatically enrolled in the Masonic Blood + Organ Donor Program, which can assist you if you ever have expenses for a blood transfusion that is not covered by insurance. This important program also provides you or a family member support and education to navigate the organ transplant process should you face this dire situation.
These programs are an integral part of our Mission of Love and are made possible through the generosity of our donors. If you or someone you know would like more information about ways to support our Mission of Love, please give me a call or send me an email to discuss.
I hope this is the year you will reach out and join the Masonic Widows’ Guild.
Stay safe and stay well.
Widows from Apollo Lodge No. 437 receiving their Widows’ Guild pins
WE ARE THERE, and We Care
Trudi Hackett always knew she had friends in the Order of the Eastern Star, as well as the Masonic fraternity through her husband Ed’s membership. She didn’t realize how much those relationships would one day provide her with peace of mind and reassurance in her time of need.
Ed’s son-in-law was a horse trainer, and it was at the racetrack where he and Trudi first met. Trudi came with a friend and caught his attention. He kept his eye on her all night before finally asking her on a date.
“Everybody loved Ed,” Trudi recalls of her husband of 25 years. “He enjoyed life –traveling, taking rides and eating out.”
Ed was a member of Lodge No. 9 in Warminster. He attended almost every stated meeting before his health started to decline a few years ago. Bill Harding, Widows’ Committee Chairman for Lodge No. 9, is a longtime friend of Ed and Trudi. He kept Ed informed about lodge happenings and stayed in contact with Trudi after Ed’s passing in 2022.
Bill invited Trudi to attend a stated meeting at the lodge which included dinner. At the event, he presented Trudi with a Blue Slipper pin, the symbol of the Masonic Widows’ Guild. When she learned about the programs and outreach available to her as a Masonic widow, as much as she hesitated to ask for help, Trudi shared her need for a new roof with Bill.
Bill worked through the proper channels, including Linda Jackson, director of philanthropic and widows support with the Masonic Charities. When Trudi’s Order of the Eastern chapter learned of her needs, they also contributed. With donations from the Grand Lodge of Pennsylvania, Lodge No. 9 and the Order of the Eastern Star, Trudi was able to get her new roof.
“I cried. I couldn’t get over it. It’s been really tough since I lost my husband,” Trudi said. “I really needed the help. I want to say more than ‘thank you.’”
As the committee chairman, Bill has made it a point to contact every widow affiliated with his lodge. He calls and mails invitations to events, but he has found the most effective way to reach them is by visiting them at home on his bicycle. Their lodge invites widows to attend movie nights, picnics and Family Night meetings.
“With most widows, it’s knowing someone cares. Many of our widows are in assisted living facilities, incapacitated or unable to attend events due to other reasons,” Bill said. “Many enjoy hearing from us and welcome calls and correspondences even if they are unable to come to lodge functions.”
“Even if you don’t need help, learn more about it,” Trudi said of the Masonic Widows’ Guild. “It’s a very supportive group. It’s one of the best things the Masons developed.”
Bill encourages all widows to consider joining the Masonic Widows’ Guild, most importantly for the friendships.
Continued on next page.
Rhona Garfield, Bill Harding and Trudi Hackett
“It gives widows a chance to get out of their routine and socialize with like-minded individuals. Masons care about their brothers’ families and their well-being. As it states in the last line of the Widows’ Charge: ‘You are not alone. When moments cause you to doubt, look at [the Blue Slipper] emblem and be assured that we are there, and we care.’”
To join the Masonic Widows’ Guild, contact Linda Jackson, director of philanthropic and widows support, at 717-367-1121, ext. 33497 or lmjackson@masonicvillages.org.
Elizabethtown, PA 17022
Blue Slipper
at 1-800-599-6454 or email lmjackson@masonicvillages.org.