Our Fraternity in Action

A MESSAGE FROM SCOTTISH RITE CHARITIES IN ALL MY YEARS IN FREEMASONRY, ONE EVENT STANDS OUT AS MY PROUDEST MOMENT AS A MEMBER OF THIS GREAT FRATERNITY.

I was the Executive Director of the Michigan Masonic Charitable Foundation when I learned of a young family that had suffered an unthinkable tragedy. The husband, a Brother, had just been killed in a car accident, leaving behind a pregnant wife and three small children. His widow delivered their baby the day after burying her husband.

The response from the entire Masonic community was amazing. The Michigan Masonic Charitable Foundation, several lodges, and individual members all pitched in to help this family.

When Past Sovereign Grand Commander John Wm. McNaughton heard about her plight, he said he didn’t want her to worry about where she and her four children were going to live, so working together with the rest of the Masonic family, we paid off her mortgage. I was flabbergasted when I heard the news of what we were going to do. We were really doing what we said we would do when we pledged at the altar of Masonry to take care of a Master Mason’s widow and orphans.

It’s been nearly eight years, and I still tear up when I think about what happened with that family and the response from our Masonic community. I have never been prouder of our fraternity than I was at that moment.

Over the years, the Grand Almoner’s Fund has quietly helped thousands of Brothers and their widows, surpassing more than $10 million in aid distributed to Masonic families in need. In this update, you will see some of the faces we have helped over the years. These faces represent hope, relief, and Brotherly love – touchstones of our great fraternity.

I heard from a Brother recently who wanted to know if we were still raising funds for the Grand Almoner’s Fund.

I am proud to report that the work of the Grand Almoner’s Fund has never stopped. And your support will ensure that it never will.

Senior Director of Charities Walter F. Wheeler, 33°