Honoring Our Veteran Brothers

HONORING OUR VETERAN BROTHERS: How Your Valley Can Help

As Scottish Rite Freemasons, we care about and recognize the service and sacrifices the members of our armed services make. It is with heartfelt gratitude that we acknowledge and support these brave men and women.

“As we express our gratitude, we must never forget that the highest appreciation is not to utter words but live by them.”—John F. Kennedy

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Supreme Council Veterans Committee Robert J. Bateman, 33°, Chairman Russell W. Baker, 33° Philip R. Elliott, Jr., 33° Randall R. Milone, 33° James O. Dill, 33° Brethren, it is for this reason the Supreme Council Veterans Committee is asking every Valley in the Northern Masonic Jurisdiction to form a Veterans Committee within your Valley if you do not already have one. We encourage you to appoint several veterans to serve on the committee.

Following are just a few examples of ways in which our Valleys are honoring veterans to ensure they receive the recognition they so greatly deserve:

The Valley of Youngstown has a Veterans Program where they gather on the Monday closest to Veterans Day and have dinner with several distinguished guests portraying presidents Abraham Lincoln, George Washington, William McKinley, and others. The Valley also has a couple of their veteran members speak at the event to honor the occasion. In 2019, Sovereign Grand Commander Dave Glattly also presented Veterans Awards to approximately 30 Brothers.

The Valley of Philadelphia’s Kilwinning Chapter of Rose Croix started a clothing drive in the spring of 2020, asking members to donate gently used business clothing in order to provide proper attire for veterans going on job interviews. The Most Wise Master’s garage became the collection site for eighteen suits, seven sports coats, 30 pairs of dress slacks, 36 dress shirts, and 40 neckties, which were donated to the Military Order of the Purple Heart. Also, the Valley of Philadelphia gave a $1,000 donation to the Veterans’ Member Center to support their job training and placement programs.

As you begin to form your own Veterans Committees, here are some additional ideas for recognizing those who served:

1.

Consider paying the dues of your members on active duty—a great gesture to show support while the member is away from home.

2.

Dedicate your dining hall or meeting room in honor of one of your veterans. Another suggestion would be to simply name the room “Veterans Hall” or “Veterans Room.” Decorate the area with symbols of all military branches and utilize personal photos of your veterans to add nostalgia. Photos could be changed periodically to keep interest.

3.

“Rummy at the Rite”—Organize an area where veterans and non-veterans alike could meet to play card games. Pick a day of the week to invite members to come to the Valley for coffee and doughnuts and spend the morning playing cards.

4.

Host a lunch program with a representative from The Honor Flight Network to discuss their nonprofit. Their mission is to transport America’s veterans at no charge to Washington, D.C. to visit the memorials dedicated to honoring those who have served. Additionally, a member that has experienced the flight could speak about his experience with Honor Flight.

5.

Organize a lunch or dinner where the veterans could simply get together to share their stories and experiences. Many veterans are often reluctant to talk about the past but are more comfortable and open when among others who understand what they endured while serving their country.

6.

The month of May is Military Appreciation Month—chosen because it includes events such as Armed Forces Day, Victory in Europe Day, Memorial Day, and other commemorative celebrations. In addition to November, May would be an opportune time for the Valleys to honor their veterans.