From the Office of the Right Worshipful Grand Lecturer
THE MASONIC HOME
In the great majority of Grand jurisdictions is a Masonic Home, to which the fraternity invites, as its well-beloved guests, those Mason, Masons widows or dependents and masons children who are not otherwise protected from sorrow and need.
Guests of a Masonic home are no more objects of charity, that is the mother who blesses by her presence the home you support, the father or grandfather whose place at your fireside, left vacant, could never be filled. These, our well beloved brethren and their loved ones, we delight to care for, to make their lives easy and happy, to relieve their distress, not as charity. But as a service we render to those we love, or those dear to those we love, because we love them.
You, as a Master Mason, contribute to the support of your Masonic home. A certain proportion of the dues you pay to your lodge, or the dues paid to your Grand Lodge by your Blue Lodge, are set aside for the maintenance and support of that Masonic home. And you may, many a Master Mason does feel that your duty ends when you pay that which your bylaws demand of you.
But there is nothing easier in the world than check-benevolence. It requires neither care, nor attention, nor time, nor effort to write a check. Any one can do it that has a bank account. It means something real to give service or time. Your Masonic home is not in need of your services. It has it own staff and needs no outside assistance. But no one can pay another to do for and in that home what you can do. And this is, visit it.
Don't say I live too far away. In miles you may live too far away to go often in person. It will pay you to go once, at least, to see for yourself the outward and visible expression of that brotherly love which is here practiced in its most beautiful form. But you do not live to far to write a letter now and then, to some Mason who lives there.
But I don't know him. Make it your business to know him. You and he have knelt at the same Altar. You have taken the same obligation. You belong to the same Order. You are brothers. Do you need an introduction?
Send him a line. Send him a magazine. Send him a newspaper. Send him a clipping, a joke, a verse, it doesn't matter much what you send; the point is that you take a real personal interest in your brother, who is to old to work, too ill to labor, too handicapped in some way to make his way unaided. Masonry puts is strong right hand under his feeble arm and helps him over the rough places. He has borne the heat and burden of the day; you are young and strong. You would spring forward with much joy to help an old man crossing a crowded and dangerous street; well here are old men crossing the end of the Street of Life, and the helping hand of a younger brother is a comfort and a solace.
Man may not live by bread alone. Give there, our guests, the best of food, the finest of care, the most comfortable of homes, and they cannot, happily, go down the hill to their journey's end, if we withhold that touch of affectionate brotherhood, which can only personally be given. Do not think that Masonry neglects her guests. Some lodge is usually arranging and conducting an entertainment, or a religious (non-denominational) service, or planning an outing. But these are all, must necessarily be, impersonal. What you don't need to be told what to do for children; or do you?
The widow of a Master Mason of a certain lodge fought a game fight as long as she could; then asked for help. The lodge saw that she and her little daughter became guests of the Home. The lodge looked after them well, too; the daughter had a business education and became self-supporting as soon as she was old enough. Your Masonic home is your home, if you need it. It is also your home in the sense that you are a host. Those who live there are your guest; make them happy. It cost so little; it means so much in brotherhood.
There was once a Son who taught the world of the Fatherhood of God. And he said "Inasmuch as ye do it unto the least of these.