My Brothers,
One of the basic obligations of a Mason is the care of the Widows and Orphans of our Brothers. My job, as Senior Warden, is to make sure we, as a Lodge, are taking care of them. Recently, the Grand Lodge began an effort to reach out to the Widows of Masons and remind them that Masonry has not forgotten them and wishes to honor them. This is a fantastic program!
When the Grand Lodge contacted me, the first thing I did was run our MORI database to find all the Widows of deceased Brothers. There were more then 275+ deceased brothers listed in our database, and, unfortunately, less than 10 of these records contained any information about their spouses. In order for us, as a Craft, to care for our Widows, we need to know who they are. With the help of Brother Pauly Levy, who had a file of spouses’ names, I was able to update 40+ deceased Master Masons’ records. I will also begin to determine if any of those spouses are still with us, but with their husbands being 100+ years of age, they most probably are not. For those few who may still be living, I want to get in touch with them to let them know they are not forgotten.
I have found the same trend exists with our active brothers. Their spouse information has not been kept up to date.
With Valentine’s Day around the corner, let’s show our love for our spouses by making sure we have at least their names. If they are willing to share their dates of birth, we can add that as well.
Therefore, this February, I would request my Brothers send me an email (wfenty@gmail.com) with your spouse’s name, and if she will permit, her date of birth. I will make sure MORI is kept up to date.
Sincerely and Fraternally,
Br Bill Fenty III, Senior Warden
