Have you made, or considered making, a bequest for your favorite Masonic organization in your will?
This past weekend I attended the Annual Meeting of the Scottish Rite Scholarship Foundation of Washington, where I serve as the Director of Fraternal Relations.
The Foundation was created in 1958 with the idea of helping students through school in furtherance of the concepts laid out in the Scottish Rite Creed:
“Human progress is our cause,
liberty of thought our supreme wish,
freedom of conscience our mission,
and the guarantee of equal rights to all people everywhere our ultimate goal.”
Over the course of the weekend we gave away $354,000 in the form of Scholarships, Fellowships, and Grants to students throughout Washington State.
Every Scottish Rite Mason in the Orient of Washington is a member of the Foundation, governing it through Directors elected within each of the Orient’s Valleys.
In a nutshell, I think that the Foundation does really great work that all Scottish Rite Masons can and should be proud of. We are setting young people up for success in their lives.
If you would like to know more about the Scottish Rite Scholarship Foundation of Washington, you can check out our website here:
Or, if we can answer any questions about the Foundation for you, stop by our table at the upcoming Annual Communication. We’d be very pleased to discuss our work with you.
Importantly, if you know a Mason pursuing higher education, or you have a child or grandchild doing so, or anyone else for that matter (our scholarships and fellowships are open to everyone) please let them know that the Foundation might be able to help.
They can learn more here.
But that’s just one Masonic endeavor. We’ve got so many wonderful things that deserve our support. Everything from our own Lodge, to our Grand Lodge’s charitable endeavors, to those charities operated by our Appendant and Concordant bodies.
Might I suggest that we all pick one or two of our favorite and include them in our will?
So that our money continues doing good, long after we are gone.
I’ve done this, and I hope that you will do so too. As our Brother Albert Pike wrote, so long ago:
“What we do for ourselves dies with us. What we do for others and the world remains and is immortal.”
If you need to create a will, and you know that we all should have one, the Scottish Rite SJ has partnered with an organization that will create one for you, without any cost. They can also create a revocable living trust if that better serves your needs.
Please visit:
Let’s ensure that each of us leaves a little something behind for the good of our Craft, and the good of humanity.
I did the Free Will through the Supreme Council and it was VERY easy. Getting it notarized was the hardest part by far.
One thing that I thought was neat was that if you leave anything to the Scottish Rite you get to be a member of the "Intendant of the Building" society. Beyond my love for the Scottish Rite, in Arkansas support for the Scottish Rite is also support for our craft lodges so I went on and named our foundation a beneficiary.
The donor officer presented me with a tie, pocket jewel, and a stole for my wife. It was a very nice gesture!
Great idea! And one I will greatly consider. I don’t have heirs, so thank you! I’ll learn more about it. ✨🤗✨