Who comes here? What cam you here to do? Two questions with which every Mason is familiar. These crucial and meaningful queries as the Mason commences his journey can be answered by joining the Acacia Guild. There are two additional questions, however, that may prove useful for the those unfamiliar with this charitable society of friends and Brothers. First, what is the Acacia Guild and, second, what does it do?
What is the Acacia Guild? The term Acacia Guild blends the Masonic symbol of the sprig of Acacia, representing immortality , with the "guild" system, which harks back to our ancient operative Brethren who belonged to stonemason guilds that regulated their labor and entitled them to their wages during the High Middle Ages. In combining these two familiar Masonic terms, the Scottish Rite has created the society to recognize the great work of so many of our Brethren the will indeed live forever.
What does it do?
The answer to this question is where we discover the real treasure. The Acacia Guild program recognizes all Scottish Rite, SJ, members who make a $1,000 cash contribution to the Acacia Guild, thus becoming members of the Guild. This gift can be made in a single payment or by contributing $83.33 per month for twelve months by credit card or ACH withdrawal from a checking or saving account.
The gift is then split: one half for the House of the Temple Historic Preservation Foundation, Inc. (HTF), to help with our Rebuilding the Temple Campaign to support Temple maintenance; the other half for the Scottish Rite Foundation, Southern Jurisdiction, U.S.A., Inc. (SRF), to assist with the RiteCare Scottish Rite Childhood Language Program (SRCLP), scholarships, grants, and other worthy activities.
For every Acacia Guild member across the Southern Jurisdiction, we have $500 of crucial financing going to repair and replace 100+ year-old plumbing and boilers to maintain our national headquarters. If you have visited the House of the Temple recently, you probably noticed the wonderful cool air flowing through the Atrium for the first time in the history of our beautiful Temple! The Grand Executive Director and the Temple Grounds staff now are able to move forward with accessibility improvements that will allow greater functionality for renting the Temple as an event venue that will improve our ability to care for this great edifice for a second century. With plans to air condition the Temple Room, we need more of our Brethren to unite with the hundreds who already have joined the Acacia Guild, ensuring that we will soon declare victory in our Rebuilding the Temple Campaign!
With the other half of a contribution going to support our network of RiteCare SRCLPs every Acacia Guild member can be proud in knowing that his act of Masonic charity is quite literally transforming the lives of children across the country.
In 2016, I received some of the best information about our RiteCare SRCLPs and speech pathology. Mrs. Leah Thorvilson, former Director of Development and External Affairs for the University of Arkansas at Little Rock, was invited to speak at the Albert Pike Memorial Temple. She shared story after story about children who had been almost completely nonverbal and who now could communicate with their parents-for the first time ever-following the therapy received at our clinic. As to how far a single dollar goes, she said:
Regarding "what can $1 do," we charge families $300 for one semester of therapy. The kids get 6 hours of therapy per week in the pre-school, and we run for about fifteen weeks in a semester. This equals about $3.33 per hour of therapy. One dollar would pay for about 18 minutes of therapy. That may not sound like a lot, but honestly, 18 minutes is about the amount of therapy some kids get in the public schools system each week.
Your membership in the Acacia Guild clearly improves the the lives of children and families. It also builds a stronger Scottish Rite for the future and ensures your House of the Temple remains a beacon for Freemasonry in our Nation's Capital.
Let us continue such charitable work. In so doing, we plant the seeds among our gentle Craft that will indeed grow into trees under whose shade we may never sit. Once you join the Acacia Guild, you are forever a member; yet I would ask that you renew your commitment to this great work each year.
Not an Acacia Guild member yet? Then I have two questions for you. Who comes here? What came you here to do?
For more information about the Acacia Guild, including member benefits and how to join, visit https://scottishrite.org/giving/ways-to-give/acacia-guild/.
This article was published in the May/June 2024 edition of the Scottish Rite Journal.
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