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| Brothers Visiting Brothers at Springfield-Hanby Lodge No. 767 Friend to Friend Brother to Brother |
| "Friend to Friend, A Brotherhood Undivided" The Monument at Gettysburg National Military Park, Placed by the Grand Lodge of Pennsylvania, Depicts mortally wounded Confederate General Lewis A. Armistead handing his personal effects to Union Captain Henry H. Bingham. Bigham helped Armistead off the field of battle to a hospital where he died. Both were Freemasons. |
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| Friendship and Brotherly Love are More than just a Promise at Springfield-Hanby Lodge No. 767 They are a Way of Life |
| Whether a Brother is permanently home-bound, or laid-up temporarily with illness or injury, he can miss the Friendship and Brotherly Love that can only be experienced through face to face connections with his Lodge Brothers. At Springfield-Hanby we are doing something about that, with our newly adopted program of "Brothers Visiting Brothers." For us, this way of life is inspired by "Friend to Friend" monument at Gettysburg, placed there by the Grand Lodge of Pennsylvania. This impressive monument proclaims the fact that Masonic Friendship cannot be diminished by the trials and misfortunes of the world. We are determined that the Brotherhood of our Lodge will forever remain undivided by the difficulties of illness, injury, or age that may keep a Brother from attending his beloved Lodge. |
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| Photo from the Masonic Villages website |
| How It Works |
| First: Identify Brethren To Be Visited The Worshipful Master appoints a Committee of several experienced Brethren to look over the Lodge roster and identify those members known to be ill, disabled, or otherwise unable to attend Lodge. This is followed by a letter to all Fifty-Year Members asking if they (or someone they know) are in need of a periodic visit from a Brother. The Lodge Secretary monitors his contacts with Lodge Members, keeping an eye out for news of a newly homebound Brother. Secondly: Visitors Are Recruited and Trained A program may be offered at a Stated Meeting to explain the new "Brothers Visiting Brothers" Program, with tips on how to make a good visit. Lodge Visitors are recruited from the Membership through Meetings, the Monthly Notices, and Brother-to-Brother. Thirdly: Brother Paired With Brother The Junior Warden and Secretary work together to make the best pairings of Visitors with those desiring visits. This is part of the Junior Warden's duty regarding the sick and those in need. Lastly: Visits Arranged and Carried Out Each Visitor and Brother being visited agree together on how the visiting is done for their specific situation. Ideally, each homebound Brother who so desires should be visited once a quarter, or four times a year. The visit will be mostly for friendship and brotherly love. But a nice touch would be to include some brief, informal "Masonic" type "ritual" such as a prayer together to the Great Architect of the Universe. Ideally, the Visitor Committee may prepare a folder with such sugestions. |
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| Visiting a Brother Brings Smiles to All |
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From: "I Sat In Lodge With You"
So you, my brother, now and then |
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