5 Ways Scottish Rite Masons Serve Their Communities

Today, that commitment takes countless forms across the jurisdiction, from free dyslexia tutoring for children to financial relief for members facing hardship. What follows are just a few of the ways Brothers are leaving their mark.  

Supporting Communities Through Hardship

One of Freemasonry’s oldest obligations is to care for a Brother in need. The Grand Almoner’s Fund is how the Scottish Rite, NMJ, puts that principle into action. When a Brother or family member faces illness, job loss, natural disaster, or personal tragedy, the Fund provides direct financial assistance with none of the money going to overhead costs. 

Victoria Duhamel of Steubenville, Ohio, experienced the impact of the Grand Almoner’s Fund firsthand. Diagnosed with lymphangioleiomyomatosis (LAM), a rare genetic condition that affects her lungs’ ability to transfer oxygen, Victoria carries a nine-pound oxygen tank with her everywhere she goes.  

When her father-in-law and husband, both Freemasons, encouraged her to reach out to the fraternity for help getting a service dog, she never imagined what would come next. Through the Grand Almoner’s Fund, the Supreme Council presented Victoria with a $9,000 check at a ceremony at the Scottish Rite Temple in Steubenville. “I was astounded,” Victoria said. “Total shock. I had no idea they were going to help out that much.” 

Showing Up for Local Causes

Throughout the jurisdiction, Scottish Rite Masons make sure to show up for the most vulnerable in their communities. In Ohio, the Valley of Akron’s Masonic Assistance Program (MAP) has spent more than 34 years answering a simple question: Who in our community won’t have a meal this week?  

Each year, Brothers distribute roughly 105 food baskets to fellow Masons, veterans, and neighbors facing hard times, with a special push each December to ensure no family goes without a holiday meal. Funded entirely by donations from Lodges, Valley members, Eastern Star Chapters, Amaranth Courts, and the Shrine, MAP is a living expression of our Core Value of Service to Humanity. Every year brings new thank-you notes, many sharing the same sentiment - that without the basket at their door, there would not have been a Christmas meal. 

That kind of local participation is a pattern you’ll find at Valleys across the jurisdiction. Whether it’s a blood drive, a food pantry, or a charity walk, Scottish Rite Masons treat community presence as part of membership. 

Free Tutoring for Children with Dyslexia

Dyslexia affects roughly one in five people. Children who go without intervention are more likely to struggle academically, lose confidence in themselves, and fall behind their peers in ways that follow them into adulthood. In 1994, Scottish Rite NMJ Masons partnered with Massachusetts General Hospital’s Language Disorders Unit to do something about that. 

The result is the Children’s Dyslexia Centers, a network of more than 40 centers across 13 states that provides free or low-cost, one-on-one tutoring to children in grades 1 through 12. Any child with a dyslexia diagnosis can receive help, regardless of their family's financial situation or religious and Masonic affiliation. For many of those children, the results speak for themselves. 

After her son enrolled at the Columbus, Ohio Center, Michelle Collins saw his progress take off. "Gunner gained two grade levels his first year," she says. "Now, he'll pick up a book and read. He advocates for himself at school. He'll say, 'I already know this. I want to learn more.' For him to say that—it made everything worth it." 

Preserving History at the Scottish Rite Masonic Museum & Library

Most people don’t expect to find original documents from the American Revolutionary War on a Tuesday afternoon in Lexington, Massachusetts. But that’s exactly the kind of thing waiting at the Scottish Rite Masonic Museum & Library, and it’sopen to the public, free of charge. 

Founded in 1975, the Museum & Library holds more than 17,000 objects, one of the largest collections of American Masonic and fraternal material anywhere in the country. Walk its halls, and you'll find yourself surrounded by the stories of those who helped shape this nation - their letters, their ledgers, their regalia, their legacies. The Van Gorden-Williams Library and Archives add more than 60,000 books and 2,000 cubic feet of archival material to that living record, including founding documents of the Supreme Council that predate its 1813 establishment. 

This year, the Museum & Library marked its 50th anniversary with new exhibitions, gallery talks, and an open house on April 11, 2026. The institution functions as the “historical society” of American Freemasonry: collecting, preserving, and making history accessible to researchers and visitors alike. 

The Museum is open Monday through Friday, 9 a.m. to 4 p.m., with select Saturday hours. Admission is free. 

Educational Support Through the Leon M. Abbott Scholarship Fund     

In 1932, Sovereign Grand Commander Leon M. Abbott, 33°, left a bequest to establish an education fund for aspiring students. Now the Leon M. Abbott Scholarship Fund, the program has since distributed more than $10 million to students across the Northern Masonic Jurisdiction. 

One of those students was Josh Bickford. Diagnosed with dyslexia in elementary school, he spent his early years being pulled out of classes and feeling different than his peers. That changed when he enrolled at the Children's Dyslexia Center of Greater Boston and joined DeMolay at age twelve.  

Through both those experiences, Josh strengthened his skills and excelled, gaining the confidence to pursue higher education. After learning about the Abbott Scholarship through DeMolay, he knew the dream he once thought was out of reach was finally within his grasp.  

“The Abbott Scholarship is giving me the opportunity to have the future I always wanted. It’s helped me pay for textbooks, and with the unusual school I’m going to, it’s helped pay for my uniform and boots." Josh states, “I just want to say a big thank you to the people who make the Abbott Scholarship possible.” 

The Common Thread 

Scottish Rite Masons serve their communities through children’s literacy programs, scholarship funding, fraternal relief, historical preservation, and direct civic participation. What ties it all together is something you've felt since your first degree: a shared commitment to leave people better than you found them.