This month, we are profiling George E. and Matsue Y. Dewese, for their recent gift benefiting the Scottish Rite Foundation, S.J., USA, Inc. and the Radford University Foundation.

On October 9, 2002, a new original oil portrait by Jean Pilk was received into the Supreme Temple Architects Hall of Honor in the House of the Temple. Pictured left at the installation ceremony are (l. to r.), Bro. George Everett Dewese, 32°, K.C.C.H., his wife and co-donor, Matsue Yamazaki Dewese, and Ill. C. Fred Kleinknecht, 33°, Sovereign Grand Commander.
Photo: Bro. George J. Stoklas, 32°, K.C.C.H.

For years to come, members of DeMolay International and the International Order of the Rainbow Girls will reap the benefits of George and Matsue Dewese's latest gift of $600,000, establishing The George Everett Dewese and Matsue Yamazaki Dewese Charitable Remainder Unitrust. The irrevocable remainder beneficiary of the Dewese's trust is the Scottish Rite Foundation, Southern Jurisdiction, USA, Inc. Upon receipt of the trust proceeds, the funds will be used for Scottish Rite scholarships at Radford University for members of DeMolay and Rainbow Girls and for descendants of Scottish Rite Masons. Radford University, a co-educational institution founded in 1910, offers more than 140 undergraduate and graduate degrees. Approximately 9,200 students are enrolled in six colleges: Arts and Sciences, Business and Economics, Education and Human Development, Waldron College of Health and Human Services, Visual and Performing Arts, and the College of Graduate and Extended Education.

Bro. George E. Dewese, 32°, K.C.C.H., is a member of the Scottish Rite Roanoke, Virginia, and a former member of the Scottish Rite Valley of Tokyo, Japan. He and his wife, Matsue, live in Shawsville, Virginia, and are retired employees of General Electric in nearby Salem. They met when he was stationed with the U. S. Army in Japan and worked in the Corps of Engineers and the Signal Corps. He retired from the service in 1969 and worked for G.E. until his retirement in 1989. Then in 1996, his wife, Matsue, retired from G.E. Their most recent gift of $600,000, combined with their earlier gifts totalling $400,000, establishes George and Matsue Dewese as Supreme Temple Architects. An original oil painting of Bro. Dewese is the most recent addition to the portraits in the Hall of Honor at the House of the Temple (see photo above); the Deweses' names have been added to the Gold Book of Recognition kept on display in the House of the Temple Library; and a plaque honoring them will soon be mounted in the Pillars of Charity Alcove in the House of the Temple.

The Deweses started their scholarship initiative in March 1997, when they established The George Everett and Matsue Yamazaki Endowed Scholarship Fund at Radford University. This endowment assists students from Montgomery County, Virginia, with a preference given to students from rural areas of Virginia, Shawsville High School, and Auburn High School who pursue a major in Radford University's College of Business and Economics.

In 1998, Bro. Dewese and his wife committed to a second scholarship fund at Radford University named in honor of George Dewese's parents. The Ninevah Broombaugh Dewese and Daisy Ellen Dewese Endowed Scholarship Fund benefits students from Allegheny County and Covington High Schools who plan to pursue a business-related degree at Radford University. Then, in 2000, George and Matsue Dewese donated another $100,000 to the Radford University Foundation to endow The George Everett and Matsue Yamazaki Dewese Scottish Rite Graduate Fellowship Endowment. That endowment assists graduate students in the Virginia school's communication sciences and disorders program and enhances the mission of the program and its associated speech and hearing clinic, which conducts a Summer Language Program supported by the Virginia Scottish Rite Foundation each year.

Ill. David Kruger, 33°, S.G.I.G. in Virginia and Grand Secretary General of the Supreme Council (right), welcomes Bro. George E. Dewese, 32°, K.C.C.H., and his wife, Matsue, as guests of honor to the Scottish Rite Conference of Virginia in Danville, Virginia, September 27, 2002. Photo: Mary Ann Cole

Wanting to find a way to benefit Radford University and the Scottish Rite Foundation, S.J., the Deweses endowed scholarships reflecting their interest in business because they want to give young people an opportunity that they never had themselves--the opportunity to go to college. Bro. Dewese remembers when he was a youngster living on the outskirts of Covington, Virginia, when it was not unusual for his father to walk three to five miles to work. Work was scarce, but his father "believed in brute force. If it was hard, he'd tackle it." His father did farm work and was employed at various times by West Virginia Pulp and Paper Company and Industrial Rayon Corporation. Bro. Dewese's mother was a full-time homemaker to him, his two brothers and his sister. Bro. George says he learned charity at home through the example of his parents. He remembers that his father started out supporting a boys' home in Covington. Although Bro. Dewese's own family had little money, he recalls that his, "Dad used to give them a dollar when he had it. He would get letters from a number of charities that needed funds, and every six months, he would sit down with all the letters and send $1.00 to the needy charities who wrote to him. A dollar wasn't much, but it was all he had." The family's charitable tradition continues through Bro. Dewese, who says, "I know there are children in Covington who are borderline cases who can't go to college. Maybe this will help them over the hump. I was poor as I could be when I was over there. I went to school many times with patches over patches. My hope is they will return home and work to benefit others." On behalf of the Scottish Rite Foundation, Southern Jurisdiction, we thank George and Matsue Dewese for their continuing generosity.

To learn more about the Scottish Rite Pooled Income Fund, click here. For a chart illustrating Scottish Rite Foundation, S.J., USA, Charitable Gift Annuity Rates–Single Life, please click here.

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Barbara Golden is the Director of Planned Giving for the Development Office of the Supreme Council. Barbara is an attorney with experience in tax, corporate, and commercial real estate law. She managed a non-profit legal services organization for several years and has extensive experience in fundraising, grant writing, and program operations.

Ill. Thomas M. Boles, 33°, G.C. (left in photo) has worked extensively in fund-raising for children's programs throughout our Fraternity. For more information on planned giving, call Bro. Tom at 562–691–4227 (Fax 562–691–5327) or the Scottish Rite Foundation, Southern Jurisdiction, U.S.A., at 202–232–3579, ext. 143. Ill. Earl E. Ihle, Jr., 33°, is our development team's Director of Major Gifts. He has been a member of the Fraternity for 25 years and served in 1978 as Master of Lafayette Lodge, No. 111, Baltimore, Maryland. He is also a member of Boumi Shrine Temple in Baltimore, the York Rite, and a dual member of the Scottish Rite Valleys of Baltimore and Washington, D.C. You can reach Bro. Ihle toll free at 1–800–486–3331, ext. 143.