Louis John Caruso, 32°, KCCH

Cathleen Whigham will complete 60 years of faithful service in 2006 with the
New Orleans Scottish Rite Valley.

January 19, 1946, appeared to be a routine day at the Scottish Rite in New Orleans. According to the local newspaper, it was cloudy and rain was imminent. However, the routine would soon change for Ill. Edward Cunny, 33°, then the Valley Secretary. As he was tending to his duties, in through the door walked a bright energetic young lady who was smiling from ear to ear. Ill. Cunny asked, “What can I do for you young lady?” She said her name was Cathleen Whigham, “with a C and not a K,” and added that she had come to bring some joy and happiness to his life. He responded with a chuckle and wanted to know just how she was hoping to do that. Cathleen informed him she was looking for employment, and that if he hired her he would never regret doing so. Bro. Cunny laughed and said, “Young lady, I like your mettle. You have my vote, but I have to present it to the Hiring Committee.”

Miss Whigham soon appeared before the Hiring Committee, composed of 13 members of the Consistory, and immediately won them over with her bright smile and sunny disposition. It wouldn’t be appropriate to give her age at that time, but let’s just say that with today’s regulations, the good brothers would probably have received a summons for violating the country’s Child Labor Laws!

During her 59-year and 10-month tenure with the New Orleans Scottish Rite, Miss Cathleen Whigham has trained a total of seven Scottish Rite Secretaries in the performance of their duties. Each and every one of them has prospered under her guidance and has performed in an outstanding manner to her satisfaction. She was with us before the advent of the electric typewriter, the fax machine, and the computer, but she has made good use of those as they became available. Miss Whigham possesses a wealth of knowledge about the Scottish Rite and is always prepared to consult with anyone looking for such information. She is a walking encyclopedia of the New Orleans Scottish Rite Valley.

Miss Whigham personally knows or remembers each and every one of the members of our Valley (past and present), and at one time or another has assisted them in their travels through life. It is not surprising that anyone who has passed through the doors of the New Orleans Scottish Rite Consistory has never forgotten Cathleen Whigham. She is there each and every day, rain or shine, hot or cold. Every person who has visited the New Orleans Valley fondly remembers meeting Miss Whigham.

The New Orleans Scottish Rite Valley, located at 619 Carondelet St., New Orleans, Louisiana, is the oldest Valley in continuous existence today. The building was constructed in 1850, and has been placed on the National Register of Historic Places. It was purchased by the Grand Consistory of Louisiana on May 1, 1905, and has been our domicile since then.

We hope that Miss Cathleen Whigham will be with us for many more years and will continue to bring her special kind of sunshine into our lives. We were fortunate when she decided to seek employment with the New Orleans Scottish Rite, for she has indeed brought joy and happiness to our lives, as well as dedication and devotion to her job. She is definitely the “Lady of our Valley.”

Epilogue

This article was written in the summer of 2005 in anticipation of Miss Whigham’s 60th anniversary with the New Orleans Scottish Rite. Little could we foresee the devastation of hurricane Katrina. Miss Whigham is a hardy soul and had decided to weather the hurricane in her apartment. However, high winds blew the roof off and the waters started rising. This was too much for even a seasoned New Orleans resident, so she waded out to her car and drove out of the city before the levee broke and the flood waters came in. She drove west for five days until she arrived at Tucson to stay with her brother. She is well, but understandably upset because she lost everything. The brothers in New Orleans are also upset that their “Lady of the Valley” is not with them. They have promised to find Miss Whigham another apartment and look forward to her homecoming, which will signal the start of a return to normalcy.