Donor Profile: Bro.
William J. "Butch"
Giles, KCCH

Earl E. Ihle, Jr., 33°
Director of Development

Photo: ©Maxwell MacKenzie, Washington, D.C.

This article profiles Bro. William J. “Butch” Giles, Jr., KCCH, in recognition of his recent very generous gift.

This month we are profiling Bro. William J. “Butch” Giles, Jr., KCCH, who has donated $1,000,000 to the Scottish Rite Foundation, Southern Jurisdiction, in the form of a pledge to be satisfied by a bequest in his will.

The donation will support the charitable purposes of the Foundation, including the RiteCare Childhood Language Program, scholarships, and national disaster relief. Brother Giles also has donated a portion of his estate to the Knights Templar Eye Foundation and has established the William J. “Butch” Giles Fund to benefit the Eye Foundation. Bro. Giles takes great pride in being a Freemason, and his generosity is a testament to his adherence to Masonic principles. In recognition of his generosity, an original oil portrait of Bro. Giles (see front cover) has been received into the new Pillars of Charity Portrait Gallery at the House of the Temple.

Brother Giles was born in Beaumont, Jefferson County, Texas, on September 11, 1948, to William and Estelle Giles. He has one sister, Frances, a former nurse, who lives in Austin, Texas. He also has an aunt in Austin, Texas, whom he and his sister, Frances, visit whenever he is in Austin. He notes, “She is like a second mother to me and Frances, and we try to see her as often as possible.” When he is not attending Masonic occasions or functions at the Veterans of Foreign Wars, Bro. Giles spends time with his daughter, Teri Michele Stark, and her two children, Chelsea Rene Fults and Justin Michael Fults. Bro. Giles’s son, Carl Wayne “Bubba” Stark, was killed in a car accident in 1992. That tragedy brought Bro. Giles even closer to his daughter and grandchildren. As a child, Bro. Giles was poor. His parents struggled to make ends meet, but Bro. Giles says, “Like most other kids in Beaumont, we never knew we were poor. We were like everybody else in our town. And like most children, we made do with what we had and didn’t know what we were missing, so we were happy.” According to Bro. Giles, his father had been orphaned early in life, lived in numerous homes, and had a very hard life. But, he always encouraged his own children to make a better life for themselves. Bro. Giles promised to do just that. And, given how he has lived his life, Bro. Giles kept that promise.

Bro. William J. "Butch" Giles, KCCH Pillars of Charity Portrait Gallery painting

After attending public high schools in Beaumont, Bro. Giles joined the U.S. Army and served two tours in Vietnam. Upon his return from the war, Bro. Giles attended and graduated from Lee College in Baytown, Texas, with an Associate of Science degree in Police Science. Then, he attended Sam Houston State University in Huntsville, Texas, graduating in 1978 with a Bachelor of Science in Criminal Justice. After graduation, he went into law enforcement, spending his first two years as a police officer in Vidor, Texas; his next two years as Deputy Sheriff in the Orange County, Texas, Sheriff’s Office; and seven years with the Police Department in Baytown, Texas. After 11 years as a police officer, Bro. Giles was recruited by Exxon Mobil Corporation to serve as security supervisor in Baytown, Texas. Bro. Giles enjoyed his work at Exxon Mobil, where he regularly handled difficult cases and investigations. He worked closely with the company’s legal department and often testified in court. He retired from Exxon Mobil on September 1, 2003, after more than 22 years of service.

Bro. Giles’s main interests are Masonic. He is very active in the Scottish Rite and strongly involved with the Veterans of Foreign Wars. Brother Giles was raised a Master Mason in Baytown Lodge #1357, A.F.&A.M., Baytown, Texas, and was its Worshipful Master in 2001-02. Currently, he serves as Treasurer of the Lodge. He is also a member of Sampson Lodge #231, Highlands, Texas, and Hubert Lodge #67, Chappell Hill, Texas. A member since 1976 in the Valley of Houston, Texas, he was invested with the Rank and Decoration of a Knight Commander Court of Honour in November 2003. He is a participating member of a great number of Allied Bodies and has been honored by many of them, including the International Order of DeMolay, Arabia Shrine, Order of the Amaranth, Grand College of Rites for the United States of America, and Masonic Service Association of North America. He is also an active member of the York Rite, Red Cross of Constantine, Royal Order of Scotland, Allied Masonic Degrees, and St. Lawrence Seaway Assemblage of the Operatives. His interest in Masonic scholarship is evident in his participation as a Life Member in the Texas Lodge of Research, Philalethes Society, and Scottish Rite Research Society. Bro. Giles traveled to Kanata, Canada, for a meeting of the Operatives, and, on the way, took the opportunity of visiting Ottawa, Quebec, and much of the northeastern United States, including the George Washington Masonic National Memorial in Alexandria, Virginia. The beauty of this trip so impressed him that he vowed to visit every continental state in the United States.

As Freemasonry has meant so much to Bro. Giles, he felt it only fitting to leave a wonderful gift to the Scottish Rite Foundation, S.J., as his lasting legacy and as a tribute to the charitable work of his fellow Scottish Rite Brethren. Thank you, Brother Giles!

- Our Development Team -

Barbara G. Golden, Esq., is the team's Director of Planned Giving. 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 fund-raising, grant writing, and program operations. Contacts: Tel. 202-777-3163; Fax 202-884-0183; or call 1-866-GIVESRF (448-3773) Toll Free; bgolden@srmason-sj.org.

Earl E. Ihle, Jr., 33°, is the team's Director of Development. He has been a member of the Fraternity for 30 years and served in 1978 as Master of Lafayette Lodge, #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. Contacts: Tel. 202-777-3143; Fax 202-884-0183; or call 1-866-RITECARE (748-3227) Toll Free; eihle@srmason-sj.org. Dr.Thomas M. Boles, GC, is the team's Advisor on Philanthropies. A member of the Los Angeles, San Francisco, and Santa Ana Valleys, he has worked extensively in fund-raising for children's programs throughout our Fraternity. Contacts: Tel. 562-691-4227; Fax 562-691-5327; or call 1-800-SRMASON (776-2766) Toll Free; tboles@srmason-sj.org.