Dick E. Browning, 33°

The Scottish Rite Freemasons of Little Rock, Arkansas, helped their local Boy Scout Council raise $200,000 for its 2005 budget.

These generous principles are to extend further:
Every human being has a claim upon your kind offices.
Do good unto all.…
— Charge at closing a Master’s Lodge
Arkansas Monitor

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Business leaders attend a luncheon for Scouting at the Albert Pike Scottish Rite Temple in Little Rock, Arkansas.

If the goal of Freemasonry is to “take good men and make them better,” it is manifested in our service to others outside the Craft. Albert Pike expressed it best: “What we do for ourselves dies with us; what we do for others remains and is immortal.” For over three decades the Valley of Little Rock, Arkansas, has supported the Quapaw Area Council of the Boy Scouts of America. This past March that service was enhanced when the Valley hosted a Friends of Scouting luncheon at the Albert Pike Memorial Temple in Little Rock. These luncheons are fund-raising programs the Quapaw Council uses to increase the support of Scouting from leaders of the community not directly involved with Scouting.

On that Thursday more than 150 business leaders from central Arkansas came to the Temple to hear Jerry Jones, owner of the Dallas Cowboys, speak. Jones talked of his involvement in Scouting as a youth and the great lessons he learned from that experience. He related how those lessons had strengthened him and how we, as adults and leaders, must give back to Scouting. He, of course, also gave those attending a great “scouting report” on the Dallas Cowboys and its players!

The end result of this luncheon was that almost two hundred thousand dollars—yes, $200,000—was raised for the Boy Scouts. The event raised almost 20% of the yearly operating budget of the Council. For 2005, Scouting will be able to advance its teachings, instruction, and fun to the youth of Arkansas because of the Little Rock Scottish Rite.

Scouting and Masonry received favorable press coverage. The local ABC affiliate, KTHV 7, aired news of the event that evening. The Arkansas Democrat-Gazette, Arkansas’ largest newspaper, ran stories in the following day’s sports section, and several photographs and a story appeared in the Sunday edition.

Quapaw Area Council Scout Executive John Carman presents Ill. Dwane Treat, 33°, SGIG in Arkansas, the Honor Member award for outstanding service to Scouting.

Involvement in the community enhances Freemasonry’s image. Many of those attending this function remarked how they had passed by the Temple and wondered about its purpose. Business leaders, civic leaders, media representatives, and concerned citizens came together to serve the youth of their community and they did it in a place dedicated to morality, patriotism, and brotherhood.

Many books have been and continue to be written about Masonry. However, when we as Scottish Rite Masons put into practice the lessons taught by our degrees, then the community at large will begin to understand what it means to be a Mason. On that day in March, Arkansas Scottish Rite Freemasons affected the lives of the 14,000 youth served by the Quapaw Council of the Boy Scouts of America. We made a difference!

Ill. Dwane Treat, 33°, S.G.I.G. in Arkansas, was adamant in his support of this program. Our beautiful and historic Temple and an excellent noon meal were all provided by the Scottish Rite—with no cost to the Scouts. This allowed all the money raised that day to go to the Council. During the Arkansas Citizen of the Year luncheon the following month, Brother Treat and the Scottish Rite Masons of the Valley of Little Rock were recognized for their many years of outstanding service to Scouting. Quapaw Area Council Scout executive John Carman presented Treat with an Honor Member award on behalf of the Boy Scouts. This was a very special presentation. This year’s Scottish Rite Citizen of the Year for Arkansas is Ill. Doyle Rogers, 33°, who is also a past president of the Quapaw Area Council.

Dick E. Browning is a past Grand Master of Masons in Arkansas and Grand Lodge librarian. He is a contributor to Heredom and co-author of the book They Made a Difference ... Arkansas’ Freemasons. He has been active in Scouting for 45 years and is currently Council Commissioner for the Quapaw Area Council, BSA. He received Scouting’s Silver Beaver Award and the Daniel Carter Beard Award for service to Scouting by a Freemason. He is the national advertising manager of the Arkansas Democrat-Gazette, in Little Rock. Contact: dbrowning@ardemgaz.com.