Masonry And Habitat For Humanity In Tennessee

Thomas Boduch, M.D., 32°, K.C.C.H.
PO BOX 1030
Kingston, Tennessee, 37763

Photo: Since 1996, as part of its Vision 2013 Masonic Renewal Movement, the Grand Lodge of Tennessee has partnered with Habitat for Humanity to build one home per year for a "partner family" whose own work, "sweat equity," has gone into construction of the building. Pictured at right is the 1998 home built in Blount County, Tennessee.
According to recent U.S. census data, over 30 million U. S. families live in inadequate, substandard housing. In order to help rectify this situation, in 1976 Millard and Linda Fuller founded Habitat for Humanity International (HFHI). This organization is a nonprofit, ecumenical Christian housing ministry which works in partnership with people in need to build and renovate decent, affordable housing. The houses then are sold to those in need, Habitat's partner families, at no profit and with no interest charged. Partner families invest hundreds of hours of their own labor, "sweat equity," into building their homes and the homes of others. Their mortgage payments go into a revolving Fund for Humanity that is used to build more houses.

Habitat's work in the United States is accomplished by affiliates, independent, nonprofit 501(c)(3) organizations organized by local citizens and operated with local boards and local volunteers. There are nearly 1,500 U.S. affiliates spread among all 50 states and the District of Columbia. Hundreds of thousands of volunteers provide most of the labor, and faithful individual and corporate donors provide the money and materials to build HFH houses. This month, during its annual Building On Faith Week, HFHI will dedicate the 85,000th house worldwide. The 100,000 house will be dedicated in September 2000 as part of the 2000 Jimmy Carter Work Project.

Since Habitat's founding, many Masons have assisted local Habitat affiliates with fund-raising, house construction, and by serving on boards and committees. These efforts were usually done by an individual Brother, or in conjunction with a church or employer-organized effort. Rarely were they undertaken by a Lodge or other Masonic Body.

In 1996, as part of its VISION 2013 Masonic Renewal Movement, the Grand Lodge of Tennessee undertook an ambitious project to cultivate a statewide partnership between the state's Lodges, Masonic Bodies, and Tennessee's Habitat affiliates. (See related Scottish Rite Journal articles of June 1998, pp. 49–52 and May 1999, pp. 54–56). This partnership is directed by a Task Force consisting of Bro. Tom Boduch 32°, K.C.C.H., Ill. Bill Whisel, 33° (current Venerable Master of the Memphis Scottish Rite Bodies), and Bro. Dan Welch, 32°.

In addition to assisting local affiliates, Tennessee's Masons have committed to sponsoring and building at least one house annually in partnership with an affiliate located in the current Grand Master's home region. This effort is called the Grand Master's Work Project (GMWP) and is patterned after Habitat's annual Jimmy Carter Work Project (JCWP). The JCWP is led by former President Carter and is an effort which not only builds houses in an area of need, but also calls attention to the problems of poverty housing and serves as a catalyst to inspire future Habitat building efforts. The Grand Master's Work Project additionally helps rekindle interest in Masonry in inactive Brothers, gives them an opportunity to put into action outside the walls of the Lodge those excellent lessons we teach within them, and makes Masonry more visible in our communities.

The first GMWP house was built in partnership with Blount County Habitat for Humanity during the summer of 1998. Blount County is located south of Knoxville and is home to six Blue Lodges, five Eastern Star Chapters, two York Rite Bodies, a Scottish Rite Club, and a Shrine Club. In 1997, Bros. Carl Reneau, 32°, and Larry Price, 32°, co-founded the Blount Masonic Council, an association of the county's Masonic Bodies, decided to combine resources and tackle challenging projects. The council was, therefore, eager to organize and build the first GMWP house.

Prior to the beginning construction, sponsorship money had to be raised. This was done by sales of GMWP lapel pins, T-shirts, a golf marathon, and direct appeal to Lodges and other Masonic Bodies. East Tennessee's Eastern Star Chapters alone contributed 20% of the necessary funds.

On June 4, 1998, despite near torrential rain, then Grand Master Walter E. Wininger, 33°, along with over 50 Masons, Eastern Star Sisters, and guests, gathered at the building site for a ground-breaking ceremony. The house's partner family (future homeowners), Raymond and Melinda Lambert and their three children, were also present. In order to qualify for home ownership, the Lamberts had already worked 300 sweat equity hours prior to the ground breaking.

M.W. Walter E. Wininger, 33°, then Grand Master, Grand Lodge of Tennessee, presents the Lambert family with a Bible and the keys to their new home, a statewide project of Freemasonry and Habitat for Humanity in 1998.

Over the next month, the site was prepared and a foundation built. On July 3, 20 Brethren, representing seven Lodges (including three Worshipful Masters and three Secretaries of Blount County Lodges) constructed the subfloor and built wall sections. Two weeks later, 29 Brethren representing 11 Lodges and eight guests framed the house. Then Grand Master Wininger and several other Grand Officers took part in the framing effort. Ten Brethren drove more than two hours to reach the building site.

Accompanied by Bro. Jimmy Turner, 32°, and Mr. James DeCouta (Construction supervisor, Jackson HFH), Bro. Bill Whisel traveled over 300 miles to plumb the house. Over the next few weeks, many Masons and Eastern Star sisters installed vinyl siding, doors, trim, shingled the roof, built a storage shed, and painted the interior. Finally, all the work was done, and on Sunday September 20, then Grand Master Wininger presided at a dedication ceremony, culminating with his presenting the Lambert family with keys to their new home (photo left).

This project was a great success and enjoyed immense, diverse support. Nearly 1,000 individual donors (both in state and out of state, Masons and non-Masons alike) contributed to help fund the project. Nearly 100 different Masons or members of our Masonic family were directly involved as operative builders.

Future Grand Master's Work Projects will take place in Henderson and Obion Counties (1999), Wilson County (2000), Roane County (2001), and Tipton County (2002). For more information, please visit www.gmwp.org, or contact the author of this article, Program Director Tom Boduch 423–919–4095 or e-mail webmaster@gmwp.org. For information about a Habitat affiliate near you, visit www.habitat.org or call 1-800-HABITAT.

  Thomas Boduch, M.D.
was born in Springfield, Mass., graduated from the University of Vermont College of Medicine in 1979, served in the U.S. Air Force from 1979-84 attaining the rank of Captain, has worked as an Emergency Room Physician, and is now in private practice in Kingston, Tennessee, specializing in Family Practice. He was raised in Union Lodge No. 38 in Kingston, Tennessee, served as Master in 1995 and 1996, and served the Grand Lodge as Grand Marshal in 1997. A member of the Valley of Knoxville since 1991, he received the K.C.C.H. in 1997. He is also a member of the York Rite Bodies, Shrine, Order of Quetzalcoatl, Eastern Star, Amaranth, National Sojourners Inc., Tall Cedars of Lebanon, Philalethes Society, and Royal Order of Scotland. In addition to chairing the Vision 2013 Habitat Task Force, he is serving as president of Roane County (TN) Habitat for Humanity Inc.