Big splashes and excited screams of laughter, the distinct scents of sunblock and barbeque, the sizzle of burgers and hot dogs on the grill—it was all there in abundance Aug. 20, when 18 young residents of Macon’s Masonic Home of Georgia (MHG) visited Oconee Springs Park. They and several MHG staff members were there as annual guests of Eatonton’s Rising Star Lodge #4, signifying the fourth-oldest continuously operating Mason’s lodge in the country.
Local treasurer Roger Vining explained the Eatonton chapter was established in 1818 as Lodge #33, but as others periodically or permanently closed nationwide, Eatonton climbed the longevity list, now trailing only the originals at Savannah and Augusta, and nearby Milledgeville—though its claim to third remains in question.
“Yeah, there’s a little bit of friendly dispute over who’s three and who’s four, depending on when the charters were signed, but we’re officially fourth,” Vining conceded. “And I doubt very seriously that we’ll ever go any higher.”
Each year, all Masons and their respective lodges contribute financially to the operations and upkeep of the Masonic Home of Georgia. Established in 1905, it has taken care of more than 2,200 children since that time.
It currently consists of a central administration building, with five “cottages” surrounding it on 650 acres.
Currently, just 18 kids are housed at MHG, but it can house many more when the need arises, Director of Home Life Chris Babcock said.
“If we had every cottage open we could have 40 kids, eight kids in each cottage,” Babcock said.
“And they all have their own room, their own bathroom, just so it is their own space and everything that comes with that.”
Babcock explained MHG is a “basic care” facility, intended only to provide food, clothing, shelter, and education.
It is not a rehabilitation center or punitive-stay facility, he emphasized.
Babcock said most residents arrive from broken homes, either through divorce, parent deaths, removals from homes or other catastrophic family situations.
“But we don't take any kind of guardianship or custody or anything like that,” he clarified. “All these kids have a legal guardian that places them with us. There is an application process. Once we get an application, we gather information about that kid’s schooling and, you know, psychological, emotional situations, different things like that.
And then we kind of meet to determine if we can help serve that child.”
Residents at MHG range in age from a minimum five years old to their late teens, sometimes even into their early 20s. Among the unique benefits MHG provides is paid-for education at private schools, from kindergarten through high school, and even into college or university, so long as the resident remains within the program. And if the child is deemed not ready for their appropriate grade level, Babcock said MHG has a comprehensive home-schooling program that can carry a student all the way through high school.
“We started working with Winfield Academy and we had our first homeschool graduate last year,” Babcock said. “She finished the homeschool program as a high school senior, so we held a little graduation ceremony out there in front of the home for her. It was a lot of fun for everyone.”
After 33 years with MHG, Babcock said his most memorable experience with schooling came through a girl who arrived at just eight years old.
“She worked her way through school until graduating from Mount eSales Academy, then went to the University of Georgia, got her bachelor’s degree, then stayed at UGA and got her master's in social work.
And the Masonic Home supported her the entire way,” he added proudly.
“And now it's kind of fun to see the field she's in is the helping people field.
So, I think she learned a lot from us helping her and kind of went into that field, too.”
It’s not all success stories, though, Babcock admitted. He said the COVID pandemic changed a lot, especially regarding enrolment, but he’s also seen a significant change in attitude and willingness to engage from some of the home’s residents.
“You know, if the kids didn't have problems, they wouldn't be with us.
So, as they come along, a lot of it's just behavior problems, simple behavior problems,” Babcock explained. “We work with the schools, too, we’ve got really good relationships with all the schools we use to where if a kid gets a detention or something like that, they're gonna’ let us know, that kind of thing.
“So, we kind of handle the discipline aspect as things occur and they get consequences for their actions. And that's what we try to teach and preach more than anything.
You know, to make good choices. You make good choices, you're not in trouble; you make bad choices, you're gonna’ get in trouble. I mean, it's kind of what every kid needs to learn, really.”
Beyond the funding from Georgia’s approximately 400 Masonic lodges and more than 45,000 Masons, the Masonic Home of Georgia relies on the generosity of donors. As a registered nonprofit it can provide tax receipts and over the years has greatly benefited from several large donations and bequeathments, Babcock said.
“We love having the kids from the Masonic Home come out here for a good time on the water. We also want to thank everyone at Oconee Springs Park.
They’ve been really good to us out here and I know the kids had a great time, too,” Eatonton’s Vining said.
“You know, I’m proud of being a Mason, especially at times like this. And if anyone around Putnam (County) is interested in joining us, they just have to speak with any current Mason; that’s the first step.”