Gift to Masonic Home for Children Honors, Engages Past, Present, and Future WC Graduates

     Founded fourteen years ago, Wilkerson College continues as part of the Grand Lodge of Ancient Free and Accepted Masons in North Carolina. The College’s simple premise – to provide Freemasonry with the best trained leaders possible. And for over a decade and a half they have done just that, facilitating three training sessions per year for Junior Wardens aspiring to lead their Lodges as Masters in the future. For The Masonic Home for Children’s part, the Home has annually hosted one of those sessions allowing these Masons, many for the first time, to experience the product of their charity and to witness those young lives helped with a home and hope through the work in their very own Lodges.

     In recognizing the Home’s place in their program of learning and in supporting the charitable nature that is vital to the Home’s survival and success in the future, Wilkerson College, Chancellor Dr. William Brunk, Dean, William Dill, and members of the Wilkerson College Regents and Officers proposed one year ago the creation of a permanent area of fellowship and learning. The area, to be funded by the charity of the College’s officers, participants, and classes as well as any dedicated to MHCO and its mission, would be constructed for the purpose of not only facilitating the “Wilkerson College Experience” with each visiting session for years to come, but to create a vehicle for philanthropy and function for the state’s first children’s home, recognizing those important to the future of both Masonic treasures in North Carolina.

     At the center of the area, a flame, more specifically a fire pit, for gathering together in the pursuit of knowledge, learning, camaraderie, or simply recreation, for visitors and residents alike. On February 5, 2016, Dean Dill, with the assistance of Administrator Kevin Otis and members of the Wilkerson College Class of 2016 dedicated the new area, fire pit and plaza. In dedicating the area Dean Dill spoke to the class of 36 present and several dozen guests, of the basic idea and formation of Wilkerson College, fourteen years ago, and the principles of those men who started its formation. He spoke of how the newly constructed fire pit dedicated on this night on the campus of the Home symbolized the college’s original intent of learning through fellowship, sharing the “light of knowledge” with one another. It noted that this place at our Children’s Home was a permanent reminder of the strength of our fraternity and how it has cradled our Home and charities like it through the fellowship of education and the principles of the Masonic fraternity and how Wilkerson College encompassed both. The area, he said, was here to serve all that needed it and would stand to host future classes of Masonic Leaders, donors, friends, alumni, and young lives.

     The Home and Wilkerson College have opportunities for sponsorship of the plaza and fire pit through the purchase of pavers and benches. For more information on donating to the project and its continued growth, including name recognition for you, a family member, or other person in your life, contact the MHCO Financial Development Department at 919-603-3901 or crichards@mhc-oxford.org. For more information on Wilkerson College or to have your Lodge participate in future classes, please visit http://www.wilkersoncollege.com/index.html.