It’s all about living up to faith, hope, and charity and members of Webster’s Masonic Lodge abided by that credo on Monday, February 22, when they provided more than 80 meals to local police, fire, and emergency service and dispatch personnel. Steaming hot containers of homemade potato leek soup as well as individually wrapped sandwiches were delivered to these essential service members of the Webster community.

The service project was the brainchild of Webster chapter Lodge Master Mike Chiler. 

Richard Clark, Junior Warden and previously Master of the Webster Lodge, said “We discussed a number of community outreach activities. Mike Chiler was the one who got us motivated. It was his idea. He wanted to do a service for our community, presented it well, and we all felt it was a great idea. Our members came up with a menu and it all came together.”

Mr. Chiler owns a successful food business in Webster, Mike’s Crunchies and Munchies, and it appears to be a natural fit for him to offer up some of the delicious items on his menu. 

Mr. Chiler explained that the Masons’ officers had discussed how they could serve the local community by doing a good service. “We knew of the sacrifices made by our first responders,” he said. “They are always there for all of us when we need them and what better way to thank them for their valuable services? We recently celebrated George Washington’s birthday and since President Washington was a Mason, we felt this was an appropriate act of kindness for our town’s most important assets.”  

“The Webster Masonic Lodge is the oldest fraternal organization in Webster,” said Mr. Clark. “Our mission is faith, hope, and charity and we try to provide men with an opportunity to interact with others and live up to our mission statement. There have been 14 U.S. Presidents and 30 Supreme Court Justices who have been Mason members. The organization grew out of the Enlightenment to share ideas. In Masonry there is no religious test—it is to believe in a Supreme Being. In 1733 when it was founded in Massachusetts, the religious aspect was unavailable to people of that time.” 

For more information about the Massachusetts Masons group, you may visit www.massmasons.org or contact Richard Clark at (508) 858-9625.