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OMH Alumni Reunion set for September 2014

Few things exemplify the Masonic ideals of Care, Compassion and Concern more than the sixty years the Ohio Masonic Home served as a safe haven to nearly 750 children in need of a loving home. Not a traditional orphanage, the Ohio Masonic Home offered shelter, care and kindness to sons and daughters of Masons who were simply unable to support them or who had passed on. The friendship and benevolence the child residents found there inspired them to form an Alumni Association. Meeting every two years, these friends gather to reminisce, enjoying fond memories of times gone by. Over the past 113 years, the Alumni Association has not forgotten any of its 437 brothers or 303 sisters. They have prayed for the 19 brave young men who served in World War I and the 126 fearless men and women who fought for freedom in World War II. They mourned the eight who did not return from battle and celebrated the 11 weddings of alumni to other alumni. The first reunion was held on July 4, 1901 and brought together 26 alumni who had first called the Springfield campus home. Although children no longer roam the halls, there is certainly no shortage of memories. Dick Snow, alumnus, remembers summers in particular. Girls and boys were kept separate most of the time which meant separate living quarters, playgrounds, and even swimming pools. “Sometimes we would sneak over to the girls’ pool because it was better than ours,” Dick remarked. The swimming pools may have been a source of minor contention, but there was still plenty to do. The Ohio Masonic Home’s children had a band, a choir, football and baseball teams, and even a working farm. Children with little to nothing could grow up in a healthy environment with no shortage of love and acceptance and certainly no shortage of fun and friends. This year’s Alumni Reunion will be held at the Ohio Masonic Home’s Springfield Masonic Community campus on Saturday, September 6, 2014.

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