When a brother is raised to the sublime degree of Master Mason a bond is created and through their Masonic life this bond becomes stronger and more refined.

Through our years we find an outlet to perform good works and to create with-in our craft a forum for great accomplishments.

During these years we feel compassion, pride, achievement, wisdom loss and at times grief.

The Lodge helps us build upon these emotions and help decipher with-in our hearts how to make these feelings become potent enforcers in our lives.

This is a growth process that does not happen exclusively in our Masonic life. As men we are not capable to limit growth to only one part of a calendar. Instead we find a part of our lives that is so much more potent so valued with-in us that this part of our life chisels us from the inside out. It is what fills our years with more then purpose, more then just a step towards enlightenment; it completes us with Love and Support.

This incredible gift that we carry with-in us is our families. Our wives, children, partners.

Our sons and daughters see us come home dressed in suits and pins, sweat upon our foreheads, pins upon our chests and rings wrapped upon our fingers. They look at us and all of these adornments are faded away. They are only able to see a pathway in our eyes. A pathway that leads them to true love. They want to be like us. They love us for who we are. These children grow up benefiting from the principles that we learn from our craft. They not only benefit from us refining ourselves they feed this growth inside each of us men.

What happens to these children when we as Fathers, when we s Masons pass on into the Great Architects plans of another existence?

Our wives, our partners, our lovers open their eyes each and every morning, each and ever night in the dark hours, roll over and see a man that they love. That they live to grow with and who they undeniably support each and every waking hour of their lives.

These are the women who give us strength, strength that we cannot receive alone. They give us a duality to ourselves a part of our consciousness that keeps us in check, keeps us potent.

As the years go by and the schematics of life draw lines upon our brows and time calls us to the quarries to work and learn our wives, our darling wives are with us. They are in the 15-second pause between the spreading of mortar to stone when we look up to the sky and they overwhelm us with pride and a sense of purpose. They are with us when our jobs are shaky and remind us that we need to be strong, not for just ourselves but for that person. That blessed being that looks at us and sees acceptance and gratitude.

Throughout our Masonic lives we go to events, we bring our spouses they break bread with our brothers and toast with our brothers wives. Each meeting our brothers ask “how is your wife how is your family?” These amazing women become members of our craft in their own right.

One day we may close our eyes and their eyes are still open. The beautiful beings have had a little bit of darkness grow and cloud their vision. This darkness consumes their tears and can leave them to go forward missing apart of who they have become.

We as brothers benefit from having these amazing spouses and children in our lives. We know that they are who helped build the brother who stands before us, the brother who we laugh with during collations and charitable events.

When we pass away what happens to these pillars of our lives.

The unfortunate truth is that many times they can become separated from the lodge. A staple of their lives for 5, 10, 20, 50 or 60 years. It is too easy for them to be forgotten.

Kosciuszko lodge recognizes this and embraces our widows and orphans. They are an important part of what has created this wonderful lodge. We support our grand lodge of NY to embrace our widows and orphans and there are many tools available to us as brothers to help keep our spouses and children with-in our fold.

Kosciuszko lodge is known for its letters and visits to these important people. Each year they continue this practice and each year they are not forgotten.

The Grand Lodge of NY has additional resources in place such as the Masonic Brotherhood Fund and the Masonic Care community. We have our Independent retirement community at Acacia Village with their health Pavilions and rehabilitation facilities that we along with our spouses can utilize. Acacia Village also supports the utilization of Home Care. These are important ingredients to keeping our widows supported and capable of maintaining fulfilling lives in their later years.

The Surviving Spouse and Loved ones committees helps foster a connection between the Grand Lodge and our love ones. With letters, calls and visits. Most importantly an open ear to our surviving loved ones. A shoulder to help support then through the rest of their lives.

In addition the grand lodge has tools for our youth such as their Youth committee and Camp Turk.

The Youth committee can be a resource to help our surviving children grow and develop into men after we have passed as well as when we are alive.

Many of these great programs are available on the Grand Lodge of NY web page and we welcome you to read up on these great resources that are available to us.

If you are a surviving loved one of a brother of Kosciuszko lodge and have lost touch with us please feel free to contact our secretary. His contact information is on our main Lodge web Page.

If you are a widow or child of a brother who has passed from another lodge please feel free to contact us as well and we will do everything in our power to connect you with your loved one's lodge.

Being a Mason is a grand adventure, being a husband and a Father is a gift.

Eric LaMarca