Page 162 - Cornelius Hedges Story

149 The Cornelius Hedges Story

Masonic Home Efforts

During the closing years of Cornelius Hedges’ life, the
establishment of a Masonic Home in Montana became of prime
importance to him, and the cause in turn received more than ample
support from him. The memorial to Judge Hedges, printed in the
1907 Grand Lodge Proceedings, summarizes his most important
contribution to the Home:

“The efforts of his later years have been devoted to furthering the
cause of Masonic charity, and especially the work of building a
Masonic Home in Montana. By his writings and conversation
he inspired a brother of the jurisdiction to devise a large estate,
the income of which is to be used for the support of a home for
aged and infirm Masons and Masonic widows and orphans.”499
The brother “who was inspired by Hedges to provide major financial
support for the Masonic Home was David Auchard.” Hedges first
met with Dave Auchard to discuss the Masonic Home on November
1, 1889.500
Although Hedges saw a true need for a Masonic Home, he
cautioned those who would think that the Home would replace
all other forms of charity, both by individuals and by lodges. This
excerpt from his “Report on Fraternal Correspondence” for 1891,
expresses his concern in more detail:
“It will seem too many ungracious to breathe a doubt of
propriety of the present tendency to build and endow Masonic
Homes, some of them luxurious retreats of comfort and ease.
Some jurisdictions need Home vastly more than others and
some that need them most are least able to comply with the
prevailing fashion. Let it be remembered that a Home of the
kind now being generally built can at the most only provide
for a small portion of those who call for and most need
charity. Most only need partial temporary relief which can
be provided more cheaply than transportation to a Home at
any considerable distance. When one member of a family
needs help, say the head of the family, the Home would not
supply the need. For single persons, permanently disabled
a Home with constant kind attention would perhaps be
better than some hospitals, but for the few such it would be