Born to Ride, Privileged to Serve
Brother Bill Harding, P.M., Lodge No. 9, Warminster, is responsible for locating and recognizing all the Masonic widows throughout District 8, a job that he takes very seriously.
Bill is an avid bike rider and, instead of driving a car, regularly rides his bike to visit widows at their homes to make them aware of the Masonic Widows’ Guild. In some cases, he presents them with a Blue Slipper Pin, a universal symbol among Masons that identifies the wearer as the widow of a Mason.
It’s not unusual for Bill, 67, to ride a 30 to 40-mile loop each day, mapping the widows’ locations with the help of Google. He does not own a smartphone, nor does he use a navigation system. He prefers to write down the addresses on paper in order of proximity.
In addition to serving as Chairman of his lodge’s Widows’ Committee, Bill assists the other seven lodges in the district with locating their widows in southeast Pennsylvania and New Jersey.
After obtaining a widows’ list from the Lodge Secretary, Bill methodically verifies addresses and phone numbers on a large paper spreadsheet, which he updates using different colored highlighters. Sometimes, he learns that a widow may have recently moved to an
assisted living facility or in other cases, is deceased; in these situations, he updates the records.
After his initial visit, Bill maintains contact with the widows by calling and sending out invitations to movie nights, picnics and other events. During the holidays, he delivers boxes of chocolates to the widows by strapping a case to his bike’s carrier.
Linda M. Jackson, Director of Philanthropic and Widows Support with the Masonic Outreach Program, said other lodges are doing good work in honoring their widows, but nothing as unique as what Bill is doing. With her support, Bill has developed a resource guide to train officers and widows’ representatives from each lodge.
“It’s initially a tough job, so I have been performing the physical visits,” Bill said, which he has found to be the most effective way to reach widows.
“I want to ensure that this important work is completed and is something we can ALL be proud of.”
Last year, Bill successfully contacted 56 widows from Lodge No. 9. There are about 400 widows in District 8, half of whom will be interested in and capable of attending Masonic events, he said. He has visited about 150 widows so far.
“It’s a lot like doing detective work,” Bill said. “I enjoy what I do. Fortunately, I’ve been a cyclist for my whole life. If I were doing this by car, it would cost a fortune in gas, and I would sit in traffic. With the bike, I’m riding anyway, so I might as well ride to the widows.”
Although the widows typically don’t know Bill’s coming ahead of time, most of them are receptive and appreciative when he knocks on their doors, Linda said.
“That’s just Bill being Bill – I don’t think anyone else is randomly knocking on doors,” Linda said. “He and I have a little system. If they [the widows] can’t make an event, I prepare a packet of information and their pin and get it to them. It’s great to have somebody like Bill. Through his outreach efforts [in the district], we’ve brought in 25 new members to the Widows’ Guild.”
Trudy Hackett, a member of the Masonic Widows’ Guild and Eastern Star, said Bill calls her every few months to inform her of upcoming activities or just to chat. With his help, she was able to get a brand-new and much needed roof put on her house.
“I’ve known Bill and his wife for many years,” she said. “I think Bill is a great person and very compassionate and helpful. It’s a big job.”
Bill has been riding bikes since he was a child but seriously committed to road cycling in his teens. He rides about 3,000 miles a year and is the proud owner of two bikes: a vintage Schwinn, a classic steel road bike from 1987, and a Giant, a more carbon fibre road bike from 2006. His first serious ride (70 miles) was to see his girlfriend and now wife, Kathy, in 1973.
Bill’s once rode 60 miles in one day to visit 14 different widows, but that’s not the norm. He typically rides every couple of days, unless he’s promoting an event, in which case he will ride more often.
“You really shouldn’t ride every day,” he said. “You need a day or two to recover, especially at my age.”
If he’s traveling a long distance, he may combine his rides with mass transit.
Sometimes, Bill has quick visits with the widows, but other times he stays longer if they are lonely or just want to chat.
“You just let them talk,” he said. “It’s a very rewarding thing to do.”
Bill is retired from a 30-year career as a marketing support engineer for various medical companies. He enjoys cycling because it provides him with a sense of freedom, and he gets to enjoy nature.
Most of his friends own electronic bikes with small electric motors that cost upwards of $14,000. They may require less effort, but Bill is determined to make it to at least age 80 with the bikes he currently owns. “It’s not about the bike, it’s about you,” he said.
Joseph Coniglio, Worshipful Master for Lodge No. 9, said he recently watched Bill present eight women with their Blue Slipper pins at a district picnic. He said Bill’s remarks were very touching and that he is inspiring to watch.
“I’ve known Bill for almost 24 years,” Joseph said. “He has always been very dedicated to Masonic work and is a good Mason, a ‘Mason’s Mason.’ Bill has spent countless hours working with widows. I can’t say enough about him. I hope other districts and lodges see what he’s doing and mirror it.”
More than 75 women are widowed each month by a Pennsylvania Mason. The Widows’ Guild program seeks to identify, honor and assist these women in their respective communities through events, communications and by connecting them with one another.
Members of the Guild receive a personalized membership card. On the back of the card is the toll-free telephone number for the Masonic Outreach Program. Services offered through the program include financial assistance for eligible widows, access to legal and financial counsel and information about local, state and federal programs that can provide assistance.
For more information about the Masonic Widows’ Guild, contact Linda at 717-367-1121, ext. 33497 or lmjackson@masonicvillages.org. To reach Bill, email billharding127@yahoo.com.
