The Ex-Students' Association is much more than an alumni group. All former students of the Masonic Home and School of Texas are members and are encouraged to attend our annual reunions and become active members.

We are the Home; it lives in our hearts.

Masonic Home and School of Texas began with a resolution in 1885: to offer a permanent home for Masonic widows and orphans. Fort Worth Lodge No. 148 was selected from among 10 other lodges contending for the site, donating 206 acres and $5,000 for construction, which began in 1898. Just one year later, a special Texas and Pacific Railroad train trip brought Texas Masons and visitors to a cornerstone leveling ceremony. The date: June 7, 1899.

The first superintendent of the home was Dr. Frank Rainey, a medical doctor who served in that role for eight years. The first two students to apply came before construction was complete; as a result, the boys spent their first days at the home sharing a tent with Dr. and Mrs. Rainey. Thus was the beginning of the spirit of camaraderie and kindness that would be extended to all children in the years to come.

In the early days, the home was a campus that closely resembled a self-sufficient community, having its own artesian wells to provide water, a power plant for steam heat and electricity, and a cattle and dairy ranch. The home provided the youngsters with training both inside the classroom and outside in farm operations; living in 'the lean years', they quickly learned how to turn the land for the food they would eat. The first graduating class left Masonic Home and School in 1904 and entered the world, undoubtedly, different than when they arrived. In 1912 the widows were moved to the Home for Aged Masons in Arlington, now Texas Masonic Retirement Center. Masonic Home and School continues to support these widows on an annual basis.

Masonic Home and School of Texas graduated more than 1,100 youngsters. Until May, 2005, the Home also offered a public independent school district containing a comprehensive curriculum for pre-kindergarten through grade 12. In May 2005, the Masonic Home and School of Texas sadly ceased operation.

Staying true to the Masonic tradition of putting children first, a core of committed administrators, faculty and staff were dedicated to ensuring that each child left their care equipped with dignity and pride. Masonic Home and School of Texas proudly operated from June 1899 to May 2005, providing shelter, security and strong foundations for many Texas children...the 'lasting home' that a group of Texas Masons envisioned more than a century ago.

For more information about the Masons of Texas, go to www.grandlodgeoftexas.org