All About the Widows Sons
The Widows Sons Masonic Riders Association is an International Association which is open to all Masons who enjoy the sport of motorcycling and have a desire to ride with and associate with their fraternal brothers. Our goal is to:
Contribute to the relief of our Widows & Orphans
Raise Masonic Awareness in the world of sport motorcycling
Introduce the sport of motorcycling to our Masonic Brothers
Support the Blue Lodge through regular attendance, and assisting with or attending lodge events.
While we wear identifying patches or regalia, the Widows Sons are not a gang, MC, 1% Club. We are required to represent the fraternity in a positive light at all times. The Widows Sons serve as a Masonic Booster Club by helping to raise Masonic Awareness while we attend public motorcycling events, and by supporting our Blue Lodges in whatever capacity we are able. Widows Sons chapters have helped to increase Masonic membership through our presence and visibility during public motorcycle events and rallies.
In every location where we have a chapter, the Widows Sons have proven themselves to be a positive asset to the fraternity. Many of our chapters are proud to have current and past Grand Masters as members. We regularly attract new members to the fraternity, and several of our chapters have their own Degree Teams or volunteer in doing Masonic work whenever possible. Each Widows Sons chapter sponsors or participates in local charity runs or events. In all cases, we strive to present a positive image of Freemasonry and our Association to the public.
The Widows Sons was conceived of and founded by Brother Carl Davenport PM, in the year 1999. Today we have active chapters throughout many States in the USA, Canada, and abroad. If you are interested in joining the Widows Sons, we would be happy to hear from you. Please see our page on Joining to find out how to join or form a chapter of your own.
Administration & Chapter Support
The International Association is comprised of individual Grand Chapters and their constituent chapters. Each Grand Chapter is autonomous or governs themselves according to what best insures their continued success. Each Grand Chapter is responsible for the formation of constituent chapters within their state or country. They also determine what the policies are in regards to membership requirements, dues (if any), and all matters pertaining to the Widows Sons in their area. We have modeled ourselves in a similar fashion to Masonic Grand Lodges who determine the rules and By Laws of their jurisdictions, membership requirements, etc.
Each Grand Chapter is required to adhere to our Landmarks or the original purpose & spirit of the Widows Sons Masonic Riders Association. Association-wide policy was set during our formation, and any future adjustments would come only if approved by the unanimous consent of our Grand Chapter representatives.
To form a new Grand Chapter, interested brethren may apply to an established Grand Chapter who may choose to sponsor you, or you may submit an application to our Founder, Brother Carl Davenport.
Brethren wishing to start a Grand Chapter may submit a request by using the contact form on our "Joining the Widows Sons" page.
Those who wish to become members where we already have established chapters must seek membership through the respective jurisdiction on our "Chapters" page. If there is no link for the jurisdiction where you wish to become a members, please use our Contact form and we will forward your inquiry to the proper representative.
Note: The Chapters page lists all States, Provinces, and countries where we have established chapters but not all chapters or jurisdictions have a website or link. If the jurisdiction listed (or their constituent chapters) do not have a link, you may contact us through this site for further information.
Our Patch or Logo
Our original patch or logo is the "Widows Logo" which was designed by Brother Carl Davenport. The original logo is used by many of our founding chapters, as well as some of our more recent chapters. The reason we have more than one logo is because as the organization started to grow, some brethren and Grand Lodge officers within Freemasonry requested that we introduce an alternative logo which would be more symbolically representative of Freemasonry. In response to this we introduced the "Modern Style" patch, and also a "UK Patch" which is being used by our brethren in England & Scotland. The UK Patch or logo was requested by the Grand Master of the United Grand Lodge of England and prominently displays the Masonic Square & Compass to illustrate to the public that Freemasons can also be "regular guys" who ride motorcycles and are not necessarily "elitist" which is a popular misconception in Europe.
Below are a few photos of variations and styles of patches worn by Widows Sons. The important thing to note is that it is NOT which patch or logo we wear that unites us Widows Sons, but the Masonic Square & Compass. As you travel the world, you will see Widows Sons using variations of the patches depicted below.
Our Patches we wear here in MASS.
Southern Patches
Widows Sons England
