By Jeremy D. Wells
Carter County Times
Bike enthusiasts from across the country brought their friends, their families and – of course – their motorcycles to Olive Hill last weekend in a display of brotherhood and community. But this wasn’t your typical biker rally. This was a gathering of the Widows Sons, the largest Masonic riders association in the world.
That’s an important distinction, explained the President of the Kentucky Widows Sons, Mark “Rev” Benham. The Widows Sons are not a motorcycle club. They are a riding association and, first and foremost, Freemasons.
“The Widows Sons in Kentucky originated in 2008,” Benham explained. “That’s about the same time it started blowing up across the United States. But what it derived from was just Masons. Just like the concept of the Shriners, anything like that. It’s in our bylaws; you have to be a Mason first and foremost. So, it’s Masons who enjoy riding bikes… but wanted to continue to do what Masons do for the betterment of the community. Just like the Shrine, we raise money for some sort of organization. It’s in our bylaws – and I’m talking strictly about Kentucky – that each chapter has to adopt some sort of charitable organization.”
While with the Shrine Club that organization is, obviously, the Shriners Children’s Hospitals, for the Widows Sons it’s a bit looser. Each local chapter, Benham explained, chooses their own charity. For some, he said, that’s widows and orphans. For others it’s autism research and support. Benham’s home chapter, the Level Riders out of Jackson and Breathitt County, raises money to buy Christmas presents for children in the foster care system. It all depends on what the chapter decides is a priority in their community.
The charities, like the name and emblem for each chapter, are unique and personal. But whether they’re a Stone Cutter from Paducah, a Solomon’s Builder from Winchester, a Mountain Brother from Sassafras, or one of the Night Watchmen from here in Olive Hill, they’re all Widows Sons, and they’re all Freemasons.
The sense of brotherhood and tradition Freemasonry engenders was no less apparent among the Widows Sons, with riders representing chapters not just from Kentucky, but across the country and beyond.
“You’ve got guys here today, from Ontario, Canada, Massachusetts, Pennsylvania, Ohio, Missouri, Indiana, Illinois. Even though this is a Kentucky rally, it just draws people from all over,” Benham said.
They’ve even had folks come from as far away as Great Britain to participate in their branding ceremony – a ritual that Benham can’t talk about with anyone who isn’t a member, but which originated with the Kentucky Chapter.
“That’s why he wanted to do it here, where it started,” Benham noted.
But unlike the salacious and rowdy scene some might expect from videos and stories out of places like Sturgis, the Widows Sons rally is a laid back and family friendly affair. The smell of meat roasting in a smoker filled the air while folks hung out in the shade with cold drinks and children jumped on inflatables.
“We built a slip and slide over here on the hill last night and I went down it,” Benham said. “I got grass cuts all over me. I play with the kids. I mean, it’s just one big family for us.”
Harry Justice, with Olive Hill’s Night Watchmen, noted that this is the group’s fourth year to hold their state rally in Olive Hill and that it’s always a “big boost” to the local economy, as well as a great fundraiser for charity and a lot of fun.
“What it means to Olive Hill, for this organization to have a state rally here every year, is a big boost in the economy for the city and the surrounding area,” Justice said. “They travel to Grayson, Morehead, Ashland, and they usually have from 350 to 400 motorcyclists, who either ride a bike in or bring it on a trailer, and approximately 100 (RVs).”
And wherever they go, Justice said, they spend money with local businesses, they raise money for charity, they clean up after themselves, and they do what they can to improve both the communities they visit and the ones they return home to – exactly what you’d expect from a group of brothers doing everything they can to keep it on the level.
Contact the writer at editor@cartercountytimes.com
