The Chatham Masonic Temple is allowing the public a rare glimpse into the inner workings of the service club.
On Sept. 28 and 29, the Masons are holding an open house at 430 Riverview Dr. in Chatham to allow the public to look around and answer questions they may have about the organization.
Tom Harris, a Mason and retired police officer, said this is the first time, as far as he recalls, that the public has been invited inside the building. The open house is being held in conjunction with the Mason Chip Program, a free child identification service offered to public.
The program is run by Masons to provide parents with a photo, digital fingerprints and a DNA sample of their child in case of an emergency in the future. The prints and DNA can be used for the life of the child, Harris said, and all parents need to do is add an updated school photo each year. The computer program used is one which can’t save the data so there is no record to ensure privacy for those who attend the clinic.
The open house and identification program will run each day from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m.
