Mason shows rare Christmas collection: As part of the Homes for the Holidays tour, a local man is showcasing White House ornaments

Rayma Silvers/Tribune Photo Scottish Rite Temple Executive Secretary Terry Claar, left, looks over a rare display of White House Christmas ornaments with the collection's owner, Jim Woods a member of the Scottish Rite Masons.

By Rayma Silvers

The Fort Scott Tribune

When Scottish Rite Mason Jim Woods discovered the Scottish Rite Temple was on this year's Homes or the Holiday Tour, he decided to make an addition to the building's decorations.

Woods and his wife Betty, who have been collecting White House Christmas ornaments since 1982, are adding 30 ornaments created by the White House Historical Association to the Scottish Rite's Christmas decor this year.

"I thought maybe somebody would like to see them," Woods said. "Each one (ornament) tells a story."

Woods explained each ornament comes complete with a book which explains the story behind the creation of that particular ornament. The Woods hung the ornaments on their tree one year, he said. However, due to the delicacy of the ornaments, the couple usually leaves them packed away for safe keeping only retrieving them to show to friends once in awhile.

"Most people don't know they exist," Woods said.

According to Woods, each year the ornaments have become more intricate and complex. The first ornament was a golden angel patterned from the original angel weathervane made in 1840 in Charlestown Massachusetts for the Universalist Church in Newburyport. This year's ornament, according to the WHHA, www.whitehousehistory.org, is a three dimensional Christmas tree in honor of the 23rd President of the United States Benjamin Harrison.

"Serving one term from 1889 to 1893, Harrison was a centennial president inaugurated 100 years after George Washington," the Web site said. "Inspired by the Harrison family's Victorian Christmas tree, this 24 karat gold finished ornament interprets the first recorded tree to decorate the White House. The tree, laden with baubles and garland, is a canvas for all sorts of treats and toys. Beneath the tree are the presents the Harrison grandchildren received: a toy train and a wooden sled await Benjamin, Mary's rosy-cheeked doll sits on a tricycle, and nearby is Marthena's much wished for dollhouse. A three-foot-high Santa Claus completes the season's spectacle."

For more information about the ornaments which will be on display at the Scottish Rite Temple during the Homes Tour, visit the WHHA Web site.