Wednesday, September 27, 2023
  • Advertise
  • Submit Story Idea
  • Submit Event
  • Calendar
Arlington Today Magazine
  • Home
  • Categories
    • Arlington News
    • People
    • Community
    • Commentary
    • Business and Education
    • Featured
    • Wellness
    • Scene
    • Design and Interiors
    • Uncategorized
  • Digital Editions
  • Join the Newsletter
  • Subscribe
  • Contact Us
  • Login
  • Register
No Result
View All Result
  • Home
  • Categories
    • Arlington News
    • People
    • Community
    • Commentary
    • Business and Education
    • Featured
    • Wellness
    • Scene
    • Design and Interiors
    • Uncategorized
  • Digital Editions
  • Join the Newsletter
  • Subscribe
  • Contact Us
No Result
View All Result
Arlington Today Magazine
Home People

12 Mighty Orphans: There’s a fascinating ‘story behind the story’ regarding this fine film

By Corey Callaway

ArlingtonToday Magazine by ArlingtonToday Magazine
June 30, 2021
in People
0 0
0
12 Mighty Orphans: There’s a fascinating ‘story behind the story’ regarding this fine film
0
SHARES
4.2k
VIEWS
Share on FacebookShare on Twitter
Ebby Halliday April 2020

The new movie “12 Mighty Orphans” tells the story of The Masonic Home and School and the formation of a high school football team. The story is an important piece of Fort Worth and Texas history. It is a great movie, and I strongly recommend you watch it when you get a chance. Most of the movie was filmed in Fort Worth and Weatherford.

The team became known as the Mighty Mites. The boys were small in stature but tough as nails. They proved this on the football field.

Related posts

Happenstance or Destiny?

A Richard and Sylvia Greene Honor That Will Last A Lifetime

September 6, 2023
Jack’s Snacks

Jack’s Snacks

September 6, 2023

I was able to attend a premier of the movie held at the Masonic Temple and had the opportunity to meet two Masons who grew up at the school. They are brothers and both played on the Mighty Mites team.

Paul and David are two of 13 siblings. Their father, a Mason, died when Paul was three years of age. Their mother struggled working three jobs to support and feed them. She would work one job and come home to feed them and go to the next job and so on through the day.

They lived in Hillsboro, and the local Masons approached her multiple times requesting they take the youngest of the brood to the Masonic Home and School. She refused but conceded on the third request. Paul told me at that time they were starting to get into trouble, and it was the best thing that happened to them.

The youngest were taken by the sponsoring Masons and dropped off at a playground at the school. The men were not allowed to say goodbye to them. This was the protocol.

Paul said he cried for two months. They were separated by ages and were not allowed to be with each other. He might see his brothers once a week or so. All he could do was wave. They were taken good care of but were strangers and alone.

Once a year they were able to go home and stay with their mother for a week to 10 days. Paul did not want to go back to the home the first trip back. His mother told him to try one more year and if he did not want to stay, she would take him back. By the second year, he never wanted to go back to his mother. Though he loved her he found a home. He told me that the Home saved his life.

At the home, the children became each other’s peers. This created a world of good for their self-esteem and indoctrinated them to strive to make good grades and to get the best education they could achieve. Both Paul and David earned degrees in accounting and became CPAs. David was Paul’s inspiration.

In the movie the boys were shown practicing and playing football barefooted and in jeans. This was how it really happened. They were driven to Sycamore Park to practice in a flatbed pickup, just like in the movie.

The opposing players were respectful for the most part. Occasionally, one player would call them little orphan boys. That would embolden the Mighty Mites to kick their (well, you know) on the field.

Football was what the boys and girls lived for. Many times, when the prayer was said over their meal the student would include “thank you for the home and thank you for football.” Football was worked into many of their prayers.

They did not have anyone to sit on their side of the field when they played teams out of town. Yet Masons of the town in which they played would sit on their side of the field in support. This caused much consternation with the rest of the town. Also, the Moslah Shrine Drum and Bugle Corp would play at their home games.

Paul made straight A’s and was allowed to play on the football team. He started at age 10 playing Pee Wee football, and as a senior in high school he was the team captain. For Paul football was the coolest thing, and it was a way of life at the home. David was also team captain his senior year.

They were proud of the legacy of the original 12 Mighty Mites. They would and still do have family reunions every year at the campus. All the graduates would return if they were able. The original Mighty Mites and Coach Rusty Russell would return for the reunions, too.

Part of the fraternal obligation of a Mason is to take care of their brothers’ widows and orphans. They did so in many ways. Doug Lord of the Hella Shrine and many Dallas Masons would pick them up and take them to the State Fair at their expense. The Oak Cliff Masonic Lodge would make sure each child had a Christmas present. The stage in the auditorium would be covered in presents. As a tradition, the Seniors of the school would hand out the presents.

Paul became Comptroller under Bob Bullock and worked with him for 31 years. Paul and Rebecca have three children and nine grandchildren. Paul recently stepped down form his position as Grand Master of the Grand Lodge of Texas. It’s an honor he looks upon as giving back, not as a boastful achievement.

 

Tags: 12 Mighty Orphans
Gracie Lane June 2020

Follow Us

  • We’re ALL about ENTREPRENEURS! Read our September Issue in the link in our bio!
  • Want to know what’s All Around Arlington? Check out our calendar at www.arlingtontoday.com and send us YOUR upcoming event at info@arlingntontoday.com!
  • Marie’s Cherokee Lounge celebrates 60! Celebrate with us in the link in our bio!
  • It’s raining FUN with Arlington’s Value of Water Mini Poster Contest! 🎨 Grab your art supplies, your WATER colors and submit TODAY! 🌧️
  • Long Live our Levitt! Read our exclusive interview with Letatia Teykl in the link in our bio!
  • Read how Richard and Sylvia Greene have made their mark on Arlington in the link in our bio!
  • Are you up to date with Arlington? There’s only one way to find out! Click the link in our bio.
  • This Hilton is Homewood SWEET! 🦆 Read about TCC Graduate, Mark Amin, and how  the Travel Sports and Legacy Foundation guided his path to General Manager in the link in our bio.
  • This Patriot Day, we honor and reflect on the brave men and women lost on 9/11. May we #NeverForget. 🇺🇸
  • 12 Mighty Orphans: There’s a fascinating ‘story behind the story’ regarding this fine film

    12 Mighty Orphans: There’s a fascinating ‘story behind the story’ regarding this fine film

    0 shares
    Share 0 Tweet 0
  • March Scene

    0 shares
    Share 0 Tweet 0
  • The Visionary Who Didn’t Give Up

    0 shares
    Share 0 Tweet 0
  • Boot-scootin’ Boogie

    0 shares
    Share 0 Tweet 0
  • In case of emergency: Mansfield Fire Department introduces the ‘Vial of Life’ initiative to keep residents on the ready

    0 shares
    Share 0 Tweet 0

Arlington Texas Area News and Events Magazine

Follow us on social media:

Recent News

  • TCC Graduate Appointed General Manager of Homewood Suites by Hilton
  • A Richard and Sylvia Greene Honor That Will Last A Lifetime
  • Pearl’s Cherokee Lounge Turns 60

Category

  • Arlington News
  • Business and Education
  • Commentary
  • Community
  • Design and Interiors
  • Featured
  • People
  • Scene
  • Sports
  • Uncategorized
  • Wellness

Recent News

TCC Graduate Appointed General Manager of Homewood Suites by Hilton

TCC Graduate Appointed General Manager of Homewood Suites by Hilton

September 10, 2023
Happenstance or Destiny?

A Richard and Sylvia Greene Honor That Will Last A Lifetime

September 6, 2023
  • Advertise
  • Submit Story Idea
  • Submit Event
  • Calendar

© 2023 Arlington Today - Designed by

No Result
View All Result
  • Home
  • Categories
    • Arlington News
    • Community
    • People
    • Commentary
    • Business and Education
    • Featured
    • Wellness
    • Scene
    • Design and Interiors
  • Digital Editions
  • Join the Newsletter
  • Contact Us

© 2023 Arlington Today - Designed by

Welcome Back!

Login to your account below

Forgotten Password? Sign Up

Create New Account!

Fill the forms bellow to register

All fields are required. Log In

Retrieve your password

Please enter your username or email address to reset your password.

Log In

Add New Playlist