Union County Student Essay Winners

Present Their Thoughts On Why They Love America

Lake Butler Lodge hosted the Americanism Essay Winners on February 18, 2008. Parents, teachers, school children, friends and the Freemasons of Lake Butler Lodge enjoyed a delicious covered dish supper. Gary Ranard, Lake Butler Lodge’s Junior Warden, and Janice Alvarez, the wife of Leaman Alvarez, Worshipful Master of Lake Butler Lodge, coordinated the meal. The highlight of the evening was the presentations of the three best Americanism Essays from the Elementary School students and the Middle School students of Union County. The first, second and third place winners from the Elementary School included: Courtney Jenkins, Carmon Dobbs, and Phillip Brown, respectively.  The Middle School winners included: Blade Stith, Tina Hoffman, and Sentoria Robinson, respectively. Mary Ann Davis was the sponsor from the Elementary School and Kim Shaw was the sponsor from the Middle School.  Comments made by the teachers and parents were very positive and one grandparent summed up the audience’s feelings with his thank you by saying, “my cup runneth over.” Obviously, we can all be very proud of our Union County School System and the excellent students our school system produces.

Barber began by explaining who occupied the different chairs in the Lodge Room. He told the guests that the 100 plus photos on the South wall were the past Master Masons since the Lodge was chartered in 1861. The photos on the North wall represented perpetual members. Those that paid twenty times their dues were active members and those that were deceased at the time they became perpetual members were funded at $200 each. The interest earned each year is returned to the Lodge forever to assist charitable and other local activities. Barber told the audience that many of our nation's founders were Freemasons, including George Washington, Benjamin Franklin, and Paul Revere. The French, British and Scottish Military units brought Masonry to America. The ideals of the dignity of the individual and public education are important the Masonry and the brotherhood of man under the Fatherhood of God is a very important concept to Freemasons. Today North America’s Masonic Fraternity provides fellowship for over 1.5 million members. Our charitable assistance to the 22 Shrine Hospitals for children, the fantastic results from the Masonic Medical Research Laboratory in Ithaca, New York (heart disease prevention and equipment), the speech and language clinics, and many local people are provided charitable assistance. We encourage patriotism and are very proud of the Union County Veterans Monument located on the Southeast corner of the Lake Butler Lodge Property. The Veterans Monument provides a centralized location to honor our veterans, their families and friends on Veterans Day and Memorial Day each year. As active Masons Barber told the guests that the Lodge meets every 1st and 3rd Monday evening of each month for their regular meetings. Sometimes the Lodge holds special meetings for degree work (Entered Apprentice, Fellowcraft and Master Mason levels). Normally when this happens, Barber related that many members from the other lodges in the “Friendly” 10th Masonic District join in to assist.

The essay presentations on why these students love America were very special and we are all very proud of our students, teachers and families that made the evening possible. Lake Butler Lodge believes that our youth are our future and we know that Union County can be very proud.