Pictured from left: Mr. Jason Hawkins, CES Assistant Principal; Mrs. Tammy Griffith, CES Principal; Mrs. Jaime Garrett, CES/CPS Media Specialist; Dr. Gary Lemmons, worshipful master of the lodge; Mrs. Mana Smith, CPS Assistant Principal; and Mrs. Beth Holcomb, CPS Principal.
Oothcaloga Lodge No. 154, Free and Accepted Masons, recently presented the Calhoun Primary/Elementary School media center with a monetary donation for use in the various reading and media programs of the schools.
The presentation was made to Mrs. Jaime Garrett, CEPS Media Specialist, by Dr. Gary D. Lemmons, worshipful master of the lodge.
An additional donation was made by Lemmons on behalf of Sequoyah Chapter No. 286, Order of the Eastern Star, which is an affiliated organization with the lodge located in Calhoun.
The Masonic Fraternity, which has existed for hundreds of years throughout the world, is noted for its support of learning and intellectual improvement.
In the United States, Freemasonry is extremely renowned for its support of “free public education.”
In Georgia, Freemasons have existed since 1734, and, in Calhoun, since the chartering of Oothcaloga Lodge No. 154, F. &A.M. on October 30, 1851.
Lemmons, who is serving as the presiding officer of Oothcaloga Lodge this year, stated:
“Being a retired teacher, I wanted our lodge’s community project for this year to make a contribution to our students. Realizing the importance of developing our students’ reading skills in the early grades, our lodge determined that we could be of help to the largest number of students by contributing to the media center, which serves all students during the school year.”
Lemmons, who spent 33 years as a teacher/administrator, three in Tennessee, 28 in Gordon County and two in Calhoun City, is an adjunct professor of education at Piedmont College in Demorest, Georgia.
He served as the grand master of the Most Worshipful Grand Lodge of Free and Accepted Masons for the State of Georgia in 2000-2001.
Post a Comment