We've Got The County Covered
We've Got The County Covered
The owners of Bear Paw Livestock, Bear Paw Meats, and Bear Paw Farms in Chinook, have agreed to donate one whole beef, cut and wrapped, to the North Central Montana Shrine Club. The donation will come through ticket sales and a raffle with the winners being drawn during Havre Festival Days next month.
Tickets for this donation are available at Bear Paw Meats in both Havre and Chinook, as well as at Bear Paw Livestock in Chinook. Three winners will be selected during a drawing that will be held on September 18 of Festival Days in Havre, and the lucky winners need not be present to win. First prize is half a beef, second prize is a hind quarter, and third prize is a front quarter.
According to Dexter Buck, the beef donation is a way for the Buck and Callahan families to give back to the community. Buck went on to explain that this altruistic gesture is one that has recurred for the past three years. "The Shriners do so much to support innocent children who need medical care. We wanted to be part of that since their giving helps out the community and a child in need."
Established in 1940 and one of 42 Shrine Clubs in Montana, the North Central Montana Shrine Club is a chapter of the parent organization: Shriners International. According to their website, Shriners are "a fraternity based on fun, fellowship, and the Masonic principles of brotherly love, relief and truth." With nearly 200 chapters in several countries and thousands of clubs around the world, the fraternity is open "to men of integrity from all walks of life." The organization not only supports Shriners Hospitals for Children but uses their resources to help any child who needs orthopedic or burn treatment. One of their signature methods for raising funds for the hospital is through the sale of Sweet Vidalia Onions, an annual fundraiser typically held in May.
To help readers better understand the organization, Shriners International provides this explanation: "Shriners International is a spin-off from Freemasonry, the oldest, largest and most widely known fraternity in the world. Freemasonry dates back hundreds of years to when stonemasons and other craftsmen gathered after work in shelter houses, or lodges. Over time, the members organized into Masonic guilds and the tools of their trade – the square and compass – became the symbol of their brotherhood.
"Masonry evolved into an organization that began to accept members who were not craftsmen. Today, Masonry is built upon a foundation of improving character and strengthening communities, though the square and compass are still the symbols of the fraternal brotherhood."
Essentially, all Shriners are Masons, but not all Masons are Shriners. Members of the Masonic lodges are required to learn about their fraternity and earn a series of Masonic degrees. When a member has completed the third and final degree, he becomes a Master Mason and is then eligible to become a Shriner.
The North Central Montana Shrine Club is grateful to the Bucks and the Ryan Callahan family for their donation since it means more respite for children in need.
