Masons celebrate 20th anniversary of Alameda shelter
Members of Butler area Masonic organizations gathered Saturday to celebrate the 20th anniversary of one of their charitable efforts: a shelter at Alameda Park.
Underneath the wooden beams of the shelter were entire families dedicated to expanding the Mason’s organizations — and the outreach that goes with that.
Nick Mainhart, head of the picnic committee for the Masons, said the shelter’s history is a testament to what the group is all about.
“It’s been 20 years since its full completion. From concrete to the frame was all donated money or labor by Masons,” he said.
Mainhart said the shelter was conceptualized in collaboration with the Butler Township board of commissioners, which was looking to develop that area of Alameda Park. The Masonic Shelter was the first on the grounds, and cost a total of around $100,000.
“The undertaking was too much for one group, so we had lodges in Butler, Chicora, Freeport and Mars contribute,” Mainhart said.
Nearly 150 people from across the Masons organizations attended the celebration — from boys leadership groups such as DeMolay and Order of the Squires, to girls groups such as Job’s Daughters and Rainbow Girls, to women’s groups like the Eastern Star.
Mainhart said the Masons put a lot into their youth organizations to help raise a new generation with good character.
“Our goal says, ‘to make good men better.’ You take that from the family side, it’s to make good people better,” he said.
“It starts young and goes through and through,” said Chattele Melnick, a member of Eastern Star. “There’s fathers and mothers, there’s a place for everyone in the family.”
The Rauschenberger family were all in attendance at the picnic, as they’re all involved in Masonic groups.
According to Joyce Rauschenberger, she started getting involved because of her husband, Curt, who is a Master Mason and member of the DeMolay International organization.
“I realized if I didn’t become an adviser I was never going to see him,” she laughed.
The couple’s whole family is involved in Masonic groups. Their daughter, Rachel, said she has been in leadership positions in the girls groups.
“We were born, put into a carrier and brought to meetings,” she said. “You have a lot of fun.”
Rachel said Masonic groups young and old have their hands in charity work — from blood drives and food drives to playground cleanup and fundraising for Children and Youth Services.
“All the branches have a different purpose or charity they support,” Joyce said. “Doing charity work is a major facet of all Masonic groups.”
“The shelter came out of that same concept,” Curt said. “At our heart, we’re a fraternity. Bringing people together shows we can all work together and it’s only positive.”
