The underlying belief of Masons from Presumpscot Lodge 70 in Windham is to practice charity and to care, not only for their own but also for the community through charitable giving and volunteer efforts to become better men and to forge a better world. To that end, the lodge’s upcoming Charity Dinner promises laughs, great music and an awesome meal while raising money to fund two scholarships for Windham High School students
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| Masons from Presumpscot Lodge 70 in Windham are hosting a Charity Dinner at 6:30 p.m. Tuesday, April 21 at Erik's Church, 824 Roosevelt Trail in Windham to fund scholarships for Windham High School students. The event features appetizers, an Italian buffet and desserts, with entertainment by comedians Nick Gordon and Mark Turcotte and music by the 43 Degrees North band. PHOTO BY ED PIERCE |
According to Gaige Hamilton of Raymond, a member of the lodge, planning for the Charity Dinner began earlier this year and the event was created for the purpose of offering college scholarships to deserving students from the area.
“Everything we do revolves around charity and to benefit the community,” Hamilton said.
Besides comedy and music, guests at the Charity Dinner will be able to enjoy Hor D'oeuvres; Antipasto Skewers; Spanakopita; Chicken Marsala; Garlic Bread; Caesar Salad; Chicken Broccoli Alfredo; Bolognese; Buttered Pasta; and Dessert with cookies and pastries.
The 43 Degrees North band is donating their time to entertain at the Charity Dinner, Hamilton said. It was created by three members of the band “Wednesday Night Project.”
The goal of this acoustic group is to share their love of music and performance with others in the community. Before forming this group all three members had various levels of performance experience and amalgamated their talents to create a very fun and entertaining trio. The music is an eclectic mix of country and classic rock songs that lend themselves to the sound and harmonies of the three performers.
Nick Gordon is a writer, podcaster, and voice actor. He is a founding member of Great Falls Comedy Club and a regular at the Woolen Mill Comedy Club, McCue's Comedy Club, and Empire Comedy Club.
Mark Turcotte is the founder of Maine Event Comedy and the Bricks & Bridges Comedy Fest. He was a finalist in the Funniest Comic on the East Coast Contest and has performed for the Gotham All-Stars Show in New York City.
The Presumpscot Lodge at 964 River Road in Windham is the gathering place for Masons from Windham, Standish and Raymond.
Currently the lodge has 280 members and is proud of its long history and charitable works for the community.
Formed in 1864, the first lodge building was located at Windham Hill and took its name after the Presumpscot River which played a prominent part in the town’s early formation. In 1887, the original Masonic building was dismantled and reconstructed at a location near 725 Roosevelt Trail in North Windham. That lodge remained at that location until 1970 when the current lodge building at 964 River Road was built.
In 1819, the people of Maine voted to withdraw from Massachusetts and form a separate state. There were 31 Maine Lodges at the time, active and thriving, who then met in convention and voted to follow suit and form their own Grand Lodge of Maine when the separation took place.
Hamilton says that Windham’s Masonic Lodge is made up of men who share similar values for their own well-being, and for the overall health and welfare of the inhabitants of their community. He said that Masons contribute time and resources to charity and participate in many outreach programs designed to better their community.
He said the Charity Dinner is yet another demonstration of Presumpscot Lodge 70’s commitment to making the community a better place to live.
“We also changed the scholarship requirements to give more students an opportunity,” Hamilton said. “We lowered the GPA required to 2.7 overall. Many top students will receive multiple scholarships when awarded on Scholarship Night, but academics are only one component to student success. Our scholarships will be based on many factors, including community involvement, athletics and more. We’ve opened it up to make these two scholarships available to even more deserving students.”
The Presumpscot Lodge 70 scholarships will be presented for the first time on Scholarship Night at Windham High School in June and Hamilton said that the Masons expect to present two scholarships annually thereafter.
To obtain tickets for the Charity Dinner event, call 207-318-4056 or 207-245-0234. <
