Masons honor local students

PARKERSBURG - George Washington's birthday and the winners of the Americanism essay contest were honored Saturday at the Masonic Temple in Parkersburg.

Raymond Lusk, a member of the organization, said the winners of the contest were honored along with two members of the Junior ROTC programs at Parkersburg South High School and Parkersburg High School.

Gerald Spencer, Chancellor of the Parkersburg Council of Kadosh, said the contest is open every year to students of all public and private schools in Wood, Pleasants and Ritchie counties.

"Every year we get the essays and they are given to the judges with cover sheets that do not reveal the names of the writers or their schools," he said. "In the years we have had this contest, it is unusual in that all the winners came from the same school."

Spencer said the essays are graded on how the students express their view of patriotism. This year the winning essay was written by Emma Nicole Rodgers of PHS and her essay was titled "A Different Kind of Patriotism."

Second place went to Chelsi Hewitt and third place to Jeff Lantz, also students at PHS.

In addition two cadets from the Junior ROTC programs were honored for their contributions to their respective programs.

Presented with medals and ribbons for their uniforms, a certificate and a $200 U.S. Savings Bond by Gary Prater, a member of the organization, were Senior Master Sgt. Shaila Webb, a cadet in the U.S. Air Force Junior ROTC program at PHS and Lt. (j.g.) Brittani Tucker, a cadet in the U.S. Navy Junior ROTC program at Parkersburg South.