Masons unveil North Queens scoreboard

After a fire in 2006 destroyed North Queens Elementary School and damaged the junior/senior high school, Ernest Carver of Hillcrest Lodge in New Germany suggested the lodge make a donation to the school.

North Queens has been widely renovated and North Queens Elementary School is once again rising from the ashes.

Carver said he started by raising $100 around a campfire. He then issued a challenge to the district’s other eight lodges to do the same or better. Nearly $6,300 later, with a large donation from the Masonic Foundation through Grand Lodge of Nova Scotia, the scoreboard, as chosen by the school, was used during a championship game won by the North Queens Spartans boys basketball team.

The team was undefeated during the Division 4 Seniors Boys Regional Championships and is now headed to the provincials Feb. 28-29 and March 1.

School Athletics Director, Jeff Sylvester said the school has been attempting for about two years to raise funds to replace the school’s unreliable former scoreboard.

He added, “Any donations are greatly appreciated but when a big one comes in and is used for a direct capital project, it’s fantastic.”

He added spirit and pride at the school is high.

Carver said his sister-in-law, Julie Ramey is a teacher at the school. He said her stories about the hardships the fire caused students, staff and the community-at-large touched him.

Examples, he said include children losing sneakers and other clothing, how some children feared going to school at first, and similar stories with some staff members and even residents.

“The community as a whole was traumatized by it.”

He added he was “hoping” they would raise $1,000, a goal vastly, and happily surpassed.

Carver, in explaining why they chose the cause said, “We commend the school and community of North Queens for rising above the challenge of this loss.”

He added Hillcrest and Mechanic’s Lodge #78 in Caledonia have always had close ties. Queens County’s two other lodges sent representatives in addition to the large crowd of representatives from the balance of the district.

He also praised then District Deputy Grand Master, Right Worshipful Brother John Dollimount for broadening the campaign. Dollimount said it “actually brought us closer together.”

Current District Deputy Grand Master, Right Worshipful John W. Levy oversaw the ceremony and was also highly involved in the campaign.