Another 70-Year Service Award

Friday, 7.1, headed for Waverly to meet Excellent Companions Dale Exline and Brian Thompson.  From there we were off to, for me at least, parts unknown.  We first went to Portsmith which turns out to be the yellow barrel capitol of southern Ohio.   From there we went on the Wheelerburg to present a 70-Year Service Award to Companion Kellis G. Smith.   Now for those who don't know where Wheelerburg is, it is on the Ohio River 211 miles from Medina.   EC Smith is a member of Trowel Chapter #70 in Jackson but is presently staying at his son's.   He will be 93 in a couple of months.   He and EC Exline got into a discussion about people they both knew in Jackson and I believe both of them knew everybody!

Excellent Companion Smith was a joy to meet and talk to.   He told us about jobs he had held and places he had lived.  He also let us know that his son and daughter are twins but that the son was 16 minutes older. Julia took the attached pictures.

Companion Smith and me

 There are many enjoyable things about being Grand High Priest but presenting 50-year and up service awards is probably one of the highlights.  This one was no exception.  It is so nice to present 70-year award to a Companion as spry as EC Smith is.

EC Exline, Companion Smith and me



A Proud 70-year member.

I 

I can not close this post without telling a story.  EC Exline was raised in this neck of the woods so he told me to follow him and we would miss Portsmith and all the construction.   I followed him to Jackson.  From Wheelersburg to Jackson is probably 20 miles the way the crow flies but 40 miles by the way the road goes. Dale drives a van like he is in road race.   He straighten outs curves on roads that have 40 yard straight aways!   When he finally stopped to tell me the rest of the way to route 23, I told him the next time I followed him, I wanted to be the lead vehicle. 

This was a wonderful day.   Dry roads coming & going, met a grand gentleman, tried to be a NASCAR driver and had a nice meal on the way home.   I do want to thank Dale and Brian for setting up the presentation.

'til the next time.