Freemasons award annual trades scholarships

Bigfork Masonic Lodge 150 held their scholarship award luncheon July 8 and presented three Bigfork High School students with $1,000 scholarships each.  

This year’s awardees were Kris Burggraf, Ivy Everson and Delcy Stewart. Burggraf will delve into Culinary Arts at Flathead Valley Community College, Stewart will study cosmetology at Crevier’s Academy, and Everson will pursue nursing at Montana State University.  

The Masonic Lodge is able to offer these vocational scholarships each year through an investment account created from the sale of the now-VFW building. The Masons also recently gifted the Bigfork Community Choir $200 for books and five Kindles to Bigfork ACES for their afterschool program for children. 

“Without trades, where is the country going to be?” Master of Lodge Jeffrey Sweet said. “There’s going to be nobody to do electrical work or fix your car or build houses. That’s important, so we want to get kids into the trades... Every little bit probably helps them out.” 

    From left, Jeffrey Sweet, Master of Lodge , presents an award to Delcy Stewart with her mother Emily on July 8. (Courtesy photo)