For the past nine years, under the leadership of Worshipful Master Cad Ford, Jr., the brothers of Goshen Lodge #132, F. & A.M.-PHA, of Marion, Alabama, have welcomed the community to a free, fun-filled, positive, and safe Easter Egg Hunt Celebration at the historic Lincoln Park in Marion, Alabama.
The free event includes thousands of carefully hidden colored, hard-boiled eggs, hundreds of dollars in prize eggs, easter baskets, a feast of tasty treats such as chips, cookies and cool fruity juices, and freshly prepared hot dogs. But this year, the Holy Saturday, started with storms and continuous rains which presented the lodge with a troubling question this year: How to get the above-listed gifts into the hands of the children and keep them safe and dry at the same time? If children can’t come to the event, the group decided, then they would take the event to the community. And that is what the lodge did.
Scores of Goshen members mounted their vehicles and drove to 219 Jackson Street and set up tables under an awning, with bags of chips, easter baskets, candies, prize eggs, and coolers full of juices. Then the group let the community know of the change of plans through telephone calls, word of mouth and social media. More sooner than later, a line of cars filled with children started to appear. Lodge members donned in facemasks and armed with umbrellas walked the goodies to the vehicles or escorted the children to the table to take their own picks. The children left with all sorts of treats, and most importantly – bright smiles and heart-warming giggles on an otherwise dreary day. Someone said that, “improvisation is the mother of invention”. Whether that’s true or false may be debatable, but it can still make grown men with a desire to see beautiful children smiling and happy during the Easter season come up with some kind of way to do so.
Finally, Goshen Lodge would like to thank all the participants for coming out and having a good time, the Lincolnites for always providing the park; and local media outlets, WJUS radio station and others for helping to promote the event. The lodge hopes everyone had a safe, blessed, and Happy Easter!!!
