Masons give bikes to students for reading achievement

Students in Plains have extra incentive to read, thanks in large part to the local Masonic lodge. Masonic Ponemah Lodge 63 donated bicycles on March 14 to five students - whose names were drawn from a hat - in grades three through six.

One drawing was held for each of the four grades and an extra drawing was held for all grades for the fifth “wild card” bike. The Masons donated six bicycles, with one bike going to Paradise Grade School. The bike giveaway is part of the Mason's “Bikes For Books” program and coincides with the school's participation in national February “I Love to Read Month.”

The proud owners of new bikes are third-grader Blazz Wood, fourth-grader Demi Horton, fifth-grader Keira Gill, and sixth-grader Raige Steinebach. The winner of the “wild card” bike was fifth-grader Ethan Stafford.

Thom Chisholm teaches metal and wood shop at Plains High School and he is an officer of the Masons Grand Lodge of Montana. Chisholm supervises 11 lodges in the Glacier District. He serves as the local district representative to the Plains lodge and he said that as a state, the Masons spend about $60,000 each year on the “Bikes for Books” program. Chisholm said the Grand Lodge matches however much money the local lodge raises up to $750 and he said that number has grown over the years after starting out at $400 matching funds.

Matt Diehl of Masonic Ponemah Lodge 63 also said the program has grown each year and has been a successful program. The Masons order the bikes through Gamble's Hardware, which Diehl owns, and the winners can pick out the bike they want there. Diehl said he tries to have various sizes and types of bikes for the winners to choose from, but he will order more if they don't have what the kids need.

“We've had real good feedback here and it fits in well with the local lodge,” Diehl said. “It's been a fun program to be a part of.”

Jean Nemeth, Title I teacher, said the chances of being drawn for a prize is increased with the more reading the kids do and the reading requirements vary depending on the age of the student. She said the younger kids read books and then take comprehension tests, while the older students' reading progress is rated based on the number of pages read. Nemeth said the awards are basically given based on the volume of books students read.

Nemeth said there were also drawings for a number of smaller prizes and junior high through high school kids were put in a drawing for an airplane ride with Randy Garrison. The three winners for the airplane ride were seventh-grader Ashley Holmes, eighth-grader Karlena Heward and Darin Anderson of the 10th grade.

Nemeth said each class set goals as to how much they would read all together and if they met that goal they won a party.

Nemeth said McGowan's Grocery donated lots of food to the classes for their reading parties. Nemeth guessed that as a school the students read hundreds of books.

She said the support from different groups in the community, especially the Masons, has been vital to the success of the school's participation in “I Love to Read” month.

“We didn't really need as many donations this year because of the excess from last year,” Nemeth said. “It's nice they are so supportive of this program.”

Diehl said the Masons' participation in the program creates exposure for the local lodge and has become one of their top priorities.

“Aside from our scholarship money, it's one of the main focuses of our fundraising,” Diehl said.

Diehl said the Masons get an opportunity to go in to the different classes and tell the students a little bit about the Masons and the “Bikes For Books” program.

The bike donations and the other prizes fell in conjunction with national February “I Love to Read Month” and Nemeth said everyone in the school participated, except for kindergarten. She said the program comes at the right time of the school year to motivate the students.

“They get excited,” Nemeth said.

“In the month of February - one of the coldest months of the year - it's just perfect.”