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Volume 5, Issue 05
Wednesday, February 26, 2014
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Masonic Lodge #290 Leamington member Gary Adams (left) meets Grand Master Donald A. Campbell during an event in Toronto. Campbell was to present the William Mercer Wilson Medal to Adams earlier this year in Leamington, but poor weather conditions did not allow him to make the trip from Toronto. Submitted photo
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Leamington man earns Masonic Lodge medal
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By Bryan Jessop What used to be a once-in-a-lifetime honour has been bestowed upon Leamington resident Gary Adams. Adams has been one of few Masonic Lodge members in Ontario to receive the William Mercer Wilson medal this year, the highest possible accolade that can be earned in the Grand Lodge’s jurisdiction. The medal was named after the Grand Lodge’s first Grand Master and has been affixed to the breast pocket of only 235 Masons since its inception 70 years ago. “I almost fell out of my chair,” Adams said of the moment he was told he would receive the medal. “I didn’t quite have a heart attack. It’s a super honour.” Adams has been a member of Leamington Masonic Lodge #290 for 50 of its 100-plus years. The local branch of the organization now includes just over 100 members, a figure that was once much higher. “The numbers just aren’t there anymore,” Adams said. “It’s the same situation with other clubs all over town.” Adams’ fellow #290 members secretly worked on submitting him as a nominee for the Wilson medal for the past two to three years. All submissions from across the province are reviewed by three separate representatives. Only individuals selected by all three reps receive the medal. Adams, 77, retired from being an auctioneer 22 years ago after being in the business for about 30 years. His fondest memory of the career involved serving as the auctioneer for Transition To Betterness, formed by two women hail-
From left to right, Ruthven’s Meghan Agosta, Sidney Crosby of Team Canada’s men’s hockey team and Agosta’s teammate Laura Fortino pose for photos after both teams captured gold in the 2014 Winter Olympics in Sochi. Catch an upcoming edition of The Southpoint Sun for a story on Agosta’s experiences during the Olympics and her third consecutive gold-medal performance. Submitted photo ing from Windsor. While auctioning off the rights to have an individual’s name associated with a freshly updated oncology room for kids, the bidding whittled down to two men who eventually stopped at $15,000. After Adams convinced one of the two to place a bid of $15,500, the other gave the fundraiser a boost by finishing the bidding with an offer of $30,000. Adams served on Leamington town council for nine years starting in 1968, during which time he was the chairperson of planning and recreation while representing a number of committees. The medal ceremony for Adams was to be held at the Leamington Masonic Lodge Saturday, Jan. 25, but poor weather conditions did not allow for a visit from Grand Master Donald A. Campbell and Deputy Grand Master John C. Green. Leamington Lodge #290 is led by Worshipful Master Charles Whittle. Campbell was finally able to make the trip to Essex County for an occasion in Windsor on Saturday, Feb. 22, to which Adams was invited. (Continued on page 2)
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The William Mercer Wilson Medal was created in honour of Masonic Lodge members for exemplary service and representing their craft in a selfless manner. Leamington’s Gary Adams, a member of Masonic Lodge #290 since 1963, is the most recent recipient of the medal, awarded on an average of less than four times per year.
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