Masons honor local officers
Published 7:47 pm Friday, March 30, 2012
LOCAL MEMBERS OF Orion Lodge No. 8 Free & Accepted Masons and Masonic District 2 Director Irvin Horne of Pelham, Ga., and his wife Ruby get together with local law enforcement officials who assisted them in providing the data for the Georgia Child Identification Program (CHIP) in Decatur County. Shown are: front row, left to right, Decatur County Sheriff’s Deputy Richard Hughes, Orion Lodge Worshipful Master Steve King, Decatur County Sheriff Wiley Griffin and Decatur County Sheriff’s Captain Nick Godwin; back row, left to right, Ruby Horne, her husband District 2 Masonic CHIP Director Irvin Horne, Orion Lodge local CHIP Chairman Joe Frank Battles, Decatur County Sheriff’s Deputy Chris Kines, Decatur County Sheriff’s Sergeant Michael Cox and Decatur County Sheriff’s Deputy Sam Hughes. |Joe Crine
Members of Orion Lodge No. 8 Free & Accepted Masons honored local law enforcement officials, who assisted them with a comprehensive child identification service, with a Thursday night dinner.
The program, known as the Georgia Child Identification Program (CHIP), is funded by the Georgia Masonic Charities Foundation Inc. and locally by Orion Lodge.
District 2 Masonic CHIP Director Irvin Horne of Pelham, Ga., presented a certificate of outstanding work in the program to Orion Lodge CHIP Director Joe Frank Battles.
He praised Battles, who said the local Masonic Lodge plans to continue the program through next school year and beyond. He thanked all the Orion Lodge members for unselfishly assisting at CHIP events and registering 427 kids at the second grade, seventh grade and senior levels in the program.
Thanks to CHIP, a child’s photograph, video interview, fingerprints, DNA sample and other information is quickly made available to law enforcement, if a child goes missing.
