Cornerstone of Ringgold County Jail Ceremony
DAVIS, WIMER, GORDON, LEONARD, COOK, SOBOTKA, LEONARD, KLAUS, CRAWFORD, POSEY, FREMONT, BROWN, LANGFORD, WILLIAMS, ENYARD, ANGUS, BISHOP, FRENCH, OXLEY, AKERS, ROUDYBUSH, FARIS, SHAHA
Posted By: Sharon R Becker (email)
Date: 6/26/2011 at 20:21:03
Mount Ayr Record-News
Mount Ayr, Ringgold County, Iowa
Thursday, June 15, 2011CORNERSTONE CEREMONY SET FOR NEW COUNTY JAIL
The public is invited to attend a cornerstone laying ceremony for the new Ringgold County Law Enforcement Center on Tuesday, June 21 at 11 a.m. The event will be held at the Ringgold County courthouse, 109 West Madison Street. The officers of Grand Lodge of Iowa, Ancient Free and Accepted Masons will conduct the colorful ceremony. It is hoped that Grandmaster Craig DAVIS will be able to preside.
Members of Faith Lodge No. 179 at Mount Ayr under the leadership of Michael WIMER, master of the lodge, will assist the grand lodge officers in the ceremony. Also helping with be members of the Kellerton Lodge.
The cornerstone laying ceremony is a colorful event that culminates when a building is consecrated with corn, wine and oil, all symbolic virtues of morality, justice, truth, brotherly love and citizenship. Although the cornerstone laying ritual is now strictly symbolic, it is based on proven building techniques when stone masons used the chief tools of their trade – the square, level and plumb – to ensure that the first block of their building was correctly laid. The cornerstone ceremony is held only for public buildings.
A ceremony was held when the First Christian Church of Mount Ayr was built, the last time a ceremony was held in Ringgold county.
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Mount Ayr Record-News
Mount Ayr, Ringgold County, Iowa
Thursday, June 23, 2011Masons 'lay' cornerstone for law enforcement center
Grand Master Craig L. DAVIS and Grand Marshal Guy H. POSEY lead the procession through the sabers in the grand entrance to the shelter house on the Ringgold county courthouse lawn where the cornerstone laying ceremony for the new law enforcement center was held.
In a ceremony rich in pomp, the cornerstone for the new Ringgold County Law Enforcement Center was laid Tuesday morning.
The ceremony was held on the Ringgold county courthouse lawn instead of at the law enforcement center site, which is not yet in a condition for visitors. A ceremonial square, level and plumb were used to "set" the corner stone, which was then consecrated with corn, oil and wine.
A host of Grand Lodge officials were on hand for the event, helped out by members of the Faith Lodge of Mount Ayr and Topaz Lodge of Kellerton.
The actual cornerstone, which was not yet complete, will be placed in a place of prominence at the new law enforcement center at some future time.
Sheriff Mike SOBOTKA spoke briefly at the ceremony, thanking the public for its support for the project and noting that the new jail was a 30-year dream of Ringgold county sheriffs.
Current goal for completion of the project is in late August.
SOBOTKA said that tours of the facility would be held before it is put into operation.
A public introduction to some of the words and symbols that would be used in the ceremony were explained at the beginning of the 11 a.m. ceremony.
Taking part in the ceremony were: Craig L. DAVIS, Grand Master, West Des Moines; Kyle A. GORDON, Deputy Grand Master, Granger; Wendell D. LEONARD, Senior Grand Warden, Clarinda; John A."Jack" COOK, Junior Grand Warden, Mount Ayr; John M. KLAUS, Grand Treasurer, Mount Vernon; William R. CRAWFORD, Grand Secretary, Glidden and Cedar Rapids; John M. KLAUS standing in as Grand Chaplain, Mount Vernon; Guy H. POSEY Grand Marshal, Sioux City; Darrell G. FREMONT standing in as Senior Grand Deacon, Madrid; A. J. BROWN, Junior Grand Deacon, Bloomfield; Michael R. LANGFORD standing in as Senior Grand Steward, Washington; Dennis E. WILLIAMS, Junior Grand Steward, Colfax; Scott A. ENYARD, Grand Tyler, Pella; and Michael R. LANGFORD, Grand Musician, Washington.
Local participants included Michael K. WIMER, Bearer of Great Lights; Warren L. ANGUS, Bearer of Book of Constitutions; Laurance M. BISHOP, Bearer of corn; William H. FRENCH, Bearer of Wine; Steven L. OXLEY, Bearer of Oil; Justin J. AKERS, Bearer of Red Candle; Monte AKERS, Bearer of White Candle; Gary E. ROUDYBUSH, Brearer of Blue Cande; Rodney L. FARIS, Flag Bearer; Kurt SHAHA standing in as Architect; and Michael E. SOBOTKA, Grand Orator. Samanatha CRAWFORD played the bugle for the ceremony.
Photographs courtesy of Mount Ayr Record-News
Transcriptions by Sharon R. Becker, June of 2011
PHOTO: DAVIS leads the ceremony where Kyle A. GORDON, Wendell D. LEONARD and Jack COOK ceremonially use the square, level and plumb to check the cornerstone.
Ringgold Documents maintained by Tony Mercer.
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