The Big Sandy Mountaineer -

In 2015 and 2016 Alvin Bitz hit a bunch of landmarks. He and his wife Dee celebrated their fiftieth Wedding Anniversary on September18, 2015. Alvin was made fifty years a Mason on March 15, 2016 and if that was not enough Alvin turned 75 years of age on April 4, 2016

That is a huge amount of events to celebrate in a short period of time. Alvin and Dee seem to have weathered those events just fine.

As to fifty years a Mason, Al celebrated the Treasure Lodge Number 95 becoming 100 years old on September 21, 2014. At the time Alvin Bitz was the Worshipful Master of the Lodge.

Alvin Bitz was convinced by his father and an uncle that when he was 24 he should join the Masons. Alvin's brother Russell Bitz went in with him.

"When I got to 24 they grabbed me by the arm and told me I had to be in the Masons. I joined in Big Sandy," said Alvin.

In that time there were lots of social events in the Masons and Big Sandy Masons met Masons from lodges all the way from Joplin to Hinsdale. One association that met three times a year was called the North Central Welfare Association. That Association was put together by the Masons to help boys who wanted to go to college with finances. Those loans had to be paid back and working with them was very interesting. The Association became a loaning agency.

Lest people think that one hundred years of Masons in Big Sandy or fifty years of Al Bitz being a Mason, that is nothing for an organization that was born in England in the 1700's by stone and brick masons who wanted to live better lives.

The first Mason meeting in the United States were in Boston, Mass. In 1732.

The Masons are all about living a more principled life. That has never changed. And they measure their principled lives using implements that are used by stone and brick masons. That has never chanced either.

"The plumb is to walk uprightly in our special station before God and man."

"Squaring our actions by the Square of virtue."

"Ever remembering that we are traveling upon that level of time of who is born, no traveler returned."

Masons were mostly Protestants although Al remembers a time when many Catholics were Masons as well. The Catholic Church had the "Knights of Columbus" which in some ways mirrored the Masons. Old time Lutheran churches sometimes did not encourage their members to become Masons thinking they would lose them as church members.

"I am honored because in 1989 I was the Master of the Lodge when we celebrated our 75th Anniversary and I was the Master of the Lodge when we celebrated our 100th Anniversary too," said Alvin.

"I have always been blessed by having good helpers. That has made all the difference," added Alvin. "Good help, wonderful people and family who help in any way they can."

As far as being a Mason, Alvin has some ideas about just what that means.

"You put out what you put in. Lots of Masons dropped out because they did not want to be involved. All of us had to do memory work, and some did not do that so they quit," said Alvin. "They wouldn't do the work that being a Mason required."

Whether it be a regular stone mason in the 1700's or now, Masons try to live principled lives.

"It just doesn't get any better than that, said Alvin.

One of the great questions asked of perspective Masons is whether or not they believe in God? If the answer is yes, the response is, "Your faith is well founded."

With Alvin Bitz and Mason's around Big Sandy, their faith and works have always been well founded and something the whole community can always be proud of.

Happy Anniversary and Happy Birthday Alvin!