Fishing derby big part of festival

Rachael Van Horn

May 05, 2008 08:20 am

— Four-year-old Elizabeth Tolle thinks fishing is “ok” for about three minutes. Then, her attention turns to the moss on the bank of Fort Supply Lake, the sticks that float in the water and a nearby puppy. But that is what it is all about. Not so much fishing, but doing the kind of fishing that includes all those things and every now and again, a pole bends with the weight of a fish.
That is the way it was Saturday morning in the chill of the day when the 11th annual Mason’s Fishing Derby was held in conjunction with the Fort Supply Festival this weekend.
The event brought out those such as 15-year-old Shawn Wells of Arnett, who about mid morning, wasn't having too much luck, but as the clock neared noon, a fish began to play with his bait and interest began to grow.
According to Worshipful Master of the Woodward Mason Lodge Kyle Renolds, the event has been something they have done through the last 11 years because it exemplifies one of the core beliefs of the Masons, that men should be investing into their families and communities.
The Masons became involved all those years ago when the coordinators of the Fort Supply event asked them to sponsor the fishing derby and they have enjoyed the event so much, they just continued to support it, Reynolds said.
Their support adds up to the organization of the entire event, to include sponsorship of the prizes, the cooking, entry paperwork and set up and clean up after the event, Reynolds said.
According to Reynolds, the Masonic Lodge has been growing in its membership over the last several years, somewhat as a result of movies such as the Divinci Code, that created an awareness of the group.