White honored as 50-year OES member
PRESQUE ISLE — Lunar Chapter No. 126 Order of the Eastern Star held an honor night June 9 for the 25-, 50- and 70-year members. There were over 80 members in attendance including many state officers as well as members from Canada.
CARIBOU’S HELEN WHITE, center, was honored for 50 years of membership in Order of the Eastern Star during a June 9 ceremony hosted by Lunar Chapter No. 126 of Presque Isle. Among the 80 members from Maine and New Brunswick who gathered to celebrate the milestone with White were, from left, Worthy Matron Brenda Hall of Presque Isle, Worthy Grand Matron of Maine Judith Wilkie of Waterville, Worthy Grand Patron Edwin DeWitt of Milo and Worthy Patron Calvin Hall of Presque Isle. Caribou’s Elizabeth Chapter No. 108 merged with Presque Isle’s Lunar Chapter in 2002.
The 70-year member present was Past Grand Matron Mildred B. McIntosh from Houlton who joined the former Fidelity Chapter No. 32 of Houlton on June3, 1940. She served as Worthy Matron of Fidelity Chapter in 1946, 1988, 1995 and 1997. She was appointed as Grand Electa in 1949 and served as District Deputy Grand Matron for district No. 19 in 1952-1954. She was elected Worthy Grand Matron of Maine in 1961 with Brother Emil Kinney as her Worthy Grand Patron. (who was in attendance for this special night). The seventieth (70th) annual session of the Grand Chapter of Maine, called the “Guiding Light” session was held at City Hall in Portland May 14-16, 1962. McIntosh was appointed a General Grand Chapter Committee Member for 1976-1979 for the International Temple. She became a member of Lunar Chapter No. 126 when Fidelity Chapter merged with Lunar Chapter on June 21, 2002.
A few highlights of McIntosh’s year in the Grand East. There were 187 chapters in Maine at the time with 9 of these being in District No. 19. The total membership was 36,140 with District No. 19 having 1,724 members.
The 50-year member present was Helen White from Caribou who joined the order on April 4th 1960 in the former Elizabeth Chapter No. 108 of Caribou and became a member of Lunar Chapter No. 126 on Oct. 1, 2004 when Elizabeth Chapter merged with Lunar. She held many offices in Elizabeth Chapter and she was Past Matron in 1968. Her last office was Adah. Due to ill health she is unable to attend chapter now but she keeps up with all the news and is active in the Past Matrons club in Caribou.
Also honored was Barbara G. Perkins, Grand Electa for the Grand Chapter of Maine. Perkins joined Lunar Chapter No. 126 on Jan 11, 1995 and served as Worthy Matron in 2006. She was appointed as District Deputy Grand Matron 2009-2010 and was appointed as Grand Electa in 2010 for the Wings of Peace Grand Family.
A skit entitled “Travels with Barbara” as performed by Lunar Chapter and a tribute to Perkins was given by the Appointive Grand Officers and District Deputy Grand Matrons of Maine.
