b7cc060b1ec9e2979f63500c0b09d97d.jpg

MANVILLE: Teacher gets top honor

By Mary Ellen Zangara, Special Writer
   Manville High School teacher Kevin Caldwell was selected as Raritan Valley Lodge No. 46 Educator of the Year and was honored at the lodget’s meeting on April 6h.
   Mr. Caldwell, along with his parents, Kathy and Rick Caldwell, and Manville High School Principal Dr. James Brunn attended a dinner and award ceremony.
   ”It’s a great honor. It is a cool organization, civic minded community people. To be nominated by Dr. Brunn was a big honor,” Mr. Caldwell said. “I was pretty surprised and I didn’t expect it. It is a nice feeling. It is always nice to feel the support of the community around you.
   Ms. Caldwell was very proud of her son,saying “Kevin was special. I always knew that language was a gift from God.”
   Shool board member Joseph Lukac, who also a member of the Raritan Valley Mason Lodge, explained more about the award that Mr. Caldwell received.
   ”Basically, every Freemason lodge reaches out to each community surrounding it. So there are numerous applicants. Each applicant must have a letter from their principal or the person who is recommending them. Then a committee designated from the lodge membership meets and goes through each application and chooses which applicant standardizes themselves with characteristics of a Mason in life. “
   Mr. Caldwell was chosen, Mr. Lukac said, out of the applicant pool because of the recommendation letter received from his peer. Upon receiving the award, the applicant is then entered automatically into our District Award pool.
   Mr. Lukcas explained that the 12th Masonic District is made up of eight Masonic lodges. Mr. Caldwell was awarded the 12th District Teacher of the Year, also. Now he is entered in the Grand Lodge of New Jersey Teacher of the Year award, Mr. Lukac said. Mr.Caldwell will be up against the district awardees from all 24 Masonic districts in the state. In total, there are 129 lodges in New Jersey, he said.
   Mr. Lukac said that according to the award requirements, “A letter is written by the person who recommended Mr. Caldwell, and needs to be a heart-felt description of his character, and saying why he should receive this award. Many folks, often school principals, describe the teacher’s sense of caring, and generous, unselfish time, given to the students. Some letters were very well written, and incorporated Masonic values and those often won.”So far the awards Mr. Caldwell has won this year include Teacher of the Year from the local Raritan Valley Lodge No. 46 F&AM, Somerville; Teacher of the Year, 12th Masonic District. Now he is entered for the Grand Lodge of New Jersey Teacher of the year award.
   Worshipful Master Bill McClew of the Raritan Valley Lodge presented Mr. Caldwell with his award.
   ”It was an excellent choice. The write-up we received was a glowing recommendation and we are proud that we could honor him. We wish him well and hope he wins in the Grand Lodge. That is a great award to receive,” Mr. McClew said.
   According to Mr. Lukac, “Masonry is the oldest fraternity in the world, although no one can claim to know its exact origins. There is evidence that the Masonry we know today probably grew out of the guilds of stonemasons who built the castles and cathedrals of the Middle Ages.
   ”In the U.S., many of the Founding Fathers were Masons, including Benjamin Franklin and George Washington. From presidents, astronauts, and sports heroes to carpenters, CEOs, and bus drivers, millions of Masons have made our country what it is today. As Masons, history, tradition, and pride are central concepts in our lives,” he said.
   ”We practice the principles that make our country great — at Masonic lodges, all men are equal, regardless of income, race, or religion,” Mr. Lukac said. “There are over 13,000 lodges in the U.S. You’ll find one in most small towns, and large cities usually have several. You can travel almost any place in the world and find the warm hand of brotherhood extended to you. We are the Masons. We believe in helping others. We believe there is more to life than pleasure and money. We respect the opinions of others. And we all want to grow and develop as human beings. Masons are moral, honest men who work together to improve themselves and their communities. Our motto is “friendship, morality, and brotherly love.”
   The Free & Accepted Masons are a fraternal organization, rich in history, of men working towards “making good men better,” Mr. Lukac explained. “We are involved in the betterment of one’s self and giving to charity. We live our lives ‘upon the square.’”