For more than 20 years, the Signet Lodge #264 of the Carroll Masons has hosted an annual Christmas dinner. Larry Leib, past master with the Masons, says they took it over from another local organization.
Leib says they serve between 300 and 400 meals that day, with all of the food prepared by the Masons. Several local businesses donate products for the meal, and then many of the area residents come together to share the true meaning of the season with others.
He says, all joking aside, the public really comes through with all of the serving, refilling of drinks and cleaning up afterward. Leib will be getting up very early Christmas morning, expecting to be there between 5 a.m. and 5:30 a.m. Then they will get their volunteer drivers ready to deliver at 11:30 a.m. and the sit down dinner at the lodge will begin at noon. He says they will serve until they run out of food. In all the years they have been doing this, Leib says that he can remember only one year that they canceled the dinner, but were able to give the food to others instead.
The meal is absolutely free of charge and everyone is welcome to join the Masons as their guests at noon Christmas Day at the lodge on Highway 71 north. Anyone wishing to volunteer is just asked to show up that day.
