Members of Hampton Lodge # 70 served up some of the best barbeque and Brunswick stew ever to over 575 people at the annual Barbeque Cookout.

Mike Butler adjusts the fire under the pots of Brunswick stew. The guys really know the secret to good stew as several of our guests exclaimed it was the best they had ever tasted.

The ladies of the Eastern Star provide the deserts for the event and they were well prepared this time with delicious cakes, pies and other treats. Everything was gobbled up!

The Lodge Secretary, Larry Griggers, went high tech and kept up with collections using a sophisticated computer program. "Don't worry, we will have an old fashioned counting of the donations to make sure this computer doesn't mess up!", he assured the Treasurer.

Members of DeMolay also helped out with the fund raiser. Andrew Bohn and Jackie Moody helped serve food to the guests as they arrived.

Senior Deacon Steve Hendry is invaluable at Hampton's cookouts and helps direct overall activities. He is a tireless worker and put in many hours both Friday night till late and all day Saturday. We couldn't pull off an activity of this magnitude without the help of Masons like Steve!

The annual barbeque is a family affair and many of our guest bring their youngsters, who seem to really enjoy both the food and the atmosphere of fellowship that Masonic Lodges are famous for.

"More stew!" John Butler, a DeMolay from Clayton Chapter and son of the Master of Hampton Lodge, hustles back to the cook shack to get another load of Brunswick stew. John is a champion soccer player and his training and stamina came in handy for the cookout.

These DeMolays get a quick lesson on what it takes to make Brunswick stew Hampton Lodge style. Five vats of stew are cooking at one time. Bro. Butler is a master at managing what has to be done to prepare almost 600 plates! Preparations start Friday evening and it is a round-the-clock adventure till 7 PM Saturday.

Looks like we are reaching the bottom of this vat. Many of our guests came back for seconds asking for more stew, without a doubt one of our best kept secrets!

Past Master Hop Howard instructs Andrew on how to prepare a plate to go. Bro. Howard worked tirelessly all day on the serving line showing how these Masons rise to the occasion when raising funds for the Lodge and its charities.

Young Stewart Hendry, son of Steve Hendry, sets about the difficult task of cleaning up after the cookout. Stewart has the hard working habits of his father and will be a great addition to Clayton Chapter when he is initiated as a DeMolay on October 16, 2003.

The annual barbeque was a great success and will help Hampton Lodge to meet its charitable commitments to the community in the future.