Trophies, plaques and pictures of youth teams sponsored by Piney River Moose Lodge sponsor line part of the wood-paneled left wall of the lodge. The opposite wall is covered in plaques the lodge has received in recognition of the service it has performed over its 30 years of existence for the community and Moose International.
Donnie Maddox, the administrator of the lodge, stood admiring the photos of the children he and his “family fraternity” have helped. Maddox is also the only member of the 170-member Piney River Moose Lodge to receive his Pilgrim Degree, the highest degree attainable within Moose International. About one out of 6,000 members receive their Pilgrim each year.
The Moose Lodge is an international volunteer organization of men and women that focus on programs for children and elderly and bringing communities together.
“It felt great,” he said about receiving the honor. “It takes a lot of effort and a lot of work.”
In order to become a Pilgrim, Maddox had to obtain two other degrees — the degree of service to become part of the Moose legion and the fellowship degree. Among the requirements are holding a leadership position within the lodge at a higher level, and serving in the organization for a certain amount of time depending on the degree.
Despite the amount of time and work, Maddox said he has enjoyed the experience since becoming a member of the Loyal Order of Moose. Although he does not have a specific favorite project, he said he loves doing things for the kids and seeing their joy at Mooseheart, a trip he’s made three times.
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