May 22, 2024 - Timpson Masonic Lodge #437 presented several awards and scholarships at their meeting held Saturday, May 11, 2024.
Danny Arvello, Worshipful Master, welcomed everyone and explained to all the reason for their gathering.
Worshipful Master, Danny Arvello
“The reason we're together here today is for a very special reason, you know, we like to honor somebody in our community and also honor a couple of students and a faculty member.”
Arvello stated the recipients are very deserving of these awards, and that Timpson is a great community.
“You know, we live in a great community that we got such a lot of men and women that everybody really looks up to,” said Arvello.
From left: Ronnie Wolfe and Dondi Tipton, Senior Deacon
Dondi Tipton, Senior Deacon, was then invited to escort Ronnie Wolfe to receive his honor.
“He's been a leader in our community for a lots of years. He's been on the city council. He started on the city council in 1980,” said Tipton.
Wolfe confirmed for Tipton, he was on the city council for around 30 years.
“He's done things from build a gazebo in the square to teaching math in Timpson for 35 years. I've never seen anybody that he told ‘no’ to if they needed help with any kind of schoolwork,” said Tipton.
Tipton recalled needing help in school when he was a student, and Wolfe being there to offer that assistance.
“He got me through, so he's one of the main reasons I graduated high school and that's the truth, and you know, nobody has a bigger heart,” said Tipton.
Tipton said Wolfe is the son of a sharecropper, and he described Wolfe having an open door to so many people in the community just to sit down and have a meal in his house.
“Mr. Wolf, I want to present to you the Community Builder Award, and thank you for your service,” said Tipton.
Wolfe said he came to Timpson to start teaching math in 1969, and that during the time he has been there he has known many Masons. He stated the Mason do so much good in the community.
“I served on the City Council with four Masons that I remember. Bert Combs and Chester Kirkley and Ronnie Peace, Bubba Carrington,” said Wolfe. “We stand in the shadow of the water tower, Bubba and I did the grant presentation for that water tower back in sometime in the ‘90s but this ought to be about the Masons.”
Wolfe described having broken his hip in 2022 and being in the hospital for a few days before returning home. He had hay that was previously cut and had been laying in the field before a Mason arrived and offered a hand.
He said, “’I'll rake your hay for you.’ And he did. Here a few weeks ago, I come in out of the hospital and this same guy showed up and he said, ‘Is anything I can do for you?’ But it just come a 10-inch rain, my garden was just flooded. And I said, ‘Well, I've got to plow my garden’ and I can't get on my tractor.’ I said, ‘They told me not to get on my tractor.’ he said, ‘When I get in off my bus route, I’ll come plow your yard for you.,’ and he did.”
Wolfe stated he has known Masons all of his life and they have such a good organization he said he didn’t feel worthy of the honor they were bestowing on him.
“I thank you, I thank my family for being here,” said Wolfe.
Wolfe named his family members present for the event and they included his wife, Joyce; son, James; daughter Elizabeth, and her husband Brett Gaylord; and grandchildren. Wolfe also said he considers Dondi and Josh Tipton to be his brothers and Beth Tipton to be his sister.
“I'm thankful that they're here and I humbly accept this award and I'm thankful,” said Wolfe.
From left: Coach Kerry Therwanger and Josh Tipton
Josh Tipton then escorted Coach Kerry Therwanger before the audience to be presented with the Mirabeau B. Lamar Award.
“With this award, we recognize your exemplary achievement, and others, our warmest congratulations to you in your school,” said Tipton. “So, Coach Therwanger, as everybody should know, has won us a state championship here. We certainly do thank him for that.”
Tipton said Therwanger coached his son and that it was an honor and privilege to see the coach, his staff and team move forward.
Tipton remarked that after three attempts, this past year was the fourth attempt that earned the team the Championship.
“Finally, he just kept chugging and pushing through and we got to go too, and I say we as a community, everybody was very proud of [you] coaching the team. We all got to go to Dallas and set the AT&T stadium and watch our Timpson Bears win a state championship so we're very proud of him.”
Tipton then presented Therwanger with his award, and thanked him for the job he has done for the kids and the school.
“I really appreciate the recognition and I get this award, but this didn't happen by myself, I had a great coaching staff, great support with my administration and we had great kids y'all done a heck of a job in this community raising some really good kids and we just happened to be the beneficiaries of some kids that went to work made an effort, got close and didn't give up.
“We talked to them all the time about just making memories, and I think they did a heck of a job making memories for themselves and this community and I really appreciate it. Thank y 'all.”
From left: Judy Crump and Jesse Maynard, Lodge Secretary
Judy Crump was then escorted before the audience for a presentation in honor
Jesse Maynard, Lodge Secretary, shared that when he first arrived in Timpson 10 years ago the second person he ever met was Judy Crump’s husband, Bob Crump.
“He was driving past my house, saw my truck with a Masonic emblem in the back, and said we've got a lodge in town, you need to come here, and I've been here ever since.”
Maynard then offered a biographical history of Mr. Crump, who passed away in December 30, 2023, and the information was as follows:
Robert Alvin Bob Crump was born in Silas Community, February 1936, and went to SFA, earned a bachelor's degree, became a teacher, and he taught Texas History, American History, Civics and started his teaching career in Humble, Texas.
He came back to Garrison in 1979 and retired from there in 1994. While teaching, he kept a Bible on his desk. He drove the school bus, and Bob was a devout Christian, a member of Mount Olive Baptist Church since 1979. He was on the Cemetery Committee for years. He also served as the Timpson Rural Water Board President for several years.
In Masonry, Bob was initiated EA in 2-18-66, passed the Fellowcraft 11-15 -66, and raised the Master Mason on 12-2-66, all in Mount Houston Lodge, number 1359. He affiliated with Timpson Lodge 437 on 10-16-81. He received a 25-year award in 1991, became an endowed member 8-25-2000, received the Golden Trowel Award on 10-21-04, which is the highest award that can be made to a mason from a lodge.
He received his 50-year award on 5-11-2017, served as chaplain for the lodge for over 30 straight years. Nobody has sat in that chair in 30 years but him. For his service to education, the community, and Timpson Lodge is honored to announce that from this year forward that one student from Timpson High School will receive the Robert Alvin Crump Memorial Scholarship.
After reading the biography, Maynard then presented Mrs. Crump with a certificate for the Robert Alvin Crump Memorial Scholarship in honor of her husband.
“I'd love to say something now, but I think I'd probably dissolve before I got through it. He loved all of you, and this means a lot, and I thank you,” said Judy Crump.
The lodge then presented two scholarships with the first recipient named being Alexis Grigsby. She was unable to attend the event due to an athletic obligation, but was later presented the scholarship for $1,000 before the Baccalaureate services at First Baptist Church Timpson.
Arvello stated that Alexis Grigsby is very active and listed many of her accomplishments including: Junior Chamber of Commerce Sweetheart, 2000 – present, National Beta Club 2020, Timpson High School International Club Officer 2023, All A Honor Roll 2020 to present, High Honors, Varsity Softball all four years, Varsity Volleyball, 2021 and 2022, Varsity Cheer 2021, Cross Country 2021-2023, Track 2021 and 2024, District Pitcher of The Year 2021, First All-District Softball 2020-2022, First Team All-District Softball 2023, District Honorable Mention Volleyball 2022, Cross Country Regional Qualifier 2021.
“She's the first female in Timpson to receive a scholarship through Division I to play for any school,” said Arvello.
Arvello stated, in community club activities and achievements Grigsby has accumulated 65 volunteer hours, is a member of New Columbia Missionary Baptist Church, and is an assistant Sunday school teacher and she’s involved in the Texas Bombers fastpitch softball.
“She's gonna attend SFA this coming up year, if I'm not mistaken, she's gonna I think she's gonna major in finance or accounting,” said Arvello.
From left: Noah Arvello and Danny Arvello
Judd “Tuffy” Green then escorted Noah Arvello before the audience for his scholarship presentation.
“[Noah's], going to attend a trade school thiss coming up fall. He wants to go on the automotive mechanics and AC repair, which he's been active in FFA. the FFA, he's been doing high school fishing tournaments since he was in middle school, 8th grade, and he's a very accomplished fisherman,” said Danny Arvello.
He said that Noah Arvello has been fishing in the championship tournament every year for his whole high school career has been going to fishing tournaments.
“They have earned $5,000-plus in scholarship monies, you know, just fishing. Which is a good sport to get in,” said Arvello.
Danny Arvello then presented Noah Arvello with a $1,000 scholarship on behalf of the Timpson Masonic lodge as well as his Mirabeau B. Lamar medal.
“Noah is also receiving the very first Timpson Lodge 437, Robert Allen Bob Crump, Memorial Scholarship,” said Arvello.
Danny Arvello stated the scholarship is very special to the lodge and what a great honor it is for Noah to receive that particular scholarship since he did know Mr. Crump personally.
“I just want to say thank y’all,” said Noah Arvello.
Arvello encouraged everyone in attendance to introduce themselves and their family.
During that time Leslie Gill, Lodge Treasurer, shared about the contributions the Masonic Lodges in Shelby County have made through scholarships every year.
“We really like to give scholarships out. A lot of people know that the Masonic Lodges in Shelby County donate over $10,000 every year to the schools of Shelby County,” said Gill. “Each lodge gives a certain amount up to their area, Center, Tenaha, Timpson they all give scholarships to all their people. A lot of people didn't know that, but Masons is a good organization, makes good men better. So if anybody's not a Mason and they want to be, come on.”
