A line of men wearing protective ear wear stood getting direction from a firearms instructor. Holding shotguns, they were standing on a skeet-shooting range waiting for the clay pigeons to fly.
“Pull,” the shooters shouted in turn, blasting away at the neon orange discs. When one man called “pull” but the pigeon flew out shattered from the thrower, the instructor called for a time-out. It was a matter of etiquette.
When the bird flies out of the launcher shattered, a shooter gets a second chance, he explained.
All of the clay pigeon shooters at the New Paltz Rod & Gun Club on Saturday, May 10 — the ones getting instructions on sporting clay etiquette — were there for a special reason. They were there to help the Freemasons raise money for local high schoolers.
Adonai Lodge No. 718, the Highland chapter of the Freemasons, has traditionally helped support students with high school scholarships. Last weekend’s skeet shoot cost $70 a head.
“That included everything from the clays, the ammunition to the barbecue afterwards,” explained Craig Chapman, who leads Lodge No. 718 in Highland.
Part of that money also went toward the scholarships. It’s the first time the event has ever been held.
“We might be a little short this year. Hopefully, we’ll do more than break even, but you’ve got to start somewhere. Hopefully, this will be an annual thing,” Chapman said.
Highland’s Masonic lodge has a long history, and it dates back about 150 years. Freemasons have traditionally been a secret fraternity, but the Internet age has seen the organization become more transparent — often inviting non-members into the lodge for tours, recruiting more publicly and engaging people on social media.
Worldwide, the Masons are involved in several charity projects, donating to the needy or helping out others. They’re also associated with the Shriners — a spin-off group from Freemasonry that’s dedicated to helping children.
Eric Morabito came to Freemasonry through the Scouts. Back in 2008, he organized a world record attempt for the largest penny jar as a Webelo den leader. His son and the other Scouts didn’t break the world record — set in 2005 — but they raised almost $2,300. They ended up donating that money to the Shriners.
For him, that connection to helping kids is an important reason to organize the high school scholarship drive.
Typically, the Masons have brought in $100 per high school for the scholarships — one for New Paltz, Highland and Marlboro.
Join the family! 
