Homecomers' ice cream came from DeMolay

To the editor:

The Aug. 16 story regarding the 95th anniversary of the Jackson Homecomers celebration quoted a woman as saying the Masons have really good homemade ice cream. To provide a small clarification, the homemade ice cream stand was provided by Excelsior Chapter of the Order of DeMolay, which is a young men's fraternity sponsored by Excelsior Lodge 441 in Jackson.

This may seem a trivial matter, but I am a former member of the DeMolay chapter, and the ice cream stand brings back a flood of wonderful memories. For many years, the chapter froze as many as 600 gallons of homemade ice cream (the recipe was secret) and scooped it up to adoring crowds. It was difficult work. However, it was work that was based in friendship and fraternity.

The DeMolay chapter now barely exists. I will never forget or repay the men who volunteered their time to be our dads. They taught us filial love, reverence, courtesy, comradeship, fidelity, cleanliness and patriotism. While the members of the chapter have scattered, I know many of them have the same feelings of gratitude in their hearts and fully know that those wonderful days of young manhood have helped us to become the citizens that we are today.

RODNEY PENSEL

Jackson