MARYSVILLE — Vance Whippo takes pride in the more than 100 years of community service that the Free and Accepted Masons of Washington have done in the city of Marysville, and he wants folks to know that it’s still going on.

Whippo, who serves as junior warden of Crystal Lodge 122 of the Free and Accepted Masons of Washington in Marysville, explained that his lodge recently donated to a trio of local community service organizations — the Marysville Community Food Bank, the Marysville Community Lunch non-profit group and the Eagle Wings Ministries which serves people with developmental disabilities — in a slightly different way than they’d done in previous years.

“We used to hand out checks for $300 each to five groups,” Whippo said. “This time, because of the higher degree of need facing these local organizations, we gave $500 each to three groups.”

Although Whippo praised all three groups for their positive contributions to the community, he noted that the relative need of Eagle Wings Ministries was especially significant in at least one respect.

“Because of the economy, they had to lay off all of their staff,” Whippo said. “It’s down to the group’s director and an all-volunteer crew serving a minimum of 300 people.”

Whippo explained that the three main ideas of the Free and Accepted Masons are faith, hope and charity, of which he deemed charity “the biggest.”

“You might not have seen us as much, since we haven’t really promoted ourselves in recent years, but at 100-plus years, we’re still going strong for the Marysville community,” Whippo said.

For more information or to join Crystal Lodge 122 of the Free and Accepted Masons of Washington in Marysville, which is always looking for new members, you may call Whippo at 206-786-5461.