Masonic Volunteers

Scottish Rite News Masonic Volunteers

MASONIC VOLUNTEERS OF NORTHEASTERN OHIO

125 Masons involved in
National Veterans’ Wheelchair Games

By Ill... Robert W. Cubbison, 33°
M.S.A. Representative V.A. Voluntary Service
Brecksville Campus

Brother Ken Hershman, left, and W.B. Al McCann, right, help two of the powered wheelchair contestants apply no. 15 sunblock to their arms and faces, prior to a race. The day was warm and sunny with very little shade so the contestants appreciated help with the sun screen.

The Louis Stokes Cleveland VA Medical Center (VAMC) and the Buckeye Chapter, Paralyzed Veterans of America (PVA) were selected to host the 2002 Games of the largest wheelchair sports event in the nation. The National Veterans’ Wheelchair Games grew out of the VA’s historic involvement in wheelchair sports for our nation’s veterans. This was the 22nd consecutive year for the games. The first were held in Richmond, V.A. in 1981 with 76 veterans from 14 states competing. In 1985, the PVA joined the VA co-presenting the games. This year there were nearly 500 athletes from 44 states, Puerto Rico and Great Britain. All athletes are military veterans who use wheelchairs due to spinal cord impairment, certain neurological conditions, orthopedic amputations or other disabilities.

At the November 2001 quarterly meeting of the VA Voluntary Service (VAVS), the representatives of the various organizations that volunteer at VAMC were asked for volunteers to help at the Games. Being a member of the Masonic Volunteers of Northeastern Ohio, I called Ill... John A. Hall, 33°, group coordinator, to get our group involved. Most of our other events (Alzheimer’s Walk, 5K Liver Walk, etc.) are one day affairs involving 25 to 50 volunteers. These Games would be different because they cannot take place without hundreds of volunteers helping in all aspects of the games over several days.

We met with the two volunteer recruiters (Ms. Lisa Pape, LISW, and Dr. Mark Bondeson, Psy.D). They hoped we could provide about 35-50 volunteers for the Convention Center on Tuesday, for the track and field events Friday at Brecksville VSAMC, and the motorized wheelchair rally Saturday at the Wade Park oval. Also two shifts of 25 to serve lunch and dinner at the Convention Center on Wednesday and Thursday. Also, on Saturday, we learned they needed help on Sunday for the early morning flights at Hopkins Airport to help vets with luggage and boarding the flights. Three of us were able to help out.

Thanks to Jack, the Masonic Volunteers of Northeastern Ohio did it. The total number of volunteers on the final list was 125, eight of which were MSA regulars on the VAVS staff at the Brecksville campus and the other 117 were listed as M.S.A. occasional volunteers. The total number of hours we contributed to help our nation’s disabled veterans at these Games was 1883 hours.

Brother Patterson, no. 54, left front, is surrounded by several volunteers at the track of Brecksville High School. They included, from left: Ed Dearth, Dale Ettinger, Al McCann, Bob Cubbison, Lloyd Glover, Ken Hershman, and several unidentified volunteers.

One of the highlights Friday was when we met Bro. William Patterson (athlete no. 54) on the Brecksville High School track. He received his three Masonic degrees in the Grand Master’s Class on April 27th in Cambridge, Ohio. Brother Patterson is a disabled Marine Corp. veteran. He is a quadriplegic and is currently receiving care at the Cleveland VSAMC. In the games he competed in five events in class 1A of the open division. In Bowling-Ramp (hand controls) he rolled a 341. In the Motorized Slalom (hand controls) Bill’s time of 01:04.92 gave him a Bronze Medal. In the Powerchair 220 (hand controls) track event, he was the Silver Medalist with a time of 00:55.41. The Club (1A) field event, he threw it 3.6 meters, and in the Air-Guns Quad-with assistance, his score of 443 gave him his second Silver Medal of the Games.

It was a great week with a lot of satisfaction of a job well done. As a result of our efforts at these games, the Cleveland VAMC may call on us in the future. If any of you would like to become a regular volunteer at any of the Cleveland VAMC Campuses, give me a call. The Chief of Voluntary Service has assured me he will be able to set you up with a job to your liking.