Russellville Masonic Lodge #371 has been working hard over the past few years to raise money for scholarships for local high school students as a way to give back to the Russellville community.
Bob Grissom was a long time, much respected member of the Alabama Freemasons and a member of the Russellville Lodge as well as the entire community.
Upon his passing, the Grissom family wanted to find some way to honor his memory as a loving, respected husband and father. They decided to start a scholarship for some deserving Russellville High School senior in 2008.
After that first year, the Grissom family approached the Masonic Lodge that Grissom loved so much to see if they would be interested in helping sponsor the scholarship as part of the Masonic organization’s community outreach program.
The Brethren of the Russellville Masonic Lodge at that time agreed that it would be a great way to give back to the community and worked with the Alabama Grand Lodge to clear the way to create the scholarship program currently known as “The Bob Grissom Masonic Memorial Scholarship”.
This scholarship effort has continued to grow since the Grissom family and the Russellville Lodge partnered in their fundraising beginning with the 2009 graduating class. That class was awarded four $1,000 scholarships to help jumpstart the recipients in their first year of college.
A total of five $1,000 scholarships were awarded to seniors from the 2010 and 2011 graduating classes.
Each year the numbers of applications have been growing. Last year, for the Class of 2012, there were 14 deserving applicants and the scholarship committee decided to award a sixth scholarship.
This year, for the Russellville High School Class of 2013, the scholarship committee again was able to award six $1,000 scholarships from a stack of over 30 applicants.
The award recipients for the Russellville High School Class of 2013 are as follows:
• Lauren LeAnne Reynolds, a member and co-captain of the Russellville High School varsity cheerleader squad and a UCA All-Star cheerleader. She was a member of the National Honor Society as well as several school clubs and organizations. She has plans to dedicate herself to becoming a Nurse Practitioner and obtain a degree in Nursing.
• Jacob Hunter Smith plans to start at NW-SCC to obtain the initial core courses to allow him to then transfer to Mississippi State to pursue an Engineering Degree.
He has been involved in multiple school clubs and organizations over his high school career as well as a many church related activities and mission trips. He has also competed in both state and national trap shooting competitions placing 2nd in Alabama and 3rd in the nation his junior year.
• Jeffery Chase Fretwell has been a member of the Russellville High School varsity football and baseball teams throughout his high school tenure. He was also involved in several school clubs and organizations.
He has a goal of playing college football and if that does not work out, he will attend NW-SCC initially and then transfer to a four year institution to pursue a major in Physical Education.
• Evan Michael Hargett plans to attend the College of Agriculture at Auburn University and study Animal Sciences / Pre-Veterinary studies with the eventual goal of receiving a Veterinary Medicine degree.  He has been involved in many school activities and has volunteered for community programs as well as being actively involved in church activities. Hargett has kept up a steady workload during his entire high school career.
He is a member of the National Honor Society and multiple school organizations. He has also been involved in the Russellville High School tennis program. He has received and been notified for several honors and awards and was the 2012 Alabama Junior Champion, 2012 Academics, Integrity and Marksmanship Overall Champion in Competitive Trapshooting competitions. Since 2009, Mr. Hargett has won state and world shoot competitions and has been featured several times in the “Trap & Field ATA Magazine.”
• Caitlan Elizabeth Smith plans to attend NW-SCC for her first two years of college for the core courses and then plans to transfer to the Pharmacy School at Auburn University.
She has been a cheerleader for her entire high school career including being the captain both her junior and senior years. Smith has been heavily involved in church activities and multiple school clubs and organizations. She is a member of the National Honor Society.
• William Brett Adcock has been involved with the Russellville High School varsity football team for his four year high school career.
He was the president of the Russellville High School Art Club his senior year and Vice-President his junior year. He has been involved in multiple school clubs and organizations. Adcock is a member of the National Honor Society and participated in the National Youth Leadership Conference in Washington D.C.
He was also nominated for several other national recognition activities. He plans to attend the University of South Alabama in Mobile to obtain a degree in Computer Science and Mathematics with a minor in Art. He wants to be able to pursue work in the Video Game Design and Development industry and do freelance concept art.
The Russellville Masonic Lodge F&AM and the Bob Grissom family would like to congratulate each of the recipients selected from the Class of 2013 and hopes they continue to excel in college and all their future endeavors. We would also like to thank the Russellville and surrounding Franklin County communities for their continued support of the fundraising efforts for this good cause.