Freemasons Put Local Students in the Driver's Seat

Escurial Lodge No. 7, F. & A.M., delivered a $2,500 boost to Virginia City schools last week. Of that, $2,000 went to the high school auto shop program for a race car engine rebuild, and $500 to the Storey County School District for general classroom needs.

The auto shop check will fund the rebuild of a Chevrolet V8 destined for the program's ongoing student race car project. The long-term goal is ambitious: build a functional race car from the ground up and enter it in the Virginia City Hill Climb.

Auto shop instructor Casey Hudson leads the program at VCHS and is overseeing the engine build. Hudson revived the auto shop program at the school and runs the class to prepare students for real-world opportunities in the trades, including the path toward Automotive Service Excellence (ASE) certification. The race car project folds directly into that mission. Every part of the build becomes a teaching tool, from the engine rebuild to the ignition timing to the final tune.

"We're grateful for this donation and will use it to build our students' knowledge and shop experience, and get that race car one step closer to pavement," Hudson said.

James Clark, a Past Master of Escurial Lodge No. 7 and a fixture in the racing scene, hosted the auto shop students for a field trip through his car collection and workshop. The charismatic Clark was on a first-name basis with the students in minutes, walking them through his builds, telling stories from a lifetime behind the wheel, and lifting the hood on his own race cars so the students could see and hear up close what a competition engine is actually like.

Chartered in 1864 and known as "Masons on the Mountain," Escurial Lodge No. 7 has been dedicated to the Comstock for over 160 years. Service to youth and the local community has been a cornerstone of the lodge's mission since its founding. Lodge officers say this year's gift is the first of what they intend to be an annual contribution to the auto shop program, with members planning to follow the build closely and continue their support as the project moves from engine block toward the starting line of the Hill Climb.

Several Masons from Escurial Lodge No. 7 were on hand at the check presentation to answer questions from students about the lodge and its work in the community. Randy and Linda Burdick answered questions about their auto collection, which is housed along with Clark's in the Burdick Excavating warehouse.

Joining the workshop tour was local pastor and Comstock Chronicle contributor Jeff Headley, who arrived in his classic Ford Model A and closed the visit in prayer. James Clark sent the students off with words of inspiration:

"That person is a success who has lived well, laughed often, and loved much; who has earned the respect of intelligent men and women and the love of children; who has found their niche and accomplished many tasks; and when leaving this world, they have left it a better place than they found it."