Masons help Lakeview students with IDs

Lakeview student, Alex Bunker answers questions asked by Mason member Mark Rogers Thursday morning. The Masons visited Lakeview Elementary School to complete the Michigan Child ID Program. The program helps expedite law enforcement in emergency situations.

By Kate Krieger. MCP Correspondent.

LUDINGTON – A school’s number one priority is to keep its students safe while educating them and Lakeview Elementary School is a prime example. The Masonic Temple and some of its members worked with Lakeview to bring in the Michigan Child ID Program. The program is offered to schools as a free service to give parents a packet of vital identification materials on their child that can help expedite law enforcement in case of an emergency. Permission slips are sent home to parents and they are given the option to sign up their child for the program.

Left, Mason member, Jeremiah Waterchild works with Lakeview student, Ethan Tenney to complete his ID package, while Mason member, Jon Pohl works with student Gage Griffin, Thursday morning.

Children go through a series of tasks to complete the Child ID Package, which is given to the parents to keep. The Masons were at Lakeview School Thursday to complete the package collection with those students who had been signed up.

The Child ID Package includes a photo ID card, digital fingerprints, recorded interview, window cling, dental impressions, DNA sample, dog scents and an Amber Alert profile.

“Having the packet completed can be very helpful,” Mason member Shelby Struble stated. “It can really speed up an Amber Alert. Law enforcement can complete an alert in about 20 minutes with the completed packet, whereas it can usually take a lot longer without the information upfront.”

Lakeview Principal, Randy Fountain said he was very pleased with the program and what it had to offer his school’s students.

“We are always thinking about security and safety,” he stated. “This came to us and it was free and a lot of parents jumped on board with it. We wanted to have it completed last fall, but the calendar wouldn’t allow it until April.”

Fountain stated that about 90 students were going through the ID process Thursday.

The entire package completion process takes about ten minutes per student and the Masons bring in all the equipment free of charge. It is recommended that the Child ID Package be updated every two years.

“We only keep the permission slip,” Struble said. “Everything else goes right back to the parents. Lakeview is the first school in Ludington to participate and we were happy to be able to offer them the service.”

The program is also available at local health fairs, county fairs and Kid’s Night Out.

“It’s just one of the services we provide to the community,” Struble stated. “Anyone who wants it done, we are more than happy to do it.”