With the smell of cooked hot dogs and hamburgers in the air, Newberry Woodmen of the World Lodge 437 celebrated 100 years as a chartered lodge.

Woodmen of the World is a fraternal benefit society that serves a dual mission to help ensure financial security for members and their families through insurance and investment products. Along with insurance, the lodge strengthens the local community through patriotic and service projects.

“Our mission is to benefit our members through every stage of life,” Field Representative Ruffs Lowman said.

The Newberry lodge was founded on March 25, 1909.

The lodge was recognized by the Board of Directors of Woodmen of the World/Omaha Woodmen Life Insurance Society for their outstanding community service and philanthropic activities for 100 years.

Not only was the Newberry lodge recognized for its service, but Dale Eargle, a member of the Newberry lodge, was awarded the 2008 Fraternalist of the Year for South Carolina Woodmen of the World.

“It is an honor to be awarded as the state fraternalist because only one person can win in the state,” Eargle said.

The lodge still continues to give back to the community through community services and insurance benefits.

Meeting once a month, the Woodmen decide what services they will provide. Ideas can range from donations of American flags and flagpoles to cleaning up and restoring a camp site.

“The Woodmen offer more flags than anyone other than the U.S. government,” Field Representative Billy Bedenbaugh said.

Aside from donating flags and flagpoles throughout Newberry, the Woodmen helped build the reading garden at Newberry Elementary School and completed a handicap ramp at thee Girl Scout Hut located on Pope Terrace.

The Woodmen also sponsor 160 youth members to go to a summer camp every year.

“Being able to send members’ kids to camp is one of the many benefits of being a Woodmen,” Bedenbaugh said.

Other benefits range from disaster relief, health care, college savings plans and many others. Woodmen insurance does not benefit house and automobiles.

For more information about membership in Woodmen of the World, contact Bedenbaugh at wwbedenbaugh@woodmen.org or Lowman at rllowman@woodmen.org.