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High school seniors got their graduation sendoff Sunday, but the younger kids had their day in the sun last Thursday with a barbecue picnic and received awards from the local Masons, including Most Worshipful Past Grand Master Thom Chisholm, who cooked burgers and hot dogs for more than two hours.

It was Chisholm that started the annual Plains School barbecue 13 years ago as a special goodbye to retiring superintendent Richard Magera, who was replaced by Chisholm. The barbecue continued every year, except one due to Covid, for a special treat for the elementary school students on their last day of school before summer vacation.

"It's his last hurrah unless we can get him to come back every year," said Ty Allen, the school counselor, of Chisholm. Allen was one of about 50 staff members that helped with the barbecue. Chisholm said there were about 300 students from kindergarten to seventh grade and more than 300 family members and friends at the event, which he believes is a record number.

"The purpose was to provide a healthy meal for the students on the last day, as the kitchen is cleaned and stacked out for the summer on the preceding day. It has evolved into a final family fun filled visit as we head into the summer," said Chisholm. "I think the kids love it and the parents appreciate it," said Chisholm, who retires this year after 30 years in the education field.

Three Masons - Ron Warren and Bill Burrell of Plains and Kenn Owens of Noxon, all of Mason Lodge 70 of Thompson Falls, gave out six Kindle electronic readers and five bikes to elementary students. Their names were drawn from a bucket by Principal Kevin Meredith. Kindergartner Nala Fryxell received a bicycle, first-grader Leo Kerney received a bike, second-grader Evan King received a bike, third-grader Braedan Allen received a bike, third-grader Paisley French received a Kindle, fourth-grader Ryker Anderson received a bike, fourth-grader Jayce Wickum received a Kindle, fifth-graders Emma Conley and Kage Tuma received Kindles, and sixth-graders Hailey Dimond and Mauriella Adams received Kindles.

Chisholm guessed that he cooked some 150-200 pounds of meat on his custom made grill that he constructed several years ago. The five-foot long grill was made from a 300-gallon fuel tank attached to a makeshift trailer made from a combine header. Shop students formed the grill. Jesse Jermyn, the chief maintenance man at the school, made a heavy duty steel spatula that morning for Chisholm.

The classes were brought out one at a time so there wouldn't be a longer line for the food. Chisholm said the event was focused on the elementary students, but the seventh grade was added and several high school students showed up. He said that nearly 500 people have routinely shown up to eat, but he said there were around 540 people last year, a number that was beat this year. The superintendent guessed that about 625 participated last week. He said this was the first year to run out of hamburgers. "The staff really works hard to make this happen," said Chisholm, "with the paras doing the heavy lifting to organize and serve our community."