Among the students were Iola’s Jackson Young, Avery Strickler and Autumn Carr, who represented Iola in the Kansas Masonic All-State Marching Band during Saturday’s parade. The annual football game, held June 27 on the campus of Emporia State University, was part of the Shrine Bowl weekend.
The trio attended the 43rd Annual Kansas Masonic All-State Marching Band Camp from June 23-27. Hosted annually by the Kansas Masons and Shriners, the camp includes rehearsals as well as a banquet, the parade, and other community events alongside Shriner members and children whose families are supported through the hospitals’ specialized medical care. Young, Strickler and Carr participated with sponsorship from the Iola Masonic Lodge.
For Strickler, a 15-year-old sophomore, the week was her first experience with the program. The camp’s 180 students learned four musical selections and marching formations over the course of the week, and an afternoon swimming plan was replaced by an auditorium talent show after rain.