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Methodist Church and served faithfully as Vice Chairman of the Trustee Board, Lay Speaker and a member of the Staff/ Pastor/Parish Relations Committee and the Administrative Council. Also, previously, he served as Chairman of the Administrative Council for thirteen years; Lay Leader; the Chairman of the Pastor-Parish Relations Committee and the Trustee Board; and a member of the Finance Committee. He was a member of the South Carolina United Methodist Church Evangelism Commit- tee and later served as its chairman for three terms. Some of Foster’s numerous activities include: • In 1947, he organized and pur- chased uniforms for the first two Little League Teams in Gaffney and coached one of the teams; • In 1949, when radio station, WFGN, first signed on in Gaffney, SC, he started his first radio pro- gram and it still runs today begin- ning at 8:30 A.M. for 60 minutes; • For twenty-five years he served as a high school referee in football and basketball; • For several years he managed the city’s Black baseball team; • When the city of Gaffney built the swimming pool for Blacks, he was the director of recreation at the Thickety Mountain Facilities providing leadership to swimming, dancing, softball, horseshoe, and other sports for children and adults. Dr. Foster was a life time supporter of the Boy Scouts of America - as a scout, a Roundtable Commissioner, a District Commissioner, a professional, a District Executive Director of Exploring and a Relation Director. After retiring he continued to help when needed. To the scouts he was a father, a teacher, a coun- selor, and a friend. He was a member of the Palmetto Council Boy Scouts of America Executive Board, Council Trea- surer and Vice President of the Palmetto Council. He was director of summer camp for twelve years and always earned a score of an “A” for National Camp
each year. He was the Camp Direc- tor for the first three years of the Cub Scout Day Camp and was director of the Palmetto Council Exploring Program for fourteen years. He was a former board member of the Boys’ Club. He was a retired member of the Advisory Board of Nations Bank and former Chairman of C & S Bank Advisory Board. Dr. Rufus Foster Jr. was a 1944 initiate of the Alpha Epsilon of Kappa Alpha Psi ® at Johnson C. Smith Chapter. He was a charter member of the Spartan- burg (SC) Alumni Chapter and the Gaffney (SC) Alumni Chapter. He was a Life Member of the Kappa Alpha Psi ® , with 70 years of service. Gaffney (SC) Alumni Chapter established the “Rufus H. Foster Kappa of My Dreams Contest” in his honor. Brother Dr. Foster was also a Life Member of the NAACP. He was the first Black Rotarian in the state of South Carolina. He was a past president of the Blacksburg Rotary Club. He was a former president of the Gaffney Men’s Bowling League from 1971 to 2003. He was a retired member of the Salvation Army Board and a member of Spartan Tech Advisory Board. He served on the South Carolina Appalachians Council of Governors which serves six counties in the Upper State of South Carolina. He was a dedicated historian. Dr. Foster was elected Most Worshipful Grand Master of Prince Hall Masons for the State of South Carolina in Decem- ber 1971, and served in this position for four years. Under his jurisdiction there were many organizations in South Caro- lina that he was over. Holy Royal Arch Foster-Oglesby Chapter #61 of York Rite Mason of Spartanburg, South Carolina, was named after him. When he served as Grand Master of South Carolina, he increased the membership from 13,000 to 20,000 in four years. He was an active Grand Inspector General 33 Degree Mason, a Holy Royal Arch Mason and a member of the Knights Templar. He was an Honorary Past Grand Master of the Most Worshipful Prince Hall Grand
Lodge of Texas and the Prince Hall Grand Lodge of Illinois. He was Grand Master Emeritus of South Carolina for life. He was the first one elected of the Prince Hall Family of the world. He retired as Executive Secretary Emeritus for the Conference of Grand Masters of the Prince Hall of the World and served on the Conference Staff since 1976. Foster was a past Master of Limestone Masonic Lodge No. 117; past Patron of Virgin Mary Chapter No. 192, Order of the Eastern Stars; and Honorary Past Potentate. He was a member of Tamin Temple No. 155 of the Shriners and Royal Arch and Knight of Temple. He joined Cherokee Consistory No. 267 on March 14, 1952, and served seven years as secretary and one year as Command- er-in-Chief. Rufus started the first Most Worshipful Grand Master Banquet for Prince Hall Masons of South Carolina. The funds were used to start the Grand Lodge Scholarship Program in 1973 which is named, “The Rufus H. Foster, Jr. Grand Lodge Scholarship of South Carolina.” This Scholarship Program gave two students four year scholar- ships. Since its beginning in 1973 until today only one student failed to gradu- ate. He initiated and edited The Prince Hall Voice Newspaper and started the fifth Sunday Sit-In. He reconstructed South Carolina Masonic District from 22 to 11. He was one of the six active 33 Degree Masons in South Carolina serving the twenty-nine states in the Southern Jurisdiction, U.S.A. He helped organize the first two Golden Circle Organizations in Columbia and Gaffney. He was responsible for starting the first Youth Masonic Organization in South Carolina. Governor Mark Stanford bestowed Foster with the Order of the Palmetto Award, which is the state’s highest award. Foster received other honors: • The Boy Scouts’ Silver Beaver Award in 1998; • The recipient of the Cherokee County Hall of Fame Award in 1999;
Publishing achievement for more than 100 years
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