Members of Orion Lodge No. 8 Free & Accepted Masons honored local law enforcement officials, who assisted them with a comprehensive child identification service, with a Thursday night dinner.

The program, known as the Georgia Child Identification Program (CHIP), is funded by the Georgia Masonic Charities Foundation Inc. and locally by Orion Lodge.

District 2 Masonic CHIP Director Irvin Horne of Pelham, Ga., presented a certificate of outstanding work in the program to Orion Lodge CHIP Director Joe Frank Battles.

He praised Battles, who said the local Masonic Lodge plans to continue the program through next school year and beyond. He thanked all the Orion Lodge members for unselfishly assisting at CHIP events and registering 427 kids at the second grade, seventh grade and senior levels in the program.

Thanks to CHIP, a child’s photograph, video interview, fingerprints, DNA sample and other information is quickly made available to law enforcement, if a child goes missing.