The Loyal Order of Moose honored Norman D. Stewart in a ceremony Saturday evening and awarded him the Pilgrim Degree of Merit, the highest in the organization.

Out of a million and a half members nationwide, the order chooses only 180 Moose a year to receive the honor. It was first given to Stewart at a ceremony on May 24 in the House of God at Mooseheart, Ill.

Stewart has been a Stanfield Moose since 1983. He became junior governor in 1996 then served two terms as governor. He was also the lodge administrator for several years and received the Fellowhip Degree of Merit in 2000. He was later awarded Governor of the Year and Top Lodge Sponsor.

“When I got the call for this, I was like, no way!” Stewart said at a pre-ceremony dinner at the Moose Lodge. “I never thought I would get it.”

The Pilgrim honor is bestowed only on members who go above and beyond the call of duty, said Duke Snyder, the Moose regional manager for the state of Oregon. Nominees are reviewed by a six-member council of Pilgrims at Mooseheart.

“(Stewart) had done more than anyone else,” Snyder said. “He stood out – he was a leader.”

Jackie West, who has been in the organization for five years, said Stewart could always be counted on to help out the Moose. Whether it was an Easter egg hunt or hamburger night, she said, Stewart was there.

Several Pilgrims from Oregon and Washington attended the evening ceremony at the Stanfield Senior Center. Don Cotnam, the Pilgrim Governor, officiated the ceremony. Stewart stood before four “stations” – purity, aid, wisdom, and progress, where his fellow Pilgrims advised him about his future journey in the Moose.

“You have lived your works, not just your years,” Cotnam said.

At the end of the ceremony, Stewart took off his blue blazer and replaced it with the coveted gold blazer, which signifies the rank of Pilgrim.

“I’m just so proud of him,” Stewart’s wife, Bev, said. “We’ve given a lot of ourselves to the Moose but when you think of all the rewards, it’s worth it.”