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For the Fraternal Order of Eagles Texarkana 2684, a new stage is an exciting addition to the aerie on U.S. Highway 67 near the Texarkana Regional Airport.

Member Glen Privitt donated the time (nearly a month at home and at the lodge) and much of the labor and expense to give the lodge a bigger, better stage for the group’s weekly country music shows and other activities. As one of the musicians who gets on stage himself, he knows the extra room is welcome.

“I’ve got the stage completed now and our bingo board up,” said Privitt, a member of the local band In Cahoots. “The stage, that’s the big item that’s really changed the look of our hall, and we needed it too.”

He said the renovations give room to spread out and even change the sound of music in the hall. “I doubled the size of the stage as far as the width,” he said, adding everyone says the sound is much improved.

“I’m the old bird that built it and I’ll be playing out there,” Privitt said.

Margaret Prestidge, the Eagles’ state chaplain and local conductor, said the organization has different country bands every Saturday night.

“We like it because we dance,” said Prestidge.

There are about 200 members at the aerie, which has been in Texarkana since 1947.

“The Eagles is called ‘People Helping People.’ What we do is we do charity work. We raise money for 12 different charities,” said Prestidge, noting money is donated for both state and regional causes.

The Arkansas Children’s Hospital is a popular recipient of the funds at the state level, she said.

“The Eagles has raised over $600,000 for Arkansas Children’s Hospital at the state level,” she said. “But it takes all the areas doing that in order for it to happen.”

The aerie sponsors activities like dances, pie auctions and suppers to get the fund-raisers going.

“If somebody comes to us and tells us they have a need then we’re going to see what we can do to help them. That’s what we really are about,” said Prestidge. “And the whole idea for the Eagles is to do it and have some fun.”