The North Carolina Mason

Page 4 The North Carolina Mason Smiles on the menu By Ric Carter SMITHFIELD — Tere are many reasons besides raising money to hold a fundraiser. Just ask the guys at Fellowship 84. Teir most recent fundraiser was a pancake breakfast April 27 to bring in money for their Fellowship Evander S. Simpson Masonic Scholarship. Yep, they made more than $3,500 to support their college scholarship fund. It was a great success by the most fundamental measure. But, it was also a great success on other levels. Te guys had fun hanging out with each other and sharing a task. Tey coordinated wonderfully, and laughed with each other as things went along on that Saturday morning. Te greatest thing about the event, though, was the fun and laughing and activity around the lodge hall. Te place was wrapped up with young families with kids enjoying a special Saturday morning out with one of their favor- ite breakfast menus. Dozens of children will remember going to a Masonic lodge on a Saturday morn- ing with their parents or grandparents. For years, pancakes will be comfort foods, and Masonic lodges will be things associated with such comforts. For young adults, the lodge will be a place that does things they enjoy and trust. When Dad decides he wants to be part of a commu- nity organization, chances are he’ll remember the square and compasses he saw in front of the building. Maybe the young member of the lodge brings a friend who hears about the lodge for the first time. Even if no one new joins or finds the lodge, the members get to see the building filled with smiling faces and warm morning conversations. It’s a no lose situation — everybody loves pancakes. May/June 2010 Ric Carter photos Semper Fi Lodge hosts Prince Hall neighbors Tings went so well, that Onslow County’s Ma- JACKSONVILLE — Fourteen Prince Hall Ma- sons from the Seventh PHA District visited Semper Fidelis 680 on April 21 for dinner and to see Ethan Johnston raised. It was the first such visit in Semper Fi. Te fellowship was described as “fantastic.” Hanks Lodge adopts local school FRANKLINVILLE — Te Porter An- derson Fund is Hanks 128’s way of spreading Masonry in the local community while remem- bering a fallen brother. Porter Anderson was a Mason of more than 50 years who passed away December 2009. Even into his 90s, Porter still actively attended lodge. He served as master twice and spent 20 years in the chaplain’s chair. Te Anderson Fund is generated by donations from Masons and is used to benefit the children at Franklinville Elementary School, on either a sons from both grand lodges will march together in Jacksonville’s Veterans Day Parade in November. Tey will join under a banner proclaiming “Coastal Carolina Masons.” —Howard Kahn Grand Master Dill classroom or individual basis. Teachers from Franklinville School often send the lodge requests for playground equip- ment and such. Tis photo is from April 26, when the lodge delivered supplies to Mrs. Snotherly’s first grade class. Seen here behind the kids are, from left, Franklinville Elementary Principal Williams, Hanks Lodge’s newest Mason Ty Leonard, Ju- nior Warden Jeff Whitaker, Ron Horrell, and Mrs. Snotherly. — Ron Horrell Jr. BIRDS, from page 1 hobby, just to make sure he stayed out of the way. Just a few weeks later, by the February start of the 2002 bluebird season, Joe had placed his first bluebird box on the Home’s campus. Today, the Birdman’s bluebird box trail at WhiteStone in- cludes 12 boxes almost encircling the Home. Joe continues to maintain a few boxes around the region. He still has a trail at Lake View Cemetery near his old home north of Greens- boro. It’s his oldest started back in the mid- 1960s. He keeps two boxes at Revolution 552 that several members of the lodge have enjoyed over the years. Joe was raised a Mason there in 1963. Tere’s a box at his dentist’s office. Of course, as with any good fanatic for birds, careful record keeping is in order. He can tell you when and how many bluebird eggs each box laid, hatched, and fledged each season. Tis season’s count, as of mid-May, was 35 hatchlings on all his trails — including five eggs in each of four boxes on campus and one nest there with six eggs. He knows the couples by personality and often names them. Te bluebirds by the circle in front of the Home’s administration building are named Gertrude and Clarence. Tey dive bomb his head every time he checks their nest. He walks his trail at WhiteStone every day, check- ing the safety and progress of his charges. Joe doesn’t count or discourage most non- bluebirds. Interlopers are often welcome. Tere are chickadees occupying at least one box on campus. In fact, the box on Lineberry’s own ga- rage houses some of his favorites, a brown-head- ed nuthatch pair he calls Eunice and Peewee. Joe checks eggs and a nest. Lineberry used to build all his own birdhouses, then he found the NC State Employees Credit Union. Tey sell bluebird houses made by a char- itable group. Teir ten-dollar price Joe finds too attractive to turn down, though he does a bit of customizing to better suit his little friends. You can find instructions for supporting your bluebirds at a number of places. Tis Internet site is convenient . Your local Agricultural Extension Of- fice can also help. Give it a try, you may well find that, like Joe Lineberry, these little creatures can offer a bright spot in your life as well as those around you. lends a hand SALISBURY — Andrew Jackson 576 cooks gallons and gallons of Brunswick stew every year in one of the state’s biggest Masonic fundrais- ers. They had a little extra help this year when Grand Master Billy Dill stopped by to give a few stirs himself. The pots they use are a bit bigger than the ones Dill uses in the family catering business, but the principle is the same. Cliff Pipkin photo Jesse Simmons photo

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