Page 6 BENEATH THE Oaks Telling our story
By Allen Hughes Administrator
Masonic Home for Children at Oxford
As I began this article, it dawned on me that I frequently repeat
the same message. But, then I asked myself whether it really mat- ters that I do so because some things need repeating to get action. You can look at back issues of Te North Carolina Mason and find some of these same comments. I frequently hear that we don’t give enough information about the children’s home. Yet, we here at the Home ask what more can be done within an affordable budget to keep our supporters informed. Most of us use computers to get our information, so MHCO tries to keep updated basic information about our Home on our website: . My most recent article in Te NC Mason was about our decreasing census and asked your help in spreading the message about our Home to the families in your communities. In my visits with lodges I discuss the need to tell others about our children’s home, but much of the focus seems to stay on what can be done to help the children already here rather than what can be done to help more children. Getting the children into the Home where they can receive love and care and get away from poor and unsafe conditions probably is the most important thing we can do for them. We try to keep you abreast of events and needs of the Home and the children so you can help. We can’t give you personal information about the children, but if there is specific information about the Home that you would like to receive, please let us know. Tere assuredly are many children who can use your help. Not
only does the Masonic Home for Children need your financial sup- port, but we need your assistance in telling the families and leaders in your communities about our children’s home and about the help we can provide for children while the families work through try- ing times and financial hardship. Given the poor economic condi- tions and budget cuts the past several months, it stands to reason that the number of families needing assistance would be on the increase, but the requests for our services have decreased. In recent weeks we have heard several stories of children who may need our help, but we have gotten only one call we can attribute to those comments. We need your help to assure the families that we want to help them care for their children when they can’t give them adequate care and support. A major frustration we experience is the almost incessant
reminder that federal and state initiatives and guidelines are di- rected at keeping children out of “orphanages” or homes such as ours. With the reduced budgets, the cost of providing care for the children and families, rather than the quality of care, seems to be an overriding factor in deciding what is “best” for out-of- home placement of neglected or abused children. Te mindset and misperception that “congregate care” does not offer a good home environment seems to pervade child welfare agencies to the degree that they ignore that the Masonic Home for Children provides
quality and nurturing care with little or no drain on the county, state, and federal budgets. DSS is reluctant to use our Home to help children and families. We have a home for children of which we all can be proud. Te
campus is beautiful and peaceful, the facilities are in excellent shape, and staff members are well qualified and dedicated. More impor- tantly, we provide a safe, caring, and nurturing home for children who cannot live safely with their own families. We seek to improve the total well-being of the children rather than just providing a minimum level of safety. Tere are hundreds upon hundreds of suc- cess stories of children who call MHCO “home,” and we’re improv- ing children’s lives each day. As good as the stories are we cannot be satisfied because we know there are many more children across the state we can help. We need someone to help those children and their families find their way to us. Also, we somehow need to help spread the message that we offer a homelike alternative for children of dysfunctional families without adversely impacting the state and county budgets. As I see our children at play, at work doing family chores,
or earning spending money, at meals, in group activities, on trips, in “family” meetings, or in one-on-one sessions with staff members, I see many signs of contentment and typical family relationships, and I wonder why our Home is perceived as un- desirable. I think of all the advantages our Masons and donors provide our children and of the trips they are able to take – to the lake, to the beach, to recreation and amusement parks, to the mountains, to college and professional sports events (frequently in the luxury of box seats) – and wonder if they could enjoy just one such experience in their typical family environment. I think of the academic assistance we provide the children to help them recover from the edu- cational setbacks they have experienced and of the oppor- tunities we offer for college education and wonder what chances they would have re- ceived had they not lived here. The program of care MHCO provides for children in out- of-home care recognizes the value of family relationships and works toward reunifica- tion rather than a permanent separation. Yet, we can of- fer permanency if reunifica- tion is not practical. We offer stability rather than frequent moves; we offer a home and
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the option for siblings to live in close proximity. In December 1872, the Masons of North Carolina made a com-
mitment to provide a stable and caring environment for the or- phaned, neglected, and abused children, and now into the 138th
year
of this Home have continued to make good on that commitment. Te Masons stepped forward years ago to care for children in need when the state government could not meet those needs. Te good that has been done for thousands of children should be recognized; the knowledge that we provide a loving and nurturing home should override the misperception applied to large residential homes. Chil- dren in need should not be denied the opportunities we can provide simply because child welfare “experts” won’t accept that we can pro- vide stability and a nurturing alternative for children in need. Tis also is a good time for our public leaders to recognize the quality care that our Home provides for neglected or abused children with minimal impact on state budgets. Again, I ask you to look around your communities for families
who need help caring for their children while they get back on their feet after major setbacks, poor health, or temporary separa- tions due to legal issues or other problems. Tell your friends and community leaders about what we’re doing to help children and families. If we cannot help a child who is referred to us, we can suggest alternatives where help might be available. You can help the children by spreading our story and by getting families with children in need to contact us for assistance. Help can start with a call to 919-603-3948.
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The North Carolina Mason
May/June 2010
State My lodge
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WELCOME OUR NEW Brothers
1 ................................Erik Martin Gray 1 ................................Ryan Vance Jones 1 ................................. Allen Victor Lee 1 ........................Randall Lynn Munday 1 ...........................Sammy Greg Nobles 1 ............................. Robert Alan Parker 3 .............................David Alex Daniels 3 ......................John Burgwin Green III 3 ........................... Bruce Patrick Squier 8 ..........................Brent Edwin Crowell 8 ................Joseph Marshall DeCosta V 8 .............................Mark Danny Sands 8 .......................................Nick Weidler 10 ..........................John Patrick Draffin 10 ......................Andrew Richard Hand 19 ...........................James Carl Rafferty 19 ...................James Richard Whitfield 27 ..................Doyle Eugene Shoemake 31 ........................Martin Dewayne Ball 31 ........................... Jeffrey Morris Britt 31 .......................William Arthur Clark 31 ........................Michael Parker Davis 31 ....................Stephen Michael Taylor 31 ..........................Jeff Michael Walters 53 .......................Otey Teodore Driggs 53 ...................Arthur Douglas Godfrey 53 ............................ Joey Shane Russell 58 ............... Christopher Michael Craft 58 .....................Frank Elliott Etheridge 58 .................Stephen Wayne Nobles II 59 .........................Matthew Alan Noles 75 ..........................Dean Stillman Alley 75 .........................Stephen Carle Dunn 76 ............................David Austin Beck 76 ....................Geoffrey Tornton Cass 76 ................Christopher Wade McCoy 83 ............................. Alejandro Alvarez 83 ..................Jonathan Edward Blevins 83 ..........................Shannon Dale Book 84 ......................Michael Lee McLamb 95 ..........................Stephen Ralph Byrd 95 ..........................Rory Allen Wood Jr. 97 .........................Anthony David Deel 97 .....................Michael Eugene Dolan 97 ...................... Joshua Robert Sanders 102 ............................Mark Clay Easter 102 .....................Joseph Yunker Kenlan 102 ........................George Steele Stone 106 ..............Nicholas Patrick Donnelly 106 ..............Edgar Wilbur Roberson Jr. 106 .......................... Casey Ryan Weese 109 ......................John Stephon Gaskill 109 .........................James Glenn Willis 122 ....................Timothy Mark Carroll 122 .............Matthew Luther Perkinson 122 ...........................Roger Dale Setzer 122 ................Danny Dean Williford Jr. 125 .........................................J. B. Price 126 ........................Steven Ray Stallings 127 .....................Randall Clinton Poole 128 ............... John Henly Chaulklin III 128 ....................Lorne Tyrone Leonard 132 ...................Mark Allwin Donoway 136 ................William Perry Barnes IV 136 ...........Christopher Cameron Clark 136 ........................ Joshua David Eanes
137 ...................Andrew Joseph Chance 137 ...............James Garry McCorkle Jr. 137 ...............Robert Franklin Varney Jr. 138 .......................Danny Richard Buck 138 ...........Cornelius Bryan Whitehurst 145 ...................Andrew Parker Norton 146 ......William Anthony Vespasian III 147 .............Douglas Patrick Godwin Jr. 147 ......................Edward Lynn Holder 147 ................... Kevin Burns Matthews 147 .......................... Carl Phillip Miller 162 ...........................Danny Ray Carter 167 ....................... Michael Scott Fahey 167 ................ Matthew Wayne Shelton 170 ............................Duffey Alan Riffe 172 .....................Joseph Jerome Beck Jr. 181 ......................... Roy Eugene Timbs 198 ...........Myndret Charles Busack III 198 ......................Jeffrey Arnauld Colas 198 ................. Douglas Reid Dorney Jr. 198 ................Anthony Joseph Mercury 198 .....................John Gregory Wallace 214 ..........................Chad Jason Bryant 217 .......................Matthew Kyle Arney 217 ............................Randall Lee Pitts 217 ...................... John Wesley Watkins 218 ....................David Michael Brewer 218 ............... Robert Normand Masson 230 .....................John Damian Whitley 230 ..............Michael Damien Wiegand 237 ................. John Mason Morrow III 237 ...........................Jack Everette Reid 240 ..........................Randy Alan Powell 244 .........................Jeremy Scott Benoy 244 ........................Tomas Lee Starnes 248 ...................Daniel Kent Tomberlin 257 ........................... David Lee Tedder 259 ........................Cody Wayne Grasty 259 .............Christopher M. L. Morrow 259 ..............George Richard Worley Jr. 261 ......................... Frank Ryan Bishop 261 ..........................Jamie Dean Curlee 261 ................. Ian Strickland DeMallie 261 .................... John Michael Gregory 261 ............William Nicholas Iuliano Jr. 261 .............................Randy D. Nealey 261 ........................ James Lynn Ringley 261 ........................Nickoloas Tsioutsias 261 .....................Robert Tomas White 262 .......................Phillip Allan Branch 262 ............William Tomas Bridges Jr. 262 .........................Larry Todd Triplett 263 ......................Michael Lee Agerton 263 ..............................Jason Paul Crisp 263 ............................Max Bryan Davis 263 ........................Timothy Ray Felton 263 ......................... Kevin Michael Lail 263 .........Christopher Leigton Leonard 263 ...................... Jason Matthew Long 263 ......................Tracy Lorne Philbeck 263 ................. Mickey Charles Sanford 265 ............................ Rufus Neil Brock 271 ......................Michael Jon Woznick 272 .......................Eddie Dean Coggins 283 .................... Claude Darrell Dillard 289 ............... Stephen Carter Anderson
289 .....................Nicholas Lee Broome 289 ...........................Richard M. Miller 292 ......................Todd Henry Duckett 304 ...................... Mark McCrea Keene 306 ............................Kirk Nathan Ellis 306 ..................Tobin Anthony Johnson 306 .................................Adam Serrano 314 .............Harry Randall Anderson II 317 .................William Jeffrey Mitchell 319 ...................Gerald Daniel Glunt Jr. 340 ..........................James Keith Harris 344 ..............Edward Wayne Hurley III 344 ............... Michael Keith Megimose 344 ................David Wayne Turnipseed 344 ....................Matthew Bryan White 356 ..................Nicholas Ryan Childers 356 .............Christopher Howard Davis 358 ........................John Hunter Morris 358 ....................Erick William Roberts 358 ..........................Jason Scott Wilson 363 ........................Ricky Lee Sackrider 363 ...........................Jason David Truax 363 ......................Mark Steven Virginia 369 .........................Wyatt Wesley Cole 369 ...................Raymond Denver Gray 369 ..................................Rawle Mohip 369 ........... Christopher Conrad Tolbert 373 ................John Anthony Lee Bryan 373 ...........Dwayne Anthony Lawrence 373 .................. Joshua Brant McMillan 377 ..................... Mason Kenneth Hurt 377 ............... Jonathon William Walker 378 ........................... Ricky Karl Barnes 379 .........................Clint Austin Boney 379 .............. Richard Franklin Bryan Jr. 379 ...................Lewis Edward Good Jr. 379 .................Kimbrell Clark Williams 381 ........................Michael Larry Jones 386 ..........................Jeremy Shane Pope 391 ................................Terry Del Dahl 391 ..........................Daniel Scott Davis 391 .................. Matthew Emil Fairfield 391 .........................Kyle David Mueller 391 ............................Leo Boyd Starkey 395 .................................Eugene Ridley 397 .................Samuel Hood Chadwick 397 ...........Brandon Nicholas Randolph 405 ........... Charles Hubert Armentrout 407 ...........................Jason Allen Dancy 409 .........................Marcus Samuel Orr 413 ........................... Joshua Tyler Perry 428 .........................Justin Douglas Hite 434 ........................Norris Odell Griffin 434 ............David Michael Smitherman 437 .......................Vance Reid Lambert 453 ....................George Bullard Brown 454 ............... Jonathan Wellons Greene 454 .....................Richard Carrol Harris 460 ......................Andrew Bentley Cain 460 ....................... Robert Earl Morrow 492 ................... Timothy Brad Johnson 493 .......................John Tomas Francis 495 ....................Larry Gene Chambers 495 ...............James Dallas Saunders III 497 ......................... Mark Brian Forrest 499 ..........................Paul Tomas Keith
500 .............. Jason Macdonald Coggins 500 .................... Barry DeWayne Reese 502 .................Bradley Charles Johnson 502 ..................... Jeremy Samuel Jordan 502 .....................Travis Charles Shaffer 515 .................... Clinton Robert Riddle 515 ................... Russell Timothy Steele 519 ...................... John Michael Bishop 521 .................Allen Ryan Scarborough 521 ..................Peter Christopher Turek 528 ..................... Justin Dolphus Parker 529 ........................Mark Anthony Patti 532 ..................... Richard Wesley Blake 534 ..................... Donald Gene Church 534 .................... Ronald James Mauney 535 .....................Charles David Greene 535 .......................Francis Joseph Hoyle 535 ........................Brad Willis Putman 542 ................Taylor Ryan MacPherson 543 ...............Andrew Tomas Head III 544 ..............William Dolph Barton III 544 ........................... David Keith Gore 550 ..........................Justin Dean Carter 550 .......................Keith John Childress 564 ........................... Jason Ray Burgess 564 ...................Linwood Benjamin Foy 564 .....................Wilbur Ray Gurganus 571 .................William David Saunders 576 ................... Donald Gary Kaufman 576 .........................Justin Curtis Steger 578 ......................Donald Ray Maynard 590 ......................David Lee Marrow II 590 ...................... James Philip Marrow 594 ................. Earnest Wayne Osborne 616 .....................Gary Matthew Mayes 618 ....................David Franklin Barbee 618 .................. Charles Timothy Smith 618 ..............Christopher Ronald Wiley 626 ..................Michael Eugene Gainey 637 ....................Brandon Wesley Plyler 657 ...................... Matthew Aaron Corl 657 .........................David Ryan Morris 657 .........................Adam Garrett Prior 657 ........................Jason Michael Shive 657 ........................Terry Wayne Trexler 658 .....................Eric Wayne Whitman 663 ......................... Robert Kirk Forbes 667 ......................David Vincent Alicea 667 .................Donald William Kane Jr. 667 ....................................Gary Owens 667 ...............Carlos Luis Santos Rivera 667 ................... Jonathan Dean West Jr. 669 ............... Johnny Tomas Ballard II 669 ......................... Joshua Robert Ford 669 ................ Billy Harden Stockton Jr. 674 .................... Jacob Russell Summey 675 ..................... Joshua Tomas Carter 675 ................Tomas Mann Carter III 675 ....................... Billy Winston Torp 676 ..................Patrick Doherty Finn Jr. 676 .............Napoleon Deon Tompson 679 ......................Kyle Fredrick Jentink 680 .........................Michael Dean Burr 680 ....................... Jeffrey Lloyd Finnell 680 ....................... Terrell Antwan Ford 680 .....................Ethan James Johnston
686 .....................Ashley Ray Wimberly 688 .................Christopher Brian Fuller 688 .........................Travis Lee Gilmore 688 ....................Peter Devlin Van Vliet 690 .................. Dow Blaylock Hawkins 692 ........................... James Arthur Hill 692 .................Christopher Wade James 692 ......................Jason Oliver Lambert 692 ..................... Christopher Partridge 694 .........................Payton Ryan Lingle 694 ..............William Alteria Napper Jr. 695 ...............William Martin Glick III 702 ..................... Charles Ray Bradford 703 .....................Lonnie David Hinson 706 ...................Robert Lee Stephenson 708 ............................Ryan Eric Collins 708 ............ Preston Ray Harrington III 708 ..................Tomas Myers Sumpter 708 ..............Christopher Michael Uhas 713 ...................... Baxter Hugh Phillips 713 .......................Stanley Dale Phillips 714 ...................... Craig Tucker Modlin 714 .......................Tyson Eugene Nixon 720 .................William Andrew Downs 722 ........................Kem Graymon Byrd 723 .................William Michael Askew 723 ...........Christopher Alan Blackburn 723 ..............................David Earl Pope 724 ................Stephen Nicholas Burkell 724 ........................James Brian Lupton 724 ..........................Rudy Austin Riggs 732 ..................David Randall Kennedy 732 ...........Christopher William Morris 732 ...............................William Morris 732 ........................Todd Allen schmaus 735 ................Charles Dodson Graham 735 ..........................Terry Lee Washam 737 ...................Donald James Miller Jr. 737 ..............John Wesley Rasmussen II 737 .................Daniel LeMon Voorhees 738 ..........................Seth Daniel Fulton 738 ....................Jeffrey Wayne Murphy 739 ..................... Jason Robert Dickson 739 ..........................Hunter David Kyle 739 ..............................Ronald Martyna 739 ...........Ralph Emerson McCormick 742 ..................Anthony Chad Baucom 742 ............Arlindo Brown Garmon III 742 .....................................Dan Kaplan 742 .....................Donald Ream Stokley 744 ..............Earl George Culbertson Jr. 744 ..........James Robert Cody Marshall 749 ......................... Brian Lew Whitley 750 ...................... Jonathan Brian Duke 750 ......................David Ward Mitchell 751 ......................Jeremy William Ingle 751 .....................Bruce Donald Ingle Jr. 751 ....................James Sterling Minton 753 .....................Justin William Lanasa 759 ........................James Douglas Core 759 ..............................Karl Cleve Wise 762 .............................Richard Paul Lee 763 ....................Christopher Tad Black 763 ................................... Joey H. Kelly 763 .............. Christopher Adrian Kudel 763 .........................Dustin Ray Preston
