The North Carolina Mason

March/April 2020

North Carolina Mason

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March/April 2020 The North Carolina Mason Page 15 Welcome our neW Brothers MEstrada, Omar 8 Phoenix Head, James Elam 8 Phoenix Farlow, Steven Dale 76 Greensboro Street, Kyle Lee 76 Greensboro Herring, Rodney Mitchell 114 St. Alban's Locklear, Roy Woody 114 St. Alban's Duggins II, John Taylor 129 Dan River Mounce, Danny Lee 136 Leaksville Tilley, Michael Dale 136 Leaksville Fair, Troy Edward 147 Palmyra Rhodes, Cody Lee 147 Palmyra Matthews, Donald Cody 147 Palmyra Matthews, Donald Edward 147 Palmyra Hinson, Robert Mitchell 202 Cleveland McGinnis, John Robert 202 Cleveland Jackson, Jason Dallie 206 Mingo Parsons, Michael Paul 230 Corinthian Krutsch, Jordan Richard 259 Waynesville Barrier, Joshua Edward 262 Hibriten Herman, Jonathan Lee 262 Hibriten Poteat, Patrick Christopher 262 Hibriten Snyder, Joseph Loyd 262 Hibriten Crawford, Dace Bartlett 271 Tabasco Heath, Patrick Lee 271 Tabasco Massey, Landon Neal 271 Tabasco Meehan, Connor Bryn 271 Tabasco Davis, Tyson Delane 276 Beaver Dam Hollis, Davis Mark 276 Beaver Dam Hollis, Timothy Mark 276 Beaver Dam Lee, Lannie Robert 276 Beaver Dam Tilton, Charles L 306 Raeford Weatherly, Brian Michael 317 Eureka Marshburn, Durwood Lane 319 Wilmington Martin, Steven Wayne 319 Wilmington Gladden, Joseph Dwight 339 Fairview Chetti, Keinan Frederick 377 Youngsville Rawls, Richard Chad 378 Seaboard Thompson, Luke Aaron 390 Copeland Ortiz, Manuel L 391 Lebanon Cashwell, Jeremy George 395 Orient Jones, Luke Daniel 404 Denton Reed, Timothy Lee 405 Ocean Kempter, Andrew Curtis 407 N. Wilkesboro Kreais, Andrew Michael 429 Seaside Dunlap, Charles Robert 459 Dillsboro Campbell, Timothy Dean 473 Lexington Memorial Coble, Christopher Lee 473 Lexington Memorial Owens, Garrett Ray 473 Lexington Memorial Hodges, Richard Andrew 475 Grimesland Sherrod, Dale Russell 475 Grimesland Williams, Matthew Carl 475 Grimesland Johnson, Jackson Gray 493 Pilot Simmons, Yancey Bolton 493 Pilot Daw, Brandon Michael 500 Raleigh Hutson, James Lloyd 500 Raleigh Wilder, Emmanuel James 500 Raleigh Barcon, Bryan 544 Mount Holly Padgett, David Landrum 544 Mount Holly Bugbee, Matthew Austin 562 Waxhaw McDaniel, Nathan Lane 562 Waxhaw Glidewell, Travis Elliott 565 Wendell Bolen, William Everette 578 Meadow Branch Macom, Thomas Eli 584 Apex Wiggins, Richard Calvin 584 Apex Lackey, Jordan Willis 592 Maiden Pharr, Robin Mark 593 Stony Point Maurer, Dennis Gene 618 Union Sehen, Brandon Matthew 618 Union Connor, Dennis Randall 626 Cannon Memorial Goodman Jr, Earl Lee 626 Cannon Memorial Lennon, Chandler Ray 646 Bladen Lennon, Forrest Galloway 646 Bladen Moore, Jonathan Daniel 674 Acacia Winstead, Justin Mayo 675 Washington Foland, Austin Matthew 686 Angier Hamilton, Russell Wayne 686 Angier van Orsow, Alexander Adria 693 Charles M. Setzer Alexander, David Channing 695 Allen-Graham Gould, Samuel Steven 706 Newport Brady, Steve Eugene 714 Liberty Dunnuck Jr, Richard Howard 714 Liberty Maness, Johnny Douglas 714 Liberty Mounce, Dewayne Albert 714 Liberty Harrison, William David 723 Winton Eborn, Rodney Allen 724 Berne Tharpe, Cody Michael 727 Shallotte Lewis, Timothy Paul 741 Crissie Wright Deal, Donald Reid 752 Enterprise Draper, David Charles 752 Enterprise Osborne, Michael Eugene 752 Enterprise Cavenaugh, Matthew Bruce 753 Federal Point Query, John Richard 753 Federal Point Men of Setzer #693 meet a woman Master By Beth Grace Mason Editor ere she stood in the middle of Charles M. Setzer #693, apron in perfect place, lodge scarf tied neatly around her neck. "Good afternoon," she said. "I am Worshipful Master Elias." Lourdes "Lou" P. Elias is the Worshipful Master of America #57 – Freemasonry for Women in Washington, D.C., a lodge created under the authority of the Honour- able Fraternity of Ancient Freema- sons (HFAF) in London, England. America #57 is the first Women's Regular Masonic Lodge in the United States and WM Elias is its first master. Elias was invited to speak to the Setzer brethren after Master Kenneth Lambert read about the new lodge and its master. He contacted the lodge secretary who got word to her. She readily agreed – this was her first speaking engage- ment to a male Masonic lodge, she said. Not all members of the lodge agreed with the move. Some stayed home, but about 15 attended, along with wives and daughters. Elias was quick to explain who she was and what Regular Masonry for women is all about. HFAF is considered to be Regular in its prac- tice of Freemasonry by the United Grand Lodge of England. UGLE says that there are two Grand Lodges in England and Wales solely for women. Excepting that they admit women, they are otherwise regular in their practice of Masonry. ey are not recognized by UGLE and are not permitted to inter-visit. Her lodge is for women only, and not a form of co-masonry. e lodge was consecrated a year ago and now meets regu- larly in Washington. Members, who call each other "brother," is a cultural mosaic. Elias is joined by American women with ancestry from virtually every continent e granddaughter of Masons and wife of Akram R. Elias, Past Grand Master (2008) of Washington D.C., Elias she was inspired to join by what she saw when her husband joined Freemasonry. She became a Mason 25 years ago; it wasn't until last year that she was able to practice Regular Freema- sonry in the United States. "I saw this transformation after he became a Mason many years ago," she said. "He told me he felt he found his calling in Freemasonry. I asked how I could do that. So we looked for ideas and I found a group to join. She emphasizes that the women of her lodge believe in the same things male Freemasons do. ey share the ritual and the knowledge brothers pass on to brothers. ey respect male Masonry but they are a completely sepa- rate group, she said. "We are not here to storm into male lodges. Men need to do their work together. We need to do ours. We want to practice Masonry in our own lodges," she said. "What we have found is that women in America are thirsty for it. ey want this learning. ey want this life." e brothers of America #57 must memorize ritual and "follow all the rigors of Freemasonry," she said. "We must be our best selves, just as male Masons do." e members of her lodge also write in-depth, sometimes scholarly, papers on Masonic symbols as they proceed through the degrees. "ese tools are not unique to the men, but we look at them in terms of what they mean to a woman," she said. She said the reaction she gets from male Masons is generally posi- tive, although not always. Sometimes they will ask why she didn't join the Order of Eastern Star. UGLE does not recognize the OES, and she wanted her masonic work to go deeper. "Women have a right to practice Freemasonry," she said. "We take it every bit as seriously as men. Lives have been transformed in a lodge room." After her speech, attendees asked questions and heard stories of women in Masonry. All addressed her as "brother." e lodge presented Elias with a special certificate of appreciation for her work in "blazing new trails, fighting for what's right and making good women better." As for Lambert, he was delighted with the presentation and the opportunity to bring a fresh, inter- esting topic to his lodge's education program. "A lot of Grand Lodges do not accept women in Freemasonry," he said. "at doesn't mean we have or should have a monopoly on self- improvement. And Freemasonry is the greatest self-improvement program of all mankind."

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