The North Carolina Mason

Page 4 The North Carolina Mason May/June 2013 SOCK HOP, from page 1 morning talk show, Moore met Joe Albea who provided outdoor features for the show. They eventually began working together on "Carolina Outdoor Journal." As their reputation grew, they were picked up by WUNC-TV. In April, they were shooting the coming season of the sportsman's staple. They broadcast across North Carolina on Saturday evening and Sunday morning In 1996, he started "Sock Hop," his current Friday night hit. Moore arrives at the radio station a couple of hours before the show starts. He scurries around the studio arranging his recordings, request faxes, and play lists, at the same time he is on the phone recording some of the show's commercials which will appear that night. His patter with advertisers is the same as that with fans who will be calling in within minutes — laughing and making small talk while they do business. Then, just before his 6:00 o'clock launch, the phone board lights up. The madness begins. All are vying to get a favorite song or anniversary or birthday mentioned on air. Moore looks like a juggler handling the computers and switches and scraps of paper and CDs needed for the evening's show. From behind a large smile, Moore says, "My job here when those hands are straight up and down at 6:00 is to make people forget about everything in the world except being 17 years old. For five solid hours, that's my job." WNCT Sales Manager Lisa McHugh says, "The show brings people back to a time that makes them feel comfortable. They have fun. It becomes a date for them every Friday night." The show has a healthy racial mix in its audience. Many listeners are from the day before radio was carved up into smaller and more targeted audiences. They grew up on AM and top-40 radio which mixed music and hits from black and white, country and rock, instrumental and pop cultures. Sock Hop is one of old radio's last bastions in a business that now disregards broad audiences. "I'm lucky that the station lets me do this," smiles Moore. Computers and the Internet have contributed greatly to "Sock Hop's" widespread popularity. According to Moore, "Computer listening is important now. A lady from Polson, Montana was a truck driver. She heard about us from her brother in Raleigh who found us on the radio. She started telling people about it at truck stops. Now we have passionate listeners from as far away as Seattle WA, Scottsdale AZ, Amarillo TX, Pensacola FL, Virginia, Maryland, just all over, who tune in on Friday nights." Requests pour in over the phone lines, fax, and email from all over the country. What brought John Moore to Freemasonry? "In 1996, I became a Mason because the Shriners had been so kind to me and my family when my daughter was born with spina bifida. I sought to find out what I could do to return the favors that the Shriners had done for us. So, when we would go to Shrine Children's Hospital in Greenville, South Carolina, I found that the route to the Shrine was through the Masons." "As luck would have it, my next door neighbor [the late John Turner Walston] was a Mason and was later my coach." Moore is very active in Sudan Shrine. Both his sons are Masons. Summer, his late daughter, died on John's 40th birthday, three days after he returned to the States from Operation Desert Storm. John and his family went on to help create the Summer Moore Children's Center in Greenville. The center is a private, nonprofit health and education agency serving children from seven counties in the east in cooperation with Easter Seals. Moore is in the Shaggers Hall of Fame, has been named Outstanding Pitt Community College Alumnus, received North Carolina's Order of the Long Leaf Pine, and is serving his second term as a Farmville town commissioner. Rowan scholars named The Macon Brothers of Wake Forest WAKE FOREST — The Macon Brothers were recently honored by Wake Forest 282. Between them they have more than 230 years Masonic experience with three Diamond Jubilees for 60 years membership and one Veteran's Emblem for 50 years. Seen here, from left, are Horace (60), John (60), Dan (60), and George (50). It's a truly great record of family service to the Craft. — David Davis STATE, from page 3 Wendell Wendell 565 was having a defibrillator demonstration March 12. They were doing an officer advance night the same evening to advance their training. They're celebrating Past Masters' Night April 13. Steak and baked potato head the menu. — Raymond Burch Jacksonville Semper Fidelis 680 has been helping with Special Olympics for ten years now. On April 26, they prepared 600 meals for the athletes, coaches, and helpers. In January, Semper Fi Lodge hosted their Onslow County Masonic Scholarship Visitation to feed the fund. They collected more than $1,100. Semper Fidelis continues to hold a pair of monthly events. On third Saturdays, they have a breakfast, and on second Saturdays they have their ladies' night out. — Trestle Board Murphy Cherokee 146 was holding their Sixth Annual Ramp Festival April 20. They host the celebration of the little onion at the L & N Depot here every year. They feature bluegrass music and a menu of "ramps, taters, barbecue, and slaw." — Brian Rau West Jefferson Ashe 594 held their annual Hoedown and Pinto Bean Supper at the Ashe Shrine Club on April 20. — Richard Edmondson Asheville Mount Hermon 118 continues to collect canned goods for Manna Food Bank. In April, the lodge was planning a fun evening at the Civic Center to see a Roller Derby Girls game. — Ron Lambe Gibsonville Tabasco 271 was holding their Spring Cooking April 12. On April 27, they were having their golf tournament. — Trestle Board Plymouth Perseverance 59 held a raffle in April. Fivedollar tickets got you a chance to win a Mossberg 500 shotgun or a Stevens 320 shotgun or $100. Proceeds went to the Masonic Home for Children. — Keith Phelps Albemarle On March 9, Albemarle 703 held their 12th Annual All-You-Can-Eat Pancake Breakfast. From 6:00 a.m. until 11:00 a.m., you could stuff yourself with pancakes, eggs, bacon, sausage, grits, orange juice, milk, and coffee. Proceeds went to the Masonic Homes. — Joseph Glen Faulkner Cleveland Scotch Ireland 154 last year began to help with Spencer 543's Back to School Pool Party at the Home for Children. Roof repairs seem on the horizon for 154. Plan now for the time your lodge will face that. — From the East SALISBURY — The Rowan County Masonic Scholarship Fund awarded three $1,000 scholarships in 2013. They went to Connor Bost who is headed to Appalachian State University, UNC-Charlotte bound Graham Lyerly, and Katherine Starnes who will be attending Belmont Abbey College. The Rowan County Masonic Scholarship Fund is an endowment administered by the county's six Masonic lodges: Fulton 99, Andrew Jackson 576, Scotch Ireland 154, Eureka 283, Spencer 543, and Keller Memorial 657. The scholarship is open to any resident of Rowan County pursuing higher education at an accredited institution. Since its inception in 1988, the fund has awarded more than 70 scholarships valued at over $42,000. — Dave Potts Greensboro Guilford 656 hosted past Grand Historian Michael Brantley April 15. He taught the lodge about the history and origins of the Third Degree. — Guilford Lodge Gate City 694 was joined by Revolution 552 in cooking barbecue for Family Day at WhiteStone (Masonic and Eastern Star Home) May 11. Gate City Lodge did their Adopt-A-Street patrol March 23 and helped with the Arthur Johnson Memorial Golf Tournament May 13. The lodge's hot dog, hamburger, and homemade ice cream supper was set for June 15. — Gary Ballance Huntersville Long Creek 205 was hosting the 31st Masonic District's blood drive on April 9. That was just three days after their Fish Fry. — Gary Cooke Paw Creek West Gate 738 held their Past Masters' Night April 8. They served barbecue before the degree. — Gary Cooke Statesville April 19 and 20 were the dates for Statesville 27's annual Pancake Jamboree. For $7.50 you get all the pancakes, sausage, and drinks you want for the Friday night supper session or the Saturday morning festivities. Proceeds were for the Masonic Home for Children. — The Joppa Informer Pineville James K. Polk 759 was holding their annual fish fry May 11. They had their Community Breakfast and Blood Drive March 2. — Mint Hill Lodge Matthews Matthews 461's 18th Annual Golf Classic was set for April 19 at Stonebridge County Club. — Mint Hill Lodge Newell April 13 was the time for Newell 739's Breakfast for the Charities. — Mint Hill Lodge Kenly To help their area scholarship and other Masonic charities, Kenly 257 held their annual Barbecue Chicken Fundraiser on April 21. — Ryan Price Canton Sonoma 472 then had the Sterling Melton Traveling Gavel in their possession. They were taunting area lodges to take back. — Mike Hooper Fayetteville Creasy Proctor 679 sent out raffle tickets to all their members in April for their upcoming fundraiser. — Derek Proctor Southport Pythagoras 249 added $100 to a Southport Elementary School PTA project to honor teachers for their extra efforts. — Jim Griffith

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