The North Carolina Mason

Page 8 The North Carolina Mason July/August 2021 E arly on July 1, a group of stonemasons and several brethren arrived at the former Raleigh Masonic Temple to oversee removal of the Masonic cornerstone laid 67 years ago by Past Grand Master and Grand Secretary Charlie Harris. e moment was fascinating, and bitter- sweet. e once monu- mental illuminated square and compasses a!xed to the building is now skeletal and rusted. e facade's stately windows are removed. Facia boards and moulding bend and bow. And the once manicured lawn is now reminiscent of an ancient piedmont prairie. In this contrasted environ- ment, expert workman extracted the granite cornerstone block with surgical precision while the members in attendance eyed the sculpted rock with curiosity. Doubtless, the moment conjured a ood of memories and not an insubstantial amount of introspec- tion. e road to this moment was nearly 30 years in the making and a saga of ups and downs, frustrations and hope. e Raleigh lodges' direction is uid at the moment, but they are doing what every Mason and lodge has done for centuries before them—drawing designs, planning a course, and uniting to move forward. For me, contemplating the corner- stone's removal became cathartic. I read the moment as an analogy for our fraternity, for our lodges, and as an individual. Change is the only constant in our world. And, let's be honest, our world is in ux. ings are happening more quickly than we can comprehend. When that happens, people become nervous, paranoid, and angry. ese are natural feel- ings, especially when the minutiae of our modern lives make pinpointing problems almost impos- sible. Today, more than ever, we're reminded of the less rosy parts of childhood—we hurt, but we don't know why. We become frustrated, and we don't know how to x it. Our world is a dierent place than the world we knew as children. Frustrated as we may become with any number of hot-button issues, we need to look at our cornerstones and remember that we're Masons. Many Temples have come and gone, including the original Temple in Jerusalem. Physical temples are ephemeral. ey will crumble. ey will fall. What remains are our spiritual temples and the will to build them better again and again and again. e cornerstone of the Raleigh Masonic Temple is not just a cornerstone, but a potent reminder that we, as Masons, have a solid foundation in front of us on which to build something new. Something better. We are always building. Freemasonry is never past tense. Brethren, change cannot drag us down. Change is an opportunity. Within our fraternity, our ritual is the continuity between generations of Masons who think dierently, act dierently, have dierent values, dierent creeds, and dierent habits. Lodge buildings come and go, but the men who best work and best agree remain steadfast through the generations. We're nearly a quarter through the 21st century. While we should denitely look back to see where we've come from and recognize our achievements (a university, a college, a home for children, a home for the elderly, and exponential numbers of bonds between men and communi- ties), it's more important to look forward at what we're going to do next. Are you ready to build something new? Freemasonry: Never in the past tense By Jonathan Underwood Grand Secretary Workers carefully extract the cornerstone from the former temple. three calves, six hogs, two mules and 60 chickens. It was reported that during the year, the home welcomed delegations from Tarboro and Ayden. ese delegations traveled to the home by motor- cars. Each of these delegations traveled more than 150 miles over what many today would consider cart paths. Also in 1915, the board, for the rst time, called upon the membership of Grand Lodge of North Carolina and the Order of the Eastern Star to create an endowment to "enable the home to properly expand to meet all requirements" of those in residence. e next year, it was reported that the home was at capacity, with 41 residents in 30 bedrooms. As such, no additional applications could be accepted. e board advised that a new wing should be built with 32 additional rooms. Oasis Temple immedi- ately appropriated the sum of $1,500 to start the building fund. e board also recommended that re escapes be constructed. It was a concern that the men living on the third oor were very feeble and the stairway was steep. In the event of a re, the loss of life "would be appalling." By 1917, the re escapes had been installed. And in 1923, the new wing was completed and when opened, it was immediately lled to capacity. By the 1920s, 30 Masonic jurisdictions across the country had constructed homes for the aged. In WICKER, from page 5 ■ see MORE WICKER, page 9 Want to win a medal and welcome the next Grand Master into office? Link here:ncgmrun.eventbrite.com/

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