The North Carolina Mason

Page 2 See the trends By Adrian P. Hatfield Do you know what nation dominated the world in watchmaking in 1967? Te Swiss, of course. For centuries, Swiss watchmakers were world renowned for the detail and accuracy of quality time pieces. Do you know what nation, in less than two years, became the dominant watchmaker in the world market after 1967? Of course, it was Ja- pan. Te introduction of the electric quartz watch changed the world of timekeeping, and the Swiss saw their market share reduced in geo- metric proportions in less than two years. Do you know who invented the electric quartz watch? Te Swiss did. Te Swiss were so firmly entrenched in the world of fine quality jewel movement watches that in 1967, at the world watch trade show, they introduced their electric quartz watch with little or no fanfare. So sure that the future of watchmaking could not pos- sibly rest in this strange innovation, the Swiss did not even protect the patent. Seiko and Texas Instruments walked by, looked at the watch, and the rest is history. How is it that the Swiss could not see it com- ing? What had been successful for them for all those years could not possibly fail them now. Why should they embrace the new technology? Sometimes we get so firmly entrenched in Cerneauism Cerneauism, named after Joseph Cerneau (1763–1840), was a rival and illegitimate form of Scottish Rite Masonry that challenged both the Southern and Northern Jurisdictions of the Scot- tish Rite. Cerneau, a Frenchman and resident of Havana, Cuba, was a secretary of a Pennsylvania Lodge. He was appointed inspector of the 25-de- gree Order of the Royal Secret (Lodge of Perfec- tion) with authority in Cuba. In 1807, he moved to New York City and affiliated with a lodge there. In New York, he formed a Sovereign Grand Consistory of the 25° attracting many promi- nent members. After the Mother Supreme Council created the Northern Jurisdiction in 1813, Cerneau’s Consistory put forth a Supreme Council of 33° claiming territory over the “Unit- ed States of America, its Territories and De- pendencies.” In due course, Cerneau’s Supreme Council limited its jurisdictional claims, but in 1853 it chartered two blue lodges in New York. Despite its many ups and downs, Cerneau’s Supreme Council became a strong rival to the Northern Masonic Jurisdiction. Te conflict between the two supreme councils spilled over into the blue lodges. Grand lodges declared the Cerneauists illegitimate and threatened expul- sion of Masons continuing membership in the Cerneau Supreme Council. After a court ruling upholding the right of a grand lodge to control its membership, Cerneauism ceased to exist. S. Brent Morris, authored Te Folger Manuscript (published by the Masonic Book Club in 1992), which provides a detailed account of Cerneauism. Tis is a Southern California Research Lodge abridgement of an article appearing in the Scottish Rite Journal, July/August 2009. Future of the craft By R. S. Sagar Editor’s note: Te following is the conclusion of a paper, entitled Liars Can Figure - But Figures Can’t Lie, regarding the pessimistic reports of some of our statistics over the last few years. My Paper ended originally with that short question about being simple, but a close friend thought I should discuss “whither” as well as “whence”. I’m sorry; I am not Nostradamus, and I don’t know the answer. If I could fore- tell it, I might end up as General Grand Mas- ter of the USA, which is a miserable thought for all of us! I have given that question much reflection and read many prognostications. I think we will still receive candidates, though numbers will drop drastically but never fully die off. Tere will always be men seeking our moral standards. But, so long as we quibble about pennies and point- less ritual interpretations and arguments and overlook the higher meanings of our lessons, the world will not be beating a path to our door. Tere’s one other thing. I don’t know how much negative influence the dreadful trash on the Internet will have on our future, but it could be extensive. I believe in free speech as much as any reasonable person, but enough is enough. We must guard our backs in this area; it might exert greater influence and affect us more than we have yet realized. Let me close finally with another of my NC Mason recognized by journalists RALEIGH — Te North Carolina Press Club awarded Te North Carolina Mason three prizes in their 2009 Communications Contest. Te Mason received both first and second place awards in the editorials division for specialized publications. “Is Any Moment Trivial?” was judged the best editorial in its division for 2009. Te Mason also got a second place in editing for a specialized publication. Editor Ric Carter ac- cepted the awards at the organization’s April 24 Awards Luncheon here. He also received first and second place awards in photography divi- sions not associated with Te NC Mason. Te winning editorial went on to take a national first place in the same division of the National Federation of Press Women’s annual communication contest. Carter brought in a third place for a photo published in the In- ternet web category. Tose awards will be pre- sented in Chicago at the Federation’s national convention in September. squawks. I’m sick and tired of hearing so many say, “Let’s elect so-and-so as presiding officer; he’s a great ritualist.” We don’t need him; we’re up to our you-know-what in ritualists. What we need are original thinkers and sharp administra- tors, not wordsmiths. Don’t we? R. S. Sagar is a member of the Grand Lodge of Georgia. From Masonic Messenger by way of Southern California Research Lodge Fraternal Re- view, June 2006. the way we expect things to be, we’re blinded to the possibilities of change. Tere are even those who resist change! Interest in Masonry is on the rise now. It has been for several years. Along with new interest come new members. New members bring new ideas. New ideas can stimulate change and, when properly understood and implemented, preserve the “most ancient society” for generations to come. Masonry can embrace the future without compromising the ideals of our ancient legacy. All it takes is involvement, observing, listening, and action. We need to challenge ourselves to think and act innovatively. How? Participate in a golf tournament or a blood drive, volunteer for Meals on Wheels or some other local volunteer agency, renew con- tacts with other lodges or the children in Oxford or the residents of WhiteStone. Te possibilities are endless, and we might just be lucky enough to hit on something that generates renewed in- terest in enticing older members back as well as new members to join. All we have to do is listen, think outside the box, and act. Otherwise, we could see our “mar- ket share” disappear, just like the Swiss. Adrian Hatfield is master of Masters 754. From Te Trowel. Commander Glover, left, with Trooper Daniel at recognition. Daniel gets state awards By Michael Abramowitz GREENVILLE — Trooper Beau Daniel was on patrol about 11:30 p.m. December 12 when he was dispatched to a house fire in a rural part of Tyrrell County. He was the first to arrive at the residence, and a woman was still inside. Te Highway Pa- trol officer gathered residents standing outside to safety as flames and smoke billowed from the home. Tyrrell County volunteer firefighters who arrived moments later pulled the unresponsive woman out. Daniel helped perform CPR on her for 30 minutes, but the woman did not survive. “Despite being unable to save her life, his vigilance and quick actions saved many other lives,” Ruben F. Young, NC Secretary of Crime Control and Public Safety, told visitors and dig- nitaries at the State Highway Patrol Troop A headquarters in Greenville May 12. Tey were there to watch Daniel receive several awards in connection with his recent life-saving efforts, outstanding judgment and courage: the Department Commendation Award; Te Secre- tary’s Gold Circle Award; and the State High- way Patrol’s Samaritan Award. Daniel is senior deacon of Perseverance 59 in Plymouth. Patrol Commander Col. Randy Glover (a Mason in Doric 568) also saluted Daniel’s brav- ery. “It’s an honor to recognize Trooper Daniel. You’ve gone beyond the call of duty to provide assistance to our citizens,” he told Daniel. Daniel’s acts were extraordinary, but represent what troopers do every day, even when they’re Know the 2010 players By Ric Carter Most Masons don’t think too much about Grand Lodge officers until Annual Communi- cation rolls around. Can’t tell the players with- out a program? Now you’ll be able to identify those guys opening and closing the meeting. Here’s your program. Starting just inside the door is Grand Ty- ler Johnny Surles (Zion 81) from Pollocksville. He’ll be assisted by assistant tylers who will be posted outside the several entrances to the meet- ing room to check your dues card and listen to a whispered password. At the front of the auditorium, a lodge room will be set on and before a riser. It is of much the same form as your blue lodge, but with a station or two added. Four officers will be on the stage facing the crowd. Front and center on the stage will be Grand Master (GM) William L. Dill (St. John’s 3). Dill is a retired school principal who lives in New Bern with his wife Margaret. He is secretary of New Bern’s Scot- tish Rite bodies. On his right will be Deputy Grand Master (DGM) Lewis R. Ledford (Statesville 27). Led- ford is superintendent of North Carolina State Parks. He is the only head of State Parks to rise to that position from the job as Park Ranger. He and his wife Susan live in Raleigh. On the left side of the stage is Grand Trea- surer (GT) Clifton W. Everett Jr. (Crown Point 708). Everett, who was grand master in 1995, has been grand treasurer since 1996. Everett, a Superior Court judge, lives in Greenville with his wife Mary. At the right on the stage is Grand Secretary (GS) T. Walton Clapp III (Mystic Tie 237) who has served in the office since 1997. Clapp resides in Raleigh with his wife Betty (a Presbyterian minister) and daughter Anh. Seated at the back of the stage in neat rows are special guests and past grand masters. Te special guests include officers from state appen- NORTH CAROLINA The Mason (USPS 598-260) is published bimonthly by Te Grand Lodge of AF & AM of North Carolina, 2921 Glenwood Avenue, Raleigh, NC 27608. Tird class postage paid at Oxford, NC 27565. POSTMASTER: Send address changes to Te North Carolina Mason, School Of Graphic Arts, Masonic Home for Children, Oxford, NC 27565. Grand Master William L. Dill Board Of Publication John O. Newman Jr., Chairman Gary R. Ballance Don E. Bolden Tomas A. Pope Jr. Hugh K. Terrell Jr. Editor Ric Carter GT SGD GMsl DGM GM GS GC SGS JGW Officer positions at Annual Communication dant bodies and officers from other grand lodges and Masonic organizations. Te rest of the officers are on the auditorium floor in front of the stage. Facing the stage, with his back to the delegates, you’ll find Senior Grand Warden (SGW) Robert E. Gresham Jr. (Albe- marle 703). Gresham and his wife Carolyn live in Mount Gilead. He was president of Service Distributing Company (SERVCO) before his re- tirement. Junior Grand Deacon ( JGD) Douglas L. Caudle (Statesville 27) sits on Gresham’s right. Caudle and his wife Angela live in Taylorsville. He is president of Piedmont Fiberglass. On the south side of the floor, to the delegates’ right, is Junior Grand Warden (JGW) Dewey R. Preslar Jr. (Andrew Jackson 576). Preslar and his wife Terrie live in Salisbury. He recently re- tired as a vice president of Food Lion and is now consulting for the state self-insurance service. At the meeting, Preslar is flanked by the grand stewards. Senior Grand Steward A. Gene Cobb (Royal White Hart 2) is nearest the stage and Junior Grand Steward Jimmie B. Hicks Jr. (St. John’s 3) is nearest the delegates. Cobb is Grand Lodge altar SGW JGD delegates minister at St. Luke’s United Methodist Church in Sanford where he lives with his wife Bren- da. Teir children are grown. Hicks is a lawyer in New Bern. He has a 16-year-old son and 14-year-old daughter. Senior Grand Deacon (SGD) Dalton W. Mayo (Hiram 98) sits before the stage in front of the grand treasurer, to the grand master’s right. Mayo is retired from the faculty of Samp- son Community College. He lives in Clinton. Another officer in the Grand Lodge line we don’t have in the blue lodge progression to master is grand marshal (GMsl). Grand Marshal Bry- ant D. Webster (Nichols-West Asheville 650) holds that chair beside Grand Chaplain (GC) Dennis R. Sheppard (Mill Creek 125). Webster is a lawyer and lives in Black Mountain with his wife (Janet) and daughter. Tere, you have it — the starting line up for Annual Communication of the Grand the 223rd Lodge of North Carolina. Don’t get cocky, though. We’ll elect new officers at the meeting. Tey’ll be installed in November and take us all, once again, into a new year. THE MISSION OF FREEMASONRY IN NORTH CAROLINA IS TO RAISE THE MORAL, SOCIAL, INTELLECTUAL, AND SPIRITUAL CONSCIENCE OF SOCIETY BY TEACHING THE ANCIENT AND ENDURING PHILOSOPHICAL TENETS OF BROTHERLY LOVE, RELIEF, AND TRUTH, WHICH ARE EXPRESSED OUTWARDLY THROUGH SERVICE TO GOD, FAMILY, COUNTRY, AND SELF UNDER THE FATHERHOOD OF GOD WITHIN THE BROTHERHOOD OF MAN. Good quality pictures, whether color or black and white, are essential for suitable reproduction. Te right to reject any submission not suitable for use is reserved. Pictures will be returned to the sender only if accompanied by a self-addressed, stamped envelope. Submissions and other correspondence should be sent to the editor at PO Box 6506, Raleigh, NC 27628 or rcarter@grandlodge-nc.org. Each North Carolina Mason is a subscriber to Te North Carolina Mason. If you know a member who is not receiving the paper, please send us his full name, his complete address and the name and number of his lodge. Masonic widows receive Te Mason free upon request. Subscriptions are available to others at a rate of five dollars per year. Subscription inquiries and address changes only should be sent to: Te School of Graphic Arts, Masonic Home for Children, 600 College Street, Oxford, North Carolina 27565. Reproduction of articles by Masonic organiza- tions is permitted with proper credits. Opinions expressed are not necessar- ily those of The North Carolina Mason, the Grand Lodge, or Board of Publication. JGS stage just out there patrolling the roads, Young said. “Te fact of the matter is they’re out there saving lives,” the secretary said. “Here at Troop A, we have people that are really committed to the community. Tey see themselves not just as troopers but as citizens and they carry themselves in a way that reflects positively on the community and not just the SHP,” Young said. Daniel thanked his commanders for their rec- ognition and told the guests that he simply did what is expected of a law enforcement officer. “I didn’t expect this award, and didn’t know why I was being considered for it because the lady did pass away despite our efforts. I think any law enforcement officer would do the same,” the trooper said. Te trooper’s parents, Susan and Ron Daniel of Elizabethtown, said their son’s destiny seemed set at a young age. “He always wanted to be a trooper. He col- lected trooper cars from all the states. His dad and I always made sure he worked hard at ev- erything he did, even on our farm,” Susan Dan- iel said. “I couldn’t be more proud than I am today,” his father said. Daniel’s wife, Amy, was not surprised by her husband’s actions. “Tis is an everyday thing for Beau. He’s all heart,” she said. Tis article is reprinted from and with the permission of Te Daily Reflector and Michael Abramowitz. The North Carolina Mason July/August 2010

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