The North Carolina Mason

September/October 2010 The North Carolina Mason eNCompassiNg the world West Virginia and Ohio grand lodges withdraw recognition of each other STEUBENVILLE, OHIO — Back in By Ric Carter Notes SIOUX CITY, IOWA — Iowa is one of sev- eral grand lodges which offer one-day Masonry. Trial 532 hosted a Grand Master’s One-Day Class at the Scottish Rite Temple here in Feb- ruary. Twenty-five men joined 11 lodges on one Saturday. During the morning, they were shown the first degree, had a break, and then saw the second degree. After lunch, they were raised. Te grand master and grand lodge officers demon- strated the second section of the third degree for the candidates. — Grand Lodge Bulletin SPRINGFIELD, OHIO — Masons here, on June 6, were dedicating two new granite war memorials at the Ohio Masonic Home. Tey will honor Ohio Masons who served in the Korean and Vietnam Wars. Te markers were placed near the ones honoring the veterans of the First and Second World Wars. — Beacon ALBEQUERQUE, NEW MEXICO — More than 50 families attended the Fourth Annual Masonic Olympics here at the Shrine center last summer. Competitions were held in bowling, Texas hold’em, basketball, darts, Bocci, dominoes, horseshoes, and cribbage. Child care was supplied, and there was a shoe drive for homeless men. — Te New Mexico Freemason WARICK, RHODE ISLAND — It started last year as a bunch of Masons playing pickup softball games. Tis year they were organiz- ing and coming up with set teams. Lodges and other Masonic organizations were urged to form teams, not just for members, but to add Rain- bow Girls and DeMolay boys. Tey were going co-ed, and all ages for a fun approach to playing ball. Te Shrine Clowns have already challenged the Rainbow Girls. — Rhode Island Freemason LINCOLN, NEBRASKA — Nebraska’s first statewide Masonic blood drive was de- clared a “success” by Grand Master Russell Reno when they held their awards luncheon at the Governor’s Mansion in November. Sixty lodges participated and collected more than 1,100 units of blood. — Te Nebraska Mason 2006 West Virginia Grand Master Frank J. Haas piloted a number of changes through his grand lodge. Te changes, sometimes called the Wheeling Reforms, included among others al- lowing the previously and again now forbidden Pledge of Allegiance in the lodge, Masonic youth groups to use lodge facilities, materials and media not directly associated with blue lodge Masonry, Masonic funerals for cremated Masons, and donations to charities not specifi- cally Masonically affiliated. West Virginia’s next grand master quickly reversed all the changes. When Past Grand Master Haas, a West Vir- ginia judge, voiced his objection in lodges and media accessible to non-Masons, he was sum- marily expelled from membership, without trial by the then grand master. Haas sued in court, contending that he was not given proper treatment according to the grand lodge’s procedures. As is often the case, the suit WELLINGTON, NEW ZEALAND — In cooperation with the Royal Society of New Zealand, the grand lodge here has formed the Freemasons Reel Science Film Festival. Te Fes- tival features short science films made by high school students. In addition to the film contest, the organizations will sponsor workshops teach- ing kids how to make a great science film. — New Zealand Freemason STE. GENEVIEVE, MISSOURI — On May 30, the Grand Lodge of Missouri dedicat- ed a marker commemorating the first Masonic lodge west of the Mississippi River. Louisiana 109 was chartered November 14, 1807 in the newly bought Louisiana Territory. Tirteen Ma- sons, with the permission of Western Star 105 in Kaskaskia, Illinois, petitioned the Grand Lodge of Pennsylvania to establish a lodge. At the time, Ste. Genevieve was a unique mix of Spanish, French, English, and Native Ameri- can cultures. Te lodge met in what would later be known as the Green Tree Inn. — EMESSAY Notes INDIANAPOLIS, INDIANA — Te Indi- ana Grand Lodge Scholarship Board awarded more than 300 graduating seniors scholarships this year. Te total value of the awards was more than $400,000. Over the years, they have given $7.5 million to college bound students. — Indiana Freemason was delayed and has yet to be heard. Past findings seem to show that the courts tend to stay out of disputes on voluntary organizations so long as the organization acts within its own bylaws. Haas moved to Ohio. After satisfying the Ohio Grand Lodge’s residency requirement, he petitioned, and was voted into an Ohio Ma- sonic lodge. With the knowledge and approval of the Ohio Grand Lodge, they conferred all three degrees. While customary courtesy has jurisdictions honoring expulsions and suspen- sions in other states, in Ohio (as in North Carolina) there is nothing in Masonic law to require such considerations. West Virginia objected to Ohio’s action and exercised the only authority they had — they withdrew recognition. In response, Ohio with- drew recognition of West Virginia. Tat is where they stand still. We can find no report on further action by the courts which were to hear the case this summer. Page 5 History celebrations in New Mexico NEW MEXICO — History has been a cause of celebration among New Mexico Freemasons recently. The four founding lodges of the Grand Lodge of New Mexico were to hold their Second Annual Rendezvous at Fort Union National Monument, June 26. Masonry came into the territory down the Santa Fe Trail with soldiers, settlers, and traders. Several of the lodges were from Missouri. Four of those lodges (Montezuma 1, Chapman 2, Aztec 3, and Union 4) came together in 1878 to form the Grand Lodge of New Mexico. Many cultural events were planned including a chuck wagon meal. Last fall, a procession of Masons visited the grave of Kit Carson in Taos. They laid a wreath in honor of the 200th his birth. It was also the 100th anniversary of anniversary of Bent Lodge 42 there. The procession was led by a color guard from Fort Carson, Colorado. Many Masonic groups were represented in the several blocks long parade. A Distinguished Service medal for Carson from Governor Bill Richardson was presented. More than 330 people at- tended a barbecue at the lodge. A portrait of Brother Kit Carson in his Masonic regalia was commissioned for the occasions. — Te New Mexico Freemason Henson, Canter, Davis, and Putnam are seen here on Independence Rock. Tar Heels visit Wyoming INDEPENDENCE ROCK, WYOMING — The first known Masonic meeting in Wyo- ming took place at Independence Rock on July 4, 1862. Asa Brown, who served as Master of that first communication, later presented the Grand Lodge of Wyoming with the Bible and cardboard square and compasses used on that first altar. Tose treasurers are brought out every ten years to celebrate the occasion and once again open a lodge atop the same outcrop. Four members of Sonoma 472, Stanley Hen- son, Gene Canter, Clyde Davis, and Ronnie Putnam attended this year. —Mike Hooper FISH TALE, from page 8 8th District vets get awards LITTLETON — Several Masons got their 50-year Veteran’s Emblems earlier this year when Grand Master William L. Dill visited the 8th Masonic District. Getting their awards were Harvey Frank Harris (Royal Hart 497), Gene Worth Todd (Scotland Neck 689), and Wallace Eaton Brown (Royal Hart 497). Seen here, from left, are Grand Master Dill, Harris, Todd, Brown, and Royal Hart Master Michael Enroughty. — James Drake Grand Secretary Clapp returns Browning’s ring. in. Only the paddles and our backpacks floated. It was maybe ten feet deep. Tat may have been where I lost it.” Here, we must enter speculation to some Ritual art given to Selma Lodge SELMA — Selma 320 has recently added some original art work to make their degree work more memorable to its candidates. Will Barham’s drawing of the virgin weeping over the broken column has been framed for use in the Tird Degree. Robby Evans restored the tripod from the old lodge and had David Davis donate a piece of granite to place on it. It will be used as a trestle board to display in the lodge during lectures. — David Browning Issue NC Mason Deadlines Deadline Approximate Publication Date January/February ..........................January 1 .................................... February 1 March/April ...............................March 1 .........................................April 1 May/June ....................................May 1 ............................................June 1 July/August ...................................July 1 ..........................................August 1 September/October ....................September 1 ................................. October 1 November/December ..................November 1 ................................December 1 extent, though the evidence is there. Pike are known to hit flashy metal lures, those which capture the glint of a high sun and reflect it from a fresh angle like the scales of a tasty min- now. Tis northern pike, years later dubbed Albert, caught glimpse of the flash of gold and reflexive- ly sucked in the gold band and swallowed it. We know not how long Albert carried the ring in his gut, but his fondness for shiny geegaws proved his undoing and the end of his roll in this story. A fisherman named Armstrong, in a year lost in the murk of retold tales, caught our Albert Pike. He apparently made an appealing breakfast pic- ture. Armstrong cleaned Albert, and in clean- ing the fish made the remarkable find of the (to him) mystery ring. Not being a Mason, Armstrong did not recog- to try to find the owner. Emrick was a Mason and recognized the ring for what it was. Emrick, now Masonic district secretary of Nipissing East District in North Bay, Ontario, began his search in 1994. He later enlisted the help of Grand Secretary Terence Shand at the Grand Lodge of Canada in the province of Ontario. Te search was not The lost and found ring. simple. Don Browning has lived in several states, moving nine times in the years since he last saw his ring. Earlier this year, the trail ended in Shallotte, North Carolina where the 92-year-old Browning now lives. Browning is still a member of the lodge he joined in 1955, Washing- ton 58 in St. Albans, West Virginia. During the summer, Grand Secretary Walt Clapp received the ring in a package from the Grand Lodge of Ontario. Clapp drove to Browning’s home in Shallotte to deliver the ring in person. Tere, along with Browning to greet the ring nize the ring. After some searching, Armstrong tossed the ring in a jewelry box and forgot it. Te ring passed along to his son Jake Armstrong. Jake tossed it in his wife’s jewelry box where it sat for several more years. One day, Jake’s wife showed the ring to her brother John Emrick and turned it over to him were several friends and neighbors. Some were Masons, and all marvelled at the finding and re- turn of the Masonic ring. Te ring is finally home, very little the worse for wear, bearing a few scratches easily imag- ined to be the engraving of Albert the Northern Pike’s teeth; a mark of the ring’s long and mar- velous journey. Ric Car ter photo Ric Car ter photos

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