Page 2 From the editor’s desk
The North Carolina Mason
November/December 2010
Happy Holidays!
Temperatures fall this time of year. Days grow shorter and dimmer as night’s darkness grows longer and deeper. The sun sinks nearer the horizon, and green plants die. During this season, mankind has, since before history was written, huddled together with loved ones, there to cling to one another and all that was truly important to them. It has always been a time of fear and celebration — fearing that loss and death will overtake us — celebrating that we yet survive and have each other. Today people of all faiths mark the season with stories, and rituals, and beliefs, and creeds that have them cling now to the ones they love. They celebrate that love. They rejoice that they have survived. They hope that the day will once again grow long, that the sun will once more rise to the top of the sky, and the flowers again bloom. Remember that people of all faiths, races, ethnic groups, and nationali- ties share the same hopes for their families. We wish all these things for you and your loved ones during the highest of holi- day seasons.
Service to country is a laudable virtue in
any citizen. However, few are able to provide service on a truly national scale. It is a point of pride for the Masonic fraternity that many of our country’s public servants have also been Freemasons. In the case of the United States Supreme
Court, 36 justices have been Masons, five of whom have served as chief justice and three have also served as grand master of their state. Here are some of the more notable. Oliver Ellsworth
Oliver Ellsworth, nominated by Brother and
President George Washington, served as the Supreme Court’s third chief justice from 1796 to 1800. He was a charter member of St. John’s Lodge at Princeton, NJ. Ellsworth was succeed- ed by John Marshall. John Marshall
John Marshall served the Grand Lodge of
Virginia as grand master from 1793 to 1795. He became a Mason during the Revolutionary War
and was a member of Richmond 10 and later Richmond-Randolph 19. He served as chief jus- tice from 1801 until his death in 1835. As chief justice, he presided over the trial of
Brother Aaron Burr for treason. Marshall has been referred to as the “Father of the Judiciary Branch,” for under his leadership, the Supreme Court became the final word on the constitu- tionality of both state and federal laws. William H. Taft
President William H. Taft, nominated by
President Warren G. Harding, was chief justice of the Supreme Court from 1921 to 1930. Taft was made a Mason at sight by Grand Master Charles S. Hoskinson and later affiliated with Kilwinning 365 in Cincinnati, OH. Robert H. Jackson
Robert H. Jackson, appointed to the Su-
preme Court by Brother and President Franklin Roosevelt, also served as prosecutor at the War Crimes Tribunal in Nuremberg. He was a mem- ber of Mt. Moriah 145, Jamestown, NY.
Tillett named Montfort Medalist WINSTON-SALEM — At Annual Communication, Grand Master William L. Dill presented Past
Grand Master Jerry R. Tillett, right, the Joseph Montfort Medal for outstanding Masonic service. For the presentation, Dill invited several past grand masters to the stage to witness the honor. The Montfort is the highest honor in North Carolina Freemasonry and is given to Masons who have contributed to the fraternity and its honor.
Two NC Masons publish books
Two North Carolina Masons have recently published books, and
both have Masonic themes. Asheville’s John Burchfield (Lodges 663, 650, and 118) has published The Chamber of Truth his first novel. Wilson’s Dan Weatherington (Lodges 712 and 760) has penned Rec- ognizing Prince Hall. Recognizing Prince Hall, An Eleven Year Journey to Honesty is a fiction-
alized account of our recognition of the Prince Hall Grand Lodge of North Carolina. It follows the real progression, but with names changed to protect both the guilty and the innocent. Some characters have been modified to give a more effective feel of the times. It is an honest (some- times painfully so) account of our upheaval in quest of integrity. Tis is Weatherington’s fourth novel, with his fifth on the way in
early 2011. Ordering details for this and Weatherington’s other books may be obtained from . Te Chamber of Truth, Quest for the Jewel is a Masonic adventure set in
the Holy Land. A mystery of legend and ritual and royalty unfolds even as it forces the reader to reach back in time. You can learn more about getting Chamber of Truth by visiting .
Freemasons and the US Supreme Court By Chad Simpson
Frederick M. Vinson Frederick M. Vinson served as chief justice
from 1946 to 1953, having been nominated by Brother and President Harry Truman. He was a member of Apperson 195 in Louisa, KY. He was succeeded as chief justice by Earl Warren. Earl Warren
Earl Warren served as chief justice from 1953 to
1969. During his tenure; the Supreme Court made sweeping changes in both Criminal and Civil Rights Law. Arguably, one of the most influential rulings was made in the case of Brown vs. Board of Educa- tion. Tis unanimous decision by the court ruled that separate was not equal in the case of public education and sounded the end of racial segregation. Warren was a member of Sequoia 349 in
Oakland, CA, and served as grand master of California from 1935 to 1936. Thurgood Marshall
Turgood Marshall, who had argued success-
fully before the Supreme Court as chief council in the Brown vs. Board of Education case, be- came the first African American member of the Supreme Court, serving from 1967 to 1991. He was a member of Coal Creek 88 under the Prince Hall Affiliated Grand Lodge of Oklahoma. Tough they were diverse in their political
and judicial opinions (17 were Democrats, five Federalists, two Democratic Republicans, and 12 Republicans. Twenty-three were appointed by presidents who were Masons.), the service of these brothers to our country reminds us all that the rule of law is an indispensably vital part of
our constitutional republic. — From Te Beacon, Grand Lodge of Ohio, 2006
Secrecy, the old way Ever the teacher, Ralph Herbold [late secre-
tary of the Southern California Research Lodge] gives insight into to a cause of the Freemasonry’s troubles created by Masonic “secrecy.” “In explaining to a young lady why her
grandfather told her he ‘couldn’t tell [her] any- thing’ about Masonry,” I said. “Your grandfa- ther went through certain ceremonies to be- come a Mason. To cement those lessons in his mind, he learned a catechism. In the process, he was told never to reveal any of the secrets of Freemasonry. But, in most instances, he was never told what the secrets were, so assumed that everything he learned was a secret. He was told about his duties to God, his country, his neighbor, and himself. He was told about the four cardinal virtues: temperance,
fortitude,
prudence, and justice, first enumerated by Pla- to, so how could that be a secret. I could go on and on. Your grandfather was done an injustice by not getting a proper explanation which, sad to say, is rarely given even today.” — Fraternal Review
No officer photos, please
We regret that Te North Carolina Mason has insufficient space to print lodge officer pictures. We continue to receive many new officer photos despite the fact that the paper has not published any since 1998. Decisions on what to include and what to omit are necessary at all newspapers. Te decisions are always difficult. Other events not carried in Te Mason are raisings and 25-year awards. Unusual angles to such stories may call for exceptions. If you are in doubt about your specific case, send it for consideration.
Your articles and NC Mason Deadlines Got something you want to say? Have an announcement to make or invitation to get out? If
your lodge never gets mentioned here, appoint yourself lodge reporter, and keep us posted on what you guys are doing. Got suggestions for features? Requests for information? You can contact us at rcarter@grandlodge-nc.org or (919) 787-2021 or PO Box 6506, Raleigh, NC 27628. We don’t have the space for everything (25-year awards and officer installations for instance)
but we’ll make every effort to take care of those things with the broadest interest across the state. The dates below will give you an idea of when you need to get timely matters to us.
GM visits VA Med Center ASHEVILLE — Grand Master William L. Dill visited the Asheville VA Medical Center on Au-
gust 10. He was accompanied by Past Grand Master Berry Rigdon, Junior Grand Warden Dewey Preslar, 39th
DDGM Ronnie Reece, 40th DDGM Dana Hawkins, Michael Register, MSA Volunteer
Ralph Messer, Rick Patton, and several other state and local dignitaries. They are seen here at the Masonic memorial marker at the center. Dill got to visit some military veterans hospitalized there and express his appreciation to the Masons who volunteer there through the Masonic Service Association Hospital Visitation Program.
— O’Neal McCall
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.
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
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July/August ...................................July 1 ......................................August 1 September/October ....................September 1 ..............................October 1 November/December ..................November 1 ............................December 1
