Page 2 From the editor’s desk Do good unto all We don’t allow political discourse in lodge.
We all know that, and it’s a good rule. While politics may have no place in Masonry,
Masonry certainly does have a place in politics. No, we don’t need to fulfill that old conspiracy
franchise of running the world as part of some secret cabal. What we need is more Masonic philosophy in our political lives. It is those les- sons of Masonry that were intertwined with the thinking of the fathers of our country in creating our governance. We began thinking of this with the exit of
several long-time, good Masons from North Carolina political life — some voluntarily, some not. Marc Basnight, Bob Etheridge, and A. B. Swindell come quickly to mind, and there cer- tainly are others. Each of these Masons was a partisan politi- cian who took stands with which we might agree or disagree. Each of them fought for his view- point and his party. Tey played hard sometimes. But, they appeared never to play dirty or mean or unpleasantly. Tey remained faithful to their Masonic standards, oaths, and charges. In a time when political discourse has be-
come increasingly inflammatory and disre- spectful, we are happy that there are yet many people in government who hold these truths dear and perform as Masons. In times of in- tolerance, the tolerance taught by Masonry is more needed than ever. Our efforts to learn and to subdue our passions have never been more valuable to our families and communities. Ma- sonry, long the enemy of fear and intolerance, has never been more important. As immod- eration in life and demands of constituencies drive more people hungry for power and profit, Masonry’s emphasis on self-control and quiet
calm, has never been more urgent. It is as essential for us as citizens to remember these lessons as it is for our leaders. We, after all, set the tone of the communities in which we live. Live the principles of Freemasonry, not neces- sarily to present a good picture of Masonry, but because the principles of the Craft are made to build a better community for you and your fam- ily and your neighbors. Hold your closing charge close: “Be diligent, prudent, temperate, discreet. Remember that, around this
altar, you have
promised to befriend and relieve every brother who shall need your assistance. You have prom- ised, in the most friendly manner, to remind him of his errors, and aid a reformation. Tese gener- ous principles are to extend further. Every hu- man being has a claim upon your kind offices. Do good unto all.”
You’re invited Table Lodge March 19
FAYETTEVILLE — Phoenix 8 is hold- ing their second Table Lodge Night March 19 at Chris’s Open Hearth Steak House. Mark Tabbert, director of collections at the George Washington Masonic National Memorial will be guest speaker. His topic is “Early American Freemasonry or why did John, Paul, George, and Ben join the Craft?” Fellowship begins at 6:30 and the table lodge opens at 7:00 p.m. Tickets are $55. For information, visit or call Enoc Rodriguez at (910) 303-2860.
Old favorite visits PLYMOUTH — We’ve never seen Santa in a
Masonic apron, but it’s easy to imagine the Old Jolly One connected with the fraternity. On De- cember 1, Santa (or someone who looked a heck of a lot like him) visited Perseverance 59 to have a little time with the local kids and their families. Forty people were on hand. The youngster seen here with him is McKinley Phelps. McKinley has a big apron to fill in Plymouth as his uncle (Keith Phelps), great uncle, and great-great-great uncle were all members of Perseverance 59. — Keith Phelps
Ledford’s district meeting schedule set Grand Master Lewis R. Ledford plans to visit about half our
districts this year. His meetings start in early March and will fin- ish in early June. His meetings will be similar to the area meetings of the past few years. Pre-meeting meals are scheduled for 6:15 p.m. with the tyled meeting starting at 7:00 p.m.. District officers and the grand master will be received with usual honors.
Date Pendergrass and his brothers at his swearing-in.
Chapel Hill Mason is NC’s longest serving sheriff
HILLSBOROUGH — University 408’s Past Master Lindy
Pendergrass was recently sworn in as sheriff of Orange County for his eighth consecutive term. He was already the oldest (75 years old) and longest serving sheriff in North Carolina. He served on the Chapel Hill Police Department for 25 years before joining the Sheriff ’s Department, giving him more than 50 years in Orange County law enforcement. Te Bible on which Pendergrass was sworn is the one from
University 408, the same one on which he was sworn as master of the lodge. He is seen here, center, with, from left, Rick Smith, University 408 past master; Donnie Pendergrass (his brother), 408 past master; London Ivey, 408 past master; and Ronnie Pen- dergrass (his brother) of Millbrook 97. — London Ivey
even more convinced that the passion and the competency still exist today that made our fraternity and its appendant bodies the most charitable of all organizations in history! An example of an area where we can always improve our com-
petency is in communications. We have produced a new, simple brochure about our fraternity, and we will give more consideration to producing a brief video that tells our story that can be easily shared. In this IT age, there are many other forms of communica- tion. We must continue to work to connect with members and non-members effectively and efficiently. Our Grand Lodge was one of the first jurisdictions with a web presence. It began in 1997, and has a comprehensive amount of information. Look for a new, better organized and accessible web page this summer. What about social media? Yes, our Grand Lodge has a Face-
book presence. Did you see the recent 60 Minutes television pro- gram or that Time magazine named the Facebook founder as its person of the year for 2010? Facebook recently added its 550 millionth member. One out of every dozen people on the planet now has an account; nearly half of all Americans are on Facebook. Tey speak 75 languages and collectively lavish more than 700
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.
March 2 March 3 March 14 March 23
April 4 April 7 April 12 April 13 April 14 April 27 April 28
May 9
May 23 May 24 May 25 May 26
June 1 June 6 June 8
District 31
10 21 3
33 23 12 17 15 35 7
39 41
Lodge
Joppa 530 Wayne 112
Southern Pines 484 Orr 104
Liberty 45
P. P. Turner 746 St. John’s 1 Bladen 646 Cary 198
Shelby 744 Zion 81
8 Widow’s Son 519 Biltmore 446 Junaluskee 145
38 Dunn’s Rock 267 37
26 1
30
Bakersville 357 Salem 289
Eureka 317 Statesville 27
Location Charlotte
Goldsboro
Southern Pines Washington
Wilmington You’re invited Elizabethtown Cary
Wilkesboro Greensboro
Shelby Trenton
Roanoke Rapids Asheville Franklin Brevard
Bakersville
Winston-Salem Elizabeth City Statesville
You may make your lodge’s reservation for the meeting
with your district deputy grand master or host lodge secre- tary. Please be considerate of the host lodge. Make your res-
BOTTOM LINE, from page 1
billion minutes on Facebook every month. Its membership is cur- rently growing at a rate of about 700,000 people a day, with those 50 years of age and older as one of its fastest growing segments. Yes, being competent with our communications is fundamen- tal to the lifeline of Freemasonry. However, it is important to re- member that as good as the new ways of communicating are, none are more essential and can be as accommodating as expressing ourselves in person to one another. Take time to enjoy the person- to-person fellowship and support that Freemasonry affords. Please share your ideas of how we can be more effective members. Tis quiet fraternal organization that arose from obscure ori- gins that can be documented to the late 16th
to early 17th century
now exists in various forms all over the world with a membership estimated at around six million, including almost two million in the United States. For those who ask about the private aspects of modern Freemasonry, know that they are simply the modes of recognition among members and a few select elements within a fraternal ritual. Despite the organization’s great breadth and di- versity, Freemasonry’s central goals remain charitable work within a local or broader community, moral uprightness, including re-
Grand Master William L. Dill
Board Of Publication Gary R. Ballance Don E. Bolden
Tomas A. Pope Jr. John A. Sullivan Hugh K. Terrell Jr.
Editor Ric Carter
quiring a belief in deity, as well as the development and continu- ance of fraternal friendship. As the new Masonic year begins in North Carolina, let me
express my most sincere appreciation for the successful leadership of Past Grand Master Billy Dill during the past year, and for his genuine support and friendship. My heartfelt thanks also extend to Past Grand Masters Charles Lewis, Tom Gregory, Cliff Ever- ett, the Grand Lodge officers, Statesville Lodge 27, and Masons of Iredell County, the Winston-Salem Scottish Rite, the Grand Lodge staff, and many others for the opportunities provided, the counsel, and the friendship through the years. Tank you again for the opportunity to serve. I hope you will find our efforts to be passionate and competent. Let me conclude these remarks by reminding us of our mis-
sion: 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.
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.
ervations for dinner at least seven days before your scheduled meeting. It is very frustrating to try to plan for a meal when reservations have not been made. Your lodge will be respon- sible to pay for all meals reserved. Those who have not made reservations should not expect to eat. In case of inclement weather, meetings will be cancelled in
accordance with local schools cancellations. If a meeting is can- celled, the host lodge and district deputy grand master will be notified. Your lodge may cancel its stated communication to at- tend your district meeting. Information will also be posted on the Grand Lodge web site: . Tis schedule was the schedule as of February 2, 2011. Changes may be neces- sary. Please consult your lodge for updates.
Wilkerson College Lodge Wilkerson College 760 travels around the state and presents
usually public educational programs. Details and contacts may be found at . April 9
MOORESBORO — Cliffside 460 hosts at 11:00 a.m. Grand
Lecturer Mack Sigmon presents “Te Baltimore Convention and its Significance to Freemasonry.” June 11
RALEIGH — Raleigh 500 hosts at 4:00 p.m. Author Michael
A. Halleran presents “Te Better Angels of Our Nature - Free- masonry in the American Civil War.” August 13
FAYETTEVILLE — Phoenix 8 hosts at 11:00 a.m. PGM Tom Gregory presents “Te Symbolism of the Cross in Freemasonry.”
The North Carolina Mason
January/February 2011
THEATER, from page 8
theater. Tere, they used props and scenery of the proscenium arched stage area. Members of almost every lodge in the 39th
Masonic District
participated in the ritual. Black Mountain 662 Secretary Rick Patton presided in the East in the second section. Te event was one of the most beautiful de-
grees seen in North Carolina, rivaled by very few locations in the state. Another Tird Degree, complete with breakfast, was planned for Satur- day morning, November 19. Tey plan to use the facility often.
— Mark-Ellis Bennett
