The North Carolina Mason

TraveLing The tar heel state News From North CaroliNa's lodges By Ric Carter If your lodge has a newsletter for its members, make sure The North Carolina Mason is on your mailing list. Lodge newsletters are a major source of news for Masons around the state. If you don't have one, think about starting one. Newsletters are a good way to keep your mem- bers active, happy, and informed. January/February 2014 The North Carolina Mason Page 3 see STATE, page 4 Gatesville Gatesville 126 sponsored a summer base- ball team at Eason's Crossroads last summer. ey furnished refreshments for the last game of the season and entertained the team at the conclusion of their August 3 workday at the lodge. After power washing the building and sealing the brickwork, they fed the team and the day's volunteers. A rough and a perfect ashlar were recently donated to the lodge in honor of Robert Bryant. Gatesville Lodge handed out service awards to several members last year including 50-year awards to Boykins Hudgins, Andrew Quinton Eure, and Joseph Paul Taylor, and a 60-year award to Armstead Harrell "Frosty" Felton. e lodge put a float in the Gatesville Christmas Parade and was sponsoring a blood drive in January. — e Compasses Fairmont Several recognitions were made at Fairmont 528's Awards Night. Marc Sessoms was named the 18 th Masonic District's Rookie of the Year and Jerry Blount as the district's Mason of the Year. Walon Ivey got his Veteran's Emblem for 50 years Masonic membership. — e Trestleboard Spruce Pine Vesper 554 presented service awards at their December 19 officer installation. Phillip Clar- ence Harris received his Diamond Jubilee for 60 years as a Mason. Tommy Phillips got his Vet- eran's Emblem for 50 years in the lodge. — 37 th District Marion Mystic Tie 237 is trying an experiment to encourage members who have been suspended for non-payment of dues to come back to the lodge. ey are offering to forgive a portion of the necessary current dues and arrears for those who come back to the lodge. e deadline for the offer was December 31. Mystic Tie has spruced up their lodge room. ey removed the old carpet and seating, sanded and stained the floors, laid tile around the altar, and added a blazing star to the floor. Ricky Buchanan headed up the effort to deliver fruit baskets to the lodge's widows and shut-ins. — Mystic Tie News Kernersville They held a lodge cleanup day at Kerners- ville 669 on November 9. It was good prepa- ration for their November 22 Thanksgiving Dinner and their December 2 Past Masters' and Widows' Dinner. As part of their budget considerations and planning for the future, Kernersville Lodge is soliciting contributions to the building fund to make sure maintenance funds are available when big jobs come due. Plan ahead for the inevitable. — Masonic Lodge New In Decemer, Todd Hurm was installed as master of Kernersville Lodge by his father Mi- chael Hurm. — Chris Pearman Jacksonville Semper Fidelis 680 has long been helpful to charities and neighbors. Last year, they donated $3,500 to each of our Homes, $100 for the Phil- ippine typhoon relief, and $500 for Oklahoma tornado victims. ey participated and donated to Special Olympics, Relay for Life, and the Veterans Visitation Program of the Masonic Service Association. ey have been collecting backpacks for homeless veterans, and are look- ing at ways to further help fight the plight of homeless vets. On November 16, they held their Past Mas- ters', Widows' and Awards Night. Cecil Morton was recognized for his 60 years as a Mason. Vet- eran's Emblems for 50 years membership went to Herbert Chandler and Marvin McAfee. Past Grand Master Billy Dill was the guest speaker. — Trestle Board Wilmington Orient 395 held their Annual Ladies' Lun- cheon December 7. Derwin Hinson entertained. Wilmington's Rainbow Girls held a yard sale at Orient Lodge November 16. e lodge was cooking breakfast and asking donations for the Rainbow Assembly there. — John Bordeaux Liberty James Edgar Allred was recently named a life member of Liberty 714. Allred was held a pris- oner of war for 999 days during the Korean War. — Paul Bruchon Boone Snow 363 held their annual Christmas Celebration December 7. They had a turkey dinner catered in. George Wilson and his band entertained the lodge, its family mem- bers, and friends. — Snow Lodge Gibsonville Tabasco 271 held their Lodge Christmas Dinner on December 6 at a local cafeteria. ey offered rides to those who needed them. e lodge is considering raising their dues to $40 plus per capita. — Trestle Board Concord Stokes 32 held their lodge Casino Night No- vember 15. e $25 ticket event is their big fun- draiser for the year. — Stokes Lodge Facebook page Southport On November 29, Pythagoras 249 held their Annual Awards and Widows' Appreciation Banquet. Jack Terry was named Mason of the Year, and John Lewis got the Promising Mason Award. Joe Maggiola got the Most Successful Golf Tournament Award, and Charles Trott was honored for his work on the Charity Proj- ect of the Year. Veteran's Emblems for 50 year Masonic membership went to Alton Smith and James Griffith. Members of Pythagoras gave a past mas- ter's apron to Bill Lucas on the occasion of his 90 th birthday. ere was lots of charitable outreach at Py- thagoras Lodge last year. ey gave $250 gift certificates to two needy families at Christmas. e lodge purchased new door locks, and one of their members installed them for a lodge widow in need. ey made a $500 contribution to South- port's Shop With a Cop program. ey sent an- other $500 to a member of a neighboring lodge who found himself in financial straits after suf- fering the loss of his wife to a lengthy illness. e lodge has renamed their fish fry the An- nual Gene Cowan-W. Marvin McKeithen Fish Fry. McKeithen, who passed away last summer, had done the Fish Fry for years. — Newsletter Spencer e November 9 Member Appreciation Breakfast at Spencer 543 was a chance to in- vite interested friends and family to learn more about the lodge. Homemade biscuits, eggs, ba- con, sausage, and grits made a good impression. On November 26, they held their Thanks- giving Dinner. They honored Michael Craft as Rookie Mason of the Year. Sam Krohn was named Mason of the Year, and Cecil Keith got the inaugural Spirit of Giving Award. Emil Sparger got his Diamond Jubilee for 60 years membership. Spencer Lodge held their annual Visit With Santa December 7. Kids and grandkids got to talk with Santa. All the visitors got drinks and cook- ies. It was also another collection opportunity for their season-long Toys for Tots participation. — John Hatley Trenton Zion 81 is celebrating what they call "a much needed makeover." ey replaced the carpet, laid tile, and refinished the wood in their lodge room. — Aaron Morris Raleigh What do you do when you have a stated meeting on Christmas Eve? James B. Green 735 had the minimum seven members there to open lodge. ey read "e Night Before Christmas" and closed lodge. A number of awards were recently passed out at Green Lodge. Perry Rumble got the Robert B. Truelove Award; Chic Roselli, the JBG Out- reach Award; Claiborne Burnette, JBG First Battalion Award; Dustin Tarditi, Outstand- ing Communicator Award; Don Butto, Master Photojournalist Award; and Mark ompson, Finance Committee Chairman Emeritus. — e James B. Green Scene Incoming James B. Green Master Don Stei- chen will be putting emphasis on community outreach this year. He plans for them to spon- sor a youth league baseball or soccer team, hold local hero appreciation event, visit both our Homes, hold a classic car raffle, have a field trip to Philadelphia, and enter the Masonic Pig Jig before the year is done. — Don Steichen Masters 754 is planning to merge with Mill- brook 97. As of this reporting, Millbrook Lodge has yet to vote on the merger. — e Trowel Waxhaw Santa visited Waxhaw 562 December 13. He was there to have pancakes with the lodge children. Members were invited to bring chil- dren, grandchildren, and neighbors' kids to talk to the jolly old elf. Donations to the homes were solicited. — Richard Shields Thomasville is holiday season, members of omasville 214 collected department gift cards for the kids at the Masonic Home for Children. e cards let kids use their Christmas gifts throughout the year as they need things. — Trestle Board Elmo Carawan photo WASHINGTON — Washington 675 held their third annual roasted pork tenderloin fund- raiser on December 7. ey cooked 360 pounds of tenderloin and enough mashed potatoes and green beans to complete the meal. More than 400 plates were served in three hours. DDGL John Riffert reported the event as "the most suc- cessful fundraiser for the lodge to date." — Elmo Carawan Washington Lodge members prepare plates for the fundraiser. Master David Rowe mans the grill. Washington Lodge shows their butts Charlotte Temple 676 has been meeting in the Scottish Rite Center here for nearly 30 years. Starting in January, they have moved in with Excelsior 261. ey are buying into ownership of the facility at 3900 Litchfield Road in Charlotte. — Temple Lodge Steele Creek 737 held their annual barbecue fundraiser November 14. — Bill Smith Excelsior 261 Master Michael Gregory is calling for 2014 to be the Year of Illumination for the lodge. He has promised "more concise business during stated communications so that greater attention can be given Masonic educa- tion, history, and explorations of the spiritual as- pects of the Craft." He also plans to hold a Past Masters Degree in April with no one but past masters filling all parts. — Trestle Board Winston-Salem Old Town 751 brought in more than $6,000 for charity with their raffle last year. They also held a Pancake Supper November 22 with those proceeds going to Triad Ma- sonic youth groups. Several Old Town members got their Veter- an's Emblems for 50 years Masonic membership at the lodge's December stated. Awards went to B. A. Byrd, Herbert Blankenship, Marvin Hanks, J. C. Huffman, omas Burton Hamil- ton, and Arthur Eugene Atkinson. — On the Level at Old Town Lodge Piedmont-Pioneer 685 sponsored a float in the Winston-Salem Christmas parade. — Jay Callaham Eden On December 14, members of Leaksville 136 journeyed to the Masonic Home for Children to deliver the donations they raised from their raffle, Pig Jig, and the Sutton Foundation. ey presented the Home $9,000. — Steven Cates Union Grove Grassy Knob 471 held their annual Family Dinner November 23. — Tom Gregory Fayetteville ere's been some remodeling going on at Phoenix 8. e main targets have been the kitchen and the library/secretary office area. ey've installed new computers and printers. ey've added a new artifact display cabinet and new chandeliers. In the lodge room, they've got a new projector and screen. Phoenix 8 collected more than 300 toys dur- ing their toy drive this year. e toys were bound for the Masonic Home for Children and the Falcon Children's Home. Dan McGarrah and Jose Rivas headed up the drive which brought in unwrapped gifts and gift cards. Mike Ariano gave a lecture in the lodge on Pearl Harbor. e lodge was open for tours. — Derec Mercer and Ken Wical Creasy Proctor 279 named Bob Burnett their Mason of the Year. — Derec Mercer Pilot Mountain Pilot 493 kept a donation box for Toy for Tots in their dinning hall through the Christ- mas season. ey also helped out a couple of lo- cal families by giving one a gas card and another a gift card for a grocery chain. e lodge sponsored a blood drive November 25. ey collected 37 units and four doubles on a 40 unit goal. — e Pilot Mountain Traveler and Sam Carson Mount Airy Granite 322 did several charity projects last year. ey held their Annual Ham and Egg Breakfast in March, raising more than $2,300. In July, they carried kids from two Home for Children cottages camping. roughout the year, they collected canned food for a local food pantry. ey helped to the tune of 3,276 cans.

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