The North Carolina Mason

January/February 2014 The North Carolina Mason Page 5 GL scholar SANFORD — Whitney O'Quinn of Lee Christian School was one of our Grand Lodge Scholars this year. Twentieth Dis- trict Deputy Grand Master David Quick, right, presented the award at the school's awards event. — Whitney O'Quinn Grantham Lodge scholar GRANTHAM — Allison D. Cuthrell, center, was the recipient of this year's Alvia Hearren Masonic Scholarship. Grantham 725 names the award each year for a special member of the lodge. Cuthrell is the daughter of Robert and Melisa Cuthrell and the granddaughter of George Herring who are seen here. Not pictured is the other schol- arship winner, Michael Anthony Gonzales, son of Anthony and Hope Gonzales and grandson of Val and Patty Robinson. — Jim White Ric Carter photos Special help for Special Olympics ROBBINSVILLE — The local Special Olympics Committee recently asked the members of Robbinsville 672 to help with their fundraiser. They wanted the lodge to smoke half a dozen of their Appalachian-style barbecue pork butts. Money men entered the conversation and calculated how many total butts they would have to sell to break even on the ones they were donating to the Special Olympics. Things went better than expected, so Robbinsville Lodge gave the requested butts and $300 to the cause. Special Olympics Coordinator Kristy Cable is seen here receiving the check from Master Michael Phillips. — Jim Hyde CHAPEL HILL — From October 1 to December 23, the University of North Carolina sponsored an exhibit entitled "Look Well to the East: North Carolina's Freemasons and the Corner- stones of UNC." e displays were shown on the fourth floor of the Wilson Special Collections Library. It explored the history of the role played by North Carolina's Freemasons in the creation and early governance of the University. Freemasons conceived of, lobbied for, and built the nation's first public university, an accomplishment consistent with the fra- ternity's historic emphasis on education and the liberal arts. is exhibition traced the Masons' contribution to the establishment of UNC, and the shaping of its early development. e first public procession of our Grand Lodge (October 12, 1793) was to set the cornerstone for Old East, the first building on the campus of the first state university. William R. Davie, Father of the University and third grand master of our Grand Lodge led the ceremony. is event is commemorated each year as University Day. Among the exhibits were the following: • e sword and pocket watch of William Richardson Davie, grand master of Masons and the founder of the University. e sword has never before been exhibited in Chapel Hill. • e Old East cornerstone plate and the Masonic apron worn by William McCauley during the cornerstone ceremony. Masonry is in UNC's DNA • Handwritten petitions for the first and second degrees from Joseph Caldwell, UNC's first president, to Eagle 19 in Hillsborough. • Silver candlesticks from the altar of Royal White Hart Lodge where Davie lived. e exhibit was sponsored by the North Carolina Collection, the Southern Historical Collection, and the Grand Lodge of An- cient Free and Accepted Masons of North Carolina. A committee of Masons helped mount the exhibit: Mike Kenlan of Columbus 102, Jonathan Underwood of Albemarle 703, then-Grand Histo- rian Grady Hall of Scotch Ireland 154, and Junior Grand Deacon Speed Hallman of Eagle 19. The Dialectic's emblem includes square and compasses. Eagle 19 Mason and UNC President Joseph Caldwell's glasses. Editor's note: Charles M. Ingram is a member of St. John's 13 and served as grand master in 1999. KENANSVILLE – As one of this year's Citizen Lawyer Award winners, Kenansville attorney Charles Ingram has demonstrated not only strong civic com- mitment to his community and state, but lifelong and dedicated service to his country. In fact, just as he knew from a young age that he wanted to be a lawyer, he was sure as a child that he wanted to be in the Navy. His pursuits in both fields, as well as his active role in civic matters across the state, have contributed together to a long and distin- guished career. As an undergraduate at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, he joined the Navy ROTC, launching a career of service in the US Naval Reserve that would span more than 30 years. Starting as an officer for the U.S. Naval Reserve, he rose through the ranks through skill and dedication, at one point helping to drive a WWII-era destroyer in a trip overseas and eventually attaining a rank of cap- tain. He also served the Navy as a reservist in a variety of legal capacities, including as Director of Legal and Legislative Matters in the office of Chief of Naval Op- erations, and as Deputy Legal Counsel for the Bureau of Naval Personnel, both in Washington, DC. Ingram reflects on his naval career with pride. "ere's a special bond being in the Navy," Ingram says. "Serving your country with others, it's a special thing." Another source of pride is the recognition Ingram has received for his naval service. He earned the Meri- torious Service Medal in 1988, and two years later was awarded the Navy and Marine Corps Commendation Medal. In 2000, the year he retired from the Navy, he was honored for his service with the Legion of Merit – the country's second-highest peacetime medal – signed by then-President Clinton. Ingram's sense of civic duty is apparent in more than just his military service. For 30 years, he also was active as a Freemason, supporting the principles of the historic fraternity. He held numerous leadership posi- tions in the organization, serving as Master of his Ke- nansville Lodge in 1984 and Grand Master of North Carolina's Grand Lodge in 1999. "From a young age, I was exposed to the principles of the Masons," says Ingram, whose father was also a Freemason. "I'm proud of their role in the founding of our country, and of what they stand for today." Another avenue for Ingram's service and scholar- ship stems from his passion for North Carolina his- tory. According to real estate developer Patrick Bell, a childhood friend of Ingram, "Charles is a pillar of the Duplin County community, and has served in count- less ways to preserve its history." Ingram served four terms as president of the Duplin County Histori- cal Society. In 2007, he researched and wrote a book containing biogra- phies and photographs of the 19 men from Duplin County who died in the Vietnam War. He is now researching a similar book honoring the approxi- mately 100 men from Duplin County who died in World War II. roughout a storied career of civic service, In- gram has maintained his legal career. He graduated from the Cumberland School of Law at Samford University, where he was a charter member and the managing editor of the American Journal of Trial Advocacy. He practices law in Ke- nansville with Carolyn Burnette Ingram, his wife of 35 years, who is also a Citizen Lawyer awardee (2008). "e lawyer is a leader in the community," says In- gram. "It's important to serve others and share your blessings. We have to pay it forward." e Citizen Lawyer Committee of the NCBA Young Lawyers Division, in conjunction with the NCBA Citizen Lawyer Committee, provides ex- panded coverage of the 2013 Citizen Lawyer Award recipients in recognition of their volunteer service and leadership in their communities and beyond. Dennis Boothe is an attorney at Blanco Tackabery & Matamoros, P. A. in Winston-Salem. Charles Ingram: Citizen Lawyer By Dennis Boothe Bench for Ledford CAROLINA BEACH — What better honor than to contribute to a man's life's work? Look carefully among the pier benches at Carolina Beach State Park and you will find one with a plaque thanking Past Grand Master Lewis Ledford for his service to the Craft. It was placed there in his honor by St. John's 1. — James Watson

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