North Carolina Mason
Issue link: http://www.epageflip.net/i/295836
March/April 2014 The North Carolina Mason Page 5
eNCompassiNg the world
WEBB, from page 8
OLDS, from page 1
By Ric Carter
According the NC Museum of History, "Fred Olds was the fa-
ther of this museum. As a journalist in the 1880s and 1890s, he
wrote newspaper stories about North Carolina's history. Olds asked
readers to bring him their artifacts from the state's past. He amassed
nearly three hundred objects, the basis for the
Hall of History, which opened in 1902. For
the next thirty-two years, Olds ran the mu-
seum. He visited every county in the state at
least three times and collected almost 30,000
artifacts. Some of Olds' prized items (such
as the alleged Blackbeard bottle) are prob-
ably not authentic. Others (such as the 'box
of rocks') seem downright strange today. But,
Fred Olds collected many genuine historical
treasures and interested hundreds of people in
the state's history. His legacy lives on in the
modern North Carolina Museum of History."
He suffered some disrespect at the hands of those who did not
regard him a rigorous historian. Detractors fretted over his delight
"to weave around each object displayed a romantic halo" whether
or not it matched the documented history.
Yet, it was likely that very delight that saved thousands of our
state's irreplaceable historic artifacts.
Again from the biography offered by the school named for
him, "Fred Olds loved people, especially children. He was a mas-
ter storyteller and could infect a crowd of children with his excite-
ment and awe about history and the bits and pieces from long ago
that survived to his lifetime."
His contributions continued for years after the Hall of His-
tory opened. From the Dictionary of North Carolina Biography:
"Frequently he was asked to contribute historical articles to the
News and Observer and the Progressive Farmer. For many years he
also wrote for the Orphan's Friend and Masonic Journal [forerun-
ner of e North Carolina Mason], Uplift, Prison News, Carolina
Motor News, Manufacturers Record, and other journals as well as
for the state's newspapers. He compiled an Abstract of North Caro-
lina Wills and published a popular booklet, Story of the Counties of
North Carolina. To spread the word of North Carolina's history, he
also lectured at State College summer sessions, at normal school
institutes, and in the public schools. One listener commented: 'He
knew how to brush his enthusiasm off on others.'"
Perhaps his acquisition best known to Masons is the Micaja
Bullock flag flown at the Battle Guilford Courthouse during
the Revolution. Our Grand Lodge presented the flag to the
INDIANAPOLIS, INDIANA — Hey, racing fans! Paul Page
is back as the radio voice of the Indianapolis 500 and the IndyCar
Series. It was Page's job from 1977–1987 when he went over to
television broadcasting. He was lead announcer for drag racing on
television from 2006–2012.
Paul Page is a member of Calvin W. Prather 717 and Millers-
ville 126 in Indianapolis. — Indiana Freemason
HASTING, NEBRASKA — A Mason here
passed away and left a portion of his estate to be
divided among eight organizations including his
lodge, his York Rite, and the Shrine Children's Hos-
pitals. As the estate was being handled, the Imperial
Shrine took exception to the lodge and Rite being
included in the disbursement. ey contended that
since the will had referred to charities, that only a
501(c)(3) should be included. Lodges are frater-
HELENA, MONTANA — An article in the Montana Free-
mason last year detailed a train of events in Montana that shook
their fraternity. e sitting grand master there took it upon him-
self to fire the elected grand secretary. He did so against the advice
of the chairman of their Jurisprudence Committee who warned
that he "did not have the authority to remove an elected officer"
and that such action would be "a clear violation of the code." He
persisted and fired the grand secretary.
Masters of several lodges stepped forward in protest. Removal
of a grand master there requires five sitting lodge masters bring
LINCOLN, NEBRASKA — e Grand Lodge Of Nebras-
ka moved to a new home last year. eir old offices were getting
too small for them, and their neighborhood was in decline. eir
new facility is sufficient to add a training room, offices, museum,
and library. — e Nebraska Mason
VINCENNES, INDIANA — e Grand Lodge of Indi-
ana helped celebrate Red Skelton's 100
th
birthday here on June
6 starting a week-long party that culminated in the Parade of
1,000 Clowns. ey set a red granite cornerstone for what will
become the Red Skelton Museum.
e new museum will be a $500,000 addition to the Red
Skelton Performing Arts Center on the campus of Vincennes
University. — Fraternal Review
FARGO, NORTH DAKOTA — e Grand Lodge of North
Dakota is urging its lodges to "review their history and prepare a
historical brochure." ey see them as a "valuable tool for friendship
nights and as general information." ey are even offering a $100 prize
to the lodge with the best new brochure. — e North Dakota Mason
Shrine takes Nebraska lodge to court
nal organizations and designated 501(c)(10). e
Shrine asked the courts to remove those two bodies
from the inheritance and give the Hospitals a larg-
er portion of the estate. e lodge and Rite spent
$12,000 on lawyers to defend their position.
e lodge also complained to the Grand Lodge
of Nebraska. After pressure from the grand lodge,
the Shrine eventually ordered their appeal dropped
and later still agreed to pay the legal fees of the two
aggrieved Masonic groups. e Shrine gave verbal
assurance that they would end such suits.
e Grand Lodge of Nebraska reports that
they have three previous similar experiences. "In
1980, Imperial Shrine used the same argument
to sue the Grand Lodge of Nebraska over an in-
heritance claiming the Grand Lodge was not eli-
gible to receive the inheritance. e Shrine lost
in court." — e Nebraska Mason
Ruckus in Montana
charges against him. at triggers the formation of a tribunal of
five past grand masters who hear the case and render judgement.
e Jurisprudence Committee approached the grand master
urging him to rescind his action and offer an apology so as to
avoid the necessity of the tribunal. He persisted.
The masters brought five charges related to the affair. The
past grand masters heard the evidence and found him guilty
unanimously of all five counts. The grand master was removed
from office, and the grand secretary restored.
— Montana Freemason
Skelton Museum
cornerstone set
Nebraska GL gets new home
Paul Page returning
to racing broadcasts
Lodges prepare histories
Since 1844, at least 50 colleges and universities have been start-
ed by American Masonic lodges and grand lodges. Mostly in the
Southeast and mostly now closed, these undertakings often served
as a foundation for educational institutions. As an example, Somer-
set Lodge 111 in Somerset, Kentucky was recently presented with
a long lost minute book (1873–1889) showing the lodge resolution
transferring title of the Masonic College building, its contents, and
grounds to the newly formed Somerset Schools Board of Trustees.
at the folks of Somerset, Kentucky have public schools is the direct
result of the efforts of Somerset Lodge 111 to undertake the building
of a school at the end of the Civil War in 1865.
— Cloyd J. Bumgardner in Scottish Rite Journal via Fraternal Review.
Masons support schools
Junaluskee costume degree
FRANKLIN — In December, Junaluskee 145 did a costumed
Master Mason Degree on Jim McInnes. They enjoyed the help of
Masons from all over the 40
th
and 41
st
Masonic Districts. McInnes,
being a chef, volunteered to prepare the meal (feast) for approxi-
mately 50 attendees. After the meal, it was unanimously voted
that he should cook all the meals for 2014. — Jim Dautel
Three generation installation
STONY POINT — Three generations of the Cranford fam-
ily took part in the recent officer installation at Stony Point 593.
From left are Todd Cranford, tyler; Christopher Cranford, stew-
ard; Phillip Cranford, master; Allen Cranford; senior warden; and
Ronnie Cranford, installing officer. — Barbara Starnes
Three Temple generations
CHARLOTTE — On January 23, Temple 676 raised Joseph
White and John White. The honors were handled by their father
Jerry White with their grandfather, Roscoe White, looking on.
The Whites are Temple Lodge's first three-generation family. It
was also their first raising at 676's new home at the Excelsior
Lodge 261 building. — Eric Cable
Historical Commission in 1914. It is portrayed on the Allyn
Cox murals displayed at the Grand Lodge offices. It is pos-
sible that Olds' enthusiasm, drive, and Masonic status helped
gain the flag for the Museum. Olds was a member of William
G. Hill 218. He was raised April 25, 1910.
He is listed on his Masonic record card as
"Custodian of N. C. Museum."
His legacy is perhaps best stated in
a biographical note by Mark Anderson
Moore from the North Carolina Office of
Archives and History.
"Unofficially, the dapper colonel assumed
the mantle of 'State Host' in Raleigh. Exud-
ing warmth and charm, he gained a reputa-
tion for delighting thousands of tourists and
schoolchildren in the Capital City."
"Despite the lingering denigration of the
man lauded in the News and Observer as North Carolina's 'most
useful, most popular, and most loved citizen,' it must be acknowl-
edged that no cadre of museum professionals existed in the late
nineteenth and early twentieth centuries to build and expand the
Hall of History. Overshadowing his role as 'State Host,' Fred
Olds' enduring legacy dwells within the exhibits and sprawling
storage facilities of the modern museum — a respected institution
in which his core collection presently resides among enormously
expanded holdings that now include more than 250,000 artifacts."
In 1934, and in declining health, Olds retired from his position
as Hall of History "collector" and died the following year.
James Webb got a degree in education from the University of
North Carolina-Chapel Hill. While a student, he took his Ma-
sonic degrees in University 408, later transferring his member-
ship home to Oxford 396 (later Oxford 122). He got his three
degrees on consecutive Mondays in December 1927. He was
the NASA director during the years of the race to the Moon.
You may read more about Webb and the space telescope which
carries his name in the May/June 2009 NC Mason