The North Carolina Mason

The BoTTom Line By Dalton W. Mayo Grand Master A changing of the guard Brethren, it is now October and my year as your grand master is winding down. On December 6, Brother Douglas Caudle will be installed, and I will join the ranks of past grand masters. ere has been a rumor cir- culating concerning whether these distinguished brethren will accept me into their exclusive club. Let it be known to all that on the evening of December 5, while still in office, though barely, I will issue my final edict declaring myself a past grand master upon the installation of my successor in office. So, there's another rumor put to rest. Seriously, I will have to say that, from my perspective at least, it has been a wonderful year. I was advised to enjoy myself, and that is exactly what I have done. e many kindnesses you have shown me are appreciated more than you know. We have a wonderful group of Masons in North Carolina, and I'm happy that I've gotten to know many more of you as I've traveled from one end of our state to the other. e many memories I will carry with me for the rest of my life are absolutely priceless, and I thank you for all of them. is is my last article for e North Carolina Mason. I believe it would be time well spent to go back and contemplate on some of the issues I raised in the very first article from last year and also in our twenty-six district meetings. Everyone needs to find their place in the lodge. Have you found your place? Are your new members finding their place, or are they wandering in the wilderness? If they need help finding their way, are you willing to assist? Nothing gets accomplished until someone takes responsi- bility. Have you taken responsibility for something and seen it through to completion? Is your lodge in better condition than it was last year because members like you have stepped forward when they saw things that needed to be done and volunteered their services? We have promised to be charitable. We never said how much, but nevertheless we promised to help those in need. Can you say without reservation that you have done that? Is your lodge having fundraisers to provide support for our three principle charities? We need more certified lecturers/instructors. Have you gone beyond the thinking stage and actually taken the certification ex- amination? If this is something you have been thinking about do- ing, begin planning now for next year. We need more brothers who can offer the Masonic funeral rites. Ideally, every lodge should have a person who can perform this ser- vice for our deceased brethren. If you have been thinking about learning the burial service, there's no need to put it off any longer. ere's something else that I'd like to share with you. Looking back to January 2011, while junior grand warden, I visited Wal- lace 595 (now Wallace 279) for the purpose of celebrating their 100 th anniversary. On that occasion, Past Master Jeff Murray pre- sented a history of Wallace Lodge which was entitled "Pillars of the Lodge." e point that he made is that a lodge is not a build- ing but rather, it is the members who have made the lodge what it is. It is those who have supported the lodge through good times and bad and never wavered in their loyalty and steadfast devo- tion to Masonry. Your lodge most likely has such brothers in your midst, and if you do, you are blessed indeed. ey are not seeking any reward for their labors, but nevertheless they have truly made all the difference. I have met such brothers while traveling the highways and byways this year. I offer a tip of my Homburg to all of you who have made your lodge what it is and who continue to support it in every way you can. You are truly pillars, and your support of your lodge is just as important as the pillars which hold up the building, arguably more so. Brethren, I have enjoyed our bimonthly "fireside chats." ey have given me an opportunity to share with you a glimpse of what was on my mind at the time. I appreciate the feedback you have given me, and I'm happy if you found something in them that was meaningful for you. My last name being "Mayo," some think that I have Irish heri- tage. ere is a County Mayo in Ireland, but the last I heard there were no Mayos living there. For the time being, I will consider myself an honorary Irishman and leave you with an Irish bless- ing. I can't think of a better way to express my wishes for you as I prepare to turn over the reins to my very capable successor. May love and laughter light your days, and warm your heart and home. May good and faithful friends be yours, wherever you may roam. May peace and plenty bless your world with joy that long endures. May all life's passing seasons bring the best to you and yours! So mote it be! see ANNUAL, page 4 The Mason NORTH CAROLINA Official Publication of e Grand Lodge of Ancient, Free and Accepted Masons of North Carolina Volume 139 Number 5 Oxford, North Carolina September/October 2014 Ric Car ter photos see PICNIC, page 5 MOCKSVILLE — e Mocksville Masonic Picnic is the oldest continuing celebration of Masons in North Carolina, dat- ing to the 1870s. Picnic gatherings on the Shoals in what is now Cooleemee had been going on some time when local Masons decided to pass the hat among the picnickers to support their recently created Orphans Asylum in Oxford, NC. Enthusiasm among area Masons grew. ey brought in speak- ers and entertainment. ey added committees at the lodges to plan the gathering at the Shoals. e Masons decided to move the picnic to Mocksville in 1883. ey held it in a wooded area owned by the heirs of Davie County founder John Clement. Since that time, Clement Grove has been the location for the Picnic. It was also about this time that the second ursday in August became the customary date of the gathering. In 1897, Masons bought the five acres which continue to host the festivities. In 1899, Masons built an arbor on the grounds, with amphitheater seating and a stage for speakers and the chorus from the Orphanage. In the late 1800s and early 1900s, crowds regularly reached 10,000. In 1879, Zeb Vance was a featured speaker in a day when public oration was considered a sophisticated form of enter- tainment. Excursion trains from Winston and Salem regularly brought crowds to enjoy the day. ose trains often bore cornet Mocksville Picnic, NC Masonry's oldest celebration By Ric Carter bands to help woo the crowd. rough the first third of the 20 th Century, the Mocks- ville Picnic grew. It became a defacto Davie County homecoming. At one point, the festivities stretched over an entire week and featured a carnival on the grounds which was much looked forward to by the community. ings today have settled into a decidedly quieter affair. e Arbor came down not many months ago as it had fallen into disrepair. But, local Masons con- tinue to carry the torch. Nowadays, activities are pretty much confined to a couple of picnics and some short speeches. Davie County lodges hold their traditional picnic on urs- day. On Saturday, the Prince Hall Masons hold their event with its attractions. WINSTON-SALEM — e Grand Lodge of Ancient, Free and Accepted Masons of North Carolina held their 227 th Annual Commu- nication here at the Embassy Suites September 26–27. Grand Master Dalton W. Mayo's relaxed, down-home demeanor at the podium en- couraged a comfortable atmosphere for the communication attended by 1,140 registered voting delegates. Deputy Grand Master Douglas L. Caudle, of Statesville 27, was elected to become our next grand master. He appointed to the Grand Lodge line Larry Bogan ompson Jr., a member of Blackmer 127, as steward for the coming year. Some Grand Lodge officials arrived at the headquarters hotels on Wednesday, September 24 to be present and ready for the board and com- mittee meetings which began early ursday morning when even more officials were on hand. e Committee on Finance and Board of General Purposes had their final meetings prior to bringing business before the membership. e Board of General Purposes voted on various nominations and appointments of Deputy Grand Master Caudle pending his election as grand master for 2015. It was BGP's next to last meeting with Grand Master Mayo, the last being just before Grand Lodge officer installation December 6. Jurisprudence had their last conference before bring- ing amendments to the delegates. e Committee on Appeals met to review all trials and actions by the judge advocate in the last year and held hearings for several men asking to return to the fraternity after losing their membership. e Board of Custodians, Board of Pub- lication, and other committees met before the general session. ere were two training sessions for lodge sec- retaries on ursday teaching them more about MORI, our computer database for tracking membership infor- mation and lodge finances. e sessions were conducted Grand Lodge concludes its regular business By Ric Carter by Ken Crandall, the main host on MORI's help line. ursday night, Grand Master Mayo hosted a banquet for his spe- cial guests and out-of-state visitors to the Annual Communication. e formal opening began at 10:00 a.m. on Friday morning. e opening procession was led by the United States and North Carolina flags and the banner of the Grand Lodge delivered by members of the National Sojourners Spirit of '76ers. The officers of the Grand Lodge entered and opened the An- nual Communication in a ceremony very much like the one we use in every blue lodge meeting. Ric Car ter photos

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