The North Carolina Mason

January/February 2009 The North Carolina Mason Page 3 TraveLing The Tar heeL STaTe newS from norTh CaroLina'S LodgeS By Ric Carter see STATE, page 5 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 and informed. Hillsborough By late October, through its annual barbe- cue and charitable collections, Eagle 19 had sent nearly $5,000 to the Masonic Home for Children and more than $1,200 to WhiteStone (MESH). Work proceeds on the historic building that is their home. They created the His- toric Eagle Lodge Foundation as a 501(c) (3) charity to restore and maintain the nearly 200-year-old building. ey have finished repairing the down- stairs meeting room and started on the foyer and stairway area. e mortar on the outside has been repaired and rebuilding the top of the chimney is in process. ey are currently get- ting estimates on grading to improve the drain- age around the foundation. Tax-deductible donations for the build- ing may be sent to Historic Eagle Lodge Foundation Inc., P. O. Box 373, Hillsbor- ough, NC 27278. — Eagle Lodge Fayetteville Clifford Duell 756 had 46 on hand for their Veterans', Past Masters', and Ladies' Night No- vember 15. eir supper included a carving sta- tion with both turkey and roast beef. Rob Rowe was their speaker for the evening. e Marvin Asbill Cornerstone Award for outstanding Ma- sons in 2008 went to James Baker, Al Tanzilo, and Vaughn Steele. Emily Ann Merrick, a local teen they sponsored to the National Sojourn- ers' Freedom Foundation at Valley Forge, was a special guest. e table lodge they had in October went well and was a learning experience for every- one. Table lodges are enjoyed in many jurisdic- tions. For this one, they went alcohol free with its several toasts. Duell Lodge looked back in pride at their year. At 87, their membership was the largest ever for the lodge. ey had a Masonic educa- tion program and refreshment from a different Mason every month. ey had two social gath- erings and stayed connected with a lodge news- letter, Blue Sheet. ey raised nearly $3,000 for Masonic charity and participated in the Ma- sonic Service Association VA Hospital Visita- tion Program. —Blue Sheet Spruce Pine Vesper 554 hosted their annual joint meeting with Bakersville 357 on October 16. e barbe- cue supper was enjoyed by visitors from Black Mountain, Florida, and South Carolina. Vesper Lodge donated to Imagination Li- brary in Mitchell and Yancy counties. ey sponsor two children who will receive a book each month from birth until their fifth birthday to encourage and reward reading and learning. At their November 6 meeting, Vesper Lodge was holding an open portion of the meeting to present service awards. Veteran's Emblems for 50 years membership were to go to Donald Duncan, Everett Lawrence Jr., Carl Putnam, and Kay Maters. — e Beacon Paw Creek Back in 1983, West Gate 738 wanted to try something different for a fundraiser. They de- cided on a chicken f ry, bought 500 pounds of chicken, set to cooking, and sold every piece. They haven't looked back. In the 25 years of f rying chicken, they've made more than $100,000 for charity. At their most recent fry, they cooked 2,400 pounds and expect to clear more than $5,000. Eddie Ellis Jr. and his motorcycle shop sponsor a toy run each year for the Masonic Home for Children. Members of West Gate Lodge were urged to bring toys or clothing to the lodge for the ride. For those who don't enjoy shopping, a $20 Wal-Mart gift card was suggested. While the weather hurt this year's turnout, there were still lots of toys to be deliv- ered to the Home December 21. West Gate recently presented a 50-year award to John Luptak on behalf of his lodge in Pennsylvania. — News f rom the West Pilot Mountain Pilot 493 was getting a free flagpole thanks to a George Toler find. ey were running up to Virginia to pick it up. When they got it home, sanding, cleaning, and painting was planned. Pilot Lodge and their Eastern Star were help- ing sponsor a blood drive at the local Methodist Church on November 24. e Fall Barbecue there raised nearly $1,000 for charity. — e Pilot Mountain Traveler Smithfield Fellowship 84 scheduled its Past Masters' and Ladies' Evening for November 6. ey were traveling down to the Cafe in Meadow to enjoy their widely known buffet of country cooking. — Harvey Evans Franklin Junaluskee 145 had a covered dish dinner Oc- tober 21. At the supper, they honored the wives of the lodge and especially the widows. Mike Norris was speaker and extolled the "importance of these women to Freemasonry." Junaluskee Lodge has a couple of projects reaching out to the community. ey are collect- ing non-perishable food items for the Manna Food Bank. ey were also selling 2009 pocket calendars for five dollars each. Proceeds were for buying school items they will be handing out to kids at the Macon County Fair. Their Past Masters Degree was set for Januar y 13. — Trestleboard Newton Catawba 248 was having their Awards Night November 25. They are also hunting a newsletter editor. — Trestle Board Cherryville ey move a lot of food at Cherryville 505 in the fall. On October 17, they had their Annual Chicken Barbecue Sale. ey cook and sell Boston butt roasts in No- vember. ey have them ready to go on the day before anksgiving — just in time to take some of the load off the cooks at home. e roasts were $25 each. — News Out of the Blue Boone ere are children who spend the holidays in protective custody. Not being allowed any con- tact with family members or friends is a terrible experience. Snow 363 was able to help make it an easier time for some kids in their area. rough the program in which they participat- ed, eight children were able to have some relief by getting a dozen or so gifts for Christmas. — Boone Lodge Hickory November 20 was Awards Night at Hickory 343. Seventy-five people attended. Junior War- den Dan Rolon and Kim Rolon were named the lodge's Mason of the Year and Wife of the Year. Veteran's Emblems for 50 years Masonic mem- bership, were presented to William Paul Donkel, Charles Davidson Lucas Jr., and Jack Kuehner Suther. e Philadelphia Lutheran Church Bell Choir entertained. Following the "great success" of last year's Brookford Community Toy Drive, Hickory Lodge helped out again this past Christmas. The drive brings kids in one of the area's rough neighborhoods a more pleasant holiday. Local law enforcement runs the program. Hickory Lodge collected toys and cash to make it even better. It must have looked like an amusement park at Hickory's Masonic Center August 9. at was when they held the lodge's Annual Family Day. More than 200 enjoyed the attractions. ere was a water slide, a bouncy castle, a dunk tank, and other treat activities aimed at pleasing the kids. Projects for them included tee-shirt painting and making photo frames for their families. Becky the Balloon Lady was there. e menu featured hamburgers, hot dogs, corn on the cob, and an even dozen flavors of home-made ice cream. — Hickory Lodge Salisbury The 28 th Masonic District was holding its blood drive at the Salisbury Civic Center January 2. Fulton 99 Master Gary Yost is making three requests of each member this year: come to lodge at least once, help in some way with their Oc- tober barbecue, and promote Masonry to "one good man." He is asking two more things of past mas- ters: bring all the men raised on his watch to Past Masters' Night and assist in their Past Masters' Degree. — Master's Journal Bessemer City Whetstone 515 celebrated Bessemer City's Down Home Day. ey sold barbecue plates and 160 Boston butt pork roasts that "were the talk of the town." ey raised more than $3,000. Volunteers took care of repairs at the lodge. Mike Wray repaired the lodge's lighted sign. Fred Cloninger, from Gaston 263, fixed the walls inside the lodge. ey were presenting service awards at their December 16 officer installation. — e Whetstone Bakersville As one of his first acts in office, Grand Mas- ter Dan Rice installed the officers of Bakersville 357. Fifty years ago, it was Bakersville Lodge that sponsored Rice and his siblings at the Ma- sonic Home for Children in Oxford. A recent barbecue lunch here raised money for Bakersville Lodge Master Roger Hoilman's battle with ALS. Anyone wishing to help may contact the Roan Mountain OES, P. O. Box 531, Bakersville, NC 28705. — e Beacon Warsaw The Annual Pancake Breakfast at Warsaw 677 is held to raise money for local charity. The most recent was held November 8 and brought in more than $1,100. They've already started disbursing the money. They gave $200 to a sick Eastern Star member, $200 to the Eastern Baptist Association for their Christ- mas charity, and $200 to Duplin County Social Services for Christmas charity. From other funds, they sent more than $400 to each of our Masonic Homes. Warsaw Lodge's Ladies' and Awards Night was set for December 2. — Warsaw Lodge Canton Sonoma 472 held a Veterans Appreciation Dinner October 2. Forty-two vets were among the 68 attendees. Ronald Putnam, a veteran with multiple decorations, was the featured speaker for the evening. Several residents from the Vet- erans Administration facility in Asheville joined the lodge for dinner. Each was presented a cer- tificate of appreciation. A special certificate was presented to Jenny Carver saluting her father Donald McCracken's service to the country and the friendship he demonstrated for years to many of the lodge's members. — Valley of the Moon CASAR — Casar 579 celebrated their 100 th birthday November 1. Eighty guests and mem- bers attended the barbecue supper and meeting. ere were several speakers and gift presenta- tions during the evening. en-Grand Master David Cash gave them a short history of our Grand Lodge and shared his story of the big mouth frog. Dean Clatter- buck and Pierre Goze from Potomac 5 in Wash- ington, DC told the lodge the story of the gavel used by George Washington to set the corner- stone of the US Capitol in a Masonic ceremony. ey gave the lodge a replica of the gavel. Kenneth Beam gave the history of Casar Lodge over the past 100 years. Paul Fannie pre- sented the lodge with a Masonic Door knocker as a birthday present to the lodge. — Eric Newton Grand Master Cash and Casar Lodge's officers and members show off their new Washington gavel. Paul Fannie presented Master Eric Newton new door knockers. Casar turns 100 Mount Gilead Blackmer 127 was planning their Ladies' Night for November 21 at the Methodist Church fellowship hall. — Blackmer Buzz Charlotte Temple 676 has started having their stated meeting meals catered. ey report it being "an outstanding success," but it does require the members to give Junior Warden Kevin Sayed notice that they will be attending. — Temple Tales Excelsior Master Phillip Brown is posting his lodge meal menu in the lodge newsletter. "If you don't like what we are having, you will be able to plan ahead. No one should go home hungry." Kirk Wessner is heading up Excelsior Lodge's mentoring program. ey were calling for vol- unteers to serve as guides for new Masons. — Trestle Board East Gate 692 raffled a black powder rifle in December. It was a replica Model 1858 Rem- ington .58 cal Zouave. — Trestleboard Charles M. Setzer 693 held their annual awards program in the late fall. Allan Man, their newest Master Mason, was named Mason of the Year. J. B. Kiser was presented the Unity Trowel Award. Robert Nanny was given his Veteran's Emblem for 50 years Masonic membership. For the program, Scott Bester, their chaplain and an avid Revolutionary War reenactor, pre- sented a history of the Masonic apron. e eve- ning's barbecue dinner was prepared by one of their newest candidates, Kenneth Barnette. — Trestleboard Steele Creek held its 39 th Annual Barbe- cue fundraiser November 13. It was the first in their new building. Profits f rom the event exceeded $8,000. Soon after the barbecue, lodge members shared breakfast at a local cafe before going to Ed Elam's house to clean up the cookers. At Steele Creek Lodge's Awards Night, Clif- ford Austin was presented his Veteran's Emblem for 50 years as a Mason. — Trestleboard Statesville Statesville 27 has been keeping things busy at the lodge building recently. eir Fall Pancake Jamboree was termed a "huge success." Statesville Lodge was holding Family Night November 1. Chicken pie and mashed potatoes headlined the menu. ey also planned a January 27 open house. ey were having a meal and program to in- troduce prospective members to Freemasonry. Members submitted the names of men who were sent invitations to the event. Dress was casual. — e Joppa Informer Raleigh Masters 754 used their November stated meeting to practice and try out new offices. Ev- eryone moves up one station. — e Trowel Millbrook 97 held their Fall Barbecue Fund- raiser October 10. ey sold more than 1,000 plates, earning more than $4,000 dollars for Masonic charity. On December 10, Millbrook Lodge was holding their Ladies' Night at the Wake County Shrine Club. — Millbrook Messenger Conover Conover 709 was helping with the Annual Community Blood Drive at the Fire Depart- ment January 2. On December 11, the lodge presented Edwin R. Chapman his Diamond Jubilee Award for 60 years membership. Cecil D. Johnston got his Veteran's Emblem for 50 years service. Conover Lodge elected Jack Divine an hon- orary member October 23. — Conover Lodge Rose Hill Rehobeth 279's September fundraiser brought in more than $3,400 for the Ma- sonic Home for Children in O xford. Rehobeth's Past Masters' and Ladies' Night was set for December 8. DeWitt Merritt was to get his Diamond Jubilee Award for 60 years membership. William Tucker was getting his 50-year Veterans' Emblem. — Bulletin of Rehobeth Lodge

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