The North Carolina Mason

January/February 2015

North Carolina Mason

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T h e m i s s i o n o f f r e e m a s o n r y i n n o r T h C a r o l i n a i s T o r a i s e T h e m o r a l, s o C i a l, i n T e l l e C T u a l, a n d s p i r i T u a l C o n s C i e n C e o f s o C i e T y b y T e a C h i n g T h e a n C i e n T a n d e n d u r i n g p h i l o s o p h i C a l TeneTs of broTherly love, relief, and TruTh, whiCh are expressed ouTwardly Through serviCe To god, family, CounTry, and self under The faTherhood of god wiThin The broTherhood of man. The Mason NORTH CAROLINA (USPS 598-260) is published bimonthly by e Grand Lodge of AF & AM of North Carolina, 2921 Glenwood Avenue, Raleigh, NC 27608. ird class postage paid at Oxford, NC 27565. POSTMASTER: Send address changes to e North Carolina Mason, School Of Graphic Arts, Masonic Home for Children, Oxford, NC 27565. Grand Master Douglas L. Caudle Board Of Publication John A. Pea (Chair) R. Kevin Combs C. omas Nelson Jr. John A. Sullivan John R. Beamon III Editor Ric Carter Good quality pictures, whether color or black and white, are essential for suitable reproduction. e right to reject any submission not suitable for use is reserved. Pictures will be returned to the sender only if accompanied by a self-addressed, stamped envelope. Submissions and other correspondence should be sent to the editor at PO Box 6506, Raleigh, NC 27628 or . Each North Carolina Mason is a subscriber to e North Carolina Mason. If you know a member who is not receiving the paper, please send us his full name, his complete address and the name and number of his lodge. Masonic widows receive e Mason free upon request. Subscriptions are available to others at a rate of five dollars per year. Subscription inquiries and address changes only should be sent to: e School of Graphic Arts, Masonic Home for Children, 600 College Street, Oxford, North Carolina 27565. Reproduction of articles by Masonic organiza- tions is permitted with proper credits. Opinions expressed are not necessar- ily those of The North Carolina Mason, the Grand Lodge, or Board of Publication. Page 2 The North Carolina Mason January/February 2015 NC Mason Deadlines Issue Deadline Approximate Publication Date January/February .......................... January 1 .................................... February 1 March/April ............................... March 1 ......................................... April 1 May/June .................................... May 1 ............................................June 1 July/August ...................................July 1 .......................................... August 1 September/October ....................September 1 ................................. October 1 November/December ..................November 1 ................................December 1 CRISSIE WRIGHT, from page 8 Grand Master Douglas L. Caudle plans to visit more than half our districts this year. His meetings started in late January and will finish at the end of May. His meetings will be similar to the area meetings of the past few years. Pre-meeting meals are scheduled for 6:15 p.m. with the tyled meeting starting at 7:00 p.m. District officers and the grand master will be received with usual honors. You may make your lodge's reservation for the meeting with your district deputy grand master or host lodge secretary. Please be considerate of the host lodge. Make your reservations for din- ner at least seven days before your scheduled meeting. It is very frustrating to try to plan for February 23 ...38 ......Horse Creek 719 ........................................ 60 Courthouse St., Columbus February 24 ...35 ....... State Line 375 ................................................. 115 Mulberry St., Grover February 25 ...24 ........ Asheboro 699 ................................................325 Sunset Ave., Asheboro March 10 .......21 ..... Roman Eagle 550 .......................................... 11611 US 15-501, Aberdeen March 11 .......10 ....... Goldsboro 634 .............. Shrine Club, 3716 US Highway 117 S., Dudley March 12 .......15 ........... Hiram 40 .....................................................1520 Caswell St., Raleigh March 17 .......12 ....... Pythagoras 249 ...............................................201 E. Nash St., Southport March 18 .......11 ......... St. John's 13 ................................................. 113 Lodge St., Kenansville March 19 .......17 .......... Bladen 646 ....................................... 106 S. Cypress St., Elizabethtown March 30 .......31 ....... West Gate 738 ..................................... 5924 Brookshire Blvd., Charlotte March 31 .......23 ....... Stokesdale 428 ......................................... 8420 Ellisboro Rd., Stokesdale April 1 ...........29 ......... Monroe 244 ...............................................520 E. Franklin St., Monroe April 13 .........41 ............ Clay 301 ................................................104 Sanderson St., Hayesville April 14 .........40 .........Glenville 551 ...................................................4625 Hwy 107, Glenville April 15 .........39 ......Mt. Hermon 118 ................................................... 80 Broadway, Asheville April 16 .........34 ........ Lovelady 670 ................................................... 721 E. Main St., Valdese April 27 ..........7 ............St. John's 3 ................................................ 516 Hancock St., New Bern April 28 ..........5 ......... Skewarkee 90 ...................................610 N. Smithwick St., Williamston April 29 ..........3 ........ Providence 678 ..................................... 33 Old Columbia Rd., Columbia April 30 ..........1 ........... Eureka 317 ................................... 218 S. Hughes Blvd., Elizabeth City May 12 ...........9 .......Morning Star 85................................................. 220 Barnes St., Nashville May 13 ..........19 ............ Eagle 19 .............................................. 142 W. King St., Hillsborough May 14 ..........13 .....John H. Mills 624 ..............................................8057 Hwy 39, Henderson May 18 ..........33 ........... Snow 363 .........................................................240 Temple Dr., Boone May 19 ..........37 ..........Linville 489 ................................................... 200 Pineola St., Newland May 20 ..........25 .......... Renfro 691 ................................................... 212 Franklin St., Mt. Airy May 27 ..........30 .........Statesville 27 ............................................... 302 E. Front St., Statesville a meal when reservations have not been made. Your lodge will be responsible to pay for all meals reserved. ose who have not made reser- vations should not expect to eat. In case of inclement weather, meetings will be cancelled in accordance with local schools cancel- lations. If a meeting is cancelled, the host lodge and district deputy grand master will be notified. Your lodge may cancel its stated communication to at- tend your district meeting. Information will also be posted on the Grand Lodge web site: . is schedule was the schedule as of January 25, 2015. Changes may be necessary. Please consult your lodge for updates. GM's district meetings squall turned into a violent storm. "Captain Clark decided not to risk the Dia- mond Shoals in the threatening weather and ordered the ship to head for a safe harbor in Beaufort. But, when gale-like winds caused the main mast brace to part, Clark was compelled to beach the vessel on January 8, about six miles west of Cape Lookout Light and three miles east of Beaufort Bar. "e Crissie Wright – helpless on the west end of Shackleford Banks, where it lay broadside — was breached by every incoming icy wave. Howling winds and snow and sleet covered the rigging and deck with ice. "e crew of the Crissie Wright was without food or heat for three days and was unable to reach the mainland. ey wrapped themselves in the main sail in an attempt to ward off the freezing gales. "e residents of nearby Diamond City, whalers and fishermen, gathered on the beach and built large fires to signal crew members they knew of their plight. In an attempt to rescue the crew, residents carried and dragged their boats over the dunes and tried repeatedly to launch their small boats. But, the force of the storm and power of the incoming waves repelled each at- tempt. Horrified residents stood helpless when they witnessed two of the crew going overboard. the "History of Berlin," Charles Wright is listed as a businessman, and his wife and daughter are both named Christine. Capt. Clark, a widower, was survived by his 15-year-old daughter, Sallie. Ironically, Charles Wright's son Walter Wright married Clark's daughter Sallie. Christine Wright — "Crissie" — became Sallie's mother-in-law. We learn more of the ship in David Moore's article in the October 2011 edition of Tributar- ies, the journal of the North Carolina Maritime History Council, "…as cold as the night Crissie Wright came ashore…" e Crissie Wright was "... a fine three-mast schooner being built at the Blew and Phillips shipyard in Bridgeton, [New Jersey]... Her di- mensions are 120 feet lower hold, and five feet between decks. She is in every respect a staunch and graceful vessel, and has been built with a view of speed." Made of white oak and pine, she was registered as 126 feet long with a breadth of 34 feet, drawing just less than nine feet. Its official Wreck Report reveals, "e ship was sailing from Baltimore to Savannah with a 600 ton cargo of ground guano valued at $30,000. Crissie Wright had an estimated value of $20,000. Both the ship and cargo were listed as total losses. Crissie Wright sprang a leak during a snow storm after dark and sank off Rough Point, North Caro- lina. Not surprisingly, a heavy sea was running as a result of a 60 mile per hour wind." "On January 12, e New York Times fea- tured a story entitled "e Trail of the Storm" discussing trains stuck in snow or having to burrow through drifts, river towns threatened by floods and ice flows, and the coldest weather ever known in the South." is was the storm that destroyed the Crissie Wright. A New Bern newspaper of the time reports, "e vessel went ashore Friday night six miles west of Cape Lookout light. e steward was swept away soon after the vessel struck, one sailor was drowned in attempting to get ashore and another was knocked overboard and lost on Sunday by the breaking of the mizzen-mast. e captain and mate froze to death on Sunday night at 8 o'clock. Another sailor, the only one of the crew left, was rescued about 10 o'clock by a crew of natives. e steamer Nellie B. Dey, of Beau- fort, Capt. Dudley, brought off the three frozen men. e rescued man is named Charles Tayt. Although badly frost bitten, he is doing well. e natives, to the number of fifty men, with several boats that they carried across the banks, stayed on the beach from Saturday un- til Monday, and made every effort in their power to reach the sufferers, but the wind was blowing a gale right on the beach, making a tremendous sea in which no boat could live. e rescued man did all in his power to keep his companions from freezing. He beat and kicked them constantly, but to no pur- pose. ey would sleep, and sleep brought death. e rescued man is from Buffalo. e crew of the schooner were without anything to eat or drink from Wednesday night, the 7 th ." Much public art was commissioned in the recovery from the Great Depression. Among the works produced was a large painting in the Beaufort, NC Post Office of the wreck of the Crissie Wright. Simka Simkhovitch painted it in 1940. It can still be seen there in what is now the Beaufort City Hall. To see more of Mary Warshaw's history of North Carolina's coast, visit . David Moore is nautical archaeology curator at the North Carolina Mar- itime Museum in Beaufort. Crissie Wright Lodge in Smyrna Old Burying Ground Jim Goodwin's Crissie Wright model "e frozen bodies were taken to Beaufort, and three shipmates were interred in a common grave in the Old Burying Grounds in Historic Beaufort. Capt. Clark's body was returned home to Berlin, New Jersey. "To this day, the wreck of the Crissie Wright has remained part of the legend and folklore of the town of Beaufort. The grave of the sailors is part of the historical tour of the Old Burying Grounds. "Of the thousands of ships that have gone down off the coast, the Crissie Wright captured the imagination and hearts of the folks of Beau- fort. 'Cold as the night the Crissie Wright came ashore' was a way natives of Beaufort often de- scribed extremely cold weather. e name of the ship apparently came from the family of one of the investors. "While Capt. Clark was the principal owner, other investors [included one] Charles Wright. In CHARLOTTE — On June 21, 2014, Cliff- side 460 held an emergent communication at the Scottish Rite Temple here to raise Aaron Collins. What made the day more special was the second section of the Master Mason De- gree being performed by a cast made up mostly of past grand masters led by then Grand Mas- ter Dalton W. Mayo. ey opened the day with a country breakfast prepared by Clyde Early and his friends. Cliffside Lodge's officers opened lodge, re- ceived Grand Master Mayo, and then conferred the first section of the degree. With Grand Master Mayo at his side, Past Grand Master William L. Dill (2010) conduct- ed the proceedings of the second section with the assistance of PGM Dewey Preslar Jr. (2013), PGM Robert E. Gresham (2012), PGM W. Berry Ridgon (2007), PGM Gene T. Jernigan (2006), PGM omas W. Gregory (1998), and PGM Richard G. Moore (1993). Grand Master Mayo delivered the lecture, and Bob Braswell made the charge. — Jack Huskey Mack Sigmon photo Grand Masters degree team Eastern Wake County Masons work together WENDELL — On November 16, members of Wendell 656 took advantage of one of those valuable Masonic privileges — lodge visitation. They traveled as a group to share a de- gree with their Prince Hall Brothers at Mount Perry 183. Mount Perry Lodge's membership consists mostly of Zebulon and Wendell residents. They were invited to participate in the Master Mason Degree. Prince Hall North Carolina Grand Master Toby Fitch was there and spoke to the assembly about their growth and how that growth is mostly among young men. Reports from participants were very positive. — Ray Burch Andy Hicklin photo Ric Car ter photo Ric Car ter photo

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