The North Carolina Mason

May/June 2009 The North Carolina Mason Page 3 TraveLing The tar heel state News From North CaroliNa's lodges By Ric Carter 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. Greensboro Gate City 694 member Gene Godsoe's son, Eugene, is a junior at Stanford University. He was recently named national collegiate swimmer of the week and is ranked number one nationally in the 100- and 200-meter backstroke. Gate City has recently been taking collec- tions for Horsepower — a group that helps spe- cial needs kids. ey focus on therapy through horses, of course. — Trestleboard In March, Dillard Moss did a Masonic edu- cation program for P. P. Turner 746. He gave the lodge an update on his experience at Wilkerson College. e leadership training program re- cently graduated its 2009 class. — P. P. Turner Lodge Raleigh William G. Hill 213, Raleigh 500, and Wid- ow's Son 4 (PHA) were cosponsoring a blood drive May 9. — Mahlon Tucker It's spring cleaning time at Millbrook 97. ey are planning a fresh coat of paint on the front columns and window frames. ey are also fixing some gutter problems and policing the wooded area behind the lodge. Time to get that winter debris rounded up and tossed. — Millbrook Messenger Raleigh 500 Master Russ Swindell has been named chief of staff for Congressman Bob Etheridge. Etheridge, US representative f rom the Second District, is a member of Lil- lington 302. Wally Robertson got a pleasant surprise handing out holiday poinsettias to Raleigh 500's widows. e second delivery he made was to a lady from his home town. Not too odd, unless like Wally, you're from Glasgow, Scotland. ey enjoyed talking about home. — On the Level James B. Green 735 held its chicken barbecue April 24. Plates were seven dollars, dine-in or take-out. — Dustin Tarditi Winston-Salem e Transou/Pranke team known as Big- Boy BBQ was moving barbecue at the Mason- ic Temple here on April 3. e seven-dollar plates were eat-in or take-out, with delivery on ten or more. Money was headed for Masonic charity. Winston 167, Salem 289, Piedmont Pioneer 685, and Forsyth 707 sponsored. — Joey Transou Old Town 751's February 27 pancake supper brought in $1,200 for charity. Old Town Lodge planned to celebrate their 35 th anniversary on April 25. — On the Level at Old Town Lodge Kenly ere's a new kitchen and renovated dining hall in Kenly 257's future. ey are also relocat- ing their past masters portraits. ey are planning their usual heavy involve- ment with the town's Cruising Kenly event. — Grover Dees Pineville e 32 nd Masonic District was holding its Annual Picnic at James K. Polk 759 on May 2. Bands County Grass and Pinetucket were to en- tertain with their bluegrass music. Scheduled for the kids were games and prizes. Grownups were getting a golf contest. e highlight was to be the Lodge versus Lodge Tug of War showdown. e menu (And, what would a picnic be without a menu?) included hamburgers, hot dogs, funnel cake, and ice cream. — Jack rower Charlotte Steele Creek 737 was expecting 200 auto- mobile entries in its May 10 Fish Fry and Car Show. e event was a fundraiser for the Ma- sonic charities. Steele Creek Lodge was having a special family night at the lodge on March 9. e sup- per was for friends also. ey were collecting contributions to help with an upcoming joint fundraiser with Bakersville 357. — Trestleboard Fayetteville Masons Richard Ripley and Andy Dren- khahn carried the message of our armed forces veterans to the Cape Fear Kiwanis meeting on Veteran's Day. — Fayetteville Observer Clifford Duell 756 had a good turnout for their musical Entered Apprentice Degree on March 30. Harry Arter, Rob Rowe, and John Creech played guitars. Vaughn Steele and Jim- my Mack Beffert sang. Twenty people attended Clifford Duell Lodge's Rusty Nail and Friends Breakfast on March 7. Clifford Duell Lodge member Vaughn Steele has become active in the Senior Olympics. He's already won seven medals. He got four in run- ning events as well as in shot put, football throw, and softball throw. — Blue Sheet Hickory At Hickory 343's Valentine Dinner, couples competed in a "newlywed game." e newest couple was the Zammerellis who had been mar- ried for only three weeks and the most experi- enced was the Hermans who have been hitched for 59 years. Hickory Lodge's Plez Teague memorial Pancake Breakfast was set for May 2. It was a fundraiser for the three Masonic charities. Work shifts were laid out in one-and-a-half hour shifts. ey even had radio promotion. An early count had them over $2,000 raised for the Homes and Foundation. — Hickory Lodge Paw Creek West Gate 738 held their twice-a-year Chicken Fry on March 20. ey had about 20 pieces of chicken left over after cooking more than a ton of yardbird. e Home for Children will benefit to the tune of about $5,000. — News From the West Franklin At their April 21 Family Night, Junaluskee 145 had a speaker from the Angel Hospital Foundation who told them about upcoming changes at the hospital and about the new digi- tal mammography machine there. One lodge member has donated caps with a square and compasses and the name of the lodge. ey are selling the caps for ten dollars each and feeding the money into the building fund. Paul Shuler gave Junaluskee Lodge a storage building and set it up himself. ey are repairing damage caused by a leak in kitchen pipes. Much of the lodge was flooded in the accident. — Trestleboard Statesville On March 2, Statesville 27 staged Extreme Masonic Challenge in which teams competed to answer questions about Masonic history, lore, and facts. It's as educational for the spectators as the participants. — e Joppa Informer Pilot Mountain Pilot 493 Secretary Bert Meijboom is a detail man. He has tracked their lodge atten- dance since 1995. In 1995 they averaged 14.8 members per meeting. It hit a low of 10.8 in 1996 and settled into a pretty steady rate of just over 14 through 2001. en things grew steadily, falling off only in 2004. In the last two years, they have been averaging more than 21 Masons per meeting. Bert asserts that the increase coincides with the lodge's change f rom ref reshments after their meetings, to meals before meetings. As many lodges, Pilot Lodge has discontin- ued its telephone line at the lodge. ey are sav- ing more than $700 a year. — e Pilot Mountain Traveler Mount Olive Mount Olive 208 had their Ladies' and Awards Night set for April 28. ey were hold- ing it at the Southern Belle Restaurant. omas David Hollowell was to get his Diamond Jubilee Award for 60 years membership. Selby eodore Beaman and Alger Everton Outlaw were getting their Veterans Emblems for 50 years as Masons. Mount Olive Lodge enjoys a Family Night Covered Dish Dinner every fifth Tuesday night. They're replacing the tile at the lodge. That includes the kitchen, bathrooms, and lodge room. — Trestle Board Kids and Masons enjoy joint project JACKSONVILLE — Jacksonville Order of DeMolay and Seaside 429 in Swansboro worked to- gether to enter a float in the Jacksonville Christmas parade. Douglas Johndrow decorated his boat with the help of Tom Browne and DeMolay Chairman Advisor Shawn Jordan in a Masonic Christa- mas theme. They then joined the Swansboro Flotilla. They found all the hard work and braving of the cold very rewarding and a heck of a lot of fun. The public reaction was enthusiastic. — Douglas T. Johndrow Goldsboro Masons in the Tenth Masonic District re- cently gave $275 scholarships to six students in Wayne and Lenoir counties. Wayne County awardees were Stephanie Nicole Stroud, Char- lotte Faye Holt, and Alden Pridgen. Lenoir County scholars were Elizabeth Grady, Rhiley Kennedy, and William Whaley. All have a fam- ily member who is a Mason. e Tenth Masonic District lodges are St. John's 4, Wayne 112, Mount Olive 208, Pleas- ant Hill 304, Harmony 340, Home 613, Golds- boro 634, and Richard Caswell 705. — igie igpen Wake Forest ere was a great turnout when Wake Forest 282 held its first blood drive in more than 50 years. ere was not an empty seat for the four hours of the event January 24. By the end, they had 27 units and had hosted 21 first time do- nors. Byron Hamilton organized the drive. On February 10, Wake Forest Lodge mem- bers Robert Lee Barham and Lameul D. Perry received their Veteran's Emblems for 50 years Masonic membership. — Jim Talaska Selma Samantha Casey and the Blue Grass Jam won the 2007 Oreo Jingle Contest. ey also enter- tained at Selma 320's Past Master's and Ladies' Night in March. — Grover Dees Windsor Charity 5 has changed their meeting night to fourth ursdays. ey previously met on the same nights as several other lodges in the Fifth Masonic District. e change came because they wanted to give their neighbors the opportunity to visit more easily. Charity Lodge is hoping to hold a work Sat- urday soon. — Mike Cashion Stantonsburg Joseph Warren 92's Charles Dawson recently got his Veteran's Emblem for 50 years Masonic membership. Deputy Grand Master William L. Dill presented the award. — Grover Dees Salisbury Andrew Jackson 576 is helping out at Eller Cottage at the Masonic Home for Children. ey are going up in June to do some landscap- ing and have a cookout. — Master's Journal Wilmington Orient 395 recently elected Bill Moore of Wilmington 319 an honorary member. — Orient Express Canton On March 5, Sonoma Lodge presented Vet- erans Emblems for 50 years Masonic member- ship to Cohen Matthews and Troy Hargrove. Sonoma 472 is looking into getting a new sign. — Valley of the Moon Bailey In February, Randy Glover presented Bai- ley 411 a Masonic clock in memory of his fa- ther, Gerald D. Glover. — Newsletter Lewisville West Bend 434 was planning to raise a third generation member of the Rothrock family on March 24. ey were expecting the candidate's father, uncle, and grandfather to participate in the degree. ey were also expecting some music from his friends. Rothrock is a member of the Moravian Easter Band in Old Salem. — Mitch Moore Gibsonville Tabasco 271 planned a lodge cleanup day for April 4. eir annual picnic is set for June 13 in Gibsonville Park. — Trestle Board West Jefferson Ashe 594 was having a Hoe Down March 25. e were holding the fundraiser in association with the Mountain Music Jamboree in Glen- dale Springs. e ten-dollar admission covered a pinto bean supper and entertainment by the Amantha Mill Band. — Richard Edmondson Robbinsville e 41 st Masonic District is considering a bus trip to Oxford to visit the Home for Children. DDGM Jim Hyde was organizing the July 11 trip. Deadline for signing on is June 27. — Jim Hyde South Mills Ben Stallings has challenged his lodge. He told the guys in New Lebanon 314 that if they would get 50 members to a district meeting or a stated communication, he would treat them to a fish fry. If they do both, he'll let them in- vite wives. — e Plumb Line Arcadia Enterprise 752 had a Poor Man's supper set for March 28. ey were holding a silent auction at the same time. — Derek Clodfelter King King 722 has been displaced by road con- struction along Highway 52. While their building is intact, their access road has been destroyed. The last event in their old home, a bean supper fundraiser for Masonic charities, was held April 25. e lodge will be meeting at Pilot 493 until a settlement is reached with the Department of Transportation. — Larry Bridges Wallace In April, Charles Dewitt McGowan, of Wal- lace 595, received his Veteran's Emblem honor- ing his 50 years as a Mason. — Bulletin of Wallace Lodge Spruce Pine Vesper 554 is known for its variety of Masonic education programs. In February, Brock Duncan gave the lodge a history of the Eastern Star. In March, Steve Pitman taught them about famous patriot Mason Benjamin Franklin. e April pro- gram from Alvin Carpenter was about the Bibli- cal references in Freemasonry and their history. — e Beacon Zebulon e 16 th Masonic District is having a minor league baseball night with the Carolina Mud Cats on July 18. eir $25 adult tickets ($15 kids 7–13) in- clude an all you can eat Pepsi, hamburger, and hot dog buffet. see STATE, page 5

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