The North Carolina Mason

Page 4 The North Carolina Mason May/June 2009 WEBB, from page 1 CORNERSTONE, from page 1 Webb insisted, "I was not really the best per- son" for the job. Kennedy did not agree. He saw Webb's sharp political and managerial skills as just what the agency needed. Webb insisted on a balanced approach to NASA, it must be more than just land a man on the moon. e space program, he insisted, must strike a balance be- tween human space flight and science. It must serve as a catalyst for strengthening the coun- try's universities and aerospace industry. "It's going to be a balanced program that does the job for the country," was Webb's demand. According to a NASA biography, "James Webb politicked, coaxed, cajoled, and maneu- vered for NASA… [As] a master at bureaucratic politics… [he] built a seamless web of po- litical liaisons that brought continued support for and resources to accom- plish the Apollo Moon landing on schedule." During his tenure, NASA developed ro- botic spacecraft to explore the Moon and prepare us for land- ing. ey sent probes to Mars and Venus. By the time Webb retired months before the Apollo landing, NASA had mount- ed more than 75 space missions. Sean O'Keefe, former administra- tor of NASA said, "It's fitting that Hubble's successor be named in honor of James Webb. anks to his efforts, we got our first glimpses at the dramatic landscape of outer space. He took our nation on its first voyages of exploration, turning our imagination onto reality." Webb died in 1992. e James Webb Space Telescope ( JWST) is scheduled to launch in 2013. e large, in- frared-optimized space telescope is to peer through the dusty portions of space to reveal the first galaxies formed in the Big Bang. Ac- cording to a NASA release, "It will study every phase in the history of our universe, ranging from the first luminous glows after the Big Bang, to the formation of solar systems capable of supporting life on planets like Earth, to the evolution of our own Solar System." Weighing more seven tons on Earth, JWST will sport a folding, segmented mirror that will deploy after reaching orbit. e mirror is more than 20 feet across (six times larger than the Hubble's) and will be capable of seeing detail the size of a penny at a distance of 24 miles. Heat protection is essential for infrared ob- servation. at is why the telescope will have a sunshield the size of a tennis court. at's also why the telescope will be parked in the L2 Lagrange point, about one million miles from earth. at spot keeps the Earth, Moon, and Sun in the same, constant direction relative to the satellite, mak- ing for easier shad- ing of the telescope from external heat, allowing it to oper- ate at –370 degrees Fahrenheit, very close to absolute zero. e joint proj- ect of NASA, the European Space Agency, and Cana- dian Space Agency will be pushed aloft by an Ariane 5 rocket. Fifteen countries are participating in the mission. e Webb hosts a near-infrared (IR) camera, a near-IR multi-ob- ject spectrograph, a mid-IR instrument, and a tunable filter imager. ey plan a ten-year plus lifetime for the package. Its unfolding mirror of micrometeoroid resistant beryllium will set a precedent for later, larger mirrors in space. Space telescopes are increasingly being seen as much as time machines as optical de- vices. By recording ever more faint and distant light signals, we are seeing further and further back into time, nearing the very beginnings of the universe. The Webb Space Telescope will see objects that are ten to 100 times fainter ings and closings was to open and close both grand lodges together. Grand Master Rice did the opening honors, running our usual Grand Lodge opening and declaring both open. Grand Master Fitch did the closing and declared both grand lodges closed in ample form. After closing, the Masons adjourned to the new courthouse site on Franklin Street, just a few blocks from the lodge. ere, they joined a sizable crowd. Many were already on hand, but others were attracted by the stream of men in suits and aprons headed toward the site. Most of the parts of the grand lodge officers were occupied and played by members of local lodges. Both grand masters had agreed that it was important that men from that community be the ones who became part of their community's history, forever to be able to point at the county courthouse and tell family and friends that they were a central character in its building. As a result, Grand Masters Cash and Fitch stood and watched with pride as Richmond County Masons played their parts in the cornerstone ceremony. Active participants included Rockingham 495 Master Jim Chavis as Grand Lodge of North Carolina grand master, 29 th PHA District Deputy Grand Master James Alford as Prince Hall Grand Lodge of North Carolina grand master, Douglas Smith (495) as deputy grand master, Jerry Ingram (188 PHA) as senior grand warden, Richard Rankin (7 PHA) as junior grand warden, Past Deputy Grand Master Wil- liam L. Mills as grand marshal, Grand Lecturer Don Kehler as grand chaplain, and 21 st DDGM Ken Lewis as architect. e cornerstone, the first bearing the names of two grand masters, was tested and found to be plumb, square, and level. e elements of corn, wine, and oil were presented and applied. e cor- nerstone was proclaimed by the grand masters to be laid according to the ancient customs. e ac- tual ceremony utilized was an adapted combina- tion of the rituals used by the two jurisdictions. Others who played a part in the ceremonies were John Foster (495), Tommy Morrell (PHA), Tom Ingle (495), George Morris (85 PHA), Ed- ward Walker (105 PHA), James Chambers (331 PHA), and Tom Ingle (495). Past Grand Master B. T. Phillips made the early plans for the event with local officials, but reported that he was un- able to attend due to health problems. ose in attendance reported that the meeting was one of the most exciting of their Masonic careers. e last time our Grand Lodge dedicated the cornerstone of a courthouse was in October 1997. en Grand Master Gerry Smith invited the Prince Hall Grand Lodge to attend our ceremony at the Gaston County Courthouse. A large Prince Hall delegation was on hand for the event, but they could not participate directly because our or- ganizations had not yet recognized each other. Visit to build your own model of the Webb. Technicians work on one segment of the Webb Space Telescope's 6-meter mirror. Left, Webb and LBJ discuss NASA. Right, Full size model of Webb Telescope at Goddard Space Flight Center. than those captured by the Hubble, ten bil- lion times fainter than the faintest stars you can see in the sky. It will see the universe as it was 100–250 million years after the Big Bang, a mere one or two percent of its current age. The Webb's mission will be to search there for the first galaxies and see how they evolved, to observe the early formation of stars, and measure the physical and chemical properties of planetary systems. As the Webb Space Telescope brings us flashes of the earliest light from the beginnings of time, we can all take pride that it is also more light in Masonry from the Tar Heel State. Foundation stones Until the development of steel-frame construction in the 20 th century, most build- ings were erected by stacking stone on stone. Each part of the building was marked by ceremonies. e foundation stone was the first stone placed underground at the be- ginning of the building's foundation. e cornerstone was the first stone placed above ground level — it is a large stone, marking the northeast corner of the building. e ceremonies of placing those stones were under the direction of the stonemasons who built the building, although the highest officials of the church and state usually par- ticipated, including the king or his represen- tative. ese ceremonies were occasions for public celebrations and fairs, each marking the progress of the construction. Cornerstones have played an important role in the history of the United States as well as Europe. George Washington laid the cornerstone of the nation's Capitol building, both in his role as president of the United States and as a Freemason. Before that, Benjamin Franklin, while grand master of Pennsylvania, established the tradition be- ginning with the cornerstone laying of the state house in Philadelphia. is explanation was given in the Ohio Statehouse Cornerstone Re-enactment Cer- emony June 21, 2008, Columbus, Ohio and reprinted here by way of Fraternal Review. By Fred Barkley STONY POINT — On March 10, Gary Lawson and Joseph Dab- kowski of Acme 83, Michigan City, Indiana presented a special program to the members of Stony Point 593. ey were there because of Stony Point member Michael Breneman. In 2007, Acme Lodge had an entered apprentice, Ronald L. Breneman (Michael's brother), who was admitted to Lakeland Hospital in St. Joseph, Michigan with terminal cancer and could not attend lodge to receive his scheduled Fellow Craft degree. Gary Lawson asked his grand lodge for assistance in conferring the second and third degrees for this distressed brother. eir grand lodge authorized Bartimaeus Lodge UD to confer the degrees, and on March 30, 2007, Breneman received his Master Mason Degree. Indiana Grand Master James M. Barkdull attended the raising. Ronald Breneman died a short time after the degrees. Gary Lawson told Stony Point Lodge the story, complete with pictures and details of how the mission was accomplished. He told them about Bartimaeus Lodge and its mission — to confer the degrees to candidates with physical impairments. Lawson presented Brother Ronald Breneman's Bible to his brother Mi- chael. Michael Breneman presented a plaque to Lawson expressing his appreciation on behalf of his brother, who had wanted to die a Master Ma- son. Joseph Dabkowski presented a Michigan City, Indiana flag to Stony Point Lodge. Brothers Lawson and Dabkowski were saluted with an ova- tion by the members of the lodge. At top left, Michael Breneman, left, thanks Gary Lawson for his work on behalf of his brother. At left, Stony Point Lodge is given a Michigan City flag. Indiana Masons make a family call to Stony Point Lodge Ric Car ter photos

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