The North Carolina Mason

November/December 2009

North Carolina Mason

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T h e m i s s i o n o f fr e e m a s o n r y i n no r T h Ca 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 Dan C. Rice Board Of Publication John O. Newman Jr., Chairman Gary R. Ballance Don E. Bolden omas A. Pope Jr. Hugh K. Terrell Jr. 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 rcarter@grandlodge-nc.org. 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 November/December 2009 From the editor's desk Masonic doodling By Dale Swiggett © We regret that e North Carolina Mason has insufficient space to print lodge officer pictures. We continue to receive many new officer photos despite the fact that the paper has not published any since 1998. Decisions on what to include and what to omit are necessary at all newspapers. e decisions are always difficult. Other events not carried in e Mason include raisings and 25-year awards. Unusual circumstances to such stories may call for exceptions. If you are in doubt about your specific case, send it for consideration. NC Mason Deadlines Issue .............................Deadline January/February .................... January 1 March/April .......................... March 1 May/June................................May 1 July/August.............................. July 1 September/October .............. September 1 November/December ............ November 1 No officer photos, please hicles to shield the building from attack while they radioed for help, and then waited for a second convoy to reach them. But by that time the enemy had figured out their plan, Cathey said. e Iraqi Army Brigade deputy commander made one attempt to send ve- hicles to pick up the second squad, but they were forced back by the insurgents. Over the radio, Cathey convinced him to try again. But, they were forced back again. Cathey finally had to make a decision. He chose to move the first squad to safety, but promised the second squad that he would come back for them. With his vehicle compromised, he led his convoy all the way through the insurgent-held area and on to safety. e Iraqi deputy brigade commander was so inspired by what they had done, that he made a third attempt to get the men out, Cathey said. at third attempt was successful. "ey all made it out safely, too," Cathey said. We wish you a joyous holiday. May you rejoice in the blessings you have in your life without concern for that you lack. May the new year present you opportunities that surpass your needs. "For me personally it was just a very humbling, sobering day," Cathey said. It was only later on when he'd had a chance to be by himself and clear his head that he realized that they "had been able to pull off a very dangerous mission with no injuries, no casualties at all," he said. "Several of my guys were awarded Army Com- mendation medals for that day," he said. e biggest thank you, however, was the next morning when Cathey met with Iraqi Army lead- ership in the Iraqi General's office. "Iraqi Colonel Munam stood there with tears in his eyes hugging and thanking me for get- ting his guys out," Cathey said. "I didn't need any thank-yous, but to me that was the greatest thank you I ever got." "It was just doing the right thing to do for those Iraqi soldiers," Cathey said. "If someone hadn't helped them, they couldn't have gotten out." Cathey received a Bronze Star with Valor for his actions that day. — From defenselink.mil/heroes. CATHEY, from page 1 Myriad of Stones Hiram King of Tyre was walking through the Temple on his way to a meeting with King Solomon. Along the way, he passed through a particular hallway and noticed all the stones in the walls. "What are you?" King Hiram asked of the stones as he walked by. "I am a perfect Ashlar, of course!" a myriad of stones answered, and there was surprise and indignation in their voices as he passed. But, here and there, a lonely stone answered, "We are this Temple," and there was neither surprise nor indignation in their voices, but just a quiet certitude. Richmond County lodges reach out to National Guard troops HAMLET — Hamlet 532 and Rockingham 495 have allied on a project to help their local National Guard members on station in Iraq. Members of the lodges donated toiletries and other daily needs of soldiers. Another group of volunteers boxed up the goodies and mailed them to Iraq. The packing crew is seen here, from left, Reese Anderson, Richard Pait, Steve McIver, Past Grand Master B. T. Phillips, Hamlet Lodge Master Earl Bradshaw, Bill Horne, Rockingham Master Jim Chavis, Steve Mercer, and A. B. Stutts. — Richard Pait Masonic behavior By J. Perry Watson ere is certain behavior to which all Brethren must conform while attending lodge; deportment before and after lodge has not been discussed in too many places. So, with apologies and a "tip of the hat" to the American humorist Will Rogers, the following is presented as a tongue-in-cheek guide for Masonic conduct before and after lodge meetings: 1. Never slap a Brother on the back while he is chewing tobacco. 2. Always find an opportunity to let a Brother know he's appreciated. 3. If, during a discussion, you find yourself painted in a corner, stop painting. 4. There are two theories about arguing with a member of the opposite political persuasion. Neither works. 5. One soon discovers that good judgment comes from experience, and a lot of that comes from bad judgment. 6. One will find there are three kinds of men: e ones who learn by reading; the few who learn by listening; the rest have to touch the electric fence and find out for themselves. 7. Remember, one must wait until evening to see just how splendid the day has been. 8. We find that long ago when men cursed and beat the ground with sticks, it was called witch- craft; today it's called golf. 9. If you find yourself dissatisfied and talk about wanting to return to your youth, re- member algebra. 10. And finally, don't forget the old story about the mountain lion devouring an entire bull; after which the lion felt so good he started roaring. He kept it up until a hunter came along and shot him dead. e moral: When you're full of bull, keep your mouth shut. J. Perry Watson is a member of Masters 754. Dating back to the earliest years of the Amer- ican republic, there had been a strong aversion to what omas Jefferson called "entangling al- liances," and many politicians of the early 20th century were wary of getting enmeshed in other countries' conflicts. But after sitting out the early years of World War I, the US finally jumped into the fray by declaring war in the spring of 1917 and sending millions of "doughboys" to fight in Europe. In support of the war effort, California Freemasons organized the Masonic Ambulance Corps of California, which allowed civilian brothers to serve under the auspices of the American Red Cross. eir role, according to the government, was to "…collect the sick and wounded, to afford them temporary care and treatment, and to transport them to the next hospital in the rear." More than 80 Masons from California, along with a few from other jurisdictions, made their way to Europe and worked triage on the front lines of France. eir willingness to put them- selves in harm's way inspired Grand Master Francis Kessling to say, "e Masonic Ambu- lance Corps… are on their way to do their part, not as Masons but as citizens. Godspeed to them all and to those thousands who have gone into the service without ceremony." One lodge that is said to have been instru- mental in the creation of the corps was Bethle- hem 453, which consolidated with Crocker 212 in 1961. In a twist of irony and fate, Past Master Adolphus Graupner, who served as a captain in the Argonne campaign, was one of the wounded soldiers picked up and saved by the very organi- zation that his own lodge had helped to create. Most of the Yanks who served in Europe had no idea what to expect. Prior to being sent over- seas, Brother Roy Loomer Davis wrote, "I went to the Masonic Club and learned that our uniforms had arrived… When I stepped out of the hotel and started down Market Street toward the ferry, I frankly admit that I felt very self-conscious. If I looked nearly so conspicuous as I felt, it must have been very amusing to passersby." While a great deal of Masonic community involvement is centered on programs that serve communities where brothers live and work, the response by California Masons to these two great humanitarian crises a century ago reveals a greater truth about how members of the craft see their role in the world. Freemasonry's tenets of brotherly love and relief drive members' good deeds for fraternal and non-fraternal neighbors, in times of crisis and every day in between. — e California Freemason, 2009 by way of Emessay News WW I Masonic Ambulance Corps Mosaic Lodge gives Grand Lodge a new tyler's sword WINSTON-SALEM — At Annual Commu- nication in September, Steve Sparrow, left, pre- sented a new sword to the Grand Lodge for use by our tyler. The old sword had begun to show signs of wear, and recent repairs appeared inad- equate. Sparrow presented the sword on behalf of Mosaic 762. Sparrow was the first candidate elected and raised in Mosaic Lodge. He gave a similar sword to his coach (Al Jones) who in turn gave it to the lodge. Ric Car ter photo

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