The North Carolina Mason

Page 8 The North Carolina Mason May/June 2015 In this issue of The NC Mason page 1 The North Carolina Mason The Grand Lodge of North Carolina, AF&AM 600 College Street Oxford, North Carolina 27565 CHANGE SERVICE REQUESTED NON-PROFIT ORG. AUTO U.S. POSTAGE PAID OXFORD, NC 27565 PERMIT NO. 56 Battleship North Carolina hosts Master Mason Degree page 1 Uwharrie Mountain Rumble gathers for fun page 8 Vance Monument set for rededication On the cover One of our state's greatest landmarks was the site for a recent St. John's 1 Master Mason Degree. Adam Jennings photo Battleship hosts MM Degree The Mason NORTH CAROLINA MAY/JUN 2015 Vance Monument restored By Mark-Ellis Bennett ASHEVILLE — On March 31, the Zeb Vance Monument's Masonic cornerstone and its deposit were removed from the 65- foot high, 117-year-old granite obelisk in the heart of Asheville's historic Pack Square. e cornerstone is inscribed, "DEC. 22 A.L. 5897 WALTER E. MOORE GRAND MASTER." e inten- tion was to remove the copper box from behind the cornerstone and reveal its contents in May in time for the scheduled rededica- tion, but the monument's weight shifted over the years making clean removal of the time capsule impossible. e box was found to contain copies of the Asheville Daily Citizen, and the Colored Enterprise newspapers, blackened coins, a Holy Bible, the city phone directory, and other docu- ments of both local and Masonic significance. Archivist Heath- er South with the North Carolina Archives & History's western office audited the collection and is expected to preserve it for future generations. In 1897, local Masons and Grand Lodge members gathered on Pack Square to lay the cornerstone for Asheville's most rec- ognizable landmark. e monument was designed by Richard Sharp Smith in remembrance of US Senator, Congressman, and North Carolina Governor Zebulon Baird Vance. Smith was originally brought from New York by Richard Morris Hunt to be Supervising Architect for George Washington Vanderbilt III's Biltmore House. e rededication of the monument was set for June 6. Mark-Ellis Bennett is Mount Hermon 118 historian. Vance Monument being restored GARNER — If you want to honor a man, give him an award. If he deserves much more, name an award for him. Garner 701 launched a new lodge award last year to be presented annually to the lodge's outstanding Master Mason. 2014 Master James Ferrell created the Jimmy Stevens Lion's Paw Award. Jimmy Stevens, seen above, is a 28-year Mason and a long-time cornerstone of his lodge. He serves Grand Lodge as judge advocate. Garner Lodge's new award STATESVILLE — e 26 th Annual Masonic Blood Drive col- lected nearly 400 units of blood January 9. e drive is the largest in North Carolina. Masons across the western part of the piedmont sponsor the event. e collection was smaller than usual, but was considered good in the face of a flu outbreak and bad weather. ey collected blood at six different locations this year: Statesville 27 worked the Statesville Civic Center, Hickory 343 was in their lodge building, Lee 253 was in the First Baptist Church in Tay- lorsville, Conover 709 collected at the Conover Fire Department, Mooresville 496 was in the Charles Mack Citizens Center, and the Rowan County lodges operated in the Salisbury Masonic Temple. All donors received an American Red Cross t-shirt and spe- cial baked goodies. 26 th Masonic Blood Drive collects 400 units Mar k-Ellis Bennett photos

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