The North Carolina Mason

see COMMUNICATION, page 8 The Mason NORTH CAROLINA Official Publication of e Grand Lodge of Ancient, Free and Accepted Masons of North Carolina Volume 140 Number 5 Oxford, North Carolina September/October 2015 Ric Car ter photos Annual Meeting concludes WINSTON-SALEM — Stairway to Heaven may not be the theme music that first jumps to mind for a meeting of North Carolina's Masons, but the toned-down orches- tral version played struck the proper note for the march of the district officers September 25 at the opening of the 228 th Annual Communication of the Grand Lodge of Ancient, Free and Accepted Masons of North Carolina at the Embassy Suites here. Every communication is the first step of the next generation of Freemasonry in the state. e big news from the meeting — Deputy Grand Master Bryant D. Webster was elected to be grand master for 2016. He appointed Kevan D. Frazier of Mount Her- mon 118 as grand steward, the newest man to join the line for becoming grand master of North Carolina. We also recognized the rest of the 42 Prince Hall grand lodges ac- cepted by their shared jurisdictions. Delegates began arriving on Wednesday night, Sep- tember 23 for committee meetings early the next morn- ing. ursday was filled with committee, board, and com- mission meetings pertaining to business to be brought before the assembly the next two days. Lodge secretaries attended morning and afternoon workshops. e grand master hosted a dinner for his guests and officers on ursday evening. ree hundred thirty-nine lodges were represented. Sixteen Grand Lodge officers, 16 past grand masters, 61 By Ric Carter committeemen, 23 district deputy grand masters, and 21 district deputy grand lecturers made for a total of 1,154 voting delegates for the meeting. e formal opening began at 10:00 a.m. on Friday, September 25. District officers and visitors from other jurisdictions were received and introduced. Officials from Alabama, Connecticut, District of Columbia, New Jersey, Rhode Island, South Carolina, Tennessee, Utah, Virginia, and West Virginia were on hand, as were of- ficers from our state's appendant organizations. After the ritual opening, Grand Orator Andrew Hammer spoke at length to launch the business ses- sion. Andrew Hammer, past master and secretary of Alexandria-Washington 22 in Virginia, made exten- sive remarks on Masonic renewal and the traditional observance movement. Derita 715's Don Barrier presented a program on the use of music in the degrees. e demonstration in- cluded multiple musicians from around the state and emphasized the Bahnson Manual 's musical sugges- tions. Musical performers over the weekend included Mike Hamrick, Logan Rodgers, Randy Sharpe, Eric Dixon, Riley Beaman, Shawn Brown, Lloyd Johnson, David R. Cash, Mike Cashion, and Ron Lambe. GM Caudle calls for order. Grand Master Caudle greeted Past Grand Master Mathis who has recently battled illness to return to activity in the lodge.

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