The North Carolina Mason

January/February 2016 The North Carolina Mason Page 15 From the Medical Committee Beware of e-cigarettes You have all heard about them. Most of the consumers using them use nico- tine cartridges. Some use more danger- ous products. ey have been touted as a means to quit smoking. us far, there has been no evidence to prove that they are effective in this regard. e only positive evidence for them is that asthmatics who switched from tobacco to e-cigarettes had better lung function at one year. ere is very good evidence that responses of the lungs to e-cigarette smoke are similar to lung responses to ordinary cigarettes. is includes pro- duction of formaldehyde in levels simi- lar to tobacco cigarettes. ere are thousands of compounds in the smoke to be identified as to their possible role as pathogens, just as with tobacco cigarettes. ere have been nu- merous calls to poison control centers regarding nicotine overdoses in adults using e-cigarettes. Perhaps most disturbing, have been the results of a survey showing that nearly half of those using e-cigarettes are interested in using tobacco ciga- rettes. As of a few months ago, these products were not regulated by the FDA Center for Tobacco Products. So don't count on our government to give us the best advice about these danger- ous products. Marty Fischer is a member of Polk County Unity 482. By Marty Fischer Iconic American kitsch included fraternal fun Our back pages ROCHESTER, NEW YORK — Cassius Marcellus Coolidge, aka Kash Koolidge, (1844–1934) is famous for his paintings of dogs play- ing poker. e life-long New Yorker was hired in 1903 to paint sixteen pictures of dogs to advertise cigars for Brown and Bigelow. Among the mostly poker and pool depictions of blue collar pups at leisure was one entitled Riding the Goat which clearly mocked an old Masonic joke re- garding an initiation myth of the fraternity. According to several sources, Coolidge was a Mason in his hometown of Antwerp, NY. GREENSBORO — Come join the 23 rd Masonic District and WhiteStone: A Masonic & Eastern Star Community for some hopping fun at the Home's Second Annual Easter Egg Hunt Saturday 10:30 a.m.–12:30 p.m. on March 19. All White- Stone residents, employees, Masons, and Eastern Stars, and their children or grandchildren are invited to take part in this special event. An Easter Egg Hunt for children ten and under, will be fea- tured, along with a picture opportunity with the Easter Bunny, and a hot dog lunch for all. The Easter Egg Hunt will begin promptly at 10:30 a.m. To RSVP or to make a donation to offset the costs of the event, contact Gina Prevost, Di- rector of Community Life Services at (336) 510-4802 or by Monday, March 14. GREENVILLE — Crown Point 708 recently adopted a Stuff the Pig campaign which fills red piggy banks with spare change to help the Masonic Home for Children at Oxford. Nine- year-old Bryn Blackmon was the first star of the program, filling her first pig in nine days. She got her friends to help. Bryn said, "God has given me so much, and I wanted to share with the children at the Masonic Home." Senior Warden Scott McLaurin offered his drama and speech classes a free breakfast Crown Point plays Stuff the Pig By Rufus Walston Crown Point Junior Deacon Christian Lockamy (co-chair), Kyle Blackmon, Bryn Blackmon, and Sixth District Deputy Grand Lecturer Justin Robinson are seen here with their banks. with his challenge for them to help. ey returned 34 pigs in less than a week. e lodge's Home for Children Committee chose the project because in addition to raising money, it raises awareness of the Home in the larger community. It also attracts the atten- tion of potential new members. e first batch of banks were dis- tributed in May. By the end of July, 61 pigs had been returned along with more than $650 for the Home. — Rufus Walston Come to the Egg Hunt

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