The North Carolina Mason

January/February 2010 The North Carolina Mason Page 3 TraveLing The tar heel state News From North CaroliNa's lodges By Ric Carter If your lodge has a newsletter for its members, make sure The North Carolina Mason is on your mailing list. Lodge newsletters are a major source of news for Masons around the state. If you don't have one, think about starting one. Newsletters are a good way to keep your mem- bers active and informed. Ararat Ararat 558 is working with the Friends Church in Ararat to help a family in need in their community. e family home was badly damaged by fire some time back, and the fa- ther had left the family. Pilot 493 volunteered to feed the work crews one evening in October. ey fed about 50 workers from area Friends churches and students from Guilford College. Several members also helped with breakfast for the workers all that week. — e Pilot Mountain Traveler Hookerton After months of worry about replacing their long-term tenant on the ground floor of their lodge building, Jerusalem 95 finally has filled the office space. A Medicaid-financed home care service for children will be renting from them. Jerusalem Lodge Secretary Charlie L. Hall was recently elected a Secretary of Distinction by the lodge. Steve Dunn performed a duty so often for- gotten by lodges — he gathered all the lodge cotton aprons and had them laundered and pressed. No word if the newly bright whites now require sunglasses at lodge meetings. — e Jerusalem Journal Thomasville omasville 214 Master Darrell Wilson chal- lenged the members of his lodge to attend four meetings during 2010. To help encourage them to meet the goal, Wilson has promised to con- tribute $50 to the lodge operations account each time lodge attendance goes over 30. He's even offering rides to members to increase his chance of losing the money. — Trestle Board Franklin Junaluskee 145 enjoyed a visit in September from Jon Greenacre and Mark Sanders, two Australian Masons from New South Wales. e presented the lodge an Australian ritual book and demonstrated part of their Fellow Craft De- gree for the appreciative audience. At the same meeting, they enjoyed a large turnout for their Annual Fish Fry for which Arlon Eldridge do- nated the trout. Junaluskee Lodge set up a booth at the Ma- con County Fair. ey were pleased with their results. ey hosted plenty of visitors and col- lected donations for the Shriners Hospitals for Children. ey also picked up a few affiliations and petitions. In September, Junaluskee's Dwight Beaman got his Diamond Jubilee Award for 60 years lodge membership. Junaluskee is trying to move much of its newsletter circulation to email to save on post- age costs. — Trestleboard Salisbury Andrew Jackson 576 had their Annual Awards Dinner December 11. Buck Curlee received the L. C. Lake Award for his "many contributions to the lodge." Currie Pendleton got the lodge's Ma- son of the Year Award. He served as chairman of the Brunswick Stew fundraiser last year. Donald Wood has retired after serving as Andrew Jackson Lodge's treasurer for the last 25 years. Andrew Jackson Lodge was celebrating its cen- tennial with a banquet January 21. ey're selling commemorative coins and shirts. e golf shirts are light blue. e gold colored coins bear Presi- dent Jackson's likeness and sell for ten dollars. Preparations for the party included plenty of fix- ing up around the lodge building. ere's fresh paint in the dining hall, the tyler's room, and on the stair- way. e yard has been spruced up, and the metal stairs outside were repainted. Another paint party was scheduled for February 6. is year's Brunswick Stew is set for February 25. It is one of the state's biggest Masonic fundraisers. — Master's Journal In October, Fulton 99 completed a complete revision of their bylaws. It included an increase in dues to $75 plus Grand Lodge per capita (cur- rently $17). Much of the increase comes from increasing costs of building maintenance. — Master's Journal Statesville January 19 was to be Emergency Services Night at Statesville 27. ey were inviting Iredell County emergency services personnel (law enforcement, fire, EMS, and so on) to have dinner and enjoy a thank you from the lodge. FBI consultant Bob Fromme was to be the featured speaker. Lodge 27's Friendship Breakfast was set for Saturday, January 30. It was a time for members to enjoy each other's company and to bring non- Masons who may be interested in learning more about the fraternity. — e Joppa Informer Wilmington St. John's 1 got on the Saturday morning de- gree bandwagon in December. — Cleo Haase Jacksonville As one might expect, Semper Fidelis 680 has lots of members who are in the US Marine Corps. ey often miss lodge meetings because they're visiting some inconvenient place like Iraq or Afghanistan. When they are in such places, they are regular recipients of Hickory Farms packages from the lodge. On September 30, two fathers raised their sons in Semper Fidelis Lodge. Brent Foster Keelan's dad flew up from Texas for the privilege. Travis Lee Adkins' dad drove down from Michigan. Last year's barbecue fundraiser at Semper Fi made more than $4,000 for Masonic charities. — Trestle Board Conover Conover 709 was having breakfast and de- gree work on December 19. Breakfast was served at seven a.m. — Conover Lodge Paw Creek Back in November, West Gate 738's guardian angels made their regular visits to the widows of their lodge. ey brought the ladies gift cards. ey make special efforts to track changing con- tact information on the ladies. West Gate Lodge holds chicken fries twice a year. Lodge Master Sean McDeson saluted Junior Warden Danny Davis for running their record- setting Fall Fry. By lunch, they had sold 65 per- cent of their chicken. ey rushed out and bought another 300 pounds. By the end of the evening, they had a record profit and were left with only 11 pieces of chicken. — News From the West Robbinsville Members of Robbinsville 672 and their East- ern Star affiliate delivered Christmas gifts to res- idents at a local nursing home on December 19. — Jim Hyde Canton Sonoma 472 held their now Annual Veterans Appreciation Night November 5. ey invited family and veterans of our armed services to at- tend. Warren Dupree, veteran of both Vietnam and Desert Storm/Desert Shield, was the guest speaker for the salute. — Valley of the Moon South Mills New Lebanon 314 has replaced the heat- ing and air conditioning system at the lodge. ey've also replaced the windows in the dining hall. Maybe they will make back some of their costs on the efficiency improvements. — e Plumb Line Trenton Zion 81 had their annual Fall Chicken Plate sale December 4. — From Mount Zion Forest City On September 22, Forest City 381 presented Howard George Glawson his Veteran's Emblem celebrating his 50 years in Masonry. — Dewey Webb Rose Hill Rehobeth 279 was having their Annual Past Masters,' Ladies,' and Awards Night Banquet on December 14. The menu was headlined by spaghetti. — Bulletin of Rehobeth Lodge Bailey Bailey 411 reports that their dining room is a much brighter place now thanks to the f resh white of their new tables and chairs. The new furniture was dedicated in Decem- ber. Their Eastern Star Chapter helped pay for the setting. As always, Boy Scout Troop 12 used Bailey Lodge for their annual fund raiser. ey sold re- freshments during the Bailey Christmas Parade. — Newsletter Charlotte Excelsior 261 named Jeff Peck and Scott Wilson their 2009 Masons of the Year. Ac- cording to lodge Trestle Board, Peck "spent countless hours at the lodge… cooking, cleaning, repairs, studying, coaching, and numerous other things." Wilson's work schedule prevented his attending lodge, but not f rom contributing. He is the lodge Trestle Board editor, "organizes [the lodge] PhoneTree system, sends out emails, gath- ers information on the sick, funeral reports, sends information for education, [and] has recently started coaching." Several members absent for years attended Excelsior's Past Masters' and Veterans' Night October 26. Excelsior was planning a January 14 Bowl- ing Night. — Trestle Board Charles M. Setzer 693 enjoyed a prime rib dinner on December 14 and handed out awards to the men who keep their lodge in top form. Kenny Barnett Jr., the lodge's newest member, was unan- imously elected their Mason of the Year. Barnette "gave willingly of his many talents and time as well as being a shining light for Masonry." e Unity Trowel Award went to Allan Mann who facilitated the first joint visitations between our lodges and Prince Hall lodges in the Charlotte area. Mann is chairman of their Outreach Committee. John Jones, the lodge's oldest member (94 years old), received his Diamond Jubilee Award for 60 years membership. Setzer Lodge's community outreach last year in- cluded donations of food and time to the Dilworth Soup Kitchen. ey are considering sponsoring a little league team in 2010. — Trestleboard Greensboro P. P. Turner 746 had their Ladies Night Ban- quet this fall. Seven lodge widows attended. Lodge awards were also handed out at the ban- quet. Ross Gellar and Dillard Moss were named Turner Lodge's Masons of the Year. ey gave their Meritorious Service Award to their honor- ary member Gene Godsoe. Veteran's Emblems went to William Henry Hervey and Earl Hen- derson Lanning Jr. for their 50 years member- ship in the lodge. e November 21 Pork Shoulder Sale at P. P. Turner Lodge brought in more than $1,100 for the Home for Children. Together, John Barrett and Ross Gellar sold more than half the shoulders. — P. P. Turner Lodge Members of Gate City 694 volunteered at WhiteStone on December 18. They helped serve the meal at the Employee and Family Dinner there. — Trestleboard Raleigh e four lodges which share the Raleigh Ma- sonic Temple had a joint installation of officers January 4. ose lodges are Masters 754, Raleigh 500, William G. Hill 218, and Hiram 40. To get ready for those new roles, Masters 754 held a Move Ahead Night in November. — e Trowel Oxford Lodge honors kids OXFORD — Oxford 122 has partnered with the West Oxford Elementary School to spon- sor the first ever Masonic Golden Owl Award. One student from each classroom in grades pre-k through fifth grade and exceptional child classes is nominated based on their hard work, positive attitude, and strong character. This is the first time the school ever had such a merit award. Oxford Lodge worked closely with the school to organize the event. In October, a member from the lodge also gave an interactive drug prevention assembly for the students at the school. — Rich Weaver Murphy Marble Springs 439 and Montgomery 426 had a unit in the Murphy Christmas Parade. Available Masons were urged to "wear overalls, white apron, a big smile, and to come and ride the float while [they] pass out hard candy to the parade onlookers." — Sonoma News New Bern Grantham 725 recently named a new schol- arship after their 41-year treasurer, Douglas Ed- wards. Edwards has had a lifelong love of flying, so the scholarship will go to a local student pur- suing a career in aviation. e lodge held their Barbecue Chicken Din- ner on November 13. In addition to making $1,000 for charity, they donated 50 plates a local soup kitchen, Religious Community Services. Sixty people attended Grantham Lodge's An- nual Past Masters' and Ladies" Night November 7. — George Herring Spruce Pine Vesper 554 held its annual golf tournament October 3 at Grassy Creek Golf Course. e winning team was composed of Jerry Phillips, Jeff Flynn, Craig Sparks, and Bob Moser. e tournament brought in nice donations for the Masonic charities. It also brought the lodge two petitions from golfers. At Vesper's November 5 meeting, Phillip Nelson Henline was given his Diamond Jubilee for 60 years Masonic membership. — e Beacon Hickory November 19 was Awards Night at Hick- ory 343. Lodge Secretary Kevin Johnson was named the lodge's Mason of the Year. Robert Lee Mitchell Jr. received his Diamond Jubilee Award for 60 years in our fraternity. Almost 100 people enjoyed the dinner and music of the Les Amis String Quartet. For the third straight Christmas, Hicko- ry 343 took on helping needy local families during the holidays. On this Christmas Toy Drive, they "adopted" five families with 13 children aged newborn to 11 years old in as- sociation with the Pregnancy Care Center of Catawba Valley. e officers of the lodge provided a home- cooked hot meal for the families, the Center's staff, and the volunteering lodge members. Santa was visiting the kids in person on December 19 thanks to arrangements made by Junior Cline. Daniel Guthrie provided a fresh tree and wreath for each family. — Hickory Lodge Fayetteville Clifford Duell 756 held their Past Masters'- Widows'-Veterans' Dinner in early November. ey handed out three major lodge awards. Marvin Smith was awarded the Behind the Scenes Award. He was described as the kind of person "who improves every organization he gets involved in." Jim Beffert got the first ever Jack of All Chairs Award as the lodge's "utility play- er." e 2009 Mason of the Year went jointly to Vaughn Steele and Al Tanzilo for typifying what makes their "lodge a real band of brothers." eir Nervous Night was also held in No- vember. at's when they move up one chair and show off their skills in the station they expect to occupy in the coming year. — James Baker Asheville Mount Hermon 118 sponsored a Masonic Holiday celebration for the 39 th Masonic Dis- trict on December 5. e party ran from 6:00 until 10:00 that Saturday evening. Entertain- ment included a string quartet, an Appalachian singing group, a flute, violin, and cello trio, and the Screech Owl Serenade ensemble. e had special seasonal decorations and a large Christ- mas tree in the lobby. — Trestle Board Warsaw Warsaw 677 held their Ladies' and Awards Night December 1. Twenty members and their wives plus six widows of lodge members attend- ed the dinner. e lodge picked that night to hand out their annual donations to local charities. ey contributed to the Eastern Baptist Association, Duplin County Social Services, and Warsaw El- ementary School. Senior Deacon Tim Bass sang a selection of holiday music to entertain them. Warsaw Lodge held their Annual Pancake Breakfast November 7. — Warsaw Lodge Pilot Mountain At their November 23 Blood Drive, Pilot 493 had a goal of 30 units. ey got 43 units from 49 presenters. — Rick Smith Cary Past Masters' Night at Cary 198 was set for November 16. Prime rib was the main course. — Trestle Board Wilkesboro Mount Pleasant 573 was celebrating its cen- tennial January 16. Music, dinner, and a history of the lodge were planned. — Richard Sloop

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