The North Carolina Mason

July/August 2016 The North Carolina Mason Page 13 STATE, from previous New Bern St. John's 3 sponsored their annual American Red Cross Blood Drive June 5. ey held it at the New Bern Shrine Club. — John B. Green III Pittsboro Columbus 102 member Richard Webster recently retired as Chatham County Sheriff. On May 25, another member of the lodge, Michael Rober- son, was installed as the county's new chief law enforcement officer. — Samuel Leggett Greensboro e Greensboro Masonic Temple will be the site of a blood drive on Sat- urday, September 3. Greensboro 76 is hosting. — Phillip Bialek Walnut Cove Pine Knolls Golf Course in Kerner- sville was the site of Walnut Cove 629's May 7 golf tournament. — e Salem Sentinel Charlotte West Gate 738 presented service awards May 16. Charter member John O'Brien got his Diamond Jubilee for 60 years membership. Veteran's Emblems for 50 years went to Dwight Baucom, Bill Navy, ad Kilby, and Gene Severs. e lodge's building fund golf tour- nament is coming September 10 at Westport Golf Club in Denver. e en- try fee is $60 per player. — Gary Cooke Excelsior 261 congratulated seven of their members on 50 years in the lodge. Getting their Veteran's Emblems were Joe Barkley, Mason Dorsey, Jerry D. Furr, Ralph Phillips, Troy Brown, Bobby Foy, and Billy Grant. — Trestle Board Greenville Crown Point 708 was raffling a Henry Masonic Rifle. Chances were ten dollars each. Proceeds were earmarked for the Masonic Home for Children in Oxford. — Christian Lockamy Weaverville Blackmer 170 held a fundraiser for their North Buncombe Scholarship. ey sold pulled pork and baked bean plates on May 7. ey award four schol- arships to local graduating seniors. — Terry Gevedon Lewisville West Bend 434 held a rifle raffle this spring. ey drew for two rifles (a Hen- ry .44 magnum and .22) on May 17. ey made about $1,900 for the Home for Children and MESH Foundation. — By the Square Burnsville Bald Creek 397 held a spaghetti fun- draiser on June 25. — Terry Gevedon Waxhaw e brothers at Waxhaw 562 are having their first fundraiser in several years. ey were hitting several local celebrations to sell ten-dollar tickets for a chance to win a kayak. Our Masonic Homes will benefit. — Richard Shields Raleigh James B. Green 735 has a long tradi- tion of family get-togethers every sum- mer. e first of their usually monthly Ice Cream Social this year was May 14. ey had hamburgers and hot dogs as well. ey always encourage their mem- bers to bring friends who are interested or would make good Masons. Green Lodge took a field trip to WhiteStone on May 7. ey enjoyed lunch with the residents, a tour of the facility, and attended a meeting of WhiteStone Lodge UD. at lodge is based at the Home and is working to- ward earning their full charter. Grand Historian Stephen Campbell visited the Green Lodge June 14 and presented a program about Arlington National Cemetery. — Scott Sholar e Lodge held a Family Fishing Derby on May 7 at Perry's Sod Farm in Wendell. ey enjoyed a catch-and-re- lease contest with prizes. ey enjoyed hot dogs and raised money for the Ma- sonic Home for Children. — Vann Johnson Oxford e 13 th Masonic District was hav- ing their picnic at the Masonic Home for Children on June 25. — Howard L. Moore Oxford 122 raffled a Henry Golden Boy Masonic Rifle this spring. Tickets were ten dollars and limited to 500 sold. e drawing was held June 25. Proceeds were for the Masonic Homes. — Rich Weaver NORTH WILKESBORO — Lib- erty Lodge hosted a very special birth- day party on February 27. A large group of Masons and friends joined in cele- brating Paul Henderson's 97 th birthday. Paul is a unique person. Always opti- mistic and friendly, Paul has lived a rich life most of us could only imagine. He's lived all over the United States, work- ing primarily as a machinist. Paul was employed in aircraft factories in his na- tive St. Louis, and then for the longest period in automobile plants in Detroit, where he was raised in Livonia 586 in 1962. Paul is a veteran of WWII, and still has his pilot's license, although he did not fly airplanes in the war. Paul moved to North Carolina a few years ago, and afterwards joined Liberty Lodge in 2013. Still quite active, Paul stead- fastly attends nearly every meeting, probably as often as any other member in our lodge. For the celebration, several groups Paul is affiliated with took part. ere were members of Moravian Falls Bap- tist, the Wilkes Country Cruisers car club, Liberty Lodge and other Masonic groups, and members of the Eastern Star (though Paul is not a member there, he is a friend of many OES members). All told, our downstairs lodge dining room was full with around 125 attendees. But, a bigger treat awaited. Some time ago, Paul told one of our newer Masons that he'd always wanted to ride in a helicopter. When we began plan- ning Paul's birthday party, that newer member mentioned Paul's wish, and we excitedly set out to fulfill it, if we could. We contacted some local firms with mixed success. en, one of our mem- bers put out the word on the Grand Lodge Facebook page, and it generated a very neat response. Wendell 565 Se- nior Warden Eric Pippen, a helicopter pilot with a firm that does training and provides rides, called Liberty Lodge. He offered to give Paul a ride. Wendell Lodge had already raised some money towards that goal, and we quickly made arrangements for Eric and two other Masons to fly from Wendell to the Wilkesboro birthday party to take Paul up into the air. Ashler Lodge in nearby Deep Gap, NC also donated funds, as did several members of Liberty Lodge, thereby covering all necessary expenses. Not long after the 2:00 o'clock of- ficial start time for the birthday party, with everyone already there, we heard the noise of the helicopter coming in from the east. A large group came out to meet the whirlybird, and to cart Paul on out to the field where it landed. Paul's son, Bob, went along for the ride, as did NC State Senator Shirley Randleman. When they returned in a half-hour or so, everyone reconvened in the lodge dining hall for food and other celebra- tory ceremonies. Andy Soots presented Paul with a lifetime membership to the Wilkes Country Cruisers, as well as an embroidered club shirt. State Senator Shirley Randleman and NC Represen- tative Jeff Elmore congratulated Paul on his 97 years. Paul's son, Bob, talked about Paul's years in NC, and how hap- py he's been here in the Tar Heel State. It was a truly great day. To celebrate the 97 th birthday of such a well liked and well respected man as Paul, with a large gathering of his friends, neigh- bors, and Masons, and then to top it off with a surprise helicopter ride, well, it was a truly unique and wonderful day in the history of Liberty Lodge. Steve Brown is secretary of Liberty 45. Answering a Brother's wish By Steve Brown

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