Page 4 The North Carolina Mason May/June 2016
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(USPS 598-260) is published bimonthly by e Grand Lodge of AF & AM
of North Carolina, 2921 Glenwood Avenue, Raleigh, NC 27608.
ird class postage paid at Oxford, NC 27565.
POSTMASTER: Send address changes to e North Carolina Mason,
School Of Graphic Arts, Masonic Home for Children, Oxford, NC 27565.
Grand Master
Bryant D. Webster
Board Of Publication
John A. Pea (Chairman)
R. Kevin Combs
C. omas Nelson Jr.
John A. Sullivan
John R. Beamon III
Editor
Ric Carter
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changes only should be sent to: e School of Graphic Arts, Masonic Home
for Children, 600 College Street, Oxford, North Carolina 27565.
Opinions expressed are not necessarily those of The North Carolina
Mason, the Grand Lodge, or Board of Publication.
Grand Master Bryant D. Webster .......................bwebster@glnc.us
Deputy Grand Master A. Gene Cobb Jr. ................. gcobb@glnc.us
Senior Grand Warden Jimmie B. Hicks Jr. ...............jhicks@glnc.us
Junior Grand Warden Speed Hallman ................shallman@glnc.us
Grand Treasurer Lewis R. Ledford (PGM) ......... lledford@glnc.us
Grand Secretary T. Walton Clapp III .....................wclapp@glnc.us
Senior Grand Deacon D. M. "Mack" Sigmon. .... msigmon@glnc.us
Junior Grand Deacon Shaun Bradshaw............ sbradshaw@glnc.us
Grand Marshal R. David Wicker Jr. ..................... dwicker@glnc.us
Grand Steward Larry B. ompson Jr. .............lthompson@glnc.us
Grand Steward Kevan D. Frazier. ..........................kfrazier@glnc.us
Grand Tyler Deleron L. Webster ......................grand.tyler@glnc.us
Grand Chaplain Henry C. Hilliard ........... grand.chaplain@glnc.us
Grand Historian Steven A. Campbell ...campmckay1358@gmail.com
Grand Lecturer John M. Burchfield ...johnmburchfield33@gmail.com
ASHEVILLE — On May 26, John Marvin
Burchfield was named a Joseph Montfort Medalist.
e Montfort is the highest honor which can be
conferred on a Mason by our Grand Lodge. Grand
Master Bryant Webster was making his last District
Meeting at his home lodge, Nichols-West Asheville
650 when he made the announcement of the award.
Burchfield is currently secretary of Black Moun-
tain 663 and master of Veritas 769 and also a mem-
ber of Nichols-West Asheville 650, Mt. Hermon
118, and Lux Libertas UD. He is past master of
several of them and is serving as grand lecturer. He
is a past district deputy grand master and lecturer.
He is a retired law enforcement officer and current-
ly an author. Webster says he was chosen "because
of his extraordinary leadership in the 39
th
Masonic
District and beyond."
e Montfort Medal is given for "distinguished
Masonic service or achievement." A grand master
may present only three during his term in office.
Grand Master Webster's third will be presented
during Annual Communication.
Mike
Harding
photo
Burchfield, left, accepts Montfort from Webster.
Burchfield receives
Montfort Medal
Amendments we will consider
Here is a short recap of the year's proposed
amendments to e Code. It is an effort to simplify
and summarize the proposals in plain language. It is
far from exhaustive, but intends to give you a better
understanding of the changes offered and their pos-
sible repercussions. Full details of the proposed Code
changes are available from your lodge secretary.
A lodge cannot and should not attempt to bind
its delegates to a specific vote on a particular ques-
tion. Very often, the amendments are changed on
the floor before voting. More often still, arguments
not thought of in analysis or lodge debate arise at
the meeting, bringing a different outlook to the pro-
posal. Discuss the votes and suggest the thinking
of the lodge. Your delegates should vote in the best
interests of all Masonry after hearing all discussion.
Following are the proposals to be considered at
this year's meeting.
Group 1 would require that a district deputy
grand master be a member of a lodge in which
he serves. e Code currently requires that he live
in the district, but our districts are not defined by
geographic or political boundaries, but by grouping
lodges. It is very unlikely that a grand master would
name a man DDGM who lived too far from the
district to properly serve the office.
Group 2 would allow committee members live
outside the political boundaries of the state. We
currently have members who live in other states,
but are within our jurisdiction due to living closer
to one of our lodges. For example, Virginia con-
cedes its residents to petition North Carolina lodg-
es when our lodge is closer to the man's home. Fur-
ther, the "reside in NC" rule was made in the days
By Jonathan Underwood
What is Masonry worth to you? What value would
you place on becoming a member of our fraternity?
is September an amendment will come before our
Annual Communication proposing that the initiation
fee of a petitioner for the degrees of Masonry should be
three times the amount of a lodge's annual dues.
Currently, our minimum initiation fee of $50 is
unchanged since 1970 — almost a half century.
Many have dismissed this amendment's formula
as exorbitant and unrealistic. Amid a few nods of
approval, reactions to the amendment tend to in-
clude, "No one will pay that amount;" "at cost
will keep potential members away;" "I never paid
that much;" and "We're a poor lodge/community,
that cost is unreasonable."
An investment in Masonry
see AMEND, page 8
see WORTH, page 9
