North Carolina Mason
Issue link: http://www.epageflip.net/i/729816
July/August 2016 The North Carolina Mason Page 7
By Ric Carter
CHAPEL HILL — Lux Libertas
Lodge, under the 18
th
-century square
and compasses of the Dialectic Soci-
ety's hall, received their dispensation
from Grand Master Bryant Webster on
June 20. An affinity lodge for Masons
interested in the University of North
Carolina at Chapel Hill, Lux Libertas
held it first meeting in Dialectic Hall
on the top floor of New West on the
University campus on the 260
th
birth-
day of William R. Davie, the father
of the University and our third grand
master. e lodge launches with 59
members. Forty-eight members and 13
guests attended its institution.
UNC Executive Vice Chancellor and
Provost Jim Dean welcomed the Ma-
sons to the campus and spoke glowingly
about the University's ties to the Masons
of North Carolina and Davie especially.
At the direction of Grand Mas-
ter Webster, Grand Secretary Walt
Clapp read the dispensation founding
a lodge to work toward a charter. e
grand master then proceeded to open
the lodge. e welcome by Webster,
himself an alumnus of the University
and a member of the new lodge, was
fitting:"'What is it that binds us to this
place as to no other? It is not the well,
or the bell, or the stone walls, or the
crisp October nights, or the memory of
dogwoods blooming. Our love for this
place is based upon the fact that it is, as
it was meant to be, the University of the
people.' e words of Charles Kuralt
at the Bicentennial of this University,
conceived, founded, and put in opera-
tion by Freemasons over 200 years ago.
"How extraordinary it is that we
would come together at the conjunction
of the Summer Solstice, the strawberry
moon, and the 260
th
anniversary of the
birth of Most Worshipful Brother Wil-
liam Richardson Davie. When those
Masons came together to form the first
public university in the nation, that was
a novel concept. It is so fitting and so
right that we come together to cre-
ate a Masonic Lodge in this place for
this purpose; you have only to look just
down the street to see the Masonic sig-
nificance of this site."
He saluted Deputy Grand Master
Gene Cobb and Junior Grand Warden
Speed Hallman as the "principal archi-
tects" of Lux Libertas Lodge.
e lodge's first master Past Grand
Master Gene Jernigan was brought to
the altar and charged by the grand mas-
ter. e officers were presented at the
BAILEY — Bailey 411 just celebrated their 100
th
anniversary. eir charter communication was held
March 6, 1916 as Bailey 633. A merger with Rockville
411 in 1935 gave them their number change to Bai-
ley 411. (e NC Masonic Code requires that merging
lodges keep the earliest number.)
To help preserve the lodge's history, past master and
past secretary of the lodge Horace Meacomes combed
the minutes of the lodge from 1916 to 2008 excerpting
important items from each meeting. Copies of the book
he compiled are on file at the lodge and Grand Lodge
Library. A PDF version is also available from him.
— Horace Meacomes
Bailey Lodge turns 100
Lux Libertas Lodge launched
altar and installed.
e new lodge's officers are Master
Gene Jernigan, Senior Warden Dan Rice,
Junior Warden Johnny Surles, Treasurer
Mike Cashion, Secretary Mike Kenlan,
Senior Deacon William Mills, Junior
Deacon Gary Handy, Steward Brian
Curran, Steward Andy Hicklin, Marshal
Bobby Meadows, Chaplain Jim Jones,
and Tyler William Charles Barrett.
Webster handed the gavel to Master
Jernigan. During his comments on the
momentous occasion, he made special
mention of two of the young members
of the lodge who were present; Andy
Hicklin, who is a direct descendant of
PGM Davie; and Charles Barrett, a di-
rect descendant of UNC's first student,
Hinton James. Barrett gave the lodge a
tylers sword from his great great grand-
father, Alexander Hand James.
e University of North Carolina
was the first public university, and was
conceived and formed largely by Free-
masons. e central campus is laid out as
a Masonic lodge with the Old Well, Old
East, Old West, and South Building.
Old East was the first building on the
campus. It's cornerstone laying was con-
ducted by Grand Master Davie in 1793.
e occasion was the first public proces-
sion of our Grand Lodge. e Dialectic
Society was founded in 1795 and has the
square and compasses as its emblem.
At the close of the meeting, those pres-
ent encircled the Old Well where they held
hands and recited the Closing Charge.
If you are interested in joining Lux
Libertas Lodge contact the secretary at