The North Carolina Mason

January/February 2017 The North Carolina Mason Page 5 our masonic charities at Work By Tina Gilreath Financial Development & Communications Coordinator Ever since we had Homecoming in a hurricane, things haven't slowed down! Rain or shine, the Masonic Home for Children is so fortunate to have activities, meals, and all kinds of other fun stu to do! October came to a close with our annual Madden Tournament held at Temple Cottage. is annual event, hosted by Houseparents Kenny and Pam Reynolds, pits players of all ages and skill levels against each other in the video game arena. e winner takes the championship belt, but everyone gets to enjoy food donated by Bualo Wild Wings and Papa John's Pizza. e winner for 2016 was Recreation Assis- tant Ty Breedlove. November was another busy month for our campus. J.J. Crowder Lodge held their annual Pasta Luncheon on Nov. 12. Our older kids hit the road the next day and headed to Charlotte to see the Panthers play the Chiefs. Our Panthers fans weren't happy when they lost in the nal seconds, but they still enjoyed the experience! e Rotary Club of Oxford organized and packed boxes for their Emergency Food Box Pack-a-thon and many of our cottages and sta participated. And Wake Forest Fire Department returned on Nov. 20 for their annual steak dinner. We won't soon forget the Krispy Kreme donuts for desert! e hustle and bustle of the holidays gave us a happy and busy December. Abatement Restoration hosted our children at their annual party on Dec. 3. Santa and a whole bunch of donors attended MHCO's Annual Christmas Dinner and Gift Party the following week. (You can see a list of those donors on our website. Just look for the Christmas box on the home page!) Our beautiful Candlelight Service was held at the York Rite Chapel on the evening of Dec. 11. e North Carolina Nurse's Association once again served brunch to our campus and created fun crafts – tag blan- kets, pine cone bird feeders and gingerbread houses – with our kids. And on Dec. 18, a group of carolers traveled to the WhiteS- tone, the Masonic/Eastern Star senior home in Greensboro, to spread some holiday cheer and to sing to their residents. Looking ahead, there are some pretty exciting things coming up! J.J. Crowder Lodge will be here for its annual Chili Cook-o on February 25 th . e kids love sampling all the dierent chilis and voting for a winner. Wilkerson College will be visiting our campus March 3 and 4, and mark your calendar for the Great Landscape Event, set for March 18. Parties, good cheer come to Oxford Santa helps put the Home in a Christmas holiday mood. By Beth Grace GREENSBORO — When Gene Lewellyn runs into a fellow White- Stone resident, he sees more than just another neighbor. He sees a brother. He sees family. Lewellyn, a past master of Dan River Lodge 129, and his wife Maggie, would be the rst to tell you that WhiteStone isn't your average senior citizens' community. WhiteStone: A Masonic and Eastern Star Community was founded in 1912 to give haven to aging Freemasons, members of the Order of the Eastern Star, and their families. About 300 people live here, most in independent-living houses and apartments. Others occupy the 88-bed nursing unit or 12-bed dementia unit. At any given time, about two- thirds of the residents are "fraternal residents," meaning they are Masons or Eastern Star members, or closely related. at has changed a bit in recent years as residency was opened to non-Masons to help oset soaring maintenance and other costs. at doesn't make the bonds of brotherhood at WhiteStone any less strong, Lewellyn says. "I may not have something in common with everyone in the dining room as I once did, but the fraternal ties never die," he says, adding that WhiteStone brothers have recently started a lodge in North Carolina, MESH 771, with 80 members. He's a proud charter member. While giving among lodges has remained steady over recent years, not all give to WhiteStone. As of last December, of some 370 lodges in North Carolina,142 lodges — a full 38 percent — had not made a contribution. Comparatively, all but six lodges in the state contributed to e Masonic Home for Children at Oxford. at giving level disappoints Grand Master Gene Cobb, who has made increasing support of our Masonic charities a priority for his year. For a lodge to earn special recognition for 2017, it must contribute at least 10 percent more than it did last year and give to all three charities: MCHO, Whit- Your dollar makes big impact at Whitestone ■ see WHITESTONE, page 7

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