The North Carolina Mason

Volume 137 Number 5 The Mason NORTH CAROLINA Official Publication of The Grand Lodge of Ancient, Free and Accepted Masons of North Carolina Oxford, North Carolina September/October 2012 Dewey Preslar prepares to accept his election as grand master. 225th annual meeting elects Preslar nication here September 21–22. Grand Master Robert Elvis Gresham Jr. presided before nearly 1,100 voting delegates from 360 lodges. Deputy Grand Master Dewey R. Preslar Jr. was elected to become our next grand master. There were no surprises in elections with officers advancing or holding their offices as anticipated. Some Grand Lodge officials arrived at the headquarters hotels on WINSTON-SALEM — The Grand Lodge of Ancient, Free and Accepted Masons of North Carolina held their 225th Annual Commu- Wednesday, September 19 to be present and ready for the board and committee meetings that were to begin early Thursday morning when even more officials were on hand. The Committee on Finance and Board of General Purposes had their final meetings prior to bringing business before the membership. The Board of General Purposes voted on various nominations and appointments of Deputy Grand Master Preslar pend- ing his election as grand master for 2013. It was BGP's next to last meet- ing with Grand Master Gresham, the last being just before Grand Lodge officer installation December 1. Jurisprudence had their last conference before bringing amendments to the delegates. The Committee on Appeals met to review all actions and trials by the judge advocate in the last year and held hearings for men asking for permission to return to the fraternity after being expelled. They recom- mended upholding the actions of Judge Advocate Jimmy Stevens and restoration of one of the three requests for reinstatement. They recom- mended that one trial commission sentence be changed from expelled to suspended for one year. The Board of Custodians, Committee on Public Relations, Board of By Ric Carter ing procession was led by the United States and North Carolina flags and the banner of the Grand Lodge carried to their places by members of the National Sojourners Spirit of '76ers. The officers of the Grand Lodge en- tered and opened Annual Communication. Visiting officers from other grand lodges and in-state appendant bodies were received and introduced. District deputy grand masters and grand lecturers were seated on ei- ther side of the ceremonial lodge floor. Grand Lodge officers from the grand lodges of Prince Hall North Carolina, Connecticut, Delaware, District of Columbia, Florida, New Jersey, South Carolina, Tennessee, and Virginia, and sitting officers from state appendant bodies were es- corted to the stage which held the podium and the symbolic East. Our past grand masters were brought to the stage. Each group was welcomed, and they were accorded private grand honors. Grand Orator Governor James G. Martin, delivered the keynote about his scientist's perspective on the compatibility with science and religion. Through the rest of the morning, recognitions were presented, and a number of reports were introduced before breaking for lunch. Immediately after lunch, and before resealing the lodge, represen- The formal opening began at 10:00 a.m. on Friday morning. The open- tatives of North Carolina's Masonic youth groups, Rainbow for Girls Grand Worthy Advisor Kaitlyn Kubacki and DeMolay State Master Councilor Derek Rains, spoke to the gathering. New Masonic Home for Children Administrator Kevin Otis also spoke at this time. A cure for his non-Masonic status is in the works. After the non-Masons were escorted from the lodge hall, labor was GM Gresham and his gavel Publication, and other committees met before the general session. There were two continuing education courses for lodge secretaries on Thursday. Thursday night, Grand Master Gresham hosted a banquet for his guests at Annual Communication. The praise band from his church entertained. WhiteStone unveils new facility Star Community, North Carolina's first senior living commu- nity, held a Grand Opening Celebration for its newest expansion August 11. The new and renovated facilities include 46 new resi- dences, expanded amenities, and enhanced common areas. More than 500 people attended the a ribbon-cutting ceremony and dedication where they enjoyed guided tours and live music. The celebration coincided with WhiteStone's 100-year anniversary. The $30 million expansion of the popular WhiteStone senior GREENSBORO — WhiteStone, a Masonic and Eastern counters, crown molding, and balconies. As part of the expansion, WhiteStone also completed ex- tensive renovations to the common areas, which have been up- dated to offer more amenities and lifestyle enhancements, such as a new clubhouse, library, salon, indoor and outdoor dining where meals are cooked to order, new coffee bistro with fresh baked goods, and a sports pub. Located at the heart of the 42-acre campus, the newly reno- living community is helping meet a critical need in Greensboro, as a growing population of seniors pursues active lifestyles in communities known for outstanding wellness and continuing care. WhiteStone has already sold 80% of the 46 newly built, spacious one- and two-bedroom, independent living apartments. The new residences range from 844 square feet for a one- bedroom to 1,299 square feet for a two-bedroom with sun- room. Residences are designed to ensure plenty of natural light – with large windows and spacious closets, the latest kitchens and bathrooms, and other current amenities. The residences have ample kitchens and great rooms perfect for entertaining. The open floor plans include upgraded finishes with granite vated Linville Clubhouse includes 12,000 square feet of reno- vated space and 4,820 square feet of new space. In addition to the Clubhouse, a 360-degree sports pub with all glass walls, invites residents to socialize and enjoy refreshments before proceeding to the newly renovated 4,900-square-foot dining room. In all, there are 39,157 square feet of renovated or new common spaces. Other amenities include an activity room for gaming and visiting; WhiteStone Convenience Store; a spa of- fering hairstyling, manicures, pedicures and massage therapy; a woodworking/arts & crafts room; multiple garden plots for growing vegetables and flowers; fitness and aquatic centers; and a five-star health care center. THE BOTTOM LINE Thank you for the honor By Robert E. Gresham Jr. Grand Master old friends, made some new friends, and generally had a good time. I have heard a lot of positive comments about our Grand Lodge Annual Communication. We received and gave private grand hon- ors to representatives from Connecticut, Delaware, the District of Columbia, Florida, New Jersey, South Carolina, Tennessee, Vir- ginia, and the George Washington Masonic National Memorial. It was a pleasure to have these out-of-state visitors. Most Worshipful Milton F. "Toby" Fitch Jr., grand master of the Most Worshipful Prince Hall Grand Lodge F & AM, and representatives from our appendant bodies and the Shrine were received. A special treat was to have Imperial Potentate Al Madsen with us on Friday morning. Friday afternoon brought a new experience. The fire alarms went of our Grand Lodge. It was a great session. We accomplished a lot of work, saw a lot of for The North Carolina Mason, we have just finished the 225th As I sit down to write my last article Annual Communication off during the afternoon session, and we were ordered to evacuate the building. I invented a new "ample" form for calling from work to refreshment and for calling from refreshment to labor. Everyone evacuated the building in a very orderly fashion and most returned. There was no fire that we know of, but we did get to take an un- scheduled break. The brothers were reminded that they could not use my short cut method unless their building was on fire. Deputy Grand Master Dewey Preslar Jr. was elected to serve as grand master for next year. My congratulations to Dewey. He has been a close friend for years and has been a very loyal supporter during my year as grand master. I appreciate his willingness to give wise council and advice. The Grand Lodge of NC will be a better place due to his leadership. He appointed Shaun Bradshaw as the new junior grand steward. My congratulations to Shaun who will continue to be a valuable asset to our Grand Lodge. I look forward to working with all of the officers in the future. Their Installation is scheduled for December 1 in Salisbury. Masonry is growing in North Carolina. Everywhere that I have our Grand Lodge would have a positive growth for the year 2011. As I reported during my district meetings, we had more NPDs than expected, and we did not meet the goal. A major emphasis of mine during my District Meetings has been NPDs. I have encour- aged our lodges to make personal contact with members who have not paid their dues. Many have heard me say "Get in their face, explain to the brother(s) that they are important to us. These mem- bers are wanted, tell them why we believe that they need Masonry." If we will all work on this problem, I firmly believe that we can reduce the numbers of NPDs and put us well on the way to have a positive membership growth in 2012. The enthusiasm exhibited by our lodges and members is gratify- traveled across our state and from all reports that I have received, lodges are active with degree work. They are participating in com- munity projects, holding fundraisers for our charities, and in gen- eral practicing our teachings. New blood drives have been started this year along with older ones being continued. Last year, PGM Lew Ledford stated that he was hopeful that ing. We are seeing growth in younger people petitioning our lodges for the degrees. This is great for the continuation and viability of our fraternity. With our older membership, it is great to see these younger men join asking for petitions for the degrees. Yes brothers, Masonry is alive and well in North Carolina. On August 11, 2012, WhiteStone held a Grand Opening Cer- emony for the new Independent Living building consisting of 46 one and two bedroom units. These units were financed with a bond see BOTTOM LINE, page 2 resumed. A ceremony was conducted to honor our members who died this past year. It was during Past Grand Master Lewis Ledford's presentation of his see AnnComm, page 4 final report that there was a novel addition to the program. A fire alarm required evacuation of the meeting hall. We now know that Masons can see WHITESTONE, page 5

• Cover