The North Carolina Mason

Page 8 The North Carolina Mason September/October 2017 As he concluded his remarks and moved the agenda of Annual Communication forward, he reminded brothers of the work they came to Winston-Salem to do. "It is time for this Annual Communication to get the job we came here to do done. Let us not hesitate. Let us have no reserva- tions. Let us have no evasion of dealing with what we need to and must address. Accordingly brethren, let's go to work." On that to-do list was the annual budget. at item, a budget reporting a deficit of almost $50,000, brought the longest round of conversation from the floor. Hopes were high that Amendment 8, a per capita increase, would cover that deficit but its failure to pass leaves the budget with the deficit. After much discussion, the budget ultimately passed. Voting on 13 code amendments proposed for consideration was robust. Some 353 lodges presented credentials for ballots this year, compared to 344 last year. As of 2017, there are 370 lodges currently under charter from the N.C. Grand Lodge. Members of the Creden- tials Committee said trends over recent years suggest more lodges are arriving earlier and participating longer during the overall session. Brothers approved seven amend- ments and rejected five. (See amend- ments list on page 9.) A proposed amendment to allow suspension of a member charged with a crime but not yet adjudicated in criminal court was withdrawn. Special guests were recognized periodically during the sessions, but one particularly famous one got to hang around a bit. William Rich- ardson Davie, portrayed by Andy Hicklin of Wendell #565, visited brethren and even sat in the East for a while. ose in need were not forgotten during the session. Responding to calls from Grand Master Cobb and the Masonic Services Association, brothers contributed $20,000 from their own pockets to help Masonic victims of the hurricanes that devas- tated much of Texas and Florida. e Board of General Purposes voted to add another $10,000 to the donation from the Grand Lodge charity budget. And for the second year in a row, lodges brought cans of food for the hungry. Last year's "Masons Can" drive – brothers were asked to bring 10 cans of food or $10 – was wildly successful. Brothers donated about 2,200 pounds of food this year and cash donations hit just above $3,000. ANNUAL, from page 2 The 230th Annual Communication ended in good order with the closing charge and everyone on the level. You never know when the Grand Master will create one of his famous his videos. He surprises Easter Star Worthy Matron Helen Lentz with an interview on stage at Annual Communication. Junior Grand Deacon Larry B. Thompson Jr,. and Se- nior Grand Deacon R. David Wicker Jr. The best part of Annual Communication? Spending time swapping stories with your brothers. Michael Harding photos

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