Page 4 The North Carolina Mason January/February 2018
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Board Of Publication
William Elliott Warnock (chairman)
Adam Russell Cloninger
Kenneth Wayne Lambert
John R. Beamon III
John S. Dodd
Editor
Beth Grace
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From the editor's desk
Grand Master Speed Hallman ................................. shallman@glnc.us
Deputy Grand Master Dwight M. "Mack" Sigmon ... sigmon@glnc.us
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Grand Secretary T. Walton Clapp III ...........................wclapp@glnc.us
Senior Grand Deacon Larry B. ompson Jr. ........lthompson@glnc.us
Junior Grand Deacon Kevan D. Frazier ......................kfrazier@glnc.us
Grand Marshal Donald E. Kehler ...............................dkehler@glnc.us
Grand Steward Robert W. Rideout ............................ rrideout@glnc.us
Grand Steward Steve M. Norris
Grand Tyler John W. Speed II
Grand Chaplain James G. Jones
Grand Lecturer Donald M. Helton
Grand Historian Michael W. Brantley
NORTH CAROLINA
The Mason
By Beth Grace
Editor
How WB 'Santa'
saved Christmas
D
o you ever wonder if what Masons do
makes a difference? Consider the story
of John Lawson McKenzie.
is past Christmas, John Lawson was
struggling with a big life question. At the wise
old age of 4, he was deeply concerned about
Santa.
He's well-qualified to consider the issue. He
had already seen Santa at the local Bass Pro
Shop, again at a craft fair, and once more at his
neighborhood family party.
He's at that age when doubt begins. How
DOES Santa get all those toys distributed
in one night? How does that big fat guy
get down a skinny
chimney? And flying
reindeer? I mean …
come on.
en comes the
big question: Is Santa
real?
Enter Waxhaw
#562 and Santa
Mitch.
Past Master Mitch
Padgett was born
to be Santa. In full
regalia, he's the spit-
ting image of the jolly
old elf. He wrote the
book on ho, ho, ho.
Current Master
Bobby Hughes
explains that Mitch
has played the role
for several years at
the lodge's annual
"Pancakes with Santa"
event. He's always a
hit, especially when
he plays the "beard"
card.
John Lawson was in
downtown Waxhaw
just before Christmas
with his parents, Callie
and Tim, and 9-month-old sister, Maggie. He
had been promised a ride on a horse-drawn
carriage. As the family sat on a bench waiting
their turn to ride, John Lawson – no introvert,
this kid – ran up to a woman nearby to show
her his new mittens. A man talking with the
woman invited the family to wait inside the
lodge, where it was
warm and where Santa
was waiting to meet his
tiny fans.
John Lawson was kind
of Santa'd out by this
point, his mom says. But
he went in anyway and
was unusually shy as Santa asked him what he
wanted for Christmas. He didn't trust this guy.
"I know you're not the real Santa. And your
beard's not real," John Lawson told him.
Why, yes it is, said Santa, inviting him to
take a tug. John Lawson pulled, then turned to
his mother, wide-eyed.
e beard was REAL!
He asked shyly if he
could tug his hair. Of
course, Santa replied.
John Lawson tugged;
REAL!
Santa Mitch then
sealed the deal.
Callie suggested her
son thank Santa for
writing him a letter.
Full disclosure: Callie
feeds information
about her kids to
an aunt every year,
and the aunt writes
detailed letters back to
the kids from "Santa."
John Lawson's letter
had arrived that very
afternoon.
Santa Mitch didn't
miss a beat. "Oh,
that came? I was so
worried that it wasn't
going to get to you,"
he said.
e McKenzies,
armed with candy and a
sweet memory, headed
back into the cold a
short while later to get on the carriage. As
they sat, John Lawson rose and announced:
"I knew it! I knew that was the real Santa in
there! ose others were fake!" He then turned
to a little girl on the carriage and advised, "You
It's real! Young John Lawson checks to make sure
Waxhaw Lodge's Santa is the real deal by tugging
on his whiskers.
see SANTA, page 5
