The North Carolina Mason

NORTH CAROLINA The Mason Official Publication of The Grand Lodge of Ancient, Free and Accepted Masons of North Carolina Volume 137 Number 6 Oxford, North Carolina November/December 2012 Preslar installed as grand master Ric Car ter photo By Ric Carter SALISBURY ��� On Saturday, December 1, in a ceremony repeated many times in the history of our state, Dewey Ralph Preslar Jr. became the 160th man in our 225-year history to serve as grand master of Masons in North Carolina. He and his officers were installed at a 11:00 a.m. gathering here in the Norvell Theater. Preslar���s line journey began when he was appointed grand steward by Graham W. Pervier shortly after he was elected grand master in 2004. Past Grand Master Pervier, now as installing officer, was again there to assist his appointee in beginning the final steps in his path along the Grand Lodge line. Pervier and Salisbury Mayor Paul Woodson welcomed more than 300 guests to the ceremony. The color guard of the Heroes of ���76, Camp Lejeune Chapter 329 of the National Sojourners presented the colors. Preslar���s granddaughter Berkley Koontz led the Pledge of Allegiance. Music for the occasion was played by Joe Gminder on guitar and Greg Pannell on violin. As Preslar knelt at the altar, Installing Chaplain Cash offered a prayer for the beginning of his endeavor. The ceremony was very similar to the one you have likely seen in your own lodge. All the officers took an oath to serve his office and the Grand Lodge well. Each was then charged and presented the apron and jewel of his office. Past Grand Master Lester Martin presented the grand master���s apron. The Grand Lodge officers installed were Grand Master Dewey R. Preslar Jr. (Andrew Jackson 576), Deputy Grand Master Dalton W. Mayo (Hiram 98), Senior Grand Warden Douglas L. Caudle (States- see INSTALLATION, page 4 Our new grand master master there in 1993. He is chairman of the Board of Directors for the Rowan County Masonic Scholarship Fund and past district deputy grand master of the old 44th Masonic District. He is a York Rite and Scottish Rite (33��) Mason and a member of many of their honors organizations. He is a member of Oasis Shrine. He has served in many offices and capacities for the organizations. Preslar has served the Grand Lodge in many capacities both before and after his appointment to line by then Grand Master Graham W. Pervier in 2005. He has, among other duties, been a member of the Board of General Purposes, Committee on Masonic Jurisprudence, Committee on Finance, and our Grand Lodge representative to both the George Washington National Masonic Memorial and the Masonic Service Association. He was on the Board of Directors of the Masonic and Eastern Star Home (WhiteStone) and was president of the Board of Directors of the Masonic Home for Children at Oxford. Grand Master Dewey R. Preslar Jr. appointed Paul Shaun Bradshaw as grand steward shortly after his election in September. Bradshaw becomes the junior man in the progressive line to become grand master of North Carolina. Bradshaw was born on February 26, 1971 in Fayetteville, North Carolina to Deborah E. Bradshaw and Ronald W. Davis and was raised in Clinton by his grandmother, Lois S. Bradshaw. Shaun attended the University of North Carolina at Greensboro where he received a Bachelor of Science in Information Systems in 1993. Shaun studied martial arts from the time he was 14 and achieved a third degree black belt in 1996. Shaun now makes Greensboro his home with his wife, Sharon, and two children ��� 16-yearold Graham and 14-year-old Brantleigh. Shaun and family are members of Guilford College United Methodist Church. In 2009, Shaun left his position as director of consulting services at Questcon Technologies and, with the help of two business Ric Car ter photo On December 1, 2012, Dewey R. Preslar Jr. was installed as grand master of the Ancient, Free and Accepted Masons of North Carolina. He is the 160th man to hold the office. His installation followed his election to the office at our Annual Communication in September. Preslar was born January 21, 1955 in Wadesboro, North Carolina to Dewey R. and Geraldine Carter Preslar. He lives in Salisbury with his wife Terrie where they are members of St. Paul���s Episcopal Church. They have two children and two grandchildren. The Wingate College graduate and former vice president of a southeastern grocery chain is currently owner and president of Preslar Risk Services, Inc., a risk management consulting firm and executive director for the North Carolina Self-Insurance Security Association. In his community, Preslar has served in many capacities including as a member of the vestry and convention delegate of his church, as officer of Little League and Pee Wee coach, account manager for United Way campaign, and president and area governor for Toastmasters. He is a recipient of the Distinguished Toastmaster recognition. Preslar is a member of Andrew Jackson 576, and Orphans 761. He received his degrees in Andrew Jackson Lodge in 1988 and served as Bradshaw new steward see BRADSHAW, page 4 Ric Car ter photo Grand Lodge celebrates 225 Designs th By Ric Carter RALEIGH ��� Happy birthday, Brothers! On December 12, your Grand Lodge turned 225 years old. Our first chartered lodge dates from 1755, and by the time the Revolution was over, we had about a dozen lodges operating in the state. They originated from a number of grand lodges. Those lodges held a convention in Tarboro (where the North Carolina legislature was meeting) in December 1787. On December 12, they agreed to form the Grand Lodge of Ancient, Free and Accepted Masons of North Carolina. We���ve been a beacon of Freemasonry in NC since. Our celebration of that birthday was held at the Grand Lodge headquarters here November 3. About 300 people attended during the day-long event. The party began at 10:00 in the morning and went on to 4:00 that afternoon. Historical presentations featured the history of our three headquarters homes, and a presentation on the Belltower at NC State University. Many of the treasures from our archive were on see 225th, page 6 upon our trestle board A breakthrough in thinking By Dewey R. Preslar Jr. Grand Master Brethren, first of all, I am truly honored and humbled by the whole experience of being appointed to the Grand Line eight years ago. And, then, on September 22, I was elected by the delegates at the Annual Communication as your grand master. During Annual Communication, I reflected upon my journey��� I am a third generation Mason and quite proud of my father joining me on the stage that day. I want to thank you for the privilege of serving you, the Masons of North Carolina. There are so many other people that I would like to thank and recognize, as well as those who have whispered good counsel in my ear. I can���t thank them all, as we would have to print a book instead of this article. Please grant me this indulgence to recognize a few. First, to my father and grandfather whom, as Masons, are and were a tremendous influence in my life; to the members of my home lodge, Andrew Jackson 576, particularly the three other Ds; to my Masonic father, Graham Pervier, who appointed me to the grand line; to Tommy Eller, who had the faith in a poor country boy from Stanly County that he some day might make something of himself; to past and current grand officers, whom I truly consider great friends, Brothers, and family; and last of all, to my family, especially my bride of almost 35 years, Terrie, who has put up with me these many years. Truly, without her, I couldn���t be where I find myself standing today. My Brethren, we have been taught to subdue our passions and improve ourselves in Masonry. However, I am going to ask you not to subdue your passion for our beloved fraternity. Our passion for all that is good, kind, and charitable will serve our fraternity, and, in my opinion, can cause a different outcome for our future ��� a positive turn in membership and an increase in our fundraising activities to benefit our charities. We know that together we can best work and best agree. It is my belief that through an increase in our fundraising efforts, we will produce an outcome that not only supports our charities, but also causes an increase in fellowship. As I have often told others, if you do this for the fellowship, the charity will take care of itself. Our passion for Masonry will cause something for us that might not exist today. I submit for your consideration that through your passion, the fellowship and participation will increase, and a new reality will be an outcome of our actions. We will need to cause a breakthrough in our thinking. We will need to create a desire to enroll, engage, and enlist others in support of our cause. Business as usual will not produce the desired outcome for us. So, my Brethren, we will need to draw designs upon our trestle boards. I have shared information related to our fundraisers with our DDGMs and DDGLs and have asked that they share it with the lodges in their districts. By now you should have heard something about my passion and thoughts for producing a different outcome in our Masonry. I want to thank you if your lodge is already doing a fundraiser. To all of you, ask yourself if your lodge could do more. If your lodge isn���t doing a fundraiser, please ask yourself, isn���t it about time to do so? So, Brethren, dust off your trestle boards and start drawing your plans. Create a plan that you can implement, execute, and be accountable. Create a passion for the success of Masonry in your lodge, district, state, and the world. Together, we will cause a breakthrough that will continue to bring us from darkness to light. I ask that we all own and deliver our Masonry. This the perfect season to get started. Again, I thank you my Brethren for your confidence, trust, and support in me. Finally, I wish for you and yours a joyous and a happy holiday season and a very prosperous 2013.

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