The North Carolina Mason

Page 8 The North Carolina Mason November/December 2012 By Ric Carter OXFORD ��� In the second year of the revival of Masonry���s gathering at the Masonic Home for Children, crowds here were modest but spirited. More than 2,000 people attended Masonic Homecoming October 13 to enjoy the parade and music and great fellowship. The weather was perfect. Last year, our historic St. John���s Day Masonic gathering was revived by then Grand Master Lewis Ledford and the Masonic Home for Children. We moved the celebration���s weekend to October to combine it with the Home���s Alumni Homecoming. While there were numerous attractions during the weekend-long occasion, there were three major events: the Barbecue Cook-Off, the Shrine Parade, and the musical entertainment. On Friday night, the barbecue teams gathered and began their slow-cook preparations for Saturday���s lunch and judging. While their work proceeded, the Brunswick Stew Crew from Andrew Jackson 576 brought a couple of their monster-pot cookers to feed the barbecue contestants the lodge���s famous stew. The chefs and their crews were entertained by David Quick of Columbus 102 and his Hot Mess Band. The contest fed more than 1,500 in the Pit on Saturday. The pit is a large circle of cookers under the oaks of the Home campus. A ten-dollar wrist band got you in the circle to sample all the chicken and pork you could hold. David Sawyer chaired the cook-off. First and second place overall winners this year were out-ofstate teams: First went to Virginia���s Spurmont 98, and Second PAID OXFORD, NC 27565 PERMIT NO. 56 In this issue of The NC Mason NON-PROFIT ORG. AUTO U.S. POSTAGE see HOMECOMING, page 5 Ric Car ter photos Masons enjoy Homecoming NORTH CAROLINA The Mason page 1 Grand Lodge celebrated 225 years of making Masons page 1 Dewey Preslar installed as grand master NC Masonry 225 years old page 3 On the cover Christopher Armitage portrayed William R. Davie during the Grand Lodge 225th birthday celebration. Ric Carter photo CHANGE SERVICE REQUESTED Masons join in Homecoming at the Home for Children The Grand Lodge of North Carolina, AF&AM 600 College Street Oxford, North Carolina 27565 page 8 The North Carolina Mason News from lodges around North Carolina Grand Master Preslar installed Masonic Homecoming in Oxford NOV/DEC 2012

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