The North Carolina Mason

festivals and banquets would be "tainted" by the establishment of an organization founded to be "fun." Such was the stigma of Masonic fellowship. In the 1870s and 1880s, Freemasonry's most important festivals were absorbed into other functions. The Feast of St. John the Evangelist was eclipsed by the growing Christmas holiday that temperate evangelicals promoted as a family-centric gathering. The Feast of St. John the Baptist was incorporated into a series of regular statewide picnics, the most famous being what we knew as "Homecoming" at the Masonic Home for Children at Oxford – largely a public picnic and parade. Yet, all things change. All things are cyclical. In 2010, MHCO shifted its Homecoming from the heat of June to the cool, crisp days of October. And, while alcohol's "ritualistic use" was always permitted, at least since the Code of 1948, the stigma of banquets and alcohol remained potent. Yet, several lodges, such as Sophia Lodge at Salisbury, began hosting "Harmonies," or dinners outside lodge buildings where members could socialize and enjoy dinner and wine, song and fellowship outside the "stuffiness" of a lodge hall. Interest continued to grow, and old Masonic laws governing alcohol and even dining use in lodges were relaxed. The ancient records of the fraternity were read and re-read, and some other ancient texts, such as North Carolina's 1805 Ahiam Rezon, cited the Feast of St. John to be one of North Carolina's oldest and most important festive days. With the repeal of several outdated Masonic laws, Grand Master Kevan Frazier ordered the Feast of St. John the Baptist to take place on June 23, 2023. After much research and review, the Grand Master, much like Grand Master Caswell did in 1789, opened Grand Lodge, conducted some brief business, and closed the Grand Lodge. He then moved into a fraternal welcome and introduction of a long-lost North Carolina Masonic tradition, where friendship and brotherhood was celebrated, philosophy expounded upon, songs sung, and toasts made to the health of our nation, our state, and our friends. His pronouncement to those in attendance was much like the theme proposed in 1717: "What's next? And, where does Freemasonry go from here?" 20 | T H E M A S O N M AGA Z I N E

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