North Carolina Mason
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T h e m i s s i o n o f fr e e m a s o n r y i n no r T h Ca r o l i n a i s T o r a i s e T h e m o r a l, s o C i a l, i n T e l l e C T u a l, a n d s p i r i T u a l C o n s C i e n C e o f s o C i e T y b y T e a C h i n g T h e a n C i e n T a n d e n d u r i n g p h i l o s o p h i C a l
TeneTs
of broTherly love, relief, and TruTh, whiCh are expressed ouTwardly Through serviCe To god, family, CounTry, and self under The faTherhood of god wiThin The broTherhood of man.
The Mason
NORTH CAROLINA
(USPS 598-260) is published bimonthly by e Grand Lodge of AF & AM of North
Carolina, 2921 Glenwood Avenue, Raleigh, NC 27608.
ird class postage paid at Oxford, NC 27565.
POSTMASTER: Send address changes to e North Carolina Mason, School Of Graphic
Arts, Masonic Home for Children, Oxford, NC 27565.
Grand Master
David R. Cash
Board Of Publication
John O. Newman Jr., Chairman
Gary R. Ballance
Don E. Bolden
omas A. Pope Jr.
Hugh K. Terrell Jr.
Editor
Ric Carter
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Page 2 The North Carolina Mason January/February 2009
By Ric Carter
lead without wanting to steal the spotlight,
they follow the rules without being slaves to
them, they are enablers for the best instincts in
their lodges.
Only the very best of secretaries is so hon-
ored. e choice is not made by voting or nomi-
nation, but from the acclamation of those deal-
ing with the lodges and their paperwork. While
lodge masters govern the course of lodges,
lodges depend on effective secretaries to main-
tain a continuity across administrations. Smith's
award reads that it is given, "[f ]or his years of
dedication to the principles of Brotherly Love;
for his exemplification of leadership, rather than
self-interest; for his years of skilled and tireless
labors in service to the Brothers of his lodge; and
for his promotion of the Craft by his personal
example." It is named for Past Grand Secretaries
Charlie Harris who served 1960–1975 and Pete
Dudley who held office 1975–1997.
Ric
Car
ter
photo
Excelsior's Smith named
NC's top secretary
RALEIGH — George Max Smith of Ex-
celsior 261 in Charlotte is the 2008 recipient of
the Harris-Dudley Grand Secretary's Award.
e honor was announced by Grand Secretary
T. Walton Clapp III at Annual Communica-
tion September 19.
Grand Secretary Clapp said, "While Max
has not served in the secretary's chair as long
as some of our recipients, he has long been one
of our 'go to' guys in Charlotte. We never ask
anything of him that does not get done quickly
and well. He's just one of the best. His lodge
work is immaculate."
e Harris-Dudley Grand Secretary's
Award is presented each year to a lodge secre-
tary who has demonstrated extraordinary skills
and dedication to Masonry generally, but more
especially to his lodge. e best secretaries have
a number of skills — they know how to take
care of details, they know how to help others
Grand Master David Cash, GS Award winner Max Smith, and Grand Secretary
Walt Clapp.
Masonic doodling
By Dale Swiggett ©
By Ric Carter
RALEIGH — Last summer, I got
a late night email from Rick Smith, an
old friend and Masonic sparkplug in
Mount Pilot. He's been there for an age
helping in whatever way he can — from
slogging pork and charcoal to teaching
in Wilkerson College.
Rick had been surfing the net late
that night and stumbled across a colo-
nial banknote that bore Joseph Mont-
fort's signature. Montfort was North
Carolina's treasurer before the Revo-
lution. e Grand Lodge of England
appointed Montfort provincial grand
master in 1771. He started several of
our oldest lodges. e banknote was on
Internet auction.
Rick is excited.
I respond that, "Yea, that's cool. Grand
Lodge has no budget for stuff like that."
A few days later, Rick comes back
with, "Well, I won the auction."
After that comes the reality of pre-
serving important history. It's not cheap.
Rick wrote me later, "When you ex-
plained to me at the Carolina Inn on July 11 [at the William
Polk celebration] that no signature of Joesph Montfort exists at
Grand Lodge, while sitting between you and Walter Klein wear-
ing his Montfort Medal, my decison was made then to present
Smith gives Grand Lodge
Montfort bank note
Smith, left, presents Cash with the Montfort not.
this to Grand Lodge. Realizing that we have brothers who are of
financial wealth, but that having stumbled across something that
is significant to the fraternity, please accept the note as my gift."
Smith is seen here, at left, giving the preserved 40 shilling
North Carolina banknote to Grand Master Dave Cash at Annual
Communication in September.
You may now see the note and Montfort's signature beside the
Montfort Commission, the document appointing him "provincial
grand master of and for America," at the Grand Lodge office.
Pig cookers pour smoke
on Caswell Street
RALEIGH — Tom Price knows barbecue, he's a
professional. That's him on the left emerging from a
cloud of pork smoke at a recent Hiram 40 barbecue
sale. Barely visible through in the haze is Ron Page.
Ron's not a pro, but he surely knows his way around
a pig cooker. A couple of times a year, the lodge sells
plates to raise money for Masonic charities.
Ric
Car
ter
photo
Freemasonry and
Generation X
Both the Scottish Rite and the Shrine in
Indianapolis have spent a lot of time ana-
lyzing membership trends. Both have found
that the average age of the Masons joining
these bodies is about 45–48 years old. This
statistic has remained relatively unchanged
for nearly 30 years.
Both also found that, at the time he joined,
the average candidate had been a Mason for an
average of 5–8 years. Age 40 then becomes a key
marketing demographic for the fraternity as this
is the prime time for recruiting candidates.
e World War II generation joined the fra-
ternity in record numbers and provided most of
the active volunteers and leaders of Masonry for
the last 50 years. e next generation, the Baby
Boomers, did not join in significant numbers
and thus began the slow decline in overall mem-
bership that has continued to this day.
Today, we have more members over 80 than
we do under 40. In 2006, the first members of
Generation X will turn 40. If Masonry is to cap-
ture the interest and involvement of Generation
X, now is the time to get started.
Definition of Insanity: Doing the same thing
over and over again expecting different results.
If we rely on the same membership plans and
programs that were so ineffective in attracting
the Baby Boomers, then we will surely fail.
Sociologists have done a lot of research and
found out that Generation X is very different
from their predecessors, the Baby Boomers.
ey are better informed and better educated
than any previous generation. ey are comfort-
able with technology and use it as part of their
everyday activities.
While they are optimistic, Generation Xers
tend to critically evaluate information given to
them. ey are less interested in material wealth,
but place a high value on emotional as well as
financial security.
Using the Internet as a research tool, the
Generation Xers will likely arrive at lodge al-
ready knowing more about certain aspects of the
fraternity than many of our members do. ey
will expect the lodge to use technology and the
Internet to communicate with its members. ey
are more likely to be interested in video games
than traditional card games.
While there is a lot that we do not know
about how to interest Generation X in Freema-
sonry, this much is certain: Generation X will
determine the future of Freemasonry.
Freemasonry needs to learn how to attract
new members. e future of our fraternity de-
pends on it. Good men will always seek Masonic
light, but it is up to us to illuminate the pathway
to the door of the lodge.
Michael A. Moxley is co-editor of the Indiana
Freemason.
Do Masons passing through your hometown know
when and where they can find a lodge meeting?
By Michael A. Moxley
Ric
Car
ter
photos
In accordance with the recently approved revision to Code Regulation 29.9-5 effective January
1, 2009, the Board of Custodians has decided to require only one School of Instruction per year
during the period that the five-hour mandatory Lecture Service is being required. Odd numbered
lodges are required to have their five-hour Lecture Service in 2009. Even numbered lodges were
lectured in 2008.
e Board also decided to require the cycle of the five-hour Lecture Services to continue through
2011. at means all even numbered lodges will be required to have their next five-hour service in
2010. Odd numbered lodges will be required to have their second required service during 2011.
e reinstated Lecture Service rules and guidelines may be found on the Grand Lodge website at