The North Carolina Mason

Page 6 The North Carolina Mason July/August 2015 see next page If your lodge has a newsletter for its members, make sure The North Carolina Mason is on your mailing list. Lodge newsletters are a major source of news from Masons around the state. If you don't have one, think about starting one. Newsletters are a good way to keep your members active, happy, and informed. By Ric Carter traveling the tarheel state news From our lodges High Point Acacia 674 is planning a bus trip to Washington, DC October 3–5. ey'll be visiting several Masonic landmarks including Mount Vernon, the Scottish Rite's House of the Temple, and the George Washing- ton National Memorial. ey'll also see the standard memorial attractions. Prices for the trip range from $215 to $439 depending on accommodations. Contact Dan Smith or Joe Honeycutt for details. — e Word Numa F. Reid 344 is handing out service awards. Dale Harlow Guthrie and George William Lowe are set for their Diamond Jubilees for 60 years member- ship. Bruce Simmons, David Watts Petree, and Wil- liam Horace McKinney are getting Veteran's Emblems for their 50 years in the lodge. Reid Lodge was planning a hamburger and hot dog family cookout for July 18. — e Word Conover Estimates for planned improvements to Conover 709 were set at $17,000. e plans include replacing the carpet and renovation of the dining hall. ey are soliciting their membership for donations to the cause as well as funding eventual replacement of the heating and air conditioning system. On May 16, Conover Lodge was holding their an- nual fundraiser. ey sell food at the Antique Tractor Show and Tractor Pull at the Catawba County Fair Grounds. ey made $2,000 at the event last year. — Conover Lodge News Jacksonville Semper Fidelis 680 is using a call committee this year. One of its successes has been in getting some members back to their monthly breakfasts. ey held a Valentine Dinner featuring spaghetti to honor the ladies. e lodge Relay for Life project raised $1,400 for cancer research. Grand Master Doug Caudle presented Gordon Crossman his Diamond Jubilee on April 27 to honor his 60 years as a Mason. — Trestle Board Cleveland Scotch Ireland 154 called a May 9 work day to assemble and install the new chairs lodge members have purchased. A large plaque is being made to hon- or the donors. Other work committees are focused on some other projects. ey've started a roof fund. Another group is working on the back porch they added a couple of years ago. Gene Myers has donated two padded seats to the lodge. — Newsletter Winston-Salem Winston 167 is having a big fundraiser raffle for the Masonic Home for Children in Oxford. A five-dollar ticket gets you chances at a number of great prizes in- cluding a rifle, a Carolina Panthers shadowbox, a wine tasting at a local vineyard, club seats for a Wake For- est University football game, rounds of golf at Heather Hills, free dinners, and gift cards to area businesses. — Matthew Shelton e Bikes for Books program Old Town 751 has sponsored for some years continues to grow. Eight bikes were awarded this year, two each at Rural Hall, Gibson, Old Town, and Old Richmond elementary schools. ey have given away 58 bicycles since the first in 2009. ey are discussing adding even more schools. ey are getting the prizes on display earlier to make sure the teachers have the ammunition to en- courage the kids to read more. During the summer's Bethania Craft Fair, Old Town Lodge set up an information booth. While the booth was simply to give people information about the fraternity, they did pick up a few donations to our charities. Old Town's senior past master was pulled out of "retirement" to work the second section of a Master Mason Degree earlier this year. Planning for the lodge's fall raffle coming up in No- vember is beginning. — On the Level at Old Town Lodge Fayetteville Creasy Proctor 679 held a Rusty Nail Degree June 2. For those of you who have not heard of it, the Rusty Nail is a program for Masons who have long been away from lodge and wish to become active again. ey may have forgotten protocol or even passes and signs. e Rusty Nail review reacquaints them with the basics of getting through a meeting. — Derec Mercer Proctor Lodge was also having their Fifth ursday Dinner Club on June 30. ey were serving steaks and having their rifle raffle that night. — 17 th Masonic District Phoenix 8 held their Annual Family Picnic May 29. — 17 th Masonic District Fort Bragg 667 moved in May. After years of prob- lems involved with an unauthorized building project, they have finally sold their building, retiring their debt. ey are now meeting on second Wednesdays at Phoenix 8's historic building. Several members and friends helped them pack up their possessions to move them on May 9. — 17 th Masonic District Hope Mills On June 20, Lebanon 391 helped a neighbor clear a lot to prevent incurring a city fine. ey tore down an old building and piled up the refuse for easier disposal. e lodge's sixth annual golf tournament was set for May 30 at Gates Four Golf and Country Club. Grab bags, door prizes, pro shop discount, and unlimited range balls were included. Lebanon Lodge held a 30/30 gun raffle in June. A $30 ticket got you 30 chances over 30 days. Proceeds are for our Home for Children, Warrior 360, local teachers, and the Daniel Decrisco Memorial Scholar- ship. Lebanon 391's degree team won the Entered Ap- prentice ritual contest in Greensboro on June 13. — 17 th Masonic District

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