May, 1970
The North Carolina Mason
Page Three
Education Program
Off To Great Start
At the one hundred eighty-third
Annual Communication of the Grand
Lodge of Ancient, Free and Accepted
Masons of North Carolina, Grand
Master Walsh announced the inaugura
tion of a new and revolutionary Ma
sonic Education Program. Never before
has any program of the Grand Lodge
been received and endorsed with such
enthusiasm as has this new concept of
Masonic Education.
The Grand Lodge Committee on Ma
sonic Area Education, headed by M.‘.
W.'.Brother Robert L. Pugh has pre
pared a very comprehensive folder of
material to be used by the D.D.G.M.s, D.
D.G.L.s, Masters and Wardens in imple
menting this program. This folder con
tains all the information necessary to
carry out a successful program of Ma
sonic Education both for the newly
raised Masons as well as for our older
members.
Two of these area conferences sched
uled for the month of May have been
held in Greenville and Winston-Salem.
At these meetings the D.D.G.M.s, the
D.D.G.L.’s and the D.E.C.’s received
their Education Manual, and were given
comprehensive instructions on how to
use the material and carry the program
back to their lodges. Attendance at
these meetings has been almost 100%
of those invited.
The District Education Chairman,
with the aid of the D.D.G.M.’s and D.D
G.L.’s will now schedule District Work
shops in their districts, at which time
they will explain the program to the
Masters and Wardens.
It is to be emphasized that the new
Education Program is in no way to in
terfere with the ritual, but rather that
it is to compliment the ritual by bring
ing about a better understanding of the
moral and spiritual applications of the
several degrees.
The Grand Lodge Education Com
mittee has developed a program consist
ing of four goals to be accomplished by
each lodge. These goals are as follows:
1. Participate in “The Counselor Pro
gram”, based upon the “Lodge System
of Masonic Education.” This is a com
prehensive program that continues to
meet with candidates from the time of
their election to at least a year after the
candidate has been raised.
2. Advancing to the East—A training
program for leadership and service per
sonnel in the lodges.
3. Well planned programs. Each lodge
to have a minimum of four programs
during the year in addition to the regu
lar business and conferring of the de
grees. (It is suggested that at least one
of these be an open meeting.)
4. Grand Masters’ Award. It is hoped 1
From The Grand Master
(Continued from Page One)
must increase and strengthen all of
them. They must be allowed to thrive
and grow.
Patriotism: Rededicate our lives to
God and Country, respect for law and
order—support for our elected officials
at all levels of Government. We can and
must do this by standing up and speak
ing out on the vital issues of the day.
Then, when the Flag of our Great Coun
try comes by we can proudly stand erect,
salute it and feel the tingle play up and
down our spine. May our efforts be as
great, if not greater than our forefa
thers. If they are, then we are perform
ing as Men and as Masons.
Now the most important part of our
program—The Masonic Education Pro
gram.
The Masonic Education Program is
off to a wonderful start and I will have
more to say next month about the con
ferences, meetings and workshops rela
tive to it. My reason for not saying more
—I hope to have all our Area Confer
ences behind us and at the time I am
preparing this article we have not had
any of them. This year we will not have
District Meetings. They will be replaced
by “Area Conferences”, “District Con
ferences”, and District Workshops”—
with tremendous emphasis placed on
Ma.sonic Education at the Blue Lodge
level.
Let’s begin our new Masonic Year
with a Prayer:
0 God, as we face the tasks to be ac
complished this year, we pray you in
spire us with new vision of new levels
of understanding. Make us great in de
votion to truth gallant in our desire for
honor, and gentle in our dedication to
good will. Make us tall for these trying
times, make us strong against pomp and
power, make us of the dimension to keep
rashness from our speech, and hastiness
from our conduct. Give us persistent
courage and creative determination that
we may all share in the Glory of Accom
plishment. Humbly we make our Prayer,
“As Men and as Masons.”—Amen
Maurice E. Walsh
Grand Master
that all lodges will become eligible to
receive this award, by completing all
requirements as set forth by the Grand
Lodge.
This new concept of Masonic Educa
tion in North Carolina should bring a
renewed vigor and interest to all lodges
in this Grand Jurisdiction.
A forgiveness ought to be like a can
celled note, torn in too and burned up
so that it can never be shown against
the man. Forgiveness should be so total
as to be as though it never happened in
the first place.
Grand Lodge Holds 183rd
Annual Communication
(Continued from Page One)
Featured speaker at the banquet was
Rev. Ernest K. Emurian of Arlington,
Va.
The first order of business on
Wednesday morning was the address
of the Grand Orator, M.'.W.'.Brother
William J. Bundy, P.G.M. (This out
standing speech will be published in
the June N. C. Mason.)
During the election of officers, the
following were elected to serve the
Grand Lodge of North Carolina for
1970-71:
M.'.W.'.Maurice E. Walsh, Grand
Master; R.'.W.'.William W. Mims, Jr.,
Deputy Grpd Master; R.'.W.'.Berl M.
Kahn, Senior Grand Warden; R.'.W.'.
Nathaniel C. Dean, Junior Grand War
den; M.'.W.'.James W. Brewer, P.G.M.,
Grand Treasurer; and M.'.W.'.Charles
A. Harris, P.G.M., Grand Secretary.
The Grand Master-elect, M.'.W.'.
Brother Walsh announced his appoint
ments as follows:
W.'.William L. Mills, Jr., Senior
Grand Deacon; W.'.S. Frank Noble, Jr.,
Junior Grand Deacon; W.'.Hirma J.
Casebolt, Grand Marshal; W.'.Leslie H.
Garner, Grand Steward; W.'.J. Earl
Watson, Grand Steward; W.'.Fred F.
Harding, Grand Tyler; W.'.C. Allen
Laymon, Grand Chaplain; W.'.A. D.
Leon Gray, Asst. Grand Chaplain; W.'.
Troy G. Robbins, Asst. Grand Chaplain;
W. .Richard G. Shinkle, Asst. Grand
Chaplain; M.'.W.'.James G. Johnston,
P.(j.M., Grand Historian; W. James E.
Spicer, Grand Lecturer; W.'.Hargrove
Bowles, Jr., Grand Orator; and W.'.
Emery B. Denny, Judge Advocate.
Honorary memberships in the Grand
Lodge of North Carolina were present
ed to: W.'.Brother Gordon L. Butler,
former member of Andrews Lodge No.
529, Andrews, N. C., P.D.D.G.M., who
now resides in Florida, and M.'.W.'.
Samuel W. McIntosh, P.G.M., District
of Columbia, Executive Secretary of
the Grand Masters’ Conference of North
America.
The Joseph Montfort Medal, the high
est avyard of the Grand Lodge of North
Carolina was presented to M.'.W.'.
Brother Arnold J. Koonce, Sr., P.G.M.,
a member of Hiram Lodge No. 716,
High Point, North Carolina; and W.'.
Brother Robert P. Dudley, P.M., Cleve
land Lodge No. 202, Shelby, North Car
olina.
On Wednesday evening a crowd of
over 200 assembled for the impressive
installation of Grand Lodge Officers.
Included in the crowd was a large dele
gation from North Wilkesboro, the
home of Grand Master Walsh.
Immediately following the installa
tion a reception honoring Grand Master
Walsh was given at the Durham Hotel.