Page Two
The North Carolina Mason
March, 1971
Traveling with the
GRAND MASTER
(Continued from Page One)
Jones, Lucas L. Lee, Dr. John P. Gore.
Ray Rex and many, many others that I
do not have the time nor space to list
The next day, Saturday, December
12, 1970,1 drove to Raleigh, N.C., where
we attended a Grand Officers Confer
ence of the Grand York Rite Bodies of
N.C., after which we drove back to
North Wilkesboro.
On Tuesday night, December 15,
1970, W.'.Brother Bill Owen and I
drove to Greensboro, N.C. to install the
Officers of the following Lodges:
Greensboro No. 76; Corinthian No. 542;
Guilford No. 656; Gate City No. 694;
and P. P. Turner No. 746. W.'.Brother
Charles C. Murr, Master, the officers
and brethren of Guilford Lodge No. 656
were the hosts. They are to be commend
ed for the excellent planning and ar
rangements for this outstanding meet-
ing.
Following the meeting in Greensboro
I had promised my good Wife and Son
who arrived home for the Christmas
Holidays from Chapel Hill, I would re
main in North Wilkesboro for the re
mainder of the month of December. You
know this was the first week-end that
I had been with my family since way
back on July 4th. It seemed real good to
take things easy for about 10 days. We
did have a wonderful Christmas Season
and we sincerely hope that all of you did
also.
On Wednesday evening, December
30, 1970, Steve, Bill Owen and I drove
to Raleigh, N.C. to be present at the con
ferral of the Third Degree on Hampton
Casebolt, the son of my good friend
Hiram J. Casebolt. As you know Hiram
is also Grand Marshal of the Grant
Lodge.
On Monday evening, January 4, 1971
W.'.Brother Bill Owen and I drove to
Raleigh, North Carolina. We stopped hy
the Grand Lodge Building and picked
up W.‘.Brother Robert P. Dudley, Asst,
to the Grand Secretary and then on to
Greenville No. 284; Farmville No. 517;
Crown Point No. 708; and Wm. Pitt No.
743. Greenville Lodge No. 284 was the
host Lodge and W.‘.Brother R.R. Ross,
Master, the officers and brethren hac
planned and arranged a delightful ban
quet and program suitable for the oc
casion. W.'.Brother Edward D. Austin,
Secretary of Greenville No. 284 hac
heard me remark how much I enjoyec
Eastern North Carolina barbecue anc
Brunswick Stew so Ed really took care
of me on this occasion. I ate to mj'
hearts content. It was good to see my
long time friend and fellow Grand
Lodge Officer, M.'.W.'.James W. Brew
er, P.G.M,, Grand Treasurer. This was
a real pleasure for me to be in Green
ville again, however, I cannot express
in words what a big void we have in this
fine city because of the death of our
good friend and Brother, M.'.W.'.
Brother William J. Bundy, P.G.M.
There shall always be a warm and ten
der spot in my heart for him. We re
turned home that same night from
Greenville arriving in North Wilkesboro
at 3 :00 a.m. Tuesday morning as I had
:o be in my office early that day.
On Saturday, January 9, 1971, I drove
:o Greensboro, North Carolina, for
an Executive Committee Meeting of the
Masonic & Eastern Star Home. The
meeting was quite lengthy as this was
.he time of year that we had to prepare
;he Annual Budget. We did have a busy
3ut fruitful meeting and everyone was
able to get away by mid-afternoon.
On Saturday night, January 9, 1971
several of the brethren and I drove to
Lenoir, N.C. for the regular quarterb
meeting of Triangular Council No. 45,
A.M.D. The meeting was well attended
with only three of our members absent
due to illness.
On Monday night January 11, 1971, I
installed the officers of the four lodges
In my home county with my own lodge,
Wilkesboro No. 407, acting as host
Lodge. An excellent steak dinner was
served at 6:30 p.m. after which every
one retired to the Lodge Room where in
open meeting (a first time) I installed
the Officers of the following Lodges:
Liberty No. 45, W.‘.Brother John W.
Cranor as Master; North Wilkesboro
No. 407, W.‘.Brother William F. Owen,
Jr., as Master; Traphill No. 473, W.'.
Brother Lundy Holbrook as Master;
and Mt. Pleasant No. 573, W.'. Broth
er Bobby Triplett as Master. As stat
ed above this was the first time all the
lodge officers in Wilkes County had
been installed in Office at one and the
same time. Needless to say the Temple
was overflowing with the families and
friends of the Brethren. We were bless
ed with the largest crowd in the historj
of North Wilkesboro Lodge and we are
sorry to state that we could not provide
seats for all those present as almost as
many had to stand as were seated. Nat
urally I was quite elated to see this
large crowd in attendance.
On Friday, January 15, 1971 I motor
ed to. Raleigh, N.C. for the regular
Quarterly Board Meetings. The meet
ings were well planned and arranged
thanks to our very efficient Grand Sec
retary, M.'.W.‘.Brother C. A. Harris, P.
G.M., W.‘.Brother R. Pete Dudley, Asst
to the Grand Secretary, and their fine
staff. All meetings were well attended
by the committee members and we fin
ished on schedule by noon Saturday the
16th.
At 2:30 p.m., Saturday, January 16
we had a “First” in North Carolina
a meeting on “Unity” which involved
all Masonic and Masonic related Bodies
in our State. The Theme used—OUR
MASONIC IMAGE. It was an unusual
program but outstanding in every wa)»
as the Blue Lodge, Scottish and York
Rite, Shrine, and DeMolay were repre
sented by capable speakers. The climax
of the program was a dynamic ad
dress by Ill. and M.'.W.‘.Brother Henry
C. Clausen, Sovereign Grand Com
mander, The Supreme Council, 33°, An
cient and Accepted Scottish Rite of
Freemasonry, Southern Jurisdiction. I
do not have the time and space needed
to write an adequate article on this
meeting. A detailed report appeared in
the January issue of The North Caroli
na Mason. If this program can con
tinue with the Education Program
which has already been adopted by our
Grand Lodge, I honestly believe the
growth during the decade of the 70’s
will be the greatest in the history of our
existence. So, my Brethren the ground
work and/or pattern has been laid—
let’s make it become a reality by work
ing together in “UNITY”.
On Wednesday, January 20, 1970 at
2:30 p.m., an Emergent Communication
of the Grand Lodge was called for the
purpose of Dedicating a Commemora
tive Stone for Harmon Lodge No.’ 420,
R.F.D. No. 3, Yadkinville, N.C. I was
accompanied to Harmon Lodge by W. .
Bro. Bill Owen Master of my lodge.
North Wilkesboro No. 407 and W.‘.
Brother C. Allen Laymon, Grand Chap
lain of the Grand Lodge and my Pastor.
We were met there by M.'.W.‘.Brother
Charles A Harris, P.G.M., Grand Sec
retary and W.‘.Brother Robert P. Dud
ley, Asst, to the Grand Secretary. W.‘.
Brother Arthur C. Spillman, Master,
the officers, and brethren of Harmon
Lodge No. 420 are to be commended for
their beautiful new Temple. It is a credit
to their community and to Masonry.
On Friday, January 22, 1971 Pat and
I left Charlotte to attend the Win
ter Ceremonial of Oasis Temple. As this
was the first Ceremonial of the New
Year it is the time to change the Guard,
i.e. Ill.'.W. Edward Burner surrender
ing the Gavel of Authority to Ill.'. Wil
liam D. Whitaker. As usual the “Red
Carpet” was rolled out for Pat and me.
No Grand Master could receive finer
treatment than I have by the two fine
Shrine Temples in North Carolina.
Their spirit of cooperation towards
reaching our goal of “Unity” among all
Masonic and Masonic related Bodies
has been as complete as I could ask.
On Saturday, January 30, 1971, Pat
and I left North Wilkesboro at 7:30 a.ni-
for Greensboro N. C. to attend the
quarterly Board meeting of the Masonic
& Eastern Star Home. Troy G. Robbins,
Supt. and W. K. Price, Business Mgi’-
had prepared their reports and records
(Continued on Page Four)