Page Four
The North Carolina Mason
November, 1971
TRB KORTH CAROLINA MASON
Published once a month by the Grand Lodge of
A. F. & A. M. of North Carolina. Successor to The
Orphans’ Friend and Masonic Journal.
BOARD OF PUBLICATION OF
THE NORTH CAROLINA MASON
WILLIAM E. FULMER, P.M., Chairman
ALFRED A. KAFER, JR., P.G.M.
W. EDWARD BURRIER, P.G.M.
ROBERT L. PUGH, P, G. M., Managing Director
SAM A. HENNIS, JR., P.G.M.
Second class postage paid at Oxford, N. C. 27565
POSTMASTER Please send P.O. FORM 3579 to:
THE NORTH CAROLINA MASON
Oxford Orphanage Printing Department
Oxford, North Carolina 27565
REYNOLD S. DAVENPORT, Editor
P.O. Box 516
Jacksonville, North Carolina 28540
News items, pictures, inquiries, comments, and
other correspondence should be addressed to:
REYNOLD S. DAVENPORT, Editor
P. O. Box 516
JacksonvlUe, North Carolina 28540
Please enclose $7.50 with each picture submitted
for publication. Pictures should be taken in black
and white and should be of quality suitable for re
production.
Address changes should be addressed to:
'THE NORTH CAROLINA MASON
Oxford Orphanage Printing Department
Oxford. North Carolina 27565
OFFICERS OF THE GRAND LODGE OF
A F. Ac A. M. OF NORTH CAROLINA
WILLIAM W. MIMS, JR. Grand Master
1007 Johnston Building, Charlotte 28202
BERL M. KAHN Deputy Grand Master
Box 780, Goldsboro 27530
NATHANIEL C. DEAN Senior Grand Warden
Box 351, Norwood 28128
WILLIAM L. MILLS, JR. Junior Grand Warden
Box 368, Concord 28025
JAMES W. BREWER Grand Treasurer
P.O. Box 1666, Greenville 27834
CHARLES A. HARRIS Grand Secretary
P.O. Box 6506, Raleigh 27608
S. FRANK NOBLE, JR. Senior Grand Deacon
310 Ave. A, New Bern 28560
HIRAM J. CASEBOLT Junior Grand Deacon
107 Longview Lake Drive, Raleigh 27610
LESLIE H. GARNER Grand Marshal
P.O. Box 1446, Greenville 27834
J. EARL WATSON Grand Steward
P.O. Box 588, Mt. Airy 27030
JACOB C. GOODMAN, JR. Grand Steward
3808 Flowerfield Rd., Charlotte 28210
FRED F. HARDING Grand Tyler
Barmettler Street, Raleigh 27607
RICHARD D. SHINKLE Grand Chaplain
Rt. 2 Box 566, Beaufort 28516
A. D. LEON GRAY Asst. Grand Chaplain
Oxford Orphanage, Oxford 27565
raOY G. ROBBINS Asst. Grand Chaplain
Masonic & Eastern Star Home, Greensboro 27402
JAMES G. JOHNSTON Grand Historian
7609 Glencannon Dr., Charlotte 28212
JAMES E. SPICER, C. L. Grand Lecturer
Box nil, N. Wilkesboro 28659
W. EDWARD BURRIER,^ Grand Orator
P.O, Box 1228, Charlotte 28201
WILLIAM T. HATCH Judge Advocate
327 Hillsborough St., Raleigh
The Faithful Secretary
TOLERANCE
“The act, practice, or habit of tolerating; the
quality of being tolerant; specifically, the dis
position to tolerate, or allow the existence of,
beliefs, practices, or habits differing from one’s
own; now often, freedom from bigotory; sym
pathetic understanding of others’ beliefs, etc.,
without acceptance of them . . . ’’
Thus Webster defines tolerance.
Tolerance is so necessary to the practice of
Masonry that without it Masonry as we know
and cherish it could not survive for even a
brief period. In no other organization of men
can there be found a purer practice of toler
ance than is present in Masonry.
Masons come from every God-loving faith,
from every profession, from every political
persuasion, from every walk of life, and join
together in a unique Brotherhood of Man
which acknowledges belief and trujst in one
God, supreme over everything.
In an ordinary lodge meeting may be found
members of opposing political parties or fac
tions, competitors in business, proponents of
many differing religions, and, as the ritual
tells us, “the high and low, the rich and poor.”
If Masons of so many divergent beliefs and
practices and opinions can meet on the level
and act on the square, then so can men every
where.
The Constitution of the United States and
the Declaration of Independence were not
forged by men who were of the same opinion
on every subject, but by men who were toler
ant. These great documents could not have
been born out of intolerance. In any under
taking in which two or more participate there
can be no good result unless tolerance is prac
ticed by the participants.
We do not have to adopt another’s beliefs
in order to respect his right to them; we need
not condemn another’s opinions because we
do not share them. No mortal was ever right
about everything, and no mortal was ever
wrong about everything.
History is replete with accounts of the ter
rible results of intolerance as practiced by
governments, by religions, by individuals. All
around us today are the tragic results of in-
Three Wilmington Lodges
Confer Degrees Together
By R. C. Savage, Secretary
Members of St. John’s Lodge No. 1, Wilming
ton Lodge No. 319 and Orient Lodge No. 395,
A. F. & A. M,, met in the Masonic Temple in
the Port City on Saturday, October 30, 1971.
This was a mutual endeavor between the
lodges to promote Masonic Brotherhood and
unity, the first such affair of its kind in many
years.
St. John’s Lodge No. 1 opened a lodge at 2:30
in the afternoon and conferred the Entered Ap
prentice Degree, followed by Wilmington Lodge
No. 319 opening and conferring the Fellow
Craft Degree at 4:30 in the afternoon.
The brethren retired to the dining room with
in the Masonic Temple at about 7:00 o’clock
and were feasted to a delightful dinner pre
pared and served by the ladies of Goldenrod
Chapter No. 142, Order of the Eastern Star.
After dinner Orient Lodge No. 395 opened a
lodge and conferred the Sublime Degree of
Master Mason. j
All three lodges Were well attended and there
were few vacant seats in the dining hall. We ^
overheard many favorable comments concern
ing this joint communication and everjrwhere
Masons were introducing themselves and being
introduced to their counterparts of the other
Blue Lodges present. Thus, we think the endea
vor was a smashing success, for if ever in our
lifetime we need unity, now is the time. With
out a doubt, as evidenced on October 30, it pre
vails among the Wilmington lodges.
tolerance. No study of the past or of the pres
ent will built any kind of case for intolerance.
It may well be that Masonry owes its long
life as much to tolerance as to any other vir
tue. And it may well be that the tolerance
learned in Masonry may some day inspire its
members to take the lead, as they have in
years past, in putting down intolerance and
thus righting some of the wrongs which op
press so many. '
Most Masons are aware that a dedicated
and efficient secretary is essential to a well
governed lodge, but perhaps only a small per
centage are truly aware of the many extra
hours, the knowledge, and the patience that are
required of a really good secretary. Without
doubt Grand Secretary Charles A. Harris,
P.G.M. is more acutely aware than anyone else
of the qualities that make a good lodge secre-
j tary. “Good Old Charlie Harris,” as our Grand
j Secretary is affectionately known, depends en-
j tirely upon the individual lodge secretaries for
the efficient functioning of his office, and he
always has a good word for those faithful sec
retaries about the state who serve so well. He
recently compiled a list of lodge secretaries
who have served for twelve years or longer.
Heading the list is Brother Russel G. Laugh-
ridge, Cleveland Lodge No. 202. Brother
Laughridge became secretary in 1920 and has
served for forty-nine years, missing only the
years 1934-1935-1936.
Following closely are Brother Jasper E.
Haynes who has served Andrew Jackson No.
676 for forty-four consecutive years and Bro
ther Charles M. Lasley with forty-three con
secutive years in West Bend No. 434.
Then come Harry W. Walker, Francis S.
Packard No. 630, 38 years; Joseph W. Gilbert,
Grifton No. 243, 37 years; John T. Coates, Jr.,
Saluda No. 482, 34 years; G. Archie Thonaas,
Belhaven No. 609, 32 years; Alfred A. Kafer,
Jr. (PGM), St. John’s No. 3, 30 years; and
Charles A. Cates, Thomas M. Holt No. 492,
30 years.
Past Grand Master Blafer took time out in
1967 to serve as our Grand Master but has
otherwise served continuously as lodge secre
tary since 1941.
Three secretaries have served for 28 years,
three for 27, two for 26, two for 26, two for 24,
three for 23, three for 22, two for 21, five for
20, two for 19, nine for 18, seven for 17, six
for 16, eleven for 16, twelve for 14, nine for
13, and ten for 12 years. What a remarkable
record of service this is.
Your own secretary, whoever he is, deserves
your gratitude and your assistance. It will
boost his morale if you let him know from time
to time that you appreciate what he is doing
for the lodge and for Masonry. It will reduce
his workload if you will keep him advised of
your correct address, pay your dues on time,
fill out petitions and other forms properly,
and refrain from doing or suggesting those
things which entail unnecessary correspond
ence and/or bookkeeping.
Then, too, there is a pretty good secretary
on Glenwood Avenue in Raleigh—let us not for
get Good Old Charlie Harris.
RBD
BAD TOOLS
A dull chisel, used on fine marble, leaves a
disfiguring mark. The artist knows it, and he
is careful that his tools shall be of the best
temper possible, for marble is too costly to be
spoiled needlessly.
Thoughts are the chisels used in the making
of the soul. A bad thought mars and disfigures
the texture of the spirit just as surely a a dull
tool scratches and spoils the marble. Used long
enough, that chisel, wrong thinking, will mar
the character forever. But how a good thought
does beautify the soul. Right thinking day
after day chips away the crude and the un
lovely, and brings out the best and the truest
and the most beautiful.
—Exchange