Newspapers / The North Carolina Mason … / June 1, 1988, edition 1 / Page 1
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Official Publication of The Grand Lodge of Ancient, Free & Accepted Masons of North Carolina VOL. CXII - NO. 6 Oxford, North Carolina, June, 1988 ONE DOLLAR A YEAR A Message From The Grand Master The District meetings have begun and by the time you read this, they will be well underway. Attendance has been good and the program entitled “The Positive Image of Freemasonry” has been well received. The Schedule of the District Meetings is included in this issue. While generally the meetings are attended by the lodge officers, any Brother is welcome to attend. At the district meetings, reports are received from the District Deputy Grand Masters and District Deputy Grand Lecturers on the state of the Craft in each district. Representatives from Oxford Orphanage and the Masonic and Eastern Star Home report on matters of interest at those institutions. A report is received from the Grand Secretary’s Office. Following the reports, the Grand Master presents his program for the year and a question and answer period follows. The question and answer period serves the important purpose of establishing a line of communication between individual Brothers and the Grand Master. It provides an opportunity for an exchange of ideas and a forum for expressions from the Craft on matters of concern to them. The responses thus far have been open and candid and I have been gratified by the overall reception of the program I am presenting. An important part of that program is to emphasize the fact that the Grand Lodge is made up of its 394 Subordinate Lodges. I am trying to dispell the perception that the Grand Lodge is one group and the Subordinate Lodges another. The business of the Grand Lodge is the business of its Subordinate Lodges. We must work together as Brothers in the spirit of harmony for the good of Masonry. Whether you are a Grand Lodge Officer, a Lodge Officer or an individual Brother, I want to impress upon you that each of us knelt at a lodge Altar and on an open Bible took the same obligation. Each time we attend lodge, we are reminded that we meet on the level. Equality is one of the paramount teachings of Masonry and refers to the “internal and not the external qualifications” of a man. Therefore, the equality of brethren in a lodge is that of the dignity and worth of the human soul without regard to any man-made distinctions. The office of Grand Master is one of service to the 70,000 Masons of this Grand Jurisdiction. If, during this year as I serve as your Grand Master, I am successful in convincing you that Freemasonry in North Carolina resides in its lodges and in the hearts of the Brethren, then I will not have labored in vain. L. R. Thomas, Jr. Grand Master Search Committee At a regular meeting of the Board of Directors of Oxford Orphanage held on May 13,1988, Grand Master L. R. Thomas, Jr. appointed a Search Committee and charged this committee with the responsibility of seeking applications, conducting interviews, and making pertinent background investigations as deemed prudent and advisable, to fill the position of superintendent of Oxford Orphanage. Anyone having any information that would help the Search Committee should contact any of the following: Past Grand Master S. F. Noble, Chairman, 310 Avenue “A,” New Bern, North Carolina 28560; Past Master Dennis Combs, Jacksonville; Past Master Bruce Boyette, Wilson; Past Grand Master James W. Brewer, Greenville; Deputy Grand Master Jerry Tart, Greensboro. Amendment Roundup Raleigh — Delegates to Grand Lodge voted on a large number of proposed amendments to THE CODE last April and there will be no attempt here to go over all of them in detail. Instead, what follows is a summary of the actions taken: The several amendments to liberalize the laws governing lodge fund-raising activities were adopted. This means that, subject to adherence to the various guidelines existing in the amendments and in the rules to be adopted by the regulatory committee, lodges will be able to do some types of fund-raising that have been heretofore prohibited or have been in gray areas requiring official opinions of the Grand Master in individual cases. The proposal to add to REG. 97-01 a paragraph drawing other Masonic or Masonic-related bodies under the government of CHAPTER 97 was defeated. The proposal concerning chain letters was defeated. The proposal to expand the use of written paper ballots in Grand Lodge was defeated. The proposal to do away with dual membership was defeated. The proposal to amend REG. 51-02, having to do with communications of a lodge, was withdrawn. The proposal to alter the law having to do with use of Masonic emblems was defeated. A portion of the amendments is discussed in this month’s “Questions and Answers.” Princeton — Past Master William Chester Wilkins, P.D.D.G.M.-27, is shown at right above as he is presented Life Membership in St. Patrick’s Lodge No. 617 by the Master, Bobby F. Wellons, D.D.G.L.-27. Wilkins, a Mason for more than forty years, received the certificate during the annual night for Past Masters and ladies on March 25. Check This On Page Two you will find an editorial entitled “Please Let Me Hear From You.” If it is not too much trouble, please read this in your lodge so that members who may have missed it or who may not receive the paper can be enlisted in the effort to provide a better paper. If any members are not receiving the paper, please send us their names and addresses (with zip codes) so we can put them on the mailing list. District Meetings In Session Throughout All North Carolina Aulander — Pictured above at the meeting of the 2nd and 19th Districts are, from left, Johnny Reynolds, D.D.G.L.-19; Grand Master L. R. Thomas, Jr.; Joseph Walston, D.D.G.M.-2 and Freddie Outland, D.D.G.M.-19. Grand Master L. R. Thomas, Jr. began his schedule of 1988 District Meetings on May 16 in Wallace Lodge No. 595, at Wallace. That meeting involved the lodges of Districts 10 and 12, as the Grand Master has scheduled two districts for each of twenty-eight meetings and three districts for each of three additional meetings. Care was taken in the scheduling to minimize travel by lodge officers and members to and from the meetings. The host lodge is responsible for meal arrangements in each instance, but arrangements are made — usually through the District Deputy Grand Masters — for reimbursement by the other lodges or by individual Masons. The meal begins at 6:30 p.m. The host lodge opens at 7:30 and officially receives the District Deputy Grand Masters. The host District Deputy assumes the East and officially receives the Grand Master, who presides for the remainder of the meeting. Following the roll call of the lodges, reports are heard from the District Deputy Grand Masters, the District Deputy Grand Lecturers, the Orphanage, the Home, and from the Grand Secretary’s office. The Grand Master’s address highlights the program and the lodge is then closed in ample form, usually by nine-thirty, by the Grand Master. Some unusual circumstances were encountered at Aulander Lodge No. 516 on May 18, this being the second meeting on the schedule. The lodge had arranged for the meal to be served at the community building and the number of Masons showing up there exceeded all expectations; so much so, in fact, that it was felt the lodge room could not safely accomodate that number during the meeting to follow. A hasty decision was made to hold the meeting right there in the community building, which was not designed for tyled meetings. So windows were papered over, the ladies were hurried from the kitchen, tables were broken down and District Meetings — 1988 DATE DISTRICTS HOST DISTRICT HOST LODGE LOCATION June 14 13-15 13 Bladen 646 Elizabethtown June 16 23-24 23 Wendell 565 Wendell June 21 59-62 59 Mystic Tie 237 Marion June 22 49-50 49 Ashe 594 West Jefferson June 23 34-36 34 Bula 409 Burlington July 8 38-43 43 Union 618 Midland July 12 64-65 64 Dillsboro 459 Sylva July 13 60-61-63 61 West Asheville 665 Asheville July 14 57-58 57 Hibriten 262 Lenoir July 18 6-7 7 Doric 568 New Bern July 20 18-22 18 Morning Star 85 Nashville July 22 1-3 1 Currituck 463 Coinjock July 26 39-40 40 Newell 739 Newell July 27 48-51 51 Snow Creek 571 Statesville, Route 5 July 28 44-45 45 Denton 404 Denton August 16 20-21 20’ Royal Hart 497 Littleton August 18 32-33 32 Knap of Reeds 158 Bahama August 19 35-46-47 46 King 722 King August 23 14-30 14 Maxton 417 Maxton August 24 28-29 29 Fort Bragg 667 Spring Lake August 25 31-37 31 Mount Vernon 143 Bonlee DeMolay Annual Session Tucson, Ariz. — The Order of DeMolay held its 68th Annual Session here April 28-May 4. The first half of the Supreme Council Session was dedicated to the DeMolay Congress, which brings together youth leaders from throughout the country and the world for various discussions and for the election of two international officers. John M. Hinck, from Northern California, was elected International Master Councilor for 1988-89 and Michael L. Bishop, of Washington, was elected International Congress Secretary for the same term. The following new officers of the Supreme Council were installed: Grand Master Robert Hannon, Deputy Grand Master Joe R. Manning, Jr., Grand Senior Councilor Edward C. Bieser, Grand Junior Councilor Russell C. Wells, Grand Secretary Thomas C. Raum and Grand Treasurer David J. Morgan. Elmer Lower, Past President of ABC News and Governor Bill Clinton of Arkansas were inducted into the Hall of Fame, where they join Hall of Famers Gary Collins, House Speaker James Wright, Pete Rose, John Wayne and Walt Disney. Next year’s sessions will be held in Kansas City, Missouri, April 12-16, 1989. removed, chairs were rearranged, and the proper furnishings and other necessary fixtures were brought over from the lodge. Despite all the improvisations, the lodge was only ten minutes late in opening. (Some pictures made during the Aulander meeting appear in this issue.) The remaining schedule of district meetings follows:
The North Carolina Mason (Oxford, N.C.)
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June 1, 1988, edition 1
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