Official Publication of The Grand Lodge of Ancient, Free & Accepted Masons of North Carolina
VOL. CXIII — NO. 4 Oxtord, Morth Carolina April, 1989
Grand Master’s Message
“The State of Freemasonry”
In a few days, on April 18,1989, the Grand Lodge of North Carolina will convene its two
hundred and second Annual Communication. The duly elected delegates of the 394
Subordinate Lodges from across the state will meet to decide the important issues that each
year come before the Grand Lodge.
THE CODE requires the Grand Master to report to the Grand Lodge his acts as Grand
Master during the year and the general state of Freemasonry within the Grand Jurisdiction of
North Carolina.
The year began with the announcement
that the year’s program would have as its
objective, “The Positive Image of
Freemasonry.” At each of the thirty-one
district meetings held during the summer the
outline of the program was presented.
Subsquently, the District Deputy Grand
Masters presented the “Positive Image of
Freemasonry” to the lodges in each of the
sixty-five Masonic Districts.
It is indeed gratifying to observe the
acceptance and enthusiasm with which the
program is being implemented in the lodges
across the state.
Public awareness of the world’s oldest and
largest fraternity is on the increase. Our
lodges are opening their doors and inviting
non-members to open-house activities and
other public ceremonies. Many lodges are
engaged in community projects that increase
L. R. Thomas, Jr., Grand Master
our visibility in the public eye. The first video tape on “George Washington and Freemasonry”
has been produced and soon will be aired as a public service announcement on most of the
television stations in our state.
The seminars on “Leadership Development of Subordinate Lodge Officers” were an
outstanding success. The presentations, attendance and interest shown exceeded our
greatest expectations. Freemasonry in North Carolina will continue to reap benefits far into
the future from this splendid program. Many of the Masters are presenting special programs at
their stated communications to stimulate the interest of those in attendance. These programs
are also of value in informing our members regarding Freemasonry and its charitable
enterprises with the result that we are becoming better informed Masons. Through this
process, hopefully we will learn how to discuss Freemasonry with our non-Mason friends!
I leave the office of Grand Master with the strong conviction that Freemasonry and its
mission are a part of God’s will for mankind. The longer I am a Master Mason, the more
persuaded I am that centuries ago, God placed His hand on this fraternity.
The state of Freemasonry in North Carolina? I am pleased to inform the Masons of this
Grand Jurisdiction that the state of Freemasonry is excellent. With approximately 69,000
Masons holding membership in 394 Subordinate Lodges, we continue to be a strong and viable
force for good in our society.
It is within our Masonic lodges, situated in areas from the smallest rural communities to
the largest metropolitan cities, that we find Freemasonry at work. And so long as the Truths of
our great fraternity reside in the hearts of individual Masons, Freemasonry will “continue until
time shall be no more.”
I am grateful to you, the Masons of North Carolina, for bestowing upon me the honor of
serving as your Grand Master and for your steadfast support during my term of office.
Special Committee Meets
Past Grand Master Brewer
Urging Book Purchases
James W. Brewer, P.G.M., who headed the
committee that arranged the publication of
Sam J. Ervin, Jr., The Man and the Mason, is
again spearheading an effort this year to sell
the remaining copies of that book.
The book was first conceived of in early
1984, when Senator Ervin expressed his
desire to do something for the North Carolina
Masonic Foundation. The idea of a book
containing his Masonic writings was hit upon
and plans went forward to publish the book to
benefit the Foundation. The Senator died just
before the book went to press, but he had
already approved everything that was to be in
it.
During the 1986 annual communication of
the Grand Lodge, the first copy of the book
was presented to the Senator’s son, Sam J.
Ervin, III, by Governor James G. Martin on
behalf of the Grand Lodge.
Past Grand Master Brewer and others will
again address the Grand Lodge this year
concerning the book, which will be on sale in
the lobby of the auditorium. Proceeds from
sale of the book go to the Foundation, as has
been the case from the beginning.
Bells Will Celebrate
Washington’s Inauguration
The Mount Vernon Ladies Association of
the Union is sponsoring a “Tribute of Bells” to
celebrate the 200th anniversary of George
Washington’s inauguration as our first
president. They hope to inspire the ringing of
bells all across the nation at exactly noon EST
on April 30.
The association was formed in 1853 to raise
funds to purchase Mount Vernon and to hold
it in trust as a national shrine. They
accomplished this goal through public
subscriptions and they have since restored
and managed Washington’s estate on the
Potomac, hosting thousands of visitors each
year. Contributions, which are tax
deductible, to assist in this work are
welcomed.
Mrs. Thomas B. (Charlotte) Battle of
Rocky Mount represents North Carolina on
the Mount Vernon Ladies Association’s
board and she is hopeful that lodges and
Masons, particularly because of
Washington’s close Masonic ties, will wish to
participate in this celebration of bell-ringing.
Anyone desiring additional information
regarding this effort may write to Mrs.
Seminars
Raleigh — The Grand Master’s Special
Committee on Masonic Research and
Development met here March 9 to review and
assess the eleven seminars held on four
Saturdays in January and February. (A twelth
seminar, scheduled for Morganton on
February 18, was snowed out.)
Reports from all seminars were upbeat.
Attendance at all but two was judged good to
excellent, interest was high, comments were
many and generally favorable, and 367 of the
394 lodges were represented. Total
attendance was 1,406, which means that the
lodges represented averaged almost four
members each. The seminar in Charlotte led
the way, drawing 350 Masons from fifty-eight
lodges; the other ten seminars averaged
about 106 Masons from about thirty-one
lodges.
A Grand Lodge officer presided at each
seminar and these were: Deputy Grand
Master Jerry Tart, Senior Grand Warden
Bunn Phillips, Junior Grand Warden Lester
Martin, Senior Grand Deacon Willett Tillett,
Junior Grand Deacon Ray Norris, Grand
Marshal Rick Moore, and the Grand
Stewards, William Brunk and Cliff Everett.
The following Masons presented the four
topics: “Preparing For Master” was by Bob
Bryson, Ed Becton, Bruce Boyette, Maurice
Walsh, Kelly Hutchinson, Lloyd Wilkerson,
Bill Hudson, Forrest Pugh, H. V. Massengill
and Tom Webb. “THE CODE” was done by
David Hargett, Dick Pierce, Reynold
Davenport, Carter Lentz, Al Bruner and
Forrest Ball. “Protocol” presentations were
by Charles Cathey, Paul Whitfield, Robert
Proctor, Paul Holbrook, Mike Brantley, Don
Street, Otto Neustadt, Steve Nixon, Dalton
Mayo and Jim Warren. “Public Relations”
was by Bob Kraus, Walter Klein, Eddie Stiles,
Onslow Lodges, Sojourners
Sponsor Youths to Seminar
Jacksonville — Sponsored by Seaside
Lodge No. 429, Semper Fidelis Lodge No. 680
and Camp Lejeune Chapter No. 329,
National Sojourners, four talented Onslow
County High School students attended the
youth leadership seminar of Freedoms
Foundation at Valley Forge, PA during March
20-23. All four students are members of the
National Honors Society and all were
selected for their leadership potential,
academic achievement and service
orientation.
Bryan Rivenbark of Jacksonville High
School ranks in the top two percent nationally
in the National Honors Society. He was
selected by Jacksonville DeMolay Chapter
and was sponsored by the Sojourners.
Jim Butler was selected by the faculty and
staff of Camp Lejeune High School and was
sponsored by the Sojourners.
Sharon Sullivan was selected by the faculty
and staff of Swansboro High School and was
sponsored by Seaside 429.
Shannon Eggleston was selected by the
faculty and staff of Jacksonville High School
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Charlotte Battle at 304 Wildwood Ave.,
Rocky Mount, North Carolina 27803, or they
can call her at (919) 446-5411.
(Editor’s Note: Participation in the bell-
ringing celebration would be one more good
way to further the Grand Master’s program of
public awareness.)
Rehashed
Melvin Norris, Charles Lewis, Fred Oglesby,
James Coile and Dennis Combs. (We do not
know the Masonic titles of some of these
thirty-four brethren, so we omitted titles in
this listing.) Several of these Masons
presented their topics at more than one
seminar.
On each of the four Saturdays there was a
seminar in the west, one in the east, and one
in central North Carolina. This gave a Mason
several choices in order that wherever he
lived or whatever his schedule, there was
likely to be at least one seminar he could
attend.
The committee is now studying options for
future seminars: whether they should
generally follow the format of those just
completed, whether one might be held on the
evening of the first day of the 1990 annual
communication of the Grand Lodge, whether
the entire format should be changed, and so
on. Study is also being made of possible topics
for future seminars.
The interesting comments from the
brethren, pro and con, are too many to list
here, but all are being studied and all will be
considered in arriving at plans for the future.
The committee is most grateful to all who
contributed to the success of the seminars: to
the Grand Secretary’s office for effectively
handling many of the mechanics, to the
lodges and others that provided facilities and
arranged for refreshments, to the Grand
Lodge officers that conducted the seminars,
to the Masons that prepared and presented
the topics, and especially to the 1,406 Masons
that gave up a portion of their weekend,
traveled varying distances, and made up the
attentive and responsive audiences. It was an
overall good Masonic experience and you will
be hearing more from the committee as it
strives to maintain the momentum achieved.
TV and Radio
North Carolina television stations and
major radio stations will soon begin—some
may have already begun—to air public
service announcements telling a brief story of
some of the charitable activities of Masons. If
you see or hear one of these spot
announcements (twenty seconds on TV,
forty-five seconds on radio), please give the
station airing the spot a call thanking them for
the time they provided—or write a brief letter
to them. The more of this that is done, the
more receptive these stations will be to future
requests for time.
Eagle Scout Masons
Last September we ran a brief article noting
that Brother Kenneth H. Grace, 5424 West
134th Place, Hawthorne, CA 90250-4912 was
compiling a list of Masons that are Eagle
Scouts. We asked such Masons in North
Carolina to mail to Brother Grace their
Scouting and Masonic history, and to send us
copies for publication here.
The response was greater than expected,
and it has extended far longer than expected;
we have been listing Eagle Scout Masons in
the last seven issues, including this one. We
suspect that Brother Grace would like to
wrap this up, and we ask you, if you have not
already done so, to mail your
Masonic/Scouting information to him
immediately at the above address. And please
do not forget copies to us.
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