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Page Two THE NORTH CAROLINA MASON December, 1990 "The North Carolina Mason"(USPS 598-260) is published monthly by The Grand Lodge of A F. & A. M. of North Carolina. 2921 Glenwood Avenue. Raleigh. N. C. 27608. Third class postage paid al Oxford. N. C 27565. POSTMASTER: Send address changes to THE NORTH CAROLINA MASON, Oxford Orphanage Printing Department, Oxford, North Carolina 27565. BOARD OF PUBLICATION OF THE NORTH CAROLINA MASON WILLIAM E. FULMER. CHAIRMAN H. LLOYD WILKERSON SAMUEL A. HENNIS, JR. JOHN R. STEGALL WALTER J. KLEIN JAMES. E. STRATTON Published monthly by The Grand Lodge of A. F. & A. M. of North Carolina Successor to "The Orphans Friend and Masonic Journal." News items, pictures, inquiries, comments and other correspondence should be addressed to: Reynold S. Davenport, Editor P. O. Box 578, Plymouth. N. C. 27962 or Oxford Orphanage Printing Department Oxford, North Carolina 27565 There is no charge for printing pictures. Pictures should be made in black and white. Good quality pictures are essential for suitable reproduction. We reserve the right to reject any picture not suitable for use in The North Carolina Mason. Pictures accompanied by a self-addressed, stamped envelope will be returned to the sender upon request. address changes should be addressed to: THE NORTH CAROLINA MASON Oxford Orphanage Printing Department Oxford, North Carolina 27565 Each member of a North Carolina lodge is entitled to a free subscription to The North Carolina Mason. If you know a North Carolina Member who is not receiving the paper, please send his name, his complete address (with zip code), and the name of his lodge to the above address. Editorial YEAR END PLEA On the front page of this issue is an article concerning the need to expand the Care Center at Masonic and Eastern Star Home. Well, it is about as much editorial as it is arti cle, but it is one more attempt in a series of many to somehow get across to our members the urgent need at the Home and to somehow encourage them to put this need behind us with just one relatively small contribution per member. This is a time of the year peculiarly suited to the kind of giving that relieves distress, replaces anxiety with joy, and brings a warm glow to the heart of the giver. Here in North Carolina we have 116 Masons, Eastern Stars and eligible relatives on the waiting list to enter the Home, and most of these are destitute in one way or another. And we should not jump to the assumption that their destitution is always primarily finan cial, although in some cases it is, for in most instances they are destitute in spirit. Imagine a person in their eighties, having lost his or her spouse, having lost most or all of their other close kin and friends. Imagine that per son living alone, surrounded by strangers— most of a different generation, no longer physically able to move freely about the com munity, having nothing but reading matter, or television, or radio to break the monotony of the long hours, days and weeks. Such a per son has little incentive to prepare wholesome meals or in other ways to protect their health. That person is truly destitute in spirit, and many such persons are among the 116 on the Home’s waiting list. If the above circumstances are accompanied by financial distress, then certainly this is a per son that deserves the love and protection we can provide for them at the Home. They cer tainly do not deserve to wait four long years after being accepted before they may enter the Home; four years spent sinking ever deeper in to spiritual destitution, or financial destitution, or both. Can you just imagine the utter joy such a person experiences when they finally enter the Home? No longer do they need worry about how to heat a cold house or apartment, or how to obtain nourishing meals, or how to get to the doctor, or how to do any of the mundane things that become so increasingly difficult with advancing years. Once in the Home, a resident is taken care of, literally. Although encourag ed to do as much for themselves as possible, their inability to do certain things will never keep those things from being done. And they will find love, companionship with their con temporaries, a return to the well-rounded life some felt they had lost forever. Now let’s do a little imagining of a more per sonal nature. You are middle-aged. You have done well in life—you are well fixed. You assure yourself your wife will be independent and well able to care for herself, well supplied with the necessary neans to do so, if you should precede her in death—as you probably will. But in later years you fall victim to a linger ing, terminal illness. There are many opera tions, endless treatments, around-the-clock nursing care. Your wife spares no effort or ex pense in the attempt to save your life—at least to prolong it, free as possible from pain. In the process, she spends everything you and she had ever accumulated. When you are finally laid to rest, she has nothing left. She has even broken her health during those long, grueling months caring for you. Where will she turn? What will she do? But that compassionate Fraternity, the Order of Freemasons, to which you belonged for so many years, will take her in and care for her the remainder of her days. They will provide for her every need at Masonic and Eastern Star Home. That is, they will if you and I and others like us act now to provide the facilities to bring the interminable waiting list down to reasonable length, so she will not need to wait unduly long in a state of spiritual and finacial distress, after acceptance, before finally gaining admission. Won’t you cut back enough on your usual holiday spending to send a generous gift to the Home’s Care Center? If we give enough to average just $25 per member, the expansion is assured. In order to meet that average, many must give more—$50, 75, 100 or more—to compensate for those who cannot or will not give anything. We DO have far more than enough Masons financially able and morally in clined to put this thing over the top—NOW! Remember, we are to care for distressed Brother Masons, their widows and orphans. So please do this good thing this month. Please OFFICERS OF THE GRAND LODGE OF A. F. & A. M. OF NORTH CAROLINA Bunn T. Phillips, Jr.f, C.L. (495) Grand Master 310 Lumyer Road, Rockingham 28379 Lester P. Martin, Jr.f, (134) Deputy Grand Master P. O. Box 822, Mocksville 27028 Willett R. Tillettf, C.L. (521) Senior Grand Warden P. O. Box 473, Manteo 27954 Ray Norrist, (259) Junior Grand Warden 312 Woodland Trail, Hendersonville 28739 Sam A. Hennis, Jr.* (322) Grand Treasurer Drawer 711, Mount Airy 27030 Robert P. Dudleyt (202) Grand Secretary P. O. Box 6506, Raleigh 27628 Richard G. Mooret (544) Senior Grand Deacon Route 2, Box 666, Denver 28037 William B. Brunkf, C.L. (40) Junior Grand Deacon 8504 Bournemouth Dr., Raleigh 27609 Clifton W. Everett, Jr.f (708) Grand Marshal P. O. Box 1220, Greenville 27835 William H. Simpsonf (428) Grand Steward 1231 Westridge Rd., Greensboro 27410 Gerry T. Smith, Sr.t (741) Grand Steward 203 Fairview Dr., Beaufort 28516 Eugene W. Coenf (495) Grand Tyler 1806 Sandcrest Dr., Rockingham 28379 VictorS. Dowd (656) Grand Chaplain 2090 E. Bessemer Ave., Greensboro 27405 Lee A. Phillips (520) Asst. Grand Chaplain Route 4, Box 34-A, Rockingham 28379 Clyde G. McCarverf (104) Grand Chaplain Emeritus 43 Botany Woods, Hartsville, SC 29550 ReynoldS. Davenportf, C.L. (680) Grand Historian P. 0. Box 578, Plymouth 27962 William J. Clarkf, C.L. (724) Grand Lecturer 402 Edge Hill Rd., New Bern 28562 Jesse A. Helms, Jr. (500) Grand Orator P. O. Box 2888, Raleigh 27602 Otto Neustadtf, (40) Judge Aduocate 4120 Camelot Dr., Apt. A-3, Raleigh 27609 Meanderins WITH BOBBY KEW GRYLLE The lodge always puts on a feed the night we confer a Third Degree, and that’s what we were doing when Victor E. Attzee got the wrong salad. The Eastern Star ladies had fixed us up with some fine steaks and all the trimmings, not the least of which were some excellent tossed salads. It was an outstanding way to begin an evening, and the brethren were demonstrating their appreciation by manifesting a fretful im patience for the meal to begin. Juan Moore Tyme, he of the mixed paren tage, always reflected his mother’s Latin in fluence each time we ate by breaking out his little container of mixed peppers. Nothing that ever grew north of the border was hot enough for Juan. He’ll take the hottest pepper ever grown in these parts and eat it like a banana. It makes my eyes sweat just to watch him. The table where Victor and Juan were sit ting was the last to get into the steak line, and this gave Juan opportunity to bring his salad up to strength. Out came the little pepper con tainer, and from it he bestowed an array of pretty, innocent looking, little green peppers upon the salad, where they blended quite nice ly with the other ingredients. Well, you know what happened. After finally going through the steak line, Juan and Victor returned to the wrong seats. This came about because one of the brothers ahead of Juan was called away while in the line, but Juan and Vic tor had not observed the departure. So Juan followed the brother ahead of him and Victor followed Juan back to the table, and Victor wound up sitting where Juan originally sat. While Juan was canvassing the table for the hottest sauce available for his steak, Victor sampled his salad. A rapturous smile spread over Victor’s face as he savored the fine blend of vegetables caressing his palate. Then his grinding teeth pierced on of the little green gentlemen from Juan’s container. “Augh-gh-gh!” he said. Undecipherable though that utterance was, there was a certain urgency in his voice that commanded the immediate attention of those about him. We all watched in amazement as Victor, voicing still more “aughs,” grabbed a pitcher of iced tea and unceremoniously dumped half its contents down his throat. When this baptism of tea failed to quench the searing flames now spreading down his esophagus, into his stomach, Victor began a vigorous kicking and twitching which so unsettl ed his chair that he pitched stern first upon the floor, still twitching and kicking. Old Eddie Physs, our Tyler, was sitting right across the table, and he viewed Victor’s ac tivities with growing consternation. “Avast there!” Old Eddie shouted. (He was a former naval person, you see, and he delighted in speaking nautically.) “Avast there, ” he said, “the fellow’s having a fit! Get something bet ween his teeth so he won’t chew his tongue.” Cary A. Toon had reached a quite different medical conclusion. “He’s not having a fit,” said Cary, “he’s choking on something.” “Augh!” Victor commented from the floor. Judging this response by the afflicted to be confirmation of his diagnosis, Cary promptly plunged his finger down Victor’s throat, in search of the obstruction. He almost didn’t get that finger back, because this treatment really did cause Victor to choke and his jaws to work spasmodically, almost resulting in instant digital amputation. Whereupon Cary appeared to lose interest in further exploration. Now all this activity transpired in a matter of only seconds, but it gave Juan time to correct ly assess the situation, he having previously observed similar behavior by certain adven turous individuals who undertook to sample his peppers without previous introduction to their potency. He began poking butter into Victor’s mouth each time that hapless sufferer opened it. The butter didn’t put out the fire, but it did reduce the intensity of the flames somewhat, and it so nauseated Victor that he had to sit up, the better to ward off Juan’s ministrations. The meal then went forward. The upshot of all this is that Victor will not now eat any part of a tossed salad, or anything green, without subjecting every piece of it to a most painstaking scrutiny. encourage others to do it. Make it a personal crusade. Determine you will make your special contribution before New Years; and determine you will cause four others, or nine others, or as many as you can, to do the same thing. Reynold Davenport What is MSA (Continued from page 1) stay to be much more cheerful, endurable, and comfortable than would otherwise have been the case. Here in North Carolina, MSA is active in four Wiley G. Morgan is one of the most senior, and most dedicated Hospital Visitors serv ing MSA, and he has served with distinction for 27 years at Salisbury VA Med- cal Center. Past Master of Fulton Lodge 99, in Salis bury, Wiley is a member of Frank lin Presbyterian Church, where he is Sunday School Superintendent, an elder, and a former Chairman of the Board of Deacons. He served in the Marine Corps during World War II. He resides at 1909 Stokes Ferry Road, Salisbury 28144. Next in point of seniority in North Carolina is Edward N. Meeks, Sr., who has served at the Fayetteville VA Medical Center for almost six years. A Georgian by birth, he retired from the Army as a Master Sergeant after 22 years service. He is a member of Creasy Proctor Lodge 679, at Fayetteville, and resides at 864 Brighton Road, Fayetteville, NC 28304. John H. Lance is the Official Hospital Visitor at the Asheville VA Medical Center, where he has served for just under four years. He was employed as a warehouse superintendent and then worked at Sears before retiring in 1981. Formerly a member of Hominy Lodge 491, at Candler, he demitted to Blackmer Lodge 170, at Weaverville, in 1961. John is a Past Master and a Past Secretary. He resides at 25 Nebraska Avenue, Asheville, NC 28806. MSA also has a program at the Durham VA Medical Center, where Jack Dossett served as Hospital Visitor for many years. Jack assum ed additional Masonic duties and had to resign as the MSA Representative at Durham, although he still volunteers on occasion. MSA is anxious to obtain a representative at the Durham unit. The salary is fabulous — going to bed each night knowing you have served humanity and Masonry well that day. A Mason must look long and hard to find a more rewar ding occupation. MSA Hospital Visitors are highly regarded by those who know and work with them, much loved by those they serve. Monetarily? MSA pays your expenses, they will not let you go into the red. Interested? Con tact The Masonic Service Association, 8120 Fenton Street, Silver Spring, MD 20910; Phone 301-588-4010. Another highly visible activity and service of MSA is its educational effort through its many publications. The most widely used of these is the monthly Short Talk Bulletin, first publish ed in 1923. The talks contained in this publica tion are written by recognized Masonic scholars and are ideal for use at various Masonic func tions, including those with mixed attendance. They range in subject matter from “Corn, Wine and Oil” to “Patriotism;” from “Freemasonry and Freedom” to “Masonic Etiquette.” They cost 30 cents each, plus postage. Or you can buy every Short Talk Bulletin published from 1923 through 1989 for $241.20 post-paid - an instant Masonic Library that cannot be mat ched from any other source for many times the price. You can obtain a catalog from MSA (use the address in the preceding paragraph) which lists all 800 odd Bulletins by title and calssifica- tion, and which also lists the many other ex cellent Masonically-related publications available at low cost. MSA sold over $75,000 worth of publications last year. MSA has been providing these and many other valuable services to Masons and others throughout the nation since its founding in 1919. Our Grand Masters appoint Official Representatives to the Association each year, Past Grand Masters Robert L. Pugh, J. Earl Watson and Jerry G. Tart being the three most recently serving in that capacity. For information appearing in this article, The North Carolina Mason is grateful to Past Grand Master Jerry G. Tart, and to Past Grand Masters Richard E. Fletcher and Thomas R. Dougherty of MSA. Eagle Scout Masons Those Masons who are also Eagle Scouts, please note: Kenneth H. Grace, 5434 West 134th St., Hawthorne CA 90252-4912, is compiling a national listing of such Masons. Please send to him a brief sketch of your Scouting and Masonic backgrounds. Please send a copy to this paper for publication here. Following are the Eagle Scout Masons most recently heard from: Fred R. Jones, Jr., member of Gastonia 369, has been an Eagle since 1970. Herbert Mac Biddle, Federal Point 753, became an Eagle in 1939. Earned Bronze, Gold and Silver Palms. Served as Patrol Leader. Edward E. Caldwell, Past Master of Univer sity 408, became an Eagle in 1932 and has served as Assistant Scoutmaster. Aubrey M. Sawyer, Eureka 317, became an Eagle in 1936, was Senior Patrol Leader, Assistant Scoutmaster and Scoutmaster. Keep L's Posted Have you seen anything pertaining to your lodge in the paper recently? If not, perhaps something got by us, or perhaps we were never told about it. If it was not sent to us, go to lodge and find out why. If it got by us, write to us and give us you-know-what; we’ll put it in the paper and apologize. Questions And Answers 1. If the Secretary-elect is not present for in stallation, can he assume the duties of that of fice at the next meeting, even though he has not been installed? Answer: There are two answers possible in such instance: If he has just been elected Secretary for the first time, REG. 63-01 says he cannot assume office until he is installed (the Master can have him fill the office pro tempore for that meeting, though, and should install him right away). On the other hand, if the Secretary-elect is already serving a term as the duly elected and installed Secretary, he re mains in office until his successor is duly chosen and installed — he being his own successor, he simply keeps plugging away. This latter cir cumstance does not mean, though, that a Secretary succeeding himself need not be in stalled, as REG. 63-06 requires he be install ed as often as he is reelected. So if he is not present on the night of installation, the Master arranges to install him at a later, early date. 2. Suppose it is his first election to the office of Secretary and he cannot be present on the date officers are installed, and suppose the outgoing Secretary cannot or will not serve beyond the installation date, can’t the Secretary-elect assume the office until his in stallation can be arranged? Answer: Well, if you mean assuming the powers and privileges of the office, no, REG. 63-01 prohibits any assumption of office prior to installation. But, as already mentioned, the situation is easily remedied by the Master, who simply appoints him to fill the office pro tem pore until he can install him. The law is not gag ging on a gnat in this instance, it is simply in suring that a Mason who is held responsible for discharging the duties of an important office has been properly and legally seated in that office. 3. What Masons are qualified to install lodge officers? Answer: Those who are Masters or Past Masters of regular North Carolina lodges or of regular lodges in other Grand Jurisdictions recognized by us. REG. 63-13. 4. Does this mean that the Master of a lodge in Richmond VA can install the officers of one of our lodges? Answer: Yes, if his lodge is one of those subordinate to the Grand Lodge of Virginia that we recognize. Some states have more than one Grand Lodge but only one in each state is recognized by us. A Master or Past Master of a lodge belonging to a Grand Lodge we do not recognize could not install our officers, or even visit in our lodges. 5. You say Masters and Past Masters are qualified to install officers. Could the Master- elect arrange to have a qualified Mason to in stall him and then set a later date for the in stallation of the rest of the officers, at which he would install them himself? Answer: He would not even need wait un til a later date. Once he is installed, he IS Master. He can at that moment assume the hat and gavel from the Mason that installed him and proceed to install the other officers. 1 have never seen it done, but it would be legal. 6. Just what does constitute a Master’s term of office? Answer: Unless suspended or expelled, or otherwise legally removed from office, he is Master from the moment his installation is com pleted until the moment his successor’s installa tion is completed. 7. Does this mean he has charge of the ar rangements for the installation of his successor? Answer: Absolutely. Although the outgo ing Master, as a matter of courtesy, usually leaves those arrangements to the Master-elect, the law does not require him to do so. He can even decide to install his successor himself, even though the Master-elect wishes another Mason to do that. Once he has installed him, though, his authority abruptly ceases and the new Master calls the shots from that point on. These are hypothetical circumstances and will not occur in a lodge where Brotherly Love prevails. REG. 67-10(26). 8. What is the authority for public installations? Answer: Installation ceremonies are not part of our “Authorized Work,” but they must be approved by the Grand Lodge. They are con tained in the book, North Carolina Masonic Ceremonies, which has been approved by the Grand Lodge and they therefore have the ef fect of law. Installations must be conducted as prescribed in that book. There are instructions in the book pertaining to “public” or “open” installations, and they are the authority for public installations. REG. 95-19 and pages 28 through 57 of North Carolina Masonic Ceremonies. 9. Must the Holy Bible be opened or closed during a public installation? Answer: I am not aware of any regulation or rule that answers that question, although there may be one. but the installation ceremony itself refers on page 31 to the Master elect’s hands “on the Great Lights” (the term “Great Lights” refers to the Square and Com passes lying upon the open Holy Bible), and it refers to an “open Bible” on page 37. This indicates to me that the Bible should be open. Some say it should be closed, but I have not heard them cite a regulation or rule to that ef fect. In the interest of Masonic harmony, I would suggest that lodges follow their own opi nions in this matter until a clarifying regulation or rule is adopted, or until a Grand Master issues an official opinion on the subject. 10.1 frequently see Masons who are not of ficers installed as proxies for officers who are absent. Is this legal? Answer: It is legal for an appointive officer to be installed by proxy, but an elective officer must be installed in person. REG. 63-04. UNSCRAMBLE ANSWERS Cause, least, east, realm, Israel, carve: CIRCLE.
The North Carolina Mason (Oxford, N.C.)
Standardized title groups preceding, succeeding, and alternate titles together.
Dec. 1, 1990, edition 1
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