 Biltmore No. 446 Grand Lodge Of North Carolina, A.F. & A.M. |
We had a great meeting last night. First, there were 30 Masons in attendance. My daddy always said it’s illegal to hunt a baited field but we had a supper before the meeting, maybe that was part of the draw. Our kitchen crew, led by Brother Michael Ogus, served us up an excellent hot dog meal. Thanks men! Second, we had 11 Past Masters in attendance as well. Third, Brother Bucky Hanks presented an excellent talk on the reasons behind the prohibition of speaking on politics and religion in open lodge. His brief history lesson took us through the Tudor, Stewart and lastly, the Hanoverian monarchies of England, the dispute of King Henry VIII and the Roman pope and of the several switches between the Church of England and Roman Catholicism in England. All of this was central to why the Anderson Constitutions forbid the discussions. See if you can get that from any Tuesday night TV show. Next week is our Annual Past Master’s Night meeting. The evening will begin at 6:30 with a meal. This will be a fundraising event. After the business of the lodge is concluded we will call on Brother Kevin Otis, Administrator of The Masonic Home for Children at Oxford to speak. At the close of the meeting, we will take a group photo which will be included in the Time Capsule which will be opened in January 2092. We would like a big turn out with smiling faces. For the past two years we have been able to present an education program at every meeting when we are not conferring a degree. With only three months to go before the election of our 2025 officers we have four dates open for speakers. If you have a subject that you would like to present, please contact me by reply to this email. The open dates are October 8, 22 and November 19, 26. Next year currently is wide open so I will need your help in filling those dates. |
We are quickly coming up on the date when we will fill and then seal our Time Capsule. This is a project envisioned by our Master, WB Norman Goering, to place into a granite vault items of interest to future Biltmore Masons. An inscription will be carved into the capsule that the container should be opened on January 13, 2092; the Two Hundredth Anniversary of the Charter of Biltmore Lodge No. 446.
Some items under consideration for the Time Capsule are historic photos and of current members, a membership roster, a history of the Lodge along with a collection of Biographies of members past and present, a One Hundred Year Anniversary coin and other commemorative coins, the Past Master jewel of WB Jack Sorrells (Master 1971), a glass plate lecture slide used back in the 1920’s and 30’s, a 35mm projection slide used from the 1960’s through the early 2000’s, newspaper reports of the 2024 National Election and other items that may be of interest. Along with the text documents will be a USB flash drive. This will probably be of little use other than as an antique due to the fact that technology will have outstripped it (remember the gold 33 1/3 RPM record attached to the Voyager space vehicles?).
You too have a chance to include something. I would like to gather from you a short story, thought, memory or anything related to you membership as a Mason to be included in the collection. Maybe your story will be of your time learning your catechism and of the Mason who taught you or maybe it was a personal experience worthy of note. It could be of your year as Master or what Masonry has meant to you.
Please consider this request and realize that in the year 2092 your story will have lived beyond your time and become laid up among the records in the archives of the lodge as a memorial.
You can submit your article to this email address: clay.sorrells@gmail.com
Well, here we are just days into summer, and we are near the July 4th date when we celebrate the declared independence of our nation from Great Britain. I hope you will enjoy this edition of The Lodge Gate as it focuses on some of the men associated with that event. Just click on the pdf to open it.
Did you know Biltmore Masonic Lodge has a Facebook page? No? Well it does. Simply search for Biltmore Lodge #446 and "Like" us.
We are seeing an increase of men seeking membership into Freemasonry and Biltmore Lodge. It may be that you are selected to serve on an Investigating Committee. But what is an Investigating Committee and its responsibilities?
When someone petitions to join a Masonic lodge, an investigation takes place. This applies both to men who want to become Masons as well as those who already became Masons elsewhere.
So, what is a Masonic investigation? A Masonic investigation, in brief terms, is the process by which a Masonic lodge determines whether the petitioner would be a good fit for the lodge.
Before the investigation process even begins, a petitioner has, of course, filled out a petition. If it is not a Mason, then they are filling out the petition to go through the degrees of Masonry. If it is a Mason moving to the area from elsewhere and wanting to become a member of our lodge, then it is a petition of affiliation.
The petitioner signs a declaration at the beginning of the petition that states that:
- he believes in a Supreme Being,
- he is not joining for any mercenary purposes,
- he understands that Masonry is not an insurance or benefit society, etc.
He then fills out his personal contact information (address, phone number, etc.), his current job, two recommenders, and five character references. At the next regularly stated meeting, the secretary of the lodge reads the petition aloud.
This petition is then sent to the chairman of the investigation committee and serves as the document that the investigation committee uses to conduct their investigation of the petitioner.
In terms of a Masonic petition, a recommender is a Mason who has gotten to know the petitioner and vouches for his character. The two Masons who recommend the petitioner must have known the man for a period of time. The recommenders do not assist in investigating the petitioner simply because they may be biased, being a family member or very close acquaintance.
The investigation committee should contact each recommender to get their measure of the petitioner’s moral character.
Is the petitioner trustworthy?
Does he keep his commitments?
Is he the type of person who will be active in Masonry once he has gone through the degrees?
These and various other questions can and should be asked to ascertain whether the petitioner will be a good fit for Freemasonry. The investigation committee follows the same process with character references as with recommenders. If a character reference cannot be reached, we will ask the petitioner to provide us another character reference to contact.
Another area of concern these days is Social Media. Is the petitioner’s content on social media vulgar? Is it contentious? Does he treat others with courtesy and/or with respect?
An investigation requires that the petitioner be interviewed by at least three Masons at once; the petitioner’s family is also invited. During this interview, we ensure that the petitioner knows that:
Freemasonry is not a benefit or insurance society (like the Elks Club is);
Freemasonry should never be prioritized over his respective duties to God, family, or country (which includes his job);
Annual dues are to be paid to remain in good standing with the lodge; and
Memorization work will be involved.
We also ask him if he believes in a Supreme Being or Higher Power (however he may define it to be), as atheists are not permitted into our order.
We also encourage him to share any questions, doubts, or concerns that he may have; we do not want him to experience the degrees with any mental discomfort. We then try to determine why he wants to be a Freemason; there are a lot of misconceptions out there, so it is vital that we weed out those who are joining for the wrong reasons.
Those who make it past the investigation process with such misconceptions usually end up leaving the Fraternity simply because they are disappointed that it was not what they thought that it would be.
We then try to ascertain what he has to offer Freemasonry. Does he intend to attend our regularly stated meetings? Does he hope to assist by working to lead as an officer of the lodge? In short, will he participate to the best of his ability?
If his family is present, then we also ask them what their thoughts and feelings are on him becoming a Freemason. We try to resolve any questions, doubts, or concerns that they might have as well.
Once the investigation is complete, the investigation committee informs the lodge secretary whether they have a favorable or unfavorable opinion of the petitioner.
Masonic Investigations Should Not Be Taken Lightly.
Brethren,
As I have reported about often Biltmore Lodge is dedicated to Masonic education. We have had an educational program each week thus far and hope to continue that trend throughout the 2024 year, but I need your help. I need you to step up and volunteer to talk on a subject. It is called Masonic Education but the subjects are not limited to Masonic topics. If you have a hobby, a subject interest or something you feel will be interesting to the members of your lodge please consider presenting it some Tuesday evening. (Please, no political or sectarian religious talks) You can contact me at clay.sorrells@gmail.com or speak to the Master or Secretary and we will work with you to schedule a date.
Okay, so I think I have it figured out. What you ask. Loading Grand View to your phone. First, what is Grand View?
Grand View is a comprehensive web platform that provides an encrypted portal where Grand Lodge, Constituent Lodges, and individual members can communicate and interact online. Over the last few years Grand View has evolved from a simple membership management database into a platform with nearly endless possibilities. With multiple grand jurisdictions, thousands of lodges and hundreds of thousands of memberships being managed, Grand View has literally gone from a drawing on a napkin to leading the industry.
Grandview has replaced “Our Lodge Page”. As a member of Biltmore Lodge you can load the app on your phone. It provides you with several tabs which you may find interesting. You will also be able to pay your dues through this app.
As an Android user you must be using the Google Chrome web browser. If you are viewing this email on your PC you must open the following URL on your phone. Once there just follow the instructions. For you Apple folk I simply don’t have an answer though I’m sure it will be equally easy.
https://nc.grandview.systems/public_members/16696/view_my_full_record
How did you learn about Freemasonry? Who or what influenced you to become a Freemason?
The most common answer to these questions might be that my grandfather or father was a Mason or I knew men in the community that were Masons. Rarely will you find a man that has become a Mason simply by coming across references to it and then seeking a way to become one. No, we were influenced by family or friends.
Over the years Grand Lodges, subordinate lodges and individual members have racked their collective brains to come up with ideas of how to attract men to become Freemasons. Nothing really seems to have presented itself as that “magic bullet”. Biltmore Lodge has held an occasional Open House and it has met with some success but the factor that caused a man to become a Mason through the Open House was that friend, who was himself was a Freemason, inviting his non-Masonic friend to attend.
If we are to grow in numbers it is incumbent upon us, the Master Masons of Biltmore Lodge, to begin talking with friends and family who we think might make good Masons. Oddly, sometimes your friends don’t even know you are a Mason simply because you don’t wear a ring or pin, have a badge on your car or you never mention that you are a Mason. Change that habit and you might well arouse interest in a non-Mason to seek more light. Don’t be afraid or reluctant to talk about our Craft and what it means to you. We rely on you, the Biltmore Mason, to bring to us god men who will become better men.