RESEARCH TRIANGLE PARK — Orphans 761 was granted its charter during Annual
Communication. It is the second lodge chartered this century. Orphans Lodge is a specialty lodge with an emphasis on supporting, promoting, and caring for the Masonic Home for Children in Oxford.  The lodge will eventually meet on campus.  They are currently preparing a lodge room in one of the old campus dormitories. The lodge will meet quarterly for stated meetings with one coinciding with the St. John’s Day celebration. They were granted a dispensation in the spring and have been working toward full lodge status since.  Wilkerson College 760 was the last lodge chartered in the state. It, like Orphans 761, is composed mostly of dual members. They serve as an extra interest for their members, most of whom will continue to be active in their home lodges. Orphans 761 members include alumni, employees, and Masons with a special affection for the Home for Children.

3rd Degree:

The Master announced that this emergent communication was called for the purpose of raising  Brother David Davis to the sublime degree of Master Mason, as a courtesy for Selma Lodge No. 320.  This was required to demonstrate  proficiency in the ritualistic work as required by the Grand Lodge of North Carolina to obtain a Charter.

2nd Degree:

The Master announced that this emergent communication was called for the purpose of passing Brother Jerry Gravite to the degree of Fellow Craft, as a courtesy for Wake Forest Lodge No. 282. This was also required to demonstrate  proficiency in the ritualistic work as required by the Grand Lodge of North Carolina to obtain a Charter.

Installing Officer:            M.^.. W.^.. Graham W. Pervier

Installing Secretary:        R.^.. W.^.. T. Walton Clapp III

Installing Marshal:          W.^.. Mack Sigmon, DDGL - 34th

Orphans Lodge

April 16, 2005 

Initial Organizational Meeting

Minutes

An open meeting of North Carolina Masons was held at the Masonic Home for Children at

Oxford in the cafeteria at 10:00 this date to discuss organizing a ceremonial Lodge on

campus of the Home. Present were:
 

Grand Master Graham Pervier,

Grand Secretary Walt Clapp,

Grand Junior Warden David Cash, and Master Masons:

William Adams,         Bob Aiken,                        Thomas Allen, JR.,             

Kermit Carter,          D. R. Cash,                       Bob Chandler,                   

Grover Dees,           Ray Edwards,                     Danny Emory,                   

Roger Euliss,            Harry Greene,                    Larry Holloman,                 

Allen Hughes,           Greg Key,                         Doug McConnell,               

Tommy Mills,           Charles Phipps,                   Chris Richardson,               

Scott Rose,              Bobbie Stephens,                Everett West,                   

Brindell Wilkins, Jr.,    Terry Wooten.

Brother Chris Richardson, Director of Development for The Masonic Home for Children at

Oxford opened the meeting and asked for all present to identify themselves and their

home Lodge affiliation. Following introductions, Bro. Richardson gave an overview of the

reasoning behind forming the Lodge and outlined the tasks that needed to be completed at this

meeting if the Lodge was to be formed and the Charter issued at the Grand Communication

this year. He stated that the purposes of the Lodge would be to help children at the Home

and across the state, to create another link between Masons and the Home, to encourage

on-campus visitation. Getting more Masons to visit the Home and helping to generate funds

necessary to operate the Home were also key reasons for establishing the Lodge.

Richardson said that the Lodge would be a ceremonial Lodge meeting only once per quarter,

but all of the requirements for other Lodges within the state would still have to be followed

including:

1. Degree Work

2. Proficiency

3. Lodge business,

4. Secretarial work,

5. Recordkeeping, and

6. Active membership on Lodge Committees as outlined by the Code of the Grand Lodge

        of North Carolina

According to the Grand Secretary and Brother Richardson, the tasks that would have to be

completed prior to the Grand Communication included:

1. Election of Master, Senior and Junior Warden,

2. Election of Secretary and Treasurer,

3. Decide upon a name for the Lodge,

4. Create a set of By-Laws,

5. Establish a dues structure including annual dues, affiliation dues, and initiation dues,

6. Establish meeting dates, and

7. Select or appoint committees and committee membership,

Additionally, certain cutoff dates and times would need to be established, working backwards

from the date of the Grand Communication, in order to complete all of the tasks included in

forming a new Lodge including demonstrating proficiency in degree work, gathering names

for the Charter membership, and getting all of the necessary and required paperwork to

the Grand Secretary and Grand Master for approval. To this end, it was decided to have a

cut-off date of May 25, 2005 for getting all of the initial names to the Grand Secretary so that

the date of dispensation and instituting the Lodge would be as soon after May 25^th as

practical. Further, it was determined that all required paperwork would need to be completed

and turned in to the Grand Lodge twenty days before Grand Communication or

September 1, 2005.

The next order of business was to accept nominations for Lodge Officers. The following

slate was proposed:

Master:                   Chris Richardson

Senior Warden:          Bobby Adams

Junior Warden:          Harry Greene

Secretary:                Tommy Allen

Treasurer:                Grover Dees

A motion to close nominations was made and seconded. Following discussion, a vote was taken

and the motion to accept the slate was passed unanimously.

Committees and Committee Membership was then discussed and the following

Committees were selected by open vote:

    Finance Committee                                             By-Laws Committee

1. Bobbie Stevens; Chairman                               1. Danny Emory; Chairman

2. Allen Hughes                                                2. Doug McConnell

3. Ray Edwards                                                3. Charles Phipps

     Degree Work                                                          Membership

1. Harry Greene; Chairman                                 1. Terry Wooten; Chairman

2. Grover Dees                                                2. Chris Richardson

3. Tommy Mills                                                3. Scott Rose

                                                                    4. Larry Holloman

Following selection of Committees the dues structure was established as follows:
Affiliation:          $100.00

Initiation:          $100.00

Annual Dues:     $ 50.00 + $15.00 per capita or $65.00 annually

The following meeting dates were established for the Lodge:

The second Saturday in April

The day of Saint Johns Day celebration at the Home

The second Saturday in October (Homecoming), and

The third Saturday in December

The following date was then established to conduct business necessary to complete all of

the tasks needed prior to Grand Communication;

May 21, 2005 at 10:00 a.m. at the Oxford Lodge 122 building on West College Street in

Oxford, NC.

There being no further business, the meeting was dismissed at 11:59 a.m.

Respectfully Submitted

Doug McConnell