WILKERSON COLLEGE LODGE No. 760

Wilkerson College held its inaugural session on March 1, 2002, at a rustic camp deep in the backwoods of Granville County, just north of the Masonic Home for Children at Oxford. Sponsored jointly by the Scottish Rite Orient of North Carolina and the Grand Lodge of Ancient, Free and Accepted Masons of North Carolina, the College began with a unified mission: to provide Freemasonry with the best trained Masonic leaders possible. Simply, the goal was to invite deacons from across the state to come together, network, and learn from others about the experience, challenges and opportunities that lodge leadership has to offer.

The College met the first weekend of each month for a period of three months. The inaugural session took place in March 2002, and was held at the Masonic Home for Children. The second session was held at the Grand Lodge offices in Raleigh in April. The third and final session was held at the Masonic and Eastern Star Home, Greensboro, in May. Classroom sessions and homework assignments generated numerous impromptu discussions that often ran well into the wee hours of the morning. Participants communicated via e-mail and telephone frequently between sessions discussing ideas and sharing information. Several were able to meet and work on planning projects in-between sessions as well.

As time evolved, it became evident to the participants that they wanted a means of continuing their camaraderie and associations long after their college lives ended. The beginnings of long-term friendships and the thirst for knowledge made it obvious that a vehicle for continued Masonic education needed to be organized. The idea circulated of forming a new lodge, the first in North Carolina in excess of nineteen years. Organizers sought support and guidance not only from faculty members, but also from individuals across the state and from within the line of the Grand Lodge. At the final session of the College, participants met formally to discuss the new Lodge and how it should be organized. A suggestion was made to ask H. Lloyd Wilkerson, (read Lloyd's biography) Past Master and namesake of the College to be the first Master of the Lodge. Furthermore, if chartered, it was decided that the new Lodge would be housed at the Masonic and Eastern Star Home in Greensboro but that it would be a traveling lodge. The goal would be to hold meetings across the State seeking Masonic education and allowing for greater interaction and involvement by Brothers statewide. Participating alumni of Wilkerson College agreed to hold an organizational meeting at the Grand Lodge in Raleigh.

On Sunday afternoon, June 2, approximately ten Master Masons met with Grand Secretary Walt Clapp to formally begin organizational proceedings. Illustrious Sir H. Lloyd Wilkerson, Past Sovereign Grand Inspector General, Past Lieutenant Grand Commander and Past Master agreed to serve as the inaugural master. Prospective members drafted By-Laws and structured the Lodge. District Deputy Grand Master Ray Hall of the 23rd Masonic District examined the officers on their proficiency in opening and closing a lodge as well as their ability to conduct business. The following Saturday, several prospective members met with District Deputy Grand Lecturer Edd Little of the 23rd Masonic District at Millbrook Lodge No. 97 in Raleigh. In a setting similar to a school of instruction, the members demonstrated their proficiency in conferring all three degrees of the Blue Lodge.

A formal presentation was made to Grand Master Jerry Tillett seeking a Petition for Dispensation on June 15, 2002. Grand Master Tillett, after reviewing the petition and seeking counsel from the Board of General Purposes, signed the Petition for Dispensation on Friday, June 28, 2002.

A ceremony instituting a new lodge under dispensation was held at the Cary Masonic Temple in Cary, North Carolina, on Friday evening, July 12, 2002. In excess of one hundred people attended the open ceremony. Deputy Grand Master Charles A. Lewis, Jr., representing the Grand Master, presented Wilkerson College Lodge U. D. with its dispensation and appointed Worshipful Brother H. Lloyd Wilkerson (Semper Fidelis # 680) as Master. Also appointed by the Grand Master were Joseph M. “Morty” Jayson (Cary # 198) as Senior Warden and Brandon E. Scott (Kenly # 257) as Junior Warden. Worshipful Master Wilkerson then appointed the following brothers to their respective stations and places: see a picture

	Treasurer		Dudley H.Sheppard (Gate City #694)
	Secretary		Todd P. Sutton (Kenly #257)
	Senior Deacon		Ronald D.R. Sortino (Semper Fidelis #680)
	Junior Deacon		Frank E. Spears (Millbrook #97)
	Senior Steward		Robert W. "Boog" Powell (Orient #395)
	Junior Steward		Michael S. James (Guilford #656)
	Chaplain		Kevin S. Walton (William T. Bain #231)
	Tyler			Randall E. Ogburn (Pioneer #685)

The membership roster as of the presentation of the dispensation consisted of thirty-nine brothers, nineteen more than mandated by the Code to seek formation.

The first stated communication was held at the Lodge’s home location, the Masonic and Eastern Star Home in Greensboro on Saturday, August 3, 2002. In attendance were 40 Brothers. By now word had spread across the State of the new Lodge and its mission. The Worshipful Master read twenty Petitions for Affiliation – an event thought to be historical in itself. An Investigation Committee was appointed and directed to report back its findings on the petitions that were read on August 3 at the next stated communication in September. To meet the requirements for obtaining a charter before the upcoming Grand Lodge meeting in September, Worshipful Master Wilkerson announced that the Lodge would hold three emergent communications in August. These emergent communications would be for the purpose of conferring Entered Apprentice, Fellowcraft and Master Mason degrees as courtesies to local lodges. These actions would satisfy the requirements of the Code, thereby completing the prerequisites for the Lodge to seek a Charter.

A second Stated Communication was held on September 7 at Millbrook Lodge No. 97 in Raleigh. Right Worshipful William L. Mills III, Past Deputy Grand Master, made the first Masonic Education presentation. Brother Mills’ presentation was entitled, “The Power to Destroy: A Call to Restore the Masonic Model for Social Welfare.” Other agenda items included the report of the investigating committee on the petitions for affiliation. Because of a Code restriction the vote on each applicant had an effective date of affiliation “as of the date of charter” for the Lodge. The attendees voted and approved the twenty petitions. This brought the active membership to a total of fifty-nine members. members.

Code requirements stipulated that all lodges under dispensation must cease work 20 days prior to the convening of the Grand Lodge meeting and that all property of the Lodge must be turned over to the Grand Secretary pending review of the charter request. This was done on September 11, 2002, at which time the formal Petition for Charter was presented to Grand Master Tillett for consideration. On September 27, 2002, the Lodge went before the Committee on Charters and Dispensations. Upon reviewing the material submitted, they voted to recommend to the Grand Master and to the Grand Lodge that the petition be accepted and that the charter be granted along with the number designation of 760.

On September 28, 2002, the recommendations of the Committee were read to the delegates of the Grand Lodge. An overwhelming majority approved this recommendation and Wilkerson College Lodge No. 760 was granted its Charter.

The Lodge met for the first time after it’s official Charter on October 5, 2002 at Blackmer Lodge No. 127 in Mt. Gilead, North Carolina. Worshipful Master H. Lloyd Wilkerson presented the Masonic Education session on the “History of Military Lodges in Freemasonry”.

The Stated Communication for November was held at the Masonic and Eastern Star Home. Because the installation ceremony of Grand Master Elect Charles A. Lewis was scheduled on December 4, the next Stated Communication of the Lodge, it was decided to request a Dispensation from the Grand Lodge to allow the Lodge to meet in Wilmington for the December meeting. Therefore the annual meeting of the Lodge was delayed by default to the January 2003 meeting as Code regulations do not allow for elections or annual communications to be held at any location other than the “home” Lodge location. The Lodge participated in the 23rd District’s School of Instruction being held at Stokesdale Lodge No. 428 after the close of the November meeting.

The December meeting was held at Orient Lodge No. 395 in Wilmington. Worshipful Brother Oscar Bass, Jr., DDGL of the 31st District and a Past Master of Westgate Lodge No. 738 in Charlotte presented the Lodge with a set of custom carved Columns for the Wardens. M. W. Rick Moore, Past Grand Master introduced W. B. Bass to the Lodge and assisted in the presentation. Following the meeting the Lodge traveled to the Scottish Rite auditorium where Worshipful Master H. Lloyd Wilkerson was asked by Most Worshipful Lewis to sit in the East as Honorary Master of the Installation Ceremony. This was truly a historic event for members of Wilkerson College Lodge No. 760 as several of its members were installed as Grand Lodge Officers:

	Grand Master		Charles A. Lewis, Jr.
	Deputy Grand Master	Leonard Y. Safrit, Jr.
	Grand Steward		William L. Dill
	Tyler			Robert W. "Boog" Powell
	Grand Orator		James E. Vann

Several other Lodge members were appointed to various GL Committees and even more participated in the installation ceremony.

The January 2003 meeting was held at the Greensboro Masonic Temple in Greensboro, NC. The following individuals were elected and /or appointed as officers for the ensuing year: see a picture

	Master			H. Lloyd Wilkerson (Semper Fidelis #680)
	Senior Warden		Joseph M. "Morty" Jayson (Cary #198)
	Junior Warden		Brandon E. Scott (Kenly #257)
	Treasurer		Dudley H. Sheppard (Gate City #694)
	Asst. Treasurer		Carl R. Hall (Greensboro #76)
	Secretary		Daniel G. Bishop (Lafayette #83)
	Asst. Secretary		Larry B. Thompson (Blackmer #27)
	Senior Deacon		Ronald D.R. Sortino (Semper Fidelis #680)
	Junior Deacon		Frank E. Spears (Millbrook #97)
	Senior Steward		Robert W. "Boog" Powell (Orient #395)
	Junior Steward		Michael S. James (Guilford #656)
	Chaplain		Agusta E. Lawing (Catawba #217)
	Tyler			Kevin S. Walton (William T. Bain #231)

The Grand Master, Most Worshipful Charles A. Lewis, Jr. presented the Lodge with its Charter and officiated over the ceremony of constituting and consecrating a new Lodge. He then installed Worshipful Brother H. Lloyd Wilkerson as Master with Most Worshipful William H. Simpson, PGM as Installing Marshal. Due to schedule conflicts M. W. Lewis had to leave the ceremony and M. W. Simpson continued the installation of officers with DDGM Carl R. Hall as Marshal. The ceremony was held in an open venue with excess of one hundred people in attendance.

Wilkerson College Lodge No. 760 began 2003 with an esteemed membership whose experience would be the envy of any Lodge anywhere in the world. In addition to the original seventeen Wilkerson College participants who are members and now Deacons or Wardens in local Lodges, WCL enjoys the benefits of having in its membership one Grand Master; five Past Grand Masters; one Deputy Grand Master; one Past Deputy Grand Master; one Grand Steward; one Grand Tyler; one Grand Orator; four District Deputy Grand Masters; two District Deputy Grand Lecturers; one Master; sixteen Past Masters, and six certified lecturers!

The second class of Wilkerson College begin in the spring of 2003. Several members of Wilkerson College Lodge played an active role in the leadership of that class as well as assisted in the development of the Fellows Program, a post graduate course to be offered in 2004.

These extended courses are designed to continue and expand on the original work began by each student during the regular sessions.