As the sun rises in the East...

June is a special month for Freemasonry. The lecture of the First Degree teaches us that Saint John the Baptist was one of the eminent patrons of Freemasonry, and June 24th is his day. On St. John’s Day 1717, two hundred ninety years ago, the Grand Lodge of England was formed, creating the foundation of modern Masonry.

And what a busy June we have had, my brothers!
• We hosted an Inspector’s school of instruction and demonstrated the Second Degree
• Held our regular Stated Meeting
• Traveled to Sonora to witness the conferring of a Third Degree on brother Joel Hawkins of East Belt Tuolumne Lodge by a visiting delegation of English Masons
• Hosted a dinner for Acacia Lodge of Hayward for their annual visit to Murphys, and assisted in their conferral of a third degree
• Held three officer practice sessions to prepare for our conferral of the Third Degree
• Conferred third degrees on our brothers Deming Smith and Richard Davis
• Enjoyed the monthly family dinner where we honored Amanda Carter, our Scholarship recipient
• Presented Grand Lodge’s 50-year veteran’s award to brother Hank Middleton

Our two third Degree conferrals were very well done, due to the dedicated efforts of all who participated. I want to express my thanks and appreciation to all our own participating officers, and to the members of Calaveras Lodge who gave unstintingly of their time. Special thanks must be given to Worshipful Finnes Bowman, Past Master of our Lodge, who presented the Lecture for Brother Smith’s raising and gave the charge to Brother Smith; and to Worshipful Tommy Farr, Past Master of Turlock Lodge (and a member of Calaveras Lodge) who gave the charge to brother Smith and sat in the East for the entire evening at the conferral of the third degree on Brother Davis. The ritual work of these two brothers is a joy to witness.

Have a pleasant summer, my brothers!

Be sure to consult the calendar on the Meetings & Activities page on this web site to stay up-to-date on upcoming events you won’t want to miss.

Dan Gibson, Master,
Ophir Bear Mountain Lodge #33