| Los Altos Lodge No. 712: | Last Updated on February 28, 2000 |
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Master - From The East
As you receive this, our line of officers for the year 2000 will have been installed just a couple days ago by Most Worshipful Alvin J. Weis, Grand Master of Masons.
We also were honored by several other Grand Lodge officers who attended our installation. I know that, even though this article has been written early in December, because they have notified our inspector, Dan McDaniel, of their intention to attend. We will all have to wait until the next trestleboard for pictures and details of our installation on December 29th.
During the next twelve months, you will be reading in these articles about the "currency" of Freemasonry. I believe the true "currency" of Freemasonry is our membership. Without members, we are broke, kaput, "out of business," defunct, dead. The "rich" lodge has lots of active members, and the poor lodge has few active members. As you can see, I believe the wealth of a lodge has nothing to do with how large a building is owned, how many stock and bonds are owned, or how much cash is in the bank accounts.
Naturally, money is very important to the proper functioning of any organization. At Los Altos Lodge we are very fortunate that we do not have any imminent money problems. Which is not to say that we might not some day find ourselves in a financial situation which is difficult, but it does not appear likely, unless some very dramatic and expensive bad luck befalls our lodge.
Those of you who know me well know that for my entire adult life I have been professionally involved in corporate finance. So it is a "change of course" for me to examine a non-financial aspect of our lodge. However, this is not as difficult as it may seem, for many of the principles of finance apply to membership.
For example, a brand new member usually is a "taker" not a "contributor." The "interest" on the investment has not accumulated. The lodge has spent a lot of time and effort to create a new Mason.
Becoming a Mason is just a starting point, where a little time well spent on the new member by older members may reap large rewards 1!1 the future. Perhaps this new member may become a regular attendee at lodge. Perhaps he will contribute to the Masonic Homes Endowment fund. Perhaps he will bring wisdom to our meetings, and assist the lodge in many ways. Perhaps he will serve on a committee. Perhaps he will serve as an officer of our lodge. Perhaps he will serve the Grand Lodge of California as a Committeeman. Perhaps as a Chairman of a Grand Lodge Committee. Perhaps as a Grand Lodge officer. Perhaps he will get involved in Scottish Rite, York Rite, Shriners, Eastern Star, or one of the dozens other Masonic related organizations and committees. Perhaps he will attend some youth order meetings. Perhaps recommend a youth to membership.
But most important of all, perhaps he will bring a good friend or acquaintance to one of our functions, introduce him to us, and us to him, and perhaps he will have the pleasure of being a recommender on an application to receive the degrees. It is my opinion now, and always has been, that there is nothing which speaks louder about one's belief in Freemasonry than to bring into a lodge a candidate for the degrees. From my own personal experience, I feel it is similar to the birth of a child. Then to see a new Mason who I brought into our fraternity grow and learn about our craft is especially thrilling.
Last year I heard Past Grand Master Charlie Alexander say at his 50 year pin presentation that he was most proud of his having conferred over 150 Masonic funeral services. Certainly that is quite an accomplishment, and it speaks of his very high service to our craft. But I personally would rather be able to say one day that I brought 150 men into our lodge. Wouldn't that be incredible!
During the year, we will be talking about and examining how we can talk to non-Masons about Masonry, and how we can turn that into new members. We need to be careful, for we do want to accept only good men, but there are a lot of good men out there who know nothing (or misinformation) about freemasonry.
Have a Happy New Year!
Fraternally,
Robert W. Martin, P.M. Master
Our December Holiday Dinner and Party was just great! The stuffed pork roast and trimmings provided by Bill Malmstrom was excellent,, and the Scandinavian Dessert and Gloegg provided by Flemming and Dianne Nielsen were both outstanding!
Helen McDaniel "found the almond" and was awarded a prize. Also, eight ladies from Valley Star Chapter No. 250 Order of the Eastern Star who have assisted most of this year in our dinner activities were each awarded a "Master's Award" certificate, a rose, and a special $1 M dollarbill in recognition of their outstanding contributions to the lodge's activities and members.
Our December Stated Meeting was long and informative! Several important items were discussed and several motions were passed. Accomplishments included: forming fun work parties each month for stapling and mailing the trestleboard, choosing the holiday gifts for our widows, a trustee's report, a detailed LAMTA report, a discussion of lodge finances (status, bills, dues, and receipts),detailed discussions of our distressed worthy brethren, review of the proposed budget for 2000, discussions regarding the December 29 Installation of Officers, and discussions on other topics of interest.
An application for affiliation was received from a member of Pleasanton Lodge. A letter from David Banastre was read in which he thanked our members for visiting California Lodge No. 1 at dinner and the meeting on Nov- 2, where he was elected Master, and he invited everyone to his Installation on December 14; Congratulations David!
We were sorry that Sterling Bailey was unable to attend our Stated Meeting, as he was still recovering from his heart bypass operation, and he is getting stronger each day. Also, Luis 0rozco and Ed Chappelle were both ill and could not attend.
Thanks to Richard Rosenberg who stepped in as organist and entertained the Lodge with some very good Scott Joplin ragtime music (played slowly - my favorite music) with some assistance from a new disk for our new digital piano/orchestra.
Our dues notices for 2000 have all been sent out, and the brethren are, already sending their dues in. Please remember to contribute to the Masonic Homes! Send your dues in soon. I note that our Lodge is very fortunate - the dues of many other CA Lodges is $100 per year! Let's keep our dues cost low and our quality participation high!
It was also announced that all Lodge Brethren could also contribute to our two distressed worthy brethren, by mailing funds to the lodge that are ear-marked as DWB Funds. Such funds received will then be used to offset the additional funds that would otherwise be required from the Lodge. Several members contributed large amounts of such funds after the meeting.
A large, signed, and framed print of " 150 Years of Freemasonry " was presented to the Lodge from the Officers of 1999, for Lodge use. We bought that print at Grand Lodge, and we thank LAMTA for framing the picture for Lodge use. An identical print was later given to us from the new Grand Master, and that print has been placed in an existing picture frame, in the main building hallway just outside of the Lodge room.
The Certificate that we received from the "George Washington Bi-Centennial Celebration" was also presented to the Lodge, and is planned to be displayed in the Tiler's area.
Some events planned for 2000 were discussed. A special Superbowl Party is planned for January 30, starting at 2:00 PM. Also, everyone greed that we should all go water-skiing with Sterling Bailey when he does that on his 90th Birthday, on or near May 25.
We collected 28 toys for our Toys for Tots" drive, and 47 cans and 18 boxes of food for our food drive. I donated the toys at work, sent an email (with our website address), and we received the following emails back from two of the Toys for Tots directors at [my work location]: (1) "Hello ladies! Please include this in the next news letter regarding a generous donation from an organization in which one of our employees is a member of. I believe it's a well-deserved recognition, regardless of which Business Unit is involved. Community spirit/participation in all forms is a blessing, don't you agree? Thank you Patrick and 'The Los Altos Masonic Lodge for opening your hearts and wallets in the spirit of giving this holiday season! "; and (2) "WAY TO GO PATRICK AND THE LOS ALTOS MASONIC LODGE!!!!! God bless you all!"
Also, our December "Receiving More Light" function was very informative as Robert Lake, Earl Gault, and Jim Sword (visiting) read enlightening and entertaining paragraphs from the Bylaws of the Lodge. These members did receive "More Light", n the form of Masonic flashlights attached to a key chain! This function was held at each meeting of the year, and I thank all who participated!
Our next Stated Meeting will be on January 3, preceded by a Chili & Soup dinner. The after dinner program will be "The South Bay Storytellers."
Congratulations to Robert Martin and his team of Officers for next year. The Officers of this year - "Whose Afraid of Y2K! " ("WAO Y2K"), and "The Last Ones" - say to them: "Grow and Prosper". We are certain that the "Band of Two Grand" will have a grand time.
This is my last Trestleboard as the 1999 Master of your Lodge. I have enjoyed the honor of serving you and the Lodge. I am also very grateful for the support and assistance of all of the Lodge Officers and Lodge Members during this year. It has indeed been a wonderful experience for me. As the holidays approach, and the longest night of the year comes at Winter Solstice on December 21, let us all remember to shine our masonic light as bright as can be, for all to know, and all to see.
Fraternally,
Patrick Bailey Junior Past Master
The holiday season, the year 1999, and the Millennium should be just about coming to an end as you read this.
Here in Silicon Valley our masonic calendars are bustling with activities, and the Y2K bug seems to have been pretty much stamped out.
All in all, God is in his heaven, The carolers' songs are sweet, the prosperity of the New Year beckons, and all seems well within our Masonic World.
Here at Los Altos Lodge we are especially blessed, in that we have received a wonderful holiday bonus from the Los Altos Temple Board, in the form of a brand new Yamaha Clavinova musical instrument.
As lodge organist I can assure you that this is the best thing to have happened (Musically) at the lodge in many a year.
The new instrument is a combination Piano/Organ/Voice Choir, and full Orchestra, and has the ability to play back recorded music.
The reason this last feature is so very important is that it gives our lodge the ability to have music played during our degrees and meetings even when the lodge Organist can not be in attendance.
Yes I know what you are thinking. "How can this be so
Well actually it happens in a very interesting way. Sometime in the near future I will attend a typical Stated Meeting and play all the regular music at the appropriate times just as I have done for several years now.
The difference will be that while I am playing at that time, the instrument will be recording (all the music only) as we go. This recording will be made on a regular 3 1/2-inch computer floppy disk.
Then after the meeting I will arrange the music for future use. This way at later dates, when I can't be in attendance at a future degree or meeting, any brother can simply insert the proper disk, press the buttons, and provide the Lodge with music at the appropriate times.
Of course this does not mean I will not be coming to lodge regularly in the future, but none of us are getting any younger. I really want to see the Lodge have the ability to enjoy music at all lodge events, regardless if the lodge organist can be there or not. This wonderful new instrument provides the lodge that ability.
Of course it is not a "Concert Grand Piano" or a "Grand Church Pipe Organ," but its sound will come very, very close to both. Why not plan to attend Lodge soon, and begin enjoying our many benefits as members of Los Altos Lodge No. 712.
Some of you will receive this Trestleboard in the week between Christmas and New Year. If you read this in time I want to urge you to attend the two installation events taking place at Los Altos Lodge during this week.
Los Altos Lodge Officers' Installation will beheld on Wednesday December 29th at 7:30 PM and El Camino Research Lodge Officers' Installation will take place on Monday December 27th. They both promise to be events to remember.
Fraternally,
In Service To The Craft,
Brother Luis J. Orozco, II, H.A.
Testleboard Editor
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