| Los Altos Lodge No. 712: | Last Updated on January 24, 2003 |
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If you plan to attend a dinner at Los Altos Lodge, please call with reservations so we are enabled to provide sufficient food for all. If you do not make reservations in advance, we cannot guarantee you will be served. In addition, calling with late reservations causes our caterers to make additional and unnecessary trips to the stores in order to purchase additional food.
Upcoming Events:
Monday, February 10th, 7:30 PM LAMTA Meeting
Monday, February 17th, 6:30 PM Crab Feed/Sweetheart's Night. Cost: $15.00 per person. As always, Sweetheart's are guests of the Lodge. Reservations required by Friday, February 14th, Noon [650-569-6276] press # to bypass the outgoing message.
Monday, February 24th, 6:30 PM OAM Meeting SJ10, 1st Degree school of instruction
Monday, March 3rd, 7:30 PM Stated Meeting (6:30 PM Dinner) Inspector's Official Visit
We have received an application for the degrees of Masonry. The investigation team has been assigned and hopefully we will be enabled to ballot at our February Stated Meeting. As February is a full month for our Monday evenings, we may have to confer the first degree in March (tentatively scheduled for Monday, March 24th) or confer the first degree on a Saturday evening in February (tentatively the 15th or 22nd). We will firm up the date at our February Stated Meeting. In any case, please call the Lodge information line at (650) 569-6276 for upcoming events.
On Wednesday, January 15th, we had a special event. Worshipful Dan R. McDaniel received his 50 year Golden Veterans Award presented by Most Worshipful R. Stephen Doan, Past Grand Master of Masons of California. Prior to the presentation, we consumed a Prime Rib dinner downstairs prepared by Harriet Gluck and crew. A great time was had by all. Congratulations W. Bro. Dan!
On a more solemn note, it becomes my sad duty to inform you that our Dear Brother C. Eugene McMahon passed on to the Celestial Lodge above this past New Year's Day. On Thursday, January 9th, a beautiful and inspiring dual ceremony was conducted at the San Carlos Community Church. Gene's pastor, Pastor Rolf Hansen led the religious service and Worshipfuls John Runcie (Master), David Kimball (Chaplain), Bill Roberts (Marshal), and Brother Lou Orozco (Organist) performed the Masonic service. There were over 40 Masons in attendance and an equal number of Gene's friends and family. Gene was a good Mason and Man who cared very deeply about all of us. He was always willing to lend a helping hand to others and freely devoted his time and energy to Masonry. We will miss Gene very much.
Brother Bill Moller is now in the Hospice at the Palo Alto Veterans administration. He would like visitors. On Thursday, January 16th, the Scottish Rite Knighted him into the Order of Saint Andrews. Bill's wife Janet lives in Los Altos and does not drive. She needs rides. If anyone is able to help, the Reverend Judith Pruess-Mellow of the Los Altos United Methodist Church is coordinating the rides. She may be contacted at (650) 948-1083. Her e-mail is judithpruessmellow@laumc.org.
Fraternally Feeling Good,
Richard Weyers,
Master
Each New Year starts with a fresh and clean piece of paper. By now we have our New Years resolutions neatly ordered. By next month it should be impossible to locate this list (at least for me). This introductory comment from the Farmers Almanac has provided much food for thought. This years officers are looking forward with no regrets and no fears. Our WM has put together a superlative calendar and we all look forward to having a great year at Los Altos.
The times are a changing; the kids of today take for granted what I used to dream about as a child. Such as 'Dick Tracy" wristwatch communication device (in the form of a cell phone); transportation at the turning of a car key; locate anything we want to know, without ever leaving the house; and so much more. Food and drinks at your fingertips. How comfortable the world has become for the youth of today.
I remember calling out the window for 10 cents of ice. The iceman would climb 4 flights of stairs with a dripping 20 lb block of ice on his shoulder and put it in our windowsill icebox. I would hand him a dime and he would thank me! We each thought we had done each other a favor. The fraternity in those days was flourishing. And it is this attitude of serving and needing that maintains our fraternity.
Today the fraternity is much concerned about the dwindling membership. Like the stock market, the fraternity has had and will have its peaks and valleys and be better for it. Goodness never goes out of style and our fraternity is good both for its members and for society. In the mean time let us remember that our meetings are fodder for fellowship. Each meeting (as the Master said in his January article) should "Make each member feel good".
If we keep our lodge progressive they will transform into what works for Masonry. Our meetings should adapt to the modern lifestyle. Young families today more often have both spouses working. There is a benefit when having the whole family come to lodge for a dinner; providing baby- sitting for the kids allows the family to be together and yet have separate entertainment relaxation and a pleasant repose. Let us hear your suggestions for our Ladies entertainment.
I wonder if there are brothers (or their wives) interested in tutoring. I don't live in Los Altos, but I thought that offering a free tutoring program to the local schools might be a way for our lodge to be more involved. What do those of you that do live in Los Altos think of sponsoring a tutoring program for the local schools? If I find enough interested parties I will pursue the idea with the schools.
Wishing you success with your New Years Resolutions.
As the sun sets,
Ernest Castillo, P. M.,
Senior Warden
Although Groundhog Day is an American holiday, it incorporates its traditions with the very ancient European religious traditions of "Candlemas." In and of itself, Groundhog Day finds its origins dating from 1723, when the Delaware Indians first established a campsite between the Allegheny and Susquehanna rivers in Pennsylvania. The campsite, which was named Punxsutawney by the Indians, is located about 90 miles northeast of Pittsburgh, and today can be found at the intersection of Routes 36 and 119.
The Delaware Indians considered groundhogs to be their ancient and honorable ancestors. According to the Delaware religion, the original creation beliefs spoke of stories in which God created their first ancestors to begin life as animals deep down in the bowels of "Mother Earth," and only after eons of time did they emerge from their underground world to hunt and live as men on the surface.
The name Punxsutawney comes from the Indian name for the location which is properly "ponksad-uteney" and which means "the town of the sandflies." The name woodchuck also comes from one of their oldest legends, and is properly entitled "Wojak, the groundhog." "Wojak" was the name of the animal they believed to be their original ancestral grandfather. This being their "Adam" in their creation story.
In the early 1700s, German settlers arrived in Pennsylvania, and introduced an ancient Christian tradition known as Candlemas Day, which if the truth be known, was really a very ancient pagan celebration of the Celtic Imbolc persuasion. It occurred at the mid-point between the Winter Solstice and the Spring Equinox, and included superstitions, which held that if the weather was fair on that day; the second half of winter would be stormy and cold.
For both the early Pagans and Christians of Europe, it was an important custom on Candlemas Day for the Druids, Priests, and Witches to bless a whole host of candles, and to distribute them among the people. A lighted candle was placed in each window of the home. It is also interesting to note that the tradition of a festival of lights is not exclusive to this historic instant, and is in fact almost universal in world religious traditions. In Mexico, for example the same holiday period is celebrated by filling paper bags with sand, placing a lighted candle inside each and decorating the entrances to many homes.
In order to understand the true importance of Candlemas we must delve deep into the ancient fears and customs of human religious traditions. In days of old, it was critical to have knowledge of the passage of time and its effects on the ability of humans to produce food. It was also important to understand the natural effects of the changing seasons on the ability of humans to sexually reproduce. Until quite recent times increase in population, was a matter of the survival of the species and as a result, festivals to encourage reproduction were regularly made a part of religious tradition. Such was the case in the ancient Celtic as well as Christian traditions. The celebration and adoration of the female was illustrated best in the ancient traditions of the Celtic goddess Brigit and her Christian counter part Saint Bride.
The second Quarter Day of the Celtic Year, February 1st, was dedicated to Brigit, the Celtic goddess of the Spring, and from about the sixth century onwards, it was converted to St. Bride whose feast day, Latha Féill' Brighde, is traditionally regarded as the first day of spring. As in many instances, ancient pagan gods and goddesses were adopted by Christians, and Christian saints were created to replace them in an effort to convert the local pagans to Christianity.
In accordance with the policy of the early Christian church, most pagan festive days were retained and invested with a new significance on the Christian calendar. St. Bride's Day February 2nd, was therefore observed as Candlemas, and commemorated the Feast of the Purification of the Virgin Mary. The observation of Candlemas is mainly church-based, notably in the Scottish Episcopal and Roman Catholic churches, which each hold candle-lit services that have long outlasted most of the secular festivities.
It is important to understand that while our year extends from January 1st to December 31st the ancient Celtic calendar mirrored the cycle of the seasons and of life itself - planting to harvest, birth to death, re-birth, and renewal. Thus, the Celtic Year was divided into two halves: the dormant, or dark winter half, and the vibrant, or bright summer half, thereafter it was again divided so as to contain four Quarter Days each marking a season.
Because darkness was universally accepted to precede light, the Celtic year was said to begin with the dark half at the festival of "Samhainn," which being the eve of November 1, is October 31st, commonly known today as Hallowe'en. The second Quarter Day, February 1st, was dedicated to Brigit, the Celtic goddess of the Spring, which day was therefore traditionally regarded as the first day of spring. The third Quarter Day, May first, was entitled Beltane, or Bealltainn, and marked the beginning of summer. Finally, the fourth and final quarter, which began on August 1st, and which was called Lammas, or Latha Lunasdal, heralded the start of the harvesting season.
Candlemas, commemorates the Feast of the Purification of the Virgin Mary, and respects the ancient tradition of allowing the female a sexually undisturbed period after giving birth. In these traditions, at Candlemas, they pronounce her healed from the disease of birthing and again ready for sexual activity. This day traditionally should therefore have bad weather to mark the end of the restrictive period of the Mother. The groundhog therefore should not see its shadow in order to forecast an early spring. This tradition ending the female sexual fasting, also goes a long way in explaining why Valentines day, a traditional day to encourage love, follows closely thereafter.
At the Pennsylvania Dutch Folklore Center at Franklin and Marshall College, the earliest American references to Groundhog Day can be found. They include the following:
February 4, 1841 - from Morgantown, Berks County (Pennsylvania) storekeeper James Morris' diary..."Last Tuesday, the 2nd, was Candlemas day, the day on which, according to the Germans, the Groundhog peeps out of his winter quarters, and if he sees his shadow he pops back for another six weeks nap, but if the day be cloudy he remains out, as the weather is to be moderate."
In Europe Germans had a similar tradition in which they observed a badger for its shadow, but arriving in Pennsylvania, they adopted the native groundhog as a replacement.
Pennsylvania's official celebration of Groundhog Day began on February 2nd, 1886 with a proclamation published in The Punxsutawney Spirit newspaper by its editor, Clymer Freas:
"Today is groundhog day and up to the time of going to press the beast has not seen its shadow."
There after the groundhog was given many names and honors including, but not limited to "Punxsutawney Phil, Seer of Seers, Sage of Sages, Prognosticator of Prognosticators, and Weather Prophet Extraordinary." Considering all this, is there any wonder that his home town soon became known as the "Weather Capital of the World." His debut performance of no shadow, assuring an early spring, is said to have taken place the following year with the legendary first trip to Gobbler's Knob in 1887.
As often happens with ancient traditions in America a movie was even made entitled Groundhog Day, which was released in 1993 and starred Bill Murray as a TV weather man, and Audie MacDowell, as a very puzzled TV producer. In 1997, there were 35,000 visitors in Punxsutawney. This is very interesting considering that that is about five times the town's every day population of 6,700.
But wait! Is there really a real groundhog, or is all this just another legendary story? Well According to Bill Deeley, a local funeral director, the real "American Groundhog" is named "Phil," weighs 15 pounds and thrives on dog food and ice cream. Yes, he is real, and being a modern celebrity, lives in a climate-controlled home at the Punxsutawney Library. Just before February 2nd up on Gobbler's Knob, Phil is placed in a heated burrow underneath a simulated tree stump. Then each year at 7:25 a.m. on February 2nd, he makes his appearance, and shares his famous prediction with his millions of human fans.
What has all this got to do with Masonry? Well, actually nothing, but since I am the Junior Warden this year, I am in charge of all times untiled and at refreshment. Since we all live in the mundane world, I figured our time free from restraint, might just as well include some interesting tidbits.
Fraternally,
In Service to "The Craft",
Luis Orozco, II, F.M.
Junior Warden
Los Altos Crab Feed
Crab, Garlic Bread & Pasta
Monday, February 17, 2003
$15.00
Reservations by Noon Friday 2/14
(650) 569-6276
Brethren, pay your 2003 Dues! Call 650-569-6276 for any questions or concerns.
Dinner: Monday February 3, 2003
Lasagna & Salad,
Spumoni ice cream
$10 walk-in / $8.00 with reservations
by noon Friday, January 31st,
(650) 569-MASON (6276)
Ladies program: "South Bay Story Tellers"
Bob Pearl; Cal Boy; Tom & Sandy Farley
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