| Los Altos Lodge No. 712: | Last Updated on February 22, 2004 |
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[As these Trestleboard files were lost in a computer crash, this information was scanned from a TB and has been placed into the website ASAP. WebM.]
Well, January has come and gone and it seems I have survived my first stated meeting as Master.
We have a busy year ahead of us in 2005, and it would be most helpful if we could see an increase in attendance at our Lodge events. To that end, I am planning several activities during the year which you may find somewhat different than in past years.
Many events will be designed to improve our relationship with our youth groups. I am already in contact with the Job's Daughters, RainBow, and DeMolay in an effort to schedule a variety of activities with them throughout the year.
As mentioned last month, Brother Hal Bain has agreed to assist us in planning at least one major cultural youth group outing. We are planning a youth tour to see The Nutcracker Suite in downtown San Jose in November or December of this year.
In addition we are planning to host several youth group meetings, wherein we hope to encourage them to exemplify some of their ritual and a at least one Youth Night Open House. The idea will be to assist and support them in any way we can.
Some other ideas I would like to see in action at Los Altos Lodge include inviting the DeMolay to present their "Flower Talk" as well as their "Ceremony of Light": having the Rainbow present its "Rose Lecture," "Mother's Degree," and Flag Tribute; and having the Job's Daughters present its "Robe Exemplification."
We also plan to look into the possibility of establishing a youth group who will meet regularly in our Los Altos Lodge Room.
Also regarding our youth groups, I have allocated a much larger amount of financial support for them in my budget, and I really hope many of you will support our efforts by attending and contributing your ongoing efforts to these events. If you have friends or family with youthful members among them, this will be the year to introduce them to our Masonic Youth Orders. We must never lose sight of the fact that our Masonic youth are the future of Freemasonry.
As usual we kicked off February with our annual Superbowl Party on Sunday, February 6th, and Worshipful Bill Malmstrum informs me that our annual Crab Feed is right on schedule for Monday, February 21.
Our March Stated Meeting is scheduled to be the official visit by our inspector, Worshipful Doug Clifford.
For April, I am looking into the plausibility of presenting a Masonic Drama in our lodge room as part of a Masonic Information night. At this point, I am considering two plays: 1) A Rose Upon The Alter, and 2) The Traitor. If any of you have other Masonic plays you would like to have us consider, please let me know.
I am planning a visit and possible 3rd Degree at the Masonic Home in May or June, and for those months I am also looking into having one of our youth groups put on one of their degrees for us in our lodge room. And of course, let us not forget the Annual Los Altos Wine Festival. As in past years we will be manning a booth out front.
For July or August, I am looking into a possible dinner cruise on the Bay.
September will be Constitution Month, and we will have a special event for that occasion.
October as always will be Grand Lodge Month and there will be little time for anything else.
On the other hand, November will begin the holiday season, and as I mentioned I am planning some interesting youth events to consider with the season.
I am sure you will agree that it would be nice if we could find some way to host and sponsor a Masonic youth group in our Lodge room here in Los Altos, and to this end I will be trying to work all year. If any of you have any ideas on this subject, or if you would like to help bring this about, please contact me as soon as you can so we can get this idea off the ground.
Finally, if there are events which you would like to see happen that I have not mentioned, please don't hesitate to let me hear from you. This is your lodge and you should enjoy its activities.
Fraternally,
Luis J. Orozco, II, F.M.
Master
I wish to thank the brethren for their vote of confidence in me to be your Senior Warden his Masonic Year. And since we already have a blue application read in lodge, this year promises to be a rewarding year full of degrees. In fact, if the double installation is any indication, we will also have a year of other rewarding events with an emphasis on Masonic youth groups. During our January stated Meeting, an issue arose pertaining to the roles and relation ships between the Trustees, the Hall Association," and the Brethren of Los Altos Lodge.
To ensure a proper understanding, I will attempt to delineate those roles and responsibilities in terms of relationships for each organization.
The primary purpose of the LAMTA Board of Directors (BoD) is a fiduciary responsibility to support the stockholders of the corporation. It just so happens that LAMTA has only one share of common stock, and the holder of that solitary share is Los Altos Lodge #712. Ergo, the Lodge "owns" 100% of LAMTA. 100% ownership constitutes total control of LAMTA! The LAMTA BoD fulfills their fiduciary responsibility of support to the Lodge through proper management of the corporate assets (which includes the Masonic building and their liquid resources). What causes friction in many lodges is that the Hall Association (i.e., LAMTA) does have the legal right to refuse a cash dividend. However, since LAMTA is owned by the lodge, the Hall Association does not have the moral right to refuse their lodge anything. Should these two organizations be at odds with each other, the proper recourse by the Lodge is to remove the dissenting members from the Board and elect members who will fulfill the brethren's request. In short, the Lodge can always get •what they want from their Hall Association.
On the other hand, the Trustees are a body that represents the entirety of the Lodge brethren to oversee the management of the Lodge assets.
Interestingly enough, the Trustees are not authorized to direct anybody to do anything. The authority of the trustees is strictly limited to recommending change or no change in management of the Lodge assets, and their recommendations must be approved by the brethren. For example, they may recommend the funds in the Life Membership account be moved to a different type of investment in order to get a better rate of return. If the Lodge agrees by a majority vote with the recommendation, then the recommended change will take place. Please note, one of the Lodge assets is that solitary share of stock in LAMTA. As such, the Trustees may also recommend changes relative to the management of LAMTA.
For example, the Trustees could recommend against installing the proposed elevator. In this case, if the brethren voted against installing the elevator, the Lodge would direct LAMTA to cancel the project. And if the Board of Directors should refuse the Lodge's mandate, it would once again be incumbent upon the Lodge to remove dissenting members of the LAMTA board to ensure that the action directed by the Lodge takes place. But please note the only thing the Trustees did in this scenrio was to make a recommendation to the Lodge.
But most important is the brethren of the Lodge. The brethren have the responsibility to elect the best qualified persons to the Trustees and the BoD who will truly represent the wishes of the brethren, even if they disagree on a personal basis.
Another question came up about how much cash LAMTA can retain. Although this is an important question, I will save that answer, as it is time to focus on our Lodge's exciting new Masonic agenda, which holds the promise of much more excitement.
Fraternally,
Brother Hal Bane,
Sr. Warden
Our new Masonic year is in progress. The January stated meeting dinner was really superb. Our chef had a great prime rib dinner and all present ate well and with much gusto. Thank you Bill for another great meal.
As per our past four or five years, we will kick off the year's activities with the annual Superbowl party. This year, as in the past, please bring a side dish. The Lodge will provide the refreshments, and meat dishes. Plan on enjoying the Superbowl on February 6 in the Lodge dining room. The game is scheduled for 3 PM. The doors should be open between 1:30 and 2 PM. We are indebted to Brother Pat Bailey, PM, for instituting this event. It is open to friends and family, so feel free: invite some guests.
Our January stated meeting dinner drove home a point. The reservation system is not working. There are a few steady brother that call-in regularly and make their reservation. Their head count adds up to at most 8 or 9 each month. To this number we must add the brothers that have paid for all twelve dinners in advance (five this year). This brings our count up to 13 or 14. I normally include a list of brother that attend without making reservations and only call if they cannot make the meeting. Last year it was 4. This year I think it will be 5. We had 23 for dinner in January. Because of the unknown number of dinner attendees the chef always cook for approximately 40. We will try this year to obtain a better count for each dinner. If we can get a respectable head count for each dinner we will keep the system in place. If we find that the phone system does not give us a reliable head count for the meals, we will drop the special phone line as an expense that is not providing what we need. If there are brothers with some better suggestions than dropping the reservation line, please let me know so that we can reconsider the matter and/or make adjustments to the system.
February brings our annual Crab Feed. This year it is scheduled for February 21st. The cost will be $25 for all you can eat crab. The menu will include pasta with homemade sauce, mixed green salad, garlic bread and green sherbet for dessert. Please make your reservation either with the JW (408) 564-7045, on the reservation line (640) 569-6275, or at the lodge phone (650) 9416615. Get your reservation in by February 12. THANK YOU. Dinner as usual is for 6:30 PM. With a little bit of luck, we hope to have some entertainment.
Last year the Lodge approved the use of a ‘Social Fund’ at the April Stated meeting. One of the bookkeeping measures I plan on instituting is the administration of this fund. This is the first year of its existence. Now that it is in place, I shall endeavor to institute a structure for future JWs. To this end I am generating a set of rules to assist the JW in maintaining the Social Fund. All Lodge functions which incur expenses, except for degrees, OAMs, and practices, will be maintained by the JW as part of the Social Fund. The aforementioned exceptions are covered by the JW Fund. I would appreciate suggestions and comments from the brethren in instituting this new JW accounting requirement. At all our functions, I hope to have a copy of these rules for the brethren to review and comment on.
I would like to recommend to our members and families, the annual Chinatown Outing held by the Santa Clara Valley Daylight Lodge No. 844. It is a day of relaxation. This year the outing is on February 13 (the Sunday after the Superbowl). We gather at the San Jose Masonic Center between 8:30 AM and 9:00 AM and board a modern luxury bus which takes us to downtown Chinatown in San Francisco. We disembark in front of the Holiday Inn and spend a couple of hours shopping in Chinatown. We will then meet at a Chinese restaurant near the hotel for a Chinese lunch. After lunch we have another 1 to 2 hours of shopping before we will gather at the Buddhist Temple across the street from the Holiday Inn and see a beautiful Chinese play. The dialogue is in both English and Chinese. The entertainment is superb. At the end of the show we board the bus and are deposited by approximately 5:30 PM back at the SJMC. All this for $52 per person. Any interested parties should make their reservation with Al or Betty Wong at (408) 293-6583 or contact me, your JW. Thank you and have a great year.
Fraternally
Ernie Castillo, P.M.
Junior Warden
PARLE-VOUS MACONERIE?
Etymology is the study of word origins. It is a complex and often controversial subject. Since the English language is about 30% French in origin, it is not surprising to find that the vocabulary of Freemasonry is largely French. English is only 25% Anglo-Saxon (Old English). It is 30% Latin and 10% Greek. The other 5% is an olio of Persian, Arabic, American Indian, and small contributions from at least a dozen other languages.
"Freemason" derives from fre’e macon (note the [there should be a] little hook hanging from the "c"). That diacritical mark is called a "cedilla." It indicates that the "V should be pronounced as an "s." Thus Macon, Georgia, was originally "macon".
The French bon means "good." Bon ami = good friend. But words have a way of drifting their way into other languages. Bon sounds like "bone" to English speakers. Thus "Marleybone," a section of London. Suppose there had been a privateer-pirate in the Mediterranean named Mamoud the Good or Mamoud le Bone. Can you think of a word in Masonic usuage that may have derived from "Mamoud Bon"?
The history of the Huguenots has inextricably intertwined with the Masons. They were Protestants before Luther or Calvin. They were the victims of the St. Bartholomew's Day Massacre. Hundreds of Huguenots settled in the Channel Islands, in Kent, England, and in America. (Paul Revere’s name was once Rivoire.) The name seems to have derived from Hugh Belaqcon, a protesting preacher in the 16th century.
French loges became "lodges." The guard at the lodge was a tailleur (he who cuts). John of Gaunt (French Ghent), held the city of Bruyes (now Bruges). He was brother to the Black Prince and father of Richard II. The Bruce family of Scotland took their name from Bruyes; thus Robert the Bruce.
The St. Clairs of France, who may have founded Freemasonry as we know it, became the Sinclairs of Scotland.
The Jolly Roger, originally was the joli rouge (pretty red) (no quarter) of Templar pirates.
QUO VADIS?
Maury Dunbar, F.M.,
Orator
16 facts you were perfectly happy not knowing!
1. Rubberbands last longer when refrigerated.
2. Peanuts are one of the ingredients of dynamite.
3. There are 293 ways to make change for a dollar.
4. The average person's left hand does 56% of the typing.
5. The shark is the only fish that can blink with both eyes.
6. There are more chickens than people in the world.
7. Two-thirds of the world's eggplant is grown in New Jersey.
8. The longest one-syllable word in the English language is "screeched."
9. All of the clocks in the movie "Pulp Fiction" are stuck on 4:20.
10. No words in the English language rhyme with mouth, orange, silver, or purple.
11. "Dreamt" is the only English word that ends in the letters "mt."
12. All 50 states are listed across the top of the Lincoln Memorial on the back of the $5 bill.
13. Almonds are a member of the peach family.
14. Winston Churchill was born in a ladies' room during a dance.
15. Main is the only US State whose name is just one syllable.
16. There are only four words in the English language which end in "dous": Tremendous, horrendous, stupendous, and hazardous.
The Chinatown Outing & Luxury Bus Trip
ANNOUNCING THE Annual Santa Clara County Daylight Lodge Chinatown Outing & Luxury Bus Trip Sunday February 13 Leave San Jose 8:30 AM - 9:00 AM Return 5:30 PM Including an All Day Tour of The Famous San Francisco Chinatown $52.00 Per Person Contact A1 & Betty Wong (408) 293-6583 or Ernie Castillo (408)564-7045
ANNOUNCING THE ANNUAL LOS ALTOS LODGE SUPERBOWL POT LUCK PARTY Sunday February 6, 2005 Dining Room open at 1:00 PM Bring The Family & Friends
Officer's Association Meeting Schedule For 2005
Date Host Program Time Wed. Jan. 27 Liberty Rod Work 6:30 PM Mon. Feb. 28 San Jose 1st Deg. 6:30 PM Mon. Mar. 28 Golden Rule (at Morgan Hill) Chicken Feed 6:30 PM Tues. Apr. 26 Palo Alto 2nd Deg. 6:30 PM Wed. May 25 Fraternity 3rd Deg/1st Sec. 6:30 PM Thurs. Jun. 23 Mt Morahia 3rd Deg/2nd Sec. 6:30 PM July is Dark ______________ __________________ Thurs. Aug 25 Friendship Investigations 6:30 PM Mon. Sept 26 Golden Rule Gr. Lodge Preview 6:30 PM Oct 8-12 Grand Lodge Grand Lodge Week Sat. Oct 15 On the Hill Grand Master's Reception Mon. Oct. 24 Los Altos Gr. Lodge Results 6:30 PM Tues. Nov 22 Mt. View DeAnza Swansong 6:30 PM
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