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Los Altos Lodge No. 712 Trestleboard Articles

March 2002

From the East

March is quickly approaching. The lodge is busy with social activities and conferring of degrees. During February (actually January 28th) we conferred our first 1st degree of this year.

Our new Brother is Joe Batson from Mountain View. Congratulations and welcome Joe! In February we also had a very successful Super Bowl Party. We had about 40 people attending, including members, friends, kids and our new Entered Apprentice. Mark your calendars for next year. By the time you get this, the Crab feed / sweethearts night will be behind us (more on that next month).

March has been designated Masonic Youth month. I'm including herein a list of local Rainbow Girls, Job's Daughters, and DeMolay meeting times and places. Please make every effort to attend one of our youth meetings this month.

Remember our youth organizations are a great place to grow future members and to make contacts with parents who may not yet be members of a Masonic body. I personally, as well as others I know, joined Masonry directly because of interaction with a Masonic Youth Order.

I would like to start a telephone tree to keep our members informed of upcoming events. Please contact me if you are willing to make 3 or 4 phone calls a month to help with this project. We will be contacting members to remind them of upcoming events and also to keep in touch. The Official Visit of our Grand Lodge Inspector will be at our March meeting. Also at our March stated meeting we will likely be voting on another application to receive the degrees. Watch the calendar and please attend our upcoming 1st and 2nd degrees.

Youth Meeting Schedule:

Rainbow For Girls

San Francisco Assembly #1:
2nd & 4th Fridays @ 7pm San Francisco Scottish Rite Center

Redwood City Assembly #16:
2nd & 4th Mondays @ 7pm Royal Hodge Masonic Center, Menlo Park

Gilroy Assembly #125:
2nd & 4th Tuesdays @ 7pm Gilroy.

San Jose Assembly #5:
1st & 3rd Saturdays @ 10am San Jose Masonic Center.

Willow Glen Assembly #199:
1st & 3rd Tuesdays @ 7pm San Jose Masonic Center.

Campbell-Los Gatos Assembly #162:
1st & 3rd Tuesdays @ 7pm

Job's Daughters

Bethel #129:
1st Friday @ 7:30pm & 3rd Saturdays @ 10am San Jose Masonic Center

Bethel #174:
1st Monday & 3rd Saturdays @ 7:30pm San Jose Masonic Center

Bethel #181:
1st & 3rd Tuesdays @ 7pm San Mateo

Bethel #206:
2nd & 4th Mondays @ 7pm Los Gatos Masonic Center

DeMolay

Campbell Chapter:
1st & 3rd Tuesdays @ 7:30pm San Jose Masonic Center

Fraternally,

Robert Lake
Master

The Westerly Wind

We are in full swing at Los Altos Lodge. We conferred the first degree of Masonry upon Brother Batson on January 28th. The degree went very well and the teachings were delivered to the candidate successfully. Worshipful Rosenberg has agreed to be Brother Batson's coach so I expect a second degree is just around the corner. We are tentatively scheduling a second degree on Monday, March 11th, at 7:30 pm. Our officers are practicing very hard to perform the ritual work as intended.

We will obtain additional (intense) schooling at the February OAM on Monday, February 25th as the Los Altos Lodge Officers will be exemplifying the second degree.

At our February Stated Meeting, we received an application. If all goes well, we will be balloting in March and conferring another first degree, tentatively scheduled for Monday, March 25th. Come support your Lodge and Officers at our Stated Meetings and degree conferrals, we won't disappoint you! As I am the head candidate's coach this year, it is appropriate for me to increase my Masonic education. This month I have focused on the Cable Tow.

THE CABLE-TOW (excerpt from the Handbook for Candidates Coaches, Grand Lodge F.&A.M of California): A cable-a very strong rope-and tow, to pull a great weight or mass. The length of a cable tow differs for various brethren. It is almost universally now considered to be the "scope of a brother's ability."

THE CABLE-TOW (excerpt from Masonic Information For Stated Meetings, Institute for Masonic Studies, G.L. F.&A.M, of California): In its first and original application, the cable-tow seems to have been used as a physical means of controlling the candidate and such an interpretation is still put upon it in the Entered Apprentice degree. But, in the more recent times, more modern symbolism has been introduced, and is now supposed to symbolize the covenant by which all Masons are tied to us, reminding us of the passage in Hosea, "He drew them with the cords of a man, with bands of love." According to the ancient laws of Masonry every brother was expected to attend his Lodge if he was within the length of his cable-tow. The old writers defined the length of the cable-tow to be three miles for an Entered Apprentice [the distance a man could walk in one hour], but that has been since defined as being "the reasonable scope of a man's ability." Thus this definition is ascribed not only as it applies to attending Lodge, but also in the performance of the various duties necessary to the proper functioning of the Lodge. A brother is not asked to come any distance, however small, if in doing so it would work a hardship or unnecessarily inconvenience him, nor to perform any duty that was not reasonable within his ability to perform.

THE CABLE-TOW (excerpt from SHORT TALK BULLETIN - vol. March, 1926 No.3) The Cable-Tow, we are told, is purely Masonic in its meaning and use. It is so defined in the dictionary, but not always accurately, which shows that we ought not depend upon the ordinary dictionary for the truth about Masonic terms. Masonry has its own vocabulary and uses it in its own ways. Its length and strength are measured by the ability of the man to fulfill his obligation and his sense of the moral sanctity of his obligation - a test, that is, both of his capacity and of his character. If a lodge is a symbol of the world, and initiation is our birth into the world of Masonry, the cable-tow is not unlike the cord, which unites a child to its mother at birth; and so it is usually interpreted. Just as the physical cord, when cut, is replaced by a tie of love and obligation between mother and child, so, in one of the most impressive moments of initiation, the cable-tow is removed, because the brother, by his oath at the Altar of Obligation, is bound by a tie stronger than any physical cable. What before was an outward physical restraint has become an inward moral constraint. That is to say, force is replaced by love - outer authority by inner obligation - and that is the secret of security and the only basis of brotherhood. The cable-tow is the sign of the pledge of the life of a man. He agrees to go to the aid of a Brother, using all his power in his behalf, "if within the length of his cable-tow," which means, if within the reach of his power. How strange that any one should fail to see symbolical meaning in the cable-tow. It is, indeed, the great symbol of the mystic tie, which Masonry spins and weaves between men, making them Brothers and helpers one of another. But, let us remember that a cable-tow has two ends. If it binds a Mason to the Fraternity, by the same fact it binds the Fraternity to each man in it. The one obligation needs to be emphasized as much as the other. Happily, in our day we are beginning to see the other side of the obligation - that the Fraternity is under vows to its members to guide, instruct, and train them for the effective service of the Craft and of humanity. The old writers define the length of a cable-tow, which they sometimes call a "cables length," variously. Some say it is seven hundred and twenty feet, or twice the measure of a circle. Others say that the length of the cable-tow is three miles. But such figures are merely symbolical, since in one man it may be three miles and in another it may easily be three thousand miles - or to the end of the earth. For each Mason the cable-tow reaches as far as his moral principles go and his material conditions will allow. Of that distance each must be his own judge, and indeed each does pass judgment upon himself accordingly, by his own acts in aid of others.

What is the meaning of CABLE-TOW? (excerpt from Geocities.com) Ritualistically, the cable - tow is a symbol of a method of control of an initiate. This somewhat drab and practical idea gives way in many minds to the thought that the cable - tow is symbolic of the umbilical cord necessary to begin life, cut when love and care replace the need for it as a means of growth and nourishment. The cable - tow is removed when love and care replace the need for physical control. Rope, cable, cord, string, bond, thong, are interwoven with a thousand religions and ceremonies. The use of a tie is as ancient as any known art. Good English use places the emphasis on the last syllable of a compound word; a "dog house" is a house for a dog; a "house dog" is a dog for a house. According to good English, then, it is the "tow" which is important and "cable" is the qualifying word. Ritualistically, the cable can be used to "tow"- draw, pull, compel- whereas spirituality it is the "cable"-strong tie-which unites its Masonic use seems to have a nautical flavor; a cable-a very strong rope and a tow-to pull a great weight or mass.

THE CABLE-TOW (excerpt from A New Encyclopedia Of Freemasonry, A.E. Waite) Most generally, the binding covenant of Masonry, and the length of the cable tow is the reasonable limit of obligation. In a particular sense the length signifies the extent of a Mason's ability to attend meetings.

What IS the length of my cable tow?
(excerpt from Memorial Lodge #1298, A.F. & A. M., Houston, Texas)

What is the length of my cable tow?
A Fellow Craft Mason wanted to Know.
An aged Mason with snow-white hair
Pointed and said, "It's there and there.
From morning's early light, 'till setting sun,
Signals that the day is done.
Deed of Kindness and a Helping Hand,
Doing God's will and being a Man.
Remember young man and keep it so,
For that is the length of your Cable Tow."

Fraternally,

Richard G. Weyers
Senior Warden

The LAMTA Report

In this column you will find status reports from LAMTA, i.e. news regarding the building, its tenants and several other items which might be of interest and pertinent to the building in general, and to the maintenance thereof in particular.

We are happy to report that the older surface mounted corridor lighting fixtures have now been replaced with new recessed energy efficient fixtures. In certain instances where appropriate wall sconces were installed to eliminate hazardous light bulb replacement gymnastics over stair wells.

To maintain safety throughout the building, new Exit signs have been installed and added as required. During the construction process an opportunity presented itself to enhance the beauty of the interior rear hall way. This included the relocation of the exposed fire sprinkler pipes to a hidden position above the ceiling, at the same time this allowed us to straighten out the ceiling line.

A new project to replace all the old single pane windows was commenced on February 11, and was projected to last about one week. The new windows will be double pane low E-squared. This should also reduce our building energy consumption and as a bonus make the interior more quiet. When the window project is completed the board will consider repainting the entire building.

The board has a long list of other improvements that will be addressed later and as the circumstances warrant. Any Los Altos Lodge member is welcome to attend our board meetings. We are always open to your input.

Fraternally,

Gunnar Galsgaard, PM
Board President

The Fireside Room

Last month I commented on some of the problems our fraternity faces in the coming millennium. My comments were of course based on my own view point, but additionally I have been privileged to have had considerable communication with a good variety of Brethren as well.

However, since last month I have been approached by several Brothers who expressed support for my viewpoint of our problems, and two Brothers who thought I had not been clear enough in my explanations. One Brother commented to me that "Our Fraternity is not intended to be a Democracy", while the other thought I was attacking our ritual itself, and if not, I had not made myself clear.

Please allow me to apologize to those two brothers. In no way was I attempting to define our fraternity in any particular form, and regarding our ritual I have always stood in bold defense of it. In fact, it is the shabby treatment of it that has always concerned me more than anything else. When we allow poor ritual to be delivered, or when we rush our candidates through our degrees before they have a chance to completely understand the history and esoteric meanings thereof, we are allowing shabby treatment of our ritual to diminish its important lessons.

I did describe this problem, but I did not express my suggested solutions. These two brothers rightly pointed that out, so I will now rectify that problem.

I suggest we solve the problem by utilizing ritual teams made up of people who really enjoy doing ritual, and thereby allow our elected and appointed officers to concentrate more on the management of our lodges. I further suggest each candidate be assigned a secondary coach who will teach him the meanings behind the ritual from both an historical and esoteric point of view.

Have you ever noticed how all the past Masters show up for Past Master's Night, and then seem to disappear again until the next year's Past Master's Night? Well it is because we give them something to do on that night, while the rest of the year we just put them out to pasture.

Why not invite them to do various parts in all the degrees all year long? After all they are Past Masters of the work and I bet each of them has some special part of the ritual they dearly love best. One might enjoy giving the 1st degree lecture, another the 3rd degree charge. Still another might really enjoy coaching the candidates and explaining the wonderful stories behind the ritual, the real reason we do what we do, the meat of Masonry, and the real quest for light.

All this is impossible when we rush our candidates through the three degrees in only three or four months. They should be allowed to take their time and learn at their own pace, so that when they are finally raised to the Sublime Degree of Master Mason, the degree will truly be sublime, and they will really be Master Masons.

The reason often given for rushing our candidates through the three degrees is so that they can sit in lodge as a voting members before they become bored and just not complete their degrees. I am told that not completing the blue lodge degrees is one of the worst problems we have. Well if it is, there is a very easy way to solve it. Just open our lodges for business on the first degree instead of on the third. That way our candidate can enjoy the fellowship and at the same time take his time in really learning the lessons of his degrees. Under this system he could take as much or as little time as he wished to accomplish his degrees, but whenever he did progress to the next degree we would be assured he was not only qualified, but also intensely interested in seeking light.

This is not an attack on our ritual, it is an attack on the sloppy treatment of our ritual, the lackadaisical treatment of its rich heritage, and the lack of respect for its intensely important esoteric lessons. Understanding this clearly is what will salvage our fraternity, not simply the memorizing of the words of our ritual.

To see how we have watered down our ritual, we need only read Morals and Dogma by Worshipful Brother Albert Pike. Therein we find the study of all the liberal arts and sciences is encouraged, in our modern day Masonic ritual however, we emphasize only geometry. By so doing we forget that the real magic of life is truly at our very fingertips if we are willing to take the time to seriously study and understand its elements, instead of rushing hell bent through our degrees.

It is for good reason that the charge of the 2nd degree includes the statement, "Masonry is a progressive moral science, divided into different degrees, and as its principles and mystic ceremonies are regularly developed and illustrated, it is intended and hoped that they will make a deep and lasting impression upon your mind."

It means exactly what it says. Our moral science is divided into different degrees for the very reason that we need to pause, study the details, meditate, and investigate the delicate meanings of our work before proceeding on to the next level or degree. Only in this way will we and/or our candidates ever accomplish the deep and lasting impression which comes exclusively with the quiet and clear understanding of all the arts and sciences of God's creation. This is what Worshipful Albert Pike was talking about when he spoke of Masonic Mysteries. They will always remain a mystery to us if we are not willing to slow down and take the time to study and understand these wonderful gifts.

Attack our ritual? No! Only the poor, application, the shabby rush through approach, and the watering down of its principles and study. Yes these I do attack. For they are the very nails in our fraternal coffin.

"How fleeting thee, oh moment dear, You tease my mind with thoughts unclear. Had I more time to pause and learn, And cherish meanings cold and stern, Or study why and where and how, The world before me soon would bow!"

Brother Luis J. Orozco, II, F.M.
Editor

Officer's Association Meeting Schedule for 2002

[These dates have been placed into the Lodge's website calendar.]

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