| Los Altos Lodge No. 712: | Last Updated on May 11, 2005 |
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Can it be April already? It is hard to believe that one third of the year becomes history this month. But of course this as we know is what happens when we keep busy.
This year the month of March found interesting Masonic things happening in Los Altos.
On Monday March 14, the evening started with a delicious Chinese Dinner at 6:00 PM followed by the conferral of the 1st Degree upon Brother David Sabes. (Picture on Page 1)
On Saturday March 19 our Lodge Room was utilized by the Mtn. View Job's Daughters as they conducted a beautiful Installation of Officers ceremony. (Pictures on page ?)
Finally, the officers visited Morgan Hill Lodge on Monday March 28, as they participated in the annual Masonic Officer's Chicken Feed.
April it seems will be just as busy. Beginning with our stated meeting on April 4th Worshipful Bill Malmstrom has planned a very inviting "Leg of Lamb dinner followed by a Los Altos Library ladies program.
Monday April 11 will be a 1st degree night. Monday April 18th is officer's practice on the 3rd Degree, and Monday April 25th is a tentative 3rd Degree night.
To date we have had a flurry of applications presented and if the lodge so votes at this upcoming stated meeting, April 11th will be a double 1st degree.
Originally I had planned to hold the public Schools Night on April 19th but due to school and other lodge schedules we are changing the date to Wednesday May 11. The evening, has been sponsored jointly over the past several years by Palo Alto-Roller, Mtn View/De Anza, and Los Altos Lodges and each year the location is rotated among the three lodges. This year it will be held at Los Altos Lodge.
After a sumptuous Prim Rib Dinner we are planning to retire to the Lodge room where the three lodges will make the presentations and scholarship awards. All three Masonic youth groups will act as Greeters, will bring in the flag, and will each give a short presentation about their group. It should be a galla evening, and I hope many of you will be there.
Fraternally,
Luis Oroczo
Master
In honor of our Worshipful Master and his lifelong devotion to music, this month I take liberty to write about “The Masonic Opera.” Most Masons are keenly aware of famous Masonic names.
One of the best known names is Wolfgang A. Mozart, who became a Master Mason in 1794. When Mozart became a Master Mason, he was clearly inspired by the experience. Soon after being raised, he composed his Freemason’s Funeral Music and his music for the opening and closing of a Lodge. Then he composed the opera, Don Giovanni, and his three great symphonies - the E flat, the G minor, and the C major, as well as a great number of concertos and chamber-music works.
The Magic Flute (his last great opera), opened in Vienna on the evening of September 30, 1791. Mozart conducted the first two performances, when he was overtaken by illness. As he lingered on his death bed with watch in hand, it is said he would concurrently imagine the performance of The Magic Flute in the theater.
Then he died after its 67th performance of an unprecedented 100 performances.
The Magic Flute makes no mention of Freemasonry as such, but it is generally accepted as a Masonic opera. Masonic Musicians claim the music has much Craft significance, beginning in the overture with its three solemn chords in the brass.
By using the symbols and references to the actual rituals of Freemasonry, he may have intended to make subtle demonstration of the society’s high-minded purposes. Especially since Austria's Empress Maria Theresa was opposed to Masonry and, in 1743, had ordered a Viennese Lodge raided, forcing its Master and her husband, Francis I, to make his escape by a secret staircase.
It seems at least possible, that the opera was partially written in defense of Masonry (for two centuries there were rumors and speculation Mozart was murdered by the Masons for revealing our secrets).
Mozart’s close personal identification with Masonic tenets and his frequent contact with high-ranking leaders of society are well-documented in his letters, and it is improbable that he would have defied the society’s strictures, or be unaware of what could be used in public and more important what could not be revealed. Regardless, the plot is half-serious, half-comic, a fantasy of magic and mystery laid in a never-never land called Egypt. It depicts the ancient mysteries and presents much Craft symbolism.
To the Viennese of the day, The Queen of the Night was clearly the unfriendly Empress Maria Theresa; the good Sarastro was Ignas von Born, an eminent scientist and Masonic leader; the hero Tamino was the good Emperor Joseph and the heroine Pamina, the Austrian people themselves.
For those of you with an interest in Masonic music, there is a Masonic CD! The CD is titled Musiques Rituelles Maconniques Au XVIIIe Siecle (Ritual Music of the XVIIIth Century Freemasons). In addition to Mozart, it has
(1) Rituel Maconnique Funebre by Francois Giroust (1738-1799),
(2) Marche Maconnique by Ludwig Von Beethoven (1770-1827), and
(3) Marche Maconnique Funebre by Henri-Josph Taskin (1779-1852). The CD was released under the auspices of the Grande Loge de France and recorded by Roger Cotte a “high level Freemason” who now belongs to a Lodge under the Grand Lodge of Sao Paulo, Brazil.
Fraternally,
Hal Bain
Senior Warden
Greetings from the South, we are now in March the month that traditionally comes in like a lion and out like a lamb. For us here in California it has pretty much been a kitten of a month with some rain and some glorious days.
Our growing season being a month ahead of the east coast we are all enjoying the spring flowers and complaining about our allergies. Enjoy the flowers, the allergies will take care of themselves.
At last month stated meeting we voted to accept a yellow application and received two new blue applications. We will have some work to do this year. We also have Entered Apprentice ready for his Fellowcraft degree. Please brethren attend these degrees and meet our new members.
I have a concern about next years line. The brethren should be aware that I do not plan on continuing in the line. I was hoping that we could find a brother qualified to relieve me of the Junior Wardens duties during this year. I am more than willing to work with a brother and help him qualify for this position. If one isn’t forth coming, it would be my wish that someone would step forward for the position of Senior Warden for next year.
Most of the current officers in the line have expressed a desire to continue. Our Senior Deacon plans on moving up next year and one of Stewards has expressed an interest in the Senior Deacon position. I am more than willing to work with any brothers towards fulfilling the requirements for these positions.
One of the traditions which I tried to continue during my year as Master was that of taking each new candidate to dinner on the night of his first degree. In the past 12 years I have seen how this has been and interesting valuable event and how it is much appreciated. However in some years it has caused a burden on some Masters.
Towards providing a platform for the continuance of this tradition I would like the brethren to consider that this dinner be a Social Fund chargeable item if the Master so desires. This would ensure the continuance of the tradition, and not cause an inordinate expense on the Master. So far this year we have four blue applications.
Congratulations to our newest EA, David Sabes. It was and honor and pleasure to bestow a first degree upon you. We are looking forward to further degrees and association.
Soon we will be performing a second degree on brother Jeff Altera. Hopefully, many of the brethren available will attend this degree.
May we all be reborn to a happy and healthful Spring season.
Freemasonry and Religion, By Grand Master David R. Doan
Freemasonry does not pretend to take the place of religion or serve as a substitute for the religious beliefs of its members.
It does, however, require that each member believe in a Supreme Being, a future existence, and the brotherhood of man.
How he interprets or elaborates these fundamentals is left to the individual’s private judgment and religious faith.
Freemasonry expects each person to follow his own faith, and “to place his duty to God…above all other duties.”
In the beginnings of Masonic ritual in the early 1700s, God was treated in Christian terms. In English and American Freemasonry, Christian references were removed from the ritual to enable men of different faiths to take part without compromising their own beliefs.
This is practical tolerance. This tolerance is one of our great strengths because it enables men of all faiths to meet in ordinary friendship. Without interfering in the way each Brother practices his religion, it shows how much they have in common.The requirement of a belief in the Supreme Being and the fact that Masonic ritual contains frequent prayers, does not make Freemasonry a religion.
Freemasonry offers no sacraments. Freemasonry does not deal with the ultimate that religion offers: salvation. If a man wants spiritual peace, he must go to his house of worship. If he wants salvation, he must seek it in practicing his religion. Freemasonry may teach or encourage men to do better. But Freemasonry does not deal in religion. Religions have doctrines. Freemasons are forbidden to discuss religion in their lodges; therefore no Masonic doctrinal system is possible.
A belief in the Supreme Being is required, but Masonry does not attempt to prescribe how the belief is to be exercised or practiced.
There is no Masonic God. A Freemason who prays to the Great Architect of the Universe knows that his own belief will translate and direct that prayer to the God he worships.
Prayer alone does not make a religion. In understanding the relationship between religion and Freemasonry, we must understand what we mean by religion.
One definition of religion is “a system of faith in and worship of a Divine Being.” There are obligations in religion, which are different from those of Freemasonry. These broader obligations are set by religious leaders for their congregations: Their aim is to “impart knowledge of God and faith in his revealed will.”
Freemasonry as defined in our ritual is very different from the obligations required of a religion. We learn in the First Degree Charge that “Freemasonry is an institution having for its foundation the practice of the social and moral virtues.”
The emphasis on morality is obvious, but so is the lack of a required system of worship. The relationship between Masonry and God and Masonry and Religion is clearly laid out several times in Masonic ritual. For example, in the First Degree Master’s Lecture, we are admonished to have faith in God, hope of immortality, and charity for all mankind.
We are charged to regard the "Volume of the Sacred Law" as the great light in our profession, and are told that in the Bible we will learn the duties we owe to God.
In describing those duties, the Masonic ritual does not prescribe a formal system of worship. In the Second Degree, we are taught that through Speculative Masonry the contemplative Mason views with reverence and admiration the glorious works of the Creation. But the ritual never requires the candidate to conform to a specific dogma.
"The Brotherhood of Man" is a fundamental tenet of Freemasonry. All the great religions of the world teach the "Brotherhood of Man" as a basic tenet of faith, but the BASIS upon which they set it forth differs for each religion and for Masonry.
Buddhism, for example, bases the doctrine of Brotherhood on the belief that all men are so entangled in the sufferings of life that they must be Brothers out of sympathy - a Brotherhood of Understanding. Confucianism based the doctrine of Brotherhood on the sense of common task in developing mankind - a Brotherhood of Service.
Christianity bases the truth of Brotherhood on the truth of the Fatherhood of God.
There is a deep and beautiful truth in each of these religions.
Masonry has attempted to picture the truth of the "Brotherhood of Man" by using a system of symbols and allegory that can unite men of every country, sect, and opinion in fellowship and love.
In doing this, Freemasonry is an example to others of what can be accomplished when men and women put aside what might divide them in favor of what unites them in achieving a greater good.
James Anderson wrote the first "Masonic Book of Constitutions," published in 1723, not long after the founding of the Grand Lodge of England in 1717. His first principle on the relation of religion and Freemasonry illustrated a change of attitude from previous years:
“A Mason is obliged by his Tenure to observe the Moral Law… and if he rightly understands the Craft, he will never be a "Stupid Atheist," nor an "irreligious Libertine," nor act against conscience.
In ancient Times the Christian Masons were charged to comply with the Christian usages of each country where they traveled or worked. But Masonry being found in all nations, even of diverse religions, they are now only charged to adhere to that religion in which all men agree (leaving each brother to his own particular opinions); that is, to be good men and true, men of honour and honesty, by whatever names, religions, or persuasions they may be distinguished.”
Freemasonry teaches morality - it encourages men to try to be better, to discipline themselves, and to consider their relations with others.
Religions also encourage morality, but they refer questions of morality and ethics to God. Freemasonry deals with morality at the ground level; religion takes it upwards.
Masonry does not seek to reform men. It seeks to bind better men, those who are already good and true, in closer bonds of fellowship and love, and to perfect the work already begun in making those better men into good men.
The ancient Greeks taught that the goal of life was to achieve the "Good" - to live the good life, to be good men. To be a good man was to be what a man is supposed to be and how he should live his daily life. The ancient Greek philosophers had many answers for what is means to be a good man.
Freemasonry is our modern answer to this question. Freemasonry teaches that to be good men we must first believe in a Supreme Being, for if there is no God then all things are permitted.
Freemasonry teaches men to be honest and honorable in dealing with other men and women, and not to act against what they know in their hearts and minds to be the right thing to do.
We obligate ourselves not to cheat or defraud another person in our business dealings. Because all men are our brothers and members of the human family, we know that we can trust each other with our innermost secrets and to keep them in confidence.
We are taught to sympathize with the misfortunes of others, to listen with a friendly ear to the hearts of the unhappy, and restore peace to the troubled minds of our families and friends. And these are but a few of ways in which Freemasonry works to make better men good, and good men even better.
Religion is a man’s personal guide to living the good and moral life for himself and his family. Freemasonry brings together men of all religions with those who simply believe in a Supreme Being, to work with harmony to improve our local communities, our state and our nation.
The tenets of Freemasonry reinforce and support the Divine and Moral Laws taught in our churches and synagogues. Freemasonry is our modern working tool for each of us to apply the principles of brotherly love, relief and truth to solving the problems that face us in today’s world - public education, homelessness, ethics in government, and the list goes on.
United in Freemasonry, men who might otherwise have remained at a perpetual distance are enabled to work to change the world.
Fraternally,
Ernie Castillo,
Junior Warden
Public Education & Youth Futures Night Sponsored by Palo Alto Roller Lodge, Moumtain View De Anza Lodge, and Los Altos Lodge, HAS BEEN CHANGED AND... Will now take place on Wednesday May 11, 2005. Following a sumptous dinner at 6:00PM, the events will include presentations and awards to teachers, students and Masonic youth groups. Reservations are required call (650) 569-6276 or (408) 564-7045
Officer's Association Meeting Schedule For 2005
Dinner for all events begins at 6:30 PM
Date Host Program
Wed. Jan. 27 Liberty - Rod Work
Mon. Feb. 28 San Jose - 1st Deg.
Mon. Mar. 28 Golden Rule (At Morgan Hill) - Chicken Feed
Tues. Apr. 26 Palo Alto Roller - 2nd Deg.
Wed. May 25 Fraternity - 3rd Deg/1st Sec.
Thurs. Jun. 23 Mt. Morahia - 3rd Deg/2nd Sec.
July is Dark -----------------------------
Thurs. Aug. 25 Friendship Investigations
Mon. Sept. 26 Golden Rule - Gr. Lodge Preview
Oct. 8-12 Grand Lodge - Communication
Sat. Oct. 15 On The Hill - GM Reception
Mon. Oct. 24 Los Altos - Gr. Lodge Results
Tues. Nov. 22 Mtn. View DeAnza - Swansong
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