| Los Altos Lodge No. 712: | Last Updated on April 17, 2004 |
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The officers are putting the final touches on our activities for the year. Hopefully the brethren will have this trestleboard in time to attend our 1st degree scheculed for the nineteenth of April. Our Dutch treat dinner is scheduled at Amardillo Willeys on San Antonio Road near El Camino. You may join us there at 6:30 PM.
Spring has sprung and it is such a pleasure to be able to enjoy the beautiful display of flowers on the various homes and businesses. This is one of the many benefits of living in this particular spot on earth. A gift from the Great Architect provided to all mankind. May your Spring be pleasant and rewarding.
Last March 29 we raised our newest Master Mason, Brother Lu Clavijo. Congratulations Brother Lu. The degree was a must on his schedule. Bro. Lu has started a new job and left on travel almost immidiatly after the degree. He is a company representative in Central and South America and is fluent in both Spanish and Portuguese. Good Luck Bro. Lu and we look forward to seeing you in Lodge.
One important thing that took place between the meeting dates, had to do with the Warden and Steward rods. After the March stated meeting we had an accident. The Junior Wardens emblem at the top of the rod broke off. I immed- iately made inquiries as to how to repair this by calling several brothers skilled in carpentry. Bro. Flemming Nielsen came to the rescue. He not only re- paired the rods but also made the same modification to the Stewards rods. Now all four rods can not only be taken apart at the emblem, but also at the point where the brass sleeve attaches to the bottom section of the rod. This will allow us to look forward to having these rods re-gold plated. Another item not in my budget but which I hope we can accom- plish before the year is out.
Brethren you must visit the lodge and see the beautiful scrolls which now decorate the north wall. For the past 2 years the lodge has been discussing these scrolls and what to do about them. Last year this topic was addressed and the Brothers voted to have the scrolls displayed in the Lodge room. Wor. Rick Weyers had appointed a committee to in- inveestigate or accomplish this task. Bros. Flemming Nielsen, Bruce Pruitt and Lou Orozco undertook the task of research- ing how and where to display the scrolls. The final recommendations were quite expensive but well worth it. The result is impressive to view and does justice to the scrolls and our lodge room. Please come and visit the meaningful and beautiful display cases.
The plaque at the front entrance to our building commemorate the effort and dedication of Brother Edgar Thorsen. When the brethren of Los Altos purchased this building it was Bro. Thorsen who undertook the job of both remodeling and supervising the remodeling of the building interior into its current configuration. He diligently worked and supervised the brothers and workmen to ensure that all the work was to city building code standards.
This year Bother Thorsen was to receive his Golden Veterans Award. By request of his family, this Award will be displayed in our display cabinet in the Tilers area. For some years now Bro. Thorsen has been suffering from Alzhiemers. His family informed me that he is in no condition to realize any of the significance of this award. I expressed to the family how indebted this lodge is to his dedication and effort and they wondered if it would be better served if the lodge kept and displayed the award to honor and remember him by.
The distribution of this Trestleboard is posing somewhat of an enigma to me. We always sent a copy to our brothers and sweathearts, and to this list we have a third set of receivers, mainly other lodges and friends that wish to receive this newsletter. Some brothers have asked me to refrain from sending them the newsletter via post and send it as PDF ( Printer Description File) a new standard of printing format. The advantage to a PDF is that those receiving it will get all the color. I have no problem with this and it will save the postage. If any of our readers would prefer a PDF to a postal copy please let me know. I will start sending PDF copies with the May issue. My email address is: titocastillo@[snip].
Fraternally
Ernest Castillo, Master
Fraternally,
Ernest Casilo
Master
Last month you will recall, I closed my article commenting that the Masonic lodge of that day was an important civic institution, and that it fathered numerous public servants. You will also recall we included Brothers and Presidents Polk and Buchanan, as well as several Brothers who had served on the Supreme Court of the day. The list did not end there however, and must of course include Brother Admiral John Drake Sloat.
~ The Early Family Years ~
Rear Admiral John Drake Sloat of the United States Navy was born in 1781 at Sloatsburg, New York, and died on Staten Island, New York, in 1867. He was a product of solid Yankee stock and traditions, developed, and nurtured in the family for over 3 centuries.
As early as the days of the Thirty Years War in Europe (1618 to 1648) we find a young man by the name of Jan Pietersen Slot, the son of a Pieter Slot, leaving the Danish/German state of Holstein for settlement in the relatively peaceful area called Holland. It is even more interesting when we discover that he had practiced in the building trades in Holland. This being the case, it would have been impossible for him to have avoided participation in the ancient forms and rituals made use of in the operative builder's guilds of the day.
In fact this becomes even more evident when we learn that the word "Slot" in Danish means Castle, and is indicative of his trade as a builder. It was strict custom for a son to follow his father in the trades, and for this reason people were most often identified by their occupations. Thus a person coming from a family of builders assumed the last name "Slot”. The later spelling "Sloat" derived phonetically.
He later met and married a young woman by the name of Annetke Jans by whom he sired two sons, named Pieter Jansen Slot and Jan Jansen Slot. Records show that in 1650 Jan, and his sons immigrated to the new world and settled in New Amsterdam, (Present day New York City.) It should be noted that there is no further mention of his wife; she probably died in Holland before they left.
From their arrival in the new world in 1650 to the birth of our Brother the Commodore, the Sloat family had left their mark in the land. There were places like Peiter Slot's "Broken Knife" farm known today as "Gramercy Park”, which can be found today in the bowery of New York. Other locations include "Sloat's Lane" now renamed "Exchange Place" and found at the lower end of Mannaty's Island, and the famous Sloat's Inn of Sloatsburg New York, site of the birth of Brother Sloat and the location of local townspeople meetings for the purpose of choosing their Congressional delegates during the revolutionary war.
~ Death on The Doorstep ~
Brother Sloat's parents were John and Ruth Sloat, and on the night of April 4, 1781 John was out of the house on some business or other. These were days of war in the area, and sentries were posted around the Sloatsburg Inn. When returning from his business, he failed to give the correct password, and was shot dead on the doorstep of his own house by a sentry. Shortly thereafter on July 26, 1781, Ruth gave birth to their son John Drake Sloat. Cold fate continuing, she died shortly after the birth leaving the baby to be raised by her parents.
Being raised by his Grandfather Drake, Brother Sloat was blessed by the wonderful family tales and adventures of his indirect ancestor, the Great English Navigator Sir Francis Drake. These jewels of history enticed the youngster toward the development of a palate for travel and enterprise with adventure as a final topping.
Then when of age, and being the son of a Revolutionary War Veteran, he was granted a Midshipman's Warrant on May 12th, 1800. This interestingly in the same year of his Masonic Anniversary when some say he received his Masonic degrees in St. Andrews Lodge at Boston, while others claim they were accomplished in St. Nicholas Lodge No. 3, in the State of New York. However, we do know that during the War of 1812, Sloat served on the Frigate United States at the time it captured the British Frigate Macedonan, for which he was honored by Congress. He also saw active service against West Indian pirates from 1818 to 1823.
As mentioned above, it was as Commander of all United States war vessels in the Pacific, that he had the distinction of raising the American Flag at Monterey, July 7, 1846, and taking possession of California. Commodore Sloat, his fleet anchored off Mazatlan Mexico in 1846, observed that the English Admiral Seymour showed an unusual curiosity in the activities of his fleet. Then, on receiving information that hostilities had begun between Mexico and the United States, by a clever ruse he evaded the vigilance of the British Admiral, set sail on a Northerly course and shortly thereafter entered Monterey Bay on the 7th of July, thereby taking possession of California in the name of the United States before the British Fleet could react.
Less than two weeks later, the British Fleet arrived at Monterey. Had they arrived before Sloat, they would have laid claim to the same territory, as did the good Commodore. The territory in question was vast by any measure, and included the territory of California, Utah, Arizona, Nevada, New Mexico, and Texas, and parts of Wyoming, Colorado, Kansas, and Oklahoma. This acquisition was second in size only to the Louisiana Purchase.
~"Then By God, I am too late!" ~
The British Admiral in command of the English Pacific Fleet was Admiral Seymour and his stated intent was to arrive first and seize the town, and all the Alta California territories in payment of a huge debt, which was owed to England by Mexico. His failure to arrive in time afforded him great disappointment which was reported by one of his officers abroad his flagship, "The Collingwood" in part as follows:
When we were near Point Pinos, the Admiral came on deck and manifested a great deal of anxiety, and gave strict orders to the quartermaster, who carried the spy-glass, to keep a sharp lookout when rounding the Point. As the Collingwood made the turn and was sailing in, the Admiral, in sharp tones, said, "quartermaster, do you see a flag flying on shore?" The latter replied, "Yes sir, but I cannot make it out sir". The Admiral, becoming more excited, kept repeating the question sharply, and received the same answer. At last he said again, "Quartermaster, do you see the flag on shore now?" The Quartermaster, shadowing his eyes and stooping a little and getting a view under the fog, replied, "Yes sir, I see a flag very clearly now sir." "What flag is it?" asked the Admiral. The Quartermaster replied, "It is the American flag, sir”. Upon which the Admiral slapped his thigh, stamped his foot and passionately exclaimed in disappointment. "Then By God, I am too late!"
Thereafter the British Fleet sailed into the harbor peacefully, and upon debarking was greeted by the Americans as peaceful visitors. In later conversation with the Commodore, Admiral Seymour inquired of him. “Tell me, Commodore, since you are not a man to shrink from responsibility, what would you have done had there been, when you reached here, the flag of another nationality where yours now floats, and the flag guarded by a ship of that country?” Commodore Sloat responded, “I would have fired at least one shot at it, and then perhaps gone to the bottom, and left my government to settle the matter as it thought best”.
The British already claimed Washington, and Oregon. Just imagine what might have taken place if the landing had been delayed. Either we in this area would be British subjects, or as is more likely, the United States would have become involved in a war with Britain at a time when we were already fighting Mexico. In fact The British did cede their Northern territories to us shortly thereafter. There can be little doubt that their giving up Washington and Oregon was a direct result of the Sloat landing.
~ No Man Is An Island ~
Sloat's position was one of great responsibility. He discharged the duty of taking possession of a territory peopled by friendly natives, who had no quarrel with the United States, and so conducted his activities as to command the admiration and respect of all.
Shortly thereafter, on account of his health, Sloat surrendered his command to Commodore Stockton and returned east. A monument at the Presidio of Monterey was dedicated to his memory by the Grand Lodge of California Free and Accepted Masons on July 14, 1910.
Once again because of the limitation of space we must continue this dissertation in the next issue of this Trestleboard. Next month we will visit with other Brothers of the day and perhaps even walk in their shoes as we learn of their great adventures.
Before closing however, I must inform you that because of a spot on my lung, I am scheduled to shortly undergo an operation at the Palo Alto VA Hospital. As a result I will probably be unable to participate in lodge work until some time in July. I am informed these operations are considered somewhat routine, and except for the recovery period my life should return to normal quickly. I will however still be able to continue writing my articles for this column without interruption. I hope you will join me here as we continue this subject in next month’s Trestleboard.
Fraternally,
Luis J. Orozco, II, FM, SW
Senior Warden
Ed Clarke Golden Veterans Award
At this May Stated Meeting we will be bestowing upon Bro. Ed Clarke his Golden Veterans Award. As the butcher said when he backed into his meat grinder ‘I got a little behind in my work’. It’s been three years since Ed culminated fifty years. Something must have fallen through the crack. Brethren come and share in honoring Ed for his distinguished work in Masonry. Thank You.
The following events are scheduled for this year. Some of the dates are tentative others are in place.
Firm date:
Los Altos/ Valley Star OES annual Picnic is scheduled for July 31. The picnic is to take place from 10 AM to 2 PM at Shoup Park in Los Altos. As usual it will be a pot luck with the Lodge providing drinks and meat dishes.
May Stated Meeting - Ed Clarcke Golden Vet. Award.
Tentitive plans have been made to:
Hold a third degree in Paradise Park on August 21 or 28 (Men only) in the morning followed by lunch at a local restaurant;
Roll Call night on Sept. 20.
Marge Bosetti, Broker Associate with Coldwell Banker will discuss residential real estate in Santa Clara County.
Topics Covered: Current Market Values; Current sales in Santa Clara County and Los Altos; Reverse mortgage; Preparing property for sale at the best price, helping you or your children to purchase a home, downsizing to smaller space, and new laws in CA real estate. With 30 years experience, Marge is prepared to discuss any other real estate topics. If members prefer some specific topic to be coveerd at this meeting, you can call Marge at (408) 221-6644 and she will attempt to answer your request at the meeting. Questions and answers may be addressed at any time throughout the session.
Greg Vanslow, Broker Associate with Princeton Capital Residential Mortgages will present and discuss current home loans.
Greg can advise you if your current home/condo rate and terms are the best for your individual situation. Also, he will provide a worksheet for first time buyers that helps explain the process. Silicon Valley parents are often withdrawing equity from their homes to assist their family members buy a home. Greg is very experienced and prepared to discuss any facet of the lending process that attendees may have.
Marge or Greg are available and would be pleased to schedule a private meeting with you if you desire.
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