| Los Altos Lodge No. 712: | Last Updated on July 18, 2002 |
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Since the last trestleboard, we have been very busy.
April 30 was our Public Schools night. Bob French, from Palo Alto presented a very entertaining slide presentation on the public schools in and around the Palo Alto area.
Los Altos Lodge presented a check for $500.00 to Dick Liewer, Assistant Superintendent of the Los Altos School District. The donation will be used for the Beginning Teacher Support & Assessment (BTSA) program.
BTSA is aimed at preparing new teachers for the realities of today's classroom. "A four year study showed that at least 91 percent of the participating teachers remained in teaching. Of these teachers, 96 percent continued to teach for a second year in the same districts." For more detailed information you can access the BTSA web site at http://come.to/sbtsa, or see the California Department of Education.
The next public schools event will be the presentation of our Lodge Scholarship at the Los Altos High School during their annual scholarship night on May 22, at 7:00 PM. I'll report more on this presentation next month.
By the time you read this article, Bro. Craig Schoonover will have passed to the degree of Fellocraft.
His 2nd degree will be conferred on May 20. Way to go Craig. I am sad to report that our new Fellowcraft, Joe Batson has relocated out of the Bay Area (Cheyenne, WY) due to a change of employment. Before he left, he completed his 2nd degree proficiency and is currently considering being raised in his father's lodge in Cheyenne. We will miss you Joe.
I am also sad to report that the economy is having a direct impact on our lodge. Several of our members have found themselves victims of down sizing. If you have recently been offered a job, or have had an experience with a placement service, resume writing agency or some other method of job hunting that produced results, please send me a note or give me a phone call, so we can share the information.
Since several of you have asked, here's the short version of the calendar for the remainder of this year.
2002 Calendar (suggestions welcome):
6/3 7:30pm stated meeting
6/18 6:30pm OAM Palo Alto - 3rd degree, 1st sec
7/1 7:30pm stated meeting
7/13 9am-6pm Art & Wine Festival
7/14 9am-6pm Art & Wine Festival
8/5 7:30pm stated meeting
8/11 Family picnic & BBQ@Shoup Park
8/28 6:30pm OAM Charity Jarman - Investigations
9/9 7:30pm stated meeting
9/17 constitutional program @ Mt. View with Palo Alto & Mt View DeAnza
9/25 6:30pm OAM Willow Glen - GL preview
9/30 6:30pm Roll call dinner/coming home night
10/TBD Kids ID at L. A. public school walk-a-thon
10/7 7:30pm stated meeting
10/28 6:30pm OAM@Los Altos - GL review
11/9 7:30pm stated meeting (Past Master's night)
11/26 6:30pm OAM Mountain View - Swan song
12/2 7:30pm stated meeting
12/9 6:30pm holiday party
12/16 7:00pm installation (the Grand Master will be present)
On Lodge business we have some committee news. At the last stated meeting I asked for volunteers to start a "Sunshine committee". Bro. David Kimball volunteered to head this committee. Please contact David if you can give him some help. If you know someone in need of assistance, a card, or simply a call; please contact me or David. We are also in need of a few new members for the Board of LAMTA. One member has moved to Gilroy and is having trouble making the meetings and another has hinted that his work may soon keep him from making the LAMTA meetings. Please contact me if you're interested in serving on the board.
I'm also gathering input to see if YOU are interested in a visitation this year. It could be for a 3rd (or other degree), or just to visit. Some suggestions have already been received: Benecia Lodge, Paradise Park, and visiting a Prince Hall Lodge. Send in your ideas. Just to see how many of you actually read the articles, wear your favorite flag (or Americana) tie to the June stated meeting to celebrate Flag Day.
Fraternally,
Robert Lake
Master
June is here and we've reached the midpoint of the Masonic year 2002. Congratulations are in order to our newest Fellowcraft Mason, Brother Craig Schoonover. Craig has been a wonderful candidate to coach. He picks up the work quickly and asks many pertinent Masonic questions. If you have not introduced yourself to Brother Schoonover, please do.
I came across this story that I feel is applicable to the difficult situations we are currently facing with our troubled economy and Brethren. I hope you find it enlightening.
One day a farmer's donkey fell down into a well. The poor animal cried piteously for hours as the farmer tried to figure out what to do. Finally he decided the animal was old and the well needed to be covered up anyway, it just wasn't worth it to retrieve the donkey. He invited all his neighbors to come over and help him. They all grabbed a shovel and began to shovel dirt into the well. At first, the donkey realized what was happening and cried horribly. Then, to everyone's amazement, he quieted down. A few shovel loads later, the farmer finally looked down the well and was astonished at what he saw. With every shovel of dirt that hit his back, the donkey was doing something amazing. He would shake it off and take a step up. As the farmer's neighbors continued to shovel dirt on top of the animal, he would shake it off and take a step up.
Pretty soon, everyone was amazed as the donkey stepped up over the edge of the well and trotted off!
Life is going to shovel dirt on you, all kinds of dirt. The trick to getting out of the well is to shake it off and take a step up. Each of our troubles is a stepping stone. We can get out of the deepest wells just by not stopping, never giving up! Shake it off and take a step up!
Remember the five simple rules to be happy:
1. Free your heart from hatred
2. Free your mind from worries
3. Live simply
4. Give more
5. Expect less
Please come to Lodge!
Best Regards,
Richard G. Weyers
Senior Warden
Continuation from May Westerly Wind
All this was accomplished by teaching-by the Master Masons about him guiding his clumsy hands and passing on to him in many, many lessons what they had been years in acquiring.
Such is education. It is symbolized in the Second Degree by the Liberal Arts and Sciences. Perhaps you were somewhat nonplussed to hear what was said about Grammar, Rhetoric, Logic, Arithmetic, Geometry, Music, and Astronomy. Perhaps you wondered what such schoolroom topics had to do with Masonry. Now you should understand. The explanations of these subjects were not meant to be academic lectures out of a college course at all. Like so much also in the Degree it was symbolism, and symbolism signifies all that is meant by education. A Fellowcraft of life then must be equipped with experiences and knowledge. Is there anything more?
Yes there is-our third answer is wisdom. A man may see, hear, touch and handle things so often and so much that he has a rich experience, yet not have knowledge; and a man may have such knowledge, may have mastered some task or job or trade. Yet he may be unhappy and a failure as a human being because he cannot adjust himself to the complex system of realities, experience, and facts which make up life as a whole. He may lack wisdom- competency to deal with each situation that arises-it matters not what it might be. The Middle Chamber, which is so conspicuous an element in the Second Degree, doubtless has many meanings. But it certainly has this: that it is a symbol of the wisdom of which we have just been speaking.
Through the experiences of the Five senses, up through the knowledge gained of the Liberal Arts and Sciences, the candidate is called to advance, as on a winding staircase. That balanced wisdom of life in which the senses, emotion, intellect, character, work, deeds, habits, and soul of a man are knit together in unity, until at least he sees that "hieroglyphic light which none that craftsmen ever saw."
In the Fellowcraft Degree, you also discovered that a number of emblems and symbols of the First Degree reappeared. Among the allegories peculiar to the Fellowcraft Degree, the most striking and important one is the rite in which you, as a candidate, acted the part of a man approaching King Solomon's Temple. You came into its outer precincts, climbed a winding staircase, passed between the Two Pillars, and at last entered its Middle Chamber. Standing in it, you acted the part of a Fellowcraft workman who received his wages of corn, wine, and oil; and during certain stages of this allegorical journey, you listened to various parts of a discourse which Masonry calls the Middle Chamber lecture. This entire allegory is a symbolic picture of the true and inner meaning of initiation.
The Temple is the life into which a man is initiated. That which lay outside the walls of the Temple, from which you as a candidate were supposed to come, represents what in Masonry is called the profane world - not profane in the usual sense of the word as being blasphemous, but profane in the technical sense; the word means "shut away from the altar,' and it thereby signifies all who are not initiated. When you are instructed not to reveal the secrets to a profane, it means not to reveal them to one who is not a Mason.
The stairs you climbed represented the steps by which the life of initiation is approached - qualification, petition, election, and the Three Degrees. The Pillars represent birth; when you passed between them it signified that you were no longer a profane but had now entered the circle of initiates. The Middle Chamber also represents initiation completed; once arrived there, the candidate received the rewards for the ordeals and arduous labors he has endured on the way; he has arrived at his goal.
Such is the meaning of your allegorical entrance into Solomon's Temple as a candidate in the Fellowcraft Degree. You can see at once that all the other symbols and allegories in the Degree are to be interpreted in the light of that meaning; you can also see that in the light of that meaning, the Degree itself and as a whole becomes a living power by which to shape and build our lives.
The above is one interpretation of the symbols and allegories of this degree. As you progress and continue to study Masonry, you may find other interpretations equally as meaningful as these advanced here.
What are Your Rights as a Fellow Craft?
As Fellow Craft you have the right to sit in your lodge when it is opened on either the Fellow Craft or Entered Apprentice Degree. You may also visit another lodge opened on the Fellow Craft or Entered Apprentice Degree with permission of its Worshipful Master, provided that a brother is present who has sat in open lodge with you and will vouch for you.
What does the term a "Fellow Craft" mean?
In operative masonry, those just beginning to learn their craft were apprenticed to a master craftsman. They received no wages except for their food, clothing, and sleeping quarters. If they showed sufficient skill, they were entered, usually after about three years. After seven more years, if they displayed sufficient skill, were made Fellow Crafts. This meant they could work on their own. In speculative Masonry, after the Entered Apprentice has demonstrated the required knowledge and proficiency, he will be Passed to the Fellow Craft Degree.
What are the basic teachings of the Second Degree?
The Fellow Craft Degree symbolizes the prime years of manhood and your attendant responsibility during your life on earth. During these years, you acquire knowledge and apply this knowledge to the building of your character and to improving the society in which you live. In the Ritual of the degree you, as Fellow Craft, are urged to advance your education in the liberal arts and sciences.
The Preparation
The changes in dress from an Entered Apprentice to a Fellow Craft have been explained in the ceremony. Gaining admission into the lodge was similar to the First Degree, with the addition of a pass and token, which were given for you by your conductor. The Fellow Craft degree teaches that knowledge is freely given toward gaining the privileges of Freemasonry, and that by the aid of others you are able to advance.
The Reception
You were received into the lodge on the angle of the square, and were told that the square should be a rule and guide in all your future transactions with mankind. A square meal (complete), a square deal (fair), a square person (honest) are examples of this idea.
The Obligation
The Obligation is the center of every degree and its solemnity is crucial. Each Fellow Craft pledges obedience, assistance, and protection to each other, binding us by a tie that should last our Masonic lifetime. The penalties have the same significance as those invoked in the First Degree and are symbolic rather than physical.
The Emblems of a Fellow Craft
These include the plumb, square, and level; corn, wine, and oil; the pillars; the winding stairs; the liberal arts and sciences; and the letter "G." The symbols of this degree are as follows:
The Working Tools
The square is the symbol of morality, truthfulness, and honesty. The direction of the two sides of the square form an angle of 90 degrees or a right angle, so called because this is the angle that stones must have if they are to be used to build a stable and upright wall. When we part upon the square, we go in different directions, but in full knowledge that our courses in life will be going according to the angle of the square (in the right direction) until we meet again.
The level is a symbol of equality. The equality practiced in Masonry is like that of a family in which the members may contribute little or much, but all share equally. The law is "from each according to his ability, to each according to his need." The Fraternity recognizes equality as a natural fact despite the differences of talent, possession, opinion, race and creed, that there are in each of us. Each person is endowed with a worth and dignity that is spiritual and should not be subject to man-made distinctions.
The plumb is a symbol of uprightness of conduct. In Freemasonry it is associated with the plumb line which the Lord promised Amos that he would set in the midst of His people Israel, symbolizing the Supreme Being's standard of divine righteousness. The plumb line in the midst of a people should mean that they will be judged by their own sense of right and wrong, not by the standards of others. By understanding the plumb, a Mason is to judge his brothers by his own standards and not by those of someone else. When the plumb or plumb line is thought of in this way, it becomes a symbol of an upright life and the conscience by which each person must live.
The Jewels
The jewels of a Fellow Craft are not made of precious stones and metals; rather they are attributes of the character that all Masons endeavor to have. The attentive ear, instructive tongue, and the faithful breast remind the Fellow Craft that the time-honored method of instruction is by word of mouth. The secrets of Freemasonry are always deposited in the hearts of the faithful brethren. These jewels should signify the necessity to learn and utilize good Masonic instruction and to develop an understanding of the teachings of our Craft.
The Wages of a Fellow Craft
Fellow Crafts at the building of King Solomon's Temple were paid in wages consisting of corn, wine, and oil. In Speculative Masonry they are symbolic wages that are earned by the Fellow Craft who completes his task and comes to the Middle Chamber. Together these symbolize wealth in mental and spiritual worlds. Corn represents nourishment and the sustenance of life. It is also a symbol of plenty, and refers to the opportunity for doing good, the opportunity to work for the community, and the opportunity to perform service to mankind. Wine is symbolic of refreshment, health, spirituality, and peace. Oil represents joy, gladness, and happiness. Taken together corn, wine, and oil represent the reward of living a good life.
The Pillars
There were two pillars placed before the entrance to King Solomon's Temple, and these are symbolically represented within every lodge of Fellow Crafts. These pillars bear the names of Boaz and Jachin, symbolizing strength and establishment and by implication, power and control. These two pillars remind the Fellow Craft that power without control is anarchy, or that control without power is futility. A man must have both if his life is to be successful.
The Winding Staircase
The winding staircase represents the progress of an inquiring mind toiling and laboring toward intellectual cultivation and study. This is the road to knowledge. The winding stairs, by their very shape, are also symbols of courage and faith. They are also symbols of physical, mental, moral and spiritual progress.
The Symbolism of Numbers
The symbolism of numbers is first presented to the new Mason in the Middle Chamber Lecture. The first three steps allude to the three great lights of Masonry, to the three degrees that every Master Mason's lodge confers, and to the three principal officers of the lodge. Study will reveal there are many other allusions to the number three.
The second group of five steps teaches the use of order in architecture and to the five human senses, of which three are most revered by Masons: Seeing, by seeing we see the sign; hearing, for by hearing we hear the word; and by feeling, by which we feel the grip whereby one Mason may know the other in the dark as well as in the light.
The final seven steps symbolize the liberal arts and sciences, the crowning glory of man, the full development of both mind and spirit, and the acquisition of courage and faith. These are the symbolic wages of a worthy Fellow Craft.
Admission to the Middle Chamber
The passage to the Middle Chamber represents man's journey from ignorance to enlightenment. His wages as a Fellow Craft are received in the Middle Chamber. These wages are symbolic of the knowledge that can only be gained by a closer relationship with his Creator.
The Letter "G"
The letter "G" is a symbol of geometry and also that of Deity. By the letter "G" we are reminded that our every act is done in the sight of the Supreme Being and that Divine Providence is over all our lives. To the operative craftsmen, geometry provided the principles of design and construction whereby he labored. It also portrays the order and harmony of parts found in the universe. The letter "G" is placed in the center of the Masonic emblems worn by U.S. Freemasons, but not by Masons in England or other nations of the British Commonwealth.
The Responsibilities of a Fellow Craft
These are to be found in the Obligation. You, as a Fellow Craft, should be familiar with these Obligations and those of an Entered Apprentice. Finally, as a Fellow Craft, you are reminded to acquire knowledge and apply that knowledge to your duties in life so that you can fill your place in society with satisfaction and honor.
Have you ever noticed how often we just take our Tiler for granted? Well usually he has a duty which keeps him busy outside the lodge room so I guess we fall into the "Out of site out of mind syndrome." Well this month we get a chance to meet, "Our mystery man outside the door."
Brother David was born July 19, 1945 at Everett, Massachusetts eldest son of Harold and Viola Kimble, an insurance adjuster and a registered nurse respectively. Over the next few years the family would grow to include three more boys. Melvon in 1947, Dana in 1949, and Steven in 1954.
By 1951 the family had relocated to San Mateo California where David attended the Knols Elementary, Abbott Junior High, and Hillsdale High Schools.
After High School he attended The California State University at Chico, where he accomplished his Bachelors of Arts Degree in 1968.
One year later he found himself serving in the United States Army at Fort Ord California. While he started out as an infantryman he was eventually trained as a counterintelligence specialist until he was honorably discharged in 1971.
His college studies and military training served him in good stead when he found his services needed by the U.S. Post office, The County of San Mateo, and the University of California where over the next several years he was in demand as a Mail specialist, Buyer, and Contract Negotiator. These opportunities afforded him several opportunities to serve by setting up negotiations between the University of California and the Russian government for the hiring of Russian Scientists. Much of his expertise was in the field of conflict mediation
Brother David is the product of a strong Masonic family tradition where his great grandfather was an operative mason, and his grandfather, father, and his uncle were all made Masonic in the Ancient traditions of Massachusetts.
Then in 1985 Brother David popped the question and asked Brother Andy Korte for a blue application for membership at Los Altos Lodge No. 712. He fondly recalls that during his degrees he was not only privileged to have Brother Andy Korte in attendance but in addition Worshipfuls Ford Osborn and Bob Watson.
Over the years he has proved to be much in demand as a prominent Masonic Scholar and is presently serving as Senior Warden of the El Camino Research Lodge.
His private life is blessed with two Sons and two daughters, Karen (26), Glen (25), Julie (21), and Scott (17). He is also an active member of the Los Altos United Methodist Church where he is active as a member of the South Bay Storytellers. This activity has proved invaluable in his Masonic career where he has gained a outstanding reputation as a storyteller. Some of his specialties include, "The Cremation of Sam McGee", "Emperor Norton of California Lodge No. 1," "Mark Twain," "Tom Sawyer," and "The theory and Application of Old Men."
Finally, in addition to serving as our Lodge Tiler, Brother David is an active 32 degree member of the San Jose Scottish Rite, and has recently joined the elite order of the Knights of Saint Andrew.
Brother David has also served several years on the LAMT Board as both member and president and is presently chairman of the Los Altos Lodge Sunshine Committee.
We are indeed privileged to have his as a brother from whom we can learn first hand the lessons of Masonic service and scholarly pursuits.
Editor
R.S.V.P.
by Harry A. Bruno, PM
R.S.V.P. = abbr [F repondez s'il vous plait] please reply
(Webster's New Collegiate Dictionary)
At one time in our society and many other polite societies when you received an invitation to a party or meeting there were four little letters at the bottom of the card. It was expected that the receiver would inform the sender that they would or would not be able to attend. It seems that along with holding the door open for a lady and walking on the traffic side that this also has gone the way of the buggy whip.
In our Masonic circles of volunteer meetings that when we receive a letter inviting us to a Masonic business meeting we feel that like the old buggy whip we need not respond or reply. I know that the world will not come to an end if one Brother misses a committee meeting or a Masonic business meeting called by a Grand Lodge Officer or Committee Chairman, but I often think of my obligation of not wronging a Brother. I feel that not letting that Brother know that I will or will not be there is part of my obligation. I also feel that it's part of being a man to let the other person know if I'll be there.
When you call a meeting that concerns Brethren from across the state and you expect 30 Brethren to show up and only 5 make an appearance you begin to wonder if maybe your obligation was just a little different than theirs. Most Masonic business meetings are a two way street. Not only do you receive information but also you are expected to have some input to the meeting and share your ideas.
If the Grand Lodge Officer or Committee Chairman only has the ideas from 5 Brethren from 5 different areas of the state instead of 30 then he is being cheated by not having the good ideas from the other 25 Brethren and 25 areas.
Now, lets put the shoe on the other foot. YOU have just invited 48 Lodge Officers from your District to a meeting. This meeting is for the 48 Lodge Officers. This meeting is to help them in their duties as Lodge Officers.
YOU have prepared a meal for 50 people and 12 show up for YOUR meeting. Just how do YOU feel about all of this? Wouldn't it have been nice to know before YOU started your meal that YOU were only going to feed 12 and that only 12 were interested in what YOU had to present? In all fairness, normally those 12 Brethren that do show up are not only hungry for the meal, but are hungry for the information available and make for an excellent evening.
Brethren, please remember in the future that when you receive an invitation to a Masonic business meeting or a committee chairman calls a meeting, PLEASE let him know if you will be there or not. He'll now know how many to plan for, and will also respect you more by letting him know your plans.
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