| Los Altos Lodge No. 712: | Last Updated on August 21, 2000 |
Return to the Los Altos Lodge Trestleboard TOC Page
Return to the Los Altos Lodge Papers Page
Notes from Robert
I first want to give a big Thank You to Bro. Jason Martin and Wor. Lou Orozco for getting the trestleboard published and mailed out last month. Our trestleboard editor, Bro. Ernie Castillo was out of state for the last two weeks of July, so please excuse any small typos you may have noticed. This issue of our trestleboard is being mailed a little early in order to include some information about events late in July, which we were unable to get into our July trestleboard.
Note: What word has two (2) apostrophes in it? Answer at end.
First, all California Masons, and their families and friends are invited to join together in a big sesquicentennial celebration of Freemasonry in California to be held at the Los Angeles Dodger Stadium on Sunday, July 23rd at 5:00 P.M. This will be a fun game - the San Francisco Giants versus the Los Angeles Dodgers, and we have reserved one thousand tickets for the event. If you have not already gotten your tickets by the time you read this, it may be too late, but contact me immediately and I will see if we still can get tickets. If you plan to attend, I know there will be car pools going to LA from the Bay area.
Second, on Friday July 28, 2000 at 7:30 P.M. at Los Altos Masonic Hall we will have the pleasure seeing our Brother Maury Dunbar receive from El Camino Research Lodge the Hiram Award. Please be sure to mark your calendar to attend this important event.
Third, on Monday August 14, 2000 we will have the pleasure of having El Camino Research Lodge open its lodge at our Los Altos Masonic Hall for it's stated meeting. All Master Masons are cordially invited to attend while Worshipful Lou Orozco presides in the East at this first meeting of El Camino Research Lodge in Los Altos.
Also, Please note to make your reservations for the Deep sea fishing Trip on Saturday August 19th. Please phone Wor. Coye Vincent at 650-967-8655 to make your reservation.
Our stated meeting in September will be the second Monday in September (Sept 11, 2000) because of Labor Day being the first Monday. We will have a speaker for the US Constitution Observance at this stated Meeting, Sept 11, so everyone please plan to attend.
It is my plasure to announce the designated Hiram Award recipient for Los Altos Lodge for the year 2000. It is our Past Master, Worshipful Richard L. Rosenberg, who has been a quiet yet very important support for our lodge for many years, and in addition is now serving as our Secretary. Many Masons throughout California may not recognize Richard, for he usually has his face partially hidden behind his camera!
The date Richard has requested for our Lodge to present the Hiram Award will be Monday, September 25, 2000. The Dinner will be at 6:30 with the presentation of the Hiram Award following. All Hiram award recipients, please attend and wear your Hiram Award Medal.
I hope everybody had a chance to read the comments I wrote last month about lodge consolidations. We need to keep in mind that we are an organization that needs to add new members to be strong. Within two days of mailing last month's trestleboard I'd already received some feedback. A new trestleboard record! Answer: It'd've - as in It'd've been great if George Washington had lived in Los Altos.
Fraternally,
Robert W. Martin, P.M.
Master
I'd like to take this opportunity to let you know some of the recent happenings in our lodge. Recently my family and I attended the Northern California Junior Warden's Retreat in San Ramon. For those of you unfamiliar with these retreats; let me assure you, this is a work packed weekend. Both my wife Becky and I came away with some great ideas for stimulating more interest in our lodge. Andrew (our 7month old son) just had a GREAT time. Based on conversations at the retreat, the first thing I'd like to do is try to increase pride in being a member of Los Altos Lodge, and help increase our visibility to the community.
To this end I have started the process by getting polo shirts made. These shirts can be worn in any public setting (such as an Art & Wine Festival), and would show our pride in our group and perhaps invite questions from others. These shirts are embroidered with a Masonic square and compass and the words "Los Altos Lodge No. 712". They are being sold at cost ($22) to anyone who wishes to buy one. Becky learned at the retreat that Grand Lodge has decided that it is perfectly acceptable for women to wear shirts like these, as a way of support their lodges. If there is additional interest,when our initial supply of 3 dozen runs out, we will consider placing a second order. At that time additional sizes or colors may be offered. I must thank Brother Bill Malmstrom, who magically produced contacts and a vast amount of past experience in getting these shirts rolling.
Los ALtos lodge hosted a KidsID program at our booth during the Art & Wine festival (July 8, 9). The KidsID program is a program sponsored by Grand Lodge in which we produce ID cards for parents. These cards include vital information and a photo of their child for use in case of an emergency. As a new parent I can personally attest to the act that no parent wants to think about needing something like a KidsID card. With some education and help from my 9 month old son Andrew, we were able to convey the importance of the ID for every parent. No permanent record is kept by anyone at the booth or at Grand Lodge. The information is for the parents use only. This is a great way to meet people, serve our community and let people know "who we are", and "what we do". During the 2 day weekend we produced 180 ID cards, including a 3.5 week old baby girl! We got several very positive comments, including some from parents who had already had their children done by other groups and ! several who had difficulty believing that we were doing this completely FREE of charge. We talked with several people who stopped and said "my father was a Mason" or "I was a Rainbow Girl/Job's Daughter/Demolay in Los Altos". We are getting our lodge back in the community eye. Thank you to all of the people who volunteered their time to help. A special thanks to all of the members of Valley Star Chapter 250, OES who donated their time.
Bob Lake
Junior Warden
50th Anniversary Commorative Book
Brethren, we are pleased to announce that a 50th Anniversary Commemorative Book is in progress for next year's Los Altos Lodge No. 712 fiftieth celebration. Worshipful Edgar W. Fentum has has been appointed Chairman of the 50th Anniversary Book and has begun the process. To this end the Lodge needs each of us who receive the Trestleboard to help.
To the Brethren, Widows and friends of our Lodge we request your ideas, comments, pictures and any information that you feel will be relevant (or not relevant but interesting) towards completing this instrument. Try not to send originals since we cannot guarantee their return. Mail that which you would have us consider to Edgar Fentum, 795, Roble Ave., No. 7, Menlo Park, CA 94025-4839 or to the Lodge.
We have started a master file to which your donations will be added. Send any and all suggestions to the above address, please note that it is for the 50th Ann. Book. Let us know if we can keep the document (or picture) or if you wish it/them back.
Let all of us participate and make it a memorable year. It is planned to have a draft ready to be sent to the printers by March of next year. With the help of the late Robert J. Watson P.M. we assembled some information but have major gaps. Worshipful Sterling Bailey has a cache of memorabilia: photos, Installation programs and Trestleboards which will provide a valuable source.
At this stage 'Sponsors' are required to provide financing for this project. We want a good quality Commemorative Book. Select the level of your donation which you may pay in part payments or by single donation. Payment must be completed by July 31, 2001.
Sponsor categories are:
Grand Sponsor - $500 or over
Platinum - $150; Gold $100; Silver $50; Bronze - 25
A free copy of the 50 year Commemorative Book will be sent to every member and to all our widows. The names of all contributors with the level of Donation will receive recognition on the 'Acknowledgements' page(s).
Please Make checks payable to: 'LA 50th Anniversary Handbook'. Payments should be made to our Secretary Richard Rosenberg. It can be mailed to his address or to the Lodge.
You may Sponsor or make a donation on behalf of another, to honor someone or as a tribute to someone. In all cases please include; Amount; method of payment; your name, address and telephone number and a signed note of your intention or request.
Ed Fentum, PM
Worshipful Antony Fentum was installed Master of Erasmus Wilson Lodge No. 1464 English Constitution at Gravesend, Kent, England on the 4th of May 2000. It is a Lodge noted for it's excellent ritual and hospitality.
Worshipful Antony is the 3d generation Master and possibly the 10th generation Mason in the Fentum family (Cover Photo) Worshipful Brother Antony Fentum (center),Worshipful Ed Fentum P.M. Los Altos Lodge 712, Inspector, 165th Masonic District (left) with Installing Master Worshipful Brother Michael Broome, Immediate Past Master (right). Over 80 Masons attended a closed Installation and Banquet.
The Lodge has 46 members, meets only 5 times a year at which there is a short business meeting, degree conferral and Festive Board. Dues are $320/yr. Dining costs are $45(members)/ $60 (guests) per meeting and the Installation Banquet cost is $90!
The Festive Board, which follows the meeting, is an excellent 5 course banquet includes an open bar with good wines and 'passing the port', toasts and fire. Average attendance at meetings is 35 Masons.
There is one Ladies Night (Banquet and Ball) a year - cost $100 per ticket. It took 8 years for W.Bro Antony to reach the Oriental Chair and that time may now be extended to 12 years as the Lodge has increased its membership. There are no Past Masters in the 'progressive line' which includes 5 Stewards. Most Stewards go on to become Master of the Lodge. Ritual practices are monthly with extra practices every two weeks during the summer. The last Past Master to serve as Master was 11 years ago.
I believe all of us Masons in the Santa Clara Valley are concerned with the welfare of the San Jose Masonic Center, and all the groups, including the youth groups which are meeting there. The following article was written by Brother Dainer Bailey and was first published in the July 2000 issue of the "Koofaw," which is the Official Monthly Bulletin of San Jose Pyramid No. 9, Ancient Egyptian Order of Sciots. Reprinted by permission of the author.
"Thoughts about the San Jose Masonic Temple"
Greetings Brethren,
I wanted to take a minute to express an opinion based on my observation of what is happening with the San Jose Masonic Temple Association. I believe that the board has collectively lost sight of what the existence of the Masonic Temple means.
What possible benefit is it to the Shareholders, Concordant Bodies and Youth Groups if the temple can not be used for Masonic purposes? As things are currently, none of these groups is using the Temple for anything Masonic other than their respective meetings. Few of these groups can afford the rent that the temple management feels that it must charge for a Saturday (or any other night) event. Youth groups and others have to worry about offending a Church Group with the smell of their pancake breakfasts! The Grand Master's Class has to be held elsewhere and very few of the social nights and fundraisers can be held there. The bottom line is that without these events the lodges and other bodies and groups will fade out of existence.
With the recent lawsuit against us merely owning shares in the temple while renting it out has become a liability. So now, instead of owning shares in something that may become profitable, we have opened ourselves up to lawsuits because the power goes out. It is a tangled web we weave indeed!
What is the solution? The solution is for the Masonic Bodies to start acting like Masonic bodies, dig deep and pay the expenses that need to be paid! I realize that many of you are now thinking why should groups with the most money have to pay to support the others? Well I'll tell you why... Because that is what Masonry is all about! Remember your Ritual? Remember your Obligations?
If we want the Masonic groups to survive we need to act now and quickly. A joint venture eventually may prove to be a great solution to the long-term problem. However the short-term problem is the decline of our sociability. Heed this warning Ladies and Gentlemen... The legacy of the San Jose Masonic Temple association and its bodies may very well be "the groups that destroyed themselves with greed"!
Fraternally,
Dainer Bailey
Proclamator, Sciots, San Jose Pyramid No. 9
Los Altos Lodge is having it's first annual salmon fishing outing. It will be on August 19 and W. Coye Vincent is taking reservations. We leave from Sausalito at 6 AM. W. Vincent can be reached at (snip). The cost is $70.00 per person.
Grand Master's Achievement Award
All Lodge members, their ladies, family members, and friends, are invited to attend a special open presentation after dinner at 7:30 PM at the September 11th Stated Meeting in the Lodge Room preceding our scheduled Stated Meeting:
Wor. Franklin Sing will present, on behalf of last year's Grand Master M.W. Melville H. Nahin, the Grand Lodge's Grand Master's Achievement award to our 1999 Officers!
This 1999 award is being made to only 32 of the more than 400 lodges in the state! Only 9 of these lodges are in Northern California.
Los Altos Lodge has also won this prestigious award several times in past years, including: 1984 (W. E. Henry, PM), 1986 (Frederic C. E. Oder, PM), 1987 (John W. Runcie, PM), 1993 (Dan R. McDaniel, PM), and 1994 (Paul E. Ladd, PM, 1995).
Congratulations to our Lodge Officers of 1999.
Patrick Bailey, Jr. PM.
Go to the Last Trestleboard Issue
Go to the Next Trestleboard Issue
Return to the Los Altos Lodge Trestleboard TOC Page
Return to the Los Altos Lodge Papers Page