| Los Altos Lodge No. 712: | Last Updated on July 28, 2003 |
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A motion to include the three degree charts in the Lodge was tabled to the August Stated Meeting to allow additional members the opportunity to input to the discussion. Please attend if you would like your opinion considered toward the eventual vote which will follow the discussion.
Worshipful Robert Martin, P.M., provided the Lodge with Masonic education concerning Charity and our responsibility as Masons toward our distressed Brethren. I am scheduling a special discussion on Monday, August 11th in the Lodge Room for the Members to address this very important topic. We need to establish guidelines for the Los Altos Lodge Charity Committees. There are differing opinions on the topic and we should come to agreement as to what is acceptable practice. If you are not able to attend but would like your opinions considered, please contact me at 650-903- 0525 or send an e-mail to me at: cafreemason@earthlink.net
Due to some scheduling conflicts, the Lodge BBQ scheduled for July 19th was postponed to a later date this summer or early fall. We will communicate the new date, time, and location in next month's Trestleboard.
The Masonic information booth in front of the Lodge at the Los Altos Art & Wine festival on Saturday/Sunday, July 12th/13th was an overall success. Many people stopped by inquiring about Masonry and several tours of the Lodge were given. Perhaps this may bring about some future members? My gratitude is extended to the numerous members who manned the booth, provided answers to questions, tours of the Lodge, and refreshments downstairs in the dining room.
We will be conferring two first degrees on July 28th at 7:30 pm. A dinner for the candidate's will be held at the Mandarin Classic Chinese Restaurant (397 Main Street @ 1st Street in Los Altos) at 6:00 pm. Please call the Lodge information line (650-569-6276) with your reservations by noon Friday, July 25th. The dinner will be dutch treat. Please come and support our candidates. We need to make good impressions on our candidates through your attendance and participation.
Finally, Brother Howard Kahn, a Retired Public Accountant and Certified Financial Planner, will be providing a workshop at our Stated Meeting on September 8th. He will review the following: PROBATE: "How can I avoid it?" and "The Myths and Truths about Long Term Care." The Brethren of the Lodge, their Ladies, and their Guests, are invited to this Educational Workshop.
Fraternally Feeling Good,
This topic was a major point of discussion at the July stated meeting so I have chosen it to be the subject of my article this month. It is a very important issue within our lodge and in Masonry. This subject has been addressed by members in the past. It has caused much discussion and to a degree disharmony within the lodge.
It is a broad and controversial subject. I am not going to include any Masonic references in addressing it here. I am presenting my personal views, observation and experience on this subject. I expect that other views will be submitted for presentation in future trestleboards.
As with most of us in our seventies, I grew up in the depression of the nineteen thirties. I remember well that during that period there were very few social services for families in need. People and family in distress were every day occurrences over the airwaves and in our home. Luckily my mother, a seamstress had a pretty steady job and we managed. My father did whatever it took to help out. He was often without work and when nothing else was available he would drive a taxi. I observed how many other individuals and families dealt with this problem.
In this day there are many government agencies to provide assistance and support persons or families in distress. It is Ironic that the supposed wealthiest woman in England was once on welfare. Today’s distressed do not know the urgencies of yesteryears yet it is there for many.
During the depression Masonic lodges helped their DWB, widows and orphans as best they could. I am a member of a NYC lodge. I know of many stories of how brethren helped DWB and how lodges assisted with DWB, widows and orphans. I never heard of any lodge that destitute itself in this endeavor to assist aDWB. It would be self defeating to do so. A lodge has a minimal responsibility towards DWB. Individual brothers more often than not are the suppliers of the majority of aid and assistance.
As all we Masons know we have an obligation to help a DWB. At no time was there a requirement that “The lodge that we may be a member of” has such an obligation. Lodges in other jurisdictions that I belong to, do have a built in capability to provide aid to someone in distress, be it a brother or just someone in great distress. They have limits and guidelines for such request. Such it should be with our lodge. Aid does not mean that we should take up a long term personal obligations unless there is disability involved.
In the event of a catastrophic event bringing havoc and major destruction to an area, then a lodge could direct all it’s aid and support to aid those suffering from the catastrophe, which in essence could leave the lodge temporarily without financial funds, if this occurred it would be by the consent of the members of the lodge. Such situations have occurred.
Lodge officers are first and foremost responsible to the Lodge and to see that it is governed properly. Aid and assistance are just a small part of this responsibility. More important is that the members be not dissatisfied and that harmony prevail among it’s members. Remember that we are to provide aid/assistance so far as we can do so without serious injury to ourselves or those dependent on us.
Currently the US economy is in a recession and Silicon Valley in a nadir. All of us have known of persons or families in distress during the last two and a half years. I urge all our brethren to think about this problem, we the officers welcome your suggestions and ideas. We are trying to formulate new avenues of assistance to our DWB.
Fraternally,
Our nest Stated Meeting is on August 4, 2003, and is a "Stag Night". (i.e. - no Ladies Program.)
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Richard Weyers,
Master
Ernest Castillo, P. M.,
Senior Warden