| Los Altos Lodge No. 712: | Last Updated on August 27, 2001 |
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HEAR-YE ! YEAR-YE ! HEAR-YE !
All Brethren of Los Altos Lodge No. 712 Are Hereby Summons to Attend the Special Roll Call Meeting to be held on
September 24, 2001. It is a Stag Night. The dinner cost is $10.
THE MASTER EXTENDS A SPECIAL INVITATION TO THOSE RAISED AT LOS ALTOS TO COME HOME AND BE HIS GUEST FOR DINNER.
Our visitation is now history and I would like to congratulate our newest Master Mason. Justin it was our honor to raise you to the sublime degree of Master Mason. There was one very proud father in our midst, namely yours. Robert, you did an excellent job in the East and your lecture was one of the best you have ever delivered. What a proud moment it must have been for you to have raised all three of your sons. I would like to thank Worshipful Paul Sterner for all the help he gave me. Paul the Trolly Car Restaurant was perfect and we would like to thank all the Brothers at Nevada Lodge 13 for the courtesies they extended to us and for their help in putting on the degree. Our Junior Warden did a yeoman's job on hospitality. Rick, thank you for all your help. You have really made my job easier this year.
Plans are made for the picnic and Worshipful Ernie (our Trestleboard editor) is printing a map else ware in this publication. Bring the whole family. As of the 13th Rick only had six reservations.
As you can see from the front page September 24th is our ROLL CALL dinner, combined with coming home for those that were Raised in Los Alto Lodge 712. All Master Masons are required to be counted at a Roll Call Meeting so if you can not attend send us a card or letter in order that there will be a reply when your name is called. Let us know where you are, how you are, what you have been up to and if you are active in Masonry. Those that were raised in our Lodge will be my guests for dinner.
I have received the resolutions that will be voted on at Grand Lodge this year and some of them are very interesting. One deals with the lectures that the Master and Wardens are required to know. We will go over these at our October Stated Meeting. This is an important meeting, your input on resolutions will be helpful in making the right decision in voting. At the September Stated Meeting next years top three Officers will open and close Lodge. Please attend to see how they will do. There will be a Constitutional Presentation by Worshipful Robert Martin after dinner and before the Stated Meeting. Also I have guest speaker for the Ladies while we are meeting. Peggy McKleroy will speak on "Plan for your future, Focus on today".
November is Past Masters Night. The Past Masters will open and close Lodge. There will be a turkey dinner (to celebrate thanksgiving) at six thirty. Put November 5th on your calendars and plan on giving our PM's your support.
Fraternally
Bill Malmstrom, P.M.
Master
You blink, and Viola! It's fall. The year is flying by and Grand Lodge Communications is just around the corner. We have much activity in the coming months. Earlier this month our lodge visited Nevada City (near Grass Valley) and conferred the third degree on Justin Martin. Congratulations and welcome Justin! Brother Justin has taken a new job and now lives in Reno. Justin, when you're in the Bay Area, please come by and visit. Everyone enjoyed the visitation and your company. The location is beautiful, and the Masonic building has quite a few stories to tell. On the Tiler's desk there was a sign that caught my attention (and I think should be a message to all of us). It read "Remember - You're someone's image of a Mason."
Also in August we will try to revive an old lodge tradition, the family picnic. I'll be there with Becky and Andrew (he's almost 2 years old now). I'll have more to say on this next time (after the picnic has actually happened).
I'm anxiously awaiting the results of our member survey. Thank you Brother Rick for taking the initiative on this project. Next year's plans are starting to come together. I need input FROM YOU on what we want our lodge to do in 2002 (visitation to____?, Kids ID, Art & Wine Festival, family picnic, roll call, ... ).
Do you like Masonic ritual? Don't have enough time to be an officer? "Been there, Done that"? What would you say to joining a sideliners degree team? The idea here is that we might get more members involved in conferring the degrees (even though we haven't done many as of late), and provide a backup for our installed officers. Past Masters or more ambitious members could take larger parts, and less experienced members could get some experience in a smaller role. Maybe we could start with a First Degree team (less people, less complications; and the first impression we make on a new candidate). Call me or any of the officers, I'd be happy to talk about this or any other ideas you have.
** We still have some openings for Deacons and Stewards for 2002, please call me if you can help. **
Stay tuned.
Bob Lake
Senior Warden
As we work our way through the summer, I have come to realize that while other Masonic organizations take a bit of rest and relaxation, our Los Altos Lodge continues to provide opportunities for fellowship and fraternization. Our visitation to Nevada City Lodge No. 13 the weekend of August 3-5th was a success. Congratulations to our newest member and Master Mason Justin Adam Martin. If you have not had an opportunity to visit the Gold Country Lodges, please make an effort. We were welcomed with open arms and put on an excellent third degree. Worshipful Robert W. Martin, PM took the east and delivered an outstanding long-form lecture to his third and last son (at least for now, after all, Robert is a newlywed!). We provided a hospitality suite on Friday and Saturday evenings which was well attended and enjoyed by all.
I am delighted that I have received 41 out of a possible 115 Masonic questionnaires. It is taking me more time than expected to summarize the results so I'll have to defer my analysis to the October Trestleboard. Ten of the surveys were returned blank which can only mean that they inadvertently fell out of the August Trestleboard during mailing. If you have not received a survey and are interested, please send me an e-mail (cafreemason@earthlink.com) or give me a call (650) 903-9625 and I'll get one to you. I am impressed with the comments and suggestions and will be able to use the information to guide my plans for 2003.
Thank you all for your helpful suggestions. One thing I have learned is that we are fortunate to have many comedian members. We should have an improve night.
Richard G. Weyers
Junior Warden
************************************************ I would like to acknowledge the tremendous and generous effort of our Trestleboard Editor, Worshipful Ernie Castillo, who took it upon himself to publish the questionnaire, fold, stamp, and mail to our local Brethren. Ernie, you are definitely an upright Mason! R. Weyers ************************************************
Lots has been happening in the past couple months, so I thought I'd write a little update. First, as many of you know, Linda Barrientos and I were married last June 29th, a Friday evening. It was a wonderful wedding, held at our church, St. Timothy's Episcopal Church in Mountain View. We had the Miramonte Chapter Order of the Eastern Star provide the catering, which was wonderful. We also had Bill Carlson's Band provide the dance music. They are the same band which played at the Grand Master's Reception the past two years, and also at my installation as Master of Los Altos Lodge December 1999. The band gave another opportunity for Wor. Sterling and his wife Virginia to dance up a storm, and show all the rest of us how to do it right! The Campbell DeMolay Chapter assisted in setting up and cleaning up, along with many, many people in the Masonic family.
We were very fortunate to have Armin 'Pops' Verbarg and his daughter Joan drive down from Bend Oregon to attend the wedding. He is like a grandfather to Linda. Those of you at the wedding may remember him he was seated in a walker chair with the rest of our immediate family. He was born in San Francisco in 1906, just 6 months after the disastrous earthquake. W are sad to say he died just 10 days after the wedding. However, Linda and I are both so happy he was able to be present at our wedding and shared that special time with us. Although few of you who are reading this knew him, he was very sharp in mind, and very clever and funny. He started using a walker just a few months previously, because of some problems with his hips. He passed away back in Bend while sitting in a chair looking out the window at the Cascade Mountains.
Worshipful Richard Rosenberg, and his wife Sandy did the photography, and I might say that they did an excellent job! (as usual) My sons Christian and Jason (both members of Los Altos Lodge) are now living in Chicago, attending college. They flew in for the wedding, along with my daughter Hillary, who is a member of San Jose Rainbow Assembly. My son Justin (who was a Fellowcraft member of our lodge at the time) and his wife Tricia arrived from Reno, along with their baby, Kataryn.
I mention all that, because just five weeks later, on Friday, August 3rd, Christian and Jason again flew here from Chicago to attend the third degree for their brother Justin. That third degree was held on our lodge's visitation at Nevada City Lodge No. 13. I had the pleasure of sitting in the East and Raising Justin, who was the third (and final) of my sons with whom I now have had that honor and pleasure. It was really special that his two brothers were also able to participate in the degree. All three of them are Senior DeMolays. They were very active in DeMolay each having served in many officer positions including Master Councilor of Campbell Chapter.
The brother who has served for the past twenty (20 !) years as the Chapter 'Dad' of Campbell Chapter is Wor. Bob Taylor P.M. of Charity Jarman Lodge No. 362. He traveled to Nevada City and also took part in the degree.
In between the wedding and the visitation, my bride and I spent the month of July in Europe on our honeymoon. When we returned from Nevada City, we still had a house full of wedding gifts to be opened. Linda is the Principal of Alex Anderson Elementary School, so she now has returned to work to prepare for the new school year.
At the stated meeting of our lodge on August 6th, right after the visitation, I was asked to put together a program for our lodge to celebrate the U. S. Constitution, which Grand Lodge encourages every lodge to do in September of each year. I am in the process of putting together a fun program which will begin right after the dinner of our stated meeting on Monday, September 10th. The program will not last more than 30 minutes, so I hope everybody can stay and attend it. (Remember, Labor Day falls on the first Monday)
Finally, Linda and I are getting back to a little more normal life. We both want to thank every one for making our wedding so memorable, and also for making the visitation and degree for Justin so special.
Fraternally,
Robert W. Martin, P.M.
Sept. Stated Meeting Dinner and Guests Program
Los Altos No. 712 September 10th Stated Meeting Dinner:
French Bread, Caesar Salad, Roast Beef, Asparagus, Mashed Potatoes, Top-Your-Own Sundaes!
Cost: $10.00 per person.
Reservations required by Noon, Friday, September 7th
After Dinner Program (For the Ladies and Guests):
PLAN FOR THE FUTURE, FOCUS ON TODAY
Chances are, a 65 year old person today will live to be 90. This positive trend means that you must plan for your assets lasting long after retirement - especially daunting considering that you will need roughly 60%-80% of your current annual income in your later years to maintain your standard of living. Other responsibilities, such as college costs and caring for elderly parents, make financial planning even more essential.
Peggy McKleroy, Financial Advisor at USB Paine Webber in Palo Alto will address the women after September 10th dinner on this subject. Mrs. McKleroy's talk is designed to heighten women's awareness of the importance of their responsibility and their participation in planning for their financial future.
Blanch Bente, wife of one of our PMs died on 6/30/01.
Past Masters night is scheduled for Nov. 5th.
The U.S. Constitution Observance Month Proclamation.is included in this Trestleboard.
GRAND MASTERS CRUISE:
Join Grand Master David C. Decker Aboard the VIKING SERENADE September 14-17th for an Unforgettable Cruise Benefiting the Masonic Youth Orders! For Reservations or More Information, Call 1 (800) 777-4224.
JEWELS & APRONS:
Brethren at the September Meeting we will be voting on selecting our new jewels and Aprons. Please attend so we can make this important decision together.
September 24, 2001. It is a Stag Night.
Will you be there? If not please send us a note letting us know how you and your family are doing so we can account for you at the Roll Call. Send your note to our JW or Secretary.
The dinner cost is $10 but if you were Raised in Los Altos you are my guest.
Thank You Letter from Dave Mauldin, Nevada City Lodge