| Los Altos Lodge No. 712: | Last Updated on August 30, 2004 |
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September and fall is just around the corner. I guess it is all down hill from here. Our summer picnic at Shoup Park turned out to be a great success. We had just the right amount of food and all who attend went home pleased after having a great midday affair. The combination of having the Order of Eastern Star and Lodge join in the event, really made it a fun event as we were able to share in the preparation. Thanks to Dave Anderson for preparing he kebabs and to Donna Philpott and members of the OES for having all the paper goods and setting up picnic sight. To our JW, Jim Gable and Nancy for providing and setting up all the refreshments.
I have to apologize, for the corn. If I had known it was going to be so tasty I would have brought twice as much. Everyone enjoyed it immensely and it was the one item we ran short of. The kebabs were tasty and just the right amount. The dishes provide by each guest were practically all gone by shut down time. I want to especially thank the Evans family that made the trip from Modesto to partake with us, also Bruce and Shirley Pruitt who, though were suffering from jet lag, managed to come down and enjoy the fixings.
I think this type of picnic should be a blueprint for future picnics. The time from 10 AM to 2 PM appears to be just about the right amount of time for this type of affair. Thank you all for coming. I’m looking forward to next year.
At our August stated meeting I informed the brethren about the large amount of historic date left to the lodge by Sterling Bailey. Please review my comments included in this Trestleboard.
Congratulations , John Barnet our newest member to the Fraternity. On Monday August 9 the officers and brethren conferred the Entered Apprentice degree on John. We are looking forward to your next degrees and welcome to the Fraternity.
On August 28th we are planning our Third degree conferral and outing at Paradise Park. Check page 13 and 14 for directions and itinerary. Brother Jason Marolda did a fine proficiency at the August stated meeting and all is in order for the with us, also Bruce and Shirley Pruitt who, though were suffering from jet lag, managed to come down and enjoy the fixings.
I think this type of picnic should be a blueprint for future picnics. The time from 10 AM to 2 PM appears to be just about the right amount of time for this type of affair. Thank you all for coming. I’m looking forward to next year.
At our August stated meeting I informed the brethren about the large amount of historic date left to the lodge by Sterling Bailey. Please review my comments included in this Trestleboard.
Congratulations , John Barnet our newest member to the Fraternity. On Monday August 9 the officers and brethren conferred the Entered Apprentice degree on John. We are looking forward to your next degrees and welcome to the Fraternity.
On August 28th we are planning our Third degree conferral and outing at Paradise Park. Check page 13 and 14 for directions and itinerary. Brother Jason Marolda did a fine proficiency at the August stated meeting and all is in order for the dress the Los Altos Lodge archives as stated above. Another calendar anomaly is that LAMTA will hold it’s stated meeting prior to the Lodge meeting (Sept. 8) I want to invite all the brethren to visit us at LAMTA. See what managing the building entails. We look forward to brethren joining in this endeavor. Just a short three weeks after the September meeting will be the October meeting where we will address the lode Grand Lodge Resolutions.
This is from a Past master in NC.
A young entered apprentice was being instructed for his proficiency examination work. After going through the password, due guard and sign,
he looked at his instructor and asked, "I see some of the older Masons sticking their finger in their ear and whistling.
What is that sign for?" The instructor thought for a moment, and said, "That's not a sign...
those are Past Masters adjusting their hearing aids."
Have a wonderful rest of this summer.
Fraternally,
Ernest Casilo
Master
Well, here we are in September. I can’t believe time has passed so fast. For those of you who are interested, I am told by my doctors at the VA Hospital, that I will be finished with all my Chemo treatments by the middle of this month. I was very glad to hear this, because I really want to get started on my Master's work. Now with this good news, I figure that "God willing", I can completely qualify in my Master’s work before election day in November.
As many of you already know, I am also a member of California Lodge No. 1 in San Francisco. In August the Master of that Lodge wrote a Trestleboard article, which was so very pertinent to today's events in our fraternity, that I thought it was worth reprinting here. It is as follows.
Brethren:
At Grand Lodge Week in October, we will be voting on our future as Freemasons in California. As a carry-over resolution from last year, we will ballot upon the legislation that would allow the Grand Master to authorize a One Day Class. Or, Grand Lodge is under the idea that membership is in a decline, which it is, but not for the reasons that they think. They figure that men refrain from becoming Masons because a candidate may not have the free time involved to get his 3 degrees or that they don’t advance because of the memorization. So, Grand Lodge decides that we can get all these men, who before didn’t have the time or memorization skills, to come together for a 6-8 hour class and receive all their degrees by 5pm. So where are they going to get all these men who will become McMasons? Advertise? The big “S” word, solicit? The Grand Lodge of Ohio did. They even advertise in movie theaters on screen before the movie would start. It’s ironic. Think about it… The guy sits relaxing in a movie theater for 2 hours but doesn’t have the same 2 hours to receive his 1st Degree? The Grand Lodge of Ohio had a huge success; they made over 1000 McMasons in a day. Was it because of the convenience of sitting in an auditorium for 8 hours watching 2 degrees before your eyes? Nope! It was the advertising. Showing that Freemasonry was easily accessible. You can ask any man in his 20’s-50’s why he didn’t join earlier he will tell you that he didn’t know how. And, knowing is half the battle. I think that Grand Lodge should take a better approach to increasing membership.
Now there is another side of this problem with the Grand Lodge’ idea. This is a letter from a Mason who went through a One Day Class.
Regrets of a Vermont Mason
Dear Worshipful Ruhs,
I joined the fraternity through a one-day class approximately 2 1⁄2 years ago. Since that time, I have had the opportunity to watch as many brothers have been brought into Freemasonry through the traditional three degrees. Every time I watch the degree being performed, I realize just how much I missed. I was under the impression that I didn’t have the time to join Freemasonry the traditional way and had put off joining because of it. I wish that a brother had explained to me that in Freemasonry it is the journey that matters – not the destination. The destination is simply a product of having traveled there. For, once members, we never stop seeking, learning, and teaching the principles of Freemasonry. Ours is an ongoing journey. There is simply no reason to try to pack it all into one day – except for the idea that such programs will increase membership. But I wonder if we are after quantity or quality…
Fraternally yours,
A Vermont Mason
Benjamin J. Ruhs, P.M.
Worshipful Master
California Lodge No. 1
Now after reading the above, it dawned on me that he was right. If the real reason for the one day classes is to gain more membership, we don't need them at all. All we really need to do is advertise like they do in Ohio and Vermont in the newspapers, in the movie houses, and above all on TV. Then I bet we would get enough people giving them the old fashion degrees right here in our own lodge with our own officers, to keep us busy doing degrees every week. I'll bet we could even start a sideline degree team, where a member could take any station he wants, and never have to advance up the line. Just keep perfecting the one chair he likes to do. In a short time we would be doing degrees in our sleep. The whole idea seems to be getting around this "Don't Ask" thing. As I say then it seems there is really no reason for "One day degree classes" at all.
The reason I say this is that I was in lodge last month for the 1st degree of Brother John H. Barnet, and it was one of the best degrees I have ever seen. If our officers can do that kind of work, we would be nuts to change to one day classes. I agree with Worshipful Rahs 100%
Fraternally,
Brother Luis J. Orozco, II
Senior Warden
Brethren, now that Sterling and Virginia Bailey have relocated to the Masonic Home, we have been endowed with Sterling's lodge historic data. It is approximately one filing cabinet full of papers and paraphernalia. At the August stated meeting I recommended that the lodge authorize expenditures for having all these papers reviewed, catalogued and organized into a meaningful historic file for the lodge.
I am asking the brethren for suggestions on how this is best done. I hope that some brothers may have experience with this type of data organization. Please contact me so we can start a description of how this information and historic archives can best be assembled.
I expect that the lodge will authorize spending what ever it takes to accomplish this task. I hope we can contract a brother with the ability to organize the archives in a meaningful manner. Please be prepared to offer your suggestions at the September 13th meeting.
This task will involve quiet a few man hours. After it is completed we should request a yearly volunteer to maintain the archive. Perhaps it might be assigned as a task of one of the officers of the lodge.
Some Very Good Guides For Living
This is what The Dalai Lama has to say on the millennium, which actually began 01/01/2001 (and not 01/01/00). All it takes is a few seconds to read and think about. Do not keep this message. The mantra must leave your hands within 96 hours. You will get a very pleasant surprise. This is true even if you are not superstitious:
From the Dalai Lama: Instructions for Life in the New Millennium
1. Take into account that great love and great achievements involve great risk.
2. When you lose, don't lose the lesson.
3. Follow the three R's: Respect for self, Respect for others, Responsibility for all your actions.
4. Remember that not getting what you want is sometimes a wonderful stroke of luck.
5. Learn the rules so you know how to break them properly.
6. Don't let a little dispute injure a great friendship.
7. When you realize you've made a mistake, take immediate steps to correct it.
8. Spend some time alone everyday.
9. Open your arms to change, but don't let go of your values.
10. Remember that silence is sometimes the best answer.
11. Live a good, honorable life. Then, when you get older and think back, you'll be able to enjoy it a second time.
12. A loving atmosphere in your home is the foundation for your life.
13. In disagreements with loved ones, deal only with the current situation.
14. Don't bring up the past.
15. Share your knowledge. It's a way to achieve immortality.
16. Be gentle with the earth.
17. Once a year, go someplace you've never been before.
18. Remember that the best relationship is one in which your love for each other exceeds your need for each other.
19. Judge your success by what you had to give up in order to get
20. Approach love and cooking with reckless abandon.
The following story was emailed to me and I think it is truely what we Masons have in our brotherhood.
story tells that two friends were walking through the desert
During some point of the journey they had an argument, and one friend slapped the other one in the face.
The one who got slapped was hurt, but without saying anything, wrote in the sand: TODAY MY BEST FRIEND SLAPPED ME IN THE FACE.
They kept on walking until they found an oasis, where they decided to take a bath. The one who had been slapped got stuck in the mire and started drowning, but the friend saved him. After he recovered from the near drowning, he wrote on a stone: TODAY MY BEST FRIEND SAVED MY LIFE. The friend who had slapped and saved his best friend asked him, “After I hurt you you wrote in the sand and now, you write on a stone, why?" The other friend replied "When someone hurts us we should write it down in sand where winds of forgiveness can erase it away. But, when someone does something good for us, we must engrave it in stone where no wind can ever erase it." LEARN TO WRITE YOUR HURTS IN THE SAND AND TO CARVE YOUR BENEFITS IN STONE. They say it takes a minute to find a special person, an hour to appreciate them, a day to love them, but then an entire life to forget them. Do not value the THINGS you have in your life. But value WHO you have in your life!
Worshipful Brethren and Brothers:
Our Worshipful Master, Ernie Castillo, has placed this year’s Past Master’s 3rd Degree in my charge.
Our Master’s “will and pleasure” is to confer the degree at Paradise Park Masonic Club (PPMC) in Santa Cruz, California on Saturday, August 28th. (Please refer to maps on the following page)
ATTIRE: SUIT AND TIE (by order of the Worshipful Master)
PRACTICE ON Monday, August 23rd, 7:00 pm at Los Altos Lodge
We will have a 2nd section practice at 9:00 am at PPMC Social Hall on Saturday August 28th.
The plans for August 28th are:
The Degree is scheduled to begin promptly at 10:00 am.
Lunch break at 11:30.
Resume 2nd section at 12:30.
2:30 – 5:00: Fellowship at Social Hall (we have a permit for wine and beer consumption)
If you are interested in hotel accommodations, the following are closest to PPMC (approximately 3 to 4 miles from PPMC):
Best Value Inn,
522 Ocean St, Santa Cruz, CA 95060,(831) 426-7766
Comfort Inn Santa Cruz,
110 Plymouth St, Santa Cruz, CA 95060, (831) 426-2664
Quality Inn of Santa Cruz,
1101 Ocean St, Santa Cruz, CA 95060, (831) 427-1616
Best Western Inn,
126 Plymouth St, Santa Cruz, CA 95060, (831) 425-4717
Silver Sands Motel,
130 Plymouth St, Santa Cruz, CA 95060, (831) 426-4515
National 9 Motel,
1014 Ocean St, Santa Cruz, CA 95060, (831) 423-8945
UCSC Inn and Conf. Center,
611 Ocean St, Santa Cruz, CA 95060, (831) 426-7100
Directions to Paradise Park:
From the Bay Area:
Take Highway 17 south to Santa Cruz
Take Highway 1 west (rt.turn) towards Half Moon Bay
Take Highway 9 north (rt. turn) towards Felton/Boulder Creek for about ~1.5 mi.). You’ll see a series of homes on your right whcih is the start of PPMC (138 acres)
The entrance to PPMC is a lttle red house/shed which also serves as a publicbus stop.
Continue on Kystone Way for ~1 mile (you’ll see the river on your right) You’ll see the main park office with tennis court on your left.
Then the gravel parking lot.
The Social Hall is above the parking lot.
Event on Sept. 3, 2004
Brethren and Sweethearts, our Lodge is having it’s Constitutional Observance Program in congunction with the other lodges in the district.
We are having a Great Program at the San Jose Masonic Center. Please join in and make this a Special Event. Program Starts at 7:30 PM. You can partake of a Tritip steak or Chicken dinner at 6:30 PM Dinner cost: $15 per person contact me (page 1) or
Myron Gaviglio at (408) 978-7483
When: Saturday, October 16, 2004
Time: 3:00 PM to 6:00 PM
Place: San Jose Masonic Center
Fixings: Western Chuckwagon Barbecue
Ticket Price: $10.00 (see WM)
Dress: Western or casual Wear a tie ...go to jail!
Westeern Swing Sounds of the Tin Pan Valley
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