| Los Altos Lodge No. 712: | Last Updated on February 11, 2000 |
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Master - From The East
Not only did we conduct a full business meeting, we also summarized all of the upcoming Grand Lodge Resolutions, and then listened to Jason Martin perform an excellent 3rd Degree Proficiency.
Congratulations to Jason, and his Dad and coach Robert Martin, our SW! After the meeting, we joined family members and friends downstairs at Becky Lake's baby shower, were cake and refreshments were enjoyed by all. Their baby is due in early October, and we all wish Becky and Robert, our Senior Deacon, our best wishes!
Our Lodge Visitation is on October 2, at 1: 00 PM at Monterey Lodge. Their lodge is located two blocks from the Doublet Hotel on Pacific Street in downtown Monterey - a map is available on the lodge website. We plan to open their lodge, participate in their 3rd Degree, Robert Martin will perform the 3rd Degree Lecture in long form, and Richard Weirs is scheduled to perform his 3rd Degree Proficiency. Call me for the lunch arrangements prior to the visitation!
The 1999 Grand Lodge Resolutions contain 6 Grand Master Resolutions, 4 carry-overs from 1998, and 29 new Resolutions. A detailed list of all of these resolutions is being kept in the Lodge Office.
At our meeting, Ed Clark and Bruce Pruitt both expressed the view that the Lodge officers will listen to the pro and con arguments of each resolution at Grand Lodge, and then vote their conscience on each.
This year's resolutions include some real doses, such as: allowing one day classes; allowing the age requirement to be 18; limiting the 3rd Degree Proficiency to only the Obligation and the Modes of Recognition; requiring that only the Master wear any head covering, i.e. the top hat; allowing the wearing of yarmulkes in Lodge; requiring using the US flag as specified by Congress (with no gold or yellow fringe); and allowing for a paid assistant Secretary. Our Saturday social events are listed on page I 1. Further detailed information on all of these events has been posted on the lodge website at http://www.jps.net/losaltos7l2/events-1-99.html -
[Now http://www.calodges.org/no712/events-1-99.html; 2/11/2000]
or call me at 650-941-6615 and leave your regular mailing address, and I will mail you the same detailed list. These events have also been advertised to all SCV OAM Lodges and Eastern Star Chapters in our local area, so the idea is that each and every event will be well attended, fun, and successful!
Our past social events have included: QZAR laser games, the Santa Cruz Boardwalk, and a Mah-Jong instruction and tournament at the Lodge. The success of these events depends on your involvement, so if you want an event to be successful - ask your friends and make those reservations!
Upcoming events that require reservations (otherwise they will not be held) include the Bus Trip to Marine World (Sat., Oct. 16) and Costume Bowling at Palo Alto Bowl (Sat., Oct. 30, 7:00 PM). Call ASAP!
I also announced that our Lodge has received a certificate award from the George Washington Bi-centennial National Committee as we are participating in recognizing that Dec. 14, 1999, is the 200th anniversary of the death of that great statesman and Mason. A special event is planned at the Lodge on that date, including showing a new biographical movie on his life and contributions.
Also, our September "Receiving More Light" function was very informative as Doug Scott, Harold Hughes, and Rich Hilt read actual toasts given to George Washington by famous men, such as Abraham Lincoln. These members did receive "More Light", in the form of Masonic flashlights attached to a key chain! This function will be repeated at each Stated Meeting this year!
Our Grand Master reminds us that the month of September is U.S. Constitution Observance Month; and his formal proclamation was reprinted in last month's Trestleboard.
Our "Constitutional Observance Dinner and Program" for our families, friends, and guests was held on Sept. 27, and was advertised in the Los Altos Town Crier newspaper. Several Lodge members and their families and friends attended, and we had a great time. A big 'Thank You' is extended to the Heroes of '76 who made the evening possible and very enjoyable.
DATES:
Oct 4: Our next Stated Meeting; the after dinner program will be the comedy movie "Born Yesterday" starring Melody Griffith and Jack Goodman (We showed part of the movie with the singing of the Constitutional Amendments titles to the tune of the 12 Days of Christmas during our last Stated Meeting dinner).
Oct. 25: Our next OAM at our own Lodge.
Oct. 31 (Sunday): We will meet at the Lodge at about 3:00 PM to distribute candy and fruit during the Los Altos Children's Halloween festival.
I'll look forward to seeing you in Lodge!
Fraternally,
Patrick Bailey
Master
Senior Warden - The Westerly Wind
Freemasonry in California began with the famous so-called "Lassen Charter" issued by the Grand Lodge of Missouri on May 10, 1848, to Western Star Lodge No. 98, of Benton City, in Tehama County California, just before the fabulous California Gold Rush days. Under the new California Grand Lodge Free and Accepted Masons, (circa 1850) Freemasonry grew rapidly to 178 lodges in just 15 years.
Between the years of 1850 and 1899 California did not have a home for our widows, orphans, and members. That charity - to aid a distressed worthy member, his widow and orphans - fell in responsibility to each individual lodge.
In the 1800's there were many epidemics, such as diphtheria and influenza, which wiped out whole communities. The efforts of many Masonic lodges in California from 1850 to 1899 all too frequently were heavily devoted to burying deceased brethren, and providing for; their widows and orphans.
Many lodges spent money to assist their dying brethren in their last few months of life. Those brethren often were under 50 years old. Fortunately, today these are so rare that almost nobody alive can remember what it was like.
But every lodge in California still has a Charity Committee which is made up of three members, the Master, the Senior and Junior Wardens. These committees today often are required to do little more than assist in filling out forms, or referring a member to the Masonic Service Bureau.
From the first formation of lodges !n California, charity toward our brethren was the single most outstanding characteristic of our fraternal members.
Men from all over the United states (meaning East of the Missouri /Mississippi Rivers) and the world moved to California in overwhelming numbers, sometimes arriving near death, or in extreme distress. California lodges extended charity to Masons, even when they were "nonaffiliated" (the term applied to sojourners in those days) just as if the brother (or his widow) was a member of the local lodge.
This often created a big financial problem for the small lodges, and it was not uncommon for lodges to assess their members to raise the funds necessary to assist a brother.
Those actions remain to this day, as most remarkable examples of freemasons living up to their Masonic obligations.
In the 19th century communications between California and the rest of the world were slow and poor, so often a dying brother would be helped here without any information or reimbursement from his home lodge. Not too infrequently the dying or deceased brother had been suspended NPD by the home lodge, but that made no difference to our California Masonic brethren.
A Brother was a Brother, and he was deemed a Mason regardless of whether he was suspended for nonpayment of dues. There were even some cases where a man who was believed to be a Mason was given assistance, although he likely never had been made a Mason. (Those pioneers talked to each other a lot while they walked across the continent, and a sharp person often could pick up a lot Of knowledge about Freemasonry by just listening carefully.)
Today we rarely see a brother who is totally destitute because we now have a variety of governmental assistance such as unemployment compensation and social security. Deadly epidemics are unheard of today. But we still have situations requiring Masonic assistance. There can be a variety of reasons - health problems, loss of job, family difficulties, divorce, bankruptcy, acts of God such as hurricanes, etc. Sometimes the brother or his family is "at fault" for the difficulties he now faces. But that makes no difference to us. If he is a Mason in distress, we must help him.
The first step in helping a brother is to learn that he needs help. A hundred years ago when there was less privacy, everybody quickly knew about a neighbor's problems. Today, it is sadly too common that we learn that a brother has passed away after months in the hospital, but nobody in the lodge even knew about it. This is the shocking truth. - In today's world of instant communications, we sometimes do not know what is happening a mile away. So, we need to be especially vigilant to discreetly inquire if there might be some distress.
If in doubt, please let your Master, or one of your Wardens know. We will check it out. We want to help. It is our duty. Sometimes all that is needed is a comforting word that we care. Sometimes more is needed. Believe me, nobody wants to invade the privacy of any member, but we do need to "get involved." This is what we Masons stand for. Our principle tenets are: Brotherly Love, Relief, and Truth.
Fraternally,
Robert W. Martin, P.M.
Sr. Warden
"Albert Mackey's List of 25 Landmarks of Freemasonry"
1. The modes of recognition.
2. The division of symbolic Masonry into three degrees.
3. The legend of the third degree.
4. The government of the Fraternity by a Grand Master.
5. The prerogative of the Grand Master to preside over every assembly of the Craft.
6. The prerogative of the Grand Master to grant dispensation for conferring degrees at irregular intervals.
7. The prerogative of the Grand Master to give dispensation for opening and holding lodges.
8. The prerogative of the Grand Master to make Masons at sight.
9. The necessity for Masons to congregate in lodges.
10. The government of the Craft when congregated in a lodge, by a Master and two Wardens.
11. The necessity that every lodge, when congregated, should be duly tiled.
12. The right of every Mason to be represented in all general meetings of the Craft.
13. The right of every Mason to appeal from his brethren, in lodge convened, to the Grand Master.
14. The right of every Mason to visit and sit in every regular lodge.
15. That no visitor, unknown to the brethren present or some one of them as a Mason, can enter a lodge without first passing an examination according to ancient usage.
16. No lodge can interfere with the business of another lodge.
17. Every Freemason is amenable to the laws and regulations of the Masonic jurisdiction in which he resides.
18. A candidate for initiation must be a man, free born, unmutilated, and of mature age.
19. A belief in the existence of God as the Grand Architect of the Universe.
20. Belief in a resurrection to a future life.
21. A "Book of the Law" constitutes an indispensable part of the furniture of the lodge.
22. The equality of all Masons.
23. The secrecy of the Institution
24. The foundation of a Speculative science upon an operative art.
25. These landmarks can never be changed.
From: Ancient Landmarks of Freemasonry, pp 42-43; Masonic Service Association, 8120 Fenton Street, Silver Spring, MD 20910-4785
Also:
California has adopted: "MacKey by Custom."
ibid: p44.
For your thoughtful use!
Patrick Bailey
Master
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