| Los Altos Lodge No. 712: | Last Updated on October 30, 2000 |
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Congratulations to John Graham at being Initiated an Entered Apprentice on our Past Masters' Night on October 16th. John has a distinction which I believe is unique among all Masons. He actually took and passed his first degree proficiency before open lodge twice last month. That is right, TWICE.
Although the proficiency in California has been substantially shortened, I would venture that for most of us, taking that first degree proficiency involved a lot of sweaty palms! John was required to take the proficiency over because he actually took it about one hour too early at our last stated meeting, and as our Inspector pointed out, although we properly called down to the first degree, that the actually taking of the proficiency cannot be done until after the stated meeting had officially started. Your officers, in an attempt to keep the stated meeting from running any longer than it would, always try to open lodge before the dinner, which we did. We also allowed Bro. John to take his proficiency at 6:30 PM. That would have been just fine if we had called a special meeting, opening on the first degree for the proficiency, then closing on the first degree. "Special" meetings can be called at any time by a Master of a lodge, but a "Stated" meeting can begin only at the time stated in the lodge's by-laws.
Is all that clear? Well, if you are confused, so was everybody else, until it was pointed out to us in open lodge by our Inspector, who was not present at the proficiency, but noticed that the agenda which I had prepared for the evening had the time for the proficiency a little before the 7:30 PM time which is required by the CMC. Naturally, I felt pretty bad for our Brother, but I immediately contacted him, apologized, and let him know that he would get this unique opportunity. I called a SPECIAL meeting on the first degree two days later for the purpose for proficiency examination, and Brother John once again passed with flying colors. Thanks to all our officers for taking out the extra 15 minutes to repeat this for our Entered Apprentice, who of course had no way of knowing that there would be any problem.
Worshipful Tom Evans, a member of our lodge, had the pleasure last October 18th to Raise his son Philip Evans to the Sublime Degree of Master Mason in Modesto. Several of our members visited Modesto Lodge for the occasion. Congratulations Brother Philip!
I would encourage every member who can to attend lodge this November Stated meeting. In addition to the election of our officers for next year, we will discuss an important safety improvement the Temple Board plans to make to our lodge room. A small hand railing will be added in the East, attached to the Master's lectern, which should significantly reduce the chance of people falling when climbing the stairs to approach the East. Remember brethren, many times every year we have ladies, wearing long dresses, also climbing those stairs. In California, just this past year, we had a brother injured climbing the stairs to the East, and we have been informed that it cost that lodge $80,000.00. None of us want to have any tragedy occur in our lodge room! We also will have a discussion about the Grand Lodge Resolutions which just passed, and those which were held over until next year. This is a chance to get to understand the thought processes of the men who make up the Grand L! odge (about 1600 votes, but more men than that are Grand Lodge members because every Past Master of a California "Blue Lodge" is a member.) There is one big change which passed this year at Grand Lodge which affects every lodge in California: From now on all candidates for advancing in degrees will be required to take a written proficiency test.
Please mark your calendar for a third degree practice on Monday, November 13th, 7:30 P.M., and a tentative third degree on Monday November 20th, 7:30 PM.
Finally, a big 'thank you' goes out to everybody for the splendid efforts in putting on a fantastic reception for our newest Grand Master, David Decker, and his wife Nancy last October 15th. I think I would have to list just about everybody in our lodge, so singling out people becomes dangerous, but a big thank you to Wor. Dan McDaniel for many, many hours of effort in putting together a script, making arrangements with the San Jose Masonic Center, contacting Grand Lodge officers, and getting a gift for our Grand Master which I am certain will be long appreciated and used.
This event was officially sponsored by the Santa Clara Valley Masonic Officers Association (SCVMOA). The way the association does it is that each year a different lodge (among 12 lodges) in the association takes a turn to "host" the reception. "Hosting" means doing all the work of putting it on. This year was Los Altos Lodge's turn, and I must modestly say that we did a really fine job. Well over 200 people attended, and as well as our Grand Master and his wife, we had in attendance many other Grand Lodge Officers and their wives.
Have a Happy and Safe Thanksgiving!
Fraternally
Robert W. Martin, P.M.
Master
In September our brother Walter Dimmick presented the lodge with a set of books he has written. Following is a synopsis of the books. Brothers interested in borrowing the books should contact either myself (editor) or our secretary. I have personally purchased a set and anyone interested in purchasing can do so. The are $10 each and $3:50 for shipping and handling. To contact brother Dimmick the telephone is (530) 823-3811 or write to: 1090 Heritage Pl., Auburn, CA 95603.
PYRAMID SCIENCE AND THE UNIFIED FIELD was first written in 1975-76 on my own time and at my own expense when I was working. It took about 2,000 hours of largely original research. Each chapter was duly cleared by my employer as it was completed. It deals largely with my invention of a three dimensional spectrometer that plots the invisible three dimensional electromagnetic-bioelectric fields around seeds, crystals etc. This three dimensional spectrometer outpictures the repetitive structures of the atoms contained in an organized structure such as a seed, a crystal, a magnet, the sun, etc. I generally used a mustard seed because it was so small it did not get in the way of my measurements and because it is mentioned in the Bible in Matthew 13:3 1. "The kingdom of heaven is like to a grain of mustard seed..." Larger seeds seem to exhibit the same patterns. Part of the structure or wave interference patterns surrounding the mustard seed consist of concentric shell! s divided into 6 equal spherical pyramids. Waves radiating from the surfaces of these spherical pyramids set up repetitive interference patterns in space which apparently extend from the infinitesimal to the infinite.
The conventional Bohr atom of 1919 is a fine mathematical model of the atom but it does not work as a physical model. It cannot reproduce itself in space. The mustard seed model of the hydrogen atom is not theoretical. I discovered it and it is a workable model.
"The kingdom of heaven is like to a grain of mustard seed..." was a puzzling statement in the Bible. However, I found that these invisible shells surrounding the mustard seed form a perfectly accurate model of the solar system. For example there is a shell at IO inches from the seed, which I set equal to the average orbit of the planet Mercury at 36 million miles from the sun. Then all the planets, comets and the "two" well defined asteroid belts take their proper places around a mustard seed and in the solar system. The sun appears to be a vast electrochemical spectrometer sorting elements into their "allowed" orbits. The mustard seed spectrometer can tell which elements are allowed in each orbit and tells us that gold will not be found in the asteroid belts. Mr. Brady of the University of California Radiation Lab in Livermore discovered Planet X by studying the perturbation of the outer planets. With the mustard seed spectrometer, I confirmed his location for Planet X at 5,600 million miles from the sun and at an inclination of 60 degrees from the plane of the ecliptic. I relayed this information to Brady who was already familiar with my research. Planet X remains to be discovered physically but it is very small and at a very great distance from us.
The second edition of 1996 includes my discovery of superlight waves. Using my bioelectric spectrometer, I have measured a family of electromagnetic-bioelectric waves traveling light. Using a 500 foot long instrument I have measured waves that appear to travel up to 76,000 times the velocity of light.
In my lectures to schools and colleges around the country, I observed that the Christian schools and Christian home schoolers were very weak in science. I wrote THE CHRISTIAN HISTORY OF SCIENCE as a textbook for their use. I have taught seven different science courses including Bible Science, Geology, Physics, Astronomy and Space Sciences, Biology and The Bible, Chemistry and The Bible, and Engineering and Practical applications of Science usually from 6th grade and up. It explains how to derive the American System of Measurements and the Metric System from the mustard seed model of the hydrogen atom, the Mustard Seed Model of the Solar System, Aaron's Altar as a radio transmitter and receiver, the Ark of the Covenant as a radio frequency power supply, etc., the electrical features of King Solomon's Temple and the Hubbell Space Telescope.
I have used THE HISTORY OF MONEY to teach a course in Christian Economics. The underlying theme of this book is that the nation that has honest (non-inflationary) money captures most of the world trade. It dates back to early China and the earliest record we have of metal coins. Bro. Walter Dimmick
Limmericks by Dimmick:
Birds of a Feather
Birds of a feather flock together
They flock in any kind of weather
They flock while winging,
They flock while singing,
But only the same kind flock together.
Book Review:
"Inside a Magical Lodge: Group Ritual in the Western Tradition"
By John Michael Greer (Nov. 1998)
[ http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/156718314X/qid%3D971726152/104-32975 21-5162322]
By Wor. Patrick Bailey, PM
What can we do with our Masonic Lodges other than have Lodge Meetings and confer degrees?
This book offers one idea, at least! How to start and operate your own "lodge" for basically any purpose - either within or outside of our normal Masonic areas. The book contains in minute detail how to organize, Tile, Open, discuss Business, Open your own special meeting, Close that, have Announcements, and Close the outer meeting. It draws heavily on published Masonic ritual, and includes all of sample ritual, layouts, and floor work for anyone to create their own "magical meeting" in both the "outer lodge" and "inner lodge" forms, while using any available Masonic Lodge room. The author evidently has spent much time on this and has already created such a lodge for his specific purposes in the Seattle area. The above webpage at amazon.com states:
"This book is excellent for starting a magickal lodge. I'm in a group of seven occultists and this book has offered so many suggestions to keep all of us honest. It explains the lodge structure and what it means, and then gives an example of starting a lodge, and then has a fictitious account of a lodge being created from scratch! Great book for establishing a lodge that will last a long time."
While not many of us may want to join "an occultist" lodge, the book can be used as a solid reference to create any other form of "lodge", patterned after a Masonic Lodge. If the purpose and ritual created was for an educational purpose outside of the area of Masonry, then both men and women could join, share the rent, and participate in their own education and growth. The home Lodge would also benefit from the new rent, and the men attending would probably want to know more about Masonry and would then be available for a visit from the local Brethren (hint!).
(After this was published, 5 paperback copies of this book were found and purchased in a discount bookstore at a very low cost. Contact Patrick Bailey if you interested in obtaining a copy.)
Some time ago, a few ladies met in a certain city to study the scriptures. While reading the third chapter of Malachi, they came upon a remarkable expression in the third verse: "And He shall sit as a refiner and purifier of silver (Malachi 3:3)"
One lady proposed to visit a silversmith, and report to them on what he said about the subject. She went accordingly, and without telling the object of her errand, begged the silversmith to tell her about the process of refining silver.
After he had fully described it to her, she asked, "But Sir, do you sit while the work of refining is going on?" "Oh, yes madam," replied the silversmith; "I must sit with my eyes steadily fixed on the furnace, for if the time necessary for refining be exceeded in the slightest degree, the silver will be injured."
The lady at once saw the beauty, and comfort too, of the expression, "He shall sit as a refiner and purifier of silver." God sees it needful to put His children into a furnace; His eye is steadily intent on the work of purifying, and His wisdom and love are both engaged in the best manner for us. Our trials do not come at random, and He will not let us be tested beyond what we can endure.
Before she left, the lady asked one final question, "When do you knowthe process is complete?" "Why, that is quite simple," replied the silversmith. "When I can see my own image in the silver, the refining process is finished."
- Author Unknown
An Open Letter from Our WM to Brother Edwin Clarke
Dear Brother Ed,
I wanted to take a moment to write to you and to thank you for the important message you gave to Los Altos Lodge at our stated meeting in September regarding how Freemasonry has strayed away from our fundamental goals and concepts. Your message was particularly timely given the situation we were dealing with respecting one of our widows.
I appreciate very much your words which we all needed to hear and to be reminded. I know you have said similar things in previous meetings, and I thought about writing to you back then, but just neglected to do it. I believe that it is the presence of you, and brethren like you, who will chastise us when we become forgetful, is essential to keeping our fraternity strong.
Even though it may be slightly embarrassing to some brethren, we need the voice of conscience helping us to remain steadfast in times like these.
Again, thanks, both personally, and on behalf of Los Altos Lodge.
Robert W. Martin, P.M.
Master
Los Altos 50 Year Anniversary Book
Recently, with many of you. I watched the Survivor program on Television. In it the catch phrase came up "the tribe has spoken" and a Survivor was banished. In like manner the Lodge has spoken by showing no response to my request for information or support for the idea of producing a quality Anniversary Book.
We are all busy people and have our own priorities and I accept that this project is not high on your 'to do' list. I too must move on and shall produce, at my own expense a modest history of the Lodge using the resources available and abandon my grandiose ideas.
Copies will be available at a cost plus a $5.00 donation to Grand Lodge Charities.
Edgar W. Fentum, PM
I will be mailing out your dues notices on November 1st. This year Grand Lodge has made a combination dues envelope and Masonic Homes contribution envelope. I hope that everyone will send in their dues by December 31st as required by the CMC.
I also hope that everyone will make a contribution to the Masonic Homes Endowment Fund. The amount is up to each of us, but please demonstrate that we care. We need to have a greater Lodge participation in order to continue providing the level of service to our senior members who live in the home.
Richard Rosenberg, PM, HA
Almighty Father into thy Hands we commend the soul of our departed Brother, Dayton Bell, Born May 10, 1931 Died October 22, 2000 Raised May 10, 1986.
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