| Los Altos Lodge No. 712: | Last Updated on December 4, 2000 |
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Happy Holidays!
Next month the President of the United States will fulfill his obligation under the U.S. Constitution to give his annual "State of the Union " address to the U.S. Congress. This month I am going to provide Part One of the "State of the Lodge."
First, I am happy to report that we are a strong lodge. We have 182 members, and as of this writing, we expect to add another to that in a few days when our Fellowcraft John Graham will be raised. (Congratulations to Bro. Graham!) Membership is the "currency" of a fraternal order, because as membership grows, the lodge remains strong. A lodge with a lot of money, but no members, is very poor indeed.
Second, our corps of officers this year has done an excellent job. Although we have not had a lot of degree work this year, our officers have performed exceedingly well. We as a lodge are fortunate to have many active past masters, including Wor. Bill Malmstrom, Wor. Dan McDaniel, and Wor. A. Glenn MacBride who have devoted much time to assisting our lodge in keeping our ritual performance at a high standard. We also are fortunate to have several brethren step forward to fill in for absent brethren when necessary. A big thank you to all the officers for their dedication and hard work!
Third, we have had a very strong performance this year by our members who have served on our Temple Board. This year the building is in better shape than ever. We have hired a professional manager, and the results are pleasing to us all. The lodge room will be improved by new lights and fresh paint by the year end. Over half of the offices in the building have been upgraded, which is done every time a vacancy occurs. The handicap ramp is installed, and the back stairs have been made safer. The building has no mortgage, and there is a substantial savings account to handle future requirements. Although the lodge voted to not install any safety hand rails in the East, as many other lodges have recently done, we are fortunate to have adequate insurance, should any person slip and be injured. It has been pointed out that so far, we have never, in our lodge, had an accident where anybody was hurt climbing the steps in the East, and that includes the ladies in the Eastern Star who use our lodge room while wearing long dresses. I just hope and pray that our lodge's string of good luck continues, and that we will not ever have to look back with regrets about the lodge's decision to not install railings because they would not look attractive. I believe this issue will be reexamined in the future, and a decision to provide attractive hand railings will eventually be made.
Fourth, Los Altos Lodge has served as host of the Grand Masters reception for Most Worshipful David Decker last October, an opportunity which presents itself only once every twelve years. We had an excellent reception, with the entire Masonic Family including members, ladies, and youth participating. It was a fun event, enjoyed by all, with a very low price ($10 for a steak dinner!) and the Grand Master and his wife had a great time, too! A big thank you to all who helped make that such a memorable occasion!
Fifth, the lodge has taken its responsibility seriously to assist distressed worthy brethren, widows and orphans. In addition to our monetary contribution to the Masonic Homes (our lodge ranked in the top half of all lodges in California) we also handled, as a lodge, several specific needs of distressed brethren and widows. This is an area where I believe we have grown considerably as a lodge. I have been told by many brethren how good they feel about being able to live up to this part our of Masonic tradition and to our three basic tenets: Brotherly Love, Relief, and Truth. We must be ever vigilant to look for those within our midst who may on the surface appear to be okay, but are in reality in need. This also applies to giving rides to a brother or widow, visiting the sick, and keeping in touch. It saddened me to learn that we had lost touch with three of our members and had to suspend them, because we do not know even if they are still alive. Losing touch that way is not good, and it would be especially embarrassing if we were to learn that a brother had been admitted to a nearby nursing home, and nobody knew he was even alive. That bothers me, and I hope we do everything we can to keep in touch with one another. After all, this is the age of communication!
Sixth, I am pleased to report that our lodge has consistently been number one in attendance at Officers' Association Meetings. During this entire year, we have been number one (I think we once tied for number one) in attendance by our officers, coaches, and members. That is a good sign, which I hope we continue. The good ritual and lodge management which we have enjoyed is a direct result of the information learned at those meetings. We also had a good representation at Grand Lodge by every one of our elected officers, and many other members.
Seventh, we should be very proud as a lodge of our support of our El Camino Research Lodge. Our own Lou Orozco has served that lodge well this year as its Worshipful Master, and we have many members who are actively attending and supporting the research lodge. We also were able to host a special meeting of the Research Lodge at Los Altos, and I am sure we will continue this and create a new tradition.
Eighth, we have had a tremendous support of the entire Masonic Family this year. Many of our members are serving as officers in concordant and appendant bodies. We are very active in Eastern Star, York Rite, Scottish Rite, and Shrine. We have attended meetings of DeMolay and Rainbow, and we have a member who has been serving for many years as the Executive Officer of DeMolay for Northern California, Brother Ed Clarke. A big thank you to all who have given so selflessly to all these organizations. I did notice that this year we did very little, if anything, for Jobs Daughters. I hope that we can find a way to be supportive of that fine organization in the future, even though there are no Jobs Daughters Bethels in Los Altos. Also, I hope Los Altos Lodge members can be more supportive of the East-West Shrine game, which is an opportunity for Masonry to look good before the entire world. (And have fun too!)
For more about next year see the proposed calendar in center page.
Have a very happy and safe Holiday season!
Fraternally
Robert W. Martin, P.M.
Master
This is the last " From the West " that I will write. January 6th is the Installation of Los Altos Lodge 712. This is not just the installation of Officers but " THE 51st INSTALLATION OF OFFICERS ". We have achieved a milestone. We begin the second half of Los Altos' 100 years of Masonry.
I have asked the editor to include in this issue a copy of the tentative calendar. I have tried to plan an active year for the Lodge, one with a lot of fun, interesting and enjoyable events. You will notice that at the top of the calendar it reads "Events may be added during the year". This allows extra things that may be of interest to be added. I am open to events or ideas that will make this, a " 50th Anniversary Year to be "Remembered".
For the Lodge visitation at this time I am thinking of going to Nevada City. I have not put in a Past Masters Night but I feel we should have one. When, is yet to be determined. There are so many ideas that I have and that I have received form some of the Brothers that I do not know if they can accommodated into one year.
When I took my entered apprentice in 1979 little did I know that I would be the Master of this Lodge on its 50th Anniversary Year. This is an honor that I will try to fulfill to the best of my ability and I thank the Lodge for electing me Master for the Masonic year 2001. When I was Master in 1992 I asked Sterling Bailey to be my Treasurer and in 2001 I again asked and he said yes. Sterling was the Charter Junior Warden in 1950 when the Lodge was chartered ( I was in the first class to graduate from Crittenden that year and started my freshman year at Mountain View Union High School as it was known then). Sterling "THANK YOU" for your service and devotion to the Lodge for these 50 wonderful years.
As we begin the first year of the twenty first century (2001) the Officers Elect have the enthusiasm and energy to keep Los Altos Lodge an active Lodge (mark your calendars for 2050 and celebrate our 100th). But we need your support. As officers we can only suggest and plan but to make it a success we need you. Some extra events I have in mind are: maybe a day at the races (Bay Meadows); how about a dinner cruise on the bay (Horn Blower Type). I feel we must include our ladies in our activities for with out them where would we be. We must remember that what we achieve is done with the assistant of our ladies.
I will try to have interesting programs for the ladies at our Stated meetings but to achieve this I need input. What I feel is interesting may not be what the ladies want. HELP!!!
Worshipful Robert Martin has asked me to do our Holiday Evening. It will be held Sunday December 17. I will prepare a Prime Rib dinner with all the trimmings. What I ask is that: 1. MAKE RESERVATIONS, 2. Bring a new unwrapped toy for a child (toys for tots), 3. Bring food for second harvest so that we can give to those that are not as fortunate as us, 4. Bring yourselves to share an evening of fun and fellowship.
I have asked Linda's singing group to entertain us, so please joins us to celebrate the season.
Bill Malmstum, PM,
Master Elect & SW
Sunday December 17, 2000 6:30 P.M.
MULLED WINE - TO WARM THE SPIRIT
SALAD
BAKED POTATOES
WINTER VEGETABLES
PRIME RIB
DINNER ROLLS
DESSERT
ENTERTAINMENT
RESERVATIONS TO:
Bill Malmstrom [snip]
by 12-15-2000
$10.00 per person with reservations
$15.00 with out reservations ( if available)
From the Secretary's Desk: 2001 Dues
All 2001 dues notices have been sent out. If you did not receive one (it sometimes gets lost in the mail) this still does not absolve you of paying your dues. The dues are still only $40.00 per year with $19.61 going to Grand Lodge as a per capita tax. That does not leave the Lodge with very much left over to run it's business. Please make sure that you send in your 2001 dues before the end of the year.
Richard Rosenberg, PM, HA
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