Article From the South
Jaime "Bong" Villar
Junior Warden
Brethren,
We had a great Public Schools Appreciation Night attended by over 200 guests. Thanks to all the brothers and sisters that help set up the lodge the day before, all the brothers and sisters that help during the event and those that stuck around to help clean up after the event. Brother Chuck Edmondson who spearheaded this venture, and Brother Rich Cameron, Sister Maggie, the Rainbow Girls and the rest of the kitchen crew for a superb meal did another outstanding job. This was the first time I attended this annual appreciation dinner and I was very impressed with not just what our lodge did but also by the show the young students and their teachers put together. It was evident that they prepared for their performance and they took pride in it. Am glad I was there and will make it a point to invite more brothers to attend the next one.
I just finished attending the Junior Warden's weekend retreat at Ontario, California. This was put together by the Grand Lodge and was attended by Junior Wardens representatives from around 100 Southern California Lodges. It was a great experience for me. I met a lot of brothers from other lodges. In fact, I was the only one from our lodge there. I met the Senior and Junior Grand Warden, the Grand Secretary and other representatives of the Grand Lodge. I also learned a lot during the two day event. Not enough space in our trowel to share all of them. I'll share most of what I learned when we meet at the lodge. But there are a couple of things that I would like to share here. First, is learning that the membership in our fraternity is on the rise. The average age of a new Master Mason is 38 and that the fastest growing segment of membership is 18 to 30 years old. Second thing I would like to share is.... So far this year, of the roughly 65,000 California Masons, only 7.5 percent have donated to our Masonic Charities. What happened to the other 92.5 percent? Have you not been receiving the donation letters or just disregarding them. Yes, not all of us are able to give but I am sure some of us can afford to. For some, it might mean sacrificing some of the leisurely things we do or cutting down on some of our leisurely habits. Just give it a thought. Next time you receive the letter, instead of using your extra money to play golf this week, eat at another fancy restaurant or to buy that carton of smokes, donate it instead. You never know, it might just feel good to give.
Be a Mason through your deeds and actions, not just through your rings and emblems.
Fraternally,
Jaime villar
Junior Warden
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