Island City Lodge #215 F. & A.M.

Golden Veterans Awards

2011-10-27T23:52:00.000-07:00

Brother Glen Brewster shot a video of our Golden Veterans Awards in August. The clip is about 15 minutes. Enjoy!

You can also see it on YouTube by clicking here: YouTube Link

2011-10-19T13:00:00.000-07:00

DeMolay’s SCHEDULE of EVENTS - last updated Oct 18, 2011
DeMolay calendars around the Bay and beyond-from Brother James Strehlow

Northern California DeMolay’s calendar at: http://www.norcaldemolay.com/calendar/index.htm
Redwood Empire DeMolay at: http://www.reDemolay.com/ and also on Facebook
Bay Cities Lodge information at: http://www.calodges.org/no337/
DeMolay International’s website: http://www.demolayland.org

2011-07-23T10:56:00.000-07:00

The August picnic date is approaching fast! Get your reservations in by calling the lodge (510-865-9545) or by sending in your reservation to Worshipful Colcord (sc9-at-att.net)

1st Degree Scheduled for May 12th

2011-04-14T09:11:00.000-07:00

Mr. Nathaniel Pritzi will be initiated an Enter Apprentice Mason on Thursday, May 12th at the lodge. All 1st, 2nd and 3rd degree Masons are cordially invited to attend.

A Festive Board will be held immediately after the degree. Reservations for the Festive Board are required. Please call the lodge for reservations.

ICL #215 Activities

2011-04-02T13:42:00.001-07:00

It's been awhile since anyone blogged here, so I thought I'd add a few upcoming items.

First and formost is our Stated Dinner and Meeting on April 7th. If you've not been to the lodge in awhile, this is the perfect time to reintroduce yourself. Dine on Dover Sole Almondine prepared by our own PBS Catering, and shmooze with your lodge brothers. Call the lodge for reservations (no charge for Brothers and guests) 510-864-9545 in case you've forgotten...

This month starts Brother John Potter's first work as a candidate coach. After the dinner on April 7th, John will be working with the Fellowcrafts to help them learn their proficiency. This means John will miss the meeting, and we will have to check back with him to find out if that is good or bad. We thank Brother Potter for coming forward and offering his work.

May 15th is our lodge picnic on the Green at Coast Guard Island--thanks to Brother Montague. Information is forthcoming so keep an eye here and on the Trestleboard. Because this is a military (dept of the Treasury, actually) facility, reservations are REQUIRED.

We now have an Island City Lodge Facebook page. At the moment it is incomplete, but we are working on it. If you'd like to write an article from time to time for this blog, contact Bro. Josh Cohen. If you want to keep up with lodge events (we are more active than we have been in awhile!),

Sunday, June 12th is the Children's Hospital event and our members are invited to help man the the cooking booth. This worthy cause is also great fun, and promotes Masonry in the community at its finest! Dennis and his wife Jeanette have been doing this for the past 15 years or so, and the lodge has begun helping this worthy cause as a lodge event. Contact Brother Wallace for details and to let him know you will be helping out!

Our Feast of Saint Johns' which celebrates the origins of Masonry is scheduled for June 18th at 6:30. Reservations are REQUIRED! If you've not been to one of these formal events, it is quite a treat! Read your Trestleboard for history and background.

I'm sure I am missing something. Come around once in awhile. We'd love to see you!

2010-02-26T17:36:00.001-08:00

Masonry Q and A

2010-02-10T10:19:00.000-08:00

There is now a really interesting Masonry Question and Answer audio recording. The presenter, David Goodenow, Indiana Mason, hosts a panel of Masonic Brothers from different walks of life. Very informative for those in or considering Masonry.

You can listen to the presentation here. Enjoy!

ICL Summer Activities

2009-09-21T13:15:00.000-07:00

This blog is rather long, but is well worth reading. These are some of the events (and pictures!) of various brothers' activities as reported by Brother Scott Colcord, Pictures of the Children's Hospital event by Bro Dennis Wallace:

Children’s’ Hospital
Dennis Wallace’s wife, Jeanette, works at the Oakland Children’s Hospital. For the past thirteen years, Dennis and Jeanette have volunteered their catering skills at the annual Intensive Care Unit Reunion. A number of other hospital employees have also volunteered with the catering work.
This year, Dennis asked Island City Lodge to help. Five of us were able to make it.
We set up in the morning.and prepared food for the condiment tent. Most of the women in the picture work at the hospital. (Sorry. No pictures of me as I was behind the camera!)
Dennis manned the BBQ grills, with some assistance from ICL and from the hospital too. Behind the BBQ are inflatable slides and fun houses.

The next pictures show the condiment tents ready for three hundred people.
We filled two wading pools with ice and soft drinks.
The hospital made the Volunteer Banner before our name was added to the list, and they called us “Alameda Masonic Lodge.” I decided to do everyone a favor and not make corrections.
The picture following the Volunteer Banner shows a long view of the Reunion area, before the families arrived. The big open-air structure in the back is a helicopter pad, with an elevator. While we were there, they did bring in a patient in a helicopter. The big blue wave shaped thing is the inflatable slide, and the red and yellow tents are inflatable. The food tent is directly in front of the red inflatable, it has green top and white tablecloths covering the tables. The two condiment tents are between the red and yellow inflatables. The BBQ is in the far left corner of the picture, to the left of the red inflatable.
Now that you’ve had a site tour, I’ll take you to the next picture where you see Kevin B. and one of the hospital ladies, working in the food tent.
At picture 22, we start seeing Karen and Walter fulfilling dreams at the Prize Wheel. It was wonderful to see how happy the children were, when they got their prizes, but I wasn’t able to get any of those moments on camera.
Likewise, with the distorted mirrors, the kids really loved ‘em.

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Super Excellent Master Degree
This was a York Rite event, and not part of Island City Lodge. Still, some other members of ICL are in the York Rite and asked me to repost these pictures.
The first album is the dress rehearsal, and the second album shows life backstage.
The San Francisco Scottish Rite offered their facilities and their stage crew (a crew of one, but a very talented one) free. This was an enormous help, and a real example of the practice of Masonic Brotherhood.
Also, a great soundman came down from Sacramento area to help. Also, there were other workers who came from distance cities. I'm sure they arranged for their own travel and overnight expenses.
The York Rite consists of three Lodges, and each Lodge has its own Grand Master. Two sitting Grand Masters were in the cast and both of them live in Southern California. Additionally, they memorized and delivered their parts VERY WELL, and were good company during rehearsals that were overly long.
It was really an honor to work with such enthusiastic Masons: the stage crew, the cast, the Grand Master Guys.
The Super Excellent Master (SEM) degree is open to non-members. It requires a large cast and a lot of stage work.
The SEM begins with Ezekiel addressing the refugees who were not carried to Babylon. It also has a section on the court of Jedekiah. Those court members may be obvious in the "Backstage" album. The closing section is the judgment of Nebuchadnezzar upon Jedekiah.
I was Nebuchadnezzar (Nebby), and the man who was Jedekiah became a member just to be in this degree. His wife was in the audience.
The Masonic lessons I take from the SEM are truthfulness and loyalty to friends. Nebby was true to his friends (other Kings). Jedekiah was not. I’ve seen Jedekiah’s attempted escape featured on the History Channel.
The last Bay Area conferral of the SEM was more than ten years ago. There are now plans for a 2011 conferral.

-----------------------
Daylight Degree
We had great weather for our Saturday drive over to Benicia. Sublime-Benicia Lodge No. 5 predates the Grand Lodge, and is a popular place for visiting Lodges to confer degrees.
Benicia Lodge really rolled out the red carpet for us. Two of their Past Masters came over to open the building and to share the Craft’s Work with us.
Arthur Porter is the Senior Past Master of Benicia Lodge, and he joined us as Senior Warden. You may know Arthur from the Oakland Scottish Rite, and from Academia Lodge. Their Tiler also came over, and provided Tiler duties during the whole degree. Also, two of their officers stopped by to say hello.
Paul Delle Chese, our Fellowcraft candidate, came with his friend Grant, who is a Past Master of Alameda Lodge. After the degree, Arthur gave a lecture on the history of Sublime-Benicia, and then we walked into town for lunch. I didn’t take any pictures of the bicycle race that was going in and out of town while we were there, and I wish I had because it was very colorful.
Prince Hall Visit
Some of the Lodge Brothers visited Monarch Prince Hall Lodge, during a degree conferral.
This was the first time I’ve seen a PH Third Degree. The PH Masons have been pursuing their own ritual since the late 1700’s, and there are significant differences in the way they do some things.
Many other Lodges had visiting Brothers too: especially Petaluma-Hamilton Lodge that brought some twenty-five members in a charted bus.
All these Masons coming from different directions required some extra efforts in signs and modes of recogination, and the way the Monarch Lodge handled it was elegant and very Brotherly and Fraternal.
During the Lodge opening, the Senior Warden told the Worshipful Master that he was not sure that all present were Master Masons, and the WM asked all visiting Lodge Masters to assemble West of the Altar, and verify their own Lodge Brethren.
One by one, the Lodge Masters had their Brethren rise and said, “Worshipful Master, I vouch for these Brothers.” When all the Lodge Masters had finished, the WM asked any un-vouched for present, to rise for self-introduction. As each man rose and introduced himself, someone already vouched for would rise and say, “WM, I’ve sat in Lodge with this Brother.”
Later, the Senior Warden stopped the Lodge to tell the WM that he saw a sign that he didn’t recognize, and one of the visitors told the WM that he was using the sign of recogination from Ireland. The WM commented that the man had already been vouched for and that he was welcome.

2009-07-08T11:42:00.000-07:00

This paper was presented to the Island City Lodge in April 2009 by Brother Steven Sterns.

A Discourse on the Working Tools of the Entered Apprentice

Why should the 24 inch gauge and the common gavel be the first tools given to the entered apprentice to hone his craft? What is special about the gauge and gavel that they are the first tools introduced? What do these tools symbolically tell the Entered Apprentice and the rest of the lodge about the skills we all need to progress past the role of the Apprentice?

In the ritual, the first working tool that the Entered Apprentice is introduced to is the twenty four inch gauge. The Apprentice is admonished that the instrument is used by operative Masons to measure and lay out their work. Free and accepted Masons are told to use the gauge as an instrument to divide time appropriately. We are told that the 24 inch gauge represents the 24 hours in the day and as such it is divided into 3 eight hour portions. One third should be used to devote to our vocations, one third should be used for service to god and our brethren, and the last third should be used for rest and refreshment.

It is critical to consider that the first tool provided to the Apprentice is a tool of measurement. Measuring is what one does in preparation to act. As the old adage goes, one should always measure twice and cut once. Why? We do so in order to not make a mistake when we take an action which will be irreversible. If we do not measure, we can ruin the block of stone we cut and therefore make it unusable. This wastes our time, effort, and resources. It also wastes the time, efforts and resources of others who may rely upon us. Thus, the act of measurement is the act of thinking and planning with forethought.

So, it seems clear, that planning is required before any successful effort is taken. But why is the 24 inch gauge the first tool introduced? Perhaps, it is because the act of thinking and measuring causes us to stop our actions and spend time instead in contemplation. When we are young or new to a task, we wish to rush in so that we can quickly accomplish our goal and show others our success. It is the apprentice who is most likely to want to skip over planning and dive into the work. By considering the gauge first, the apprentice is stymied in his urge to work first and think later.

As noted, the gauge instructs us to think before acting; to measure before making mistakes. We are told to use the gauge to measure 24 hours of the day, to plan our actions in every hour that we live. Why measure by the day? Why are we not told to measure the weeks, months or years of our lives? Perhaps, this is to ensure that we stay present in our actions. By focusing our efforts on measuring and planning for today, we make sure that we do not waste or ruin our present through emphasis on the future.

The apprentice is likely to want to run through his days so that he can quickly reach the future. But our days, like a piece of mis-cut stone, are irreversible. We cannot reach backward through our actions and recover our words or deeds. We may believe that one day is much like any other, but to progress from entered-apprentice we must learn to make use of each day with purpose and with forethought.

If we make sure that we give appropriate focus to the here and now, we are more likely to treat our neighbors, our family, our brethren, our co-workers and ourselves with honesty and integrity with each word and with each thought. We all know people who waste their days wishing for the past or expecting a future which may or may not arrive. The 24 inch gauge should instruct all of us to slow down so we make sure we are not treating today callously. By applying the gauge to our lives, we make sure that we live purposeful lives.

Now that we understand our focus must be on planning today, we are given our second critical tool as apprentice: the common gavel. The gavel we are told is an instrument used by operative masons to break off the rough and superfluous parts of stones so that they can be fitted by the builder. Free and accepted Masons are told to use the common gavel for divesting our hearts and consciences of all the vices and superfluities of life.

If the gauge is a tool of measurement and planning, then the gavel is a tool of action. Now that we have planned where to act every day, we are given an instrument to use to make our marks. It is curious, however, why should we use the common gavel and not some other cutting tool like the chisel as our instrument of action? The answer lies in the operative use of the gavel versus other cutting tools.

Let’s think about how the gavel functions. While the gavel can be used to act upon the stone directly, it is often used in concert with the other cutting tools. The operative mason hits the chisel with the gavel. He can either apply a hard blow causing the stone to splinter or a soft blow causing the stone to chip. The gavel, a type of mallet, provides the apprentice with a selection of actions from the forceful to the weak, from the strong to the gentle. By learning to use the gavel early in the apprenticeship, the Entered Apprentice Mason learns that not all efforts require the same force of action.

Sometimes, we must carve out our days with strong actions full of direction and intent. The forceful stroke of the gavel may be necessary if the apprentice is confronted with evil or societal indifference so he can remain true to the ethics and morality of the craft. The apprentice is called upon to help the less fortunate, to defend his country and his distressed brethren, to take a stand for morality and truth in a world that often cannot differentiate good and evil. He must use the strength of the gavel to shape his actions strongly in this world.

Sometimes, however, he must use a more gentle hand. The finishing stroke of the gavel helps us to smooth out contours and make the actions of our day transcendent, sublime and beautiful. The apprentice is called upon to take gentle actions to help ease the lives of those in distress, for example he may deliver meals to the ill and infirm or teach underprivileged children how to read. Here, he uses the gentle sculpting power of the gavel to influence and guide through his daily actions.

So we have now discovered why the 24 inch gauge and the common gavel are the first tools an entered apprentice needs to perfect to be successful at the craft. With the gauge and the gavel in his tool-belt, the Apprentice has the necessary tools think and act within his community, his family, and his lodge. He, like his brethren, now has the instruments required to make sure that every day is a day lived with planned purpose and with appropriate strength of action.

Prince Hall Degrees

2009-06-20T16:32:00.000-07:00

Last night, several of the brethren attended a the Monarch Lodge Prince Hall Masons, in Oakland. They passed three Fellow Crafts to Master Mason, and had seven Monarch Lodge brothers go through their 3rd degree ceremonies. Brothers from Sebastapol to San Jose were present (the Sebastapol contingent came down in their own full time bus!) and numbered about 100.

The degrees were very much like our own, yet different--more floor work, some group singing (besides Playel's Theme for the 3rd degree work) and a bit more formal. For example, when the brothers are called to order and it is determined that all the brothers are Master Masons, as a group we donned our aprons ("attire yourselves") and those with gloves (the protocol for the lodge) wore them.

After the degrees (at about 11 PM!) we all went to their social room and had a scrumptious dinner of fried chicken with all the fixins' and cameraderie. It was a wonderful evening which we all enjoyed tremendously. We learned a lot and hopefully will incorporate some in our own work. I know I look forward to visiting other lodges and learning more about our craft!

Josh Cohen

Crab Feed News

2008-12-20T11:03:00.000-08:00

The 2009 Island City Masonic Lodge Crab feed is looking good! We've got some surprises and, of course, the best shrimp and crab! We will be holding a raffle for a hand-held, digital video recorder.

A few things you need to know: Tickets are $35 this year (Still the best deal in town!!) and any excess proceeds go towards scholarships for Masonic Youth (we're getting the DVRs donated!). Also we are limiting attendance to 200 this year so as not to overload our hall or the Crab Feed Committee. This being the case, get your tickets early. Do not wait until the last minute!! After the 200 tickets that are being printed are sold, we WILL turn people away!

Entered Apprentices and Fellow Crafts are especially encouraged to help on the day of the Feed. Contact our Senior Warden (Dennis Wallace) if you can help out.

For tickets, call the lodge. 510-864-9545.

Officer line for 2009

2008-12-20T09:35:00.000-08:00

The new officers of Island City Lodge have been seated. The installation on December 13th was impressive and the dinner afterwords scrumptious! the new officers are:

Master: Richard Anderson, PM
Senior Warden: Dennis Wallace, PM
Junior Warden: Scott Colcord, PM
Secretary: Jerry Journeay, PM
Assistant Secretary: Kevin Stroud, PM
Treasurer: Charles Bos
Senior Deacon: Steven Merritt
Junior Deacon: Michael Richards
Marshall: Josh Cohen
Senior Steward: Jeffrey Heyman
Junior Steward: Rob Rezak
Chaplain: Harold MacKenzie
Organist: Manuel Jasso
Tiler: Walter McQuesten

Come to the next stated meeting and congratulate them!

Da Crab be Comin'

2008-11-13T14:39:00.000-08:00

Preparations have started for the 2009 Island City Masonic Lodge Crab Feed. The date this year is February 21st, so be sure to put it in your calendar NOW. Tickets are going up a bit--to $35 per person, but the additional money is going to a great cause: scholarships for Masonic Youth. The Entered Apprentices and the Fellowcrafts of the Lodge are getting together and hammering out the details for awarding two scholarships. There will also be a couple of other nice surprises during the Feed, but you'll have to show up to enjoy them.

You will be able to get tickets from any of the officers, as well as online (a link will be posted on this blog) and elsewhere. We expect this year to be a sellout, so get your tickets early.

Festival of St. John the Baptist

2008-05-23T01:18:00.000-07:00

If you haven't gotten your tickets yet for this incredible event, DO SO NOW! $25 per person (such a deal!). The date is Saturday June 21st (coming up fast!), 4PM for Hors D'ouvres, 5PM dinner (Rack of Lamb for starters. Wear your tuxedo (not tails!) or dark jacket and tie, and come for great camaraderie with your lodge brothers, some very interesting Masonic education, a wonderful dinner and an evening that will be talked about the entire year!

Call now and reserve: 510-538-5841

Family Masonry

2008-04-24T01:07:00.000-07:00

I've had some interesting thoughts recently as my nephews--both of them-- have gotten interested in Masonry. We've had several lodge brothers who have come through our doors whose families have been Masons for generations. Of course they would be interested; having known or found out that a father, or grandfather, or even great-great grandfather, or cousin or other relative was a Mason. If I found out that my grandfather was a Mason, I'd absolutely be curious about the craft. I've found that having these Masonic brothers "with history" makes me a little jealous.

I am the first in my family, that I know of who has become a Mason. Zachary, my nephew is doing his first degree proficiency tomorrow, and Gabriel, his brother, is also interested in the craft. It is not something I have hidden, nor did I solicit their participation; it was their own experience in their interaction with me as as an uncle, as well as meeting other Masons in their lives (Gabby's girlfriend is a Jobs Daughter, and her father is a Mason). They have found their own way here and have found that these Masonic folk have something about them that is valuable: Integrity perhaps. Perhaps a deep respect for one's fellow creatures and brother Masons. For Brotherly Love, Relief and Truth.

I suppose they have many of the same reasons that caused me to became a Mason: because those men I knew to be Masons were good and honest men. So I am now about to become the root of a long line of Masons-to-be. I am honored beyond words at the thought of my nephews interest in, and respect of the Craft. And in me.

From the East - September, 2007

2007-09-01T00:01:00.000-07:00

Greetings Brethren and Masonic families.

Thanks for coming to the Luau and stated meeting. Very well attended and fun for all. It would be nice if we could keep all the brothers who attend the dinners to walk down one floor to the Stated Meeting. And I know how.

With the help of Brothers Steve Merritt and Past Masters; Kevin Stroud and Richard Anderson, we are attempting to maintain classes for Entered Apprentices and Fellow Craft Masons who need their proficiencies to advance to Master Masons and thus attend the Stated meetings.

Believe me. When their proficiencies are completed they will advance at the scheduled degrees. What concerns me is the continued support from all Master Masons. The first half of the year we had a deluge of new members, proficiencies, degrees for advancement in Masonry, and attendance at the degrees. Lately, the lodge room at the degrees has the appearance of a ghost town.

Brethren, it's simple, it's "roots". You start at Entered Apprentice, you go to proficiency school, you advance to Fellow Craft, and then to Master Mason. Something we all want as Masons.

The officers of this lodge practice for just that! And in the interim, as Master Masons, you attend the degrees and you root these brothers on. You want them to advance, you need them to advance. And when you finish your fun and entertaining stated dinner, you walk down with them one floor, side by side, as Master Masons.

Bring that same spirit at the dinners to the scheduled degrees and then share with me the thrill of watching someone walk the same path as you have.

Fraternally,

Dennis Wallace, Worshipful Master.

Kevin's Corner - September, 2007

2007-09-01T00:00:00.000-07:00

Over here in the corner, many interesting and mundane pieces of information pass by. I have a habit of reading the writings of my contemporaries in the craft, to see what others are thinking, or doing. Masons from all over the world are taking the time to put their thoughts and such on the Internet. Daily, they write about the craft and their place in it, what they feel about it, what we “Should be” doing, what we shouldn’t be doing.

To be honest, I get excited about a lot of what is written. Two reasons for this:

1. It opens me to the wider world, shows me what others, in similar situations, are doing. It can be inspiring, as well as confusing. Invigorating, as well as frustrating.

2. I write a monthly newsletter. Sometimes I have to fill in the empty spaces.

I can not always use what I read in the Trestle Board. I may agree with what another Brother has written, but honestly feel that printing it would start more arguments then insights. Because it is our Trestle Board, not mine, I don’t take it lightly what goes in here.

But listen, if my article starts on page one then you can easily determine that not a lot came across from the membership for printing this month.

So, here are some articles that have made it to the corner this month:

Time, Attendance and the 24 inch Gauge

from Freemasons For Dummies by Chris Hodapp

Brother Kurt Kurosawa posted an interesting idea on the Masonic Light Forum today. He visited a lodge in the Philippines that, at its stated meetings they have a 40% attendance rate - about 20 attendees out of a total of 50 members.

They have a lesson about the 24 inch gauge which:

"teaches us that all men are gifted with the same good measure of time each day to discharge all their duties in life, as well as for work, refreshment and rest, but they remind each other that a 30-day month contains 720 hours, so that the bare minimum involvement of attending a stated communication, if it consumes 4 hours, would demand of them only half of one percent of their time."

Isn't your lodge worth one half of one percent of your time? Is your lodge worth one half of one percent of your members' time?

Quick Hit #1

From the Masonic Minute.Com, poster anonymous

It was suggested by a Fellow Craft in my Lodge that we hold the Initiation of our next candidate at midnight. Now, I know that most of you are getting your beauty sleep at that point…but wouldn’t that be a hoot?

Imagine getting a letter that says you have to appear at the Lodge on so-and-so Friday night at 11:30 p.m. in business casual attire. You arrive, and everyone there is in a tuxedo or a suit. The whole place looks totally different than the other times you have visited because it is entirely lit by candle light. Even the semi-familiar fellowship hall you were just getting used to has a mysterious glow about it. You are directed to a person whom you already know…the guy that’s going to be your coach…and he says very little to you. At about ten minutes till midnight, the entire group, minus you, goes into the Lodge room. After some time, two men appear carrying long rods and…….

Now, I don’t know about you guys, but this seems like a great idea. Keeping Freemasonry fresh and exciting is one of the best ways to energize and motivate the Craft. The problem is, trying to get a big-enough group of men together to arrive at that hour. I know the younger guys would probably get a kick out of it, but what about the others?

By the Way, Brother Chriss Hodapp – author of “Freemasonry for Dummies” and, “Solomon’s Builders”, will be at Grand Lodge this year. Friday, September 28^th at 7:30 PM in the California Room He will be speaking about the architecture and Masonic Philosophy involved in the foundation of the United States and the construction of Washington DC. Coffee and Desert will be served.

Kevin

From The East

2007-08-01T00:10:00.000-07:00

Greetings Brethren and Masonic families.

With most of July being dark, I've missed you all and cannot wait until we meet again. We did have many degrees in June and a very nice Forth of July Rib and BBQ'd chicken dinner on July 5Th, celebrating our country's Birthday, but it's been too long.

So let's start off our next meeting with a Luau. Brother Steve Merritt is hunting for some Hawaiian dancers to entertain us while we enjoy a Luau dinner. There may be hors d'oeuvres, so come early and call in your reservations. (510)864-9545. Main entree will be Huli-Huli chicken. So dress Hawaiian.

We had an extremely successful and eventful Festival of St. John, (first annual) hosted by Steve Merritt and myself. I'm sure the word is out and all Masons will attend next years. Thanks to all who participated.

October will bring us Oktoberfest stated dinner/meeting, and November we will celebrate our Golden Veterans 50 year pins celebration to honor all of our Masonic Brothers who have reached this milestone. Mine is slated for 2048, so I'm planning the meal now!

It's that time of year to plan the second half of the calendar, and to thank you all for allowing me this great honor bestowed upon me as Master of this lodge. It has been successful and I thank you for the support.

We have many new brothers and their families’ and friends. I wish all of you many proud years of telling everyone you are a Mason!!

Fraternally grateful,

Dennis Wallace, Worshipful Master.

From the Secretaries Desk

2007-08-01T00:09:00.000-07:00

Brethren, my column this month tells a true story that best demonstrates the spirit of Fraternalism and Brotherly Love which we enjoy as Masons.

“The Travels of a Lambskin Apron”

This story begins in 1940 when Captain John Cleaveland Miller petitioned Foothill Lodge Number 564 for the Degrees of Masonry. Brother Miller was born on July 13th 1885 at Myrtle Point, Coos County, Oregon. He was Initiated, Passed and Raised in 1941 by Worshipful Brother Ludolph Foulkers. At the time, Brother Miller, age 55, was a qualified Captain, Master and Pilot of the San Francisco Bay and Tributaries, and worked for the Tidewater Associated Oil Company in San Francisco.

In 1942, at age 56, he registered for the draft, but there is no substantive evidence that he ever served on active duty in any of the armed services of the United States. Yet, sometime after he was raised, evidence suggests that he traveled to, and about York, England, and while there may have visited Lodge Harmony Number 156, where he left his inscribed apron, “for safe keeping”. It is possible that, being a “seafaring man” he may have been there with the Merchant Marine, or other maritime support service.

In early June this year, I received a forwarded email from W. Brother Chic Lewis, P.M. of Lodge Harmony No. 156, Yealmpton, Devon England expressing an interest in returning Brother Millers apron to his “Mother Lodge”. After some emails, and a phone call from Brother Lewis, the apron was returned to us in beautiful condition, and at our July Stated Meeting was laid in the archives of the Lodge. This is not only appropriate, but timely, as this year marks the 122nd anniversary of his birth.

Brother Lewis was concerned if Brother Miller had survived the war years, in whatever he was doing in Europe, and after doing some research, I found that he had indeed survived, returned to the United States, and passed away in June of 1969 at Atascadero, San Luis Obispo County, California at 83 years, 11 months. He had never married.

My Brothers, the moral of this story is that as a Mason, you can always expect to be looked after and receive the love of your Brethren whithersoever dispersed but, if you do not live up to your obligations as a Mason, you will sever that bond of fraternalism. For those of you who have still not paid your 2007 dues, do you really wish to lose your fraternal ties?

Have a great month and hope to see you in Lodge

Fraternally
Jerry

Articles & Links

2007-08-01T00:08:00.000-07:00

Many of the articles printed in our Trestle Board come from Web Sites. When this happens we place the link here to insure that:

We give credit where credit is due! (We also print the links and attributions in the Trestle Board)
Our readers have the opportunity to read other works by the authors

From our August 2007 Trestle Board

Short Takes

From our June / July 2007 Trestle Board.

Lodge Courtesies

2007-08-01T00:07:00.000-07:00

From the Masonic Service Associations Short Talk Series

Conventions are the rules which society makes for itself, without the force of law, by which its members live together with the least friction. It is not a sin to eat with one's knife or to keep one's hat on in the house. But these are not "good form" or good manners.

Masonry has developed its own conventions, by which its members act in lodge and the anteroom. Not to proceed according to their dictates is not a Masonic offense; it is merely a lack of Masonic manners.

As you passed through the Third Degree you received instructions in the Ritual and the obligation. You were carefully taught those essential things which a man must know in order to be @ Mason. But unless you belong to a most unusual lodge, or had a most wise brother for a mentor, it is doubtful if you were told much about these little niceties of lodge conduct. You are supposed to at, tend your lodge and learn by observation.

Not all brethren are observing, however. It is not uncommon to see some brother, old enough in Masonry to know better, crossing the lodge room between the Altar and the East. He might have observed that his brethren did not do it; but it is more difficult to note the absence of an act than to take cognizance of something done.

Brethren do not pass between the Altar and the East in lodge. It is a convention; there is no penalty for its infraction. It is a courtesy offered the Master. It is rooted in the theory that, as the Great Lights and the Charter of the lodge are essential to the regularity of the meeting, as these are the particular care of the Master, and as their place is upon the Altar, the Master should never be interrupted in his plain view of them, even for an instant.

Well informed brethren do not take seats in the East without invitation. All brethren within the tiled door are equal; the officers are the servants of their brethren and not their superiors. All seats, then, might well be considered open to all. But Masonry exacts long services of her officers; Past Masters have worked hard and long for the lodge they love. The Master recognizes their devotion and their loyalty with a special word of welcome, and an invitation to them to occupy a seat with him, in the East where they once sat. From this pretty custom has developed the invitation to a "seat in the East" to any distinguished visitor, or some member the Master wishes especially to honor. If all in the lodge helped themselves to seats in the East there would be no opportunity for the Master to offer that courtesy.

Brethren who respect the formalities of their lodge will not enter it undressed; that is, without their apron, or while putting that apron on. The spectacle of a brother walking up to the Altar, tying the strings and adjusting his apron while the Master waits for his salute, is not a pretty one. A man who entered church putting on his collar and tying his necktie could hardly be arrested, but he would surely receive unflattering comment. The strangeness of the new badge of a Mason and unfamiliarity with its meaning cause many to forget that it is as important to a Mason in lodge as clean linen, properly adjusted, is to the man in the street.

The Worshipful Master in the East occupies the most exalted position in the gift of the lodge. A lodge which does not honor its Master, not because of what he himself may be, but on account of the honor given him, is lacking in Masonic courtesy. The position he occupies, not the man, must be given the utmost respect, if the traditions of the Fraternity are to be observed.

It is, therefore, to the Master, not to John Smith who happens to be the Master, that you offer a salute when you enter or retire from lodge. Like any other salute, this may be done courteously and as if you meant it, or perfunctorily as if you did not care. The man who puts one finger to his hat brim when he speaks to a woman on the street compares poorly with his well brought up neighbor who lifts his hat. Taking the hat off is the modern remains of the ancient custom of knights who removed their helmets in the presence of those they felt their friends, and thus, before those they wished to honor by showing that they trusted them. A man removes his hat before a woman to show his respect. Touching the brim is but a perfunctory salute. Similarly, the salute to the Master is your renewed pledge of fealty and service, your public recognition before all men, of your obligation. It is performed before the Master and the Altar to show him your veneration for his authority, your respect for all that for which he stands. To offer your salute as if you were in a hurry, too lazy properly to make it, or bored with its offering, is to be, Masonically, a boor.

A man in lodge is the servant of his brethren, if he engages in any lodge activity. Servants stand in the presence of their superiors. Therefore, no Mason sits while speaking, whether he addresses an officer or another brother. This does not refer to conversation on the benches during refreshment, but to discussion on the floor during business meeting.

During the refreshment the Master relinquishes the gavel to the Junior Warden in the South, which thus becomes, for the time being, constructively the East. All that has been said about the respect due the Master in the East applies now to the Junior Warden in the South.

It is illegal to enter or leave the room during a ballot; it is discourteous to leave during a speech or during a degree, except at the several natural perils@ which end one section and begin another.

Smoking is permitted in some lodge rooms during the business meeting. Alas, there are some which do not interdict it during a degree! You will, of course, be governed here by the custom of your own lodge, although it is to be hoped you will never lend the weight of your opinion toward establishing the custom of smoking during the solemn ceremonies of a degree, unless, indeed, you would like to smoke in church!

A courteous brother does not refuse a request made in the name of the lodge. There are three duties which devolve upon the membership which are too often "the other fellow's business." Every lodge at some time has a knock upon the door from some visiting brother. This requires the services of two brethren from the lodge on the examination committee. Some one has to do that work. To decline it, on any ground whatever, is discourteous to the Master, to whom you have &aid, in effect, "I don't want to do my share; let George do it. I just want to sit here and enjoy myself while the other fellows do the work."

A degree cannot well be put on without the services of conductors. When you are assigned such a piece of work, it is not Masonic courtesy to refuse, for the same reasons given above. And if you are selected as a member of the Fellowcraft 'team in the Master Mason degree, the only reason for not accepting is that of physical disability. Like other matters herein spoken of, refusal here is not a Masonic offense. Neither is it a legal offense to drink from a finger bowl, seat yourself at table before your hostess, or spit on your host's parlor floor! But the convention of good manners is what makes society pleasant, and Masonic good manners make lodge meetings pleasant.

One does not talk in church. God's House is not for social conversation; it is for worship and the learning of the lesson of the day. A good Mason does not talk during the conferring of a degree. The lodge room is then a Temple of the Great Architect of the Universe, with the brethren working therein doing their humble best to make better stones for His spiritual Temple. Good manners as well as reverence dictate silence and attention during the work; officers and degree workers cannot do their best if distracted by conversation, and the irreverence cannot help but be distressing to candidates.

There is a special lodge courtesy to be observed in all debates to any motion. One speaks to the Master; the Master is the lodge. One does not turn ones back on him to address the lodge without permission from him. One stands to order when addressing the chair; customs differ in various jurisdictions as to the method of salute, but some salute should always be given when addressing the Master. The spectacle of two brethren on their feet at the same time, arguing over a motion, facing each other and ignoring the Master, is not one which any Master should permit. But it is also one which no Master should have to prevent!

Failure to obey the gavel at once is a grave discourtesy. The Master is all powerful in the lodge. He can put or refuse to put any motion. He can rule any brother out of order on any subject at any time. He can say what he will, and what he will not, permit to be discussed. Brethren who think him unfair, arbitrary, unjust, or acting illegally, have redress; the Grand Lodge can be appealed to on any such matter. But in the lodge, the gavel, emblem of authority, is supreme. When a brother is rapped down, -he should at once obey, without further discussion. It is very bad manners to do otherwise; indeed, it is close to the line between bad manners and a Masonic offense.

Failure to vote on a petition is so common in many jurisdictions that it may be considered stretching the list to include it under a heading of lodge discourtesies. In smaller lodges the Master probably requires the satisfaction of the law which provides that all brethren present vote. In larger ones, where there is much business, and many petitions, he may, and often does, declare the ballot closed after having asked, "Have all the brethren voted?" Even though he knows quite well that they have not all voted. This is not the place to discuss whether the Master is right or wrong in such action. But the brother who does not vote, because too lazy, or too indifferent, or for any other reason, is discourteous because he injures the ballot, its secrecy, its importance, and its value. Few brethren would be so thoughtless as to remain seated, or stand by their chairs, when a candidate is brought to light. Yet indifference to one's part in this solemn ceremony is less bad manners than indifference to the ballot; the former injures only a ceremony; the latter may injure the lodge, and by that injury, the fraternity.

It is a courtesy to the Master to advise him beforehand that you intend to offer thus and such a motion, or wish to bring up thus and such a matter for discussion. You have the right to do it without apprising him in advance, just as he has the right to rule you out of order. But the Master may have plans of his own for that meeting, into which your proposed motion or discourse does not fit. Therefore, it is a courtesy to him, to ask him privately if you may be recognized for your purpose, and thus save him the disagreeable necessity of seeming arbitrary in a public refusal.

Lodge courtesies, like those of the profane world, are founded wholly in the Golden Rule. They oil the Masonic wheels and enable them to revolve without creaking. They smooth the path of all in the lodge, and prove to all and sundry the truth of the ritualistic explanation of that "more noble and glorious purpose" to which we are taught to put the trowel.

The way to truth

2007-08-01T00:05:00.000-07:00

Southern California Research Lodge F&AM

Grand Lodge of California, Masonic Education Series, December 2005

The first lesson we are taught in Freemasonry is to be good and true. For the stonemasons of old, it was necessary that the stones used in the building be made good and true. The stones had to perfectly cut and polished so that they would fit together with precision and strength. If the stones were not good and true, the building would crumble and fall.

The rough ashlar is the stone as taken from the quarry in its rude and ventral state. The fellowcraft or journeymen Mason used his working tools to square off the edges of the rough ashlar so that it would be a true perfect ashlar that would fit well with the other stones and support the buildings superstructure. The workmen had to complete "good work and true work" in order to receive their wages in the Middle Camber.

Freemasons today are not engaged in building castles and cathedrals. They are engaged in building their own minds and characters, guided by the morals and ethics taught by the Craft. Men who are truthful, sincere. And honest in their dealings with other men are like the "good and true' stones _ they provide the strength and integrity that bongs harmony to everyday life.

The hypocrisy. cheating, and deceit we see today in political campaigns. government officials. corporation executives, among teachers and students, and even in our family lives have developed in our society in the last 40 years or so. There is a lack of trust in modern society. You can all think of examples from the mass media. The virtue of telling the truth and dealing honestly and openly with others should not be limited to our brothers in the Craft. It is one of those great moral duties inculcated in the Lodge that we should practice out of the Lodge. We should always think twice before acting, so that out actions in life can measure up to our Masonic standards and we can be "good and true" men.

The meaning of Truth for Freemasons is not limited to being truthful. It also means that we should be searching for the Truth. Searching for the Truth is a journey; the destination or absolute Truth is always receding in the distance.

Man has searched for truth throughout the ages. Freedom and liberty for the individual, as embodied in the democratic and Masonic concepts of life, accelerate the great search today in this unsettled period of terrorism and political and social change.

Among the valiant champions of free and open discussion as an instrument for gaining truth has been John Stuart Mill the 19th century English thinker and economist. He strongly defended the individual's right to think and act for himself.

Now is a good time to examine Mill's words. We live in a time when the safest course for many appears to be "security through conformity" and many people believe that our liberties arc being threatened by large corporations or the government.

Mill avidly supported free and open debate. He believed that we should take nothing for granted at face value. He noted that all societies had traditions and stories full of general observations on what life is and how we should conduct ourselves in life. Everyone knows and repeats these observations. When we hear them spoken, we simply accept them uncritically. These ideas are never discussed because they are the "accepted" opinion of mankind. Today, we should call this "conventional wisdom." On the whole, we do not challenge the conventional wisdom even when we do not understand it.

Mill wrote that the "fatal tendency of mankind to leave off thinking about a thing when it is no longer doubtful, is the cause of half their errors." Mill believes that we would understand more about what we believe to be true, and therefore make better decisions on how to act, if we were able to hear the "conventional wisdom' argued pro and con by people who do understand the issues involved.

As Freemasons and seekers of truth, we should always be prepared to seek farther and more complete information on such issues as the Public Schools than what we read in the mass media or on the Internet. Just because something appears in print or on the World Wide Web does not make it true. We should always be ready to seek further light when making decisions that affect our families, our communities, and ourselves.

Well-informed Freemasons are well-informed citizens. We are charged to be exemplary in the discharge of our civil duties. Because we Freemasons are taught to challenge the 'conventional wisdom,' and most people are not, a Freemason seeking the truth can have great influence for good in the world by applying what he has learned in the Craft to his job, his family, and to how he evaluates issues and candidates when he goes to the polls.

Mill was also concerned about the quality of debate and public discussion. In our era of negative political advertising, talk radio, and attack journalism we could take many lessons from what Mill described as the real morality of public discussion.

Mill believed that the outcome of a discussion should he determined by the circumstances of the individual case. We should not deliberately misrepresent the views of the other side. We should condemn all participants in a discussion, no matter what side they are on, who use half-truths, falsehoods, and accusations of bigotry and intolerance to attack the other side. These tactics only cloud the issues and confuse both the debaters and their listeners. In fact, we should have the calmness to see and the honesty to state what our opponents' opinions really are. We should not exaggerate their opinions to their discredit. And in fairness and courtesy, we should not withhold information that might support our opponents' position.

These are the ground rules fur a proper and civilized discussion. When these rules are followed in the "marketplace of ideas," the only result can be further Light, as we come closer to Truth. These roles can be applied in the Halls of Congress, at City Council meetings, or even at a Lodge's Stated Meeting! How many arguments and divisions in our lodge' could be avoided simply by a courteous and fair-minded search for the truth? Just think about the many State and local propositions we had to consider at the last election and the political campaigns seeking to convince us how to vote. Try to imagine how different the campaigns and speeches would have been if the advocates on all sides had gone by Mill's standard.

Our ritual teaches us that when guided by 'truth, "hypocrisy and deceit are unknown among us, sincerity and plain-dealing distinguish us, and with heart and tongue we join in promoting each other's welfare and rejoice in each other's prosperity." In other words, in a society governed by truthfulness, integrity, and civility in the search for Truth, individuals will come together to work to improve the quality of life for each other and their children. And they will be glad to see the success and achievements of each other as well, because the community is improved by each person's individual success.

Truth creates harmony; Deceit creates discord and confusion. As Freemasons we have the responsibility to practice truth among ourselves, and with those in the society at large. Men join Masonry because of a favorable opinion conceived of the institution. It is up to us to set the example by how we act in our own dealings with family, friends, and strangers.

Masonic Web Sites

2007-07-26T20:05:00.000-07:00

The Grand Lodge of California
Live Oak Lodge #61
Oakland Durant Rockridge #188
Southern California Research Lodge
Oakland Scottish Rite
Grand York Rite of California
Aahmes Shrine Temple
California Eastern Star
Northern California DeMolay
California Jobs Daughters
California Rainbow Girls

Freemasons For Dummies: Grand and Glorious Order Knights of the Creeping Serpent

2007-06-29T16:04:00.000-07:00

An article of interest to all California Masons.

Freemasons For Dummies: Grand and Glorious Order Knights of the Creeping Serpent

From the East - June / July 2007

2007-06-01T00:10:00.000-07:00

Greetings Brethren and Masonic families.

Thank you for coming to our May Stated dinner and business meeting. That was fun! I will practice my singing for next year.

I am pleased to say that the response for new Masonic members is fantastic. I am speechless. I can only say welcome to Masonry in Alameda. We have a New Master Mason as well. Brother Gurbachan Sing, stationed at Government Island, welcome to you as well. The officers have out done themselves in conferring all degrees. Thanks to the members who watched the degrees.

In June we will be having our first time ever, "Festival of St. John" for Masonic men, any level. We will have Brother Jay Kinney from Grand Lodge as our speaker, and then a feast to follow. I would like to see every Mason from Island City attend. This is a day we should all come together. It has been too long for some. We miss you. This day is for all of you. There will be a postcard sent to you to remind you of all that is coming up in June, another exciting month at Island City; dinners, entertainment, school of instruction, the "festival"...Keep reading that secret mail.

Masonry teaches you...

To be true under whatever temptation; to be honest in all your dealings even if great loses should be the consequence; to be charitable, when selfishness would prompt you to close your hand, and deprivation of luxury or comfort must follow the charitable act; to judge justly and impartially, even in your own case, when baser impulses prompt you to do an injustice in
order that you may be benefited or justified; to do that which is right, when the wrong seems to promise larger profit; and to wrong no man of anything that is, however easy it may be to enrich yourself in all these things and others which you promised, your spiritual nature is taught and encouraged to assert its rightful domination over your appetites and passions.

Fraternally,
Dennis Wallace, Worshipful Master.

From The Secretaries Desk - June / July 2007

2007-06-01T00:05:00.000-07:00

Brethren,

Summer is upon us and I hope everyone enjoys a "safe & sane" one. I would like to congratulate our newly initiated EA's: Danny Barreto, Adam Koltun, Ralph Miller, and Thomas Inman. We also extend a hearty welcome to our newest Master Mason, Gurbachan Singh who was raised on May 31st.

Your Officers are doing a great job in conferring the degrees. These Brothers work very hard and take much pride in the work they do, and I am sure they would enjoy seeing more of you on the sidelines for these degrees. So, come on down!

Brethren, we have had to suspend 6 Brothers for non-payment of dues for 2006, and to date there are still a handful of you who have not paid your 2007 dues. Don't let yourself get suspended from the Lodge. Please, pay your dues promptly... you know who you are!

Have a great month, and I hope to see you in Lodge.

Fraternally
Jerry

Masonic Education in the 21st century

2007-05-16T21:44:00.000-07:00

Recently the Grand Lodge of California has revamped it's lodge management educational courses and bundled them together as the Lodge Management Certification Program. The classes are held at various places through out the state.

I noticed the other day on the Grand Lodge web site that a new wrinkle has been added to this: One of the courses is now offered online.

While really impressed with the distance learning that our Grand Lodge is setting up, I was equally impressed with this - Maine Masonic College.

While this is not available (yet) for us here in the Golden State, we may see this college, or something similar, available to us very soon.

Festival of St John - RSVP!

2007-05-08T09:46:00.000-07:00

Brethren, do not forget to RSVP for June 24th's Festival of St John!!! (click the pic for details!)

Restaurant at the End of the Masonic Universe!

2007-05-07T15:49:00.001-07:00

An amusing analogy regarding the work we need to do! Thanks to Bro. Stephen DaFoe!

ICL #215 Library and Research Lounge!

2007-05-07T15:44:00.000-07:00

Brethren,

For the last few months I have been working at getting our library re-organized. During this process I was amazed at the wealth of information available to us! Many of these books are from the late 1800s and contain information regarding our Craft that cannot be found elsewhere. We are truly blessed to have such a facility at our disposal. Between the volumes of amazing knowledge, lazy boy recliners and direct TV, I’m sure many of you will find it a great place to go and relax, read and obtain further light in Masonry! Remember, this is YOUR lodge too!

The library has been organized into sections:

A: California Grand Lodge proceedings 1850-1931
California Grand Lodge Communications 1923-2006

B: California Grand Lodge Communications 1923-2006 (cont.)
Masonic Encyclopedias, Illustrated History of Freemasonry, etc

C: Esoterica/Theosophy – misc. books on various religions, spiritual beliefs and practices
Periodicals – Scottish Rite, York Rite, Northern and Southern California Research Lodges

D: US History, Presidential biographies, etc.

E: The Classics

F: Misc – Order of the Eastern Star, AAONMS, Videos/DVDs

G: Blue Lodge – Blue Lodge history, ritual, philosophies, essays, etc.

We have also acquired a DVD/VHS player for the library. There have been a slew of new programs on Freemasonry produced for The History Channel, PBS and The Discovery Channel. I plan on expanding our VHS/DVD section as much as possible. Also a computer with Internet hookup will be added very soon. This will allow you to
access Masonic Sites for research. We will also use this computer to catalogue our collection.

Lastly, if any Brethren would like to make any contributions or donations to the Library, please contact me and let me know. In some cases we have 15-18 copies of the same book and not enough or others! Also, any videos appertaining to Masonry would be much appreciated!

PS – many thanks to Brother Kevin Stroud, PM for his assistance, direction and motivation! Without his guidance and enthusiasm, I never would have taken this project on!

Cielito Lindo

2007-05-06T20:09:00.000-07:00

Our Cinco de Mayo dinner.

Ah, the Chili Colorado, The Sangria, The good companions...

... and W.: Dennis singing Cielito Lindo. "Aye ay ay ay"

An update - and a Thank You

2007-05-04T07:47:00.000-07:00

At last nights Stated meeting I received a Thank you for this blog from our own Junior Steward, Josh Cohen. It seems that the format has been accepted! With that in mind I am moving forward with some additions and changes to the Lodges Online presence.

A single web page will be posted to http://www.calodges.org/no215 redirecting our visitors there to this site.
I am adding other members of the Lodge as authors here. (Notice the author of this post is not "Island City Lodge"). This will allow us to use this site to push out information, schedules, updates, education... all sorts of things.
I will make the changes and announce this site to all in the next Trestle Board.

It is my hope, at least, that this will provide the lodge with one more way of communicating with the Brethren and enhancing the Island City Lodge community!

And a big Thank you to Josh - It is always nice to have the appreciation of your Brothers!

From the East - May, 2007

2007-05-01T00:10:00.000-07:00

Greetings Brethren and Masonic families.

Thanks to you all for coming to the stated meeting and our Easter dinner. Big crowd and lots-a-fun. The food was well received, but the movie wasn't. I heard "too much shooting".
So let's take a break from the movies and have even more fun.

The Cinco de Mayo dinner will have;
• Beef Colorado (served in California)
• Rice and beans, tortillas,
• Flan.

We will start off dinner with one of our sons (Cameron Stroud) bustin' up a Piñata. The youth group servers will get what ever falls.

Then we are to be serenaded by the music of Enrique Alvarez's Mariachi Tradicion Mexicana with romantic and spirited Mexican songs. Thank you Brother Steve Merritt for setting up this great ensemble for our dinner!.

The lodge officers for 2007 will have the pleasure of conferring many degrees in May on many new members and one "Master Mason" degree. Thanks to all of you guys.

You can call it a "Rusty Trowel" dinner or a "reunion" dinner. But I'm calling it the FIRST ever "Festival Of Saint John" dinner. Many Masonic lodges have this Masons only event. We are trying our first. You know you've been waiting for that right moment to come back to Island City Lodge. Here's your chance.

All Masons are invited on June 24th, 2007, from the youngest Entered Apprentice in the north east corner to the Worshipful Master in the east.

You will listen to a Masonic Historian. Then we will ascend from Lodge room to the 4th floor banquet room. You will go back in time. Set up similar to hundreds of years ago. We are having hors d oeuvres, a sit down dinner, and libations, All, all for $15.00.

So you will have to take your girl to church that day, so she will let you come to this first time ever Island City, "Festival Of Saint John"

Watch for more secret Masonic messages...

Masonry teaches us,
to struggle towards light,
sometimes the struggle is attained slowly and other times quickly.
But it is there (the light).

Just as there are times when it seems so long for Night to turn to Day,
Masonic knowledge is that way.
For the individual as well as a nation, light is virtue, liberty, intelligence, and power.
Therefore it is important that you do not lose sight of the true objectivity of Masonry.
It is to add to your estate of wisdom, not merely to your knowledge.

Dennis Wallace, Worshipful Master.

From the Secretaries desk - May, 2007

2007-05-01T00:09:00.000-07:00

Brethren,

Springtime is well upon us, and this month at stated we will celebrate the "Cinco de Mayo" with live Mariachi music, and a wonderful fiesta.

We have had some terrific turnouts the last few months, but would like to see more of the Brethren stick around for the Stated Meeting after the dinner.
There are still several of you who have not paid your 2007 dues. Please check your dues receipt, and if it expired on December 31st 2006, remit your dues in the amount of $54.00 for 2007.

Have a wonderful month and hope to see you in Lodge

Fraternally
Jerry

Did You Know - May, 2007

2007-05-01T00:08:00.000-07:00

That 19 of the 39 men who signed the Constitution were Masons
"Inside the Capitol Building"

The architect of the bldg. Benjamin Latrobe was a Freemason
The columns, Ionic, Doric, and Corinthian that adorn the bldg. represent wisdom, strength, and beauty, a Masonic ritual.
The columns outside the Senate have detailed chapiters that depict ears of corn, a Masonic symbol of plenty.
The "Great Experimental Hall" where a picture of George Washington's Presidential inauguration being dominated by Freemasons, and where he placed his hand upon the open Bible of St. John's Lodge No.1.
Where a picture of Andrew Jackson being sworn in also by a Freemason, Justice John Marshall
The "Experiment hall has a picture of James Monroe, a Mason, discussing the Monroe Doctrine.
The Capitols Westward Expansion corridor has a picture of the Boston Tea Party and the Green Dragon Tavern where Freemasons (lodge of St. Andrews) were thought to have planned the raid.
The Westward expansion hall has a mural of Lewis and Clark during the Louisiana purchase, also freemasons
Statuary Hall of the Capitol has many statues of famous men and women. The majority of which were Freemasons; Stephen Austin, Lewis Cass, Henry Clay, George Clinton, Robert Fulton, James Garfield, Nathanial Greene, Samuel Houston, and many more.

To be continued...

Remember The Journey - Part 2

2007-05-01T00:07:00.000-07:00

Steve Merritt

Brethren,

As promised in the March Trestleboard, we continue to follow the journey of one of our newest members as he travels through the degrees in Masonry. I urge all of you to read this account and think back to your first degree. Remember what it meant, how you felt, the sounds and the language. The experience of being brought from darkness to light for the first time. It’s something we’ve all been through; it’s what unites us and allows us to call each other “Brother.”

I had originally planned to begin witting about my perceptions and experiences with freemasonry prior to my initiation. I found this difficult to do, as I was no longer really in the same frame of mind as the events that led up to my initiation. I, in fact, just recently became an entered apprentice in Island City lodge #215. A fellow brother asked me more than once, after the initiation had ended, how it was. Given how instrumental his role in my becoming a Mason has been, I didn’t feel that I had answered his question in the manner he was hoping for. To be honest, I feel that the enormity of it all is only hitting me now as I write this.

During the ceremony there were very audible clues that made me feel that I was in another place, it was not until the morning after that it began to feel as though I had been both in another place and time. It was a feeling that I had been transported and was living or reliving, to a degree, the experiences of all those men who had been through this initiation before me. There were certain parts of the initiation, in conjunction with the language used, that not only lent itself to that feeling of another time and place, but also made me want to learn more about motions and meanings behind what I was going through.

It’s hard to explain all that is involved with the initiation. This is not solely because it is a secret ceremony. I think it is because while all before have been through the same steps, it truly is an individual perception of the event that you are left with. Based on the advice of a friend and now brother, I did my best to avoid readings that dealt with any sort of explanation or description of the initiation so that I could truly experience it, as it should be. Granted along the way I came across certain bits of ignorant information that most was likely put out there to instill fear or misgivings about Masonry. For the record I fail to see how anything thing that I have I experienced in my initiation could have elicited such a response.

I truly feel like I have become a part of something larger and greater than just myself. It’s a long road ahead but it’s a journey that I look forward to continuing.

To be continued…

Point within a Circle.

2007-05-01T00:06:00.000-07:00

Excerpted from “Handbook for Candidate’s Coaches” By The Committee on Ritual and Donald G. Campbell, Past Grand Lecturer, Grand Lodge F.&A.M. of California.

Ritualistically, this is a symbol of control of conduct; a standard of right living. The symbol has an extreme antiquity. Early Egyptian monuments are carved with the Alpha and the Omega or symbol of God in the center of a circle embordered by two upright parallel perpendicular serpents, representing the power and wisdom of the Creator. The symbol apparently came into Masonry from an operative practice, known to but a few Master workmen on Cathedrals and great buildings.

Any school boy knows it now; put a dot on a circle anywhere; draw a straight line across the circle through its center; connect the dot with the points at which the line through the center cuts the circle; the result is a perfect square.

This was the Operative Master’s great secret -- knowing how to “try the square” It was by this that he tested the working tools of the Fellows of the Craft; did he do so often enough, it was impossible either for their tools or their work “to materially err”.

Editors Note: At our 1st degree meeting on April 26th, 2007, this article caused a lot of discussion. It was roundly decided that I was wrong! About what, you ask? About the "Try the square" part. No matter how many times I showed them what it meant, the Brothers said it was wrong.

I volunteered to come up with the proof and re-print the entire Newsletter and send it out again - to which the Secretary almost had a coronary. So, instead I have added a note here and I will add it into the next Trestle Board.

The proof is called "Thale's theorem" and for those of you inclined to review it I have provided a link.

In geometry, Thales' theorem (named after Thales of Miletus) states that if A, B and C are points on a circle where the line AC is a diameter of the circle, then the angle ABC is a right angle.

One point to keep in mind when reviewing this is to remember a square is a 90 degree angle, not a box or a rectangle.

Also, it is said that when Thale discovered the proof of this theorem, he was so happy he sacrificed a Bull. Not really relevant, just dramatic.

St. Lawrence and the Treasures

2007-05-01T00:05:00.000-07:00

By John L. Cooper III, Grand Secretary, California Freemason, winter 2003

There is a curious Masonic degree called St. Lawrence the Martyr. Many, if not most, Masonic degrees have a legend or story associated with them, and the Degree of St. Lawrence the Martyr is no exception. And as with many of the additional degrees beyond Ancient Craft Masonry, this degree is intended to extend the basic teaching about charity by adding a new dimension. In the first degree of Masonry, a candidate is taught the meaning of charity in a powerful and personal way. He learns that no matter how destitute he may find himself, he will never lack as long as one Mason remains alive to help him. And, in a similar manner, he is now bound to extend the same help to any other Mason in need. The Degree of St. Lawrence the Martyr takes this one step further by telling us what charity really means.

In the year 258, a deacon at Rome by the name of Lawrence was arrested. According to legend – the legend that became the Masonic Degree of St. Lawrence the Martyr – the Emperor ordered Lawrence to produce the “treasures” of the church. Knowing that Christians distributed enormous amounts of food and clothing to the poor, the Emperor assumed that this must be made possible because the Christians were enormously wealthy. In fact they were not. Although there were some Christians who were wealthy, the vast majority were poor, and many were slaves who owned no property at all. What was the source of this great charity? It was sacrificial giving on the part of all members, rich and poor, who gave without asking for anything in return. Lawrence knew this and the Emperor did not.

The Emperor gave Lawrence three days to produce the “treasures” of the church. Three days later he did. He filled the streets of Rome with thousands and thousands of poor people who came out in droves to demonstrate how many were helping one another through this primitive system of charity. The Emperor, angered at being mocked, ordered Lawrence to be roasted alive.

In subsequent centuries he became St. Lawrence, with churches named after him, and even a Masonic degree using his story to teach a lesson in charity. What is that lesson? That our true “treasures” are people, and not things. True charitable giving is giving without any expectation of receiving anything in that giving to others makes us rich. We do not enrich others by our giving – we enrich ourselves. We become the “treasures” not because we have great wealth, but because we understand.

Lawrence’s “treasures” were not the wealthy who gave to the poor – they were the poor who shared what they had with others. It is the principle of caring. And it is no surprise that “charity” comes from the Latin word for “caring” – “caritas.” Our Masonic trilogy might also be translated as “Faith, Hope, and Caring” – because that is really what charity is all about.

For more information on this degree of St. Lawrence the Martyr and other degrees in the Allied Masonic Degrees, please visit the web site http://www.alliedmasonicdegrees.org/index.php

Masonic Education Considered

2007-05-01T00:04:00.000-07:00

David Ferreria, PM - Santa Monica-Palisades Lodge, No. 307

From “The Masters Jewel” - http://www.mastersjewel.com/masons/symbols/Masoniceducationconsidered.html

"The importance of Masonic Education…"

We hear this phrase often and at least entertain the idea in our Lodges. But, do we truly understand why it’s important? Do we understand what we mean when we talk of improving ourselves in Masonry? By Masonic Education, do we mean the study of the history and origins of our Fraternity? Or, do we mean learning the explanations of the ritual and the moral principle each symbol is meant to stand for? Certainly, Masonic Education may encompass these; but I believe "true" Masonic Education is something more. Indeed, many of us feel this way about Masonry in general; we feel that there is something more to Masonry than fascinating history or the use of symbols to reinforce basic morals we were each taught in childhood. Many of us understand that the Temple referred to in our allegory, and the Lodge over which we each hope to preside as Master, are place markers for our selves, our inner spirituality, our very souls. In turn, many have come to realize that there are deeper meanings to the symbols and ritual of our Craft than the obvious; and that Freemasonry has more to do with the constant examination and improvement of inner self than the mere communication and indoctrination of moral precepts. If one has also come to believe that these propositions are true, then I think the meaning of Masonic Education and its importance become clearer to him.

I suggest that experiencing each of the three degrees and learning the explanation of each symbol is just as much the beginning of a Speculative Mason’s journey through our Craft as is the process of being introduced to operative working tools and explained their operative functions (e.g., this tool is for measuring, this for cutting like so, this for chiseling) is the beginning of an Operative Mason’s journey through his Craft.

Consider the movable jewels of the Rough and Perfect Ashlars. We know from the Monitor that the concepts they are meant to convey are (1) our rude and imperfect state by nature and (2) the state of perfection at which we each hope to arrive, respectively. That couldn’t be all there is to them, could it? Why were these place markers used to convey these concepts and how might that apply to our efforts of self-improvement? Some of our brother scholars have suggested that perhaps the reason why these symbols are used for these concepts is to make us realize that just as the perfect cube is within the rough stone so too the state of perfection at which we each hope to arrive, the better man that we each hope to be, the potential to emulate the goodness of the Divine, is already within us; we need only to break off the rough and superfluous parts of stone to find it inside of us. If one reflects upon this insight, one may find that the symbols can be applied even more meaningfully to one’s self-improvement by serving to ground his faith in his own ability to change himself, and in turn, encouraging him to persevere as he struggles to become a better man.

Now, if one felt Masonic Education only encompassed history or the learning of explanations the type of which we can easily find in the Monitor, then this insight our brother scholars found and sought to provide us, this deeper meaning, the something more of these Masonic symbols, would be lost to him. This search for the subtle, personal insights contained in the Craft’s symbols and ritual -- whether made on one’s own or with the help of others -- and the reflection upon and application of those insights to our selves, in my view, constitute true, meaningful Masonic Education. Viewed in this light, Masonic Education is important because it is the bulk of our actual work in Speculative Masonry. For without personal insight, we cannot begin to improve our selves. One must come before the other; just as learning how to use an operative tool generally must come before one learns how to use an operative tool skillfully, artfully, as a true Master Craftsman.

My brothers, I may have obtained the degree of Master Mason in our Fraternity; but I know I am truly an Entered Apprentice (or at best, a Fellowcraft) in life; and accordingly, I must be prepared and happy to engage in work; for only through hard work in my Craft can I ever hope to become a Master. And, as with many other things in life, the first part of that work is education.

Kevin’s Corner

2007-05-01T00:03:00.000-07:00

Kevin Stroud, PM - Assistant Secretary

I just want you all to know, the only reservation policy at Island City Lodge is that you call in a reservation. You all know that, but I thought I would give you a more complete idea of all that goes into insuring your dinners.

The lodge, by motion, decreed that for all regular meals the planning number is 50 dinners – for special events 65. This is the minimum order that we place with the caterer.

The caterer orders the food on Tuesday. Adjustments can be made on Wednesday until noon – After that we are committed.

So if you call in your reservation Wednesday evening or anytime Thursday, we will do our best, but it has caused nashing of teeth and renting of clothing in the past.

Officers, there has never been a policy that you don’t have to call in a reservation.

What I have done is create a list of the officers and their usual approximate reservations – or – for those officers who don’t call in and just show up; how many you usually show up with. When you call, you are moved to the reservation list and we have a solid count, until then you’re a guess.

See you at the next meeting!

Fraternally,

Kevin

Festival of Saint John the Baptist – June 24th, 2007

2007-05-01T00:01:00.000-07:00

The Saints, John the Baptist and John the Evangelist, appear to Freemasons in several places in our ritual. Together, Saint John the Baptist and Saint John the Evangelist serve to represent the balance in Masonry between zeal for the fraternity and learned equilibrium. The Saints John festivals are widely celebrated Masonic events. Traditionally, June 24th is observed as John the Baptist’s day. According to many Masonic texts, it is the duty of every Mason to participate in the celebration. It should serve as a renewal and strengthening of fraternal ties and a celebration of Masonry from “ancient times” as well. This celebration functions as a connection between the past and the future.

Looking toward the future, Island City Lodge will be holding its first annual Saint John the Baptist Dinner on June 24th, 2007. This will be open to Masons only (including fellow-crafts and apprentices). Prior to the meal we will convene in the lodge room where a very special guest speaker will present an intriguing and informative historical lecture. After the presentation, we will retire to the fourth floor for a hearty meal and time of brotherhood.

Masonry has been a part of Alameda for 130 years. We’ve been blessed with the most beautiful lodge in the Bay Area. Let us continue to strengthen our bonds, work on building even stronger ties amongst the brethren, and start a tradition in Alameda that can be enjoyed for another 130 years and beyond!

In Memorium

2007-05-01T00:00:00.001-07:00

The Great Creator having in His infinite wisdom, removed our Brother from the cares and troubles of this earthly life, thus severing another link in the fraternal chain by which we are bound together, let us who survive him be yet more strongly cemented by the ties of Brotherly love; that during the brief space allotted to us here, we may wisely and usefully employ our time, and, in the mutual exchange of kind and friendly acts, promote the welfare and happiness of each other.

Soft and safe to thee, my Brother, be thy resting place! Bright and glorious be thy rising from it! Fragrant be the acacia sprig that there shall flourish! May the earliest buds of spring unfold their beauties o'er thy resting place, and there may the sweetness of the summer's last rose linger longest! Though the winds of Autumn may destroy the loveliness of their existence, yet the destruction is not final, and in the springtime, they shall surely bloom again. So, in the bright morning of the resurrection, thy spirit shall spring into newness of life and expand in immortal beauty, in realms beyond the skies. Until then, dear Brother, until then, farewell!

Charles W.Chesney 8/8/07
Stuart A. Sands,PM 7/28/07
Joseph J. Basulto 2/18/07
Wayne Morris Gilbert 2/8/2007
Fredrick William Plowright, Jr 2/6/2007
Gil Hass, PM 1/17/2007
John Keith Seaborn 12/4/2006
Alexander R. Cobden 11/16/2006
David Otto Krueger 11/11/2006
Jack D. Jansen 11/8/2006
Herbert Wade 8/5/2006
Howard L. Billings 7/29/2006
Jack M. Mihalovich 7/16/2006
Thomas W. Bratten 6/13/2006
Phillip A.C. Harris, PM 6/6/2006
Frank Marion Casal, III 5/28/2006
Adolph Leonard Hauser, PM 4/8/2006
Edward Frank Perry. PM 3/31/2006
Fay H. Wessling 3/30/2006
Ernest "Cap'n Ernie" Feigenberg 3/4/2006
Elgin L. Rowe 2/19/2006
Thomas Oliver Davis 2/10/2006
Roy W. Dahl 1/3/2006
Leroy F. Kayser 12/24/2005
Frank Albert Diehl 11/21/2005
James L. Oppenheimer 11/8/2005
Albert R. Bishop 10/10/2005
Robert Hendershot 7/20/2005
Norman Ellwod Fernald 5/2/2005
Leigh G. Hamilton 3/15/2005
Robert W. Woods 12/27/2004
Fredrick G. Roy 6/14/2004
Russell L. Solomon 5/7/2004

Sunshine

2007-05-01T00:00:00.000-07:00

The following Brethren are in need of Fraternal Sunshine, please. If you know of a Brother in need of our thoughts and prayers, please let the Senior Warden know. Also, for contact information on these brothers, check with the Secretary or Assistant Secretary.

Brothers in Need of Sunshine

Dana Turpin, PM
Dwight Kain, PM
Forest Keck, PM
Glenn E. Camper
Harold Miller, PM
Jack Hovey
Maynard J. Beckie, PM
Nick Perusina
Norm Peters
Paul Gaede
Peter Halloway, HA
Richard Pracht, PM
Warren Wildman, PM
Warren Storm, HA
Joseph Journeay

Sweethearts of the Lodge

Annabelle Farina

From the East - April, 2007

2007-04-01T00:10:00.000-07:00

Greetings Masonic Brothers and families.

WOW. What a turn out for March's Irish dinner. Thank you for coming!

The corned beef was good the Irish Celtic live music was good and the company of all of you was great. We had seven special guests show up for dinner also. Six new prospective members came to dinner with their applications for memberships. The seventh was a brother for affiliation.

Masonry in Alameda welcomes you with open arms. They will be added to our database and hence forwarded all the correspondence we receive to let all know what is coming up to attend.

A big get well soon to Mae Southerland. We missed you, your daughter and Harold Mackenzie knowing they are caring for you.

March was blessed yet again with our obligation to advance awaiting candidates and brothers.

Welcome Kevin Bennett, Eric Litzler to Entered Apprentice. And John Canella to Master Mason. Our corp of officers was fabulous at conferring these degrees. April brings us six Fellowcraft degrees to keep advancement on a true course.

We will be honored to have the Worshipful Inspector Tim World come by Island City Lodge for an official Visitation.

Easter and the amazing crowds for stated dinner have prompted us to honor both with a Spring Lamb stew; it will melt in your mouth. Served in a San Francisco baked bread bowl, and plenty left over to fill it up again. After dinner we will retire to the second floor for a movie; "the Sentinel”, a great Secret Service movie w/ Michael Douglas. (I've seen it twice). Maser Masons will have to attend Stated meeting, sorry!

For your comfort on second floor, Kevin Stroud has added overstuffed arm chairs for you. Island City will have a wine and soda bar, Popcorn, fresh baked gourmet cookies and coffee. Help yourself!

Dinner; 4th floor 6:30pm
Movie; 2nd floor 7:30pm
All; “no charge".

Masonry teaches you...

that the noblest purpose of life and the highest duty of a man are to strive vigorously to win the mastery of everything, of that which in him is spiritual and divine, over that which is material; so that in him also, as in the Universe which God governs, Harmony, and Beauty may be the result of a just equilibrium.

Dennis Wallace, Worshipful Master.

Did You Know - April 2007

2007-04-01T00:00:00.002-07:00

George Washington 1st President of the United States and commanding general during the American Revolution was made a Master Mason on Aug. 4, 1753 at Fredericksburg Lodge in Virginia. Later to become a Worshipful Master.
James Monroe 5th President. Was made a Master Mason November 9, 1775 at Williamsburg Lodge in Virginia.
Andrew Jackson 7th President. Served as Grand Master of Masons in Tennessee from 1822-1823.
James Polk 11th President. Made a Master Mason Sept. 4, 1820 at Columbia Lodge in Tennessee.
James Buchanan 15th President. Made a Master Mason Jan. 24, 1817 in Lodge #43 Lancaster Pennsylvania.
Andrew Johnson 17th President. Made a Master Mason May 1851 at Greenville Lodge in Tennessee.
James Garfield 20th President. Made a Master Mason Nov. 1864 at Columbia Lodge in Ohio.
William McKinley 25th President. Made a Master Mason in Hiram Lodge Winchester, Virginia.
Theodore Roosevelt 26th President. Made a Master Mason April 1901 at Matinecock Lodge Oyster Bay New York.
William Taft 27th President. Made a "Mason at Sight" Feb. 1909 t Occasional Lodge in Cincinnati, Ohio.
Warren Harding 29th President. Made a Master Mason Aug, 1920 at Marion Lodge in Ohio.
Franklin Delano Roosevelt 32nd President. Made a Master Mason Nov. 1911 at Holland Lodge in New York.
Harry S, Truman 33rd President. Made a Master Mason March, 1909. Served as Grand Master of Missouri in 1940. Sovereign Grand Inspector General 33degree, Honorary Grand Master of the International Order of DeMolay in 1959. Only President to receive his 50 year pin in Masonry.
Gerald Ford 38th President. Was made a Master Mason in May 1951 at Columbia Lodge in Washington D.C.
Lyndon Baines Johnson was made an Entered Apprentice at Johnson City Lodge Aug. 1937.
William Jefferson Clinton was in DeMolay.

From the Secretaries Desk - April 2007

2007-04-01T00:00:00.001-07:00

Brethren,

I am sorry to report that five Brothers will be suspended at the April Stated meeting for not having paid their 2006 dues. There are still many of you who have not paid your 2007 dues. Please remember that a member must have been in good standing in his lodge for his widow or family to receive Masonic Outreach, funeral, memorial or other services. Don’t let this happen to your family as so many others have found out the hard way! PAY YOUR DUES. It’s your OBLIGATION! Make your checks payable to Island City Lodge #215.

I would like to offer my congratulations to our newest Master Mason John Cannella, and wish him every success in his Masonic travels. I also congratulate our newest Entered Apprentice Masons: Kevin Bennett & Eric Litzler.

It looks as if we are going to have a great year in ICL, as we have many, many applications to receive the degrees, and we are getting a lot of EA’s working diligently toward getting their FC Degree. Come down and support these Brothers, and more importantly support the Officers and YOUR Lodge!

Have a great month!

Fraternally

Jerry

Remember The Journey - Part 1

2007-03-01T00:04:00.000-08:00

Steve Merritt

Brothers, as I approach the second anniversary of being raised to the “sublime degree of master mason” I’ve taken a little time to reflect on the experiences I’ve had. I recall my first interactions with many of you; I remember the anticipation, the nervousness, the excitement and trepidation. Whenever I meet a new candidate or newly obligated brother, I try to keep in mind my experiences and imagine they’re having similar feelings. I’ve done my best to befriend our newest members and welcome them to our lodge. I’ve also had some great discussions with many of them on what they think of their Masonic journey thus far. I’ve asked one of them to recount his experiences for us. I hope when you read it will bring back memories as well as serve as a reminder of the duties we owe to these men. For me, I feel there is more to being a Freemason than showing up for diner and the stated meeting, wearing a ring or attending a crab feed. We say it’s about “making a good man better”…then where better a place to start than ones first time at a lodge function?

The best word to describe my Masonic experience so far is uncertainty. Uncertainty as to what Masonry is really about; what Masons do, will I get in, how long does it take?

Most of my understanding of Masonry has come as a result of constant searching for information online, only after I found out I had been positively voted on. It’s kind of a strange feeling wanting to become part of an organization, in which the only thing you initially know is that they make good men better.

I had been to a few dinners at the lodge and it was not until the last dinner I attended did I really feel comfortable and welcome. It was at that dinner that several Brothers came up to me introduced themselves and truly made me feel welcome.

Previously I felt as though as I simply watching everyone’s normal interaction with each other, as I was occasionally part of the conversation. At several earlier dinners I had been introduced to many of the members as a candidate. After the initial pleasantries they seemed disinterested and returned to their earlier conversations.

I’m not the sort of person who needs to be the center of attention, but it seems that for an organization that presents little public knowledge as to what it’s about, and does not actively “recruit” new members that these dinners would be the best situations in which to make an impression on interested persons.

I was told early on that the application process takes quite some time. For me, it was about 6-8 weeks before I was voted on and I believe that it will be a total of 2.5 months between my vote and becoming an entered apprentice.

Overall, though it may not seem like it, my experience has been positive. It is my faith in the character of those I know who are Masons, and the little knowledge that I have been able to obtain regarding Masonry, that reaffirms and strengthens my desire to continue my journey into Masonry.

To be continued….