Temescal Palms Masonic Magazine TB No. 314 F&AM

Transcription

1 Temescal Palms Masonic Magazine TB No. 314 F&AM June 1, 2018 Volume XX, Issue 5 Ladies and gentlemen: As you may know, Worshipful Brother Bob Barden has been the editor of our beloved Trestleboard for the last 30 years. When Bob mentioned that he might enjoy a taking a step back, Brother Tim Coy jumped right in with both feet and is transitioning into becoming the editor. I'd be remiss if I didn't publicly thank Worshipful Barden for dedicating his time to ensuring that the Trestleboard got out. Even when it meant hounding the writer's of articles to make sure things got out on time or staying up late because said writer's weren't always on time. Bob, we salute, we appreciate you, and we thank you for all that you have done for us. THANK YOU!!! FROM THE MASTER Fraternal greetings from the East brethren and ladies. We are now in the month of June and halfway through our year. A mid-year recap shows that our lodge has definitely been a busy one. Degree's, practices, guest speakers. Mix in a sweethearts dance, some working parties and a wildly successful Public School's Night and you'd think it's December already! Well, it's not. It s June and its my FAVORITE time of year. June means summer and summer activities like BBQ's, the beach and old summer memories...june also brings Father's Day, so, much like you would call your Mom on Mother's Day, make sure you give your Pops a ring on Father's Day! Also, to all of the Dad's at the lodge, HAPPY FATHER'S DAY TO YOU! On an unrelated note, I was out traveling recently when I encountered a celebrity. I asked the gentleman who I thought was working security if it was ok to take a picture. He said, "of course...for a brother of mine." It took me a second but, then I remembered I was wearing a hoodie that had a square and compass. I said something along the lines of, "you see that light?" We hugged and he showed me his Prince Hall dues card. I excitedly told him I was a California Mason and master of the lodge in Corona. He then took my phone and took the pics for me. When the pics were done, I again exchanged pleasantries and thanks and went on my way. I called my wife to tell her the story and it dawned on me that I was more excited to meet that brother Mason, then the celebrity himself. I then sadly realized I never got that brother's name. My wife even told me, "you should've taken a picture with him!" She was right. While meeting a celebrity can definitely be exciting, meeting another brother Mason is exciting & also more fulfilling! Lastly, towards the end of the month in May, the building manager of the lodge noticed a leak where we store the tables and chairs. Upon closer inspection, there was also water leaking from under the wall and into the dining hall. We turned the water off to the building to stop the water flow and had to call in a plumber to see what the problem was. It was determined that there was a slab leak and there was immediate work that needed to be done. I would like to thank and commend brother Rob Sandberg, our building manager. Rob was VERY instrumental in ensuring everything got taken care of. He was at the lodge taking care of business when he noticed the leak. He was the brother that was there to get all the bids and was also there to oversee that everything was taken care of. Rob, on behalf of the temple board and the lodge, thank you very much for all that you did and continue to do... Until next time, I hope to see you at lodge... INSIDE THIS ISSUE From the Master... 1 From the Senior Warden... 2 From the Secretary... 4 From the Editor... 8 Calendar... 9 Birthday & Anniversaies.10 Elected Officers 11 SPECIAL POINTS OF INTEREST Thoughts from the Dark Side of the Moon 8 Seeking the Light 8 Eddie Rivera Master

2 FROM THE SENIOR WARDEN Greetings from the West: Once again, there is a lot going on within the Fraternity. Over the last few weeks, the Temple Association has been dealing with a rather serious water leak. As I write this article, the water lines in the Lodge building have been replaced and a new water heater has been installed. All of the members of the Temple Association board were involved in addressing this issue, but special thanks should be shared with Wor. Walt McCurry and Wor. Micheal Padilla for their contributions, and with the Building Manager, Bro. Rob Sandberg. Bro. Sandberg has spent an enormous amount of time meeting with the various contractors at the Lodge, obtaining and reviewing bids, coordinating adjustments to the bids, presenting recommendations to the Temple Association Board, locking in contracts with the plumbers, drywall contractor, and painters, then returning -> Do not go where the path may lead. Go instead where there is no path and leave a trail. 2 day-after-day to the Lodge building to supervise the work and assure that the building is locked up each night. On the afternoon of Sunday, June 3, from 1:00 to 5:00 p.m., The Scottish Rite Club of Riverside will be holding its annual BBQ and car show at the home of Greg & Judy Hill (11429 Humber Drive in Mira Loma). This is a terrific event and features a performance by the Riverside Concert Band s Swing Ensemble. The cost is $5.00 at the door. This BBQ is a significant fundraiser for the Childhood Language Center at the Scottish Rite facility in San Bernardino. Everyone is welcome. There is no need to RSVP. A flyer with additional information was attached to the May TrestleBoard and is posted at the Lodge. On Monday, June 4, at 7:00 p.m., Bryan Godwin will be the featured speaker of The Illumination Lecture Series. Mr. Godwin s talk is entitled The Copilae Manuscript, and will presumably deal with the recently-translated document from the early 1700 s memorializing the ritual of The Oculists a group of Freemason eye physicians in what is now Germany. This series is presented at the South Pasadena Masonic Temple. As you may recall, some of the brothers from our Lodge have been going to these lectures. The historic South Pasadena Masonic Temple and Lodge facility is located at 1126 Fair Oaks Ave in South Pasadena. Parking is available in the back (which is accessed by way of an alley). The talks are given in the Lodge Room on the Second Floor. Dinner is provided afterward on the Third Floor. There is no charge, but RSVP s to the South Pasadena Lodge are appreciated. There are plans to schedule the second presentation of the Lodge System of Masonic Information which addresses the Entered Apprentice Degree. Every member should attend. Details will be circulated soon. It is anticipated that there will be a Lodge breakfast on the morning of Wednesday, July 4th. Details will be circulated soon, but all of the Brothers and their families should plan to join together for breakfast before the City of Corona parade. The parade begins promptly at 9:00 a.m. - >

3 Sometimes, I wear my sunglasses when I read so that people can t tell when I m sleeping. FROM THE SENIOR WARDEN (CONT D) I don t know for certain who is getting their Lodge information from the TrestleBoard versus Stated Meeting dinners, the App, e- mails, or what-have-you. But, I do know who makes the effort to (1) pull together the TrestleBoard information, (2) put it into a workable format, and (3) get it back to the Lodge for circulation to the membership. That person is the TrestleBoard editor. As of the May edition, Tim Coy took on that task. But, for many years, the editor was Wor. Bob Barden who did it and did it faithfully. As we look forward to Tim s contribution as editor, I just wanted to take a moment to acknowledge Bob for his service to the Lodge, both as the TrestleBoard editor and as a reliable and active member of our band of brothers. To Bob: My heartfelt thanks for a job well done. Fraternally, John G. Dickman, Senior Warden P.S. I am continuing to contact the Entered Apprentice Masons and the Fellowcrafts to see how I might be of assistance in their progress through the degrees of Masonry. If you are an EA or FC, it makes no difference whether you are just about ready to return a proficiency or have been away from work on it for so long that you don t feel you know the first line. My goal is to make sure (1) you are connected to the Lodge and (2) Worshipful Rivera can schedule your next degree. If we have yet to speak, or you have questions, feel free to contact me at my office ( ) or via e- mail (dickmanholt@earthlink.net). 3

4 FROM THE SECRETARY Brethren: I hopefully continue to bring you enjoyment & education with these articles from our Grand Lecture, Very Worshipful Jack Rose. Please enjoy. 4 ATTENTION TO RITUAL DETAIL Why is it so important that we pay attention to the extremely detailed memory and floor work in order to do our ritual? Why can t we just learn the very basic words and floor work? In the Grand Lecturer s opinion, Masonry is a philosophy of personal growth. It is our investment in self-improvement and care for others. It is what he calls "Sweat equity": The more you put into it the more valuable it becomes. Today s ritual is the result of many years of work by some very learned and loving Brethren who wished to pass along to you the highly valued morals required of a man with great character and integrity. In addition to teaching you the moral lessons of life our ritual also accomplishes the following: STORYTELLING and the ORGANIZED PRESENTATION of our Masonic lessons The lessons of our Fraternity are passed along through a process of storytelling, which is as old as time itself. Storytelling defines humanity and is as basic to all human cultures as is hunting and courtship. In ancient times, storytelling was used to passes along important survival information and required retention of all historical detail. To shorten the story, in order to make it easier to remember and later recite, jeopardized the survival information and eventually lead to the death of a society. Storytelling also defines the history of our Fraternity as we pass along our teachings, from mouth to ear, through our ritual. Our original oral tradition of imparting knowledge helps to preserve important personal growth information contained in the valued traditions and lessons of our teachings. To pay lesser attention to the details of our ritual for the sake of expediency jeopardized the integrity of our effort to effectively pass along sufficient information from the past to ensure our success into the future. ->

5 ATTENTION TO RITUAL DETAIL (CONT D) DISCIPLINE Our ritual teaches you discipline. Discipline is defined as activity, exercise, or a regimen that develops or improves a skill. Discipline in one s life is very important because it is what brings balance in our physical, social, and emotional life. It is the stepping stones to a bright future. Without discipline failure is sure to follow. The nature of our ritual places progressive challenges in the form of memory and floor work before our Brethren and forces them to develop the discipline necessary to accomplish each challenge. If you are not faced with challenges, you do not learn and when you stop learning you are probably dying. PROGRESSIVE LEADERSHIP development - As mentioned above, the nature of our ritual provides for progressive leadership openings where each Brother is provided an opportunity to demonstrate the results of the discipline he has developed through mastering the intricate details of the ritual associated with each step along his journey from Entered Apprentice to Master of the Lodge. One thing that you can always give but still keep is your Word. PARTNERSHIP development Our ritual teaches the necessary skills to work with others in order to accomplish a common purpose. Whether it is working with your mentor, officers coach, or another officer, the ritual is nothing unless it is performed in partnership with another person. To be otherwise would be tantamount to performing your ritual on an empty stage. EDUCATION VIA OSMOSIS and repetition The detail in our ritual requires much practice and constant repetition. As the new member sits on the sideline and watches all the details being presented, and being frequently repeated, it is impossible for him to avoid absorbing the material via osmosis without even realizing that it is occurring. CONFIDENCE/ESTEEM BUILDING - We each seek the approval of others who we respect in order to measure our own self-worth. In Freemasonry, as you work with your brothers you continually receive critical analysis and positive reinforcement that builds your confidence as well as your self esteem. SELF-REFLECTION AND INTROSPECTION As you learn the details of our ritual the process forces you to reflect upon and evaluate your personal attributes. It is not possible to memorize all the detail associated with our memory and floor work without also asking yourself how what you are memorizing and demonstrating applies to your own life. It is the challenge of paying attention to the detail of our ritual that allows you to really understand your strengths and correct your weaknesses. -> 5

6 ATTENTION TO RITUAL DETAIL (CONT D) MENTAL HEALTH It is well known that your mental health is determined by the amount of exercise your brain receives. Little stimulus causes weak minds and is often followed by physical ailments; Active and sustained stimulus results in a healthy mental state that also leads to a healthier physical state. To pay less attention to our ritual lessens your mental exercise and diminishes the effects it has upon the maintenance of a healthy mind and body. TEAM WORK Our ritual forces our Brethren to work together as a TEAM especially during the conferral of our degrees. Throughout the degree one Brother takes his cue from another Brother. The Senior Deacon waiting until the Master sits before continuing his trek is one of many examples where cues are essentially necessary from one Brother to ensure the other Brother can continue. A breakdown of a cue causes miscommunication and diminishes the quality of the degree. When all members of the team practice together their performance is enhanced. When one Brother fails to pay attention to the details and misses a cue his teammate(s) and the degree suffers. The true Mason takes full responsibility for the condition of his character and ever strives for its perfection. COMMITMENT TO EXCELLENCE - Our ritual requires that each Brother establishes a commitment to excellence. Without such a commitment all work within the Lodge becomes a selfish pursuit of individual mediocrity, which eventually destroys not only the teamwork within the lodge but of the individual himself. A shared commitment to excellence provides a foundation for success. Poor commitment by a single Brother is a cancer that can easily spread throughout the Lodge and disrupt or destroy any hard-earned harmony previously enjoyed by its members. RESPECT FOR EACH BROTHER Proper attention to the details of our ritual demonstrates to all present that every Brother received the benefit of the lessons being taught. To allow yourself to become sloppy or to give less attention to the details as your play your part in our Masonic play only serves to show your disrespect to those who have worked hard to develop the discipline to learn and portray their parts with pride for themselves and respect for others. To allow slipshod work to creep into your performance also shows disrespect to the new member who received his degree under your uninspired presentation. The damage is only magnified later when he watches as other members receive their degrees from players who perform the ritual with a demonstrated commitment to excellence. PATIENCE DEVELOPMENT - It is important to understand that life is but a fleeting moment in time and each of us must make the best use of what time God has destined for us. We must remember that in order to accomplish the challenges wherewith God has presented to us, we must first understand that time, patience and perseverance will accomplish all things. Those who impetuously rush into life s moments will more often than not meet with such failure as to prevent further -> 6

7 ATTENTION TO RITUAL DETAIL (CONT D) TAKING OWNERSHIP OF THEIR RITUAL Lastly, attention to the detail of our ritual allows you, while working with your TEAM of lodge members, to take ownership of the quality of the ritual you perform. It is only through your attention to the details of our ritual that you will be able to accurately pass along to the new members of your Lodge the time-honored and tested lessons that our ritual illustrates. When you have achieved this goal, you have taken ownership of the ritual in your lodge and earned the right to tell the Masonic story to your new members providing them with an opportunity to learn the lessons you are prepared to teach. Ideals are like stars; you will not succeed in touching them with your hands. But like the seafaring man on the desert of waters, you choose them as your guides, and following them you will reach your destiny. IN SUMMARY, the care which you place into paying attention to the details of our ritual influences your own personal growth as well as the care you provide to others. The detail contained within our ritual can be seen as the many pathways within your personal Global Positioning System (GPS), which once learned and put into practice, keeps you on the straight track toward moral perfection and a happy life. When you begin to stray from those lessons, when you are tempted to take the easy way by paying less attention to the details, you should hear your Masonic GPS say, RECALCULATING, and cause you to redirect your efforts to a more successful life. Paying attention to the detail allows you to personally chisel out, build and perfect your own character, turning your personal rough ashlar into a perfect ashlar. 7

8 FROM THE EDITOR As the torch has been passed from Wor. Bob Barden to me, I would like to humbly thank the brethren who have entrusted me with this responsibility. Of course, I m a kid from the streets that has lived a full life and has had the good fortune of becoming a Mason. With that being said, I never lost my sense of humor. I ve loved horsing around with my new brothers at the lodge; telling jokes and enjoying all that comes with a fraternity. In my 1st go-around as the editor, I thought I d poke some fun at one of my buddies who got a kick out of the joke. Apparently, that joke might have been taken the wrong way or was possibly told in the wrong environment. I am all for breathing new life into our ancient fraternity but I don t want to disgrace our publication or offend anyone that might read our newly reformatted Trestleboard. THOUGHTS FROM THE DARK SIDE OF THE MOON Dad always thought laughter was the best medicine, which I guess is why several of us died of tuberculosis. :-) SEEKING THE LIGHT WRITTEN BY THE EDITOR It s been said that meditation is the key to understanding the Universe and getting in touch with the vast amounts of energy that are at our access. In the days of old, Masons and other Renaissance Men studied all of the arts including science, astronomy, business finance, and mysticism. The goal was to glean as much information as possible thereby allowing those who studied, the best opportunity at a full, wellrounded life where they would gain all that they could from this wonderful world. As society continues to advance in technology, it seems that the information from ancient societies is being lost and replaced with pop culture. 8 Oddly, we have more faith (now) in our iphone then we do in the Great Architect that masterfully designed this Universe that we reside in. I recently said that, in all my studies, I have learned nothing new. This meaning that much of the new information that I have found has come from the past.

9 June 2018 Sun Mon Tue Wed Thu Fri Sat Tues June 5th Stated Meeting 630pm *Steak, Baked Potato, Salad & Apple Pie Monday June 25th Job s Meeting 7pm TMTA 7pm Monday June 11th Job s Installation & Meeting Thurs June 28th OSI Riverside 6pm Thurs June 14th Breakfast Bunch - 930am Wed May 30th 7pm TMTA Meeting Friday June 22nd High am

10 MASTER MASON ANNIVERSARIES Gelsomino, Anthony 49 yrs Graham, George L. 27 yrs Lewis, John L. 26 yrs You can never get enough or too much knowledge. BIRTHDAYS & ANNIVERSARIES McQuater, William J. 24 yrs Curtis Klein Richard Sanborn Ryan Guillory Christopher Saldecke David Chancellor Kevin Keller Timothy Coy Michael Padilla William Crawford Cleo Owens June 7, yrs old June 9, yrs old June 14, yrs old June 16, yrs old June 20, yrs old June 22, yrs old June 25, yrs old June 25, yrs old June 30, yrs old June 30, yrs old Nicholson, William 63 yrs O Barr, Terry V. 28 yrs Padilla, Michael A. 12 yrs Rawlings, Shane 3 yrs Wilson, Gilbert E. 50 yrs

11 ELECTED OFFICERS Master Eddie Rivera Senior Warden John Dickman Junior Warden Jimmy Blum Treasurer Dennis Brandt, HA Secretary Walt McCurry, PM, HA APPOINTED OFFICERS Chaplain Roy Stewart, HA Junior Deacon Rob Sandberg Marshal Johnathan Cornn Senior Steward Terry Newland Junior Steward Richard Pannazzo Organist Luis Orozco II, PM, HA Tiler Loren Montag Officer s Coach Michael Padilla, PM Head Candidate s Coach Roy W Stewart, HA Newsletter Editor Tim Coy Inspector, 822nd Masonic District John Channon, PM HA Lynnette Assistant Grand Lecturer Division VIII Victor Ropac, PM, HA