Sword & Trowel September 2018 Volume 6 No. 04 Page 1

Sword & Trowel September 2018 Volume 6 No. 04 Page 1

Table of Contents Vision Statement... 2 Times a Flying... 4 Cryptic Masons Medical Research Foundation... 5 Driving a Bus Through King Solomon s Most Retired Apartment 6 San Diego... 7 York Rite... 8 Scholarships... 8 Contact Information... 9 Illustrious Grand Master Cryptic Masons... 9 Website...... 9 Officers: Grand Council Cryptic Masons California.. 10 Auburn... 11 San Bernardino... 12 Vallejo... 13 Grand Sessions... 14 Vision Statement Sword & Trowel September 2018 Volume 6 No. 04 Page 2

Sword & Trowel September 2018 Volume 6 No. 04 Page 3

Companions and Sir Knights, Times a Flying By the time you read this you will have celebrated the Labor Day Holiday. I hope it was a safe and enjoyable break from daily toils. We, too, chose to take a small break from the duties we have been tending to here in Florida to visit with a few friends and relatives. But, the end is in sight and Anne and I will be departing here early next week and expect to be back in California on September 16th; just in time for the Auburn 4-way Reception. We are very much looking forward to seeing many of you there. The last few weeks we have sorted through a lifetime of memorabilia, personal belongings and photo albums galore. I actually had a head full of somewhat curly hair as a youngster! These moments were bitter sweet as we laid mom to rest and set about planning for settling the estate. I am very fortunate for having had mom around till the age of 88; in spite of some illnesses and ailments. I am where I am because of her guidance in keeping me on the straight and narrow. So many people are not that fortunate. I have been truly blessed. As all of you know, we have recently lost a special person in our masonic family. Jacki McKeay was always supportive of the Masonic fraternity in general and the Council in particular. She was purple through and through. She was a friend to so many of us and will be greatly missed. She is now a beautiful flower in the Masters bouquet! I m sure you join me in extending to Martin McKeay our sincerest sympathies and our support in this time of sorrow. God Bless. With the greatest respect and humility, William S. (Bill) Dann Most Illustrious Grand Master Cryptic Masons California Sword & Trowel September 2018 Volume 6 No. 04 Page 4

Companions, Cryptic Masons Medical Research Foundation Recently I watched the Little League World Series and saw a very determined team from Hawai i win over a very talented team from Korea. On the jersey from Hawai i was a statement WE>ME. Out of the mouth of babes so they say comes a saying we can all learn from. We are greater than me is something we should hold on to as those young men did. Last month at Peninsula York Rite, Ill. Master Mori Moriuchi gathered HP Walter Ancheta and Commander Joshua Cusing and put on a fundraiser in their dark month. This combined effort, called Hawai i Night, raised $200 for each charity. This is one example of what can be done if you band together. CMMRF is a groundbreaking research in Vascular Medicine. Every dollar raised will lead to cures in a verity of diseases. Donations of just $1 with your dues can result in thousands of dollars every year. Think if you did not buy a latte once a week and donate that to CMMRF what our researchers could accomplish. Think of ways to raise funds, use your imaginations to come up with ideas. If you need help please contact myself in Northern California or Brett MacDonald in Southern California. Remember WE>ME, William E. Price KCT, KYGCH, MIPGM Ambassador to California-North General Grand Council Cryptic Masons, International Sword & Trowel September 2018 Volume 6 No. 04 Page 5

Driving a Bus Through King Solomon s Most Retired Apartment John L. Cooper III, IPM Deputy Master, Gateway Council No. 13, Cryptic Masons Auburn, California In 2015 I had the experience of riding on a bus that was driving through King Solomon s Most Retired Apartment. Now all Cryptic Masons know the purpose of King Solomon s Most Retired Apartment, and the events that transpired there. So how and why was a bus driving through King Solomon s Palace in the first place, and especially through one of the most important rooms in the palace? In order to understand this situation it is important to take a look at the topography of Jerusalem, and to know a little about the history of the city. Jerusalem is locate on three ridges which generally run in a north-south direction. The earliest settlement was on the southern portion of the central ridge near an allyear spring, called the Gihon Spring. This water source was indispensable for the inhabitants of the earliest settlement because the streams in the valleys below were difficult to reach, and in any case could be unavailable if the town were besieged. The spring was within the town walls, and thus could provide water for the defenders inside the defensive works which surrounded the small community. A tribe otherwise unknown called the Jebusites occupied Jerusalem when our story begins. According to Second Samuel in the Bible, David conquered the Jebusite city, renamed it Jerusalem, and made it his capital. Archaeologists have found the remains of a large building on the northern edge of the former Jebusite city, and believe that this was a palace that David build for himself against the inside of the city wall. Further along the ridge, as one travels in a northerly direction, was located a threshing floor on an elevated portion of the ridge which King David selected at the location of the future temple. Between this site, and his palace was a saddle on the ridge an ideal place for his son, Solomon, to expand David s palace to meet his more extensive needs. This saddle is called the Ophel, and the extension of David s palace built on it adjoined what became the Temple Mount, and symbolically at least became the probable location of King Solomon s Most Retired Apartment. Of course, in the years since the building of King Solomon s palace extension, and the Temple itself, many changes have occurred. Today the Temple Mount is still there, but the Temple is gone. And nowadays a paved road is located around the southern end of the Temple Mount right on top of what was probably King Solomon s Most Retired Apartment. And thus it was that our tour bus drove right over the top of one of the interesting features of the Cryptic degrees. We did, indeed, drive a bus through (or over) King Solomon s Most Retired Apartment! Sword & Trowel September 2018 Volume 6 No. 04 Page 6

San Diego Well, I do have good news for you. The San Diego Cryptic Council along with Escondido's Helix Council No 58 are putting on our own degrees also. San Diego does the Select Master and Escondido is doing the Royal Master. We'll do our degrees again in September, would you like some photos for the Sword and Trowel? I've actually never been to a York Rite Festival, are they interesting? I made it to the marathon 3 day session of 29 degrees at the Oakland Scottish Rite last month. It was interesting seeing the degrees that I had only read about. But..., talk about fire hoses feeding information to candidates. I had a hard time keeping up with the flow and I've been through the initial Master Craftsman course and am actively involved in my Valley's 30th and 32nd Degree Teams. I agree with you about the members situation, it is a challenge. But, that is a challenge we see across Masonry in general. Membership has dropped drastically as our older members have gone to their celestial lodges. When I joined the York Rite, they were doing training every meeting. It filled a thirst for knowledge that I was really needing and I got actively involved in both the Royal Arch and Cryptic lines. Unfortunately, we don't do as many papers now, but I am still fascinated by the ones that I do hear. I'll be the Illustrious Master next year, so I'm planning to put together a team to present papers during my year. Fraternally, John Gowen Deputy Master San Diego Council No. 23 Sword & Trowel September 2018 Volume 6 No. 04 Page 7

York Rite Every York Rite Mason, if you talk to him but more importantly, Listen, he will say, we used to do that, but now we just talk in groups before we try to open, read our minutes, close, then we all disappear. The main words, used to do that. I have written several articles about a 3-legged stool (a milking stool) which is a very solid support stool while milking. This was before moderation of our milking facilities, back when we used outhouses. Outhouses are not sheds where we stored our working tools. Anyway, a 3-legged stool has only 3 legs, imagine that. Let s take the first leg, any leg, just pick a leg. This leg is for the High Priest, Illustrious Master, Commander. He (all officers) must know their work, the ritual book we believe will hurt us if we touch. But that is not all he does, he has two other legs to worry about, but this should not make him leery or tired, he is in office for only one year and then he become a Past. But what of the other two legs, they help support the High Priest, Illustrious Master, and Commander. Leg One: High Priest, Illustrious Master, Commander, & Officers: ritual must be from memory Leg Two: Programs: on a yearly basis, do something for the community, as a yearly dinner for the homeless. In our area, let s see, let me think, I am getting old & accessing my brain is becoming harder & harder, I m still thinking, can t think of a damn thing. Leg Three: Activities: a quarterly dinner party. In our area, let s see, let me think, we ain t going through this again, can t think of a damn thing. I recently played a part in 3 rd degree, second section, in which I was the killer. I was born for only one reason, to give God a Laugh and to frustrate the sitting Worshipful Master. I can butcher any ritual, thus giving God a good laugh and this does frustrate the Worshipful Master, but I do try. What I am attempting to put across to you, please try, you cannot do any worse than I. Scholarships Companions, your children, grandchildren, & for some, great-grandchildren may receive financial help for attending school. After opening up Scholarship Center website, have them go to bottom of page & find the Scholarship Manual in (PDF format 450KB) to download. There they will find instructions for filling out the forms. This is the link which will take you to the public Grand Lodge web page on scholarships. All the information you need should be right there. This is a complete manual that you can download that talk about all of the scholarships available from the California Masonic Foundation as well as the Scottish Rite, York Rite, Eastern Star, High Twelve, DeMolay, Job s Daughters, & Rainbow for Girls. Sword & Trowel September 2018 Volume 6 No. 04 Page 8

Illustrious Grand Master Cryptic Masons: Most Illustrious Companion, William S. Dann, KTCH, KYGCH Pacific Council No. 37 Grand Master Cryptic Masons of California Grand Secretary/Recorder: Contact Information Philip Hardiman, KTCH, KCT, KYGCH, PGHP Grand Secretary Grand Chapter Royal Arch Masons California, Grand Recorder, Grand Council Cryptic Masons California, & Grand Recorder, Grand Commandery Knights Templar California 1123 J Street Sacramento, CA 95814 E-mail: sec-rec@yorkriteofcalifornia.org Assistant Secretary/Recorder: Thomas Krummell, KCT, KYCH 1123 J Street Sacramento, CA 95814 e-mail: assistant-sec-rec@yorkriteofcalifornia.org Website: Grand York Rite of California Note: Hyperlinks or links to other pages or web sites are prevalent throughout the document. Sword & Trowel September 2018 Volume 6 No. 04 Page 9

Officers: Grand Council Cryptic Masons California 158th Most Illustrious Companion Grand Master Cryptic Masons William S. Dann, KTCH, KYGCH Pacific Council No. 37 & Anne Eduardo Estrada, KYCH Deputy Grand Master Omega Council No. 11 & Natasha Most Illustrious Companion Robert A. L. Whitfield, KYGCH, MIPGM GRAND TREASURER Oakland Council No. 12 & Genie Richard E. Thornton, KCT, KYCH GRAND CHAPLAIN (North) Stockton Council No. 5 & Cara Peter G. Champion, KYCH Grand Captain of the Guard San Luis Obispo Council No. 38 & Janice Most Illustrious Companion William E. Price, KYGCH, MIPGM GRAND DIRECTOR OF RITUAL California Council No. 2 & Janet Michael T. Sherman, KYCH GRAND STEWARD Helix Council No. 58 William Miklos III, KYCH GRAND ORATOR Amador Council No. 31 & Angelica Efren D. Prado, KYCH GRAND MARSHAL (North) King Solomon's Council No. 29 K. Mark Harris GRAND SOLOIST/MUSICIAN Oakland Council No. 12 Gary Richard Quintrell, KYCH GRAND STANDARD BEARER Pacific Council No. 37 & Heidi Robert A. Morrison, KYCH Grand Principal Conductor of the Work Butte Council No. 50 & Pauline Most Illustrious Companion Philip Hardiman, KTCH, KCT, KYGCH, PGHP Grand Recorder Sacramento Council No. 1 & Nancy John Edward Bickerstaff GRAND CHAPLAIN (SOUTH) H. Edward Barr's Oasis Council No. 64 & Jennifer Guy M. Chalmers, KYCH GRAND CONDUCTOR OF THE COUNCIL Redwood Empire Council No. 46 & Jeanne Jeffrey A. White, KYCH GRAND SENTINEL Pacific Council No. 37 & Lisa Thomas A. Krummell, KCT, KYCH ASSISTANT GRAND RECORDER Gateway Council No. 13 & Marcia Ronald W. Alcorn III, KYCH GRAND MARSHAL (South) Alhambra Council No. 25 Andrew B. Pippin, KYCH GRAND BIBLE BEARER Ventura Council No. 15 & Julia Sword & Trowel September 2018 Volume 6 No. 04 Page 10

Auburn Sword & Trowel September 2018 Volume 6 No. 04 Page 11

San Bernardino Sword & Trowel September 2018 Volume 6 No. 04 Page 12

Vallejo Sword & Trowel September 2018 Volume 6 No. 04 Page 13

Grand Sessions Sword & Trowel September 2018 Volume 6 No. 04 Page 14