Trestle Board 290 March 2014 Volume #126 Issue #3 South Pasadena Masonic Lodge of F&AM The Illumination Series 126th Years Of Excellence www southpasadena290 org
1 2 3 5 18 SATURDAY Washington Memorial Celebration at Pasadena Lodge at 11:30am. SUNDAY Masonic Bureau Breakfast at 8am, Grand Masters Breakfast. MONDAY South Pasadena Hall Association Meeting at 6pm - AND - Tavern Night. All Brothers and Candidates Invited at 7pm WEDNESDAY Stated Dinner at 6:30pm & Stated Meeting at 7:30pm 11 TUESDAY City/Lodge Meet-up at 6pm, by reservation only. M A R C H 19 22 WEDNESDAY First Degree(s) at 6:30pm SATURDAY UCLA Masonic Symposium at 8:30am. Must register on-line. 26 WEDNESDAY First Degree(s) at 6:30pm 29 SATURDAY The Illumination Session at 9:30am. All Masons welcome. - AND - Lodge & Eastern Star Chilli Cook Off and BBQ dinner. At our Lodge and it s FREE at 5pm. Please join us for a Brothers night of socializing, upstairs in the rec room. Cigars. tea, talk. Virgin beverages and snacks provided. Children under 12 eat free and if it s your birthday this month you eat for free too! Please call or text our Chef directly to make your reservation by Sunday March 2nd at 1 213-300-0786. We will be serving a St. Patrick s Day diner - corn beef and cabbage for sure! EASTERN STAR DINNER and MEETING MONDAY March 10th Dinner @ 6:30pm Meeting @ 7:30pm MARCH Birthdays Jose D. Feliciano(3/6), M. E. Cevik(3/10), D Adren T. Bryant, Burdett L. Ives(3/15), Kenya N. TUESDAY Officer School of Instruction at Pasadena McCarter(3/17), Misak Cicek, Dennis A. Griggs Lodge at 7pm Jr.(3/18), Arthur E. Stevens(3/19), Stephen C. Boyd(3/21), Robert K. Carr, John R. Hill, Duane In April M. Moody(3/22), Sidney A. Parker(3/23), Oscar Medina, Angel Otero, Donald G. Zillman(3/24), 26th: Public Schools Day Richard C. Robbins(3/26), Kenneth R. Hansen(2/ @ 1pm 27), David Saldana(3/28), Madison H. Caldwell, 29th: East Gate Hall Ass. Adam R. Crawford, Edward Nigoliah(3/29), William meeting @ 7pm J. Carney, Antonio Pulido(3/30), Donald L. Stephens(3/31). 2
From The East Several months ago I sat down with my mother in law for a pleasant conversation and she asked me a very pointed question, one that we as Masons have all been asked at one time or another. The question was simply What do Masons do? or I think she meant to ask What is Freemasonry all about? I thought about the question and initially responded with the normal facts and statistics, but I soon had to say to Bob Arnold myself that facts and statistics are not what we as Masons are about. Freemasonry is really the very measure of a man and how we may be the better enabled to improve ourselves. We use the tools of the original stonemasons to measure ourselves Freemasonry is really the very measure as a man; these tools are the square and compass. of a man and how we may be the better We use these tools because we believe that a enabled to improve ourselves. man can be measured not by his wealth or statue, but by his deeds, his kindness, his friendship, his love for his fellow man, his trust, and his character. The square is used to square our actions by the square of virtue which is the very building block or foundation of our lives, the compass is used to circumscribe our desires, and let s not forget holy writings because we must have a belief in a supreme being. So what is the secret of Freemasonry? This secret is found in each of us and is discovered only when we come to know ourselves as men or in other words, the secret of Freemasonry is knowing who you are as a man. On March 29 th at 5:00 PM we will have a chili cook off with the Eastern Star followed by a BBQ chicken dinner. If you have a favorite chili recipe please make a pot of it and bring it to the lodge for all to enjoy. If you do not have a favorite recipe, please still come to the lodge. We would like to see you there. And in closing I would like to congratulate Bro. Todd St. Vaughn and Bro. Tomas Nevarez were just passed to the degree of Fellow Craft. See you at the Lodge Bob Arnold Master 3
Let There Be Illumination A Series of Discussions Prove That There is More To Our Ritual On January 28 th the first, on what is planned to be twelve(one per month) sessions was kicked off by our Senior Warden Dago Rodriguez(pictured left)who presented a lecture on the second degree entitled: The Middle Chamber: An Ascension To Truth Part 1. This insightful discussion ran close to an hour and half and had all in attendance, from newly raised Master Masons to 33 rd degree Past Masters, talking afterwards. On February 20 th Bro. Jaime Lamb(pictured right) pieced together another insightful discussion entitled: An Interpretation of the Solar & Astronomical Symbolism in Freemasonry where he connected astrological symbolism to the Third Degree of Masonry. These discussions were part of a new program at our Lodge The Illumination Series. These sessions will be a monthly series of lectures, discussions, or physical exercises - on various topics and disciplines - presented by individual Brothers for the general enlightenment of our members. Most of these discussions have an esoteric slant to them. After many new members brought up a yearning for more insight into their ritual, it was an opportune time to have seasoned members roll up their sleeves and share the research they had accumulated over many months, if not years, on their findings behind the Masonic Degrees. Our Lodge is now at a place where it has many versed members who are willing to share their findings with the rest of the Brethren without judgment or ridicule, not that there ever was any. A Lodge is suppose to provide that safe haven where revolutionary ideas or new age applications can be discussed, and for those who choose, applied, our Lodge can now offer that, explained Rodriguez. It is hoped that the Brethren draw from these presentations a refreshed appreciation for the symbolism of the Craft in general. Most of these talks will be geared towards Master Masons with a few exceptions geared towards Entered Apprentices and Fellow Crafts. Also, if you have a discussion you would like to put up, just contact any of the three Lecture Committee members Dago Rodriguez, Marco Garcia, or Jaime Lamb./G\ Upcoming Dates At A Glance It is hoped that the Brethren draw from these presentations a refreshed appreciation for the symbolism of the Craft in general. March 29 TITLE: Kundalini Yoga, Meditation,and Gong for Cosmic Consciousness LECTURER: Andre Bolourchi April 24 TITLE: Modern Alchemy: Healing Today s Body LECTURER: Michael Ulmer May TITLE: Alchemical Transformation on the First Degree June 15 22 LECTURER: Marco Garcia TITLE: Hiram Deciphered LECTURER: Charlie Fisher, PM 6 7
Dago Rodriguez The true success of any lodge comes from the Care, Commitment and Contribution of its members. These three C s of a successful lodge depend on you. And I don t mean just financial. Once a brother reaches the degree of Master Mason the question of What s next? crosses his mind. My answer to that is simple: YOU. You are next. It s your turn to take those tools and principles you just learned and apply them towards the growth and betterment of yourself. And in turn, without even knowing it, building your character. It all stems from the actions you decide to take. Not just talking about change or what could be improved, but on finding ways to act on it. From that great attitude we have been able to enjoy Tavern Nights, A Lecture Series, Cemetery Clean-up, Lodge Videos and pretty soon an art show in our very own Lodge. These endeavors have not been attempted in our lodge before, and now they are actually happening, because one individual committed to do it and inspired others to support him. A lodge is not just a giver. It would never last if it were, it needs balance, it needs from you, just as much as we need from it. To most of us our Lodge is our second home, and like our own home, we must always find ways to improve it. We don t see trash on the floor of our home and walk by it, we pick it up. The same goes with our Lodge. We need to move from the mentality of, there is trash on the floor, someone needs to pick it up to picking it up ourselves. It is our home, and we need to love it and give it the respect it s earned. Because the Lodge represents us, and when anyone visits, or whenever we are at Lodge, we want the best representation of ourselves. And many Brothers, especially the new ones, have taken that initiative and have created beautiful things at our home. So next time you are at Lodge ask yourself, how can I contribute to make my second home better? See you at Lodge! On The Level, From The West To most of us our Lodge is our second home, and like our own home, we must always find ways to improve it. Dago Rodriguez Senior Warden 6
From The South Greetings Brethren, The lodge continues to show rapid growth - this past month - with many new faces attending our events and asking to join our fraternity. We have also had several requests for affiliations all thanks to the environment that we are creating for all brothers who walk through our doors. I am particularly proud of Bros. Jason Wilson and Stuart Holst who as to of our newest Master Masons saw the opportunity to strengthen the support structure we provide our Entered Apprentices in their Masonic journey. They developed a mentorship program which had their first session on February 19 th. The intent of putting these positive thoughts in to actions for the betterment of the brethren and our Marco Garcia lodge is a quality worth of emulation. This invitation was also open to all Master Masons to come and support our newest brethren. We also continue to work on re-enforcing our relationship with the city of South Pasadena. We will be hosting a City/Lodge Meet-Up at our lodge on March 11, 2014 @ 6:00pm. This will be a great opportunity for us to put our lodge on display for many of the movers and shakers of the city. The Chamber is looking to re-introduce the mixer events and will be using this night as their kick off for the year. All members of our lodge are welcome to attend, free of charge, only if you RSVP with me at 323-335-8553. Lastly I would like to express how proud I am of all our officers. Many of us are already working in advanced stations in preparation for this year s qualifications. This line is a true reflection of our lodge in its current form. Committed, focused, prepared to do the hard work to keep us moving forward, and most importantly working in harmony to always do what is best for the lodge. I am here to serve my brothers. If there is anything I can be of assistance with please do not hesitate to contact me. I hope to see you all at lodge! Fraternally, Eternally, Marco Garcia February 12th: (L-R): Todd St.Vaughn, Marco Garcia, and Tomas Nevarez after being passed to their Fellow Craft Degrees. 7