Oceanside – San Dieguito Masonic Lodge no. 381

July 2010 – Trestleboard

Brethren,

June was another busy month for the Lodge with several Degree conferrals. It was nice to see so many side liners in attendance at our 1st Degree on June 10th and look forward to to see many more at the double 2nd Degrees on the 28th. I hope this continues and also wish to see many more of you in attendance at the meetings this month.

Several Members of our Lodge took part in “Operation Greatest Gift” and traveled to Washington, D.C. to see the World War II Memorial dedicated to Veteran’s who served in that war. WorBro Roy Youngblood escorted a group of our Brothers on the trip and the Lodge is very proud to have supported this wonderful effort. It was an honor and I am proud of the 110% support that the member’s of our Lodge gave towards this project.

Please attend our Stated Meetings and, as always, the Officer’s and Candidate’s appreciate your support at our Degrees.

Fraternally,
Dave Lonergan
Worshipful Master

Brethren,

Sorry, Brother Secretary, but you will need to find another subject to include in your column next month.

WorBro Youngblood reported that last month a Masonic Funeral Service was requested for one of our Brothers. (The Master was working in San Francisco, WorBro Brooks was on a cruise, I was unable to get away from preparations for the fair, and WorBro Traver was at his daughters wedding.) Thus, Roy had the privilege to officiate the service.

An e-mail was sent to all of the Brothers in the local area. Basically, all who live with in a one hour travel time to the Lodge.

Now for the bad news! No other brothers were in attendance at the service.

Below is from the CMC stating that it is your duty to attend a brother’s funeral service.

§804.855. DUTY TO ATTEND FUNERAL.
It is the duty of every member to attend the funeral of a deceased member of his Lodge or any other Master Mason residing within the vicinity of his Lodge at the time of death, if he can do so without great inconvenience.

Fraternally,
Drew L. Middleton
Senior Warden

Brethren,

At the May Stated Meeting the Lodge voted to participate in the Freedom Day Parade to be held on July 3rd. A truck will be at the Lodge at 8 a.m. on the 3rd which needs to be decorated. The Brothers that wish to ride can, the others will walk the parade route which is approximately 1 mile. This is an opportunity for the Brethren to show their support for our Lodge, our Community and our Country. Refreshments will be provided for the participants.

Candidate coaches are still needed. Contact the Senior Warden if you are interested in providing this valuable assistance. It is truly a rewarding experience.

In July there are two OSI’s scheduled. The first will be on Friday, July 16th at Consuelo Lodge starting with dinner at 6 p.m. and the Deacons program starting at 7 p.m. The second OSI will be held at the Scottish Rite Center in San Diego on Saturday, July 24th starting at 8 a.m. until 12 noon. Attendance is mandatory for all Lodge officers elected and appointed. The Grand Lecturer is scheduled to be in attendance.

Happy Independence Day!

May Brotherly Love Prevail.

Fraternally,
John Brooks, PM
Junior Warden

On Saturday, July 3rd at 10:00 a.m. the City of Oceanside will hold its annual Freedom Days Parade. The family of Freemasonry will be participating along with the Shrine Tin Lizzies.

We have made arrangements for flat bed truck for those who would not be able to walk the parade route of about 1 mile.

Assembly time at the Lodge is 8:00 a.m. to decorate the truck. Refreshments and water will be provided

Brethren,

Over the last couple of months a few things have happened that lead me to believe that I need to present facts for your consideration.

First is the payment of your dues. The dues are to be payable in advance on the first day of January of each year for that year. I mail out the dues notice in October of each year, which will give you sufficient time to remit your dues by January 1st.

With the Grand Lodge increasing the amount required per member to be paid by the Lodges each year, your dues will be going up each and every year. I would suggest the purchase of a Life Membership. Yes it will cost a few dollars, but you will not need to be concerned in your later years when your mind might not work at its most efficient.

This leads to the second point; that of letting your family know the meaning of your Masonic membership to you. Over the years there have been brothers who have almost lost their membership because their family did not know the importance of belonging. They think, “Dad is not able to attend the lodge, so why should we pay his dues.”

This brings me to the third point; that of having a Masonic Funeral Service. While you still can, make sure that all of your family understands what your desires are. A wife knew that her husband wanted a Masonic Service, but she preceded him, and the children (above) did not know. Thus our Brother did not get what he wanted.

Remember the importance of communicating.

Fraternally,
Roy Youngblood, PM
Lodge Secretary

We have several Brothers who are in need of some Masonic Sunshine in the form of our prayers, cards and calls. Pleases remember them and let them know that we are thinking of them.

Chuck Baldridge – Eye Problems
Woody Cossey – Health Problems
Jack deBruin – Health Problems
Jim Dison – Health Problems
Al Fiecher – Skin Cancer
Paul Hamby – Open Heart Surgery
Joseph Hunter – Alzheimer’s
Don Jones – Recovering from Surgery
Ardill Martin – Fractured Hip
John Mathews – Stroke
Baltazar Patron – Complications of Diabetes

If you are the spouse, family member, friend or care giver of a lodge member in need of some Masonic Sunshine, please let us know by calling the Lodge Office at (760) 722-9363 or via our contact page.

Summer History Classes from UCLA

Across countries and centuries, Freemasonry has shaped governments and societies. But until recently, only limited academic research and coursework was devoted to the subject.

That changed in 2008, when the Grand Lodge of California initiated an important partnership with the University of California, Los Angeles. Dr. Margaret C. Jacob, one of the world’s foremost Masonic Scholars, lead the development of two courses on the history of Freemasonry, debuting this spring at UCLA.

This summer, Grand Lodge and UCLA are offering the opportunity for all Masons (MM, FC & EA) to participate in accelerated versions of these courses.

The courses will explore Freemasonry’s

Impact on European and American history from the Enlightenment through today

Role in the early development of modern thought, culture and politics

Contributions to the evolution of individual rights and democratic societies

Course details
Meet once a week for three consecutive weeks, 6:30 to 10:00 p.m.
Participants are expected to read select material from primary and secondary sources
Participate in lectures and discussions

Locations and dates
Sacramento July 12, 19 & 26
Oakland July 13, 20 & 27
Orange County July 14, 21 & 28
Pasadena July 15, 22 & 29
San Diego July 15, 22 & 29

Thanks to a generous scholarship from the California Masonic Foundation the registration fee is $60, with a July 7th registration deadline. To enroll or for more information contact Kim Hegg, Grand Lodge program coordinator, at khegg@freemason.org or at (415) 292-9111.

This is an opportunity for every brother to improve his Masonic knowledge with a university level course.

Keep On Learning