I would like to thank the five brothers, WorBro John Brooks, WorBro Roy Youngblood, Bro Joseph Manimat, Bro Matt Harris, and EA Bro Ron Simonton who attended the Freedom Day Parade on July 3rd—this is a busy time for some families and the Lodge appreciates the efforts of all of those who were able to attend. We also value the participation of the ladies of the Eastern Star, the DeMolay boys, the girls of the Job’s Daughters and Rainbow, and their adult leaders.

August will be a busy month with several 3rd Degrees. The Candidates, Lodge, and Officers could use everyone’s support this month, so we hope to see you in attendance.

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

A few months ago I wrote that sidelines are needed at lodge meetings. More sidelines are still needed. Since the message was written there have been three brothers who have attended lodge that had not been on the sidelines is quite a while.

I again ask you to start making a change in your habit of not attending lodge meetings by coming to just one lodge meeting in August. There will be five to choose from. Then two lodge meetings the next month. That will be the start of the new habit of attending lodge. We hope to see you soon and often.

HELP WANTED – Sideliners are still needed at lodge meetings. Please join us.

Fraternally,
Drew Middleton
Senior Warden

An Officers Association has been formed in San Diego and Imperial Counties pursuant to Section 1000.000 of the California Masonic Code. The objectives and purposes of this Association is:

• To promote a spirit of cooperation, friendship, and harmony of action among the Masonic Lodges in California Division IX, their officers and members;
• To arrange for receptions for the Grand Master of the Grand Lodge of California in connection with his annual visitation with Division IX in San Diego, California;
• To foster Masonic education under the leadership of the Assistant Grand Lecturer, Inspectors and other Grand Lodge Representatives;
• To discuss subjects and problems incident to conducting the affairs of the Division IX Lodges; and
• To support and actively assist Masonic youth groups in Division IX.

Active membership shall be open to the officers of Masonic Lodges assigned by the Grand Lodge to Division IX.

Honorary membership shall be accorded to the Grand Master of the Grand Lodge of California, the Assistant Grand Lecturer and Inspectors of Division IX, the Past Masters of the Lodges of the Association, and to such persons as the Association may from time to time elect.

Only active members shall have the right to vote on matters relating to the Association.

Each of the Inspectors appointed by the Grand Master to serve in Masonic Districts that comprise Division IX has consented and approved of his Masonic District’s participation in the meetings and activities of the Association. Each such Inspector further warrants that the Association is intended to further matters as are for the welfare of the Craft.

The entire Constitution of the San Diego and Imperial County Masonic Officers Association is on file in our Lodge Secretary’s office for your perusal.

Fraternally,
John Brooks, PM
Junior Warden

The evening will begin with a social hour at 6:30 PM and dinner will be served at 7:00, with introductions, presentations and remarks following. Attire for men is business suits and appropriate dress for the ladies.

Reservations MUST be made by September 1st by calling David Haslim at (858) 695-8407.

Information about the legislation to be considered will soon be on-line and will be in the next issue of the Trestleboard.

Friday, September 24 – 1:00 pm – 5:00 pm
Opening Session – Board and Committee reports, Grand Master’s message and beginning of legislation. Attire : Business suit

Saturday, September 25 – 8:30 am – 5:00 pm
Grand Lodge Session – Grand Oration, memorial service, completion of legislation, election of Grand Lodge Officers, and approval of Grand Lodge budget and per capita. Attire: Business suit
Ladies’ Lunch — A Lunch at Tiffany’s 10 AM Marriott Union Square, 480 Sutter Street
Kathy Nagel, wife of the Grand Master, invites the ladies and family members to join her for lunch. Bus transportation provided. Attire: Casual
Grand Master’s Banquet – 6:30 PM
San Francisco Marriott Marquis, 55 Fourth Street Join Grand Master Nagel for an evening of fellowship and celebration at the San Francisco Marriott Hotel. Attire: Formal No-host social begins at 6:30 PM; dinner will be served at 7:30 PM. Bus transportation provided.

Sunday, September 26 – 9:30 am – 1:00 pm
Public Ceremonies – 9:30 AM Annual Grand Chaplain’s inspirational message; annual Masonic Youth Orders message; and Grand Master’s Youth Support Award.
Installation of Grand Lodge Officers – 11 AM The Installation is open to all Masons, family, and friends. Reception immediately follows in the Great Hall. Attire: Business suits for men; short dresses or pant suits for ladies.

You’ve got three minutes to answer the question, “What does Masonry mean to me?”

How you answer is up to you. Make us laugh, or make us cry. Write a song. Choreograph a dance. Interview a brother, or take us behind the scenes of your lodge.

Work with others, your lodge, your family, your local youth orders, or work alone. Just put it on video.

We’ll debut the top three videos on freemason.org, Facebook, and our upcoming YouTube channel for the Masons of California.

Contest rules:
• At least one entrant must be a member of a California Masonic organization
• Videos must be three minutes or less
• Due August 31, 2010.
• Submit signed release forms (available at the Lodge Office) for everyone who appears on camera.

Send videos and signed releases (or any questions you have about the contest) to communications@freemason.org (put “Video contest” in the subject line) or mail to Communications c/o Video Contest, Grand Lodge of California, 1111 California St., San Francisco, CA 94108.

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

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

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

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

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

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.

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

May was again a productive month for the Lodge.

Our Honored Lady’s luncheon was very well attended. I would like to thank all of the Officer’s who turned out to lend a helping hand. Brother Dan Spalding did an outstanding job in assisting in all areas of the event and Beverly Youngblood and her help prepared a fabulous dinner. I would also like to thank Brother Gunther for providing the entertainment. We had many comments from the Lady’s on the efforts of all of the Officers and they really enjoyed the event. I hope we can continue to have all such events to be as well attended.

Our Lodge also hosted the Officer School of Instruction on May 17th where we exemplified the Third Degree. I would like to congratulate all of our new Master Masons, and newly Affiliated Brothers for pitching in – the Lodge appreciates your efforts and the work was out- standing.

Our June stating meeting will be on June 7th and we look forward to seeing you all there, and in attendance at our Degrees in support of the Candidates, Officers and the Lodge.

Fraternally,

David Lonergan
Worshipful Master

One of my duties as the Senior Warden is that of being the Head Candidates’ Coach. In that capacity I would like to address our candidates and their coaches.

First to both the candidates who have recently been advanced and their coaches; I would like to say thank you for very proficient Proficiencies that have been given. Keep up the great work.

To those of you who will soon be ready to give your proficiency, and be advance to the next degree of Masonry, please let the Master or my-self know so that we can schedule you for that advancement.

If you have not been able to find the time to work with your coach, please contact him and see what arrangements can be made to schedule more coaching time. If that does not work then contact me and we can discuss what can be done to get you the help needed, so that you can receive the Masonic light you need to be advanced.

Coaches, please keep in contact with your candidates and let me know how they are doing and when they will be ready for their next degree conferral.

Fraternally,

Drew Middleton
Senior Warden

First of all I would like to give recognition to Beverly and Betty for preparing the Honored Ladies luncheon. They were assisted by Gerri, Mandy, Julie and Job Daughters Leah and Kaela. For Brothers Dan, David, Drew, Joseph, Harry and Roy for being the waiters, bus boys and dish washers. Without your dedication the luncheon would not have been such a success. A very special thanks goes to Brother Gregg Gunther for providing the entertainment. Watching the Ladies competing in the Wii horse racing game was something to behold.

On Friday, June 25th the Officer School of Instruction will be held at Consuelo Lodge. Dinner will be served at 6 p.m. The Deacons from the 901st and 903rd Masonic Districts will be exemplifying the first degree. If unable to attend kindly notify the Inspector.

Our officer’s coach, Worshipful Tom Traver, will be holding classes of instruction for prospective Deacons and Stewards. Contact Wor Tom for dates and times.

Grand Lodge is providing a Certification Program for Lodge Management. This year the classes for Southern California will be held in Newport Beach on June 12th and in San Diego on June 19th. It is in the Lodge budget to pay the enrollment cost for members who attend the training. I plan on attending in both venues, if you are interested in car pooling let me know. The courses offered are Program Planning, Lodge Finance, Hall Association Management, Membership Development, and Lodge Administration.

Fraternally,

John Brooks, PM
Junior Warden

I have just returned from Washington, D.C. with three of our veteran brothers to visit their World War II Memorial. The trip was the fifth flight of the Grand Masters project “Operation Greatest Gift.”

The three veterans of Oceanside-San Dieguito Lodge who made the journey are Bill Hurd, Dick Davis, and Frank Denison Jr.

After flying from LAX to Regan International in D.C. we were taken in shuttle vans to the hotel where we were greeted by the Grand Master of D.C. and other local Masons. After a late night dinner it was bed time. The next morning we were up early for breakfast and on a bus to the World War II Memorial site.

WorBro Hurd said, “The memorial is larger than I expected it to be.” Brother Davis stated, “It is more impressive than I anticipated.” Bro Denison commented, “I am very happy that I was able to make this trip.” All three are grateful to have the opportunity to see the memorial.

The memorial is oval in shape with a tower at each end representing the Pacific and Atlantic theaters of the war and a pool in the center with water being sprayed at each end.

On the north side of the memorial are 4,000 gold stars, each representing 100 of the 400,000 American service men and women who made the ultimate sacrifice.

We already have three more brothers who are on the list to go on one of the flights in the fall when the weather is cooler. If you would like to make this trip of a life time contact me or call Joyce Hahn, (415) 292-9139, at Grand Lodge.

Fraternally,

Roy Youngblood, PM
Lodge Secretary