California Freemason Magazine Winter 2024-25

W WI INNTTEERR 22002241–- 2 5 2

CALIFORNIAFREEMASON.ORG

H O W G R OUP S L I K E

MASONS O F CALIFORNIA

THE

CAN HELP

BUILD Y COMMUNIT

COMBATION POLARIZAT

– AND –

SAVE THE! WORLD

WINTER

2024–25 74 01 VO L

NO

A SENSE OF

BELONGING They may not look like much, but all those pancake breakfasts and spaghetti dinners are about more than just bringing the lodge together.

They may be the key to saving our democracy. BY TONY GILBERT

16

I N E VE RY I SSU E

2 S N A P S H OT

The 175th Annual Communication brings a who’s-who of Masonic dignitaries to town.

4 E X E C U T I V E M E S S AG E New Grand Master Arthur L.

TEOTIHUACAN PYRAMIDS

Salazar Jr. on why community is at the heart of Freemasonry.

5 THE MOSAIC

A new affinity lodge brings Masons together outside of the lodge [page 5]; checking in with

THE GRAND MASTER’S

California’s newest lodges [page 7]; meet the Mason with

MEXICO CITY TRIP

the slickest moves on the hardwood [page 8]; why the new Trestleboard is a text [page 9]; Sacramento Masons rally for Afghan refugee students [page

M arc h 3–9, 2025

PAUL DI MARINO (FROM LEFT), FRANK COBOS, JEFFREY DANGERMOND, AND RYDELL MALICDEM GATHER FOR A WEEKLY BREAKFAST AT REDLANDS № 300.

10]; this Masonic order is in full feather [page 11]; in Paradise,

JOIN THE GRAND MASTER on a once-in-a-lifetime trip to Mexico City and ceremonially open the Grand Lodge of California at the historic York Grand Lodge of Mexico. Stay in five-star luxury while you explore the many sites, sounds, and tastes of one of the world’s most vibrant cities.

Table Mountain № 124 begins anew [page 12]; a pilot project is preserving the records of extinct lodges [page 14]; tracking California’s lodge deserts

HIGHLIGHTS INCLUDE:

6 NIGHTS AT THE INTERCONTINENTAL PRESIDENTE HOTEL (DOUBLE OCCUPANCY)

OPENING OF THE GRAND LODGE OF CALIFORNIA

FLOATING GARDENS OF XOCHIMILCO DAY TRIP

AT THE HISTORIC YORK GRAND LODGE OF MEXICO BUILDING IN POLANCO

asonic This is ae Myou won’t adventutr to miss! wan

TEOTIHUACAN PYRAMIDS DAY TRIP GRAND MASTER’S BANQUET

Add ons include: CHAPULTEPEC CASTLE TOUR • NATIONAL PALACE OF MEXICO COOKING CLASS OR FOOD TOUR • LUCHA LIBRE WRESTLING PALACIO DE BELLAS ARTES CONCERT FRIDA KAHLO MUSEUM DAY TRIP

Base price starts at $1,990 per person

[page 15]; and more.

33

M A S O N I C A S S I S TA N C E A new program at the Masonic Homes of California is helping to train the next generation of nursing students.

(DOUBLE OCCUPANCY)

O N TH E COV E R

Visit freemason.org/MexicoCity2025 for details

ILLUSTRATION

BY DAVID BRINLEY

22

26

GROUP THINK

BELONGING TO THE BEYOND

In the new documentary Join or Die, filmmaker Rebecca Davis makes a powerful case for the value of membership.

The Masonic funeral rite not only binds members to one another, but offers outsiders a view into the camaraderie of the lodge.

PHOTO BY MATHEW SCOTT

30

FOUNDERS OF THE FEAST

What do 100-year-old Masonic banquet menus tell us about the cultural—and epicurean—history of the fraternity?

S N AP S H O T 1 0/ 2 6 / 20 2 4 | 1 1 :31 A . M.

Brothers from Another Mother Lodge THE 175TH ANNUAL COMMUNICATION brought together nearly 1,300 Masons from around California and, this year more than most, around the world. In addition to representatives from 283 of the Grand Lodge of California’s constituent lodges, there were 61 Masonic dignitaries present from other jurisdictions, including the United Grand Lodge of England, considered the “mother lodge” of American Freemasonry. Representing the UGLE were Grand Secretary Adrian Marsh (left) and Pro Grand Master Jonathan Spence. (The Pro Grand Master is an advisor to the Grand Master, the Duke of Kent, and often serves in his place.) Prior to the business sessions, they met with new California Grand Master Arthur L. Salazar Jr., Grand Secretary Allan L. Casalou, and outgoing Grand Master G. Sean Metroka (not pictured). —IAN A. STEWART PHOTO BY KEVIN MEYNELLE

2

W I N T E R 2 0 24 – 2 5

3

T H E M O S A I C Surveying California Freemasonry

EXECUTIVE MESSAGE

A COMMUNITY OF JOINERS In a divided world, Masons have a chance to inspire the community around us.

EDITORIAL STAFF

Emily Limón Executive Editor Ian A. Stewart Editorial Director Pete Ivey Creative Director Isabelle Guérin Managing Editor J.R. Sheetz Multimedia Editor Justin Japitana Assistant Editor John Dale Online Editor PUBLICATION COMMITTEE

Masons? That’s one of the most common questions I’m asked by people who want to know more about this fraternity. We know that there are lots of reasons: Some had a father or grandfather who belonged to a lodge. Or a friend who introduced them to a member. Or just curiosity about the ritual and esoteric Masonic knowledge. Or a desire to improve as a husband, father, or partner.

Something people don’t necessarily talk much about, but what might be even more important, is the community aspect of our organization. When Masons gather in lodge, we’re coming together as a group of people with common values. We’re demonstrating servant leadership. We’re working with one another across political, ethnic, and socioeconomic lines.

Nowadays, that kind of cooperation is more important than ever— and harder than ever to find. The harmony we see play out in our lodges is precisely the kind of thing we need in order to fight against the polarization and distrust that have become all too common in our world. That makes our lodges important examples that our communities can follow—and it makes our members important leaders in the places they call home.

But that can only happen if we take the lessons we learn inside the lodge and put them into practice outside of it. Today, we have a special opportunity to inspire the world around us through our Masonic principles. After all, Masons are builders. We build character. We build consensus. We build vibrant communities.

So as we look toward the new year, I urge all California Masons to take advantage of this opportunity to show our community what Masonic leadership really looks like.

Thank you. I look forward to an inspiring year to come.

Russell E. Hennings Editor-in-Chief and PM, Saddleback Laguna № 672 Allan L. Casalou Grand Secretary and PM, Acalanes Fellowship № 480 Ian E. Laurelin South Pasadena № 290 Dagoberto Rodriguez PM, South Pasadena № 290 Emanuel A. Rose PM, Humboldt № 79 James L. Tucker PM, Logos № 861 OFFICERS OF THE GRAND LODGE Grand Master: Arthur L. Salazar Jr., Irvine Valley Lodge № 671

Senior Grand Warden: Ara Maloyan, Santa Monica-Palisades № 307 Junior Grand Warden: Christopher D. Smith, Peninsula № 168 Grand Treasurer: Charles P. Cross, Metropolitan № 352 Grand Secretary: Allan L. Casalou, Acalanes Fellowship № 480 Grand Lecturer: Matthew S. Vander Horck, Long Beach № 327

CALIFORNIA FREEMASON

ISSUE 01 • VOLUME 74 • WINTER 2024–25

USPS #083-940 is published quarterly by the Masons of California. 1111 California Street, San Francisco, CA 94108-2284. Periodicals Postage Paid at San Francisco, CA and at additional mailing offices.

Postmaster: Send address changes to California Freemason, 1111 California Street, San Francisco, CA 94108-2284.

Publication dates are the first day of March, June, September, and December.

Subscriptions: California Freemason is mailed to every member of this Masonic jurisdiction without additional charge. Others are invited to subscribe for $12 a year or $15 outside the United States.

Permission to reprint: Permission to reprint original articles in California Freemason is granted to all recognized Masonic publications with credit to the author and this publication.

Phone: (800) 831-8170 or (415) 776-7000 Fax:

(415) 776-7170

4

W I N T E R 2 0 24 – 2 5

LODGE PROFILE

A Lodge Under the Sun and Stars

IN ORANGE COUNTY, A NEW LODGE IS BRINGING TOGETHER MASONS WITH A LOVE OF THE OUTDOORS. BY IAN A. STEWART They’d a l re a dy sa i l e d 2 6 mi l e s to Catalina Island when they began their hike, a nine-mile ramble climbing more than 1,400 feet above sea level. To make things more dif-

Email: editor@freemason.org

ficult, they didn’t quite know what they were looking for. Nor were they using GPS to get

FIND US ONLINE

there. Instead, Sean Heaton, a threat-intelligence engineer formerly with the Department

» californiafreemason.org

of Defense, was guiding the group, using grid references on a paper map, to a series of coor-

» twitter.com/MasonsofCA

dinates they hardly understood. ¶ At long last, more than four hours into the grueling trek,

» youtube.com/CaliforniaMasons

they found what they were after: a small fake rock, the type you’d hide a spare key inside,

» instagram.com/MasonsofCA

Grand Master of Masons in California

PHOTOS

BY JUSTIN L. STEWART

Deputy Grand Master: Garrett S. Chan, California № 1

» facebook.com/MasonsofCalifornia

Arthur L. Salazar Jr.

MEMBERS OF WAYFARER’S LODGE № 889 HIKE UP MORO CANYON THROUGH A MARINE LAYER ON A SUNDAY IN LATE SEPTEMBER, AT CRYSTAL COVE STATE PARK IN LAGUNA BEACH.

» tiktok.com/CaliforniaMasons

set inconspicuously along a footpath. Inside was a slip of paper, signed by a series of adventurers before them who’d similarly volunteered for this online treasure hunt. Triumphant,

▼

Wh y d o p eople join the

Arthur L. Salazar Jr. Grand Master

5

T H E M O S A I C

Says Charles Kelly, a past master of Newport Mesa № 241, “Before this group, I hadn’t been camping much since I was a kid. Going out to Joshua Tree, I didn’t know most of those dudes super well, but sitting around the campfire, going on long hikes, I got to know them better in a short period of time than I ever would otherwise.”

That’s a common refrain within affinity lodges, which bring members together around a shared interest. (California’s first affinity lodge, Ye Olde Cup & Ball № 880, is made up of Masons who practice magic.) Elsewhere in the world, and particularly in Great Britain, affinity lodges are much more common and cater to topics ranging from the esoteric to the everyday (car aficionados, soccer

the half-dozen members of the

Already, Wayfarer’s Lodge

group added their collective

has hosted weekend camping

appellation, which felt entirely

and hiking trips on Catalina,

appropriate, to the list: The

in Joshua Tree, and at Malibu

Wayfarer’s Lodge. As an affin-

Creek State Park. Members have

ity lodge, Wayfarer’s № 889 is

organized motorcycle rides up

committed to bringing Masons

the coast to Santa Barbara, fish-

LODGE MEMBERS (FROM LEFT) CRAIG READE, KEN STANFORD, AND BEN QUINTERO TAKE A BREAK FROM A RECENT HIKE. AT RIGHT, READE SURVEYS THE SCENE IN HIS CAMPAIGN HAT, WHICH THE LODGE MASTER WEARS.

Sons motorcycle riders, the Black Sheep Scooter Club, the Masonic National Camping Travelers Club, and many others in California and around the country. In each case, members benefit from the double

and day hikes in Santiago Can-

bers organize frequent excursions

yon, Laguna Canyon, Crys-

during which they hike, camp,

tal Cove, and elsewhere. “As

fish, surf, or pursue some other

opposed to everyone showing up

more toward the weekend war-

Another charter member of Way-

enjoyable strategy for leaving the

to a meeting and then leaving,

rior than the elite outdoorsman,

farer’s Lodge, Mark Phillips,

although a few of the hikes have

moved to Colorado but still

been on the challenging side. (A

makes a point of flying out to join

12.5-miler through Joshua Tree

the group on its camping trips.

wasn’t your typical walk in the

Already, Reade has seen the

charter this fall during a reception at O’Neill Regional Park in

where the fellowship is gone,

Orange County. In addition to the outdoor trips, the group envi-

Heaton, the group now has 16 members, mostly from Huntington Beach № 380 and Newport Mesa № 241, and received its

common interest like this allows

bond of a shared passion. Says

us to spend time together outside

West, “We’re bringing all these

the lodge.”

interests together under one roof.”

That can be a powerful draw:

park.) As with a regular Masonic

lodge take on a life of its own.

meeting, the real bonding hap-

While he describes himself as

pens afterward. “Being together

mostly a hiking and camping guy,

like this gives us an opportunity

he says others have started orga-

we’re trying to incorporate these

to be closer,” says West, a past

nizing trap-and-skeet sessions and

activities into the lodge,” says

master of Huntington Beach №

surfing and body-boarding meet-

sions putting on outdoor degrees

Reade, the charter master. “The

380 and Wayfarer’s first treasurer.

ups. In the latter case, the group

for new members, although

gist is that, being that Freema-

“When you spend nights sitting

within the group has already come

they’re still looking for the right

sonry is a fraternity and you’re

around a campfire talking, we’re

up with a twist on the lodge name:

location to host them.

meant to be friends, having a

all a little bit tighter for that.”

They’re the Wave-Farers.

6

W I N T E R 2 0 24 – 2 5

—MARK McNEE, MASTER

KAPAYAPAAN AT PAGKAKAISA № 888 CHARTERED: MEETS:

ing trips around Orange County,

“When you spend nights sitting around a campfire talking, we’re all a little bit tighter for that.”

IN TH E IR WORDS:

“In 2023, when Argonaut № 8 and CalaverasKeystone № 78 merged, the Grand Lodge purchased the historic lodge hall in Sonora. The building is now under renovation, ensuring that Freemasonry will remain active in Tuolumne County.”

are also unofficial and semiofficial

together not just outside the

of Craig Reade, Glen West, and

MEETS:

Sonora Masonic Lodge

October 27, 2024

lodge, but outside period. Mem-

crowd behind. The brainchild

CHARTERED:

October 27, 2024

fans, etc.). Closer to home, there Masonic groups like the Widows

The lodge’s outings are geared

SONORA № 887

John D. Spreckles Masonic Center, San Diego IN TH E IR WORDS:

“Kapayapaan at Pagkakaisa represents a collaborative endeavor, conceived by like-minded and like-hearted Masonic brethren seeking illumination within Masonry, grounded in principles of peace and harmony.”

—EUGENE ABAD, MASTER

WAYFARER’S № 889 CHARTERED:

October 27, 2024 MEETS:

Newport Mesa Masonic Lodge IN TH E IR WORDS:

“We’re members with a common interest in spending time together outside the lodge. Our attachment is in sharing that time together.”

—CRAIG READE, MASTER

PHOTO BY SYE WILLIAMS

THE NEW GUYS

Meet California’s newest lodges.

ROYAL STREET № 890 CHARTERED:

October 27, 2024 MEETS:

CALIFORNIA HISPANIC AND LATIN AMERICAN RESEARCH LODGE CHARTERED:

October 27, 2024 MEETS:

Long Beach Scottish Rite IN TH E IR WORDS:

“We aspire to become the source of education for all Masons with an emphasis on Hispanic and Latin American history. We’ll engage in educational seminars throughout California to bring greater interest to our work.”

—GERARDO JIMENEZ, FOUNDING SECRETARY

DeMolay Center, Anaheim

HIGH 12 U.D.

IN TH E IR WORDS:

D I S P E N S AT I O N :

“Everything for us is about having fun with our families. We’re much more on the social side of the fraternity versus doing craft Masonry. We have quarterly meetings and visits to Disneyland, and our members come in from all around the state.”

—NATHAN WILLIAMS, MASTER

HERMES № 891 CHARTERED:

October 27, 2024 MEETS:

Long Beach Scottish Rite IN TH E IR WORDS:

“Hermes Lodge was named after Hermes Trismegistus, the basis of Hermetic philosophy.

We are dedicated to teaching through the principles and symbolism of Freemasonry.”

August 8, 2024 MEETS:

Benicia Masonic Hall IN TH E IR WORDS:

“We meet at the historic Benicia Temple. We chose the name High 12 as it connotes a beautiful and glorious time of the day. That is how we see Masonry—as beautiful and glorious!”

—JAMES RAZON, MASTER

CITLALI U.D. D I S P E N S AT I O N :

September 18, 2024 MEETS:

El Segundo Masonic Center IN TH E IR WORDS:

—MIKE TUGWELL,

“The word ‘citlali’ means ‘star.’ It derives from the Nahuatl language spoken

by Aztecs and Mayans.

Our purpose is to spread the values of integrity, unity, and charity, especially in Spanish.”

MASTER

—MARCO ROMERO, MASTER

7

much to see and understand. Your perspective just grows. As Globetrotters, we also did a lot of charitable work, working with various children’s hospitals and nonprofits. Coming from poverty, basketball was my therapy, and to travel the world to play and make people smile—on top of meeting so many interesting people—I truly appreciate that opportunity. Being a Globetrotter is very similar to being a Mason. You’re an ambassador

WORKING TOOLS

When the Trestleboard Is a Text IN SACRAMENTO AND ELSEWHERE, MASONS ARE TURNING TO WHATSAPP TO KEEP IN TOUCH.

of goodwill and community, and that’s something you never take off.

“Being a Globetrotter is very similar to being a Mason. You’re an ambassador of goodwill and community.”

CFM: How do you spend your time these days?

HW: Besides being the manager of my children, who are working actors, I’m also an executive producer

THE FIRST MESSAGE is a reminder about the Ben Ali Shrine’s upcoming Monte Carlo Night. Then there’s an invitation to a new speakeasy bar. Someone else is asking for opinions about the appendant bodies. The list goes on: A reminder about a wine-tasting fundraiser at the Shriner’s Hospital. A link to a lodge’s event calendar. A Capital City bonfire party.

Masons staying in touch with one another is nothing new. But for the several dozen members of the River City Freemasons group, the method for doing so definitely is.

They’re just the latest bunch who’ve turned to WhatsApp to keep the conversation going away from lodge. And crucially, the WhatsApp group casts a wide net, as it’s shared among members from all of Sacramento County’s 12 Masonic lodges.

on the show Uninterrupted: The Real Stories of Basketball. Outside of that, my wife and I founded the MEMBER PROFILE

Harold “Lefty” Williams

Dare2Dream Foundation, a nonprofit sports and character-development organization. We’re fortunate to have partnerships with several NBA teams.

I grew up poor and had to work hard for everything I earned, so a lot of the work we do is tied to my past.

We help children go to school through scholarships

Member since 2024 Hollywood № 355 Retired professional basketball player

California Freemason: You were on the world-

HW: Yes, I initially joined the Washington Gener-

famous Harlem Globetrotters. How did that come

als, who always lose to the Globetrotters. They’re

to be?

really the same organization, just the other side of

Harold Williams: I played professional basketball

it. Still, I was so excited by the whole thing. And

for 15 years, during which I traveled to all 50 states

then in 2007, I was “traded” to the Globetrotters.

and 36 countries. I’d just played in the NBA Summer

I got traded the same day Kevin Garnet and Ray

League in Memphis and was getting ready to head

Allen were traded to the Boston Celtics. I remem-

back overseas when a coach from the Globetrotters

ber the bigger story on ESPN at the time was about

reached out. He’d seen me clowning around with a

my trade, which I thought was hilarious. It was like

basketball during my time with a previous team. He

that talk show First Take and everyone was talking

was impressed and gave me a business card. It was

about this kid who just went from the Generals to

red, white, and blue with gold trim and had a pic-

the Globetrotters.

ture of a ball being spun on a finger. I felt like I was

8

and change their environment for the better.

CFM: Would you say that work connects to your experience as a Mason?

HW: Definitely. As Masons, we’re meant to care about being better men—better people—and to make the world better. I just want to be that light for others. Especially with my kids, I talk about having the right values: faith, family, community, treating others the way they want to be treated, and believing in yourself and your dreams. When I first learned about Masonry, my uncle, who was a member, told me, “You know you’re already a Mason,

handed a Willy Wonka ticket.

CFM: Did you enjoy your time as a Globetrotter?

HW: Yes, very much. Traveling a lot, you meet so

right? You’ve always been a Mason.” At first, I

CFM: You also played for the Washington Generals—

many people along the way and learn to be more

proud to say I do my best to embody what a true

the Globetrotters’ rivals.

empathetic and culturally sensitive. There’s so

Mason is about.

W I N T E R 2 0 24 – 2 5

PHOTO BY MATTHEW REAMER

“It’s easy to not venture outside your own lodge, and our old messaging channels were reinforcing that insularity,” says Blake Green, master of Sacramento № 40.

didn’t know what he meant by that. But today I’m —Justin Japitana

Instead, Green and others launched the River City Freemasons to break down those barriers. Initially, messages were filled with typical Masonic stuff—schedules for degree ceremonies and so forth. But for the first time, Green and others were getting a peek into what the lodge down the street was up to. “We never realized how many lodges were hosting festive boards and chili cook-offs,” Green says.

“Suddenly, our members’ experience of the fraternity grew.”

In the few months since launching, the River City Freemasons group has grown. The chatter is having some IRL impacts, too, bringing new faces to lodge. And, Green says, it’s a great way to keep members engaged, giving them a sense of the larger fraternity they belong to.

As grounded as Masonry is in in-person gatherings, the chats are proving to be an extremely effective way to expand participation.

“At the end of the day, the biggest takeaway we’ve had from this experiment is this: if you don’t know what is going on in your area at other lodges, you are missing an important part of the Masonic experience,” Green says.

—TONY PIERUCCI

FRATERNITY LEFT: SCHOOLKIDS AT RIVERBANK K-8 SCHOOL IN WEST SACRAMENTO CHECK OUT NEW FARSI AND ENGLISH BOOKS. BELOW: PAST GRAND MASTER G. SEAN METROKA, DISTRICT SUPERINTENDENT CHERYL HILDRETH, RAISING A READER CEO MICHELLE TORGERSON, AND FOUNDATION PRESIDENT DOUG ISMAIL ANNOUNCE THE NEW PROGRAM.

A NOVEL PROGRAM GIVES NEWLY SETTLED AFGHAN CHILDREN A LEG UP ON LITERACY SKILLS.

PHOTOS

BY WINNI WINTERMEYER

the school district to introduce their family reading program to 50 kindergarten and transitional kindergarten classrooms in the

native Afghans in the country,

children are able to take home

with an estimated 12,000 people

are 10 new Farsi-translated titles,

in the capital city and its immedi-

including The Proudest Blue.

In addition to the books, the

ugees following the withdrawal of

bags include guides for parents

U.S. troops from Kabul in 2021.

to help test their children’s comprehension. “It’s about helping

population, newcomers face

children fall in love with read-

enormous challenges upon arriv-

ing,” Torgerson says.

ing stateside. It’s estimated that

That’s important in any lan-

50 percent of Afghan immigrants

guage: Studies show that fifth-

in Sacramento live in poverty,

grade reading comprehension is

compared with just 12 percent of

closely tied to high school gradu-

the overall population, and as a

ation rates. “We know that read-

group, they have a median house-

ing aloud to a child is the single

hold income of around $28,000.

most important thing a parent

Nationally, only 50 percent of

can do to instill the importance

Afghans age five and up speak

of reading,” she says.

adequate English, lower than other immigrant groups. Just 6

For the Masons, the project has a personal element. Past

percent speak English as a first

Grand Master G. Sean Metroka,

language at home, according to

who helped lead the initiative, was in the Marines for 32 years,

I t ’s Fa iza h ’s f irst day of

literacy program, through which

the Migration Policy Institute.

school, and her elder sister Asi-

bags of dual-language Farsi and

The lack of English skills

ya’s first day wearing a hijab. As

English books will be provided

is compounded by a dearth of

during which he served in Iraq,

their classmates mock Asiya for

to students in the Washington

bilingual books in Farsi and

Bahrain, and Kuwait. Having

her scarf, the sisters are reminded

Unified School District in West

English, says Michelle Torg-

worked closely with civilian

of their mother’s strength, their

Sacramento. Sacramento County

erson, president and CEO of

translators and other support

family’s bond, and what the hijab

largely as an artillery officer,

personnel in the Middle East,

stands for. So goes the children’s

he was deeply moved by the

book The Proudest Blue, by Ibti-

opportunity to support those

haj Mujammad. It’s a simple

who resettled in California.

and touching story. And now it’s

“This new phase in the Raising a

one that school officials in West

Reader program is an important

Sacramento, not to mention

step in fulfilling the promise of a

the Masons of California and

better life for our immigrants,”

their literacy partners, hope will

Metroka says. “We’re proving by

inspire a whole new cohort of

our actions that we are commit-

schoolchildren.

This September, the California

10

ing a Reader teamed up with

district. Among the books the

Despite the city’s large Afghan

Language of Love

that opportunity, the California Masonic Foundation and Rais-

is home to the largest enclave of

ate suburbs. Many arrived as ref-

PHILANTHROPY

Raising a Reader. Seizing on

ted to improving literacy for all members of our society, regard-

Masonic Foundation announced

less of their origin or native

an expansion of its children’s

language.”

W I N T E R 2 0 24 – 2 5

—IAS

An Order of Fire and Feathers SHROUDED IN MYSTERY AND SYMBOLISM, THE ORDER OF QUETZALCOATL SERVES A DECIDEDLY PHILANTHROPIC END.

THE DIN OF THE 400 or so people gathered in a hotel conference room is pierced, suddenly and dramatically, by the sonic blast of a conch. All at once, the players take their place and a four-act drama begins to unfold, centered on the mythic Aztec figure of Quetzalcoatl.

Thus begins the third ceremonial degree of one of the leastknown branches of Freemasonry.

For all its full-feathered pomp, the Order of Quetzalcoatl exists MEMBERS OF THE ORDER OF QUETZALCOATL GATHER FOR THEIR primarily for altruistic reasons.

ANNUAL MEETING IN PHOENIX. THE COSTUMED FIGURES AT REAR ARE MEMBERS OF THE ARTISAN, OR SECOND, DEGREE TEAM. Established in 1945, the order raises funds to benefit the ShriMoney raised by the order helps underner’s Hospital for Children in Mexico City. write the hospital’s transportation fund.

The ritual was developed by Arthur Elian, The order also operates the Q Foundation, a former member of the Anezah Shrine which helps pay for temporary housing in Mexico City, and upon the opening of for patients and their families, as well as the hospital, the degree was conferred international travel to the hospital, which on many American visitors to the facility. specializes in burn injuries and neuroThey in turn began conferring the degrees musculoskeletal conditions. The hospital stateside, establishing “teocallis,” or temtreats patients regardless of their family’s ples, of the order around the country. ability to pay.

The order involves three levels of membership: Initiates (who must be There are chapters of the group in CaliMasons and Shriners and are only fornia and throughout the country, which accepted by invitation) are referred to as are organized under a supreme teocalli. a coate (pronounced co-AH-tay, meanMeanwhile, the Shrine is seeing signifiing “tribesman”); they can advance to cant growth in Central and South Amerthe degree of artisan and ultimately masica, with chapters surging in Mexico and ter artisan. In order to obtain the final Brazil in particular. In fact, the Anezeh degree, they must attend the order’s Shriners in Mexico City saw memberannual Feast of Fire national convention ship jump from just 280 in 2017 to nearly and make a pilgrimage to the Temple of 1,200 this year, according to Shriners Quetzalcoatl at Teotihuacán.

International.

—IAS

An ‘Inspired’ Choice FOR HIS ADMINISTRATION’S EMBLEM, Grand Master Arthur L. Salazar Jr. chose the image of Quetzalcoatl inside a square and compass, along with the golden bear, above the word “Inspire.”

Salazar, thought to be the first California grand master of Latino descent, chose the Mesoamerican deity, depicted as a feathered serpent, for its association with Aztec and Maya heritage.

TOP: JOE HUMMEL/COURTESY OF ORDER OF THE QUETZLCOATL

11

ALIADIS EA NULLESERCIUS QUIAM RE VIT DOLOR AM INT VOLUPTUR SI CORE NAMENDIT, SIM EUM, VOLUPTAT ESTIOSS IMENIMAXIMUS MI, CORUMQUAERIS ET MA SEQUI GRANDOMNIHIT, MASTER SITI G. SEAN METROKA SPEAKS DURING THE TABLE MOUNTAIN LODGE REDEDICATION ON SEPT. 7.

“They knew these buildings would be central to rebuilding the community.”

had moved away. Those who

town, what has risen from the ashes is an undeni-

no members were killed, but

was one of several Masons from

able sense of community.

almost everyone had property

nearby who became integral to

destroyed, and 20 lost their

the lodge’s recovery. “It was an

LODGE PROFILE

Burn Scars

IN PARADISE, TABLE MOUNTAIN № 124 IS HELPING A COMMUNITY MOVE FORWARD.

PHOTOS BY JR SHEETZ

12

adise lodge wouldn’t be inhabitable for another year.

Newcomers stepped into leadership positions, and several out-of-towners elected to pay keep its membership rolls up.

Hawkins, who lives in Chico,

the fire—at the time, the most disastrous confla-

homes. “It was completely devastating,” says trea-

opportunity I didn’t want to pass up,” he says. Feel-

gration in California history—the people of Para-

surer Rich Gingerly Jr. “In the moment, we couldn’t

ing a need to help his neighbors, he approached

dise gathered to celebrate a bit of progress and, in

really think about the lodge building. People were

Table Mountain during the pandemic. Now master,

some sense, begin to close that devastating chap-

concerned about getting out.”

he had the honor of rededicating the lodge.

ter in their lives. With local officials and Masonic

Somehow, the lodge withstood the fire, albeit

dignitaries on hand, Table Mountain № 124, a

with significant smoke damage, even as neighbor-

of the fire, put off being raised as a Master Mason

those who know, the burn morel mushroom is a sign

lodge that has played an outsize role in Paradise’s

ing buildings were burned to the ground. However,

for a year in order to hold his degree back in Para-

of hope and rejuvenation. Requiring intense heat to

recovery, was ceremonially rededicated, followed

“It wasn’t a miracle,” says current lodge master

dise. “People saw me get emotional a couple of

fruit, it only grows in the aftermath of wildfires and,

by a special outdoor degree ceremony, welcoming

Ehren Hawkins. “It was directly thanks to the work

times,” he says of the rededication, “but it wasn’t

consequently, is highly sought-after by chefs and

back a membership that had reasonably wondered

of a group of firefighters, who saw the lodge build-

from sadness. It was from feeling joyful to see the

foodies. It is evidence of rebirth and the doggedness

whether Masonry would survive in this area.

ing and the library across the street and made the

lodge full again.”

Like nearly everyone in

The burn morels have

Paradise, members of the

blossomed in the town of

lodge faced horrible losses

Paradise, which in 2018 saw

during the fire.

In just a matter of hours,

decision to save them. They knew these buildings would be central to rebuilding the community.”

Gingerly, who was only a Fellow Craft at the time

With the lodge now reopened and rededicated, attention is turning to member recruitment.

Indeed, the lodge has been just that. When mem-

Already, 12 new Masons have joined up—a testa-

bers learned shortly after the fire that children were

ment, Hawkins says, to the standing the lodge has

sleeping on the floors of temporary homes, they

in the community. “To see those pedestals get filled with local men has been incredible,” Gingerly says.

nearly everything in its

19,000 buildings burned,

donated sleeping bags. When the holidays rolled

path. Now, the mushrooms

forcing 50,000 people to

around, they donated toys. The lodge hosted a

are an apt symbol of a com-

evacuate. In all, the fire

makeshift prom for the local high school. Members

is a day of volunteering with Habitat for Humanity,

munity reborn. Because

claimed 85 lives and caused

restarted their Public Schools Night celebration.

to help rebuild a home lost in the fire. “We’ll con-

while the Camp Fire had

more than $16 billion in

The lodge did all this while struggling itself.

tinue to be here for the community of Paradise and

the effect of scouring the

damage. Thankfully,

W I N T E R 2 0 24 – 2 5

Almost overnight, 50 percent of its membership

FOLLOWING THE LODGE REDEDICATION, MEMBERS OF TABLE MOUNTAIN № 124 GATHERED TO HOST A SPECIAL OUTDOOR DEGREE CEREMONY.

lodge dues to Paradise just to

the moonscapes where it’s typically found. But for

the Camp Fire decimate

NOAH BERGER/AP VIA SHUTTERSTOCK

Stanford № 111, as the Par-

It doesn’t look like much—drab and grey, like

necessary to carry on.

RIGHT: THE CAMP FIRE RAGES THROUGH PARADISE IN 2018.

This fall, nearly six years on from the date of

stayed met at Chico-Leland

Of course, there’s still work to be done. Up next

our members,” Hawkins says.

—Tony Pierucci

Watch Online SEE A VIDEO FEATURE ON THE LODGE REDEDICATION

13

FRATERNITY JOE EVANS, MANAGER OF THE GRAND LODGE ARCHIVES AT THE HENRY WILSON COIL LIBRARY AND MUSEUM OF FREEMASONRY, IS OVERSEEING AN EFFORT TO COLLECT RECORDS FROM CALIFORNIA’S EXTINCT LODGES.

California’s Lodge Deserts PLOTTING CALIFORNIA’S MASONIC EXPANSION.

AROUND THE WORLD, in countries with a significant Masonic tradition, there’s a basic arithmetic to starting a new lodge. In general, a single lodge can support a population of about 75,000 people. That idea is top of mind now, with a flood of new prospects approaching California lodges. Here, the Grand Lodge’s New Lodge Development team gives us a sneak preview of the areas they’re targeting for growth. — I A S

A NEW PILOT PROGRAM AIMS TO ARCHIVE THE RECORDS OF CALIFORNIA’S EXTINCT LODGES.

year, the program will expand to all of California. In the case of lodge consolidations, things like tiler’s records, membership reports, and other correspondence often end up in a dusty attic or, oftentimes, a secretary’s garage. By centralizing those records at the Grand Lodge’s archives, they

Walte r Ha as, Aa ron Flei shhacker, and

can be inventoried and made available to research-

Philip Lilienthal were among the most influential

ers interested in California and fraternal history.

Jewish figures of early San Francisco, builders of its

In the Bay Area alone, today’s 30 extant lodges

post-Gold Rush fortune. All three were also mem-

represent more than 120 consolidated groups

bers of Fidelity № 120, a lodge comprised primar-

from the past. Columbia-Brotherhood № 370, for

ily of Bavarian-born, Jewish businessmen—one of

instance, is made up of an incredible 16 lodges—

“It’s all about preserving the history of these lodges.”

the most important and historic

including several of historic importance, like Balder

lodges in California.

№ 393, which formed in 1908 as the state’s first

Of course, Fidelity Lodge is long gone, having consolidated

Swedish-American Hall on Market Street.

Joseph Evans, manager of the archives, points

Today, its history is part of the

out that there have been nearly 900 Masonic lodges

smorgasbord that makes up the

in California history, yet only about 330 are still in

current San Francisco № 120, itself the descen-

existence. The vast majority of those 500-plus extin-

dent of an incredible nine lodges that, over the

guished lodges’ records are held by the lodges they

years, merged, consolidated, or died out.

consolidated into.

“It’s important to maintain these records for his-

sion to ensure the history of Fidelity—and other

torical purposes,” Evans says. “It’s all about pre-

long-since-consolidated lodges like it—lives on.

serving the history of these lodges—and it’s a huge

The Lodge Records Survey pilot program is an effort to collect, inventory, and preserve the records of the Bay Area’s extinct lodges. Over the coming

14

Swedish lodge, and which used to meet at the

into Crockett № 139 in 1998.

Now, the Grand Lodge of California is on a mis-

W I N T E R 2 0 24 – 2 5

P O P ULATION: 68,969 NEA REST LODG E: ACALANESFELLOWSHIP № 480 (5.3 MILES)

7

PEOPLE PER 400M HEXAGON

5

6

In the time since the former Alamo № 122 stopped meeting at Locust Street and Mt. Diablo in 1998, Walnut Creek has transformed from one of the quintessentially sleepy suburbs of the East Bay into a dynamic shopping,

1. RANCHO CUCAMONGA

HISTORY

Proof of Life

6. WALNUT CREEK

dataset for anyone doing research on Freemasonry.”

P O P ULAT I O N: 176,000 NEA REST LO D GE: UPLANDMT. BALDY № 419 (3.7 MILES)

San Bernardino County has a dozen Masonic lodges, but none in Rancho Cucamonga, one of the fastestgrowing metros in Southern California, making it the third-biggest city in the state without a Masonic lodge.

2. SAN CLEMENTE P O P ULAT I O N: 63,000 NEA REST LO D GE: VERITAS № 855 (6.6 MILES)

The southernmost city in Orange County has been without a lodge since San Clemente № 671 consolidated with Irvine № 841 in 1997.

3. LOS ANGELES P O P ULAT I O N: 3.82 MILLION CURRENT LO D GES: SEVERAL

A simple numbers game: In Los Angeles, there’s a Masonic lodge for every 477,000 residents. Even though the county already has 74 lodges, statistics suggest it could handle twice that number.

4. SANTA ANA P O P ULAT I O N: 308,189 NEAREST LODGE: ORANGE GROVE № 293 (3.7 MILES)

The second-biggest city in Orange County is the largest town in the state without a Masonic lodge, ever since Silver Cord № 505 merged with Garden Grove № 586 (now № 351) in 1990.

5. BERKELEY P O P ULAT I O N: 123,562 NEA REST LO D GE: OAKLAND № 61

There have been no shortage of Masonic lodges in Berkeley over the years, including Durant № 268, which existed for a century from 1883 until consolidating into Oakland-Rockridge № 188 in 1985 (now Oakland № 61). With the annual International Conference on Freemasonry now held biennially in town, there has been interest in forming a lodge just west of campus.

4

3

1 2

dining, and entertainment center, making it an ideal spot for a Masonic comeback.

7. LOS MOLINOS P O P ULATION: 1,649 NEA REST LODG E: VESPER № 84 (16 MILES)

There’s already a Masonic hall in the small, rural town of Los Molinos, currently owned by Vesper № 84 in Red Bluff. Plans are now afoot to develop a new Spanish-speaking lodge there to serve the 48 percent of residents of Hispanic descent.

Lodges interested in learning more can contact Evans at jevans@freemason.org.

—IA S

PHOTO BY KEVIN MEYNELLE

INFOGRAPHIC BY TERENCE K. TEO

15

A SENSE OF

BELONGING Groups like the Masons offer a way to strengthen community, combat loneliness, fight polarization, maybe even save democracy.

And it’s all happening at your local pancake breakfast.

BY TONY GILBERT T h e e a r t h y a r o m a o f p e r c o l a t i n g c o f f e e permeates the dining hall.

Eggs crowd the griddle, sizzling as they fry. A warming tray is stacked with buttery pancakes.

Friends, guests, and their families sit together at long tables, chatting against a background of clanking dishes and a metal whisk stirring up a new batch of batter.

It’s a very just-help-yourself kind of gathering, says Joseph Gutierrez, the lodge master of Lemon Grove № 736 and the main organizing force behind this year’s pancake breakfast fundraiser. Held annually for half a century just outside San Diego, the event raises money for several college scholarships the lodge hands out each year. ➽

ILLUSTRATION BY DAVID BRINLEY

16

W I N T E R 2 0 24 – 2 5

17

With several regular members of the lodge in attendance, plus assorted

important, and potentially transformative, part not

neighbors and friend, “This breakfast is the biggest [membership]

only of their own members’ lives, but also of their

boost we have as a lodge,” Gutierrez explains.

communities—and, some say, of the overall health

A little over 100 miles north, a similar scene is unfolding at Red-

of our democracy. In short: They give members an

lands № 300, in a suburb east of San Bernardino. There the local lodge

opportunity to connect to one another in a way that is

hosts weekly Saturday breakfasts for prospects and members. Rick

otherwise vanishing from American life.

RIGHT: Rich Johnson hands Mike Saucedo a hot plate at the Redlands Nº 300 weekly breakfast.

BOTTOM LEFT: Lodge members John Linehan (center) and Bill Johnson (left) meet with current and prospective members.

Johnson, the current lodge tiler, says he first got involved with Free-

One of the people banging that drum the loudest

cooperates. “Whatever things

masonry through just such a breakfast meeting. From there he found

is Robert Putnam, author of the 2000 book Bowling

may deter us from want-

himself cracking eggs in the hall’s kitchen and, before long, lending

Alone: The Collapse and Revival of American Commu-

ing to be on the team, we set those aside and try to work

his hand at stated meeting dinners, an annual BBQ lunch, and events

nity, which helped popularize the concept of social

for the Masonic youth groups. A decade later, he’s still the man behind

capital. In it, Putnam, a Harvard sociologist, linked

together,” he says. “If we

the grill and griddle.

the sharp decline in membership with voluntary asso-

work together, there is noth-

Though each is taking place at a Masonic hall, these breakfast get-

ciations and social clubs like the Masons, not to men-

ing we can’t accomplish.”

togethers could be happening anywhere, in any town—and they do,

tion churches, parent-teacher associations, and, yes,

In an era when it’s never

at church picnics and VFW halls and roadside diners. In fact, it’s the

even bowling leagues, to the rise of political polar-

been easier to get most of

utter familiarity of such gatherings that makes them so welcoming.

ization and social distrust. Radical as it may sound,

what you need from the com-

Beneath their ordinariness, however—or perhaps because of it—these

Putnam and others argue, the simple act of joining

fort of home, the lodge offers

something like a Masonic lodge is an antidote to the

members an opportunity to

kinds of gatherings are facilitating something extraordinary.

IT’S NOT ABOUT COFFEE AND EGGS Of course, any Mason can tell you that a lodge breakfast isn’t about the food, just like family Sunday dinner isn’t about the meatloaf and a

kind of malaise that has gripped our country.

That makes Freemasonry and other organiza-

experience social bonding in person. Indeed, nearly a

tions potentially powerful drivers of social and civic

quarter of older adults in

engagement—if enough people are willing to join.

the U.S. are considered

To Masons like Johnson, that idea checks out.

socially isolated, accord-

“Brothers share common experiences in the degree

ing to the National Insti-

Johnson remembers bringing his father, also a Mason, to his lodge

work, which establishes an instant bond,” he says.

tutes of Health, while

father-son fishing trip isn’t about catching fish.

“If we work together, there is nothing we can’t accomplish.”

For many years, that made social groups a central aspect of American life—something Alexis de Tocqueville

and being blown away by the reception the elder Johnson got there.

That echoes the 18th-century fraternal maxim about

more than a third over 45

“Every brother dropped what they were doing and came over to hang

Masonry bringing about “true Friendship among

report feeling persistently

out with him,” he recalls.

Persons that must else have remain’d at a perpetual

lonely. Both are linked to

In that moment, Johnson was offered a view into one aspect of

Distance.” In Putnam’s sociological terms, it could

increased health issues. Research shows that loneli-

of a Nation of Joiners” that the “associative impulse” of Americans

Freemasonry’s appeal. It’s what makes groups like the Masons an

be described as a prime example of members build-

ness increases the risk of heart disease by 29 percent,

to rally around civic groups and social clubs carried a deeper signifi-

ing “social capital”—creating rela-

dementia by 50 percent, depression by 77 percent, pre-

cance. Schlesinger went so far as to say such clubs were responsible for

tionships outside their own racial,

mature mortality by 29 percent, and diabetes by 49 per-

“transmitting existing social values” through society.

political, or socioeconomic circles.

cent. On balance, the effect of social isolation on one’s

By building more of that kind of

health is equivalent to the effects of smoking a pack of

“Considering the central importance of the voluntary organization in

social capital, he argues, members

cigarettes per day.

American history there is no doubt it has provided the people with

of a community grow closer, promoting trust in one another and the institutions they belong to, in a shared civic life. In so doing, they strengthen the very democ-

In the age of the social safety net, we might take for

racy that powers our country.

W I N T E R 2 0 24 – 2 5

lodge can also help extend your life.

“UNIVERSITIES OF DEMOCRACY”

and are more willing to participate

18

So in addition to saving democracy, attendance at

noted as far back as the 1830s. Over a century later, Arthur Schlesinger suggested in his 1944 article “Biography

their greatest school of self-government. Rubbing minds as well as elbows, they have been trained from youth to take common counsel, choose leaders, harmonize differences, and obey the expressed will of the majority. In mastering the associative way, they have mastered the democratic way.”

granted that in the past, group bonding carried an

Cobos has seen these factors at play in his own lodge, where mem-

Sound highfalutin? Not to the

increased chance for survival. In fact, 19th-century

bers from very different backgrounds get a crash course in working

people who’ve sat around the table

Americans relied on mutual benefit societies like the

together. “Our lodge is supposed to provide a safe space, so to speak,

at those kinds of gatherings.

Masons to provide for them in times of distress or

where men can work on becoming the best version of themselves,” he

Frank Cobos Jr., the lodge mas-

sickness. In addition to offering a built-in network of

says. “A past master described it this way: We should make our lodges

ter of Redlands № 300, invokes

friends and contacts and vouching for one’s trustwor-

‘universities of democracy.’ It should be a nurturing environment. And

the beehive, the Masonic sym-

thiness, fraternal groups also held funeral services

together we can build a better place.”

bol of industry and teamwork,

and cared for widows and orphans. In that era, socia-

in describing the way his lodge

bility wasn’t optional; it was practically required.

PHOTOS BY MATHEW SCOTT

As grandiose as that ambition might sound for one local lodge, Schlesinger would likely have agreed with the sentiment.

19

Lodges build a sense of community among their members, while the

fraternity provides. And the existing Masons “get a

lodge itself has a role to play within the community at large. John Line-

reminder of what the fraternity is all about.”

That, of course, returns us to the lodge breakfast. Call it the secret degree of Freemasonry: The time spent together outside the lodge

han, another member of Redlands № 300, points out that the lodge

Edgar Barragan was among the first cohort of Rough

room is just as consequential as the ritual, memorization, and lec-

includes members of all political stripes, many of whom disagree vehe-

Ashlars. He’d become familiar with Freemasonry when

tures that happen within it. After all, Masons only go through the

mently over various issues. But by and large, everyone agrees on the

he volunteered at the Shriners Children’s Hospital in

degrees once, usually within a year or two. But for most, membership

importance of helping out at a local school or food pantry. “Masonry

Pasadena. There, he became friendly with several mem-

is a lifetime affair. The social bonding, the community service, and

has changed my point of view” in that respect, he says.

bers of the lodge and before long began meeting with

the mentoring of the next generation—they’re what’s left after one’s

At Lemon Grove, a similar emphasis on volunteerism plays that

other prospects during the closed lodge business ses-

degrees are complete.

dual role of bringing members together while improving the com-

sions and keeping in touch via a text messaging thread.

munity in small but meaningful ways. Gutierrez points to the lodge’s

“I really felt right away that the guys were great,” he says.

not be the Mason I am today without the camaraderie and fellowship

adoption of a flagpole downtown, which members maintain and help

“Once guys see that, they get hooked.”

found in the kitchen at the lodge on those Saturday mornings.”

landscape the area around throughout the year, as one such example.

WHY WE JOINED

The lodge also works closely with the school district and hosts lodge outreach efforts to connect with elderly members and their widows.

CHANGING DEMOGRAPHICS, CHANGING NEEDS

WHAT NEW PROSPECTS TOLD US ABOUT APPROACHING THE MASONS.

If organizations like the Masons are uniquely well positioned to offer

EACH PROSPECT’S REASON for approaching the Masons is different, unique to their background, circumstances, and moment in time. And yet in the aggregate, their answers start to look familiar. When prospects submit an inquiry to the Grand Lodge of California, they’re asked why they’ve reached out. A pseudo-scientific parsing of that data reveals a few common themes. — I A S

the kind of personal connections and social capital that people and communities require to stave off isolation and build civic trust, why has membership continued to decline? (Rotary: Down 20 percent over the past two decades. Junior Chamber: Down 64 percent. Odd Fellows: Down more than 50 percent since 1990. And so on.)

Michael Brand has an idea about that: Where in the past service

focused on “quality over quantity,” emphasizing phil-

clubs typically were organized around a common place (say, Sacra-

osophic and esoteric learning. In recent years, there’s

mento № 40), today people increasingly organize themselves around

been an effort to marry those interests—making a lodge

ideas (the tech community, Swifties, Raider Nation). Brand, a longtime

a place of casual social bonding, but also bringing

Rotarian and a branding expert who works with many volunteer-driven

together like-minded enthusiasts. In that way, the lodge

nonprofits, cites the well-known writer Seth Godin in observing that

of tomorrow can be an enormously powerful setting.

digital life has reorganized people according to their “tribes”—groups

JOINING THE CLUB

founded on shared passions or values—rather than their neighborhoods.

For service groups to thrive today, he says, they need to align themselves with members’ interests while remaining centered on the orga-

“One of the greatest things about Masonry is the

nization’s shared values. “That’s the jewel we have to pass on to the

relationships,” says Michael David, a past master of

next generation. It’s up to them to create a club that works for them

Home № 721 in Van Nuys. The numbers tend to bear

and gives them what they need,” he says.

him out: In 2020, nearly 75 percent of Masons sur-

Indeed, California Masonry has already begun to refashion itself along these lines. While preserving the Masonic ritual and the core

veyed cited brotherhood as the most important benefit of their membership.

elements of the fraternal tradition, many lodges have deemphasized

But for some, simply approaching a lodge is a chal-

the lengthy and often business-oriented stated meeting, with a grow-

lenge. At David’s lodge, a stated meeting dinner can

ing number gathering quarterly instead of monthly; additionally, many

sometimes draw 130 attendees. For a stranger walking

Masons now join a second lodge arranged around purely social endeav-

into a room like that—on top of feeling intimidated by

ors, such as affinity lodges for outdoorsmen and magic enthusiasts.

whatever questions or preconceived notions they have

That’s an important point, says Alexander Towey, a member of Vista

about Freemasonry—it’s easy to feel unseen.

№ 687 and a lecturer of U.S. history at Cal State San Marcos, who has

Reversing that has been the goal of David’s club

written about the changing demographics of Freemasonry in California.

within a club, the Rough Ashlars. Conceived in March

Towey points out that as the swell of “paper members”—largely unen-

2023, the Rough Ashlars comprise Masonic prospects

gaged Masons primarily interested in the fraternity for its social and

and those waiting on a lodge to act on their applica-

reputational benefits—crested in the 1960s and ’70s, the character of

tion. Prior to becoming an Entered Apprentice, the

Masonic lodges began to shift, as well. As their rosters dwindled, lodges

prospects get a sneak peek at the camaraderie the

20

W I N T E R 2 0 24 – 2 5

That’s what stays with John Linehan, anyway. “I simply would

PHOTO BY MATHEW SCOTT

fe ment l S ove y t i Commun impr

THE MOST COMMON RESPONSES INVOLVED:

Curiosity

d o o h r e Broth Knowledge

SAMPLE RESPONSES:

“I want to be a part of the bigger picture “Tired of feeling like I’m moving alone in and better myself along with others the world despite having a family [and] around me. I found a Freemason’s Bible girlfriend and a daughter. I feel like I and was told I could have it. There are have no friends as I proceed to get older some things that strike my curiosity.” and want the opportunity to join an organization that promotes brotherhood.” “Fraternity and brotherhood. As a former U.S. servicemember, I have been look“Having relocated to the U.S. from ing for an organization that has a misEurope in 2023, I wish to engage with sion to improve the well-being of others a community of like-minded individuals through being in service of others.” who value the principles of morality, per“I find that every time Freemasons are sonal growth, and brotherhood.” talked about, there is a common thread “I would like to belong to a group in of knowledge and community. These are which I can enhance my knowledge and things that I find intriguing about the abilities.” organization.”

“I would like to join this select brotherhood to enhance my intellectual knowledge, vision, and leadership in a sustainable and trustable environment.”

“I always drove past the local lodge as a child and was interested in what it was. One day, I asked my mother about it and she told me it was a group of men that were best friends from all around the world. She also told me I had family that was a part of it. Now that I’m an adult, my curiosity drove me to seek more information.”

“Would like to be part of a community that helps others and to become a better person.”

“Give back to my community in a structured way, learn from others, make friends, self-improvement.”

“Outside of my grandfather being a Freemason, I have always wanted to be a part of a [group] that promotes networking, intellectual discussion, growth, and self-improvement.

Having just moved to Los Angeles, I would like to put myself in a position where I can be a positive addition to my new community… It would be an honor to be part of such a unique and respected society.”

21

U R G O P N H T I K

Our title has been a little controversial to some people, but yes, the stakes are that high—even for joining a bowling league or, as people have pointed out, maybe today it would be a pickleball league. It’s no small thing to have a space where you can have fun, meet people, and improve your mental health. That’s what drew us to Bob’s work. It’s about lifting up the bowling club and the church bake sale, which are important not only for our personal health and well-being, but also for that secondary meaning behind our title, the health of our democracy.

It’s in those spaces that we learn to practice ways to be shared co-creators in the world that we’re building. And a lot of what’s happening today, especially online, is anti-that.

Bowling Alone is nearly 25 years old. As much as the idea of social capital has entered the mainstream, it feels like we’re moving in the wrong direction, with higher rates of loneliness and social isolation. Why do you think this trend has been exacerbated?

Bowling Alone came out in 2000, right about the time Facebook was launching. So one question at that time, as this new technology was coming on the scene, was whether it could be a place to look for a solution to these trends. But there is no silver bullet. Facebook did not solve our community crisis. These days, a lot of people say it’s the smartphones that are to blame, and that this is a new phenomenon. Something we were drawn to in Bob’s work is that it draws a much longer trend line, measuring social capital back to the 1960s and even earlier, to the turn of the last century and the Progressive Era, when many of these clubs were founded. So we were interested in revisiting that work

THE NEW DOCUMENTARY JOIN OR DIE REVISITS A SEMINAL TEXT OF CONTEMPORARY SOCIAL THEORY—AND MAKES A POWERFUL CASE FOR CONNECTION.

CAL IFORNIA FREEMAS ON: You co-produced

O v e r t h e t h r e e d e c a d e s from the 1970s to the

REBECCA DAVIS: We first approached Robert Put-

Today that trend appears to have reached

turn of the century, there was a 50 percent decline in the

crisis proportions—and a new generation is

number of Americans who assumed a leadership position in

looking for answers. For filmmakers Pete and

a local organization. There was a 35 percent drop in church

Rebecca Davis, that led them back to Putnam’s

attendance and a 40 percent slide in the number of Ameri-

Bowling Alone and the hiding-in-plain-sight

cans who went to even one public meeting. Membership in

importance of social clubs. The result is Join

the national PTA dropped from 12 million to 5 million. For

or Die, a new documentary that traces Put-

the Masons of California, membership has fallen from a high

nam’s work over half a century and makes a

of over 244,000 in 1965 to about 40,000 today.

powerful case for the value of social and civic

this film with your brother, Pete. What attracted you to this idea of the role of social capital in civic life?

nam in 2017, as he was about to retire from teaching. That seemed like a moment he might be able to look back on his career and potentially do a documentary for the 20th anniversary of Bowling Alone.

My brother was a student of Robert’s, so he had a personal connection. I was working as a TV journalist for NBC News, covering things like school shootings, the opioid epidemic, veterans coming back and feeling kind of at a loss for community.

By virtually any measure, Americans over the past half-

clubs. “To tackle today’s challenges, we need

century have stopped joining clubs. The result of that mass

millions of Americans to become joiners,” Pete

covering these symptoms. I needed to zoom out and

drop-out has been catastrophic, according to Robert Put-

Davis explains in the film.

try to find some solution-based story idea I could

nam, the Harvard sociologist who popularized the concept

Here, co-director Rebecca Davis explains

of social capital in his 2000 book Bowling Alone: The Col-

what drew her to rural lodge rooms, church

lapse and Revival of American Community. As Americans

picnics, and other meetups, and how she

stopped making connections to their neighbors, he argues,

became an evangelist for membership of all

we became increasingly isolated and polarized.

stripes. —Ian A. Stewart

22

W I N T E R 2 0 24 – 2 5

For me, I got to a place where I felt I couldn’t keep

work on.

Join or Die is a pretty grabby title. In the film, you link social clubs with the very future of our democracy. Did you feel this was a real existential threat?

for a new generation, at a time when it feels more relevant than ever.

You’ve hosted several screenings of the film for community groups. What kinds of people have shown interest in this work?

We’ve done about 300 community screenings since we premiered the film in 2023. The majority of those were for groups of 25 or less. The surprising thing has been just how many people are hungry for this idea right now. We had one small-town mayor in California reach out because he wanted to use the film for wildfire preparedness, with the thought that neighbors who are closer and more in touch are easier to mobilize in the event of a big fire. Then of course there are the usual suspects, the federated societies—the Rotary, the Elks, the Masons, the Odd Fellows. But there were also newer clubs and parents’ groups.

In Austin, Texas, we hosted a queer skate club. The California Planners’ Association spoke with us about how we can design our cities to be more communal. And we screened it in Congress.

Not all the groups you profile in your film are classic civic groups like the Masons. What made you choose these subjects?

It’s hard to sum up what a community looks like. We zeroed in on six community groups, including a mutual-aid group in Los Angeles as well as the Gig Workers’ Alliance in Chicago for rideshare workers. We had spreadsheets of like 300 groups we were looking

23

T H E C LU B S C E N E FREEMASONRY MAY BE the oldest fraternal order in the world, but it isn’t the only one. Here, insiders give us a peek into the latest membership trends in a range of other social and service organizations. — I A S

at. But the takeaway from the ones we felt were doing this right was that they were all really rooted in place as the connecting factor bringing people together. So often, we see things through a lens of left/right, and for a lot of people that’s become their main identifier. If we want to fight this moment of hyper-polariza-

between members of different economic groups, for instance between surgeons and carpenters.

Bob is careful not to say that bonding capital is bad and bridging capital is good. We need both. Studies find that those with more bonding capital are also more likely to bridge. Our goal was, with people who aren’t members of

tion, we need to have multiple layers of iden-

anything, we want them to take that first step. These can be places

tity for people to latch onto. We met a lodge of

where we learn the skills to build bridging capital. You go to a meet-

Odd Fellows, and they don’t talk about politics

ing, you learn to introduce yourself, strike up a conversation—that

in their meetings. A lot of them said they don’t

might sound basic, but those are skills we need to be working on more.

even know the political identity of the people

That’s how our social bridging is going to happen more easily. It’s

they’re meeting up with, but they know they’re

what we need if we’re going to have a functioning democracy.

passionate about the place they live in and want to make it better. They understand the shared goals they’re working on.

An interesting distinction that Putnam makes is between “bonding social capital” and “bridging social capital,” where bonding is between people who are alike and bridging is between people who are different.

The film doesn’t dwell on this distinction.

I’m curious if you have thoughts about that.

The reality is that we need both in our democracy. In some of these groups, there’s bridging happening beneath the surface. In a bowling league, it looks like it’s just for fun, but there’s an incredible amount of bridging capital happening

24

TOP: The film profiles a lodge of Odd Fellows in Waxahachie, Texas.

BELOW: Bowling leagues suffered a massive drop-off in popularity, even though as a sport, bowling remains popular.

W I N T E R 2 0 24 – 2 5

ROTARY INTERNATIONAL

269,743 U.S. MEMBERS 7,154 U.S. CLUBS INTERNATIONAL GROWTH

“Rotary currently has more than 1.2 million members who belong to over 45,000 clubs in almost every country in the world. Over the past 10 years, membership has been relatively stable, with some loss in the U.S. compensated by growth in other areas of the world.”

NEW TYPES OF CLUBS

“Within the past few years, we’ve introduced new ways to make Rotary membership and participation more accessible, including e-clubs that meet exclusively online, passport clubs that encourage members to visit other clubs, and corporate clubs for those working at the same company. Our members have also started cause-based clubs that offer ways to channel a shared passion. Meanwhile, Rotary’s 100-plus ‘fellowships’ provide people with a shared profession, hobby, or identity a

way to connect with friends around the world while strengthening their skills and being part of a caring global community. Rotary’s 25 ‘action groups’ also offer a way to connect globally with experts to address many of today’s important issues.

Anyone, not just Rotary members, can be part of our Action Groups.”

—MICHAEL VANDAM, ROTARY INTERNATIONAL MEDIA RELATIONS

opportunity. Now, it’s more about service and the mission.

But members ultimately stay because of their experience within their own club. Time and time again, our members tell us they value the service component of what we do. A close second is the relationships and bonds built through membership.”

178,030 ADULT MEMBERS 7,158 ADULT CLUBS MEMBERSHIP TRENDS

“As with most volunteer organizations, membership has been declining for some time. Our membership high for Kiwanis was 324,542 in 1992. Today, we have clubs in more than 80 countries, so while some areas see an aging membership, many are getting younger and more service oriented.”

SERVICE FIRST

“Decades ago, membership was seen as a networking

—BARRY PROCK, GRAND SECRETARY, IOOF OF CALIFORNIA

—BEN HENDRICKS, CHIEF MARKETING AND COMMUNICATIONS OFFICER

CALIFORNIA ODD FELLOWS

4,641 MEMBERS IN CA 111 LODGES MEMBERSHIP FLAT

KIWANIS INTERNATIONAL

aspect—they have tennis clubs and different kinds of clubs and committees.

Unfortunately, in certain ways, the [philanthropic] tenets of our organization seem to be waning.”

“Our members are aging, and we’re getting very few younger folks in. Our median age now is probably 70 or 75.

But membership is holding steady—we have just under 5,000 members in the state.

We get between 2,000 and 3,000 people joining every year, but the attrition rate is about the same. The year before last, we gained 207 people. Last year, we had a net loss of 23. Today, we have 111 lodges. Back in the 1920s, there were 500 Odd Fellows lodges in California!”

NATIVE SONS OF THE GOLDEN WEST

~5,000 MEMBERS 67 PARLORS (CHAPTERS) OPENING UP MEMBERSHIP

“Like so many others, we have an aging membership.

In 2020, we were at 7,000 members, and that went down to 5,317 this April. So at our annual meetings, we changed our membership requirements for the first time to open up to any California resident who’s a U.S. citizen and believes in our mission statement, rather than having to be born in California.”

HISTORY, FRIENDSHIP, CHARITY

“People join for a mixture of reasons. A lot of people want to join because they have an interest in California history and want to be part of a group FOCUS ON FELLOWSHIP that does historical research.

“The lodges that are prosperBut we also have a lot of peoing are the ones that are havple who just want to meet ing big dinners and events like new people. Others come in that. In Davis, which is one of because of our charities—we our biggest lodges in the state, support three hospitals that with 380 members, they’re do cleft palate surgery.” much more into the social —STEVE MCLEAN, GRAND PRESIDENT

25

BELONGING TO THE

BEYOND THE MASONIC FUNERAL RITE UNITES MASONS AND THEIR LOVED ONES IN A SHARED COMMUNITY. BY DREA ROEMER

T h e r o o m i s q u i e t , a n d t h e m a s t e r s p e a k s : “Our brother has reached the end of his earthly toils. The brittle thread which bound him to Earth has been severed and the liberated spirit has winged its flight to the unknown world.”

These are some of the first words of a Masonic funeral service, a rite that for centuries has brought Masons together to honor the life of their fellow brothers. George Washington, Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart, Thurgood Marshall: Each of them heard those words and, when their own time came, had them spoken on their behalf. To those who’ve witnessed it, the funeral rite is among the most moving experiences a Mason can have—reinforcing a bond that transcends time and space, in this life and whatever comes next.

But it’s also so much more than that. As everyone who’s ever been to a funeral of any kind knows, the service is for the living. And in the case of a Masonic funeral, it’s as much for those outside the fraternity

26

W I N T E R 2 0 24 – 2 5

COURTESY OF ANGEL MILLARD

27

“SEEING THEN, MY BRETHREN, that life is so uncertain, and that all material pursuits are vain, let us no longer postpone the all-important concern of preparing for eternity; but let us embrace the present moment, while time and opportunity are offered.”

as for those within it. “We use words [in the service] that really help others understand our larger view of spirituality and connection with the beyond,” says Dan Moran, a longtime Mason with Santa Barbara № 192 who has performed the funeral rite several times. “The service does a beautiful job of encapsulating that.”

Indeed, for as much as a Masonic funeral is a reminder of the deceased’s connection to his brothers, it’s also a rare glimpse into a part of their life that, for many family members, remained hidden from

At it s core, t h e M ason ic f un eral is a sym-

them. As such, a Masonic funeral service can pack an

bol of belonging, of brotherly love, and of service to oth-

emotional wallop. It’s not uncommon, Moran says,

ers. Masons support one another through thick and

for family members to be overcome at the sight of so

thin, and that includes taking care of each other’s loved

many strangers who nonetheless felt compelled to

ones during life’s most difficult times. It is the right of

pay their respects to a fellow brother.

every member to have a Masonic funeral service when

That was certainly true for Moran. When his

he passes, and it is the responsibility of his lodge’s mas-

father, who was also a Mason, passed away, Moran

ter to help arrange it. The master assists the family in

gained a better appreciation for the significant role

helping deliver the service they envision at a time when

the lodge played in his life. “It was moving, and it

grief can be overwhelming. As a result, the family knows

strengthened my own connection to Freemasonry,”

that they, too, belong to the larger Masonic family.

he says. “It also helped me reknit together an under-

“Most of the Masons in my dad’s service didn’t

standing of my dad.”

know him,” Moran says, “but it didn’t matter. They were there to be supportive, and they understand that he belonged to a community of Masons in Long Beach whether he attended lodge often or not.”

“LET US WHO SURVIVE HIM be yet more strongly cemented by the ties of brotherly love, that during the brief space allotted to us here, we may wisely and usefully employ our time, and, in the mutual exchange of kind and friendly acts, promote the welfare and happiness of each other.”

That’s a powerful sight, for those in the fraternity

A Masonic funeral service circa 1916 in Taunton, Mass. Very little has changed about the funeral rite in the century-plus since.

and those outside it. It’s also something Moran says he hopes more Masons make a point of participating in. “We have all these younger, new members, which is awesome,” he says. “Do they realize how beautiful the service is, and that they’re likely going to get this service themselves one day?”

Moran says that thought takes him back to when he first joined a lodge, at age 23. Now, three decades later, he has experienced the Masonic funeral service as a member, as a son, and as an officiant. What a shame it would be to only experience the rite from the

Fo r a l l i t s e m o t i o na l h e f t, the Masonic

motifs, including the sprig of acacia, representing the immortality of

that Grandpa wore.” Suddenly, their understanding of the lodge as

other side of the veil. Knowing how much those expe-

funeral ceremony is relatively brief—about seven min-

the soul and the infinite bond between members. For many people,

the source of a deep-felt connection to others, is awakened.

riences have meant to him, Moran says he’s heartened

utes long—and typically incorporated into a larger

particularly family members and friends of the departed who are

“I’ve actually had people come up to me after I’ve delivered the ser-

religious or secular service. Yet its symbolism is uni-

by the thought that someday “those words will be said

not Masons, it represents their first exposure to the symbolic teach-

vice to say, ‘I want to join Freemasonry because of what I’ve heard

for my survivors, for my family, as they have been for

versal. The Masons file in two by two, wearing dark

ings of the fraternity. Matt Vander Horck, the Grand Lecturer and

today,’” Moran says.

generations of brothers before me.”

suits and white aprons. A white lambskin apron, an

a member of Long Beach № 327, who has led several such services,

More than that, the Masonic funeral can provide loved ones with

As the funeral master speaks, without hat, gloves,

evergreen plant, and the sacred roll are placed on

explains it this way: “Maybe they’ve seen a picture of their relative

a profound sense of solace. “This shows that there’s hope—that this

or the jewels of his station, he reassures all present

the casket or lectern. The funeral master—an official

in an apron and it’s kind of strange to them. But then we explain

is not the end—which resonates for anyone who believes in some

that their loved one remains a brother of “that blissful

Masonic position requiring a certificate from a dis-

what it means, and they see that the apron is placed on his casket or

kind of afterlife,” Vander Horck says. Even to the secular, the words

lodge which no time can close.… There, my brethren,

trict inspector—begins the oratory.

that he’s buried with it.” His face lights up. “Now there’s a deeper

acknowledge universal truths: Life is fleeting, we all pass on, and we

may Almighty God in His infinite mercy, grant that

understanding of the significance of that strange piece of clothing

must live our lives in alignment with our deepest principles.

we may meet again, to part no more.”

The service invokes several Masonic symbols and

28

W I N T E R 2 0 24 – 2 5

COURTESY OF THE SCOTTISH RITE MASONIC MUSEUM & LIBRARY

29

FOUNDERS OF THE

FEAST

LA PARFAITE UNION Nº 17 OFFICERS INSTALLATION BANQUET FA IRMONT HOT EL , SA N FRA NC ISC O, 1 941

“The Grand Lodge has had a long relationship with the Fairmont Hotel. It’s not a coincidence we still have our annual banquet there. As for this menu, remember, the French had been taken over by the Nazis at this time, so they’re really holding up their French culture here in San Francisco, which has always had a large French population.”

SHRINERS’ THEATER PARTY BANQUET T EC HAU TAV ERN, SA N FRA NC ISC O, 1 900

THE CHICKEN OR THE FISH? How about the fois

gras en gelée? Or perhaps the grass plover on toast?

For years, Masonic banquets have brought members together for elaborate, over-the-top culinary gatherings.

Here, Joe Evans, manager of the Henry W. Coil Museum and Library of Freemasonry (and a trained expert on the anthropology of food), walks us through a few menus from Masonic feasts of yesteryear and explains what they say about a fraternity at its gastric peak. —IAS

“This is unusual for a lot of reasons. The Shriners were really about mimicking the Orient, which was so mysterious and exotic. So the program is in the shape of a fez, and the menu is nuts. We’d consider it sort of Egyptian meets Greek. In the corner, there’s a little translation of the menu for the ladies.

This would have been a fun thing to do.”

KNIGHTS TEMPLAR TRIENNIAL P H IL A D E L P H IA , 1 8 8 9

“This is an example of what they’d call in the 19th century Russian service. That’s where you’d have these elaborate place settings, where people get intimidated by the number of forks. Footmen walk around with platters of food, rather than plate it for you. This was an expensive meal. The Knights Templar were often people of wealth—captains of industry.

This gives you a little taste of that.”

30

W I N T E R 2 0 24 – 2 5

PHOTOS BYJR SHEETZ; ITEMS COURTESY OF THE HENRY W. COIL MUSEUM AND LIBRARY OF FREEMASONRY

31

EL DORADO Nº 26 MASONIC BALL

EL DO R ADO HOT EL , 185 3

“This is 1853, so just a few years after the Gold Rush began. (And just after the Grand Lodge of California was formed.) That they would have all this stuff available is crazy. You can see at the top, the cost is $10 per ticket—that’s about $400 today. And at the bottom, it looks like champagne and calvados are $150. That’d be thousands of dollars. They were probably paying in gold dust.

This menu was actually printed on silk, which I’ve seen other examples of from that time.”

MASONIC ASSISTANCE

A Certified Success

A PILOT PROGRAM IS HELPING WORKERS AT THE MASONIC HOMES GAIN ADVANCED CERTIFICATION, TUITION-FREE. BY DREA ROEMER

CALIFORNIA Nº 1 BANQUET AND BALL FAIR MO N T HOT EL , SAN F R ANCI S CO, 19 10

“Again, this was held at the Fairmont. And it wasn’t an officer’s installation, just their annual party. California Nº 1 was a very wealthy and influential lodge. There were roughly 600 members in 1910. You can see, you’re getting French cuisine, which was desired for these kinds of formal events. And you can see the program of speakers and performers on the right.”

NURSING STUDENTS AT THE MASONIC HOMES OF CALIFORNIA FROM THE FALL 2024 COHORT. MANY TRAINEES HAVE GONE ON TO TAKE JOBS WITH THE MASONIC HOMES AND OTHER LOCAL SENIOR HOMES. COU RT E SY OF CY NT H IA C R U Z

Michelle Augustin always enjoyed helping

trainees participating in the Masonic Homes Acad-

in the United States, after working for 15 years as a

emy, a program that’s helping current and pro-

dentist in the Philippines, she knew she wanted a

spective employees gain advanced certifications in

job where she’d be able to connect with others.

senior care. Through the academy—a partnership

That ultimately led her to the Masonic Homes

W I N T E R 2 0 24 – 2 5

between the Masonic Homes and Unitek Train-

of California, where she began as a senior care-

ing Healthcare, a nursing assistant training pro-

giver, helping residents with daily tasks and pro-

gram with several Bay Area locations—Augustin

viding emotional support and companionship for

was able to complete her coursework, along with

the seniors there. “It’s fulfilling for me to serve res-

six weeks of in-person applied-skills classes on Sat-

idents,” she says, “and I make sure to never leave

urdays and a six-week supervised internship, all

unfinished work.”

while continuing to work as a caretaker. Tuition

This year there was more work than ever.

32

That’s because Augustin was among a cohort of

people. So when it came time to forge a new career

was paid for by the Masonic Homes.

33

Freemasonry is the world’s first and largest fraternal organization. It is guided by the enduring belief that everyone has a responsibility to make the world a better place.

Freemasonry is the world’s first andand largest fraternal organization.

It isItguided by the enduring belief that everyone hashas a responsibility to make the the world a better place.

Freemasonry is the world’s first largest fraternal organization. is guided by the enduring belief that everyone a responsibility to make world a better place.

After passing a final written exam and a clinical

particularly registered nurses (who are responsible

skills evaluation, Augustin was officially a certified

for guiding a patient’s overall care), licensed voca-

nursing assistant, and immediately hired into that

tional nurses, and certified nursing assistants—

role at the Masonic Homes—a promotion that came

a trend that was exacerbated by the pandemic.

with a pay raise. “More than anything, it gave me

According to the American Health Care Asso-

more confidence,” Augustin says of the certification.

ciation, 72 percent of nursing homes have lower

“More than anything, it gave me more confidence.”

workforce levels than they did pre-pandemic, and

welcome to THE welcome toto THE welcome THE CORNERSTONE CORNERSTONE CORNERSTONE SOCIETY SOCIETY SOCIETY There comes a time when a Mason reflects on his life There comes a time when a Mason reflects onhad hishis life There comes a time when aand Mason reflects on and contemplates the value impact he’s on life and contemplates thethe value and impact he’s had on on contemplates value and impact he’s had hisand family and community. hishis family and community. family and community.

89 percent are actively hiring RNs. Already short an estimated 130,000 workers nationally, senior homes are also required to increase staffing levels as a result of new rules imposed by the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services.

“As a CNA, I do many of the same things I did as a

In light of numbers like those, the Masonic

caregiver, but now I have even more knowledge.”

Homes Academy is a rare win-win. Augustin is

She’s also helping close a worsening gap. In

one of 60 graduates of the program who have gone

California and across the nation, health care facili-

on to accept roles either at the Masonic Homes or

ties are facing a critical shortage of licensed staff,

C O N T I N U E D O N PAG E 3 6

We’re Here to Help RE LI E F FO R CA LIFOR N IA MAS O N S AND TH EI R FA MILIE S

CO NTAC T US TO DAY TO ACC ESS YOU R M EM B ER B ENEF I TS A ND SERVI C ES :

• Information and referrals

masonichome.org

• Senior communities in Covina and Union City, including assisted living and memory care

(888) 466-3642

• Statewide Masonic Outreach Services for members of all ages and their families

(877) 488-6293 (San Francisco) (626) 251-2300 (Covina)

• Transitions short-term care for neurological and post-surgical rehabilitation (Union City) • The Masonic Center for Youth and Families in San Francisco and Covina— with telehealth services now available everywhere • Shared housing for seniors in Covina

Masons know that a bequest through your estate plan can be Masons know that a bequest through estate plan can be be Masons know that a bequest through your estate plan can one of the most meaningful things youyour can do to cement your one of of the most meaningful things you can dodo to to cement your one most meaningful things you can cement your legacy tothe the fraternity you love.

This commitment has been legacy to thethe fraternity you love.

This commitment has been legacy to fraternity you love. commitment has been handed down through generations of This Masons. handed down through generations of of Masons. handed down through generations Masons.

The process is simple. Have your estate planner add TheThe process simple.

Have your estate planner add process is simple.

Have your estate planner add language to is your existing estate plan that includes a language to to your estate plan that includes aThen language your existing estate plan that includes a simple bequest to existing the California Masonic Foundation. simple bequest towelcomed thethe California Masonic Foundation.

Then simple bequest to California Masonic Foundation.

Then notify us and be into the Cornerstone Society. notify us us and be be welcomed into thethe Cornerstone Society. notify and welcomed into Cornerstone Society.

The Cornerstone Society drives our fraternity’s impact on our TheThe Cornerstone Society our fraternity’s impact on on our Cornerstone Society drives our fraternity’s impact our communities.

Masons whodrives make a bequest demonstrate communities.

Masons who make a bequest communities.

Masons who make a bequest demonstrate leadership and generosity, establishing a demonstrate legacy that will be leadership and generosity, establishing a legacy that will be be leadership and generosity, establishing a legacy that will felt for generations. felt for generations. felt for generations.

“THE GREATEST OF THESE IS CHARITY”

“THE GREATEST OFOF THESE IS CHARITY” “THE GREATEST THESE IS CHARITY”

mcyaf.org

Masonic Value Network: Care Resources + Prescription Discounts

masonichome.org/ValueNetwork © 2024 Masons of California. All right reserved. © 2024 Masons of California.

All right reserved. © 2024 Masons of California.

All right reserved. © 2024 Masons of California. All right reserved © 2024 Masons of California.

All right © 2024 Masons of California.

All reserved right reserved

34

W I N T E R 2 0 24 – 2 5

35

The results are stark: Prior to launching the

C O N T I N U E D F R O M PAG E 3 4

with other care facilities in the area. In addition to

program, the Masonic Homes in Union City had

having their tuition covered, students can receive

20 openings for CNA roles. Now there are only a

financial assistance for ancillary costs through the

few, and Gershtein is confident those will be filled

Gateway-In Project, a nonprofit that helps with

quickly.

childcare, computer, and textbook expenses.

Chris Gershtein, the vice president of clinical

The Next Generation of Masonic Leaders Needs

YOU! The Next Generation

In fact, the program’s sterling record may ultimately be its undoing. After finishing this year’s

services at the Masonic Homes (and a registered

cohort of 60 trainees, it’s not clear whether the

nurse) calls the program a “total success,” adding,

academy will be extended. “It’s a victim of its own

“Part of the beauty of this partnership is that it

success,” Gershtein says with a laugh.

enabled people already working for the Masonic Homes, whether in administrative or janitorial

Welcome Home!

As for Augustin, while she’s excited about her role as a CNA, she’s already looking down the

The TheNext NextGeneration Generation The Next Generation ofofMasonic MasonicLeaders Leaders of Masonic Leaders Needs Needs Needs The The Next Generation The Next Next Generation Generation The Next Generation Generation The The Next Generation of Masonic of Leaders Masonic of Masonic Leaders of Masonic Leaders As part of the Masonic family, the young people of Masonic Leaders As part of the Masonic family, the young people in your life deserve benefits of being a Job’s in your life deserve the the benefits of being a Job’s of Masonic LeadersDaughter, Needs Needs Needs Daughter, Rainbow or DeMolay.

Needs Rainbow Girl,Girl, or DeMolay.

Needs Visit Masons4Youth.org today.

Learn about family support Learn about waysways you you and and youryour family can can support Needs The Next Generation The Next ourGeneration The Next Generation our Masonic Masonic youth youth orders orders today. today.

Opportunities Opportunities As part of the Masonic family, As part the of young the Masonic people are family, As part the of young the Masonic people family, the young people open are open for youth for Masonic youth andand adults. adults.

Strengthening Strengthening our our As part the As part of the Masonic family, theofyoung people family, the young people of Masonic of Leaders Masonic of Leaders Masonic Leaders in your life deserve the benefits in youroflife being deserve a Job’s theMasonic benefits youryouth of life being deserve aorders Job’s the today benefits of aaJob’s youth orders today ensures ensures vibrant a vibrant ininMasonic your life deserve the benefits ofabeing being Job’s in your life deserve the benefits of being a Job’s Daughter, Rainbow Girl, or Daughter, DeMolay.

Rainbow Girl, or Daughter, DeMolay.

Rainbow Girl, or DeMolay. future future for Freemasonry for Freemasonry tomorrow—and tomorrow—and provides provides Masons’ Parents and Parents-in-Law Are Welcome As part of the Masonic family, the Rainbow young people Daughter, Rainbow Girl, or DeMolay.

Daughter, Girl, or DeMolay.

Needs Needs Needs valuable life skills for the children and teens. valuable life skills for the children RETURN and teens.

TO REDDING in yourabout life deserve benefits of being ayou Job’s Learn ways youthe and Learn your family about can ways support andLearn your family about can wayssupport you and your family can support

positions, to get the training necessary to become CNAs.” In addition to training those existing,

rehabilitation.

“Nodeserve matter what, I’m excited go a Job’s in your life the benefits of to being

YOU! YOU! YOU! YOU! YOU! YOU! YOU! YOU! YOU! YOU!

in-house workers, the program also helped the

Masonic Homes recruit new trainees from outside its walls.

road, eyeing certification as a restorative nursing

As part ofinvolves the Masonic family, the young people assistant, which expertise in therapeutic to work every day,” she says.Girl, “I love care of Daughter, Rainbow or taking DeMolay. the residents.”

As part of the Masonic family, the young people in your life deserve the benefits of being a Job’s Daughter, Rainbow Girl, or DeMolay.

Learn about ways you and your family can support our Masonic youth orders today. Opportunities are open for youth and adults. Strengthening our Masonic youth orders today ensures a vibrant future for Freemasonry tomorrow—and provides valuable life skills for the children and teens.

FOR ALL SHASTA COUNTY MASONIC FAMILY AND FRIENDS

Learn about ways you and your family can support our Masonic youth orders today. Opportunities FOR ALL SHASTA COUNTY MASONIC FAMILY AND FRIENDS are open for youth and adults. Strengthening our cajdi.org Masonic youth orders today ensures a vibrant

future for Freemasonry tomorrow—and provides valuable skills forand theyour children andcan teens.

Learn aboutlife ways you family support

at the Masonic Homes, with Masonic Benefits

about ways you FOR andFOR your family canCOUNTY support about ways you andLearn your familyFAMILY can support ALLALL SHASTA SHASTA COUNTY MASONIC MASONIC FAMILY FAMILY ANDAND FRIENDS FRIENDS Daughter, Rainbow Girl,Learn or DeMolay.

FOR ALL SHASTA MASONIC AND FRIENDS our Masonic youth orders our today.

Masonic Opportunities youthCOUNTY ordersVisit our today.

Masonic Opportunities youth orders today. Opportunities Visit Masons4Youth.org today.

Masons4Youth.org today.

Visit Masons4Youth.org today.

Masonic youth orders today. Opportunities our Masonic youth ordersour today.

Opportunities gocarainbow.org are open for youth and adults. are open Strengthening for youth and our adults. are open Strengthening for youth and ouradults. Strengthening our Fo r 1 25 ye a rs, the Masonic Homes of California have cared for Learn about ways you and your family can support are open for youth and adults. Strengthening our are open for youth and adults.

Strengthening our Masonic orders today Masonic youth a vibrant orders today Masonic youth a vibrant orders a vibrant As part ofyouth the Masonic family, Asensures part the of young the Masonic people family, As ensures part theof young the Masonic peopletoday family,ensures the young people Masons and their families. Now, we’re proud to announce expanded RETURN TOtoday REDDING our Masonic youth orders today. youth Opportunities Masonic youth orders ensures a vibrant Masonic orders today ensures a vibrant future tomorrow—and future for Freemasonry provides tomorrow—and future Freemasonry provides tomorrow—and in yourfor lifeFreemasonry deserve the benefits in yourof life being deserve a Job’s the benefits in yourfor of life being deserve a Job’s the benefits of beingprovides a Job’s eligibility to our senior communities and other charitable services. are open for youth and future adults.for Strengthening our future for Freemasonry tomorrow—and provides Freemasonry tomorrow—and provides valuable life skills forGirl, theMASONIC children valuable and life teens. skills for the children valuable and life skills teens. forGirl, theMASONIC children and teens.

Daughter, Rainbow or Daughter, DeMolay.

Rainbow Girl, or Daughter, DeMolay.

Rainbow or DeMolay.

FOR ALL SHASTA COUNTY MASONIC FAMILY AND FRIENDS FOR FOR ALL ALL SHASTA SHASTA COUNTY COUNTY MASONIC FAMILY FAMILY ANDAND FRIENDS FRIENDS FOR ALL SHASTA COUNTY FAMILY AND FRIENDS Additionally, in Northern California, Acacia Creek is open to Masons Masonic youth orders today ensures a vibrant life skills for the children and teens. valuable life skills for the valuable children and teens.

FOR ALL SHASTA COUNTY FOR MASONIC ALL SHASTA FAMILY COUNTY AND FOR FRIENDS MASONIC ALL SHASTA FAMILY COUNTY AND FRIENDS MASONIC FAMILY AND families FRIENDSon a month-to-month and partial assignment of norcaldemolay.com cajdi.org cajdi.org cajdi.org and their future forMasons4Youth.org Freemasonry provides Visit Visit Masons4Youth.org today.

Visit Masons4Youth.org today. today.

Learn about ways you andtomorrow—and Learn your family about can ways support you andLearn your family about can ways support you and yourALL family can support FOR SHASTA COUNTY MASONIC FAMILY AND FRIENDS FOR ALL SHASTA COUNTY MASONIC FAMILY AND FRIENDS Visit Masons4Youth.org today. assets basis.

Visit Masons4Youth.org today. valuable life skills for the children and teens. our Masonic youth orders our today.

Masonic Opportunities youth ordersour today.

Masonic Opportunities youth orders today. Opportunities RETURN TO REDDING RETURN RETURN TOTO REDDING REDDING are open for youth and adults. are open Strengthening for youth and our adults. are open Strengthening for youth and our adults.

Strengthening our FOR ALL ALL SHASTA SHASTA COUNTY COUNTY MASONIC MASONIC FAMILY FAMILY AND AND FRIENDS FRIENDS FOR Visityouth Masons4Youth.org today.

Masonic orders today Masonic ensures youth a vibrant orders today Masonic ensures youth a vibrant orders today ensures a vibrant gocarainbow.org scjdemolay.org Visit masonichomes.org for Freemasonry tomorrow—and future for Freemasonry provides tomorrow—and future for Freemasonry provides tomorrow—and FOR ALL COUNTY MASONIC ALL SHASTA FAMILY COUNTY AND FOR MASONIC ALL SHASTA FAMILY COUNTY AND FRIENDS MASONIC FAMILYprovides AND FRIENDS gocarainbow.org FOR future ALL SHASTA SHASTA COUNTYFOR MASONIC FAMILY AND FRIENDS FRIENDS gocarainbow.org ALL SHASTA COUNTY MASONIC AND FRIENDS valuableRETURN life skills forFOR the children valuable and life teens. skills forFOR the children valuable and life skills teens. forcajdi.org the childrenFAMILY and teens.

ALL SHASTA COUNTY MASONIC FAMILY AND FRIENDS TO REDDING cajdi.org or call to learn more cajdi.org

MASONIC MASONIC EDUCATION: EDUCATION: MASONIC MASONIC MASONIC MASONIC MASONIC YOUTH

RETURN REDDING RETURN TOTO REDDING (888) 466-3642 Visit Masons4Youth.org VisitRETURN Masons4Youth.org today. TO Visit Masons4Youth.org today. TO REDDING today. TO REDDING REDDING RETURN RETURN 32

WINTER 2020-21

cajdi.org FOR ALL SHASTA COUNTY FOR MASONIC ALL SHASTA FAMILY COUNTY AND FOR FRIENDS MASONIC ALL SHASTA FAMILY COUNTY AND FRIENDS MASONIC FAMILY AND FRIENDS cajdi.org FOR ALL SHASTA COUNTY MASONIC FAMILY AND FRIENDS FOR ALL SHASTA COUNTY MASONIC FAMILY AND FRIENDS 3 6 W I N T E R 2 0 24 – 2 5 norcaldemolay.com cajdi.org

RETURN TO REDDING RETURN TO REDDING

Levels of living at the Masonic Homes include: • Independent living • Assisted living • Memory care • Skilled nursing

37

GRAND LODGE F & AM OF CALIFORNIA

PERIODICALS POSTAGE

1111 CALIFORNIA STREET SAN FRANCISCO, CALIFORNIA 94108

PAID AT SAN FRANCISCO CA AND AT ADDITIONAL MAILING OFFICES

KEEP YOUR INFORMATION CURRENT To receive special member email and other important information, please keep your contact information current. Log in and update it today at member.freemason.org!

KEEP YOUR INFORMATION CURRENT

2024–25 Grand Lodge Officers

To receive special member email and other important information, please keep your contact information current. Log in and update it today at freemason.org!

M ASONS 4

2020-2021 M ITTS S EASON O PEN Grand LodgeISOfficers

SECOND ROW, L TO R:

!

THIRD ROW, L TO R:

Sean M. Mantucca GRAND MARSHAL

Cameron S. Ellis GRAND STANDARD BEARER

Carlos M. Diez Jr. GRAND ORATOR

David A. Olmedo ASST. GRAND TILER

Jordan T. Yelinek ASST. GRAND SECRETARY

Charles D. Dimaano ASST. GRAND LECTURER DIV X

Jarrod D. Washington Arthur Harold Weiss G r and Ma ster GRAND BIBLE BEARER

Corey P. Leighty ASST. GRAND LECTURER DIV II

Jeffery Michael WilkinsChristian D ep G. u tMarano y G r aASST. n d GRAND M a sLECTURER t er DIV V

Luis F. Carrion SENIOR GRAND DEACON

L. Santonil Randall Louis Brill Rio S en i o r G r ASST. a n dGRAND WaLECTURER r d en DIV VI Scott A. Morrison Jr. GRAND PURSUVIANT G. Sean Metroka J u n i o r G r a n d Wa r d en David M. Ferreria GRAND CHAPLAIN Stephen R. r Miller Arthur Lupe Salazar, Jr. G a n dGRAND Tr eORGANIST a su r er Antonio G. Cimarra Jr. ASST. GRAND LECTURER DIV III Gary D. Sparks GRAND Allan Lesley Casalou G r a n ASST. d S ec r eLECTURER ta ry DIV I Michael D. Tagulao JUNIOR GRAND STEWARD Scotty Joe Christian GRAND TILER Ricky Lee Lawler G r a n d L ec t u r er Narbeh Bagdasarian ASST. GRAND LECTURER DIV VII Russell E. Hennings Mark James McNee G r a n dASST. C hGRAND a p l LECTURER a i n DIV IX Arman A. Ordian SENIOR GRAND STEWARD Victor M. Ropac Gary Richard Quintrell A s s tJr.GASST. r a nGRAND d L LECTURER ec t u rDIV erVIIID i v I Jairo J. Gomez Jr. ASST. GRAND LECTURER DIV IV Jhairo Echevarria David Mickel Edwards A s sGRAND t G rSWORD a n dBEARER L ec t u r er D i v I I Antonio G. Cimarra, Jr. A s s t G r a nQdTY:L5 ec t u r er D i v I I I 00 Jairo Jesus Gomez, Jr. A s s t G r a n dQTLY: ec 500 t u r er D i v I V QTY : 50 0 t u r er D i v V Robert Glenn Beeson, III A s s t G r a n d QTL ec Y: 50 0 Charles P. Cross A s s t G r a n d L ec t u r er D i v V I Elvan Dale Moen A s s t G r a n d L ec t u r er D i v V I I Victor Michael Ropac, Jr. A s s t G r a n d L ec t u r er D i v V I I I John Hays Crago, III A s s t G r a n d L ec t u r er D i v I X Michael David Thibodeaux G r a n d O r ato r Jordan Tyler Yelinek A s s i s ta n t G r a n d S ec r e ta ry With the pandemic disrupting schools and all aspects of Mark Edson Pressey G r a n d M a r s h a l students’ lives, kids need our help now more than ever before. G r a n d Sta n da r d B e a r er Paul Boghes Bazerkanian Alberto Luke Casanova, Jr. G r a n d Swo r d B e a r er That’s why this year, in addition to our classic leather baseball Frank Rickey Young G r a n d B i b l e B e a r er mitts, Masons4Mitts will provide children in need with a Mark Alexander Nielsen S en i o r G r a n d D e aco n David Andrew J u n i o r G r a n d D e aco n bag fiForsyth lled Super Summer Book Bag : A one-stop goodie Michealand Anthony with expertly vetted and age-appropriate reading mathPadilla S en i o r G r a n d St e wa r d Thomas Lester Pryor, Jr. J u n i o r G r a n d St e wa r d material, compiled by the literacy experts at Raising Reader.

AndrewALeroy Rieland G r a n d P u r su i va n t Stephen Richard Miller G r a n d O rg a n i s t Vinz Olivar Tolentino G r a n d Ti l er Jonathan Shane Davis A s s i s ta n t G r a n d O rg a n i s t Scotty Joe Christian A s s i s ta n t G r a n d Ti l er Albert S. Cua JUNIOR GRAND DEACON

This summer, let’s rally together for California youth!

G IVE T ODAY AT M ASONS4M ITTS.ORG

Matthew S. Vander Horck

Charles P. Cross

Ara Maloyan

Arthur L. Salazar Jr.

Garrett S. Chan

Christopher D. Smith

Allan L. Casalou

GRAND LECTURER

GRAND TREASURER

SENIOR GRAND WARDEN

GRAND MASTER

DEPUTY GRAND MASTER

JUNIOR GRAND WARDEN

GRAND SECRETARY

3 38 0

W I N T|E JRU2N0E24 M AY 2 –02250