California Freemason Magazine Summer 2024

SUMMER 2024

Prince Hall THEN AND NOW

CALIFORNIAFREEMASON.ORG

Welcome Home!

Grand Master Justin Petty of the Prince Hall Grand Lodge of Massachusetts prepares for a rededication ceremony.

SUMMER 2024 73 03 VO L

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Prince Hall THEN AND NOW

PART ONE:

The Masonic Homes Now Serves Prince Hall Masons of California and their Parents and Parents-in-Law. F o r 1 2 5 y e a r s , the Masonic Homes of California have cared for Masons and their families. Now, we’re proud to announce expanded eligibility for admission to campuses and access to other charitable services. Additionally, entrance fees have been removed to admission to campuses and access to other charitable services.

Visit masonichomes.org or call Masonic Assistance at (888) 466-3642.

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

PART TWO:

PAST

PRESENT

6 FATHER FIGURE

22 BUILDING BRIDGES

Prince Hall was not only one of the most consequential Masons in history; he’s one of the most important figures in American history, full stop.

10 STATE OF BELONGING

Prince Hall Masonry has left a profound impact on California since 1855, providing a home and network to generations.

16 19

LODGE OF GHOSTS History and tragedy at Jerusalem № 72, a long-lost Filipino Prince Hall lodge.

PRINCE HALL PRIMER Answers to some of the most common questions about Prince Hall Masonry.

PHOTO BY SIMON SIMARD

Grand Masters David San Juan and G. Sean Metroka sit down to talk about the future of a historic partnership.

26

BETTER TOGETHER In places like Bakersfield, Masons from all walks are working closely together.

29 A HOME FOR ALL

For the first time in its 125-year history, the Masonic Homes of California is now open to Prince Hall Masons.

32 UNDER THE BANNER

In Prince Hall Masonry, the appendant and concordant bodies are part of a tight-knit Masonic family.

PART THREE:

PEOPLE 36 YOUR HONOR

On the bench and in lodge, John Waller preaches fairness.

38 KEEPER OF THE BEAT

Drummer Trevor Lawrence puts Masonry in the spotlight.

40 HISTORY IN THE MAKING

A lover of history, Aaron Washington brings the lessons of the past to life.

42 TRAILBLAZER

As one of the first Black attorneys in Sacramento, Gary Ransom broke barriers.

44 DONOR PROFILE

Meet Robert J. Eagle Spirit Sr., the next grand master of California Prince Hall Masons.

EDITORIAL STAFF

Emily Limón Executive Editor Ian A. Stewart Editorial Director

Stained-glass artists Armelle Le Roux and Ariana Makau (shown here) of Nzilani Glass Conservation used both modern and traditional techniques to create an original stained-glass portrait of Prince Hall, complete with Masonic emblems and symbols.

Pete Ivey Creative Director Isabelle Guérin Managing Editor J.R. Sheetz Multimedia Editor Justin Japitana Assistant Editor John Dale Online Editor PUBLICATION COMMITTEE

G. Sean Metroka Grand Master Russell E. Hennings Editor-in-Chief and PM, Saddleback Laguna № 672 Allan L. Casalou Grand Secretary and PM, Acalanes Fellowship № 480

Stained-glass artists Armelle Le Roux (left) and Ariana Makau of Nzilani Glass Conservation used both modern and traditional techniques to create an original stained-glass portrait of Prince Hall, complete with Masonic emblems and symbols.

Freemasonry is Freemasonry.”

out the values of harmony and cooperation that are at the

awkward coexistence, as neither partners nor antagonists.

heart of Freemasonry.

In 1930, the Grand Lodge of California’s official proceed-

This issue of California Freemason, we hope, lives up

ings referred to Prince Hall Masonry as having “a sort of

to its name by highlighting and celebrating the history

qualified standing with our Grand Lodge.”

and people of California Prince Hall Masonry. It’s our sin-

The following year, a Grand Lodge of California report

cere wish that by sharing these stories, we can introduce

stated that Prince Hall Masons in the state “have been

all Masons to this important heritage and remind every-

unofficially aided in various ways by officers of the Grand

one that regardless of race, ethnicity, or background, we

Lodge of California, though no recognition has been or

are all California Freemasons.

can be extended to them either as a Masonic body or individually.” In 1936, as a show of “cordial feelings” between the two grand lodges, Prince Hall Grand Master Theodore Moss gifted a copy of his organization’s proceedings dating back to 1904 to the Masonic Library of Southern

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.

white Masons of the state [are] as close as same could be

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

satisfactory to both sides,” he said.

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.

California. “Relations between this Grand Lodge and the

That was not the case everywhere. In 1948, the Grand Lodge of Texas’s constitution reflected the hardline stance that many states did regarding Prince Hall Masonry, stating that it did “not recognize as legal or Masonic any body

browns and tans, but instead use a larger palette which reflects various facets of

land, that was the challenge—and the

his personality. An overlayer of clear

opportunity—behind this edition’s cover

glass with linework, inspired somewhat

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.

image. Here, Ariana Makau, the studio

by block printing, was a nod and tie back

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

president, offers her artist’s statement:

to the late 1700s. It also added definition

Email: editor@freemason.org

Masons from both groups to sit in lodge together, rec-

FIND US ONLINE

work for a partnership that has, in many ways, served

(415) 776-7170

to the features.

“I personally was impressed to learn

pany, I was honored and excited to be

about Prince Hall’s accomplishments. I

asked to create this month’s cover. We

hope the final piece engages the viewer

are constantly seeking opportunities to

and prompts one to learn more about

celebrate people who have contributed

this fascinating, multi-faceted historical

to communities yet may have previously been overlooked.

of negroes working under any character of charter in the United States” and that it “regard[s] all negro lodges as clandestine, illegal, and un-Masonic.”

Establishing formal Masonic recognition, then, was not simply a matter of procedural legalese. By allowing ognition was an important tool for laying the ground-

» californiafreemason.org » facebook.com/MasonsofCalifornia » twitter.com/MasonsofCA

as an example for rest of the country’s Masons. It also reinforced that as an international fraternity, Freemasonry is bigger than any one grand lodge. (In California

» youtube.com/CaliforniaMasons

alone, there are at least six other Masonic organizations,

figure. We certainly are richer from doing

» instagram.com/MasonsofCA

including Iranian, Latino, co-ed, and women’s groups

this project.”

» tiktok.com/@CaliforniaMasons

that meet regularly.)

COURTESY OF NZILANI GLASS CONSERVATION

S U M M E R 2 0 24

Fax:

Grand Masters David San Juan (left) and G. Sean Metroka inside the Sacramento Masonic Temple.

without recognition, and apparently that relationship is

or painted in his lifetime? For the makers

“As a Black, female owner of a stained-

That it took almost a century and a half to get to that point is a sad and regrettable reflection of the legacy

Grand Lodge of California had existed side by side in an

at Nzilani Glass Conservation in Oak-

glass fabrication and preservation com-

2

T

his survey of Prince Hall’s legacy (page 6), “Prince Hall

overdue. In a series of sessions spread over a five-year

OFFICERS OF THE GRAND LODGE

ISSUE 03 • VOLUME 72 • SUMMER 2024

it was important to me not to use just

at the Oakland Airport Marriott. The meeting was long

of racism in this country. It is up to today’s California

CALIFORNIA FREEMASON

of someone who was never photographed

Black colonial history and antebellum scholar, writes in

Masons—all of them—to undo that precedent and live

Grand Lecturer: Ricky L. Lawler, Elk Grove № 193

tours of his face. As a person of color,

nizations in the state, sat down around a conference table

As bureaucratic as that sounds, its impact was real.

Grand Secretary: Allan L. Casalou, Acalanes Fellowship № 480

How do you go about creating an image

strengthen our fraternity, but present a united public

For 150 years, Prince Hall Masons and Masons of the

Grand Treasurer: Charles P. Cross, Metropolitan № 352

glass pieces and frit to build out the con-

with Masons from across jurisdictional lines, we not only

James L. Tucker PM, Logos № 861

Senior Grand Warden: Garrett Chan, California № 1

a layering effect with a base of colored

cal traditions that are best preserved by keeping the two groups distinct. But by working more closely together

front for Masonry in this state. Or as Chernoh Sesay, the

period, the groups set the conditions for mutual Masonic

Junior Grand Warden: Ara Maloyan, Santa Monica-Palisades № 307

BEHINDTHECOVER

two fraternities on page 20, there are important histori-

Grand Lodge of California, the two largest Masonic orga-

recognition.

Deputy Grand Master: Arthur L. Salazar Jr., Irvine Valley Lodge № 671

is still prevalent. To depict this, we used

Juan explains as part of a sit-down with the leaders of the

shipful Prince Hall Grand Lodge of California and the

Dagoberto Rodriguez PM, South Pasadena № 290

Grand Master: G. Sean Metroka, Nevada Lodge № 13

Hall looked like exists, yet his influence

Thirty years ago, leaders from the Most Wor-

Ian E. Laurelin South Pasadena № 290

Emanuel A. Rose PM, Humboldt № 79

“No definitive image of what Prince

FROMTHEEDITORS

As California Prince Hall Grand Master David San

PHOTO BY MARTIN KLIMEK

3

Past

PA RT ONE

History Comes Alive Pulling iPhones out of their 18th-century waistcoat pockets, a who’s who of Prince Hall Masons gathered in April for the 11th biennial reopening of African Lodge № 459 in Boston, the lodge founded by Prince Hall in the 1780s. Masonic leaders from around the country, including Massachusetts Grand Master Justin E. Perry (center, dressed as Prince Hall) and California’s David San Juan (fifth from right), participated as line officers in the ceremonial reopening of the lodge dressed in period-appropriate garb. The event also included a rare public display of the African Lodge charter—the basis for all of today’s Prince Hall Masonry.

P HOTO B Y SI MO N SI MA RD

4

S U M M E R 2 0 24

Prince Hall

A

PART ONE: PAST

LARGELY OVERLOOKED

BY HISTORIANS, PRINCE HALL REMAINS A TOWERING FIGURE OF MASONIC—AND AMERICAN—HISTORY.

Almost 250 years ago, approximately 15 Black men,

the founding of the lodge, but also for its development

some perhaps African and the rest probably North Ameri-

into a lattice of Black Masonic lodges stretching across

can–born, traveled under the cover of night across Boston

the United States and much of the globe.

Harbor. Their destination was Castle Island, where the

To be clear: Prince Hall Freemasonry is Freemasonry.

38th British Foot Infantry was stationed and where,

It is essentially no different in terms of ritual or form from

within it, operated a Masonic lodge of the Irish Registry,

conventional Masonry. (To borrow a bit of fraternal lingo,

known as Lodge № 441. The traveling group, all free men,

it is widely considered “regular.”) However, a complex and

would have been on high alert: For one thing, fraterniz-

difficult racial history has meant that while Prince Hall

ing with British soldiers would invite allegations of loyal-

Freemasonry is recognized today as legitimate within the

ism. But also, the group was there for another, practically

craft, its history and development took place outside of

unheard-of reason: They wanted to become Freemasons.

and in parallel to mainstream American Masonry. In that

Today that fateful trek across the harbor does not

way, the stories of African Lodge and Prince Hall reflect

loom as large in the public mind as Washington’s crossing

major issues not only in Masonic history, but also in Ameri-

of the Delaware or Paul Revere’s midnight ride, to name

can and transatlantic history. African Lodge shaped and

two other colonial moments with Masonic connections.

was shaped by major historical themes including slavery

And yet its ramifications were, in many ways, every bit as

and racism, abolition, the American Revolution, and

significant. Centuries later, they continue to resonate all

the growth of free Black communities. And from that, it

around the globe.

birthed generations of Black leadership and activism.

It was there, in Boston, under the supervision of the

And behind that immense legacy, there is the man.

lodge master (likely a man named John Batt), that the first

Prince Hall is one of the most important figures of the

group of African American men were initiated into Free-

18th century. And yet historians have not fully acknowl-

masonry. Within a decade, they had formed the first Black

edged the centrality of Hall or the African Lodge in

lodge in the country (and presumably the world), from

understanding freedom and citizenship during the Revo-

which a vast network would emerge connecting some of the

lutionary era. Hall is, in many ways, one of the overlooked

most important figures of their time. Those men, in turn,

founding fathers of this country. Both within the frater-

would help shape and drive the movements for the abolition

nity and outside it, he continues to cast a long shadow.

of slavery, for Black education, and for civil rights, establishing the Masonic lodge as a crucial institution in colonial Black American history—and American history writ large.

In forming an all-Black lodge, the group altered the

So, who was Prince Hall? Relatively little is known about

course of Masonic history. The African Lodge, as it was

his life before he rose to prominence as a public leader.

FatherFigure

BY CHERNOH M. SESAY, JR. STAINED GLASS ART BY NZILANI GLASS CONSERVATION PHOTO BY DANA DAVIS

PRINCE HALL: THE MAN His death was widely publicized in newspapers, so we know that he passed in 1807 at the age of 72. We know that other men living in Boston who were of African descent shared his name; however, several can be removed from consideration as Prince Hall the Mason due to their age or the date of their death. At the same time, Hall’s biography remains frustratingly opaque. This is both unsurprising and significant. Anyone who has performed genealogical research for people of African descent who lived during slavery will attest to that difficulty.

Hall’s biography, or really the lack of it, illustrates this challenge. For example, we know where Hall was buried,

originally known, became the first formal and public-

but not where he was born. The important Masonic

facing institution of African-descended people in all of

historian William H. Grimshaw, writing at the turn of the

North America, predating even the founding of the Afri-

20th century, claimed that Hall was born in Barbados and

can Methodist Episcopal Church in Philadelphia. This

traveled to North America in 1765. This suggestion, while

was enormously consequential in its own time, with rami-

tantalizing and frequently repeated by historians, was never

fications that continue to be felt today.

attributed to any documentation. Despite the possibility of

Within the story of African Lodge, one man stands

Hall’s Caribbean origins, historians still have not found

out: Prince Hall. His leadership was essential not just for

clear evidence of his birthplace. It is very probable that an

7

Prince Hall PART ONE: PAST

8

enslaved man named Prince, who was freed in 1770 after

ties with white legislators and the broader Massachusetts

the board of the Boston selectmen (the town’s governing

21 years of ownership by William and Margarett Hall of

public. As power shifted from loyalists to patriots, Hall

body), asking that the education of Black people be sup-

Boston, was the man who would eventually help found

demonstrated astute political instincts as he called out the

ported by public funds. Hall and his co-signers bemoaned

African Lodge. William Hall had worked as a leather dresser,

hypocrisy of a rebellion that condoned slavery, while also

the contradiction of having to pay taxes while Black chil-

and so too did Prince Hall, who was later noted as such by

culling favor among whites sympathetic to emancipation.

dren were kept out of public schools. These seemingly dis-

public authorities and recorded as having furnished leather

It’s also important to remember that this abolition-

connected moves were not the result of Hall and his cohort’s

drumheads to the Continental Army. (Some scholars have

ist movement conjoined with several judicial anti-slavery

indecision. Rather, he was a principled pragmatist. Deeply

inferred that Prince Hall might not have been enslaved, but

cases brought by the enslaved, as well as examples of

aware of political realities, Hall labored to give Black people

rather that he was apprenticed to William Hall.)

owners personally emancipating their enslaved people in

a voice, to find or create an environment where they would

Prince Hall had a family, but here again, genealogi-

the context of expanding abolitionist sentiment. Because

be seen as capable and deserving citizens, and to emphasize

cal records raise more questions than they answer. Pro-

the campaign aligned with these other anti-slavery actions,

the power of Black people’s intellect.

bate records detail definitively that Hall the Mason left

it helped shape the debate about equality. For example, an

his estate to his final wife, Sylvia Hall (listed as Zilpha in

early draft of the Massachusetts state constitution, adopted

some instances, maiden name Johnson). Hall was one of

in 1780, denied the vote to any person of African descent.

PRINCE HALL: THE LEGACY

just a few Black people in late-18th-century Massachusetts

The broader public rebutted this proscription, and the final

By the turn of the 19th century, Hall had successfully cre-

who left a will and a small amount of probated wealth. He

version declared unequivocally that all people were equal.

ated a vibrant space within Freemasonry that has thrived

listed his Masonic apron among his possessions, and he

Interestingly, the state constitution also allowed each town

all the way to the present.

made Sylvia the executor of his estate. Marriage records

to decide its own rules for Black suffrage. Despite the limits

It was in Prince Hall’s African Lodge that the leaders

suggest that Hall was married more than once and that he

and ambiguities of slavery’s end in Massachusetts, Free-

of Boston’s antislavery movement came to prominence. A

last wed in 1804. He had at least one child, Primus Hall;

masons of color led the charge to guarantee political rights

century and a half later, Prince Hall lodges in the Ameri-

however, Primus remembered that when he was born, in

for the state’s emancipated population.

can South helped produce and organize many of the

1756, his father was free and that his mother, Delia Hall,

From 1777 forward, Prince Hall’s name appeared time

was enslaved. Primus’s memory of his father having been

and again in connection with protests for equality. To that

20th-century leaders of the civil rights movement. Indeed, several of the towering figures in Black American history,

free conflicts with William and Margarett Hall’s manumis-

end, he exercised determined leadership on two fronts: He

from Duke Ellington to Thurgood Marshall to John Lewis,

sion statement that they had owned Prince as early as 1749.

led several efforts for Black people’s rights, and he worked

were proud Prince Hall Masons. Prince Hall lodges pro-

tirelessly to gain full Masonic recognition for African Lodge.

vided an avenue into professional circles where previously

Masonic recognition was no small matter. Hall was

there had been none. From Prince Hall Freemasonry also

PRINCE HALL: ABOLITIONIST AND LEADER

aware that Revolutionary-era frictions between loyalists

Despite these biographical gaps and unanswered ques-

and patriots created deep divisions among American Free-

successfully won their freedom, he imagined and worked

emerged the Order of the Eastern Star, a significant sororal auxiliary organization. The connections made in lodge

tions, we know that at the age of 42, just after establishing

masons (often political elites), and also that the contingen-

for a future of equal and nonracial citizenship. Masonry

and the accessibility of assistance and relief for those in

African Lodge and during the Revolutionary War, Prince

cies of racism might lead white Masons to question the

inspired his optimism. Hall believed deeply in the sacred

need have made Prince Hall Masonry, together with the

Hall emerged onto the public scene. In January 1777, Hall

legitimacy of an all-Black lodge—thereby severing a pipeline

history of the craft and in Masonry’s emphasis on univer-

various Black churches and later Black fraternal traditions,

and seven other men penned an abolitionist petition to

into middle-class respectability. So Hall approached white

sal brotherhood. This spoke to his concerns about ending

among the most important institutions of Black America.

the Massachusetts House of Representatives. Three of the

Masonic leaders in both America and England. Despite dif-

slavery and supporting Black education. For Hall, Masonic

Creating all this was no mean feat, as Hall constantly

signees—Hall, Peter Bestes, and Brister Slensen (Slenser

fering accounts, we know that Hall had gained a provincial

learning represented fundamental knowledge, and

had to navigate perilous and intersecting spaces of racism,

in some records)—were by 1777 already members of Afri-

charter for African Lodge № 1 from John Rowe, who by

Masonic ritual provided an institutional framework for

hardship, and inter-Masonic conflict. Because of Hall’s

can Lodge. A fourth, Lancaster Hill, joined just after. This

1768 had been made the provincial grand master of North

building leadership and demonstrating interracial equal-

tireless advocacy and immense achievement, it is fitting

appeal was the last in a series of addresses begun in 1773

America by English Masons. At least as early as 1779, Hall

ity. However, he was also hesitant because he recognized

that all those lodges that trace their history back to the

and sent by a Black-led interracial group to the Massachu-

also began a correspondence with English Masons, and it

the difference between emancipation from enslavement

African Lodge recognize themselves within the tradition

setts government. This campaign was the earliest of its kind

was just after the war’s end, in 1784, that Hall formally peti-

and full acceptance into American society.

in the history of American abolitionism, and the fact that

tioned the Grand Lodge in London to convey a full charter

The tensions between Hall’s optimism and his realism

it was led by the first Black American Freemasons has not

to African Lodge. In 1787, African Lodge № 1 received its

were reflected in a series of seemingly conflicting decisions.

impact has also resulted in the global spread of Prince

received its just and proper attention. Black people in colo-

warrant from London and became listed on official Masonic

In the winter of 1786, Hall pledged the support of African

Hall Freemasonry. Just as important, Hall’s determina-

nial America had always resisted their enslavement, but

rolls as African Lodge № 459. (After Hall’s death, African

Lodge to Gov. James Bowdoin to help quell the unrest of

tion to establish African Lodge № 459 serves as a testa-

prior to the letter-writing campaign, that resistance had

Lodge took his name and, together with a small network

farmers in western Massachusetts. The following January,

ment to the fundamental principle of Masonic universal

typically been expressed on personal terms or by invok-

of other Black lodges in Philadelphia and the Northeast,

having just flexed their newfound political muscle, Hall and

brotherhood that initially inspired him.

ing the particular treatment of an individual. Hall and the

declared itself the seat of a Prince Hall Grand Lodge.)

73 other Black men signed a petition asking for state support

other Black petitioners stridently criticized the morality

Outside the lodge, Hall developed into one of the era’s

to help them “Return to Africa, our native country … where

and legality of slavery, echoing the ideas of human equality

most important voices. As an abolitionist, Hall was an

we shall live among our equals, and be more comfortable

and natural rights found in Masonic ritual and the Decla-

ambivalent American patriot, simultaneously hopeful and

and happy, than we can be in our present situation.” A few

ration of Independence. They also created direct political

cynical. As a leader among a generation of people who had

months after that, Hall and 35 other men of color solicited

S U M M E R 2 0 24

PHOTO BY SIMON SIMARD

of “Prince Hall Freemasonry.” Hall’s efforts have certainly benefited Black people in America, but his historical

Chernoh M. Sesay Jr. is a historian at DePaul University whose research focuses on the intersection of religion, Black political thought, identity, and community formation. He is currently completing a book entitled Black Boston and the Making of African-American Freemasonry: Leadership, Religion, and Community in Early America.

9

F

Prince Hall

An undated photo of Prince Hall Masons during a ceremonial cornerstonelaying event.

PART ONE: PAST

For nearly 170 years, Prince Hall Masonry in California has provided its members with a place of belonging, even as those same people fought against and suffered discrimination in many other parts of their lives. The lodge has been—and still is—a venue to come together for personal betterment, for mutual aid, and for community.

That legacy is a proud one—and yet practically every

history of Prince Hall Masonry begins not with its contributions to Civil Rights and the progress of Black people in America, but with something else entirely: the matter of its Masonic “regularity.”

For that reason, Prince Hall Masonry has two parallel

histories: One in which it has played an important role in the civic lives of its members and Black communities more broadly, and another within the insular world of Freemasonry, in which it has been forced to advocate for its legitimacy.

For more than a century, that issue of regularity lin-

gered over Prince Hall Masonry, used as a cudgel by those looking to denigrate the institution and deny Prince Hall Masons the benefits of membership in a worldwide fraternity. In California, for many years, the story was the same.

Partly, that is a reflection of the legacy of racism in

this country that endures to this day. It is also partly due to the complicated history of 18th and 19th century Masonry, with its many schisms and reunifications (which occurred among both Black groups and not). In fact, the very founding of what would become known as the Most Worshipful Prince Hall Grand Lodge of Califor-

State ofBelonging THE PRINCE HALL GRAND LODGE OF CALIFORNIA IS BUILDING ON A PROUD HISTORY.

BY GRAND MASTER DAVID SAN JUAN

nia, back in 1855, came out of one such split among the descendants of Prince Hall’s African Lodge № 459. Still, the matter hangs over it like a cloud. As a result, virtually every history of the organization is required to include some attempt to trace its lineage back to African Lodge and ultimately to the Grand Lodge of England.

A TURBULENT BEGINNING

№ 2 in Sacramento and Victoria № 3 in San Francisco.

recognize the 1855 date as its inception.) In 1947, the name

already done this work and the result is clear: Prince Hall

As with so much else, that story begins in 1849 with

Between June 19 and 23, 1855, representatives of the three

of the body was changed again to honor Prince Hall, a

Freemasonry is considered “regular” and legitimate by

the Gold Rush. Just as the Grand Lodge of California

lodges met in San Francisco to form a state grand lodge.

move made in collaboration with other state grand lodges.

practically every Masonic body in the world, including

began in the campsite lodges formed by miners, so too

Buchanan was elected as first grand master.

the United Grand Lodge of England and the Grand Lodge

did Black Freemasonry begin in the shadow of the Sierra

Meanwhile, three other lodges, Olive Branch № 5,

20th century—thanks in part to persistent territorial

of California. Our state’s Prince Hall grand lodge is recog-

foothills. The most important figure in this history was

Wethington № 7, and Mosaic № 11, had received char-

fights with “clandestine,” or spurious, Masonic groups,

nized by jurisdictions around the globe. The question of

Philip Buchanan, the founder of Hannibal Lodge № 1 in

ters from the African Grand Lodge of New York and were

some of which were little more than shams designed to

regularity is moot. (Read more about Prince Hall Mason-

San Francisco and the man who chartered the first three

also working in California as the Conventional Indepen-

defraud members out of their dues and charity dollars. In

ry’s origins on page 6.)

Prince Hall lodges in California.

dent Grand Lodge of Free and Accepted Masons. It wasn’t

1888, when St. John’s Lodge № 16 (later № 5) became the

With that said, historians and Masonic scholars have

10

That struggle to get established lasted well into the

So, setting that to rest, we find that the history of Prince

Buchanan had been made a Mason in Pennsylvania

until June 24, 1874, that the two groups were united under

first subordinate Prince Hall lodge in Los Angeles, there

Hall Masonry in California is a fascinating one, and one

before emigrating to California in 1850. He received his

the name of the Most Worshipful Sovereign Grand Lodge

were just eight constituent lodges and 126 total members

that reflects the changing dynamics and positions of Black

charter from what was then called the National Grand

of Colored Masons of California. This followed the disso-

in the state. The 1906 earthquake nearly wiped that out,

people in California. Through the development of Prince

Lodge (which oversaw several state-level grand lodges of

lution of the National Grand Lodge, opening the door to

destroying practically all of the grand lodge’s belongings

Hall Masonry here, we see a reflection of the advancement

what we now call Prince Hall Masonry) to form Hanni-

reconciliation among the country’s Black lodges. (Nearly

and destroying its headquarters. (The organization did

of civil rights, the Black community, and how it has endured

bal Lodge on June 15, 1852. The following year, the same

20 years later, in 1893, a Prince Hall committee offi-

not carry insurance, and Grand Master R.C. Marshall

through changing times and socioeconomic conditions.

National Grand Lodge issued charters for Philomathean

cially established that the California grand lodge would

refused offers of aid.)

S U M M E R 2 0 24

COURTESY OF THE ROYAL E. TOWNS COLLECTION, AFRICAN AMERICAN MUSEUM AND LIBRARY AT OAKLAND

11

Prince Hall PART ONE: PAST Still, the organization persisted, and eventually began to grow during the years of World War I. From 1909 through 1929, the grand lodge chartered 25 new lodges, many of which were in the fast-growing southern part of the state, but also as far north as McCloud, in Siskiyou County (Pride of the West № 30), and even Portland, Oregon (Excelsior № 23). Membership rose from just 182 men in 1901 to 1,687 by 1921. In 1926, the grand lodge moved into its new temple on East 50th Street in Los Angeles.

But the real membership boom came in the wake of World War II, a period during which the African American population in California nearly quintupled.

From 1941 to 1951, the number of Prince Hall Masons in California rose from 1,790 to 6,109. Thirty-eight new lodges were chartered between 1943 and 1954, including Puuloa № 51 and Cosmopolitan № 82, both in Honolulu. In 1951, the total assets of the grand lodge were reported at $205,036—a nearly tenfold increase from a decade prior.

AMBITIONS GROW As with nearly all Masonic groups in the United States, the midcentury represented the fraternity’s zenith. Women’s auxiliaries like the Order of the Eastern Star and youth groups including the Junior Masons and Order of the Knights of Phythagoreas were established throughout the state. With that, the organization’s ambitions grew. In 1931, Grand Master Theodore Moss approved the purchase of a 32-acre parcel just outside Tulare to be developed into a home for the fraternity’s aged and infirm, much like the Masonic Homes of California, and to establish a summer camp for children. That project ultimately languished, and the land was eventually sold off; however, the vision for a permanent apparatus for

Making Their Mark

Masonic relief demonstrates the scale of the organization’s aims.

Clockwise from top right:

In addition to the network of mutual support that

1. Three men pose in an undated photo

lodges offered one another, Prince Hall Masonry also took

outside the Prince Hall “homesite,” in rural Tulare County, that was purchased in 1932 and intended to be developed into a retirement home and children’s summer camp. The land was eventually sold.

steps to formalize money lending. In 1952, the Rev. D.D. Mattocks helped lead the launch of the first Prince Hall Credit Union, which would eventually grow into a network of six such institutions throughout the state, each

2. Members of a special commit-

established to lend money to lodges and members of the

tee launch a fundraising drive for “Prince Hall City,” a planned Masonic center in Los Angeles open to Prince Hall lodges and other related orders. The drive began in 1958.

fraternity at a time when many Black Americans did not have equal access to banking and lines of credit. These credit unions continued until 1989, when they were dissolved and placed into liquidation.

3. Grand Master Herbert A. Greenwood,

By the late 1960s, the fraternity had even turned

of Angel City № 18 in Los Angeles, who served from 1957–1960 speaks

to home-building: Using financing secured under the

12

S U M M E R 2 0 24

COURTESY OF THE ROYAL E. TOWNS COLLECTION, AFRICAN AMERICAN MUSEUM AND LIBRARY AT OAKLAND

during the organization’s 1957 convention in Sacramento.

4. An undated photo shows a group

of Little Leaguers posing for a team photo. For many years, Prince Hall lodges sponsored Prince Hall Masons’ Athletic Leagues in basketball and softball for boys between 12 and 14 in and around Los Angeles.

5. A photo shows men in Masonic attire

during a joint constitution ceremony held October 25, 1952, in Woodland with mayor Frank Heard (second from right).

At that event, three new lodges were constituted: Jerusalem № 52 of San Francisco, Monument № 74 of Woodland, and Monarch № 73 of Oakland.

13

Prince Hall PART ONE: PAST National Housing Act, the fraternity funded and con-

politics.’ However, I feel we should get behind anyone

structed the Euclid Avenue Apartments in San Diego

who will champion our cause. The time has come when

and the 92-unit Prince Hall Apartments in San Francis-

we must become more involved in the issues that affect

co’s Fillmore District, which broke ground in 1970—one

us.” He cited upholding affirmative action and the

of the signature projects of the infamous redevelop-

appointment of Black judges to federal benches as two

ment of San Francisco’s Western Addition. As the his-

such matters.

torically Black neighborhood was systematically razed

That has led Prince Hall Masons both in California

and rebuilt, the fraternity helped ensure a toehold for

and elsewhere to more vocally support the candidacy

Black residents in the Fillmore. The project is now man-

of like-minded politicians. Certainly there has been

aged by Bethel AME, one of the longest-running Black

a close connection between Prince Hall Masonry and

churches in the neighborhood, and a close partner of

some of California’s elected Black leaders. For instance,

Prince Hall Masonry.

Tom Bradley, the former mayor of Los Angeles and the first Black mayor of a major U.S. city, was a Prince Hall

A LEGACY OF CIVIL RIGHTS

Mason and spoke at the group’s annual communication in 1970. And Willie Brown, the longtime speaker of the

The grand lodge’s interest in business endeavors like

state assembly and the first Black mayor of San Fran-

banking and home-building wasn’t simply financial. It

cisco, is a member of Hannibal № 1.

also reflected the fraternity’s essential role in supporting

As both a vehicle for advocacy and a powerful net-

the community it served and filling holes in the social

work of support, Prince Hall lodges have helped make

safety net.

the voices of their members heard and felt.

That work has led to a degree of political involvement within Prince Hall lodges that’s atypical of other Masonic organizations.

As membership in the fraternity declined during the

is inextricably linked to the civil rights movement of the

1980s and 1990s, that visibility began to wane. However,

1960s. Amos T. Hall, the longtime Prince Hall Grand

Prince Hall Masonry remains vibrant and is well-posi-

Master of Oklahoma, and Thurgood Marshall, later to

tioned to remain so into the future.

serve as U.S. Supreme Court Justice, were both lawyers

One of the most significant developments in its

with the NAACP, and through them and their connection

recent history came in 1995, when the Grand Lodge of

to the Conference of Prince Hall Grand Masters, Prince

California and the Most Worshipful Prince Hall Grand

Hall lodges throughout the country funneled more than

Lodge of California made Masonic history by passing

$1.75 million in donations over a decade to the NAACP

resolutions formally recognizing each other’s fraternal

Legal Defense and Education Fund to help argue sev-

sovereignty. That move, which was several years in the

eral court cases, including Brown v. Board of Education of

making, allowed Masons from both groups to visit one

Topeka, which ended school desegregation.

In 1960, Prince Hall grand lodges pledged to support and defend “every nonviolent demonstrator who

A Legacy of Brotherhood Clockwise from top:

Lodge officers at the 1957 constitution of Joppa Lodge № 89 in Berkeley. Members of the Order of the Eastern Star at a fundraiser in an undated photo. Former San

14

S U M M E R 2 0 24

Francisco Mayor Willie Brown of Hannibal № 1 is presented an award

by Hayden Williams III of Monarch № 73 (Oakland) at a Black History Month event in February 2018.

COURTESY OF THE ROYAL E. TOWNS COLLECTION, AFRICAN AMERICAN MUSEUM AND LIBRARY AT OAKLAND; WILLIE BROWN PHOTO COURTESY OF DENISE WILLIAMS

LOOKING TO THE FUTURE

Particularly in the U.S. South, Prince Hall Masonry

another’s lodges and sit in on degree conferrals. It also put an end to what had been a century and a half of disunity.

requested our aid.” That statement, published in the Cali-

Further, that effort, led by Prince Hall Grand Mas-

fornia Prince Hall Bulletin, further read: “Our position as

ters Herbie Price, Harold Mure, Joseph V. Nicholas, and

Free and Accepted Masons is, by belief and obligation,

Ronald Robinson, and California Grand Masters Charles

to work with the civil magistrates, local and federal, and,

Alexander, Stephen Doan, William Stovall, and Ron

although from time-to-time we do not receive all that we

Sherod, opened the door to a closer level of cooperation

feel and know our Constitution guarantees, we have that

outside the lodge than the groups had ever known.

confidence that through Legal redress and within the

Since then, Prince Hall and Grand Lodge of Califor-

framework of good government, in our time First Class

nia Masons have stood side by side, proudly demonstrat-

Citizenship shall be attained.”

ing the universality of Freemasonry.

Locally, the fraternity also cast its eye on political

These days, the fraternity is much changed from its

matters where they concerned civil rights. In 1978, Grand

halcyon era, but thanks to partnerships like that and

Master Jessie B. Thompson was quoted by the Fresno

the unbroken chain linking members today to those of

Bee at the Prince Hall annual communication, saying,

the past, its history and legacy live on for generations of

“In the past Masons have said, ‘Don’t get involved in

Masons to come.

15

Prince Hall PART ONE: PAST

LodgeofGhosts THE FORGOTTEN, TRAGIC HISTORY OF PRINCE HALL’S FILIPINO LODGE BOOM. BY IAN A. STEWART

E

Filipino members.

The first all-Filipino Prince Hall lodge was formed December 3, 1943, in Vallejo, near Mare Island, then home to one of the largest Naval bases on the West Coast. Vallejo

E v e n a m o n g t h e t h o u sa n d s of photographs,

at the time was a center of the Fili-

papers, and news clippings that make up the Royal

pino American community—by 1942,

E. Towns Prince Hall archive at the African Ameri-

there were more than 1,500 Filipinos

can Museum and Library of Oakland, one black-and-

employed at the shipyard. (The U.S.

white image catches the eye: eighteen men in dark suits,

Navy offered a pathway to American

arranged behind the altar, the checkerboard floor visible

citizenship for Filipino nationals.)

beneath them and Masonic rods, banners, and flags peek-

That Masonry would take root

ing out from either side of the group. It’s a pose that’s been

there is no surprise. Freemasonry has

re-created hundreds of thousands of times by lodges all

a long history in the islands and was

around the world. Dated 1954, it’s an almost archetypal

seen as central to the revolutionary

formal portrait of a Masonic lodge.

movement that ousted the Spanish in

And yet this one stands out, as much for what isn’t

1898. Many of the country’s preemi-

there as for what is. The lodge, Jerusalem № 72 of San

nent historical figures, including José

Francisco, was made up entirely of Filipino Masons.

Rizal, Andrés Bonifacio, and Manuel Quezon, were proud

Notably, for a Prince Hall lodge, there wasn’t a single

Masons. In 1912, the Anglo-led Grand Lodge of the Phil-

Black member. That isn’t the only curiosity. Today, there’s

ippines was chartered by the Grand Lodge of California,

no trace of Jerusalem Lodge left, nor are there any other

with leadership of the group initially alternating between

Filipino lodges within California Prince Hall Masonry. A

white and Filipino grand masters. Despite that connection

Google search reveals nothing about the group.

to California Masonry, Filipino immigrants were not typi-

The image tantalizes with mystery. It may be a per-

cally welcomed into the larger state fraternity.

fectly typical lodge photo, but in its utter conventional-

Rather, many Filipino immigrants who arrived in

ity, it contains a story that tells us much not only about

California formed their own Masonic and quasi-Masonic

Stockton (home to another large Fil-Am population). It

(named for George Washington Carver) in order to

the history of interracial Masonry in California, but also

organizations. Among those were the Gran Oriente Fili-

was from that lodge that Jerusalem № 72 was born.

secure a new charter under the Prince Hall grand lodge.

how and where ethnic subcultures were welcomed into a

pino, the Grand Lodge of the Philippine Archipelago, the

From the remaining Prince Hall archives, it isn’t clear

In any case, on February 16, 1952, a past member of

statewide fraternity—and the tragic undoing of that era.

Legionarios del Trabajo, and the Caballeros de Dimas-

where or when the charter members of those lodges were

Philadelphus, Stanley H. Manzano, joined with four other

In short, there’s lots more there than meets the eye.

Alang. Groups like these provided essential networking

initiated, whether in Prince Hall lodges or elsewhere.

members of the Stockton group to form the Filipino Club

opportunities, as well as housing and a social safety net

(New lodges typically require 13 Master Masons, includ-

of San Francisco. Led by Rosendo F. Hadloc, another past

for men who, especially prior to the War Brides Act of

ing the sponsorship of a past master.) One theory is that

master of Philadelphus, the club petitioned the Prince

1946, almost always arrived stateside without family.

A MULTIRACIAL HISTORY

16

Latino, Native American, and

Members of Jerusalem Lodge № 72 at Hannibal Hall in San Francisco, 1954. The lodge was one of several Filipino Prince Hall lodges in California until it disbanded in 1971.

the membership of Amicus may have already belonged

Hall Grand Lodge to form their own lodge, which was

Prince Hall Masonry is often described as a Black frater-

The first Filipino Prince Hall lodge, Amicus № 48,

to an “irregular,” or unrecognized, Masonic group, and

granted the next month. Jerusalem № 72 was chartered

nity, but its ranks have never been closed to members of

was founded by Pedro G. Tolentino, who served as its first

simply petitioned the Prince Hall Grand Lodge for rec-

on October 25, 1952, along with Monarch № 73 and Mon-

other races. (In fact, the second grand master of Prince

master. In 1946, he would go on to organize yet another

ognition en masse. That kind of thing certainly hap-

ument № 74, in a joint ceremony held near Sacramento

Hall Masons, following Prince Hall, was Nero Price, a

group, alongside Prince Hall Grand Inspector D.D. Mat-

pened: For instance, Golden West № 83 renounced its

by Grand Master Starling J. Hopkins and Grand Marshall

Russian Jew.) In California, that has included white,

tocks, called Philadelphus № 54, headquartered in

affiliation in 1954 with an unrecognized grand lodge

Stanley Y. Beverly.

SU PR MIM NE GR2 2 00 24 24

17

Prince Hall PART ONE: PAST (Shrine), Victoria Consistory № 25 (Scottish Rite), and Jerusalem № 72, which officiated his funeral.

The incident seems to have cast a pall over the lodge, which appears less frequently in the archival records in subsequent years. It may well have been the beginning of the end for Jerusalem Lodge. In 1971, the group formally surrendered its charter, with the reason given that the Jimmy Domingo, listed in 1958 as the only Eskimo (Inuit) member of Prince Hall Masonry in California.

lodge could not recruit new members and that existing members were unable to meet regularly.

As for the other Filipino Prince Hall lodges, within a decade each had either folded or been consolidated. At the same time, the first Filipino lodge associated with the Grand Lodge of California, Tila Pass № 797, was char-

That wasn’t the extent of the Filipino presence in

tered in 1960. Over the ensuing decades, Filipino mem-

Prince Hall: In 1953, another Pinoy lodge, Rising Sun

bership in the Grand Lodge of California grew and today

№ 75, was constituted in Santa Monica. And the follow-

makes up one of the largest ethnic subgroups in the fra-

ing year, yet another, Zephaniah № 86 of Delano, in

ternity. Where once Filipino Masons had turned to Prince

Kern County, received its charter. By 1955, an incredible

Hall, they began to find acceptance in the Grand Lodge

five Prince Hall lodges served almost entirely Filipino

of California.

As with other Masonic organizations, it’s practically impossible to say for sure. But estimates put the number of Prince Hall Masons in the United States at around 100,000, and perhaps up to half a million worldwide. Similarly to all Masonic groups, that number has ebbed and flowed over time, peaking in the postwar years of the mid-20th century. In those U.S. states with the largest Prince Hall presence, you’ll often find up to 20,000 members. In California, there are around 3,000 members.

How many Prince Hall lodges are there in California?

Seventy years later, traces of that legacy are hard to find.

of progressive racial coalition-building. At a time when

None of those Filipino lodges remain—the result of an

much of the country remained segregated, Prince Hall

overall membership decline, but also of larger changes

lodges were not only a haven for Black Americans, but

within the diaspora.

also for all ethnicities.

There are currently 58 Prince Hall lodges in California, ranging from Marysville in the north to San Diego in the south. Unsurprisingly, lodges are clustered in the Bay Area (three in San Francisco, six in Oakland, plus others in Berkeley, Vallejo, El Cerrito, and the South Bay) and Los Angeles (14 lodges in L.A., plus another 15 in the greater Southland). Across the country, there are nearly 1,000 Prince Hall lodges, with Louisiana, Texas, Alabama, Florida, and Washington, D.C. having the most.

meeting hall in Earlimart (Tulare County), a plan that

A LEGACY OF ACCEPTANCE

Is Prince Hall Masonry found in other countries?

it seems never come to fruition. In time, that lodge was

Ironically, that was perhaps best seen far away from the

consolidated into today’s Firma № 27 (Vallejo).

shores of the Golden State. From 1943 through 2000, the

constituencies.

Ultimately, the Filipino flash in the Prince Hall pan was short-lived, but as a phenomenon it underscored the

THE END OF AN ERA

interracial unity that fraternity fostered. That much is evident in the Prince Hall records, which paint a picture

There were also local misfortunes. Amicus № 48, the first Filipino lodge, attempted to purchase land for a new

Perhaps the most unfortunate case, however, is that

Prince Hall Grand Lodge of California governed three

of Jerusalem № 72. In 1959, three members of the lodge

lodges in Hawaii. The second of those, the aptly named

were involved in a fishing boat accident on the San Joa-

Cosmopolitan № 82, was described by the Honolulu

quin River a mile east of the Antioch Bridge.

18

How many members are active in Prince Hall Masonry today?

Star-Bulletin in 1954 thusly: “The unique feature of this

According to a UPI report carried in several Califor-

lodge is the multi-racial membership. It is composed of

nia newspapers, Andres DeLaCruz, 65, a veteran of both

Portuguese, Chinese, Japanese, Puerto Rican, Caucasian,

world wars, lost his balance trying to net a fish and fell

Hawaiian, Negro, Filipino, [and] Korean ancestries and

overboard. Another member of the lodge, Oscar Vitan, 40,

also others of mixed racial extractions.”

dove in after him, upsetting the skiff and sending a third

Writing just five years later, the lodge explained its

member, Ruperto L. Gamboa, 70, in as well. Gamboa

worldview: “The name Cosmopolitan as applicable to

had been a charter member of the lodge and served as its

our lodge means a brotherhood of men of multiple racial

first tyler. DeLaCruz and Vitan were both swept away in

origins or social backgrounds, who ignore local or racial

the fast-moving current as their boat sank; Gamboa was

prejudices, attachments, and peculiarities or any of the

the only survivor. Vitan’s body was discovered April 18,

many shortcomings of humanity by demonstrating to the

DeLaCruz’s a week later. An obituary in the San Fran-

world that the equality of the human race is a practical

cisco Examiner April 28, 1959, listed DeLaCruz’s death as

solution to many of our problems.”

occurring “accidentally near Antioch.” It also gave the

Almost 80 years later, the local “peculiarities” of the

name of his wife, Dionissia, and mentioned his many

fraternity have shifted, but that same animating spirit

fraternal affiliations, including Menelik Temple № 36

remains.

SU PR MIM NE GR2 2 00 24 24

COURTESY OF THE ROYAL E. TOWNS COLLECTION, AFRICAN AMERICAN MUSEUM AND LIBRARY AT OAKLAND

Yes, there are Prince Hall lodges all across the Caribbean, Africa, Asia, Europe, and Australia. The United Grand Lodge of England recognizes 36 Prince Hall jurisdictions in the United States (including California), as well as the Prince Hall grand lodges of the Bahamas, the Caribbean, and the province of Ontario.

What philanthropic issues are the Prince Hall Masons of California known for?

Together with the California Masonic Foundation, the Prince Hall Grand Lodge of California awards the C.E. Towne Scholarship Fund to high school graduates to help them afford college, as well as the Prince Hall Memorial Education Scholarship for low-income students and deserving children of Prince Hall Masons. This spring, as part of their support for students, Prince Hall Masons donated 250 pairs of boots to students pursuing career technical training education in Sacramento.

FAQ THE MOST FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS ABOUT THE HISTORIC BRANCH OF THE FRATERNITY.

What is the connection between Prince Hall Masonry and the civil rights movement in the U.S.?

Many of the most important figures of the civil rights movement were closely associated with Prince Hall Masonry, including Supreme Court Justice Thurgood Marshall and the late Rep. John Lewis. Lewis was one of the organizers of the 1963 March on Washington and, in 1965, the famous march from Selma to Montgomery that helped lead to the passage of the Voting Rights Act. Prince Hall Masons from around the country gather each year on March 7 to commemorate the “Bloody Sunday” crossing of the Edmund Pettus Bridge. Through Marshall and the NAACP Legal Defense Fund, Prince Hall Masons also helped support the landmark 1954 school desegregation Supreme Court case.

How similar or different is the Prince Hall Masonic ritual?

Prince Hall Masons, like the Grand Lodge of California, confer the first three degrees of Masonry according to the Rite of Emulation. In terms of ritual, it is extremely similar to other California lodges, although the performance often includes song. Since ritual is governed at the state grand lodge level, it can vary slightly from one jurisdiction to the next.

Are there any other differences between Prince Hall Masonry and the Grand Lodge of California?

The most notable difference concerns dual or plural membership. Prince Hall Masons in California can belong to only one blue lodge (although they can be made honorary members of another). As a result, a Mason cannot belong to both a Prince Hall lodge and a Grand Lodge of California lodge. Beyond that, grand lodge officers serve in three-year terms, rather than single years.

Prince Hall Masonry is a historically Black fraternity. Do you have to be Black to join?

No. Although Prince Hall Masonry was founded by and largely for African Americans, it has always been open to men of all ethnicities and nationalities.

What are the requirements for membership?

All Freemasons are held to the same standard and must be of good character and reputation to become and remain a member. Additionally, to join Prince Hall Masonry in California, you must first meet the following criteria: • Be a male at least 18 years old • Be a California resident for at least six months • Be prepared to profess a belief in a deity • Be of good reputation as a man of honor and integrity • Be recommended by two members of the lodge you wish to join

Does Prince Hall Masonry include appendant and concordant bodies?

Yes. In California, Prince Hall Masonry includes several other Masonic organizations, including the Prince Hall Order of the Eastern Star, the Scottish Rite’s Robert W. Brown Council of Deliberation (organized under the Southern Jurisdiction of the United States, Prince Hall Affiliation), and the Grand Chapter of Holy Royal Arch (York Rite), including the relevant bodies within those groups. Unlike in the Grand Lodge of California, the grand master of Prince Hall Masons in California also leads those groups. (For more, see page 30).

19

Present

PA RT TWO

Message on the Move Members of the Prince Hall Grand Lodge of California and the Grand Lodge of California gathered at the San Joaquin Regional Transit District headquarters in Stockton this February for the unveiling of a Rosa Parks–themed bus wrap.

The wrap was the brainchild of Prince Hall Masons, intended to honor the legacy of the civil rights pioneer.

PH OTO BY C HR I S K A U F M A N

Watch Now SCAN THE QR CODE TO SEE VIDEO HIGHLIGHTS OF THE BUS–WRAP UNVEILING.

21

Prince Hall PART TWO: PRESENT

BuildingBridges

F

For all the pomp and ritual that defines Freemasonry, the hard work of guiding the fraternity was happening with decidedly less spectacle on a recent May afternoon. Rather, it was happening over a medium pizza at the end of a long table strewn with paper plates inside

GRAND MASTERS G. SEAN METROKA AND DAVID SAN JUAN ARE PUSHING THEIR PARTNERSHIP TO NEW HEIGHTS.

the Sacramento Masonic Temple. That’s where grand masters David San Juan, of the Most Worshipful Prince

forward to seeing that progress. I think we can do a lot

Hall Grand Lodge of California, and his counterpart,

together that we would not be able to do separately.

G. Sean Metroka of the Grand Lodge of California, were

David San Juan: I agree with that 100 percent. And you

sitting down for what has become a monthly lunch meet-

know what, Sean, this is the thing: Over the years, we have

ing between the two leaders. It’s a fitting setting, given

developed a friendship. So it’s about more than just doing

that the historic temple on J Street is home to lodges from

the work of what Masons do. It’s about the friendships

both groups. On the day’s agenda was a proposed partner-

we’ve developed over these years, from one grand master

ship between the organizations to support vocational edu-

to the next. I’ve been fortunate to be around a whole lot of

cation in Sacramento schools and some preliminary talks

your grand masters. It’s enriching to see us come together

about establishing a grand lodge liaison program. There

not only at the highest level but also in our subordinate

were also plenty of asides about Masonry and history, and

lodges to support each other’s programs. It’s something

more than a few laughs.

what we’re doing within our jurisdiction or what we’re

rarely worked together, meetings like this represent major

trying to improve, you’ve been just a phone call away. And

progress. Beginning in 1995, when the two groups mutu-

I only see that building in the future.

ally recognized each other, Prince Hall Masons and those from the Grand Lodge of California have partnered on several philanthropic initiatives and stood side by side at public events. Still, the leaders say, there’s room for more.

22

that was a long time coming. Whenever we talk about

For two organizations that until just a generation ago

Why continue to have two grand lodges rather than join as one? Why is it important to maintain the traditions of Prince Hall Masonry?

Here, the two grand masters—each nearing the end of

DSJ: That’s a very interesting question. Why is Prince Hall

his term—reflect on what has become a historic partner-

Masonry important? And why do we want to continue to

ship, ways to deepen the relationship, and how to con-

keep our sovereignty and our history? Think about what

front the challenges facing both organizations.

we’ve had to endure not just to be Masons, but to be citi-

How can our two organizations work together to achieve each of your goals?

part of our history. And the fact that we stayed together,

zens who have the right to vote. That’s a very important held together through all of slavery, the Jim Crow laws,

G. Sean Metroka: We have lodges around the state that do

and so forth—that was very difficult. So we’re proud of our

a lot together. Not only do they meet in the same buildings,

history, and we don’t want to change that whatsoever. We

but when there’s a parade or an event in the community,

want to maintain not just our sovereignty, but our history.

they often come together. I think that those opportuni-

GSM: One of the things that strikes me when I’m asked

ties, when they arise, are beautiful to take advantage of.

this question is that even though we are similar in almost

But [David San Juan] and I are always talking about other

every respect, we do have differences that have developed

ways we might collaborate for the benefit of Masonry and

over the years, and I think there is value in maintaining

the communities in which we live. We had a conversation

them. I think we would lose more than we would gain if

today about how we might come together to assist pro-

we were to try [to join]. I don’t see a pressing reason to

grams in the Sacramento city schools. And I’m looking

combine them, but I see many reasons not to. And it is

SU PR MIM NE GR2 2 00 24 24

PHOTOS BY MARTIN KLIMEK

Grand Masters David San Juan, of the Prince Hall Grand Lodge of California, and G. Sean Metroka of the Grand Lodge of California inside the Sacramento Masonic Temple this May.

Prince Hall PART TWO: PRESENT DSJ: We have to understand who we are and that we are

continue side by side, enjoying each other’s fellowship,

How can your grand lodges work together to address these kinds of challenges?

different. We bring something a little bit different to Free-

sufficient to move an organization of this size to any point.

and working together when it makes sense to.

DSJ: One of the things that we have to improve on—and

masonry. You can hear that in our music, in our literature,

But you can take steps to make progress toward those

What are the challenges you each see facing your organizations?

that we can very easily admit—is that we don’t let the

even in our speech. But in the end, it’s all Freemasonry.

objectives. I would also suggest that my successors not get

public know all the good things we do. Whenever they

That’s not well understood because we haven’t done what

mired in the day-to-day. There are lots of challenges that

do see us out in public, there’s a big mystery about what

we’re doing right now, and that’s telling our own story so

come uniquely to the grand master. It can be difficult not

DSJ: What I know from being at the Conference of Grand

we’re all about. We need to do better about that.

that it’s better understood by not just your Masons [in the

to allow them to take over your existence. Don’t get stuck

Masters recently is that we are all facing the same obsta-

GSM: I think the issue of the incredible variety of tradi-

Grand Lodge of California], but also by our side as well.

on those things. Look at the good and expand on that.

cles. If you look at the numbers, the average age of an

tions in Freemasonry and whether we will ever be seen

Entered Apprentice might be around 45, but the average

as a cohesive entity is a real issue, but it’s going to take

age of a Master Mason is closer to 60. Somewhere along

a long time to make headway on it. We are very old, and

What do you view as the future of Freemasonry in California?

What’s one of your favorite memories from your time in Masonry?

the line, we missed an entire generation. Plus, we’ve had

in some of our grand lodges, we’re very much stuck in

GSM: I am hopeful that 10 years from now, Freemasonry

DSJ: For me, my dad was my hero. He still is my hero,

the challenge of covid-19. We have an opportunity now to

our own ways. So, for example, I think most of us freely

in the state will not be viewed as some great unknown, or

though he passed away many years ago. When I was a kid,

my hope that both of our traditions in Freemasonry will

do what we haven’t always done well enough, and that is

acknowledge that there have been women in Freemasonry

some mystical organization that people always wonder

he had a bar in his home that he and all his Masonic buddies

to teach people how to live better. You know, there was a

for hundreds of years, and there’s lots of evidence to sup-

about and tend to view as if it were some sort of a con-

would pull up to and talk about solving the world’s problems.

time when Masons got together and helped each other buy

port that. Does that make it a problem to acknowledge

spiracy. And I think that the best way

a home. Or they would buy a car from another Mason. At

that there are women Freemasons practicing a regular

to do that is to continue on the path

some point, we need to get back to that.

And I’d be at the end of the bar until

Watch Now

they kicked me out. So when I became

form of Freemasonry? It’s not a problem, it’s just a change.

we’re on now, where we are more open

GSM: Another challenge is that, because of the wide vari-

A part of the way we deal with that is to start to acknowl-

about who we are, what we do, and why

ety of traditions in Freemasonry that are becoming more

edge one another more openly. It’s kind of like the asso-

we are so devoted to this ancient craft.

commonly known, some of our members think the tradi-

ciation between our two jurisdictions: Initially, there was

Mostly, I am hopeful that in 10 years,

tion they were brought up in should be what’s practiced

a lot of concern, perhaps unfounded, but it was because

people will see Freemasonry for what it has always been:

talking behind the closed doors my dad was doing with his

elsewhere. But the fact is, our practice of this institution

that level of trust had not been established. It has been

an organization for the good of humanity, to help people

friends. I remember the feeling that I had as a 13-year-old,

varies widely. So we have a challenge to find a way to

established now, and the concerns, for the most part, have

live better lives, and to help those in need.

feeling as though I was in a village and that I was loved and

become more welcoming to people and also to express the

gone by the wayside. I think the same will happen as we

DSJ: I agree. For us, 10 years down the line is not that long,

secure. And here I am now. Who would have ever thought

importance of letting our traditions develop organically.

reach out to other Masons.

because our tenure [in the grand line] is three years. So

that I would become the grand master of all of that?

SEE VIDEO HIGHLIGHTS OF THE GRAND MASTERS’ CONVERSATION.

tional. I was just thinking about all that

GSM: I’ve had many wonderfully fond memories of my time in Freemasonry, but I would have to say, the greatest

1995 [with official recognition]. And it has blossomed from

joys for me are the friendships. I have been blessed with

there. But with the direction and the momentum that we

some wonderful friendships because of my association

have right now, I believe we’ll be able to keep that going.

with this fraternity. That’s by far the thing I value the most.

You’re both coming up on the end of your terms as grand master. What advice do you want to pass along to your successors?

S P R I N G 2 0 24

№ 108 in Suisun City, it was very emo-

master. So we’re all on the same page. This started back in

I’ve been told so many times, many hands make light work.

“The sky’s the limit as far as what we can do together.”

a Mason in the lodge that my dad was raised in, Stanley Y. Beverly Lodge

our junior warden, nine years from now, will be the grand

The sky’s the limit as far as what we can do together. As

42 4

fraternity to take, and work toward that. One year is not

What final message would you like to send to the fraternity?

DSJ: I want to say, Sean, you’re my friend. You’re my brother. You’ve been a wonderful Mason and you’ve made yourself available even in times when it was diffi-

DSJ: Well, mine is straightforward. The first thing is to

cult. Being the grand master, you’re expected to be in a

prioritize what you intend to do during your tenure and

lot of different places at the same time. But you’ve made

see it through. Secondly—and this I have to give credit to

yourself available. You helped to make my tenure a won-

my wife for—she said now that you’re grand master, you

derful one. So I appreciate you.

have a platform. You have a voice. You need to use that

GSM: Thank you, my brother, I appreciate that. And I

platform to do good and to spread goodwill. You have to

appreciate your willingness to go down this rabbit hole with

actually help your community. And then third, and maybe

me, because as I was preparing to take office, I gave a lot of

most importantly, you have to build trust within the com-

thought to what I wanted to accomplish. And chief among

munity you serve. Whatever you do, don’t break that trust.

my objectives was to work together with you to strengthen

Because when you do, it’s almost impossible to get it back.

the relationship between our grand lodges, and you will-

GSM: As I approach the end of my tenure, if I were to

ingly went along and we’ve managed to get our large orga-

give advice, it would include a suggestion that you keep

nizations working together. And I’m grateful to you for that.

your eye on the bigger picture, well beyond the end of your

I am especially grateful to you for your friendship, and it

term. Think about the general direction you want the

means a tremendous amount to me. So thank you.

25

Prince Hall PART TWO: PRESENT

T

“This is the whole basis of what our fraternity is supposed to be about,” begins Ruben Soto, growing more

ship № 857, agrees wholeheartedly. “We’re like-minded,”

and more animated as he describes the unique Masonic

he says. “The one thing we all share is brotherly love.”

culture that’s developed in his hometown of Bakersfield.

While the annual cookout, held each year at the home

“It’s about brotherly love. Having each other’s back. Push-

of Gary Jackson, a founding member of Green Dragons,

ing each other forward.”

may be one of the highlights of the lodges’ crosstown

Those are heady words, considering that what Soto is

TOP AND BELOW: Members

of the Prince Hall Smooth Ashlar Lodge No 119 hosted an intralodge barbecue in Temecula in May—one of several such crossjurisdictional events.

ing Grand Lodge of California Grand Master Randy Brill (second from left) at the 2023 Burn-nBrew in Bakersfield.

26

S U M M E R 2 0 24

TOP AND RIGHT BY BRANDON TRODICK. ABOVE COURTESY OF GARY JACKSON

partnership, their fraternization runs much deeper than

describing is the “Burn-n-Brew”—a casual annual back-

just that. In fact, the Dragons’ relationship with the

yard barbecue to which local Masons and their families

local Prince Hall group predates their own chartering. In

are invited. And yet to the Masons of Green Dragon Fel-

2015, as Green Dragon was being formed from members

lowship Lodge № 857 and the Prince Hall–affiliated San

of several Kern County lodges, it was San Joaquin №

Joaquin Lodge № 11, the event is more than an excuse to

11 that opened its hall doors to the nascent group, who

overindulge in burnt ends and bourbon. It is, he explains,

were charged a paltry $50 a

emblematic of a partnership that transcends jurisdic-

month in rent. That helped

tions and exemplifies what’s best about the fraternity.

the group get off the ground.

For two organizations that have not always enjoyed a

“Our lodge got started out of

perfectly simpatico relationship, the Grand Lodge of Cali-

a lot of adversity, so I guess

fornia and the Most Worshipful Prince Hall Grand Lodge

you’d say we were drawn

of California have in recent years grown closer, blurring

together,” Jackson explains.

what for generations had been a bright line between the

Over time, that bond

groups by working together on a slew of philanthropic

grew stronger: The groups

endeavors, scholarships, and social gatherings. Much

have since joined up on

of that movement has happened at the state level, but

efforts to feed the homeless,

increasingly—and perhaps most profoundly—it’s between

commandeered a section of

local lodges that such partnerships have emerged. And

the Bakersfield VillageFest

“There’s no us and them. This is us. We're Masons, on the square, hanging out.”

nowhere is that more evident than in Bakersfield, where

to table together and raise

the Prince Hall and Grand Lodge of California Masons

money for local charities, and joined one another to assist

have become each other’s greatest supporters. “We’re

elderly members of both lodges. A monthly roundtable

more than close—we’re beyond family,” Soto says. “They

meeting, dubbed the Smoke-n-Joke, provides a venue for

have shown me the essence of what it is we’re all about.

members of both lodges to propose new charitable proj-

That may be a cliché, but it’s the truth.”

ects, raise funds, and simply stay up to date on each oth-

Better Together LEFT: Masons includ-

Stephen Hubble, the master of Green Dragon Fellow-

ACROSS THE STATE, CALIFORNIA MASONS ARE REACHING OUT ACROSS LODGE LINES. BY IAN A. STEWART

er’s activities. They’ve come together to restore a Masonic memorial at the local cemetery, partnered on children’s toy drives, and assisted with Children’s Advocates Resource Endowment programs. And of course there’s the Burn-n-Brew, which the grand masters of both orders have attended, and where funds are raised for the local bethel of Job’s Daughters.

A CULTURE CHANGE That kind of cooperation is intensely local—but also a reflection of many years of hard work at the state level between the two grand lodges. That’s something leaders say had been a long time coming.

In 1995, the Grand Lodge of California and the Prince Hall Grand Lodge of California formally recognized each other, an important Masonic procedure that ultimately allowed for members of both fraternities to sit and work together in lodge, even though members cannot belong to both jurisdictions simultaneously.

27

Prince Hall PART TWO: PRESENT For Jason Sevier, a district inspector in San Diego and a member of the Prince Hall Fidelity Lodge № 10, even after the recognition was formalized, there remained a sense of trepidation about what intralodge activities would be like. “I was kind of skeptical, like, I wonder if we’ll be received there,” he recalls. But a visit to Santa Maria № 580 for a third-degree conferral put those concerns to rest. “Once we got there, I’ve never seen the kind of respect and love we were shown,” he says. “It was like we’d been friends forever.”

That kind of response has led the two groups to join together on projects outside the lodge hall, too. Since 2012, that’s included teaming up on the Masons4Mitts fundraising drive, for which Masons from both groups gather for yearly Masons’ Night at the Ballpark events with their Major League Baseball partners. In 2014, more than 400

On that occasion, the partnership was a powerful

members of the two groups gathered to ceremonially bless

demonstration of Masonic cooperation—a reminder that

the cornerstone of what is now the Golden 1 Center bas-

despite their different histories and a legacy rooted in

ketball arena in downtown Sacramento. The following

racial discrimination, California Masons of all stripes

year, the groups again congregated to lay the cornerstone

share an essential bond.

Beginning in 2023, Prince Hall Masons are eligible for services through the Masonic Homes of California, including its retirement community in Union City.

for Willie L. Brown Jr. Middle School in San Francisco, alongside its namesake (himself a Prince Hall Mason with Hannibal № 1). Since 2019, the California Masonic Foun-

LOCAL IMPACT

dation has partnered with the Prince Hall Grand Lodge to

But it isn’t on convention hall stages where that bond

administer the C.E. Towne Scholarship Fund, which has

is put into practice. Rather, it’s in places like Oakland,

awarded $710,000 for higher education to more than 100

where Prince Hall’s Eli Baker № 62 and Oakland № 61

deserving students.

gather each year for a joint St. John’s Day festive board.

Beyond that, leaders of both organizations are now

Or in Temecula, where the members of Temecula–Cata-

frequent guests at one another’s gatherings, presenting

lina Island № 524 and the Prince Hall Smooth Ashlar

a unified face for Masonry in California. Never was that

№ 119 have held joint toy drives and homeless outreach

more clearly or dramatically on display than at the 2015

efforts. Says Maurice Paschall, the Prince Hall senior

World Conference on Freemasonry in San Francisco,

grand deacon and a member of Smooth Ashlar, “When

when the grand masters of the Grand Lodge of Califor-

we’re together and people ask us what we’re doing, we’re

nia, the Prince Hall Grand Lodge of California, and the

just Masons hanging out. There’s no us and them. This is

Grand Lodge of Iran in Exile (headquartered in Los Ange-

us. We’re Masons, on the square, hanging out.”

les) shared the stage as co-hosts.

And it’s there in places like San Diego, where four

TOP RIGHT: Prince

Hall and Masons of California lay the cornerstone for the Golden 1 Center in Sacramento.

LEFT: The grand

masters of the Grand Lodge of California, the Prince Hall Grand Lodge of California, and the Grand Lodge of Iran in Exile cohosted the 2015 World Conference on Freemasonry.

28

S P R I N G 2 0 24

AHomeforAll

W

Prince Hall lodges and their Grand Lodge of California

Wh e n G e o rg e Ga r l i n gt o n, a member of the

counterparts visit one another’s degree conferrals and

Prince Hall Stanley Y. Beverley Lodge № 108 in Suisun

hold an annual golf tournament. Where the Bakersfield

City, first laid eyes on the Masonic Homes retirement

groups are concerned, that kind of fellowship can be

campus in Union City, he was stunned: Here was a 267-

found in Jackson’s backyard, meat on the grill and ice

acre village in the rolling hills of the East Bay, erected over

clinking in glasses.

a century ago for the care of Masons and their families,

FOR THE FIRST TIME, PRINCE HALL MASONS HAVE ACCESS TO RELIEF THROUGH THE MASONIC HOMES OF CALIFORNIA. BY IAN A. STEWART

Soto says the relationship has become more meaning-

standing as a living testament to Masonic values of broth-

relief services to more California Masons than ever before.

ful to him than he ever imagined it would. A few years ago,

erly love, relief, and truth. “There’s really something here

That includes entry into the Masonic Homes’ retirement

when he lost his job, Hubble called him with an invita-

for almost everyone, no matter how old you are or what

communities in Union City and Covina. Says Prince Hall

tion: “‘Come to work with me, I need you,’” Soto recalls.

your needs are,” he marvelled.

“I showed up. He gave me a truck with tools, and said, ‘I

And now, finally, it was here for him, too. Thanks to

Grand Master David San Juan, who accompanied Garlington on the spring tour, “I couldn’t be more excited.”

need you to repair some doors on this house. I know you,

changes in eligibility announced in 2023, for the first time

The partnership is an important step in bringing

I trust you. Let’s get to work.’ In all my years in Masonry,

in its 125-year history, the Masonic Homes of California is

the two fraternal organizations closer together. It’s also

I’d heard stories about things like that. But for it to

now open to Prince Hall Masons, as well as their spouses,

serving an immediate need: The average cost of senior

happen to me, it blew my mind.”

parents, and parents-in-law—providing access to Masonic

housing rose more than 5 percent nationwide in 2023, an

29

Prince Hall PART TWO: PRESENT almost five-fold increase in the historic year-over-year

teenagers are experiencing what’s

costs. Through the Masonic Homes’ communities, which

been described as a mental health

include independent living for those 60 and up, as well

crisis—and when mental health care

as assisted living and skilled nursing (including memory

providers are either prohibitively

care for those with dementia and memory loss), Prince

expensive or impossible to access—

Hall Masons and their families now have access to senior

MCYAF ensures Masons and their

Watch The Next Generation Now of Masonic Leaders Needs

living that’s affordable and, for many, close to home.

families will never be turned away for

But the Masonic Homes is more than just a retirement

lack of funds. Taken together, these

services provide California Masons

reach Services, a statewide program that provides Masons

from both fraternities with the abil-

and their family members with connections to in-home

ity to tap into a powerful resource and

care options and other local benefits, as well as case management and, for eligible applicants, one-time emergency funds. In fact, Masonic Outreach serves more clients each year than do either of the two retirement communities.

There’s also the Masonic Center for Youth and Families, which is also now available to Prince Hall

offer members an incredible safety

net—something that’s been the back-

[Masons of CA Logo]

bone of California Masonry for more than a century.

[Job’s Daughters Logo] [Rainbow Assembly for Girls Logo] [DeMolay Intl Logo]

Masons. MCYAF offers mental health services, educa-

The new Citrus Heights Health Center in Covina is opening soon. RIGHT: Residents gather in the library of the Covina retirement community.

tional assessments, and therapy for families, couples, and people of all ages both online and in person at its San Francisco and Covina offices. At a time when [Masons CA [Masons [Masons of CAof of Logo] CA Logo] Logo] [Masons of CA Logo] [Job’s Daughters Logo] [Rainbow Assembly for Girls Logo] [DeMolay Intl Logo]

Daughters Logo] [Job’s[Job’s [Job’s Daughters Daughters Logo]Logo]

[Rainbow Assembly for Girls [Rainbow [Rainbow Assembly Assembly for Girls forLogo] Girls Logo] Logo] [DeMolay Intl Logo] Logo] [DeMolay [DeMolay Intl Logo] Intl

We’re Here to Help

[Masons of of CA CA Logo] Logo] [Masons

[Masons of CA Logo] of CA Logo] [Masons[Masons of CA Logo] [Masons of CA Logo] [Job’s Daughters Logo] [Job’s Daughters [Job’s Daughters Logo] Logo] [Job’s Daughters Logo] SERVI[Rainbow C ES Assembly FO R CA MLogo] AS O N[Rainbow S, CONTACT US TODAY TO ACCESS YOUR [Rainbow Assembly for Girls Girls Logo] Assembly for Girls Logo] [Rainbow Assembly for Girls Logo] for [Rainbow Assembly for Girls Logo] [Rainbow Assembly for Girls Logo] [Masons of of HALL CA Logo] Logo] MASONS, [Masons CA PRINCE AND MASONS MEMBER BENEFITS AND SERVICES: [DeMolay Intl Logo] [DeMolay Intl Logo] [DeMolay Intl Logo] [DeMolay Intl Logo] [DeMolay Intl Logo] [Job’s Logo] F RO MDaughters THE G R A N D LO[DeMolay DG E Intl OFLogo] IR A N [Job’s Daughters Logo] [Job’s [Job’s Daughters Daughters Logo] Logo]

Assembly for Girls Logo] I N[Rainbow EXI LE A ND HE IR FA M ILIE S [Rainbow Assembly for T Girls Logo] [DeMolay Intl Intl Logo] Logo] [DeMolay

• Information and referrals

masonichome.org

(888) 466-3642

• Senior communities in Covina[Masons and of CA Logo] [Masons of CA Logo] [Masons of CA Logo] mcyaf.org Union City, including assisted living [Job’s Daughters Logo] [Job’s Daughters Logo] [Job’s Daughters Logo] and[Rainbow memory care (San Francisco) Assembly for Girls Logo] [Rainbow Assembly for Girls Logo] [Rainbow Assembly for Girls Logo] [DeMolay Intl Logo] [DeMolay Intl Logo] • Statewide Masonic Outreach Services for members of all ages and their families

• 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

LEARN ABOUT THE MASONIC HOMES PARTERSHIP WITH PRINCE HALL MASONS.

YOU! The Next Generation

community. The organization also includes Masonic Out-

(877) 488-6293 [DeMolay Intl Logo] (626) 251-2300 (Covina)

Masonic Value Network: Care resources and prescription discounts

masonichome.org/ValueNetwork

By coming together around the Masonic Homes, 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 of Masonic of Leaders Masonic of Leaders Masonic Leaders The Next Generation of Masonic Leaders of Masonic As part As part of the of the Masonic Masonic family, family, the the young young people people in your in your life deserve life deserve the the benefits benefits of being of being a Job’s a Job’s Needs Needs of Masonic LeadersDaughter, Needs Needs Daughter, Rainbow Rainbow Girl,Girl, or DeMolay. or DeMolay.

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Prince Hall

PART TWO: PRESENT

UndertheBanner EXPLORING THE MANY UNIFIED BODIES OF PRINCE HALL MASONRY IN CALIFORNIA. As the day’s pro gram for the 2023 Annual Com-

California: Egyptian Temple № 5 in Los Angeles. Other states also have women’s groups unique to Prince Hall Masonry, such as the Order of Cyrene Crusaders, the Heroines of Jericho, and youth orders including the Knights of Pythagoras.

This arrangement can create a dizzying array of logos

munication of the Most Worshipful Prince Hall Grand

and acronyms at big events. (AEAONMS is the full name of

Lodge of California inched closer, the hotel convention

the Prince Hall Shrine, for instance.) But, as Carney says,

hall’s floor began to fill. Men in black suits with white

“It’s all under one umbrella.”

gloves and embroidered aprons worked their way toward

Gerald Stringer is familiar with the many outlets

the front, while women in white lace dresses, purple and

within Prince Hall Masonry. He currently holds the

gold sashes draped over their shoulders, found their seats.

title of imperial deputy of the desert of California, a top

All around, a mash-up of members in other regalia—white

appointed position in the Shrine. He acknowledges that

dinner coats, red fez caps with gold embroidery, striking

the parallel Masonic grand lodges in the state have cre-

blue blazers—jockeyed for position.

ated some confusion outside the fraternity (and a bit

“It’s like one big family,” explains Marilyn Carney.

within it, too). “Initially, with the separation of [the Prince

Carney is currently the grand worthy matron of the

Hall Grand Lodge and the Grand Lodge of California],

Golden State chapter of the Prince Hall Order of the East-

the public didn’t really understand what was going on. I

ern Star, making her the highest-ranking member of the

joke that they integrated us before we did,” he says.

women’s group. (Within the parlance of Freemasonry, it’s known as a concordant body.)

That spectrum of colors, representing a constellation

Grand Worthy Matron Marilyn Carney shows off the dress regalia of the Prince Hall Order of the Eastern Star, one of the concordant bodies that, within Prince Hall Masonry, falls under the jurisdiction of the state grand lodge.

While the Prince Hall Shrine is a distinct organization from Shriners International, Stringer says that historically the two groups have worked together on philan-

of satellite groups, is a hallmark of Prince Hall Masonry—

thropic and social events, including, for many years, the

as it the tight-knit atmosphere. This is partly because,

East-West Shrine Bowl at Stanford. His group features

unlike the Grand Lodge of California, the organization’s

the same accoutrements that people associate with the

concordant and appendant bodies fall under the author-

Shriners, including the red fez and parading go-karts

ity of the Prince Hall grand master. In California, that

(although with the average age of members ticking up,

includes not only the Eastern Star, but also the various

“Most of them can’t fit in those cars anymore,” he jokes).

bodies of the York and Scottish rites (the latter of which

While membership in such groups can place major

is known within California Prince Hall Masonry as the

demands on members’ time, Stringer says it’s important to

Robert W. Brown Council of Deliberation). There also

keep the traditions alive. “We need that lifetime of knowl-

exists a California desert (or jurisdiction) of the Prince

edge that our members have,” he says.

Hall Shrine, which boasts 10 temples throughout the

And despite the challenges of ushering in a new gen-

state. (The Scottish Rite is made of several consistories;

eration, members of the various groups are able to rely

the York Rite includes eight active chapters.) Addition-

on one another for support and camaraderie. As Stringer

ally, many of those groups include women’s auxiliaries,

says, “In the end, we’re all Masons.”

such as the Order of the Amaranth and the Imperial Court

Daughters (formerly known as the Daughters of Isis).

In the latter case, there exists one court, or branch, in

BY IAN A. STEWART PHOTO BY JUSTIN L. STEWART

BY TONY PIERUCCI PHOTO BY MATHEW SCOTT

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33

People

PART THREE

Flying the Colors Prince Hall Masons from Wiley L. Kimbrough № 91 took to the streets Feb. 2 in Santa Ana as part of that town’s annual Black History Parade and Unity Festival alongside their Grand Lodge of California counterparts from Irvine Valley № 671.

PHO TO BY JU STI N L . STE W A R T

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A

Prince Hall

PART THREE: PEOPLE

Your Honor WHETHER ON THE BENCH OR IN LODGE, JOHN WELLER PREACHES FAIRNESS.

“Serving in leadership positions in lodge gave me the confidence that I could do that in another arena as well.”

These days, when John Weller asks questions, he expects answers. Appointed by Governor Newsom to the Los Angeles County Superior Court in 2020, Judge Weller has served on the bench for four years. Before that, he was a deputy district attorney specializing in cybercrime. “I really see my role as a judge as a chance to make sure each side is fairly heard—something I wasn’t in a position to do as a deputy DA,” Weller says.

Now a past master of Western Knights Lodge № 56, Judge Weller can look back at his time in the fraternity and see the mark it left on his life and career. “For starters, this is not just a brotherhood, it’s a family,” Weller says. Over the years, he’s grown close with many of the men in his lodge. Several of them have been by his side for special life events like weddings and baby showers. He’s even found that his experience as an officer has made him a better judge. “Serving in leadership positions in lodge gave me the confidence that I could do that in another arena as well,” he says. “It’s also made me a better listener.

I’ve learned to listen for understanding. I’m not just hearing and waiting to respond.”

Billy Harrington, a past master of Western Knights № 56, says that servant-leadership style is typical of Weller, whom he describes as selfless. That, in turn, is something Weller says he’s drawn from his spiritual life.

A s a young b oy, John Weller remembers attending

“I like the fact that the desire to make yourself a better

church and wondering who all those tall men in dark suits

person and a servant in your community is something

were. One of them even had a top hat on. “That was my

that both my faith and my fraternity value,” he says.

first experience with Prince Hall Masonry,” Weller, now 43,

As both a public officer of the court and a proud Prince

remembers from his home in Inglewood. His pastor was a

Hall Mason, Weller says he’s especially mindful of the way

member of a local lodge and often invited his fellow mem-

he carries himself out in the world. “People are looking to

bers to hear him preach. “Looking back, I now see that

me in a certain light,” he says. “I’m not just a Mason, but

most of the men I admired in my church were Masons.”

a role model.”

It wasn’t until he was a grown man that Weller acted

After all, he says, you never know when that little kid

on that curiosity. Approaching one of the men at church—

might be looking up at the tall men in suits—and forming

seemingly not so tall now—Weller worked up the courage

their own questions.

to ask about Freemasonry and, eventually, what it took to join. “Like most people unfamiliar with the fraternity, I had questions,” Weller says.

36

SU PR MIM NE GR2 2 00 24 24

BY TONY PIERUCCI PHOTO BY MATHEW SCOTT

BY TONY PIERUCCI PHOTO BY MATHEW SCOTT

John Weller, of Western Knights № 56 in South L.A., has served on the bench of the Los Angeles County Superior Court since 2020.

37

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Prince Hall

PART THREE: PEOPLE

[people] Your Honor Whether on the bench or in lodge, John Weller preaches fairness. By Tony Pierucci As a young boy, John Weller remembers attending church and wondering who all those tall men in dark suits were. One of them even had a top hat on. “That was my first experience with Prince Hall Masonry,” Weller, now 43, remembers from his home in Inglewood. His pastor was a member of a TKLODGE, and often invited his lodge brothers to hear him preach.

It wasn’t until he was a grown man that Weller acted on that curiosity, though. Approaching one of the men at church— seemingly not so tall now—Weller asked about the fraternity and what it took to join. “Like most people unfamiliar with the fraternity, I had questions,” Weller says.

Unlike most people, when John Weller asks questions, he expects answers. Appointed by Governor Newsom to the Los Angeles County Superior Court in 2020, Judge Weller has served on the bench for four years. Before that, he was a deputy district attorney specializing in cybercrime. “I really see my role as a judge as a chance to make sure each side is fairly heard— something I wasn’t in a position to do as a deputy DA,” Weller says.

Now a past master of Western Knights Lodge No. 56, Judge Weller can look back at his time in the fraternity and see the mark it has left on his life. “For starters, this is not just a brotherhood; it’s a family,” Weller says. Over the years, he’s grown close with many of the men in his lodge. Several of them have been by his side for special life events like weddings and baby showers. He’s even found that his experience in lodge has made him a better judge. “Serving in leadership positions in lodge gave me the confidence that I could do that in another arena as well,” he says. “It’s also made me a better listener. I’ve learned to listen for understanding. I’m not just hearing and waiting to respond.”

Robert Mines, the current master of Western Knights No. 56, says that servant-leadership style is typical of Weller, who he describes as a selfless leader in the lodge. It’s a lesson Weller says he’s taken from his spiritual life. “I like the fact that the desire to make yourself a better person and a servant in your community is something that both my faith and my fraternity value,” he says.

That’s something Weller says he’s especially mindful of when he’s out in the world—as both a Mason and as a figurehead for the court. “People are looking to me in a certain light,” he says. “I’m not just a Mason, but a role model.” After all, he says, you never know when a little kid might be looking up at the tall men in suits and forming their own questions.

Keeper of the Beat

DRUMMER TREVOR LAWRENCE, JR. PUTS MASONRY SQUARELY IN THE SPOTLIGHT.

S P R I N G 2 0 24

the famed jazz musician (and Mason) Fats Waller, has counted several other iconic musicians on its rolls, including Nat King Cole, T-Bone Walker, and Victor Lewis. To this day, it retains a reputation as the Prince Hall musicians’ lodge—a heritage Lawrence is proud to carry on.

But it wasn’t the arts that brought Lawrence to Freemasonry. It was family.

“My grandfather was a superhero to me in my life,” he says. “There’s so much of him in me. So when I learned he was connected to Freemasonry in Philadelphia, it made joining even more of an affirmation.”

As for his family, Lawrence clearly inherited a lot.

His grandfather was a pioneering figure in gospel music, and both his parents were members of Stevie Wonder’s band, Wonderland. His mother later played with the postDiana Ross-era Supremes. He began playing the drums as a small child, eventually landing a session-recording gig in high school that produced the theme song for the television hit Martin. That, in turn, led to a wide-ranging career that has included recording credits with Boys II Men, Dr. Dre, and an impressive list of chart-toppers across jazz, R&B, hip-hop, and rock. He’s also released a solo album, appropriately titled Relationships.

Since joining the lodge, he’s put those relationships to work, taking on a sort of ambassador’s role for Masonry.

And between the nearly 22,000 followers on his Instagram account—many of whom reach out to ask him about Masonry—and his world travels, Lawrence has ample opportunity to have those conversations. In his words, he wants to “talk the talk and walk the walk” about an important facet of his life.

“I have a saying: Out of light, out of sight,” Lawrence

them, are plainly there to see. And he wants you to ask

says. “I’m not seeking to be the loudest, most obnoxious

about them.

person. But if we don’t connect people to the organization,

flashed to 101 million television viewers while playing

38

that’s included Freemasonry. Waller № 49, named for

The bread crumb s, as Trevor Lawrence Jr. calls

For instance, there’s the Masonic hand sign he

Trevor Lawrence Jr. has performed with some of the biggest names in popular music.

sharing his passion with his audience. Since 2015, when he joined Thomas Waller Lodge № 49 in Los Angeles,

the organization will eventually cease, because nobody will see a need to join.”

drums for Snoop Dogg, Dr. Dre, Eminem, and others

That idea informs Lawrence’s view of Freemasonry,

during the 2022 Super Bowl halftime show. There’s the

combined with a bit of the showman’s flair. “Our con-

square and compass that adorns his bass drum while

duct should speak for who we are. But if there’s no way

he’s on tour with the likes of Herbie Hancock, Mary J.

to connect that conduct to the organization, then it really

Blige, and the dozens of other A-listers he’s played and

doesn’t garner interest for the organization,” he says.

recorded with. In each case, they’re meant to start a

What it boils down to is, “I’m not shy in letting people

conversation.

know I’m a Mason.”

Lawrence, a multi-Grammy-winning artist, recording engineer, and performer who is also an adjunct profes-

BY BRIAN ROBIN PHOTO BY MATHEW SCOTT

BY TONY PIERUCCI PHOTO BY MATHEW SCOTT

sor of music at Cal State Northridge, is a firm believer in

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Prince Hall

PART THREE: PEOPLE

History in the Making

AARON WASHINGTON ON LEARNING FROM THE LESSONS OF THE PAST.

Aaron Washington has always loved history. It’s

the role that Prince Hall Masons played in the civil rights movement, from W.E.B. DuBois to Amos T. Hall to Thurgood Marshall. Particularly in the South, Prince Hall lodges helped organize educational efforts and contributed to legal defense funds for the NAACP and other organizations, while many of the most important figures of the era, including the civil rights activists Medgar Evers and A. Philip Randolph, were Prince Hall Masons. “As I learned more about the history of the fraternity, I became even more dedicated to sharing it with future generations,” Washington says.

Years ago, during a trip back to San Francisco, he ran into an old school acquaintance who noticed a Masonic emblem on his shirt. Soon, he was introduced to a member of Bayview № 64. (He now belongs to Hannibal № 1.) “I remember thinking, There are Prince Hall Masons in San Francisco?” Washington recalls. He began researching the organization and was surprised to find a history of Prince Hall Masonry in California dating back to the 1850s.

His keen interest in passing history along also drove Washington to throw his hat into the ring for a position as a grand lodge officer. Today, he is the right worshipful senior grand warden, third in the successive line to become grand master. His motto is Leave it better than you found it. “I want to set the fraternity up to serve the needs of future generations, just like past Prince Hall Masons have done for us,” Washington says.

Washington says his dedication to learning from the lessons of history permeates his life. He certainly felt that dramatically a few years ago, when he brought his then13-year-old son back to Alabama, to a historically important location: the Edmund Pettus Bridge in Selma. The bridge, named after a former Confederate general and state leader in the KKK, became the site of the famous march from Selma to Montgomery taken by Martin

his passion, and for more than 30 years, it was his profes-

Luther King Jr. and hundreds of civil rights activists in

sion, working as managing director aboard the USS Pam-

1965. The march was violently dispersed by law enforce-

panito for the San Francisco Maritime Park Association,

ment in what became known as Bloody Sunday.

the nonprofit partner of the National Park Service.

In 2022, it was once again the site of a march, but this

For years, he educated the public about the World

one triumphant. More than 1,000 Prince Hall Masons

War II–era submarine turned museum docked just

from around the country joined together to walk across

off Fisherman’s Wharf, sharing its history and tradi-

the bridge—a stark reminder not only of the fraternity’s

tions with children and adults alike. Now retired, he’s

historic role in the struggle for equal rights, but also of

redirected that educational energy toward Prince Hall

the continuing need to press forward. “Having my son

Masonry. “The historical account of Prince Hall himself

by my side was huge for me,” Washington says. “It was a

is amazing, and it’s what has kept me deeply connected to

chance for him to not only connect with history, but with

the fraternity all these years,” Washington says.

the fraternity I love.”

Washington originally joined J.H. Green № 113 while attending Alabama State, a historically Black college in

BY TONY PIERUCCI PHOTO BY WINNI WINTERMEYER

BY TONY PIERUCCI PHOTO BY MATHEW SCOTT

Montgomery. Living in Alabama, he grew to appreciate

40

SU PR MIM NE GR2 2 00 24 24

“I want to set the fraternity up to serve the needs of future generations, just like past Prince Hall Masons have done for us.”

Aaron Washington at Fort Mason in San Francisco, where he worked for 30 years as a director with the San Franciscso Maritime Park Association.

41

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Prince Hall

PART THREE: PEOPLE

Trail Blazer

Ransom thought otherwise. Armed with a scholarship from his father’s lodge, he worked his way through Rutgers as an investigator for the New Jersey Attorney General’s Office of Civil Rights. He later joined the Air Force, dodging North Vietnamese missiles in a B-52.

After the war, he enrolled at McGeorge Law School in Sacramento and passed the bar exam on his first try.

That made Ransom a trailblazer. “When I became a lawyer in 1974, there were only three or four Black lawyers in the entire county,” Ransom says. He was hired at the public defender’s office, making him the first Black attorney there. In 1981, Governor Jerry Brown appointed him to the Sacramento Municipal Court bench. George

z

GARY RANSOM BROKE BARRIERS FOR THE NEXT GENERATION OF AFRICAN AMERICAN LAWYERS.

Gary Ransom was the first African American to work in the Sacramento County public defender’s office, and just the fourth Black judge in the history of the county.

Deukmejian elevated him to the Superior Court in 1988, where he served until retiring in 2002. He often presided over Prop. 36 cases, diverting nonviolent offenders into drug treatment programs.

Ransom looked for ways to make an impact

outside the courtroom, too. He helped found the Sacramento chapter of Sigma Pi Phi, a fraternity for African American professionals, and the Wiley Manuel Bar Association of Sacramento County for Black attorneys.

Not long after becoming a judge, Ransom also

Typing the reports. That’s one of Gary Ransom’s

became a Mason. He remembered the generosity of the

first memories of Freemasonry.

“My father was the chair of something or another,

Masons he’d known growing up, particularly to young

and he had to file these reports with the Grand Lodge,”

particularly my race, and I thought the Masons would

people. “I wanted to join if it was going to help people,

Ransom, now 82, remembers. “Whenever he had to file

do that,” he says. “The major thing was I was looking

one of those big reports, I’d type it up for him.”

for people and an organization who were trying to help

Yes, the man who flew 72 combat missions as a B-52

others.”

navigator over Vietnam, the man who was one of the

Whether from behind the bench or sitting in lodge,

first and most important African American lawyers in

that’s been a lifelong motif for Ransom. “What kept me

Sacramento, not to mention a past master of Prince Hall

going was working on the generation behind us, knowing

Philomathean Lodge № 2, cut his teeth as a typist.

they could be something,” he says. In the same way he

These days, Ransom’s legacy is as considerable as his

ignored others’ advice about his career prospects, “I don’t

background is humble. Raised in a segregated area of New Brunswick, N.J., by a father who was a Prince Hall Mason, Ransom says he was taught early that “the best you’d ever be is a clerk at the post office.”

42

S P R I N G 2 0 24

“The main thing was I was looking for people and an organization who were trying to help others.”

want them to sell themselves short.”

z

BY BRIAN ROBIN PHOTO BY WINNI WINTERMEYER

BY TONY PIERUCCI PHOTO BY MATHEW SCOTT 43

PART THREE: PEOPLE

Donor Profile

Robert J. Eagle Spirit Sr.

Acacia Creek offers an opportunity to stimulate your mind, make new friends, strengthen your body, and eat well. As the only certified Center for Successful Aging in the region, we So my vision is simply to continue the good work we’ve incorporate leading research to redefine what it means to age. been doing. We have a vision, and I believe I’m a facilitator

IN GOOD COMPANY ININGOOD GOOD COMPANY COMPANY

of that. I just want to focus on ensuring our members are in leading roles and are good people of society.

DEPUTY GRAND MASTER OF PRINCE HALL MASONS JOSEPH V. NICHOLAS LODGE Nº 120 • MEMBER SINCE 1993 How did you first become a Prince Hall Mason?

I was a drill instructor back in 1992 in San Diego, and I kept seeing the Masonic symbol everywhere. One day, I asked another instructor who wore a square and compass necklace, and he referred me to a warrant officer, so I spoke to him, did my research, and ultimately joined his lodge, Gibraltar № 58. From then on, I was always interested in Masonry and fraternal organizations. I’m also involved in the Royal Arch, the Knights Templar, Royal and Select Masters, the Consistory, and the Shrine.

As deputy grand master, you are up for election as grand master this year. What does that mean to you?

The higher you move up in the line, the more you want to

You’re also a big supporter of Masons4Mitts. Why do you see that as an important program?

There were a lot of reasons to get involved with Masons-

Welcome to a culture of continued growth, Welcome Welcome to a to culture a culture of continued of continued growth, growth, up, and I like supporting youth programs. And the pro-

4Mitts. I’m a big baseball fan. I played the sport growing

where you can agepurpose successfully with purpose and meaning. where where you can you age can successfully age successfully with with purpose and and meaning. meaning. the sport, but also about discipline, teamwork, communiAcacia Creektooffers an opportunity to stimulate your mind, Acacia Acacia Creek Creek offers offers an opportunity an opportunity stimulate to stimulate youryour mind, mind, cation, and other core values. make new friends, strengthen your body, make make new new friends, friends, strengthen strengthen youryour body,body, and eat andwell. eat well.

As the As the and eat well. As the Do you envision a closer partnership with the Masons of California?

Center only only certified certified Center Center foronly Successful for certified Successful Aging Aging in for the inSuccessful region, the region, we Aging we in the region, we I hope so. At the end of the day, we’re all Masons practicing the same values. I know everyone in the [Grand incorporate leading totoredefine incorporate incorporate leading leading research research to redefine to redefine whatresearch what it means it means age. to age.what it means to age.

Lodge of California] line, and they’re all great people. grams Masons4Mitts supports don’t only teach kids about

Grand Master Metroka is a former Marine, so we have that in common. We also have the new partnership with the Masonic Homes of California, which I think is just beautiful. It’s not a handout; it’s a hand up. I hope our Prince Hall brothers take advantage of it.

serve those who brought you there. It’s not about what the grand master wants done. It’s what we want to see done.

ACACIA CREEK AD

Deputy Grand Master Robert J. Eagle Spirit Sr., at Bo’s Cigar Lounge in Bellflower.

PHOTO BY JUSTIN L. STEWART

The Acacia Creek Flying Club, made up of Masons and nonMasons, meets up to fly model planes—one of

The Acacia The Acacia Creek Flying Creek Club, Flying Club,

more than 30 clubs made up made of Masons up of Masons and nonand nonmeets up meets to flyup to fly at Acacia Creek,Masons, the Masons, model planes—one model planes—one of of

majority started by

more than more 30than clubs 30 clubs

residents.

at Acacia at Acacia Creek, Creek, the the majority majority startedstarted by by residents. residents.

The Acacia Creek Flying Club, made up of Masons and nonMasons, meets up to fly model planes—one of more than 30 clubs at Acacia Creek, the majority started by residents.

Call now to schedule your complimentary lunch and tour of Callyour now to schedule your our apartment homes.

CallCall now to your on schedule bleschedule ato ilbay-view Avanow

t ofcomplimentary lunch and tour of complimentary complimentary lunch andand tourtour of of assignmenlunch ay-asMasons, widowsapartment receive a 10homes. percent pwives, ssets orapartment abay-view ourand bay-view ourour bay-view apartment homes. homes. o basis. you-g discount onMasons, monthly fees and entrance fees. wives, and widows receive a 10 percent

Masons, Masons, wives,wives, and widows and widows receive receive a 10 percent a 10 percent discount onfees. monthly discount discount on monthly on monthly fees and fees entrance and entrance fees.fees and entrance fees.

| (510) 944-1438 acaciacreek.org | (877) 902-7555 acaciacreek.org acaciacreek.org |AcaciaCreek.org/forMasons (877) | (877) 902-7555 902-7555 44

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M ASONS 4

2020-2021 M ITTS S EASON O PEN Grand LodgeISOfficers Arthur Harold Weiss G r and Ma ster

!

Jeffery Michael Wilkins D ep u t y G r a n d M a s t er Randall Louis Brill S en i o r G r a n d Wa r d en G. Sean Metroka J u n i o r G r a n d Wa r d en Arthur Lupe Salazar, Jr. G r a n d Tr e a su r er Allan Lesley Casalou G r a n d S ec r e ta ry Ricky Lee Lawler G r a n d L ec t u r er Mark James McNee G r a n d C h a p l a i n Gary Richard Quintrell A s s t G r a n d L ec t u r er D i v I David Mickel Edwards A s s t G r a n d 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 COME TOGETHER FOR A WEEKENDMichael FULLDavid OF Thibodeaux MASONICGEVENTS 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 Pressey Grand Marshal GRAND SP OUSE SMark AN Edson D P LUS students’ lives, kids need our help before. r a n d Sta n da r d B e a r er M ASTER’ S now more PPaul ARthan TBoghes N E Rever S Bazerkanian BusinessGsessions, vendors’ hall, Alberto Casanova, Jr. G r a n d Swo r dfrBeeeam r er GALA to our classic LUN C HLuke baseball ason.org/ That’s why this year, in addition leather Grand Master’s Frank G r a n d B i b l e B e a rAer A “Sparkling, Food tour of Rickey Young n installation, n C omm24 mitts, Masons4Mitts will provide children in+Alexander need a and more!

Celestial Night” with San Francisco cabaretwith Mark Nielsen S en i o r G r a n d D e aco n friends and brothers. show at Club Fugazi 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

Reserve Your Spot !

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

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OCTOBER 25–27, 2024 • SAN FRANCISCO