June 2021 Gila Valley Lodge No. 9 Trestleboard

Printed Every Month 131st Anniversary

June 2021

It is with great sadness that we have to report that Most Worshipful Brother Mike Manning has laid down his worker's tools. There is so much to be written about this wonderful man and Mason. RIP beloved Worshipful Brother.

ngs, the point within a

(Contact the Lodge Secretary at WM3, GV9, or A69 for more information)

Michael Bruce Manning was born February 17, 1940 in the small coal mining and farming community of Taylorville, Illinois. Mike’s father and both of his grandfathers were coal miners and members of the local Masonic Lodge. Mike’s mother was a homemaker and very involved in Eastern Star. Mike’s early years were spent camping, hiking and hunting and he was a member of the local Boy Scout Troop. He attended Taylorville High School where he played varsity football and was a letterman each of his 4 years of high school. He was also on the varsity wrestling team.

Mike graduated in 1958 and joined the United States Marine Corps. After completing boot camp, Advanced Infantry Training, Basic Recon School and then Force Recon Training at Camp Pendleto, CA, he returned home to propose to his high school sweetheart, Maggie.

Mike’s first tour of duty in Viet Nam was in 1960 as a Force Recon Sniper. After his return to the US he and Maggie were stationed in Millington TN where Mike attended Aircraft Mechanics School. After completing training in Tennessee, Mike was transferred to the Marine Corps Air Station at Cherry Point, NC, where he and Maggie lived until 1962. Mike re-enlisted and was reassigned to the helicopter base in Santa Ana CA. A second tour in Viet Nam followed in 1965-66, where he flew over 300 combat missions as a Crew Chief/DoorGunner.

served with the Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department, retiring in 2002 after twenty years as a Detective with the Arizona Department of Public Safety. During his time with the Arizona DPS, Mike’s most challenging cases involved investigations into organized crime, outlaw motorcycle gangs, satanic cult crimes and homicides.

After being discharged in l966, Mike worked for the Santa Ana Police Dept. in Orange County, California, and then accepted a lucrative position in the commercial finance industry. For the next ten years Mike was promoted through the ranks with Westinghouse Credit and ITT Commercial Finance, ultimately heading up one of the largest wholesale finance divisions of ITT, budgeting and controlling tens of millions of dollars.

After realizing that white collar work was not as rewarding as police work, Mike returned to the profession he truly missed. He completed his career in 2002, having

Mike was initiated into Mound Lodge #122, Taylorville IL in 1962, completing his degrees the next year by courtesy of Silver Cord Lodge #505 in Santa Ana CA. He retained his membership in Mound Lodge until 1973, when he joined Tucson Lodge #4. In 1999, he transferred to Flagstaff #7, then became a dual member of Williams-Grand Canyon in 2000, serving as Master of #38 in 2002.

While in Flagstaff he chaired Bikes for Books with the Flagstaff School District, Police Officer of the Year and

2

Firefighter of the Year Awards programs, which included not only Flagstaff and NAU Police and Fire, but surrounding Fire Districts as well. He also took those programs to Williams-Grand Canyon Lodge during his time there.

In 2012, Mike re-affiliated with Mound Lodge in Illinois. He is also a member of the Arizona Military Degree Team, Tucson Scottish Rite, PrescottYork Rite Bodies, El Zaribah Shrine and Marion McDaniel #56 in Tucson, Arizona.

Mike served the Grand Lodge as a Lodge Program Coordinator (the predecessor of today’s DDGM), as a member of Jurisprudence Committee for two years, then as Grand Sword Bearer in 2004. Also in 2004, he transferred his membership to Central Arizona #14 and was their Mason of the Year in 2006. Mike was a District Deputy Grand Lecturer in 2005 and 2006, then Grand Lecturer for 3 years (2007-2009). At Grand Lodge in 2010, he was named Arizona Mason of the Year and was also appointed Junior Grand Steward by GM James Rowan.

Mike and his wife Maggie lived in Flagstaff. Maggie organized the Ladies Programs for the Annual Communications for a number of years and was awarded the Ladies Meritorious Service Award in 2007. They have a daughter, Kelley (a Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Deputy) a son, Sean (a Sergeant with the Northern Arizona University Police Dept. and a member of Flagstaff Lodge #7) and three Grandchildren. In the last couple years, Mike trained and qualified people for the Arizona Concealed Weapons Permit, and conducted Tactical Handgun classes throughout the state.

This is a (brilliant) question, though Masonry in- (and so on for other faiths). deed is neither a religion nor a substitute for one, it An altar’s presence does not, in and of itself, mean uses the altar to hold: that the group which uses it must be a religion.

The Volumes of Sacred Law. It is simply used to represent the respective reliThe Volume of the Sacred Law represent the re- gious beliefs that are represented by a lodge’s varispective beliefs of those Masons who rely upon ous members. one - or more - of them.

If a group has a religious requirement (belief in For the Christian, the Bible carries this representa- Deity), but does not define Who or What Deity is, tion; it only logically follows that each member’s freedom of religious belief be so respected.

For the Jew, the Torah and/or the Tanakh; For the Muslim, the Qur’an;

~ MasonicFind

3

Good day Brethren!

I hope this finds all of you well. We have seen many changes this past month from more things opening, or at least attempting to get back to normal, to gas prices going crazy. We have also accomplished a lot this month as a lodge.

As I am working on some of the degree work I find myself reflecting on how I act in the public eye as well as behind closed doors. We are told in every degree that we are to act Masonically, for lack of a better term. We should always practice out of lodge what we are taught in lodge. I say this not due to any circumstance, it just hit me that maybe I do not always act on the square with others (brothers excluded from this) as I have been taught. This makes me think of some statements I heard many years ago and I still hear from time to time.

The next one is: “Smile at a stranger and make their day”. This one I have seen many times. I have noticed that if I smile and say “good morning” or “good afternoon” to someone as we pass most of the time I get the same response or at least a smile. And on the rare occasion that I do not see either immediately I can see their facial expression change a bit for the positive. The second part of this statement is that if one person smiles and greets another, then that person will do the same to the next person they meet, and so on. Pretty soon more and

The first is: “Do unto others as you wish to have done unto you”. In other words do not treat someone the way you would not want them treating you, or treat them the same as you would have them treat you. This is a very simple thing to say, and sometimes difficult to follow.

Before you act out on something, try to ask yourself if that is the response you would expect if the tables were turned. If it is then by all means stay the course and respond. But if not, then maybe the response should be thought about before “sending”.

Illustrious Brother Sam Graziano, 33° of Peoria Lodge No. 31 entered the Celestial Lodge this past month. He was a faithful servant to the Craft, sitting in many chairs and leading many of our organizations. A true hero among men.

He will be missed.

4

more people are doing it. This grows exponentially and those that hear a kind greeting feel better inside and then are more willing to pass that along. So maybe if we all try to be “human”, if you will, toward others, it will wear off onto even more and we can all get along again.

With things attempting to get back to some semblance of “normal” in the world more and more people are showing up on the streets and in stores, restaurants, etc. The added numbers of folks out and about can be extremely trying at times with traffic, waiting in lines again, among many other things that we may find frustrating that we have not had to deal with over the last year.

These frustrations make it easy to forget what we have been taught in our Masonic careers, wherever each of us may be in that career.

I would like to ask all of us to remember what we have been taught and those things in the paragraphs above when things get touchy in the world, especially when our frustrations feel like they might be getting the best of us, and take a deep breath.

I firmly believe that if we follow what we have learned so far in our Masonic career that we CAN change the world, one person at a time.

Fraternally,

Eric Smith 2021 Master Gila Valley Lodge No. 9

5

The organized, powerful Anti-Masonic crusade which M as launched soon after World War I by Chief of Staff Erie von Ludendorff, to explode over Germany with astounding rapidity and to be one of the principal Nazi weapons, placed its principal reliance (though not its only one) on the charge that Freemasonry was a disguise for the Jews who were plotting to overthrow Christian civilization. In France, on the other hand, the Anti-Masonic movement from the Abbe Barruel to Bernard Fay, implemented by Pope Leo's Bureau, placed its reliance on the charge that Freemasonry was a conspiratorial political revolutionary movement, and that it had designed and led the French Revolution between 1787 and 1791, though it also made use of the Jewish myth as well. There was in both these AntiMasonic camps what the old theologians would have called "a tendency to lie"; there were also, especially in the French one, a great deal of "inveterate ignorance."

doctrinaire, meant "leveling," meant to reduce each and every man to the same equation, and in its logic implied some form of communism, or at least a commune; Freemasonry has never taught or practiced equalitarianism, communism, or leveling; on the other hand a Lodge is an order; in it, members are not footloose or free to say or do what they please, but each one is in a fixed place or station, and everything goes according to Rules of Order.

The Revolutionary "liberty" also was doctrinaire, and became "libertarianism"; no such thing as libertarianism has ever been taught or practiced in a Lodge; nor is the word ever employed; it is the word "free" that is used in the Craft, and by "free" is meant no slavery, no serfdom, but citizenship and responsibility. In "fraternity" there is not so great a difference as between Freemasonry and the Revolution, yet what difference there is,

There was an ignorance about modern history. There was an ignorance about the French Revolution itself.

But the complete ignorance about Freemasonry is proved by the fact that the French Anti-Masons from Lco XIII on down (he was Italian himself, but was for two decades in control of the French crusade) have taken it for granted that the Revolutionary motto "Liberty, Fraternity, Equality" was also, and for centuries had been, the motto of Freemasonry. This identification of the Tenets of our Craft with the Revolutionary motto was a revelation of ignorance; because no intelligent man could have made it except out of his ignorance of the known, documented history of Freemasonry. That known, documented history makes it abundantly clear that neither in 1791 nor in any year before or since has Freemasonry ever acted on the revolutionary motto of liberty, fraternity, equality; or ever dreamed of doing so; or ever can do so in the future without destroying itself.

Each of the words of the French motto had a Revolutionary connotation. In the Revolution "equality" was

6

is significant; generally, the Revolutionary "fraternity" sought to abolish distinctions and differences tn order that men could associate freely with each other, whereas Freemasonry has always assumed that distinctions and differences exist but that they never need interfere with brotherliness, neighborliness, friendliness, and are false and unjust if they do.

of the attempts in England to identify Freemasonry with Kabbalism and with Rosicrucianism, of attempts in France to identify it with the Knights and the Crusades, of the attempt here in America to win it over to the Ku Klux Klan, to identify it with Theosophy, and the (commercialized) attempt to identify it with American "Rosicrucianism. " It keeps its oven identity. During the past eight or more centuries it has worked in, entered and remained in, and emerged from, scores of revolutionary changes, some of them world changes; but it has not re-written its Old Charges.

This is not to say that the Fraternity had ever been opposed to the French Revolution, any more than it was opposed to the American, Russian, Mexican, and Chinese revolutions; and many Masons in their capacity as citizens have both believed in and worked in each of them; it only means that Masonry does not involve itself in any political or economic revolution, whether radical or reactionary (for a revolution may, like the Nazi one, be reactionary); and it does not borrow doctrines from outside but has doctrines of its own, understands and practices them within itself and according to its own definitions; imposes them on its own members but does not presume to impose them on nonmembers, least of all on any government or country.

For generations it worked in the midst of Roman Catholicism, but has no trace of that denomination in its teachings; for some two centuries it was girded around

by Tudor absolution, but did not become absolutist; then it worked amidst the Church of England, but did not sign the Thirty-nine articles, and among dissenters, but did not become a sect; it is now immersed in industrialism and capitalism and politicalism, but as far as its Landmarks are concerned might as well be working in the midst of Chinese gilds or Arab sheep-herders.

Those who in Europe between the two World Wars tried to charge it with having fomented the French Revolution or to connect it with an imagined Judaic plot, revealed themselves in the very act to stand in an invincible, at least an inveterate, ignorance of its history and its principles.

It is invariably futile to attempt to identify Free masonry with any cult, movement, crusade, religion, reform, or revolution which may arise around it; with an incorrigible stubbornness it adheres to its own Landmarks, through thick and through thin rides on its own keel, and if its own Lodges or members go astray they are mercilessly cut off. Masonic students know what came - Mackey's Encyclopedia

CALIENTE COFFEE CLUB SINCE 1985 First and third Tuesday at 9:00 aM Caliente Club House, Florence Arizona

MASONIC CONVERSATION, FELLOWSHIP, and EDUCATION For Information call Dewey at 520.576.2329

7

Brothers being Brothers A number of years ago while reading some papers from Ralph Waldo Emerson, I came across some notes suggesting that he launched his career giving lectures at the Boston Masonic Temple in 1835. At the time I did not dig deeper to see if he was actually a Mason. I found it interesting though, that if you look through some of Emerson's letters, correspondence, lectures and other writing; and the philosophical work done by prominent Freemasons in Massachusetts, there seems to be an emergence of transcendentalist philosophy and Masonic ideas emerging during that period between 1830 and 1865 in the area.

you can hope that leads to personal success and achievement. Is this not what Masonry is all about?

Not by mimicking other Masons or being imposed upon by their beliefs, but by sharing the drive to be better men.

This is what brings men of all levels to the doors of Freemasonry. Keeping with the Emerson theme, he once wrote; “If a man can write a better book or preach a better sermon or make a better mousetrap than his neighbor, even if he builds his house in the woods, the world will make a beaten path to his door.”

Sounds a bit like knocking on the doors of Freemasonry to me. We are writing that better book, we are makAll by random chance or is there something deeper? ing the better mousetrap, we are making better men While I surely do not want to suggest that Emerson through our Fraternity. brainwashed the Boston intellectuals and Freemasons or told them what to write. But, how much can other As we approach the annual Communication and the people’s thoughts and behaviors influence another per- end of the year of MW Robertson’s Brothers being son? How do the people with whom you surround Brothers, I hope that each and every one of us took the time to think about what that really meant over the yourself with affect one’s self or ego? course of the year. That we are striving to be better Many studies have suggested that groups of friends may men and by our example, encouraging others to be betsubconsciously pick up one another’s behaviors and ter also. thoughts. They can use similar phrases when they Fraternally, speak and may even influence each other’s personal choices. It could follow then that If you have high expectations for yourself and you surround yourself with 2021 Senior Grand Steward people who also have high expectations for themselves, Grand Lodge of Arizona

Roger Biede III

The

8

Brothers it is now June and that means we are at high 12 for the year! We are half way through 2021. Where did the time go? When did we move from the cool days of winter to the hot days of what will be summer? Well, the time keeps on moving without any regard for us and or desires but it moves steady all the same.

So, let's look at what it means for High 12.

We hear it in lodge during degrees as well as during meetings when going form business to more relaxed fun times in lodge such as having meals doing activities or other things that may not be as focused on business but fun times.

Delayed Kudos

So, my question to everyone this time is now that we are in the prime of the year, before it Brother and Officer Cody Linderoth, who was promoted to the rank of Sergeant. He is pictured with his partner Mary, and will gets to the 110s that is, what are you going to soon be taking lead on one of our night shifts. do with time that you have? I personally look at this and think well now that I have hit 30 this is the Prime of my life to go and do things that I can is that you want to accomplish in the prime of your Maand or want to do. So, what is it that you want to do with sonic career? the prime of your Masonic life? Are you deciding to go Until next time brothers Stay safe and stay involved and into one of the appendant bodies or are you trying to stay active with everything you do in your lodge your help your lodge stay full and active? Or are you taking family and your life. the time to research and do some inner thinking and development on the self?

These are all things that we all need to be thinking Fraternally, about as we are paying our dues and get ready to observe or participate in the Grand communication com2021 Senior Warden ing up in the first few days of June. As we continue on Gila Valley Lodge No. 9 our journey for further light always keep in mind what it

John Woode

9

Brethren,

One of our dearly departed brothers, WB John Holland would address the candidate after each degree under "Good of the Order" and emphasize to him and the Lodge that the candidate has taken another step in a life long journey in Freemasonry.

When did we start or take that first step in our masonic journey? Was it when we petitioned the Lodge or received the Entered Apprentice degree? Maybe it started much earlier in life when our minds and bodies were developing and we were totally dependent on our parents or a caregiver to nurture and provide the necessities to sustain life. Possibly your journey may have started at a very early age when your thoughts and actions displayed kindness and compassion toward a fellow human being or another of God's living creatures. One of the questions in the Entered Apprentice candidate examination is "Where were you first prepared to be made a Mason"? The answer you were taught to give is "In my possess firmness and virtue enough to maintain what I Heart". I sincerely hope that as a Mason we have conconsider the most enviable of all titles, the character of templated the truth that lies within that answer. an honest Man." During the presentation and explanation of the working Our Masonic Journey started with a good heart and it is tools of an Entered Apprentice, the Worshipful Master the goodness of heart that we display informs the candidate that the common gavel is used to that will determine how honorable our lives have been divest our hearts and consciences of all the vices and spent when our hearts stop beating and we lay down our superfluities of life. I believe the clearing of our bad working tools for a final time. habits, immoral thoughts and behavior, excessive desires and unnecessary extravagance from our hearts and consciences better prepares us to receive the necessary instructions from the Great Architect of the Universe to pursue our labors. This is the labor of Brotherly Love and affection toward our fellow creatures.

I would like to end this article with one of George Washington's Rules of Civility and Decent Behaviour in Company and Conversation, number 110: "Labour to keep alive in you Breast that Little Spark of Celestial fire Called Conscience."

Another very necessary trait we should practice that alFraternally, lows us to better receive instruction on our Masonic Journey is honesty. We must be honest in all things with ourselves and others. This quote that I believe is at2021 Senior Grand Warden tributed to WB George Washington reinforces my beGrand Lodge of Arizona lief that honesty is the best policy. "I hope I shall always

Jim Baker

10

One of the most frequently corrected errors in lodge procedure is the failure of a Warden to raise or lower his column appropriately. Let an absent-minded Junior Warden forget to lower his column when the lodge is called from refreshment to labor, and many a frantic gesture from the side lines will remind him of his dereliction! Almost every Brother sitting in the lodge room knows the proper position of the Warden's columns during labor or at refreshment, and will hasten to signal a Warden if the emblem of his office is awry. "Up in the west during labor; down in the west during refreshment. Down in the south during labor; up in the south at refreshment". Every Brother knows that simple rule for positioning the Warden's columns. It's generally believed, as stated in Mackey's Encyclopedia, that the Senior Warden's column represents the pillar Jachin, while the Junior Warden's column represents the pillar Boaz, those having bin impressive adornments on the porch of King Solomon's Temple. Their names signify Establishment and Strength. If ask for a symbolic explanation of these pieces of furniture, the average Craftsman will reply that the Junior Warden's column represents beauty, and the Senior Warden's, strength. But what has become of the Worshipful Masters column? He represents the pillar of wisdom, "because it is necessary that there should be wisdom to contrive, strength to support, and beauty to adorn all great and important undertakings". Some Brethren will explain further that the Warden's columns are miniature representations of the pillars usually stationed in the west, where at one time both Warden's sat, one in the shade of Boaz, the other in the shade of Jachin. Such an arrangement of the Warden's posi-

tions may still be found in some European lodges whose rituals have come from Continental sources.

There is no simple explanation of the origin of the Warden's columns nor of what they represent. Like much in Masonic ritual, they are the result of some interesting changes; yet all welt-informed Brethren will agree that today they are emblematical of the offices of the two Warden's, and represent their authority, of the Senior at labor, and the Junior at refreshment. Warden's columns made their appearance in Masonic ritual around 1760 as described in The Three Distinct Knocks , a well- known expose of Masonic ritual published in London that year. To those who like Masonic traditions neat and historically logical, it may be disconcerting to learn that in some lodges the Warden's did not have columns on their pedestals.

They had truncheons, whose modern function is to serve as billy clubs for policeman. The Rev. George Oliver (1782-1867), a prolific writer about Freemasonry, quotes an inventory of a lodge at Chester, England, in 1761, which includes "two truncheons for the Warden's. There are still lodges today that call the columns truncheons. The raising and lowering of the Warden's columns is not a complicated or mysterious symbolic act; it is a simple means to indicate silently to entering Brethren the status of the lodge.

Hope you enjoyed this read as much as I did.

Fraternally,

Dewey Jefferson 2021 Junior Warden Gila Valley Lodge No. 9

11

4th Grade

Imagine Elementary School Coolidge 4th Grade

Imagine Elementary School Coolidge 4th Grade

Imagine Elementary School Coolidge

12

4th Grade

Imagine Elementary School Coolidge 4th Grade

Imagine Elementary School Coolidge 4th Grade

Florence Elementary School Florence

13

Royal Arch Trivia Robbie made it official…. Proud to introduce, Mr. and Mrs. Robert Holt.

The breastplate of the high priest, as described in the Old Testament, is a common Masonic symbol, especially in Chapters of Royal Arch Masons. Also called the "breastplate of judgment", it was purportedly a span in length and width (about 9x9 inches), thus forming a perfect square. Laid into the breastplate were twelve stones, arranged in four rows of three, each stone being different from the others.

Every stone was engraved with the name of one of the tribes of Israel. The breastplate was secured over the chest of the high priest by gold chains. Modern recreations of the breastplate are common pieces of Masonic degree regalia, as shown here

The Pinal County Animal Care and Control is once again full of dogs and needs our help again. Please bring in your old blankets and dog toys for us to donate for our next Stated Meeting!! There will be a box for collection of the donated items!

Other items that are needed: Cleaning supplies - Blankets and towels – Peanut butter (xylitol-free) – Pet Food—Medicine - Office supplies - Grooming tools

14

WB Jim Hoover of Hunter’s Paradise Lodge 83 was our 2021 Mother’s Day Raffle winner. It could be said however that his wife is actually the true winner! Brother Lee Apger made the presentation to the lucky couple.

Thank you to all those that supported the Lodge by buying a raffle ticket and thank you to all those Brothers that tool the time to sell raffle tickets.

15

Daniel Carter Beard was a New York Mason who lived from 1850-1941. In 1905 he formed the Society of the Sons of Daniel Boone which merged with the Boy Scouts of America in 1910. He went on to serve the BSA for 30 years and is credited with the creation of the scout merit badge and the scout uniform.

According to BSA's website, "The Daniel Carter Beard Masonic Scouter Award is an honor due to members of the Masonic Lodge who act as role models and provide dedicated service to the young men in the BSA. The Daniel Carter Beard Masonic Award not only supports the Masonic relationship through the man who brought Scouting to America, but proclaims the integrity of the recipient who is honored by receiv-

ing the award."

Members are presented with a medallion and a Community Organization Award Square Knot for their uniform.

16

Erected in the 1920s and 30s, it soars 333 feet as a beacon of Light and knowledge, educating and inspiring all who visit it. Recognized in 2015 as a National Historic Landmark, the Memorial is one of the most impressive and iconic buildings in the area around our nation’s capital. Our new fundraising endeavor, The Landmark Century Campaign, aims to support a thorough restoration of the Memorial.

And we can help!

Today, the Memorial is a museum like no other in the world. Everything we do revolves around our vision: “to inspire humanity through education to emulate and promote the virtues, character and vision of George Washington, the Man, the Mason, and Father of our Country.”

Open seven days a week, the Memorial offers

Masonic temple, housing two Craft lodges and regularly hosting visiting lodges from around the country. The Memorial is a central hub connecting Masons to one another, and connecting the Craft to the public, our nation, and our world For the past decade, the Memorial Association has devoted tremendous energy and resources to the renovation of the Memorial.

detailed exhibits and guided tours that teach the general public about George Washington, his life and virtues, and the role that Freemasonry played throughout his life. Further, the Memorial is an important space for the performing arts, social gatherings, public events, and educational seminars. And, of course, it is an active

Beginning at the Memorial’s pyramid level, we have begun a multi-year project to perform all needed structural repairs. Stone by stone, are repointing the mortar and protecting the building from water penetration. When completed, the building will be in better than new

Major exhibits have been added. Interiors have been repaired and repainted. Lighting has been updated. But the most considerable work is the top-to-bottom restoration of the building itself—the first such renovation since the Memorial was completed nearly a century ago.

condition.

Having a tree planted on the grounds of the George Washington Masonic National Memorial is an excellent way to honor an important individual in your life. And also a great way to express thanks to an organization, such as a Lodge or Chapter. For a donation of $750, the tree will be cared for in perpetuity, and a handsome stone marker placed near the tree will communicate

The Society of Washington Lodges is for regular Lodges (recognized by the Grand Lodges of the United States) who are committed to supporting the Memorial.

There is a one-time donation of $2,500.00, which can be applied toward Patronage.

your dedication.

17

The “Capitular” or Chapter Degrees of Freemasonry refers the four degrees of the York Rite system that follow the “blue lodge” or “Craft” degrees. The Holy Royal Arch is the final degree and the culmination of the Chapter experience for a candidate. The Chapter is the second body of the York Rite of Freemasonry (following the Symbolic or 'Blue' Lodge), though in some Jurisdictions it is considered the completion of the initial three degrees and is part of the regular Craft experience. All Master Masons are eligible for membership. Contact RW Jim Baker, or WB Paul Dore at pauldoresr@cox.net for more information

Do you have a son 12-21 years Old? Saguaro Order of the DeMolay is the premier youth leadership organization building young men of character and dedicated to making young men better people and leaders and sponsored by Gila Valley Lodge 9, Pinal Lodge No. 30, and Eloy Lodge No. 46 Meetings are held twice monthly on the 2nd and 4th Tuesday of each month starting at 6:00 pm. All parents are welcome and are encouraged to attend and get involved in this great organization. They meet at Pinal Lodge #30 located at 1140 E. Florence Blvd., Casa Grande, Arizona 85122.

Great Men wear a Fez! We're counting on you… Who do you know that would make a good Mason and Shriner? A friend? A family member? A coworker? Commit to making a difference!

The future of our fraternity relies on your commitment.

CLICK HERE TO REFER A GOOD MAN The individual you refer will receive a series of communications, the first of which will identity you as the referral source.

The Scottish Rite is a Masonic organization that continues a Master Mason's education of the first three degrees. The Scottish Rite is one of several appendant groups of the worldwide fraternity known as Freemasonry. Each Valley has up to four Scottish Rite bodies, and each body confers a set of degrees. In the Southern Jurisdiction these are the Lodge of Perfection (4°-14°). Chapter Rose Croix (15°-18°), Council of Knights Kadosh (19°-30°), and the Consistory (31°-32°). The 33rd Degree is an honorary degree awarded for exceptional service. Have a question? Ask a Personal Rep!

18

The Widows Sons, Masonic Riders Association is a group of Master Masons who have gathered together to promote Freemasonry within the motorcycling community and help introduce motorcycling to our non-riding Masonic brethren. As Freemasons we are committed to "Brotherly Love, Relief, and Truth" tenets of our lives, as Widows Sons we are devoted to supporting Widows and Orphans of our Masonic brethren. We hold events and rides as fundraisers for this noble cause, and other charitable causes. The chapters in Arizona are very diverse with members from various areas, lodges, and a variety of motorcycles.

The goal of the Ladies’ Oriental Shrine, as set forth at the organizational meeting in 1903, is to promote sociability, good fellowship and the betterment of all Ladies connected with the organization. Our Ladies participate in parades, mini-clinics, Shrine Circuses, and much more. Ladies may choose to be active in a variety of special interest Units within each local Court such as Oriental Bands, Patrols, Clown or Dance Units. Our Ladies are always ready to display their pageantry and glamour in order to show the public how much they enjoy their activities.

Today, LOSNA has nearly 8,000 members in 64 Courts across North America and even members in Japan and Taiwan.

High Twelve is an association of Master Masons who desire an hour of Masonic fellowship independent of the formal ritual of Lodge but dedicated to the service to the fraternity. High Twelve was founded by E. C. Wolcott in Sioux City, Iowa on May 17, 1921.

We practice the great lessons of Freemasonry and encourage members to attend and participate in their Blue Lodge activities. High Twelve unifies Master Masons from many Lodges in an association where fellowship grows into lasting friendships. As High Twelve Masons, we support the Public School System and encourage participation in constructive community activities. There are over 300 active High Twelve Clubs with 25,000 members in the United States, Canada and Foreign Countries.

www.azmasoniclibrary.org

19

Blog, Freemasonry Explained

One thing that people outside the Craft don’t often realize is just how much money Masons raise for charity every year. In 2019 alone, the United Grand Lodge of England announced that brothers within lodges across the UK raised in excess of £42 million for selected Masonic charities.

Regardless of the country in which a lodge operates, charitable giving is at the heart of Masonic practice.

Freemasonry supports a vast array of charities, often decided upon by the brothers that attend a particular lodge.

In the United Kingdom, grants are distributed to deserving charities through the Masonic Charitable Foundation, and details of how Masons have supported the lives of people throughout Britain can be found on their website and blog.

As all brothers quickly discover, acts of charity are essential to a Mason’s existence. And this doesn’t just mean giving money to a particular charitable organization or cause. Charity actually begins at home and in your actions towards your fellow men and women.

Masons are encouraged to act charitably in everything they do, whether it’s checking in regularly on a sick neighbor, or volunteering their time to support the fundraising activities of their lodge.

Of course, brothers are encouraged to contribute financially to charitable causes where possible, but it isn’t a requirement as such. It would be more appropriate to describe charity as one of the core Masonic values rather than an actionable objective of Freemasonry.

It’s unfortunate that the media and Freemasonry’s critics don’t spend more time focusing on the charitable efforts of Masonic lodges around the world, as such contributions are significant and make a huge difference to the lives of less fortunate people in communities in

which Masonic lodges operate.

So, to address the question posed in the title of this post, Freemasons aren’t expected to support a particular charity, either with their time or financial contributions.

While much of the money raised by Masons in the UK goes through the Masonic Charitable Foundation, the beneficiary charities operate in different communities across the country and support deserving people in so many different ways.

While it might not be a person’s sole motivation for becoming a Mason, the fact that membership of the fraternity enables you to be more philanthropic and contribute to the world around you is a significant draw for many brothers.

Long may the Masonic tradition of giving generously to charity continue, and as brothers, we can strive for the betterment of our communities through fundraising initiatives and the donation of our time.

20

Jim Reid Curtis Johnson WB Matthew Childress WB John O’Hara PM WB Delbert Lewis PM WB Ray Osbourn PM Wilbur (Bill) Dean Lawrence Baby Rylee Ringer Baby Miguel Martinez

Baby Angeliya Celeste Holt MW Grand Master of Arizona First Responders The Armed Forces Our Veterans Our dearly departed Brethren Brethren Gila Valley Lodge No. 9 Town of Florence Government United States Government

June Birthdays Wilbur Lawrence Delbert Lewis Roger Biede II Cody Lindroth

June Anniversaries 6-3-1929 6-9-1926 6-19 6-23

Clarence Bollig Ryan Kann Ethan Watkins

21

6-20-1985 6-13-2009 6-11-2011

Join your family, friends, and Brothers at Top Golf Gilbert for some drinks, food, and golf Top Golf style!. We have a couple lanes reserved and should have plenty of room for you all!

22

June 3, Pinal Lodge No. 30

June 4-6, 2021 Grand Lodge of Arizona

7:00 pm Stated Meeting

Prescott Resort Prescott, Arizona

June 8, Ocotillo Chapter No. 21 OES

June 11, 2021 Gila Valley Lodge No. 9

7:00 pm Stated Meeting

7:300 pm Stated Meeting

First Fridays Smoke and Graze Night WB Smiths House RSVP Via Grandview 6:00 pm Smoking begin

June 12, White Mountain No. 3

June 14, Gila Valley Lodge No. 9

June 10, Apache Lodge No. 69

10:00 am Stated Meeting

7:00 pm Friend to Friend Program

Jne 12, Globe Chapter No. 7 R.A.M

June 21, Gila Valley Lodge No. 9

2:00 pm Stated Meeting

5:30 pm Trustee Meeting

June 17, Eloy Lodge No. 46

July10, 2021 Gila Valley Lodge No. 9 Top Golf 1689 S Santan Village Pkwy, Gilbert, AZ 85295 10:00 am Family Social Event begin

7:00 pm Stated Meeting

June 19, Memento Mori Widow Sons Location TBD: https://www.facebook.com/groups/WSMMChapter

11:30 am Stated Meeting

Oct 15, 2021 Town of Florence

June 21, Gila Valley Lodge No. 9

Main Street Third Friday Social 5:00 pm Social Event begin

5:00 pm Dinner at Mount Athos 7:00 pm Stated Meeting 9:00 pm Post meeting discussion at Mount Athos

23

Brethren, Friends, and Family, This year the Masonic Charities of Arizona approved 23 grants totaling almost $50,000 to organizations throughout Arizona. These 501c3 charitable organizations provide much needed services to their communities. Those services include assistance to our Veterans at the three VA Hospitals in Arizona, Domestic abuse shelters, child learning disabilities, training and assistance for people with special needs, support for soldiers abroad, Adult literacy programs and Personal hygiene kits for the working poor and homeless.

We are able to award these Grants from the income of our investment fund, Lodge and Personal donations and support from Grand Lodge. In order to keep up with the desire to expand our Grant distribution to more organizations and communities around the State we ask for your help.

We have registered with the Amazon Smile Foundation. Amazon Smile will donate 0.5% of the purchase price of eligible products to the charitable organization selected by their customers. For Amazon customers to select the Masonic Charities of Arizona to receive these donations go to http://smile.amazon.com/ch/942746389 to automatically select us. Or you can go to www.smile.amazon.com and you will be prompted to select a charity. Now you are ready to shop and support the Masonic Charities of Arizona.

The Board of Directors of the Masonic Charities of Arizona extends our appreciation to all of you for your support.

Fraternally, Roger Biede III Secretary, Masonic Charities of Arizona rcbthree@hotmail.com www.masoniccharitiesaz.com 24

Email: jiminys@yahoo.com

Bro. Email: jwoode591@gmail.com

Dewey Jefferson Email: djndjedderson48@yahoo.com

MWGM Boyd Robertson 2020-21 Grand Master F. & A.M of Arizona

Bro. John Bryon Singer Email: jbyronsinger@aol.com

Chairman: WB Eric Smith Email: jiminys@yahoo.com

Bro. Lee Apger Chairman: John Woode

Email: lkapger@gmail.com

Email: jwoode591@gmail.com

Chairman: Dewey Jefferson Email: djndjedderson48@yahoo.com

WB Robert Malloy Email: robert_molloy@cox.net

Chairman: WB Roger Biede III PM Email: roger.biede@gmail.com

Chairman: Dewey Jefferson

Bro. David Jones

Email: djndjedderson48@yahoo.com

Email: dejones2063@gmail.com

Chairman: WB Roger Biede III PM Email: roger.biede@gmail.com

Bro. Brian Gay Email: bg1973@hotmail.com

Chairman: Gale MacDougall HPM Email: bearinbox@con.net

Roger Biede III PM Chairman

Bro. Gale MacDougal Email: bearinbox@con.net 25

Robert Molloy PM John Woode

26

27

The first mention of Moon Lodges can be found in the Cooke Manuscript of 1410, one of the oldest documents belonging to the Masonic Craft. In the U.S., Moon Lodges were first noted in colonial times around 1717 to be operating in Philadelphia, Boston and Tennessee.

There appears to have been approximately 3000 moon lodges in the U.S. at the turn of the last century but by the 1950’s that number had decreased to 500. Today, by last count, there are roughly 129 moon lodges in the U.S. A moon lodge was born out of necessity due to the lack of natural or artificial illumination by which one could travel to and from meetings. During the 18th century, transportation was limited to horseback, horse & buggy, walking and even in some circumstances by boat. There were no paved roads and very few gravel but merely two dirt ruts that would meander through bush and fields rarely in a straight line. With only a candle or coal oil lamp to light the way, a full moon provided welcome companionship for a long and lonely trek. Individuals would travel 8-10 miles or more and were unable to make the long trip home at night and would be supplied lodging by a fellow brother, leaving after breakfast to return home the next morning.

Gila Valley Lodge No. 9 continues to follow this tradition and is honored to be still one of the remaining “Moon Lodges” in the United States. Our Stated Meetings are the Monday On or Before the Full Moon of the Month, The Lodge also goes “Dark” during the summer months of July and August, where no Stated Meetings are held.

28