September Trestleboard, Worshipful Master

September is upon us, and the year is over half done. It seems to me that the older I get, the faster time slips away. Well, it may just seem that way.

September starts out with the Stated Meeting, including dinner, which will be prepared and served by Worshipful Jerre Morris. He has an outstanding menu planned, so please plan to attend.

This is also the month for the Santa Maria BBQ – The Lodge has been hard a work planning this event and even convinced a few of our brethren to help with the entertainment. – This should be a great success! – We need your support.

Last but not least, September is also the annual communication of Grand Lodge. I have received a copy of the current resolutions, and will be discussing them with the Lodge soon. Please let me know of your feelings, so your vote will count.

I am looking forward to seeing you this month.

Fraternally,

Phill E. Mossey

Worshipful Master

September Trestleboard, Junior Warden

I hope everyone has had an enjoyable summer and has had time to spend with family and friends. The time that we spend away from Lodge offers us opportunity to practice outside the Lodge those morals and values which are such an important part of Masonry.

As Master Masons we are encouraged to travel; to visit other Lodges, to spread the cement of brotherly love, and learn from others. This summer I was blessed with the opportunity to travel to Massachusetts. While there I was given a personal tour of the Grand Lodge of Massachusetts. This is a beautiful building situated right on the corner of Boston Commons. It houses impressive lodge rooms which accommodate several different branches of Masonry. The extensive library is not to be missed. My gracious host was a wealth of information and had many interesting historical as well as debatable (but fun) stories to relate. Please visit our website www.greenleafgardenslodge.org where I have posted some photos of my visit.

We look forward to visiting with everyone at Lodge and sharing our summer stories.

Fraternally,

David Rubin

Junior Warden

September Trestleboard, Secretary

Our Annual Santa Maria Style BBQ is coming up on Saturday, September 11, 2010. The tickets have been mailed, so send a check and bring a guest. It will be a great evening. See you there.

The Lodge is sponsoring a Lifeline Screening on Wed, October 13 at our building. While there is a modest charge it is a community service by our Lodge to decrease the risk of stroke and other vascular diseases. If you live near Whittier and can come there is a discount to lodge members.

Have you moved and not changed your phone number or given us your email address? We have recently received notice from the Post Office of a number of address changes. The Lodge has made a great effort this year to contact every member and widow. Our files have a large number of bad phone #. We would appreciate your updating of your personal file.

The list is never published so please help us out. The August Stated meeting is the month when the Lodge and Temple Association reports on our financial condition. A short summary of those reports include; Investments of $697,000

The Lodge Treasurer reported having expenses less than budgeted but with a $10,000 deficit. Dues and Degree Fees no longer cover their intended costs.

The Temple Association Treasurer reported a 27% increase in rental income and a reduction in expenses with a $500 surplus for the first six months. The Secretary reported that we had a net loss of six members in the first six months. Membership is now 204 Master Masons.

Jerry Garfield Laiblin, P.M.

Secretary

7 Facts you did not know about Freemasons

September 2010 Trestleboard

Freemasons has been a longstanding tradition since the Medieval Ages. Many people associate masonry with the Christian religion due to the crusades and have thought about Freemasons as members of organizations and communities that have hidden secrets and various ritualistic ceremonies. Regardless, there are facts about Freemasons that many people do not know and here are seven of them.

Freemasons Fact #1: Fraternities did not invite new members to join and close friends were prohibited by Masonic Law to give out invitations. Each member of a Masonry would have to become a member out of his own will and abilities.

Freemasons Fact #2: A Freemasons does not require any worship services to take place at the Lodge although it is highly affiliated with the church and religious virtues. Freemasons is strictly a fraternal organization where the meetings have been like club meetings. At these meetings, Freemasons discuss issues, community projects, current events and factors dealing with the Lodge.

Freemasons Fact #3: Masonic groups and societies have overtime become open to the public. Meetings of Freemasons are announced to the public and members of the groups are listed in public directories. The buildings in which meetings are held are marked by symbols and any other regalia such as Masonic rings are worn publicly. The idea of Freemasons as a secret society has been given up, but the only secrets that remain to the Masons are their passwords, signs of recognition and certain ceremonies.

Freemasons Fact #4: The Freemasons lodges in England have made it a custom for masons to wear white gloves. This tradition of wearing white gloves functions as protective clothing for stonemasons. It also became an act of etiquette in order to be well-mannered and bearing a formal dress code.

Freemasons Fact #5: There have been a handful of Presidents of the United States who were not only president, but also Freemasons. George Washington was the first person to be president of the US and a Master of a lodge. Theodore Roosevelt was initiated to a lodge where he changed its name from “Executive Mansion” to what is now known as the “White House.”

Freemasons Fact #6: One of the secret customs of Freemasons has been the Secret Ballot. The Secret Ballot was used when a man wanted to apply to become a Mason at a lodge and other members of the lodge would vote with the ballot to either accept or reject the man for membership. In addition, before admitting someone to become a mason, a thorough background check would be conducted first.

Freemasons Fact #7: Although Masonic communities and groups have revolved around initiations, levels of rank or degrees, rites and have been organized groups, there has not been one authoritative leader in Freemasons organizations. The Masons in Freemasons are governed by a set of laws and regulations of Freemasons itself. However, each Lodge has its own set of officers but every lodge in the entire world abides by the same symbols, degrees and rigor.

With these seven facts about Freemasons, it is now possible to make more accurate judgment about the nature of Freemasons, their organizations and the members.

Did You Know?

From the September 2010 Trestleboard

Independence Hall in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA has many, many Masonic connections. It stands on land purchased by Wm. Alllen, Grand Master of PA. The ground was staked by Edmond Wolley, a Mason. Thomas Boude, the brick mason, was the first Secretary of St. John's Lodge of Philadelphia and later Deputy Grand Master. Benjamin Franklin laid the cornerstone while Grand Master (1734) with the assistance of St. John's Lodge. Brother Andrew McNair of Philadelphia rang the bell to call the populace on July 8, 1776, to hear the reading of the Declaration of Independence. The Liberty Bell cracked in 1835 when it tolled the death of Chief Justice John Marshall, Past Grand Master of Virginia.

Jean Sibelius (1865-1957) the great composer of 'Finlandia' and other immortal musical works, composed the ritualistic music used by the Grand Lodge of New York and presented it to them in appreciation for the part played by Grand Lodge in establishing Masonry in Finland. He was a member of Suomi Lodge #1, Helsingfors.

Masonic emblems appear on the Giuseppe Garibaldi Monument in Rome having been restored after they were removed by Mussolini who substituted Fascist symbols for them. Garibaldi, great Italian liberator, was Grand Master of Italy.

Robert Newman, Sexton of Christ Church also known as the "Old North Church" in Boston was the man who hung the lantern to signal 'The Red Coats Are Coming'. Paul Revere then rode through the countryside to warn the colonists of the impending danger. Both were Masons. The present Rector, after arriving at the Church heard the frequent stories of Freemasonry's involvement there. After investigation of the organization, he too became a member!

"Oscar of the Waldorf", internationally famous chef was born in Switzerland Oscar Tschirky and was a member of Metropolitan Lodge #273, New York City.

The author of "Bambi" and other immortal stories for children was Brother Felix Salten (1869-1945), a member of the Lodge "Zur Warheit" in Vienna, Austria.

Operation Greatest Gift

World War II ended in 1945, but it wasnt until 2004 that a memorial was dedicated in Washington, D.C. to the 16 million who served in the armed forces during that war.

Health and financial obstacles have prevented most surviving veterans, now well into their 80s, from taking the long trip to honor their fallen friends and their years of service.

Operation Greatest Gift, the Grand Masters Project for 2009-2010, will make this dream come true for hundreds of Californias World War II veterans.

We will organize several three-day trips to Washington, D.C. designed to provide what many veterans cannot provide for themselves: an assisted visit to the memorial, at no cost to them. Because of our support, they will have an opportunity to say goodbye to fallen friends, be recognized for their service to our country, and come to terms with an important part of their lives.

The Grand Masters Project will also raise funds to support the work of the Masonic Hospital Visitors Program Committee. This committee of dedicated Masons ensures that there is always a presence at our states veterans hospitals by providing friendship, social programs, and regular visitation.

Together, we can show our veterans that their service has not been forgotten.

Supporting Operation Greatest Gift

We expect to raise $400,000 to make this dream a reality. The Grand Master will be traveling throughout the state, and will be honored to accept gifts from both lodges and individuals.



Please contact the Grand Lodge Office of Philanthropy at 415/292-9117.