From the East
Greetings Brethren and Ladies,
Welcome to February! It is the month of love and happiness! Don’t forget to get your special someone some flowers and chocolate or take them out to a nice dinner!
In January, we talked about the Sister Lodge Initiative. This program will connect rural and urban lodges in the same way sister cities or towns are connected. It increases the fellowship among the brethren and brings new ideas from the city to the country and vice versa. A vote was taken in January that showed definite interest in this program. If anyone has any questions or knows a good lodge to reach out to, please let me know and we can look into it. We will be talking more about this at the February stated meeting so please come and listen.
At our January Stated meeting dinner, we heard a presentation about WAGR disease. It is an extremely rare disease and only about 270 people are diagnosed with it in the world right now. Karen, the presenter, has reached out to us for a place to hold a charity event and many brothers expressed interest in helping out in any way we can. More to come on this.
I look forward to seeing you all at our stated meeting.
Sincerely and Fraternally,
Ken Bychak - Worshipful Master
Senior Warden Dave Murray
Junior Warden (Elect) Chase Murray
From The West
Not a Hallmark Holiday after all??
On February 14, around the year 270A.D., Valentine, a holy priest in Rome in the days of Emperor Claudius II, was executed.
Under the rule of Claudius the Cruel, Rome was involved in many unpopular and bloody campaigns. The emperor had to maintain a strong army, but was having a difficult time getting soldiers to join his military leagues. Claudius believed that Roman men were unwilling to join the army because of their strong attachment to their wives and families.
To get rid of the problem, Claudius banned all marriages and engagements in Rome. Valentine, realizing the injustice of the decree, defied Claudius and continued to perform marriages for young lovers in secret.
When Valentine’s actions were discovered, Claudius ordered that he be put to death. Valentine was arrested and dragged before the Prefect of Rome, who condemned him to be beaten to death with clubs and to have his head cut off. The sentence was carried out on February 14, on or about the year 270.
Legend also has it that while in jail, St. Valentine left a farewell note for the jailer’s daughter, who had become his friend, and signed it “From Your Valentine.”
What a Romantic story…….
In truth, the exact origins and identity of St. Valentine are unclear. According to the Catholic Encyclopedia, “At least three different Saint Valentines, all of them martyrs, are mentioned in the early martyrologies under the date of 14 February.” One was a priest in Rome, the second one was a bishop of Italy and the third St. Valentine was a martyr in the Roman province of Africa.
Fraternally,
Your Senior Warden.
Dave Murray
From the South
Greetings Brethren and Ladies,
I’d like to thank everyone who participated in our annual Chili Cook-off. Each chili was delicious and had it’s own unique flavor and merit.
For February, please come and join us this month for another great meal and warm fellowship. Donations via credit and debit cards will be accepted with no additional fee!
As a reminder, Valentine’s Day falls on the 14th, make sure to spend time with your valentine, maybe some flowers and a nice dinner?
Fraternally,
Chase Murray, Junior Warden
Worshipful Bill Graham (PM)
Secretaries Corner
The Masonic Year has begun and we are moving right along.
At the February Stated Meeting I will be presenting the Semi-Annual Secretary’s report. Please join us if you can. The Master has a great year planned and all it needs to be successful is you!
If you have not paid your 2020 dues, you are now officially overdue. If you are 2 or more years in arrears, you may be suspended for non-payment of dues as per the California Masonic Code, Section 809.370. Suspension for Non Payment of Dues. Neither the Master, I, nor any other Brother in Lodge wishes this to happen! PLEASE get caught up and pay your dues.
If you are financially unable to pay your dues, please contact the Master to discuss.
If you have lost your envelope, you can mail your dues to:
Santa Maria Lodge No. 580, PO Box 68, Ramona, CA 92065.
You can also pay online by using the Pay Your Dues option located above. You can catch up and pay for 2018 and 2019 there also! If you have paid and have not received your card in a reasonable amount of time, please contact me at 951-970-4294 or e-mail me secretary@santamaria580.org and I will take care of it.
Have you ever wanted to do more to help the Lodge? We are looking for a few Brothers to commit to learning the 1st, 2nd and 3rd Degree Perambulations and Charges. If you have ever wanted to participate in Ritual, but cannot commit to getting in line, this is the perfect opportunity!! Please contact me and we can discuss practices and help working on your Ritual. Hope to see you in the Lodge!
S/F
Bill Graham, PM
Calendar of Events
3rd Degree Anniversaries
Robert Collins (23 Years)
Joe Denham (39 Years)
Joseph Elmore (54 Years)
Kevin Hogan (20 Years)
Melik Meshedjian (41 Years)
Thomas Mountain (20 Years)
Carl Muse (10 Years)
Bruce Smith (18 Years)
Dennis Spelts (14 Years)
Richard Swafford (12 Years)
Milton Taylor (39 Years)
February Birthdays
Russell Stevens (02)
Jesse Rook (07)
Fredrick Pratt (11)
Dale Smith (11)
Mark Meade (15)
Chase Murray (23)
Bruce Smith (25)
Note: If your birthday is listed as the wrong day, please contact the Secretary by using Contact Us located above.
Lodge Officer Directory
Master - Ken Bychak (Laura)
Senior Warden - Dave Murray (Catheren)
Junior Warden - Chase Murray
Treasurer - Bob Weldon (Brenda)
Secretary - Bill Graham, PM (Teri)
Chaplain - Keith Cochenour (Caren)
Senior Deacon - Peter Johnson
Junior Deacon - Rex McCray
Marshall - Michael Reher
Senior Steward - Michael Norton (Nhan)
Junior Steward - Kenneth Bychak
Tiler - Bruce Smith (PM) (Beverly)
707-328-9617
619-302-1223
619-607-2935
760-789-5254
951-970-4294
619-843-3019
858-943-1079
760-788-4957
760-566-6953
858-924-2558
805-268-6270
760-788-9475
Santa Maria Masonic Building
Association (SMMBA) Directory
President - Peter Krickhuhn (PM)
Vice President - Chase Murray
CFO - Pete Johnson
Secretary - Michael Rehar
760-612-1978
619-607-2935
858-843-1079
760-566-6953
