From the East
Greetings Brethren and Ladies,
I hope you all are doing well. COVID is still here, but it looks like we are finally turning the corner. Places are starting to open up and people are getting vaccinated. Hopefully soon we will get past all this and it will just be a bad memory.
Speaking of getting past all this, I have heard from the Grand Master about reopening. To summarize his decree, we can open, but with a large number of restrictions. I have spoken to the elected officers and the SMBA board about the restrictions and what it would take for us to open the lodge back up. Due to the restrictions that are still in place, the rapidly changing environment and rules, and to keep everyone safe, we are not opening up the Lodge just yet. I have also spoken to the Inspector and most, if not all the lodges in the district are of the same mindset. We do not make this decision lightly and we do it with the safety and the fellowship of the brethren in mind. If anyone has any questions about the decree or the decision, please let me know. Wait a time with patience my Brothers, we will open soon.
In the meantime, please take care of your loved ones and stay safe everyone,
Ken Bychak - Worshipful Master
Senior Warden Dave Murray
From The West
Brethren,
Catheren and I are on the road for three months, crossing America. A couple of things I’ll share from the trip:
Gas prices are as fluid as gas itself. So far, no state has had that “holy cow” low price. California “IS” the highest, but once you get across the Colorado River, they are all within 10-15 cents per gallon.
Everyone seems united when it comes to Covid-19. Some states require masks; some leave it to the business to enforce as they see necessary. Typically, corporate franchise stores enforce, family owned businesses do not. A common thread is – EVERYONE is ready for it to be over.
The weather is a story of it’s own. In six weeks, we’ve had freezing nights and awoke to snow, beautiful days with sunshine, and now in Memphis it’s POURING rain, hot, sticky, and humid. No matter the day, the nights are all wonderful, sitting by a fire with friends talking of what we’ve seen.
The bottom-line:
America is still the greatest country in the world. There are wonders across this great land that all should see and experience. We are one people who should draw strength from one another and let nothing or no one divide us. I leave you with this.
Corinthians 1:10
I appeal to you, brothers and sisters, in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, that all of you agree with one another in what you say and that there be no divisions among you, but that you be perfectly united in mind and thought.
Dave Murray - Senior Warden
Junior Warden (Elect) Chase Murray
From the South
Welcome to May Brothers and friends!
I don’t think anyone expected us to be separated this long but here we are, making things work the best we can. With the roll out of the COVID-19 vaccines, it seems that life may soon begin moving back toward a sense of normalcy. Organizations with work-at-home plans are starting to make moves for people to return to the office (albeit with stipulations and far fewer people on any given day) and people are beginning to congregate in smaller numbers with a stronger sense of security.
As we move through this month, take time to reflect on these past 14 months and think of the things you have missed, the things you have wanted to do but couldn’t. Keep those in mind and picture them at the end of this tunnel we’ve all been traveling through, those are your goals for when we are able to continue our lives without worry.
Webmaster’s Comments
This month we will be continuing our Virtual Stated Meeting, scheduled on May 10th at 7:00PM. These meetings are conducted via Zoom, which is free to use. Zoom can be accessed on all platforms including your PC, MAC, Android Phone, iPhone, or iPad. If you are unable to make use of the Zoom App, there is also a phone number associated with the meeting which is included with each email that is sent out and on the calendar event. Participation from the Brothers at these meetings has been sparse, and it would be nice to see and/or hear from everyone at this month’s Stated Meeting.
Fraternally,
Chase Murray - Junior Warden
Worshipful Bill Graham (PM)
Secretaries Corner
Happy Easter!!!
May is here and at the end of the month we celebrate Memorial Day. Everyone take a moment to say a prayer and thank the military men and women that gave their lives to ensure we have a great and free country. We continue with the Virtual Meetings. If you have not logged in and joined us, please do! An email is sent to all addresses we have on file with the link. We would love to have more Brothers join us! Remember, even though we cannot meet in person, it is a chance for us to have some fellowship and at least see each other on the screen. The best part is, if you live far away or are out of state, here is your chance to say Hi! with out jumping on a plane!
I am continuing to get Dues payments trickling in. However, we still have many Brothers that have not paid. If you have not paid your 2021 dues, you are 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.
iMember 2.0 is in full swing. Please go check it out at member.freemason.org. There are many things you can do there such as changing your address, your personal information, locate lodges, find resources and documents. Maintaining your contact information ensures that you will receive all notices that the Lodge sends out in a timely manner. Please go check it out!
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 go to our website, http://www.santamaria580.org, and pay online. If you have paid and have not received your card in a reasonable amount of time, please contact me at 951-970-4294 or secretary@santamaria580.org and I will take care of it.
S/F
Bill Graham, PM - Secretary
Reminder!!
Have you moved? Changed your phone number? Changed your e-mail address? Have you notified the Lodge if you have done any of these things?? In an ongoing effort to ensure that all member get due and timely notice of all Lodge information, it is important that you keep your information updated with us.
I would greatly appreciate it if all of you would log in to member.freemason.org, go to the My Profile section and ensure that all of your address/phone number/e-mail is up to date. This will automatically update the i-member section that I use as the Secretary to for your mailings and other contacts.
Donations to the California Masonic Foundation when you shop Amazon!
Brothers and Families, we all shop often online and from Amazon. Use your Amazon account to make donations to the California Masonic foundation every time you shop.
What is AmazonSmile?
AmazonSmile is a simple way for you to support your favorite charitable organization every time you shop, at no cost to you. When you shop at smile.amazon.com, you’ll find the exact same low prices, vast selection and convenient shopping experience as Amazon.com, with the added benefit that Amazon will donate 0.5% of your eligible purchases to the charitable organization of your choice. You can choose from over one million organizations to support.
How do I shop at AmazonSmile?
To shop at AmazonSmile simply go to smile.amazon.com from the web browser on your computer or mobile device. You may also want to add a bookmark to smile.amazon.com to make it even easier to return and start your shopping at AmazonSmile.
Can I use my existing Amazon.com account on AmazonSmile?
Yes, you use the same account on Amazon.com and AmazonSmile. Your shopping cart, Wish List, wedding or baby registry, and other account settings are also the same.
Fraternally,
Michael Reher, Marshall
Calendar of Events
Lodge Officer Directory
Master - Ken Bychak (Laura)
Senior Warden - Dave Murray (Catheren)
Junior Warden - Chase Murray
Treasurer - Bob Weldon, PM (Brenda)
Secretary - Bill Graham, PM (Teri)
Chaplain - Don Ruch, PM
Senior Deacon - Peter Johnson
Junior Deacon - Kenneth Bychak
Marshall - Michael Reher
Senior Steward - Rex McCray
Tiler - Bruce Smith (PM) (Beverly)
707-328-9617
619-302-1223
619-607-2935
760-789-5254
951-970-4294
619-787-3858
858-943-1079
805-268-6270
760-566-6953
760-788-4957
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
