From the East
Greetings Brethren and Ladies,
I hope everyone is doing well. It seems that restrictions are being relaxed and people are getting out more, which is a good thing! This COVID craziness has been going on a long time and everyone is tired of it. We have been discussing the plan to return to lodge during our virtual stated meetings. If you have any questions people just on our Zoom meetings or ask one of the officers. We will be glad to let you know or even show you how to log on to our meetings. We would love to see you there!
In a nutshell, we are not going back to in person meetings yet. There are too many restrictions that leave too many people out of our meetings. On June 15th, the California colored tiers are supposed to go away. If we get new information after that that enables us to meet, I will let you know.
Its hard to believe it has been over a year since this all started. No one ever could have predicted this situation. Stay vigilant my friends, we will be back together soon.
Ken Bychak II - Worshipful Master
Senior Warden Dave Murray
From The West
Brethren,
Brothers we are all living finite lives. That brings to my mind several important questions for reflection:
What is my legacy?
How will I be remembered?
How did I make a difference?
In the end I believe the answers to those questions lie in being of service to others. When asked, most new candidates say that they want to become a Mason to participate more in the community - to give back. They seek the brotherhood we offer, true friendships with men who share like values and are intrigued by our long history and the ‘secrets” of our order. As well as to learn where the gold is buried…. As Mason’s we are known for our generosity, we provide relief and support to widows and orphans, and beyond that we are involved in the many charities of the concordant bodies of Masonry; Scottish Rite, York Rite, Shrine, Commandery. It has been said, and I believe this to be true, that Mason’s give more money per year than any other organization in the world, $1M a day in charitable contributions. It’s something of which we can all be deservedly proud. I think however it’s easy for us to get caught up in all the trappings of being a Mason, our awards, our titles and positions, our monetary donations while forgetting about the fundamentals. Do we live our oath and obligations? Do we even remember what they are? Would someone know us to be a Mason if they didn’t see our ring, our pin or our Lodge shirt? There is no expectation that we can live the Masonic ideal perfectly, only that we strive to do so each day. As Masons we learn important lessons in our degrees to apply to our lives. How we share of ourselves with others, lending a helping hand to a brother, a neighbor or friend, offering a kind word, a pat on the back, a note of support, can and does make a difference in someone’s life. We grow stronger as a Lodge when we show up and support each other, our events and activities, and we grow as men by being of service to others. It is our legacy that will endure long after we are gone.
Dave Murray - Senior Warden
Junior Warden (Elect) Chase Murray
From the South
Brothers and friends,
With the continued roll out of the COVID-19 vaccines, it seems that life is beginning to move back toward a sense of normalcy in most of the country, hopefully with our sunny state soon to follow suite. Organizations with work-at-home plans continue to make moves for people to return to the office and people are beginning to congregate in larger numbers with a stronger sense of security as the number of vaccinated people rises.
Last month I asked everyone to take time to reflect on these past 15 months and think of the things you have missed, the things you have wanted to do but couldn’t. I think we are nearing the point where we will be able to pick up those missed activities, which I hope everyone will actively try to fulfill. .
Webmaster’s Comments
This month we will be continuing our Virtual Stated Meeting, scheduled on the regularly scheduled 2nd Monday at 7pm. 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!!!
Welcome to June. We are now half way through our Masonic year. Like last year, this year continues to be trying. However, 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! without jumping on a plane!
I am continuing to get Dues payments trickling in. We currently have approximately 32 Brothers that have not paid their dues for 2021. As you know, the Lodge pays Per Capita to the Grand Lodge every August. The Lodge must pay this every year, whether you pay your dues or not. By not paying your dues in a timely manner, you infringe on the Lodge finances and affect your Brothers. 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
