From the East
Brothers, Family, and Friends,
For those that could not attend Santa Maria’s 101st installation, I would like to introduce your officers for the 2024 Masonic Year.
• Tiler: Brother Wade Hendry
• Junior Steward: Wor. Dave Murray
• Senior Steward: Bro. Mark Lantz
• Marshal: Wor. Bruce Smith
• Chaplain: Bro. Elijah Descoteaux
• Junior Deacon: Bro. Rex McCray
• Senior Deacon: Wor. Ken Bychak II
• Secretary: Wor. Bill Graham
• Treasurer: Wor. Bob Weldon
• Junior Warden: Bro. Pete Johnson
• Senior Warden: Wor. Don Ruch
I would also like to thank the brethren of Santa Maria for giving me the opportunity to serve you as Master of the Lodge for the year 2024.
As is our tradition, we will continue with our Scholarship Program for our local High School seniors. This year we will be looking to support our 4H youth groups as discussed in prior years, as well as continue to support the local WAGR bingo charity event.
Covid, though years behind us, threw a wrench into most opportunities for fraternal bonding. This year, we aim to rectify that. Events and gatherings previously canceled are being investigated again, both for our lodge, for our local district, and the county at large.
Let us make this year the year where brotherly love prevails, and we repair the cement that binds us as a band of friends and brothers experienced before the pandemic stopped the world in its tracks.
I hope to see everyone at the February Stated Meeting on 12FEB @ 6:00pm for dinner and 7:30pm for the meeting itself.
Chase Murray - Worshipful Master
From the West
Friends, Brothers, Sisters, Ramonians…
Lend me your ears. This is my fifth time serving as Senior Warden for Santa Maria Masonic Lodge and each time life just keeps getting better. There is a reading from scripture that I would like to share with you that I will do my best to emulate this Masonic year. It comes from the Bible:
James 1:19 “So then, my beloved brethren, let every man be swift to hear, slow to speak, slow to wrath, for the wrath of man does not produce the righteousness of God.”
By the time you read this, eleven months from now God willing, and the Lodge members agree, I will be Master of Santa Maria Lodge for the fifth time. I cannot stress too strongly that I will need ALL your help. If you want a position in the Officer line, brothers come and see ME!!!
May God Bless you richly.
Don Ruch, PM, Senior Warden
From the South
To all the Brothers, Ladies, family and Friends,
It is with great pleasure that I serve this Lodge as Junior Warden. We have great and exciting plans for this year and I can’t wait for us all to fellowship not only inside our lodge, but outside as well.
Once again we will be having our Stated dinners catered by Ranch. I have not recieved the menus for each month yet, but I assure you each meal will be wonderful as always. Once I receive the menu for the year, I will make sure to post them on the Trestle board every month.
John 6:35 “and Jesus said unto them, I am the bread of life: he that cometh to me shall never hunger; and he that believeth on me shall never thirst.”
May God Bless you all and keep you safe and healthy!!
Pete Johnson - Junior Warden
Secretary’s Corner
Welcome to February. The Masonic Year is in full swing. Worshipful Chase has many activities planned for the year and it should be a very good one! I would like thank the Lodge for sending me to the Secretary/Treasurer Retreat. There was some very good information put out about the newest version iMember that is about to be deployed. The new dashboard should be much more user friendly. Every Brother should have made an account in the system so that you can ensure that your personal information, your contact information and Masonic record is up to date. Please go to member.freemason.org and check your information. If you have not created this account, PLEASE get with me and I will walk you through creating the account and entering your information.
I am slowly receiving Dues payments, however, there are still 37 Brothers that are in arrears. Remember, you have an obligation to pay your dues. If you have not made your payment, you are overdue. The dues for 2024 are $126.00. Per our By-Laws, the calculation is $60.00 + per capita rounded up to the nearest dollar. Per capita is $65.25 this year, which gives us our total of $126.00
This is also your time to catch up on last year dues if you have not paid. If you are in arrears for your dues, you need to pay all that is owed to be brought back in to good standing. As an example, if you pay for 2024 only, and owe for 2023, I cannot send you your 2024 dues card. You are still in arrears and will need to bring your dues up to date first. 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 go to member.freemason.org and check out your personal information. Ensure that your email, mailing address, phone number etc are correct. This is how the Lodge and the Grand Lodge contact you. It is important that this information be up to date. If you have trouble doing this, please contact me and I will assist you. Maintaining your contact information ensures that you will receive all notices that the Lodge and the Grand 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.
Calendar of Events
Lodge Officer Directory
Master - Chase Murray
Senior Warden - Don Ruch, PM (Vicki)
Junior Warden - Pete Johnson
Treasurer - Bob Weldon, PM (Brenda)
Secretary - Bill Graham, PM (Teri)
Chaplain - Elijah Descoteaux
Marshal - Bruce Smith, PM (Beverly)
Senior Deacon - Ken Bychak II, PM (Laura)
Junior Deacon - Rex McCray
Senior Steward - Mark Lantz (Kim)
Junior Steward - Dave Murray, PM (Catheren)
Tiler - Wade Hendry (Marianne)
(619) 607-2935
(619) 787-3858
(858) 943-1079
(760) 807-2883
(951) 970-4294
(619) 987-1004
(760) 788-9475
(707) 328-9617
(760) 788-4957
(858) 231-4646
(619) 302-1223
(760) 535-3176
Santa Maria Masonic Building
Association (SMMBA) Directory
President - Don Ruch, PM
Vice President - Chase Murray
Treasurer/Secretary - Dave Murray, PM
Member - Ken Bychak II, PM
Member - Bob Weldon, PM
Member - Wade Hendry
Member - Bruce Smith, PM
Member - Pete Johnson
(619) 787-3858
(619) 607-2935
(619) 302-1223
(707) 328-9617
(760) 807-2883
(760) 535-3176
(760) 788-9475
(858) 943-1079