From the East
Greeting Brothers and friends, welcome to the month of July!
We are officially halfway through 2024 and let me tell you, other than this heat wave it does not feel like we've completed 6 whole months of this year. In addition to this being the 248th birthday our country, we have another notable day of celebration this year.
It is my pleasure to officially announce that Worshipful Brother Fred Pratt has surpassed his 50th Masonic Birthday and as such, the lodge will be celebrating this achievement. While it is unfortunate that Worshipful Pratt no longer resides close to us, he will be joining us for a celebration of this Masonic Achievement at one of our Stated Meetings some time before the end of the year, the exact meeting has yet to be determined.
As we are also a little late on getting the Trestleboard out this month as someone forgot to get the editor their input (me, it was me), we have already celebrated our 248th Independence Day. On July 4, 1776, the Second Continental Congress unanimously adopted the Declaration of Independence, announcing the colonies’ separation from Great Britain. The Constitution provides the legal and governmental framework for the United States. However, the Declaration, with its eloquent assertion “all Men are created equal,” is equally beloved by the American people.
Philadelphians marked the first anniversary of American independence with a spontaneous celebration, which is described in a letter by John Adams to his daughter, Abigail. However, observing Independence Day only became commonplace after the War of 1812. Soon, events such as groundbreaking ceremonies for the Erie Canal and the Baltimore and Ohio Railroad were scheduled to coincide with July 4th festivities.
By the 1870s, the Fourth of July was the most important secular holiday on the calendar. Congress passed a law making Independence Day a federal holiday on June 28, 1870. Even far-off communities on the western frontier managed to gather on Independence Day.
Today we gather locally at our homes and communities for BBQs and parties before some of us migrate to local event centers to enjoy the spectacle that are fireworks. We should not however forget the true reason for this holiday, which is to celebrate the separation of this great nation from a government who cared more for those at the top than the average man, woman, or child.
Belated Happy 4th of July and welcome to the summer heat everyone.
Fraternally, Chase Murray - Worshipful Master
From the West
Dear Masonic family and friends.
There are people on earth that mock the name of God. They renounce their need for a Savior and make fun of those who believe in Jesus. They consider themselves self-sufficient, independent, self-reliant and self-made. Do you know of anyone who considers themselves as a self-made man or woman? Maybe you or I have considered ourselves as self-made people in the past? We did it our way? Consider this; We can do nothing without God's help. We cannot so much as open our eyes and get out of bed in the morning without the blessing of God.
Our masonic year is half over and only with the blessing of God will we be as fortunate to finish the year as well as we have started.
May God bless you richly.
Don Ruch, PM, Senior Warden
From the South
To all the Brothers, Ladies, family and Friends,
Please join us for our Stated meeting on July 8th. Ranch catering will be providing the following;
BBQ Ribs, BBQ Chicken, Baked Potato Bombs, Bob’s baked beans, Macaroni Salad, Biscuits with butter, and peach pie.
Below are some pics from our last stated meeting dinner. We would love to see more brothers and their families attend.
As mentioned in last month’s Trestleboard, We really need to focus on how to get brothers to come back to the lodge. This is an ongoing problem with most lodges in California and frankly all over the world, and especially with our lodge. With the hope that I will be voted by my brothers in a few years to become the Master of the lodge, I want to start my journey towards the East sooner and not wait unit I am actually sitting in the East (if elected). I would like to encourage all brothers currently coming to the lodge, but especially those that are not coming to the lodge to start reaching out to me personally and share your journey in Masonry with me and to start finding ways we can change, improve, or enhance the lodge experience to get all those brothers back that have gone away for one reason or another. I encourage the brothers to call me at 858-943-1079 or email me at pjjohnson04@gmail.com. Please share with me what we can start doing to get you back into the lodge. We are not looking to fill officers’ chairs (although in full disclosure, that is a concern), we are looking to get our brothers back into the lodge and build back what this Lodge once was. We have a lot of younger members that really would thrive by hearing the masonic journey from brothers that have been here for a long time. I will continue to push this every month and will start reaching out to those I don’t hear from. We need to get the Santa Maria Lodge back to the brotherhood we all came here to join and put the past in the past and build towards the future of this lodge, for the younger members and for members who have yet to join. Let’s be proud of our fraternity again and especially the fraternity that has been here in Ramona for over 100 years. I love you my brothers and would love to see you all come back!!
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
Happy 4th of July!! Summer is arriving and the heat is coming up. As the summer continues enjoy that outdoor time with your family, friends and brothers. Our Entered Apprentices continue to work on their Proficiencies’. Hopefully we will have several 2nd Degrees in the upcoming months, and we miss you and would love to see you!! Now is the time to reconnect with the Lodge and your Masonic family!
We continue to meet at 0800 on the 2nd and 4th Saturdays of the month at the Lodge for coffee and then breakfast. Our candidates and prospects are often there to meet the brothers. Come join us and get to know these fine men that are looking to join our Fraternity.
Please go to member.freemason.org and check your information. If you have not yet created your account, PLEASE get with me and I will walk you through creating the account and entering your information.
There are still 23 Brothers that are in arrears for the 2024 dues. 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
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 financially unable to pay your dues, please contact the Master to discuss. 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