From the East
Brothers, Family, and Friends,
For those that could not attend Santa Maria’s Annual Installation of Officers, I would like to introduce your officers for the 2025 Masonic Year.
Tiler: Wor. Dave Murray, PM
Junior Steward: Brother Wade Hendry
Senior Steward: Bro. Elijah Descoteaux
Marshal: Wor. Bruce Smith, PM
Junior Deacon: Bro. Rex McCray
Senior Deacon: Wor. Ken Bychak II, PM
Chaplain: Bro. Mark Lantz
Secretary: Wor. Bill Graham, PM
Treasurer: Wor. Bob Weldon, PM
Junior Warden: Wor. Don Ruch, PM
Senior Warden: Bro. Pete Johnson
I would also like to thank the brethren of Santa Maria for giving me the opportunity to once again serve you as Master of the Lodge for the year 2025.
Our last lodge outing was a Hockey Game to see the minor league San Diego Gulls, which we will be doing again this year, perhaps twice to catch the end of the current season (possibly April) and once again later in the year (September or October) to catch the beginning of next season. More to come on this subject.
Let us make this another year where brotherly love prevails and continue to 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 January Stated Meeting on 13JAN @ 6:00pm for dinner and 7:30pm for the meeting itself.
Chase Murray, PM - Worshipful Master
From the West
Dear Brothers, Families and Friends
At the time that I wrote this Input I was the Senior Warden, when you read this I will be installed as the Junior Warden. It's kind of funny how things work out. I hope you all had a wonderful Thanksgiving, a Merry Christmas, and may we all have a Happy New Year.
I am asking for prayers for Brother Vanny Reeder. He fell in November and broke a bone in his left shoulder, He is getting weaker and cannot get in or out of bed. Cannot get to the bathroom by himself. He is unable to use a walker or his roll-around scooter. He is in rehab at this time and cannot come back home until he can function on his own. His sister Vicki is with him during the day to encourage him. We ask for your prayers, and PLEASE pray often.
Don Ruch, PM, Senior/Junior Warden.
From the South
To all the brothers, Ladies, family and Friends,
When you read this I will have been installed as the new Senior Warden, and I am honored to be voted and entrusted by my brothers with this new Station. Worshipful Don, as he has done so many times before will be a wonderful Junior Warden, with the help of his lovely wife Vicki.
Please Join us on January 13th for our Stated meeting dinner. We will have a wonderful dinner catered by Ranch. At this time we have not received the new menus for next year from Ranch, but Worshipful Dave is working closely with them to have it all set up again for this coming year.
I have included pictures below from our Installation.
Brother Wade and I will continue to plan trips to go visit other lodges at least every other month for a degree or stated meeting. This will help expand our brotherhood and support other lodges.
As mentioned in past Trestleboards, 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 New Year!! Congratulations to Worshipful Chase Murray and the 2025 Line of Officers! Worshipful Chase for the 2nd year in a row is continuing to carry the legacy of both his father and grandfather to sit as Master of Santa Maria Lodge! I look forward to another great year working with you and helping to make the Lodge go and grow.
Dues Invoices are out, and I have started to receive payments. Thank you! Remember, you have an obligation to pay your dues in a timely manner, by December 31 st . By the time you read this, if you have not made payment, they are overdue. The dues for 2025 are $129.00. Per our By-Laws, the calculation is $60.00 + per capita rounded up to the nearest dollar. Per capita is $68.50 this year, which gives us our total of $129.00. This is also your time to catch up on last year dues if you have not paid. 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!
Sadly, we finished 2024 with 6 Brothers being 2 years overdue with their dues. As of 2025, they are now 3 years overdue and will be referred to the Retention Committee for possible suspension. If you are one of these 6, or the 10 who are now 2 years overdue, PLEASE catch up on your dues or contact the Master to discuss how to come back to good standing. Remember, your Brothers in the Lodge carry you when you do not pay your dues. The Grand Lodge still requires your Per Capita cost whether you pay or not.
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 2025 only, and owe for 2024, I cannot send you your 2025 dues card. You are still in arrears and will need to bring your dues up to date first.
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.
If you are interested in becoming a Life Member, please use the following information from the CMC 2022
§809.320.B LIFE MEMBERSHIP A sum of money equal to the Lodge’s annual dues at the time of purchase of the Life Membership multiplied by the factor indicated opposite the member’s age in the following schedule: Age 49 and under, a factor equal to or greater than 24 times annual dues; 50 to 54 inclusive, a factor equal to or greater than 20 times annual dues; 55 to 59 inclusive, a factor equal to or greater than 18 times annual dues; 60 to 64 inclusive, a factor equal to or greater than 16 times annual dues; 65 to 71 inclusive, a factor equal to or greater than 14 times annual dues; and Age 72 and over, a factor equal to or greater than 12 times annual dues.
Our current dues are $129.00. Use the chart above to calculate the amount needed. As an example, I am in the 55-59 bracket. For me to purchase a Life Membership, the cost would be 18 x $129.00 for a total of $2,322.00. Please contact me if you wish to pursue this.
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