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FROM THE PILLAR OF WISDOM

Brethren  & Ladies:

This month I’ve decided to inform you of some of the happenings and minutiae before and after our April Stated Meeting.  We had a very good turnout and for those able to attend dinner was at no cost to the attendees.  A few years back at the passing of a Brother, he left our Lodge a parting bequest to pay for meals , which the Lodge has invested and the accrued interest makes it possible to have three such events so far each year.

As most of the attendees are aware, Bro. James Garrett, our Jr. Deacon, is recovering from a brush with appendicitis in the hospital, but, as of the writing of this article he should be returning to work at Cal. Fire on a light duty basis.

I am sad to report that Bro. Sam Marinelli, Jr., serving as one of our Stewards in 2008 and unable to continue this year due to his deployment to the Horn of Africa while serving in the Navy.  He is back in town and it was very good to see this very cheerful Brother, but, sadly, he is awaiting orders for assignment to the East Coast.

About a month ago while in the Lodge office I noticed a shadow box with a folded US Flag and certificate sent to the Lodge by Past Master Robert Windle.  The certificate, undersigned on the lower right hand side by PM Windle, reads as follows “EODCS R. Windle, US Navy EOD Mobile Unit Eight Leading Chief Petty Officer, Baghdad, Iraq was flown over Explosive Ordnance Disposal Compound Baghdad Iraq on the 14th. day of May 2007 during Operation Iraq Freedom”.  The word I have is that his unit suffered no deaths but took some casualties unlike the unit they relieved who weren’t as fortunate.  This shadow box now hangs in a place of honor in your Lodge office.  A point of interest for Navy veterans, on the certificate is the Navy Ensign,  Shortly after 9/11 the Ensign changed from a blue field with fifty stars to alternating red and white stripes with a snake across the bottom with the words “Don’t Tread On Me”.

PM John Gamache, Secretary, has also been busy.  As you may know PM Gamache frequently gives the Master Mason Lecture in long form and for the past few years displays a number of the hieroglyphical emblems during his Lecture.  PM John recently commissioned, at his expense, a picture of a sword pointing to a naked heart and the all seeing eye.  Make a point to attend the next MM Degree and catch this great Lecture.

Sincerely and Fraternally,
Clinton R. Black, PM, Master

FROM THE PILLAR OF STRENGTH

Brethren,

For those unable to attend April Stated Meeting it was our night to receive Grand Master Larry Adamson’s  personal representative, a formality for each Lodge at the beginning of the year.  As you would expect it would be impossible for the Grand Master or the few Grand Lodge Officers to personally visit each California Lodge.  David A. Haslim, PM, (a member and PM of S. W. Hackett Lodge) Inspector of the 921st. Masonic District represented the Grand Master on this occasion.  This, by itself, is not all that newsworthy, but for some Lodge trivia I suspect it may be of interest to you.   James W. Campbell, PM, for those whose memory is not dimmed by the pass of time, will remember he served as Inspector of the 640th. Masonic District for eight years (1977 – 1984) and as Inspector of the 493rd. District for two years (1995 -1997).  Two Inspectors from one Lodge is something your Lodge can be proud of, but, there is more.  Sr. Deacon Dennis Stahr travels extensively about the country on a regular basis was out of town during the April Stated Meeting..  The Master contacted Bro. Campbell, PM, and asked him to sit in as Jr. Deacon.  The trivia for you is as follows;  in 1997, PM Haslim served as Sr. Warden (for the second time) when Bro. Campbell, PM was received on his official visit as Inspector.  In 1981, Bro. Haslim, PM also received Bro. Campbell, PM as Master when Bro. Campbell, PM again made his official visit.  As turn about is fair play, Bro. Campbell, PM served as Jr. Deacon and received Bro. Haslim, PM on his official visit as Inspector.

As a result of recent changes in Masonic Districts and reassignment of Inspectors due to term limits, etc., S. W. Hackett Lodge was transferred to the 921st. District under the jurisdiction of David A Haslim, PM, Inspector.  The cause of this turmoil is due to Lodge consolidations taking place throughout California and San Diego County. The causes are many, including ageing of our members, demands of time on current and potential members, family requirements, and on and on.  Consolidation is not something any of us want or should allow due to lack of participation.  So, it is my request within our membership, for some of you to step forward and take on some responsibility for your Lodge.  We need Brothers to help out with our Degrees, to serve on committees, and even show up as sideliners during Degrees.  Your Lodge meets every Tuesday night at 7:00 PM except during the month of August.  The 2009 and 2010 Masonic Years are going to be great ones.  Be a part of them, it’s not too late to start!

Sincerely and Fraternally,
Kyle Dau, PM, SW.

FROM THE PILLAR OF BEAUTY

Brethren,

Was John the Baptist an Essene?

As we spend much time contemplating the Holy Saints John I thought I would share some of the research I have dug up on John the Baptist.  Some is controversial speculation but interesting non-the-less…

John the Baptist was the son of Zachary, a priest of the Temple in Jerusalem, and Elizabeth, a kinwoman of Mary who visited her.

Probably born at Ain-Karim southwest of Jerusalem after the Angel Gabriel had told Zachary that his wife would bear a child even though she was an old woman.  Lived as a hermit in the desert of Judea until about A.D. 27.  At 30 he began to preach on the banks of the Jordan against the evils of the time and called men to penance and baptism “for the kingdom of Heaven is close at hand”.

Albert Pike, in Morals and Dogma Knight of the East and West, says St. John the Baptist was likely a member of the Esssene sect as he followed their ascetic doctrine.  Pike further says that his teachings like those of the Essenes were truths gathered from India, Persia and elsewhere from the east as well as from Pythagoras and other Greek thinkers.  Thus Masons carry on with these truths taught by John the Baptist, the Essenes and others now gone.

“….and the old faiths have faded into oblivion.  But Masonry still survives, vigorous and strong, as when philosophy was taught in the schools of Alexandria and under the Portico; teaching the same old truths as the Essenes taught by the shores of the Dead Sea, and as John the Baptist preached in the desert; truths imperishable as the Deity, and undeniable as Light.  Those truths were gathered by the Essenes from the doctrines of the Orient and the Occident, from the Zend-Avesta and the Vedas, from Plato and Pythagoras, from India, Persia, Phoenicia, and Syria, from Greece and Egypt, and from the Holy Books to the Jews.  Hence we are called Knights of the East and West, because their doctrines came from both.”

Edmond Szekely, an eminent scholar who gained access to Aramic documents in the Vatican and corroborated them with other ancient Greek and Hebrew documents (confirmed by the writings later discovered in the Dead Sea Scrolls) surmised that both lived and studied at Qum Rum, that this is where Jesus “lost years” were spent, at the monastery of the Essenes by the Dead Sea where the Scrolls were undoubtedly written, then sealed up and buried for eons.

The finding of these long lost Essene documents have created a problem as they mirror the story of the Passion in the Gospels of the Bible.  They follow the ministries of one called only “Master” in the Scrolls, but who also speaks the Sermon on the Mount and ends with the Master being crucified before Passover.  Szekely states that the problem for the Orthodox churches lies in carbon dating of these Scrolls, which dates them 100 years prior to the crucifixion of Jesus Christ.  At any rate, Jesus and John were cousins.  Mary, Mother of Jesus, was the sister of Elizabeth, mother of John, and Mary and Elizabeth have been tied to the Essene sect by scholars.  That John and Jesus were preaching different doctrines is unlikely.  In fact it was probably orchestrated, as the Church of Rome teaches that John the Baptist was to lead the way for Christ.

This account from Catholic.org: “He attracted large crowds, and when Christ came to him, John recognized Him as the Messiah and baptized Him, saying, “It is I who need Baptism from You”.  When Christ left to preach in Galilee, John continued preaching in the Jordan valley.  Fearful of his great power with the people, Herod Antipas, Tetrarch of Perea and Galilee, had him arrested and imprisoned at Machaerus Fortress on the Dead Sea when John denounced his adulterous and incestuous marriage with Herodias, wife of his half brother Philip.

John was beheaded at Salome’s request, who asked for his head at the request of her mother Herodias.  John the Baptist Feast Day is June 24th. And the Feast Day of his beheading is August 29th.

Sincerely and Fraternally,
Steven Laurvick, Jr. Warden

 

LADIES CORNER

Hi Ladies;

Hope all of you are doing great!  Thanks so much to Mrs. Garrett for April’s cute Easter decorations and Mrs. Achenbach who made it possible by bringing them and setting up the tables.  It was endearing to watch the children work so hard designing special gifts for their mothers for Mothers Day.  They really did you proud Moms.

The Shrine Camping trip is coming up fast!  We still need more volunteers for the pot luck sign up.  If you haven’t signed up yet we still need the following: Desserts, as well as Hamburger fixings (lettuce, tomatoes, onions) more than one volunteer is required to cover everything.           

Please contact me if you would like to sign up for any of the above.  We also need a count of people intending to come, camping or just visiting for the day, in order to estimate the food needed.  So let us know by phone or email.

See you soon,
Judy

AC TIME

Brethren, Family and Friends;

I would like to bring your attention to a free program that I think will be of interest and most likely to be of benefit.

It is a program called AC TIME.  It is one of those programs advertised by one of those flyers included with your SDG&E bill.  If you have ever read your bill closely you’ve seen all manner of funny charges and add-on fees.  AC TIME receives its funding from one of those fees, so you’ve already paid for their service.

To take advantage of it call 1-800-289-2440 and schedule an appointment after a few qualifying questions.  In a short time a licensed heating and air conditioning contractor will call to set up an appointment and go through your HVAC system from top to bottom and fix anything requiring fixing. For FREE!! 

The idea being that if your system is working at peak efficiency it saves on electrical usage from the grid while at the same time saving you real dollars.  To arrange an appointment:

AC TIME 1-800-289-2440

Email – info@actimeprogram.com

Website – www.actimeprogram.com 

Sincerely and respectfully submitted to you by,
John S. Gamache, PM

MASONIC TIDBITS

Grand Lodge of California opened in the ladies powder room!

Nov. 10, 1928 – Culver City, CA – Special Communications for laying the cornerstone of the Masonic Temple.  The lodge room was so full that the Grand Master had to retire with his officers to the powder room to open Grand Lodge.  The Tyler had a difficult time. 

One California Chapter of Royal Arch Masons has furnished four governors to the state:  J. Neely Johnson, Milton S. Latham, Ramualdo Pacheco and Hiram W. Johnson all were members of Sacramento Chapter 3. Catalina Lodge 524 of California at one time had an “Official Clock Winder”. 

Meeting in the low vale.  On April 10, 1936, Winnedumah Lodge 287 of Bishop, California held a meeting on the floor of Death Valley, 270 feet below sea level, the lowest spot on the continent.  50 lodges from 10 states were represented.

EDITOR’S NOTE

Your items of Masonic Education and general interest are always welcome and earnestly requested.  Just be sure to have them to me no later than May 24.  You may contact me by email uglidedc@cox.net or telephone 760-751-3469.

Fraternally, Dick Covert, PM Editor
 

MAY STATED MEETING DINNER MENU

Spring Salad Mix
Chicken Enchiladas
Tacos
Refried Beans
Flour Tortillas
Assorted Hot & Cold Beverages
Jumbo Cookies

FROM THE SECRETARY’S DESK

PLEASE If you are not on the permanent dinner reservation list, call at least two days prior to a Stated Meeting.  We are always delighted to see you at Stated Meeting and dinner, but it can be difficult accommodating everyone who shows up without notice.  Cost of dinner is $12.00 each.  Brethren on the permanent list should call if they are unable to attend dinner.  Please remember also to keep us advised of address and telephone number changes.

Fraternally, John S. Gamache, PM,  Secretary


CALLED FROM LABOR 

ALBERT EDWARD WEBER

Born April 4, 1920
Initiated September 19, 1949
Passed November 4, 1949
Raised December 3, 1949

Affiliated with S. W. Hackett Lodge

January 6, 1965 

ENTERED INTO REST MARCH 18, 2009


MAY BIRTHDAYS

15
Robin Romero

20
Leonard Kulhanjian

21
Dimiter Lyakov, PM

22
Michael Martin

23
Gary Jones

25
Richard Applestill

27
George Glavis, PM

Robert Strangman

28
Geordan Mitchell

29
Claude Woods


ECHOES FROM THE PAST 

63 Years

Robert Whiting MM  5-28-1946 

60 Years

Matthew Botu  MM  5-24-1949 

57 Years

Bill E. Smith  MM  5-13-1952 

57 Years

Alfred Strickman  MM  3-20-1952 

49 Years

Robert Hutchinson  MM  5-25-1960 

44 Years

Dale McLellan  MM  5-11-1965