Island City Lodge #215 F. & A.M.

2015-01-31T08:18:00.003-08:00

Most of the block at Fauntleroy Avenue Southwest and Southwest Alaska Street has been razed to make way for an apartment complex and stores, except for one lone white building:
The Masonic Temple stands its ground, after members agreed they didn't want to move.

From KEN LAMBERT / THE SEATTLE TIMES
http://digital.olivesoftware.com/Olive/Tablet/SeattleTimes/SharedArticle.aspx?href=STCD%2F2015%2F01%2F26&id=Pc00102

Good for them. Someone needs to draw a line. There is a house that is surrounded by Children's Hospital in Oakland. The owner liked his house and refused to sell to them when they built additions. It's pretty admirable. Nowadays the asshole politicians have been allowing condemnation and eminent domain for private parties if the cities want that. They did that in San Leandro. Condemned a lot of small businesses and turned the land over to auto sales lots so they could collect new revenue. The issue was before the Supreme Court, but I don't remember the decision if they made one. Looks like the Temple
has a small parking lot which is good. The buildings will bring far too many cars that will screw up traffic and parking.

Meet the Masons

2015-01-20T23:49:00.000-08:00

An Evening for Those Interested in Freemasonry
Thursday, January 29, 2015
Alameda Masonic Temple
2312 Alameda Ave
Alameda CA 94501

RSVP: info215@calodges.com
(510) 523-8473

Island City Lodge, Number 215, Free and Accepted Masons of the State of California,
invites you to meet the Masons in Alameda and learn more about who we are
and what we do.

Join us Thursday, January 29. There will be social time between 6:00 and 7:00, followed by a
program introducing:

A brief history of Freemasonry from it’s inception in 1717
The importance of Freemasonry in our society today
Who can and who cannot become a Freemason
How to become a member
What Freemasonry can and cannot provide it’s members

Buffet Dinner, Toasts, Introductory Speakers
Dress Code: Coat and Tie

Freemasonry is the world’s first and largest fraternal organization. It is based on the belief that each
man can make a difference in the world. There are approximately 5 million Masons worldwide,
including 2 million in the United States. The Grand Lodge of California has over 55,000 members
in 360 Lodges. General information about the Masons of California is available at
www.freemason.org.

It is our pleasure to serve our guests, Masons $5. Please make reservations.

ICL #215 Activities

2011-04-02T13:42:00.001-07:00

2010-02-26T17:36:00.001-08:00

Masonry Q and A

2010-02-10T10:19:00.000-08:00

There is now a really interesting Masonry Question and Answer audio recording. The presenter, David Goodenow, Indiana Mason, hosts a panel of Masonic Brothers from different walks of life. Very informative for those in or considering Masonry.

You can listen to the presentation here. Enjoy!

2009-07-08T11:42:00.000-07:00

This paper was presented to the Island City Lodge in April 2009 by Brother Steven Sterns.

A Discourse on the Working Tools of the Entered Apprentice

Why should the 24 inch gauge and the common gavel be the first tools given to the entered apprentice to hone his craft? What is special about the gauge and gavel that they are the first tools introduced? What do these tools symbolically tell the Entered Apprentice and the rest of the lodge about the skills we all need to progress past the role of the Apprentice?

In the ritual, the first working tool that the Entered Apprentice is introduced to is the twenty four inch gauge. The Apprentice is admonished that the instrument is used by operative Masons to measure and lay out their work. Free and accepted Masons are told to use the gauge as an instrument to divide time appropriately. We are told that the 24 inch gauge represents the 24 hours in the day and as such it is divided into 3 eight hour portions. One third should be used to devote to our vocations, one third should be used for service to god and our brethren, and the last third should be used for rest and refreshment.

It is critical to consider that the first tool provided to the Apprentice is a tool of measurement. Measuring is what one does in preparation to act. As the old adage goes, one should always measure twice and cut once. Why? We do so in order to not make a mistake when we take an action which will be irreversible. If we do not measure, we can ruin the block of stone we cut and therefore make it unusable. This wastes our time, effort, and resources. It also wastes the time, efforts and resources of others who may rely upon us. Thus, the act of measurement is the act of thinking and planning with forethought.

So, it seems clear, that planning is required before any successful effort is taken. But why is the 24 inch gauge the first tool introduced? Perhaps, it is because the act of thinking and measuring causes us to stop our actions and spend time instead in contemplation. When we are young or new to a task, we wish to rush in so that we can quickly accomplish our goal and show others our success. It is the apprentice who is most likely to want to skip over planning and dive into the work. By considering the gauge first, the apprentice is stymied in his urge to work first and think later.

As noted, the gauge instructs us to think before acting; to measure before making mistakes. We are told to use the gauge to measure 24 hours of the day, to plan our actions in every hour that we live. Why measure by the day? Why are we not told to measure the weeks, months or years of our lives? Perhaps, this is to ensure that we stay present in our actions. By focusing our efforts on measuring and planning for today, we make sure that we do not waste or ruin our present through emphasis on the future.

The apprentice is likely to want to run through his days so that he can quickly reach the future. But our days, like a piece of mis-cut stone, are irreversible. We cannot reach backward through our actions and recover our words or deeds. We may believe that one day is much like any other, but to progress from entered-apprentice we must learn to make use of each day with purpose and with forethought.

If we make sure that we give appropriate focus to the here and now, we are more likely to treat our neighbors, our family, our brethren, our co-workers and ourselves with honesty and integrity with each word and with each thought. We all know people who waste their days wishing for the past or expecting a future which may or may not arrive. The 24 inch gauge should instruct all of us to slow down so we make sure we are not treating today callously. By applying the gauge to our lives, we make sure that we live purposeful lives.

Now that we understand our focus must be on planning today, we are given our second critical tool as apprentice: the common gavel. The gavel we are told is an instrument used by operative masons to break off the rough and superfluous parts of stones so that they can be fitted by the builder. Free and accepted Masons are told to use the common gavel for divesting our hearts and consciences of all the vices and superfluities of life.

If the gauge is a tool of measurement and planning, then the gavel is a tool of action. Now that we have planned where to act every day, we are given an instrument to use to make our marks. It is curious, however, why should we use the common gavel and not some other cutting tool like the chisel as our instrument of action? The answer lies in the operative use of the gavel versus other cutting tools.

Let’s think about how the gavel functions. While the gavel can be used to act upon the stone directly, it is often used in concert with the other cutting tools. The operative mason hits the chisel with the gavel. He can either apply a hard blow causing the stone to splinter or a soft blow causing the stone to chip. The gavel, a type of mallet, provides the apprentice with a selection of actions from the forceful to the weak, from the strong to the gentle. By learning to use the gavel early in the apprenticeship, the Entered Apprentice Mason learns that not all efforts require the same force of action.

Sometimes, we must carve out our days with strong actions full of direction and intent. The forceful stroke of the gavel may be necessary if the apprentice is confronted with evil or societal indifference so he can remain true to the ethics and morality of the craft. The apprentice is called upon to help the less fortunate, to defend his country and his distressed brethren, to take a stand for morality and truth in a world that often cannot differentiate good and evil. He must use the strength of the gavel to shape his actions strongly in this world.

Sometimes, however, he must use a more gentle hand. The finishing stroke of the gavel helps us to smooth out contours and make the actions of our day transcendent, sublime and beautiful. The apprentice is called upon to take gentle actions to help ease the lives of those in distress, for example he may deliver meals to the ill and infirm or teach underprivileged children how to read. Here, he uses the gentle sculpting power of the gavel to influence and guide through his daily actions.

So we have now discovered why the 24 inch gauge and the common gavel are the first tools an entered apprentice needs to perfect to be successful at the craft. With the gauge and the gavel in his tool-belt, the Apprentice has the necessary tools think and act within his community, his family, and his lodge. He, like his brethren, now has the instruments required to make sure that every day is a day lived with planned purpose and with appropriate strength of action.

Prince Hall Degrees

2009-06-20T16:32:00.000-07:00

Last night, several of the brethren attended a the Monarch Lodge Prince Hall Masons, in Oakland. They passed three Fellow Crafts to Master Mason, and had seven Monarch Lodge brothers go through their 3rd degree ceremonies. Brothers from Sebastapol to San Jose were present (the Sebastapol contingent came down in their own full time bus!) and numbered about 100.

The degrees were very much like our own, yet different--more floor work, some group singing (besides Playel's Theme for the 3rd degree work) and a bit more formal. For example, when the brothers are called to order and it is determined that all the brothers are Master Masons, as a group we donned our aprons ("attire yourselves") and those with gloves (the protocol for the lodge) wore them.

After the degrees (at about 11 PM!) we all went to their social room and had a scrumptious dinner of fried chicken with all the fixins' and cameraderie. It was a wonderful evening which we all enjoyed tremendously. We learned a lot and hopefully will incorporate some in our own work. I know I look forward to visiting other lodges and learning more about our craft!

Josh Cohen

Family Masonry

2008-04-24T01:07:00.000-07:00

I've had some interesting thoughts recently as my nephews--both of them-- have gotten interested in Masonry. We've had several lodge brothers who have come through our doors whose families have been Masons for generations. Of course they would be interested; having known or found out that a father, or grandfather, or even great-great grandfather, or cousin or other relative was a Mason. If I found out that my grandfather was a Mason, I'd absolutely be curious about the craft. I've found that having these Masonic brothers "with history" makes me a little jealous.

I am the first in my family, that I know of who has become a Mason. Zachary, my nephew is doing his first degree proficiency tomorrow, and Gabriel, his brother, is also interested in the craft. It is not something I have hidden, nor did I solicit their participation; it was their own experience in their interaction with me as as an uncle, as well as meeting other Masons in their lives (Gabby's girlfriend is a Jobs Daughter, and her father is a Mason). They have found their own way here and have found that these Masonic folk have something about them that is valuable: Integrity perhaps. Perhaps a deep respect for one's fellow creatures and brother Masons. For Brotherly Love, Relief and Truth.

I suppose they have many of the same reasons that caused me to became a Mason: because those men I knew to be Masons were good and honest men. So I am now about to become the root of a long line of Masons-to-be. I am honored beyond words at the thought of my nephews interest in, and respect of the Craft. And in me.

Kevin's Corner - September, 2007

2007-09-01T00:00:00.000-07:00

Over here in the corner, many interesting and mundane pieces of information pass by. I have a habit of reading the writings of my contemporaries in the craft, to see what others are thinking, or doing. Masons from all over the world are taking the time to put their thoughts and such on the Internet. Daily, they write about the craft and their place in it, what they feel about it, what we “Should be” doing, what we shouldn’t be doing.

To be honest, I get excited about a lot of what is written. Two reasons for this:

1. It opens me to the wider world, shows me what others, in similar situations, are doing. It can be inspiring, as well as confusing. Invigorating, as well as frustrating.

2. I write a monthly newsletter. Sometimes I have to fill in the empty spaces.

I can not always use what I read in the Trestle Board. I may agree with what another Brother has written, but honestly feel that printing it would start more arguments then insights. Because it is our Trestle Board, not mine, I don’t take it lightly what goes in here.

But listen, if my article starts on page one then you can easily determine that not a lot came across from the membership for printing this month.

So, here are some articles that have made it to the corner this month:

Time, Attendance and the 24 inch Gauge

from Freemasons For Dummies by Chris Hodapp

Brother Kurt Kurosawa posted an interesting idea on the Masonic Light Forum today. He visited a lodge in the Philippines that, at its stated meetings they have a 40% attendance rate - about 20 attendees out of a total of 50 members.

They have a lesson about the 24 inch gauge which:

"teaches us that all men are gifted with the same good measure of time each day to discharge all their duties in life, as well as for work, refreshment and rest, but they remind each other that a 30-day month contains 720 hours, so that the bare minimum involvement of attending a stated communication, if it consumes 4 hours, would demand of them only half of one percent of their time."

Isn't your lodge worth one half of one percent of your time? Is your lodge worth one half of one percent of your members' time?

Quick Hit #1

From the Masonic Minute.Com, poster anonymous

It was suggested by a Fellow Craft in my Lodge that we hold the Initiation of our next candidate at midnight. Now, I know that most of you are getting your beauty sleep at that point…but wouldn’t that be a hoot?

Imagine getting a letter that says you have to appear at the Lodge on so-and-so Friday night at 11:30 p.m. in business casual attire. You arrive, and everyone there is in a tuxedo or a suit. The whole place looks totally different than the other times you have visited because it is entirely lit by candle light. Even the semi-familiar fellowship hall you were just getting used to has a mysterious glow about it. You are directed to a person whom you already know…the guy that’s going to be your coach…and he says very little to you. At about ten minutes till midnight, the entire group, minus you, goes into the Lodge room. After some time, two men appear carrying long rods and…….

Now, I don’t know about you guys, but this seems like a great idea. Keeping Freemasonry fresh and exciting is one of the best ways to energize and motivate the Craft. The problem is, trying to get a big-enough group of men together to arrive at that hour. I know the younger guys would probably get a kick out of it, but what about the others?

By the Way, Brother Chriss Hodapp – author of “Freemasonry for Dummies” and, “Solomon’s Builders”, will be at Grand Lodge this year. Friday, September 28^th at 7:30 PM in the California Room He will be speaking about the architecture and Masonic Philosophy involved in the foundation of the United States and the construction of Washington DC. Coffee and Desert will be served.

Kevin

From the Secretaries Desk

2007-08-01T00:09:00.000-07:00

Brethren, my column this month tells a true story that best demonstrates the spirit of Fraternalism and Brotherly Love which we enjoy as Masons.

“The Travels of a Lambskin Apron”

This story begins in 1940 when Captain John Cleaveland Miller petitioned Foothill Lodge Number 564 for the Degrees of Masonry. Brother Miller was born on July 13th 1885 at Myrtle Point, Coos County, Oregon. He was Initiated, Passed and Raised in 1941 by Worshipful Brother Ludolph Foulkers. At the time, Brother Miller, age 55, was a qualified Captain, Master and Pilot of the San Francisco Bay and Tributaries, and worked for the Tidewater Associated Oil Company in San Francisco.

In 1942, at age 56, he registered for the draft, but there is no substantive evidence that he ever served on active duty in any of the armed services of the United States. Yet, sometime after he was raised, evidence suggests that he traveled to, and about York, England, and while there may have visited Lodge Harmony Number 156, where he left his inscribed apron, “for safe keeping”. It is possible that, being a “seafaring man” he may have been there with the Merchant Marine, or other maritime support service.

In early June this year, I received a forwarded email from W. Brother Chic Lewis, P.M. of Lodge Harmony No. 156, Yealmpton, Devon England expressing an interest in returning Brother Millers apron to his “Mother Lodge”. After some emails, and a phone call from Brother Lewis, the apron was returned to us in beautiful condition, and at our July Stated Meeting was laid in the archives of the Lodge. This is not only appropriate, but timely, as this year marks the 122nd anniversary of his birth.

Brother Lewis was concerned if Brother Miller had survived the war years, in whatever he was doing in Europe, and after doing some research, I found that he had indeed survived, returned to the United States, and passed away in June of 1969 at Atascadero, San Luis Obispo County, California at 83 years, 11 months. He had never married.

My Brothers, the moral of this story is that as a Mason, you can always expect to be looked after and receive the love of your Brethren whithersoever dispersed but, if you do not live up to your obligations as a Mason, you will sever that bond of fraternalism. For those of you who have still not paid your 2007 dues, do you really wish to lose your fraternal ties?

Have a great month and hope to see you in Lodge

Fraternally
Jerry

Articles & Links

2007-08-01T00:08:00.000-07:00

Many of the articles printed in our Trestle Board come from Web Sites. When this happens we place the link here to insure that:

We give credit where credit is due! (We also print the links and attributions in the Trestle Board)
Our readers have the opportunity to read other works by the authors

From our August 2007 Trestle Board

Short Takes

From our June / July 2007 Trestle Board.

Lodge Courtesies

2007-08-01T00:07:00.000-07:00

From the Masonic Service Associations Short Talk Series

Conventions are the rules which society makes for itself, without the force of law, by which its members live together with the least friction. It is not a sin to eat with one's knife or to keep one's hat on in the house. But these are not "good form" or good manners.

Masonry has developed its own conventions, by which its members act in lodge and the anteroom. Not to proceed according to their dictates is not a Masonic offense; it is merely a lack of Masonic manners.

As you passed through the Third Degree you received instructions in the Ritual and the obligation. You were carefully taught those essential things which a man must know in order to be @ Mason. But unless you belong to a most unusual lodge, or had a most wise brother for a mentor, it is doubtful if you were told much about these little niceties of lodge conduct. You are supposed to at, tend your lodge and learn by observation.

Not all brethren are observing, however. It is not uncommon to see some brother, old enough in Masonry to know better, crossing the lodge room between the Altar and the East. He might have observed that his brethren did not do it; but it is more difficult to note the absence of an act than to take cognizance of something done.

Brethren do not pass between the Altar and the East in lodge. It is a convention; there is no penalty for its infraction. It is a courtesy offered the Master. It is rooted in the theory that, as the Great Lights and the Charter of the lodge are essential to the regularity of the meeting, as these are the particular care of the Master, and as their place is upon the Altar, the Master should never be interrupted in his plain view of them, even for an instant.

Well informed brethren do not take seats in the East without invitation. All brethren within the tiled door are equal; the officers are the servants of their brethren and not their superiors. All seats, then, might well be considered open to all. But Masonry exacts long services of her officers; Past Masters have worked hard and long for the lodge they love. The Master recognizes their devotion and their loyalty with a special word of welcome, and an invitation to them to occupy a seat with him, in the East where they once sat. From this pretty custom has developed the invitation to a "seat in the East" to any distinguished visitor, or some member the Master wishes especially to honor. If all in the lodge helped themselves to seats in the East there would be no opportunity for the Master to offer that courtesy.

Brethren who respect the formalities of their lodge will not enter it undressed; that is, without their apron, or while putting that apron on. The spectacle of a brother walking up to the Altar, tying the strings and adjusting his apron while the Master waits for his salute, is not a pretty one. A man who entered church putting on his collar and tying his necktie could hardly be arrested, but he would surely receive unflattering comment. The strangeness of the new badge of a Mason and unfamiliarity with its meaning cause many to forget that it is as important to a Mason in lodge as clean linen, properly adjusted, is to the man in the street.

The Worshipful Master in the East occupies the most exalted position in the gift of the lodge. A lodge which does not honor its Master, not because of what he himself may be, but on account of the honor given him, is lacking in Masonic courtesy. The position he occupies, not the man, must be given the utmost respect, if the traditions of the Fraternity are to be observed.

It is, therefore, to the Master, not to John Smith who happens to be the Master, that you offer a salute when you enter or retire from lodge. Like any other salute, this may be done courteously and as if you meant it, or perfunctorily as if you did not care. The man who puts one finger to his hat brim when he speaks to a woman on the street compares poorly with his well brought up neighbor who lifts his hat. Taking the hat off is the modern remains of the ancient custom of knights who removed their helmets in the presence of those they felt their friends, and thus, before those they wished to honor by showing that they trusted them. A man removes his hat before a woman to show his respect. Touching the brim is but a perfunctory salute. Similarly, the salute to the Master is your renewed pledge of fealty and service, your public recognition before all men, of your obligation. It is performed before the Master and the Altar to show him your veneration for his authority, your respect for all that for which he stands. To offer your salute as if you were in a hurry, too lazy properly to make it, or bored with its offering, is to be, Masonically, a boor.

A man in lodge is the servant of his brethren, if he engages in any lodge activity. Servants stand in the presence of their superiors. Therefore, no Mason sits while speaking, whether he addresses an officer or another brother. This does not refer to conversation on the benches during refreshment, but to discussion on the floor during business meeting.

During the refreshment the Master relinquishes the gavel to the Junior Warden in the South, which thus becomes, for the time being, constructively the East. All that has been said about the respect due the Master in the East applies now to the Junior Warden in the South.

It is illegal to enter or leave the room during a ballot; it is discourteous to leave during a speech or during a degree, except at the several natural perils@ which end one section and begin another.

Smoking is permitted in some lodge rooms during the business meeting. Alas, there are some which do not interdict it during a degree! You will, of course, be governed here by the custom of your own lodge, although it is to be hoped you will never lend the weight of your opinion toward establishing the custom of smoking during the solemn ceremonies of a degree, unless, indeed, you would like to smoke in church!

A courteous brother does not refuse a request made in the name of the lodge. There are three duties which devolve upon the membership which are too often "the other fellow's business." Every lodge at some time has a knock upon the door from some visiting brother. This requires the services of two brethren from the lodge on the examination committee. Some one has to do that work. To decline it, on any ground whatever, is discourteous to the Master, to whom you have &aid, in effect, "I don't want to do my share; let George do it. I just want to sit here and enjoy myself while the other fellows do the work."

A degree cannot well be put on without the services of conductors. When you are assigned such a piece of work, it is not Masonic courtesy to refuse, for the same reasons given above. And if you are selected as a member of the Fellowcraft 'team in the Master Mason degree, the only reason for not accepting is that of physical disability. Like other matters herein spoken of, refusal here is not a Masonic offense. Neither is it a legal offense to drink from a finger bowl, seat yourself at table before your hostess, or spit on your host's parlor floor! But the convention of good manners is what makes society pleasant, and Masonic good manners make lodge meetings pleasant.

One does not talk in church. God's House is not for social conversation; it is for worship and the learning of the lesson of the day. A good Mason does not talk during the conferring of a degree. The lodge room is then a Temple of the Great Architect of the Universe, with the brethren working therein doing their humble best to make better stones for His spiritual Temple. Good manners as well as reverence dictate silence and attention during the work; officers and degree workers cannot do their best if distracted by conversation, and the irreverence cannot help but be distressing to candidates.

There is a special lodge courtesy to be observed in all debates to any motion. One speaks to the Master; the Master is the lodge. One does not turn ones back on him to address the lodge without permission from him. One stands to order when addressing the chair; customs differ in various jurisdictions as to the method of salute, but some salute should always be given when addressing the Master. The spectacle of two brethren on their feet at the same time, arguing over a motion, facing each other and ignoring the Master, is not one which any Master should permit. But it is also one which no Master should have to prevent!

Failure to obey the gavel at once is a grave discourtesy. The Master is all powerful in the lodge. He can put or refuse to put any motion. He can rule any brother out of order on any subject at any time. He can say what he will, and what he will not, permit to be discussed. Brethren who think him unfair, arbitrary, unjust, or acting illegally, have redress; the Grand Lodge can be appealed to on any such matter. But in the lodge, the gavel, emblem of authority, is supreme. When a brother is rapped down, -he should at once obey, without further discussion. It is very bad manners to do otherwise; indeed, it is close to the line between bad manners and a Masonic offense.

Failure to vote on a petition is so common in many jurisdictions that it may be considered stretching the list to include it under a heading of lodge discourtesies. In smaller lodges the Master probably requires the satisfaction of the law which provides that all brethren present vote. In larger ones, where there is much business, and many petitions, he may, and often does, declare the ballot closed after having asked, "Have all the brethren voted?" Even though he knows quite well that they have not all voted. This is not the place to discuss whether the Master is right or wrong in such action. But the brother who does not vote, because too lazy, or too indifferent, or for any other reason, is discourteous because he injures the ballot, its secrecy, its importance, and its value. Few brethren would be so thoughtless as to remain seated, or stand by their chairs, when a candidate is brought to light. Yet indifference to one's part in this solemn ceremony is less bad manners than indifference to the ballot; the former injures only a ceremony; the latter may injure the lodge, and by that injury, the fraternity.

It is a courtesy to the Master to advise him beforehand that you intend to offer thus and such a motion, or wish to bring up thus and such a matter for discussion. You have the right to do it without apprising him in advance, just as he has the right to rule you out of order. But the Master may have plans of his own for that meeting, into which your proposed motion or discourse does not fit. Therefore, it is a courtesy to him, to ask him privately if you may be recognized for your purpose, and thus save him the disagreeable necessity of seeming arbitrary in a public refusal.

Lodge courtesies, like those of the profane world, are founded wholly in the Golden Rule. They oil the Masonic wheels and enable them to revolve without creaking. They smooth the path of all in the lodge, and prove to all and sundry the truth of the ritualistic explanation of that "more noble and glorious purpose" to which we are taught to put the trowel.

The way to truth

2007-08-01T00:05:00.000-07:00

Southern California Research Lodge F&AM

Grand Lodge of California, Masonic Education Series, December 2005

The first lesson we are taught in Freemasonry is to be good and true. For the stonemasons of old, it was necessary that the stones used in the building be made good and true. The stones had to perfectly cut and polished so that they would fit together with precision and strength. If the stones were not good and true, the building would crumble and fall.

The rough ashlar is the stone as taken from the quarry in its rude and ventral state. The fellowcraft or journeymen Mason used his working tools to square off the edges of the rough ashlar so that it would be a true perfect ashlar that would fit well with the other stones and support the buildings superstructure. The workmen had to complete "good work and true work" in order to receive their wages in the Middle Camber.

Freemasons today are not engaged in building castles and cathedrals. They are engaged in building their own minds and characters, guided by the morals and ethics taught by the Craft. Men who are truthful, sincere. And honest in their dealings with other men are like the "good and true' stones _ they provide the strength and integrity that bongs harmony to everyday life.

The hypocrisy. cheating, and deceit we see today in political campaigns. government officials. corporation executives, among teachers and students, and even in our family lives have developed in our society in the last 40 years or so. There is a lack of trust in modern society. You can all think of examples from the mass media. The virtue of telling the truth and dealing honestly and openly with others should not be limited to our brothers in the Craft. It is one of those great moral duties inculcated in the Lodge that we should practice out of the Lodge. We should always think twice before acting, so that out actions in life can measure up to our Masonic standards and we can be "good and true" men.

The meaning of Truth for Freemasons is not limited to being truthful. It also means that we should be searching for the Truth. Searching for the Truth is a journey; the destination or absolute Truth is always receding in the distance.

Man has searched for truth throughout the ages. Freedom and liberty for the individual, as embodied in the democratic and Masonic concepts of life, accelerate the great search today in this unsettled period of terrorism and political and social change.

Among the valiant champions of free and open discussion as an instrument for gaining truth has been John Stuart Mill the 19th century English thinker and economist. He strongly defended the individual's right to think and act for himself.

Now is a good time to examine Mill's words. We live in a time when the safest course for many appears to be "security through conformity" and many people believe that our liberties arc being threatened by large corporations or the government.

Mill avidly supported free and open debate. He believed that we should take nothing for granted at face value. He noted that all societies had traditions and stories full of general observations on what life is and how we should conduct ourselves in life. Everyone knows and repeats these observations. When we hear them spoken, we simply accept them uncritically. These ideas are never discussed because they are the "accepted" opinion of mankind. Today, we should call this "conventional wisdom." On the whole, we do not challenge the conventional wisdom even when we do not understand it.

Mill wrote that the "fatal tendency of mankind to leave off thinking about a thing when it is no longer doubtful, is the cause of half their errors." Mill believes that we would understand more about what we believe to be true, and therefore make better decisions on how to act, if we were able to hear the "conventional wisdom' argued pro and con by people who do understand the issues involved.

As Freemasons and seekers of truth, we should always be prepared to seek farther and more complete information on such issues as the Public Schools than what we read in the mass media or on the Internet. Just because something appears in print or on the World Wide Web does not make it true. We should always be ready to seek further light when making decisions that affect our families, our communities, and ourselves.

Well-informed Freemasons are well-informed citizens. We are charged to be exemplary in the discharge of our civil duties. Because we Freemasons are taught to challenge the 'conventional wisdom,' and most people are not, a Freemason seeking the truth can have great influence for good in the world by applying what he has learned in the Craft to his job, his family, and to how he evaluates issues and candidates when he goes to the polls.

Mill was also concerned about the quality of debate and public discussion. In our era of negative political advertising, talk radio, and attack journalism we could take many lessons from what Mill described as the real morality of public discussion.

Mill believed that the outcome of a discussion should he determined by the circumstances of the individual case. We should not deliberately misrepresent the views of the other side. We should condemn all participants in a discussion, no matter what side they are on, who use half-truths, falsehoods, and accusations of bigotry and intolerance to attack the other side. These tactics only cloud the issues and confuse both the debaters and their listeners. In fact, we should have the calmness to see and the honesty to state what our opponents' opinions really are. We should not exaggerate their opinions to their discredit. And in fairness and courtesy, we should not withhold information that might support our opponents' position.

These are the ground rules fur a proper and civilized discussion. When these rules are followed in the "marketplace of ideas," the only result can be further Light, as we come closer to Truth. These roles can be applied in the Halls of Congress, at City Council meetings, or even at a Lodge's Stated Meeting! How many arguments and divisions in our lodge' could be avoided simply by a courteous and fair-minded search for the truth? Just think about the many State and local propositions we had to consider at the last election and the political campaigns seeking to convince us how to vote. Try to imagine how different the campaigns and speeches would have been if the advocates on all sides had gone by Mill's standard.

Our ritual teaches us that when guided by 'truth, "hypocrisy and deceit are unknown among us, sincerity and plain-dealing distinguish us, and with heart and tongue we join in promoting each other's welfare and rejoice in each other's prosperity." In other words, in a society governed by truthfulness, integrity, and civility in the search for Truth, individuals will come together to work to improve the quality of life for each other and their children. And they will be glad to see the success and achievements of each other as well, because the community is improved by each person's individual success.

Truth creates harmony; Deceit creates discord and confusion. As Freemasons we have the responsibility to practice truth among ourselves, and with those in the society at large. Men join Masonry because of a favorable opinion conceived of the institution. It is up to us to set the example by how we act in our own dealings with family, friends, and strangers.

Masonic Web Sites

2007-07-26T20:05:00.000-07:00

The Grand Lodge of California
Live Oak Lodge #61
Oakland Durant Rockridge #188
Southern California Research Lodge
Oakland Scottish Rite
Grand York Rite of California
Aahmes Shrine Temple
California Eastern Star
Northern California DeMolay
California Jobs Daughters
California Rainbow Girls

Freemasons For Dummies: Grand and Glorious Order Knights of the Creeping Serpent

2007-06-29T16:04:00.000-07:00

An article of interest to all California Masons.

Freemasons For Dummies: Grand and Glorious Order Knights of the Creeping Serpent

From the East - June / July 2007

2007-06-01T00:10:00.000-07:00

Greetings Brethren and Masonic families.

Thank you for coming to our May Stated dinner and business meeting. That was fun! I will practice my singing for next year.

I am pleased to say that the response for new Masonic members is fantastic. I am speechless. I can only say welcome to Masonry in Alameda. We have a New Master Mason as well. Brother Gurbachan Sing, stationed at Government Island, welcome to you as well. The officers have out done themselves in conferring all degrees. Thanks to the members who watched the degrees.

In June we will be having our first time ever, "Festival of St. John" for Masonic men, any level. We will have Brother Jay Kinney from Grand Lodge as our speaker, and then a feast to follow. I would like to see every Mason from Island City attend. This is a day we should all come together. It has been too long for some. We miss you. This day is for all of you. There will be a postcard sent to you to remind you of all that is coming up in June, another exciting month at Island City; dinners, entertainment, school of instruction, the "festival"...Keep reading that secret mail.

Masonry teaches you...

To be true under whatever temptation; to be honest in all your dealings even if great loses should be the consequence; to be charitable, when selfishness would prompt you to close your hand, and deprivation of luxury or comfort must follow the charitable act; to judge justly and impartially, even in your own case, when baser impulses prompt you to do an injustice in
order that you may be benefited or justified; to do that which is right, when the wrong seems to promise larger profit; and to wrong no man of anything that is, however easy it may be to enrich yourself in all these things and others which you promised, your spiritual nature is taught and encouraged to assert its rightful domination over your appetites and passions.

Fraternally,
Dennis Wallace, Worshipful Master.

From The Secretaries Desk - June / July 2007

2007-06-01T00:05:00.000-07:00

Brethren,

Summer is upon us and I hope everyone enjoys a "safe & sane" one. I would like to congratulate our newly initiated EA's: Danny Barreto, Adam Koltun, Ralph Miller, and Thomas Inman. We also extend a hearty welcome to our newest Master Mason, Gurbachan Singh who was raised on May 31st.

Your Officers are doing a great job in conferring the degrees. These Brothers work very hard and take much pride in the work they do, and I am sure they would enjoy seeing more of you on the sidelines for these degrees. So, come on down!

Brethren, we have had to suspend 6 Brothers for non-payment of dues for 2006, and to date there are still a handful of you who have not paid your 2007 dues. Don't let yourself get suspended from the Lodge. Please, pay your dues promptly... you know who you are!

Have a great month, and I hope to see you in Lodge.

Fraternally
Jerry

Masonic Education in the 21st century

2007-05-16T21:44:00.000-07:00

Recently the Grand Lodge of California has revamped it's lodge management educational courses and bundled them together as the Lodge Management Certification Program. The classes are held at various places through out the state.

I noticed the other day on the Grand Lodge web site that a new wrinkle has been added to this: One of the courses is now offered online.

While really impressed with the distance learning that our Grand Lodge is setting up, I was equally impressed with this - Maine Masonic College.

While this is not available (yet) for us here in the Golden State, we may see this college, or something similar, available to us very soon.

Restaurant at the End of the Masonic Universe!

2007-05-07T15:49:00.001-07:00

An amusing analogy regarding the work we need to do! Thanks to Bro. Stephen DaFoe!

ICL #215 Library and Research Lounge!

2007-05-07T15:44:00.000-07:00

Brethren,

For the last few months I have been working at getting our library re-organized. During this process I was amazed at the wealth of information available to us! Many of these books are from the late 1800s and contain information regarding our Craft that cannot be found elsewhere. We are truly blessed to have such a facility at our disposal. Between the volumes of amazing knowledge, lazy boy recliners and direct TV, I’m sure many of you will find it a great place to go and relax, read and obtain further light in Masonry! Remember, this is YOUR lodge too!

The library has been organized into sections:

A: California Grand Lodge proceedings 1850-1931
California Grand Lodge Communications 1923-2006

B: California Grand Lodge Communications 1923-2006 (cont.)
Masonic Encyclopedias, Illustrated History of Freemasonry, etc

C: Esoterica/Theosophy – misc. books on various religions, spiritual beliefs and practices
Periodicals – Scottish Rite, York Rite, Northern and Southern California Research Lodges

D: US History, Presidential biographies, etc.

E: The Classics

F: Misc – Order of the Eastern Star, AAONMS, Videos/DVDs

G: Blue Lodge – Blue Lodge history, ritual, philosophies, essays, etc.

We have also acquired a DVD/VHS player for the library. There have been a slew of new programs on Freemasonry produced for The History Channel, PBS and The Discovery Channel. I plan on expanding our VHS/DVD section as much as possible. Also a computer with Internet hookup will be added very soon. This will allow you to
access Masonic Sites for research. We will also use this computer to catalogue our collection.

Lastly, if any Brethren would like to make any contributions or donations to the Library, please contact me and let me know. In some cases we have 15-18 copies of the same book and not enough or others! Also, any videos appertaining to Masonry would be much appreciated!

PS – many thanks to Brother Kevin Stroud, PM for his assistance, direction and motivation! Without his guidance and enthusiasm, I never would have taken this project on!

Cielito Lindo

2007-05-06T20:09:00.000-07:00

Our Cinco de Mayo dinner.

Ah, the Chili Colorado, The Sangria, The good companions...

... and W.: Dennis singing Cielito Lindo. "Aye ay ay ay"

An update - and a Thank You

2007-05-04T07:47:00.000-07:00

At last nights Stated meeting I received a Thank you for this blog from our own Junior Steward, Josh Cohen. It seems that the format has been accepted! With that in mind I am moving forward with some additions and changes to the Lodges Online presence.

A single web page will be posted to http://www.calodges.org/no215 redirecting our visitors there to this site.
I am adding other members of the Lodge as authors here. (Notice the author of this post is not "Island City Lodge"). This will allow us to use this site to push out information, schedules, updates, education... all sorts of things.
I will make the changes and announce this site to all in the next Trestle Board.

It is my hope, at least, that this will provide the lodge with one more way of communicating with the Brethren and enhancing the Island City Lodge community!

And a big Thank you to Josh - It is always nice to have the appreciation of your Brothers!

From the East - May, 2007

2007-05-01T00:10:00.000-07:00

Greetings Brethren and Masonic families.

Thanks to you all for coming to the stated meeting and our Easter dinner. Big crowd and lots-a-fun. The food was well received, but the movie wasn't. I heard "too much shooting".
So let's take a break from the movies and have even more fun.

The Cinco de Mayo dinner will have;
• Beef Colorado (served in California)
• Rice and beans, tortillas,
• Flan.

We will start off dinner with one of our sons (Cameron Stroud) bustin' up a Piñata. The youth group servers will get what ever falls.

Then we are to be serenaded by the music of Enrique Alvarez's Mariachi Tradicion Mexicana with romantic and spirited Mexican songs. Thank you Brother Steve Merritt for setting up this great ensemble for our dinner!.

The lodge officers for 2007 will have the pleasure of conferring many degrees in May on many new members and one "Master Mason" degree. Thanks to all of you guys.

You can call it a "Rusty Trowel" dinner or a "reunion" dinner. But I'm calling it the FIRST ever "Festival Of Saint John" dinner. Many Masonic lodges have this Masons only event. We are trying our first. You know you've been waiting for that right moment to come back to Island City Lodge. Here's your chance.

All Masons are invited on June 24th, 2007, from the youngest Entered Apprentice in the north east corner to the Worshipful Master in the east.

You will listen to a Masonic Historian. Then we will ascend from Lodge room to the 4th floor banquet room. You will go back in time. Set up similar to hundreds of years ago. We are having hors d oeuvres, a sit down dinner, and libations, All, all for $15.00.

So you will have to take your girl to church that day, so she will let you come to this first time ever Island City, "Festival Of Saint John"

Watch for more secret Masonic messages...

Masonry teaches us,
to struggle towards light,
sometimes the struggle is attained slowly and other times quickly.
But it is there (the light).

Just as there are times when it seems so long for Night to turn to Day,
Masonic knowledge is that way.
For the individual as well as a nation, light is virtue, liberty, intelligence, and power.
Therefore it is important that you do not lose sight of the true objectivity of Masonry.
It is to add to your estate of wisdom, not merely to your knowledge.

Dennis Wallace, Worshipful Master.

From the Secretaries desk - May, 2007

2007-05-01T00:09:00.000-07:00

Brethren,

Springtime is well upon us, and this month at stated we will celebrate the "Cinco de Mayo" with live Mariachi music, and a wonderful fiesta.

We have had some terrific turnouts the last few months, but would like to see more of the Brethren stick around for the Stated Meeting after the dinner.
There are still several of you who have not paid your 2007 dues. Please check your dues receipt, and if it expired on December 31st 2006, remit your dues in the amount of $54.00 for 2007.

Have a wonderful month and hope to see you in Lodge

Fraternally
Jerry

Did You Know - May, 2007

2007-05-01T00:08:00.000-07:00

That 19 of the 39 men who signed the Constitution were Masons
"Inside the Capitol Building"

The architect of the bldg. Benjamin Latrobe was a Freemason
The columns, Ionic, Doric, and Corinthian that adorn the bldg. represent wisdom, strength, and beauty, a Masonic ritual.
The columns outside the Senate have detailed chapiters that depict ears of corn, a Masonic symbol of plenty.
The "Great Experimental Hall" where a picture of George Washington's Presidential inauguration being dominated by Freemasons, and where he placed his hand upon the open Bible of St. John's Lodge No.1.
Where a picture of Andrew Jackson being sworn in also by a Freemason, Justice John Marshall
The "Experiment hall has a picture of James Monroe, a Mason, discussing the Monroe Doctrine.
The Capitols Westward Expansion corridor has a picture of the Boston Tea Party and the Green Dragon Tavern where Freemasons (lodge of St. Andrews) were thought to have planned the raid.
The Westward expansion hall has a mural of Lewis and Clark during the Louisiana purchase, also freemasons
Statuary Hall of the Capitol has many statues of famous men and women. The majority of which were Freemasons; Stephen Austin, Lewis Cass, Henry Clay, George Clinton, Robert Fulton, James Garfield, Nathanial Greene, Samuel Houston, and many more.

To be continued...