From the East
Welcome to the month of November my Brothers and friends.
Firstly, congratulations to our newest Fellowcraft Mason, Brother Jake Morrison. Brother Morrison delivered an excellent proficiency early in October and was passed to the degree of Fellowcraft on October 27th. Well done Brother Morrison and thank you to those who attended his degree both as participants and as observers.
As a reminder, the Stated Meeting on November 10th will include Balloting of Officers for the 2026 Masonic Year. We hope to see a good turn out for this important activity. As a reminder, dinner will begin at 6:00pm with the Stated Meeting to follow at 7:30pm. Master Masons in good standing may participate in the balloting of officers.
We also have an early announcement for Santa Maria's annual New Years Eve party. As always, we will be holding a potluck on December 31st from 6:00pm to 9:30pm (New York New Years) which will include multiple activities including games and a Baked Goods Auction to raise funds for the lodge (just like the good ol' days). Hopefully we can see some faces we haven't seen in quite some time and some new faces (friends and family are welcome and encouraged to attend). If you would like to participate in the Baked Goods Auction, please contact Wor. Brother Bill Graham
This month we will also be celebrating multiple holidays, including Veterans Day and Thanksgiving. As we progress through the month, be sure to keep all Veterans around the world in your prayers as even though their service to both our country and countries abroad is done, for many their war is not yet over.
In 1921, an unknown World War I American soldier was buried in Arlington National Cemetery. This site, on a hillside overlooking the Potomac River and the city of Washington, D.C., became the focal point of reverence for America’s veterans.
Similar ceremonies occurred earlier in England and France, where an unknown soldier was buried in each nation’s highest place of honor (in England, Westminster Abbey; in France, the Arc de Triomphe). These memorial gestures all took place on November 11, giving universal recognition to the celebrated ending of World War I fighting at 11 a.m., November 11, 1918 (the 11th hour of the 11th day of the 11th month). The day became known as “Armistice Day.”
Armistice Day officially received its name in America in 1926 through a Congressional resolution. It became a national holiday 12 years later by similar Congressional action. If the idealistic hope had been realized that World War I was “the War to end all wars,” November 11 might still be called Armistice Day. But only a few years after the holiday was proclaimed, war broke out in Europe. Sixteen and one-half million Americans took part. Four hundred seven thousand of them died in service, more than 292,000 in battle.
The first celebration using the term Veterans Day occurred in Birmingham, Alabama, in 1947. Raymond Weeks, a World War II veteran, organized "National Veterans Day," which included a parade and other festivities, to honor all veterans. The event was held on November 11, then designated Armistice Day. Later, U.S. Representative Edward Rees of Kansas proposed a bill that would change Armistice Day to Veterans Day. In 1954, Congress passed the bill that President Eisenhower signed proclaiming November 11 as Veterans Day. Raymond Weeks received the Presidential Citizens Medal from President Reagan in November 1982. Weeks' local parade and ceremonies are now an annual event celebrated nationwide.
Fraternally,
Chase Murray - Worshipful Master
From the West
Happy November!!!
I had the great honor to represent our Lodge at the 2025 Annual communications at the Grand Lodge last month. It was a great time to socialize with our brothers throughout California and brothers from other States and other parts of the world. I was able to spend a lot of time with our brothers from the North County and it was great. I spoke to some of the incoming Masters from the Lodges in our 2 districts and we are planning to schedule joint activities so stay tuned. The biggest take away from that weekend, was that our Fraternity is very strong and growing.
I would like to wish everyone a Happy Thanksgiving!! I hope you all get a chance to spend time with your family and loved ones. It is important for us to spend more time focusing on how blessed we all are and that we should be thankful for where we live and those we have around us. Even though we all have our own struggles, we are so very blessed to have what we do have and to be living where we live.
Please reach out to me via email at pjjohnson04@gmail.com or call me at 858-943-1079.
As always, we want and need brothers coming back and we need ideas on how to make that happen.
God Bless you all, and God Bless this Lodge and Fraternity.
Pete Johnson, Sr. Warden.
From the South
Dear Santa Maria Masonic Family and Friends;
I am writing this article on All Hallows Eve, or as better known as Halloween. We, as a lodge, are getting ready to hand out candy to children at the Lodge for "Main street trick or treat." As the children walk by, masquerading as clowns, ghosts, pirates... I am reminded that they are only pretending to be something they are not. But don't we sometimes do the same thing? We go around at times Masquerading as someone we are not? We put on the mask of a "good Christian" when the truth is, inwardly we are not Christ-like at all, yet we fully expect to be handed "candy" from our fellow men, and God. Let's be the good Masons that we are and wear the false mask sparingly...or better yet, not at all.
Your servant,
Don Ruch, PM, Junior Warden.
Secretary’s Corner
Congratulations to Brother Jake Morrison for being Passed to the Degree of Fellowcraft. It was a great night and a fantastic Degree.
Thank you to those that came to help with passing out the candy for the Trick or Treat on Main St. We had a great time, the kids were fantastic and we gave out about 9 bags of candy! If you were not there you missed out!
We are voting for the 2026 cadre of Officers this month. Come to the November Stated Meeting and have your vote counted!
The Dues Notices for 2026 are being sent out. The new Grand Master’s budget was approved. The dues for 2026 are $133.00 ($60.00 + Per Capita rounded up to the next whole dollar). Per Capita for this year will be $72.50 giving us a dues of $60.00 + $72.50 = $132.50 rounded up to $133.00. Check your mail and e-mail. Payment is due by December 31, 2025. You can pay by sending a check to the Lodge at:
Santa Maria #580
PO Box 68
Ramona CA, 92065
You can log in to the website, www.santamaria580.org, and pay by credit card or you can bring a check or cash to me at the Lodge.
Remember, if you send a payment in and are in arrears, that payment will go to the past due amount. You will still need to come back to good standing for the current year to receive your Dues Card. Please contact the Master or myself to discuss this if you have any questions.
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.
We continue to meet at 0800 on the 2nd and 4th Saturday’s of the month at the Lodge for coffee and then breakfast. Our prospects, candidates and new Brothers are often there. Come join us and get to know these fine men that are joining our Fraternity.
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.
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 $126.00. 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 $126.00 for a total of $2,268.00. Please contact me if you wish to pursue this.
There are still 10 Brothers that are in arrears for the 2025 dues. Remember, you have an obligation to pay your dues. If you have not made your payment, you 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
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
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 - Pete Johnson
Junior Warden - Don Ruch, PM (Vicki)
Treasurer - Bob Weldon, PM (Brenda)
Secretary - Bill Graham, PM (Teri)
Chaplain - Mark Lantz (Kim)
Marshal - Bruce Smith, PM (Beverly)
Senior Deacon - Ken Bychak II, PM (Laura)
Junior Deacon - Rex McCray
Senior Steward - Elijah Descoteaux
Junior Steward - Wade Hendry (Marianne)
Tiler - Dave Murray, PM (Catheren)
(619) 607-2935
(858) 943-1079
(619) 787-3858
(760) 807-2883
(951) 970-4294
(858) 231-4646
(760) 788-9475
(707) 328-9617
(760) 788-4957
(619) 987-1004
(760) 535-3176
(619) 302-1223
Santa Maria Masonic Building
Association (SMMBA) Directory
President - Don Ruch, PM
Vice President - Chase Murray
Treasurer/Secretary - Elijah Descoteaux
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) 987-1004
(707) 328-9617
(760) 807-2883
(760) 535-3176
(760) 788-9475
(858) 943-1079