From the East
My Brothers, Ladies, Friends, and Families,
Welcome to October and the beginning of Fall. Hopefully this means we will finally get some relief from this heat.
I would like to Congratulate Brother Gabriel Zabrosky for being nominated for Mason of the Year and Worshipful Ken Bychack II for being nominated for the Hiram Award. We will be celebrating the Mason of the Year at our October Stated meeting and will be celebrating the Hiram Award at our November Stated meeting. Please join us in celebrating these 2 wonderful men.
This month we have 2 1st degrees and a 3rd degree. We will also be voting on 1 applicant at our October Stated meeting as well. We have a lot going on in the lodge and I would encourage those that haven’t been around for a while to come out and meet our new brothers and to supports our brothers during these degrees.
This months Stated meeting will be on October 12th. Worshipful Peter Krickhuhn and his Wife Connie will be providing dinner.
I would like to wish the following Brothers a Happy Birthday for this Month:
Russell Buchmann - 10/04
Bobby Lyles - 10/10
Carl Muse - 10/11
Reinhart Jaenisch - 10/16
Jake Morrison - 10/28
I would also like to wish the following Brothers A Happy Masonic Anniversary:
Darrel Brown (50 years)
Peter Krickhuhn, PM (48 years)
Charles Mabrey, PM (25 years)
Jesse Rook (14 years)
Douglas Todt (14 years)
I would love to see brothers come back and visit the lodge to meet the new brothers and to get back involved with our fraternity and the Lodge.
Fraternally yours,
Pete Johnson - Worshipful Master 2026
From the West
Greetings Brethren and Ladies,
After a nice and quiet “dark” month of August, it’s great to be back in the swing of things! Fall is upon us, which means we are finally getting closer to cooler days and nights—and hopefully the end of all this heat. I, for one, am certainly looking forward to it!
We have a busy and exciting month ahead at the Lodge, with two First Degrees, scheduled for October 1st and October 5th, followed by a Third Degree on October 22nd. If your cable-tow permits, please come out and support our candidates and the brothers who have worked hard to put these degrees together. There is no better way to support our Lodge and strengthen the bonds of Brotherhood than by being present and participating.
Annual Communication is also upon us this month. Worshipful Pete, Wade, and I will be representing the Lodge in San Francisco. If you have any thoughts, questions, or input regarding the legislation being considered this year, please reach out to one of us so we can make sure your voice is heard and your concerns are represented.
As we move into the final months of the year, please remember that Masonry is about more than our meetings and degrees. It is about looking after one another. If you know of a Brother or an Honored Lady who is ill, in distress, or simply in need of a helping hand, please let me know.
I look forward to seeing everyone around the Lodge this month. Let’s have a great October, support our candidates, welcome our new Brothers, and continue to make our Lodge a place where everyone feels welcome.
Fraternally,
Ken Bychak, PM
Senior Warden
From the South
Brethren, Families and friends;
It is good to be back in Southern California after visiting my Brothers in Ohio. While visiting my youngest brother in his Nursing home, I came upon this saying from a famous Saint that I would like to share with you.
"People are often unreasonable and self centered. Forgive them anyway. If you are kind, people may accuse you of ulterior motives. Be kind anyway. If you are honest, people may cheat you. Be honest anyway. If you find happiness, people may be jealous. Be happy anyway. The good you do today may be forgotten tomorrow. Do good anyway. Give the world the best you have, and it may never be enough. Give your best anyway. For you see, in the end, it's between you and God. It has never been between you and them anyway."
MOTHER TERESA.
God bless you all...
Don Ruch, PM, Junior Warden.
Secretary’s Corner
October is here and the Masonic year is almost over. The Grand Lodge is holding the Annual Communication this month. The 2026 Legislation is in a binder on the Tyler’s table outside the Lodge Room for anyone that would like to review it. After review, if you have thoughts or suggestions, please present them to the Master.
Congratulations to Worshipful Ken Bychack II for being the 2026 Hiram Awardee and to Brother Gabriel Zabrosky for being the 2026 Mason of the Year Awardee. Two very deserving brothers! We have two 1st Degrees and a 3rd Degree this month! Our newest Brothers will be Kyle Skutt and Wamiq Sattar with Brother Wade Hendry Opening and Obligating for Junior Warden qualifications. Should be a couple of great nights!! Brother Jake Morrison is also being raised to the Sublime Degree of Master Mason on October 22nd if your cable tow permits, please join us for what should be a great night of Masonic Brotherhood! We also continue to have coffee on the 2nd and 4th Saturday’s of the month. Come join us and have some great fellowship with our newer Brothers, our older Brothers and some of our prospects. Come join us and get to know these fine men that are joining our Fraternity.
There are still 10 Brothers that are in arrears for 2026 dues. Remember, you have an obligation to pay your dues. They were due by December 31, 2025. Please get them paid! The Lodge needs the support of the Brothers. The dues for 2026 are $133.00 (Per our By-Laws the calculation is $60.00 + Per Capita rounded up to the next whole dollar). Per Capita for this year will be $72.50 giving us annual dues of $60.00 + $72.50 = $132.50 rounded up to $133.00. This is also your time to catch up on last year’s 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!
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.
There are several ways that you can pay your dues:
Send a check to the Lodge at:
Santa Maria #580
PO Box 68
Ramona CA, 92065
You can log in to the Lodge website, www.santamaria580.org, and pay by credit card. Use the link in the Grand Lodge email and pay through the Grand Lodge or you can bring a check or cash to me at the Lodge.
Having to pay your dues at the end of the year can be tough. If you go to the Grand Lodge, you can sign up to have monthly payments taken so that at the end of the year, your dues are paid and you do not have a large bill waiting for you. I have done this for both of my Lodges, and it makes life much easier.
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 dues for 2026 are $133.00. 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 $133.00 for a total of $2,394.00. Please contact me if you wish to pursue this.
If you are financially unable to pay your dues, please contact the Master to discuss.
If you have paid and have not received your dues 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 - Pete Johnson
Senior Warden - Ken Bychak II, PM (Laura)
Junior Warden - Don Ruch, PM (Vicki)
Treasurer - Chase Murray, PM
Secretary - Bill Graham, PM (Teri)
Chaplain - Mark Lantz (Kim)
Marshal - Elijah Descoteaux
Senior Deacon - Wade Hendry (Marianne)
Junior Deacon - Ken Bychak Sr. (Robyn)
Senior Steward - Rex McCray
Junior Steward - Gabriel Zabrosky (Annie)
Tiler - Bob Weldon, PM (Brenda)
(858) 943-1079
(707) 328-9617
(619) 787-3858
(619) 607-2935
(951) 970-4294
(858) 231-4646
(619) 987-1004
(760) 535-3176
(805) 264-1711
(760) 788-4957
(619) 931-4314
(760) 807-2883
Santa Maria Masonic Building
Association (SMMBA) Directory
President - Ken Bychak II, PM
Vice President - Pete Johnson
Treasurer/Secretary - Elijah Descoteaux
Member - Don Ruch, PM
Member - Bob Weldon, PM
Member - Wade Hendry
Member - Bruce Smith, PM
Member - Gabriel Zabrosky
(707)328-9617
(858) 943-1079
(619) 987-1004
(619) 787-3858
(760) 807-2883
(760) 535-3176
(760) 788-9475
(619) 931-4314