From the East
Greetings brethren and friends,
Not a whole lot to report this month other than as we all know, the heat wave is still upon us. Please ensure that you are drinking enough water and keeping yourselves cool as heat stroke is not a joke nor a good time. For our Shrine brothers, there will be a Ceremonial held 07SEP at Dos Picos park. If you are able to join, feel free to make your way over. For times, please text or call Wor. Bob Weldon for those details.
Thanks, Chase Murray - Worshipful Master
From the West
Dear Ladies, Brethren and friends.
September, what a blessing to have fall in view and the long hot summer nearly over in our rear-view mirror. I am looking forward to the cooling weather of fall. I am also looking forward to Grand Lodge communication which is coming up fast.
Speaking of looking in the rear view mirror, I found an interesting quote in a daily devotion written by Max Lucado that I want to share with you: "Do you Know Grace? ' There is a reason that our windshield is larger than our rear view mirror. Your (Our) future matters more than the past. God's grace is greater than our sins, He will forgive you."' We need to learn from our past mistakes but don't beat ourselves up over what has already been forgiven. All we have to do is ask for forgiveness and it shall be given.
Your Brother in Christ,
Don Ruch, PM, Senior Warden.
From the South
To all the brothers, Ladies, family and Friends,
Welcome to the Month of September. Hopefully we will start to enjoy some cooler weather. It has been a very hot summer. Now that we are no longer dark, we will again enjoy some wonderful food prepared by Ranch Catering for this stated meeting. I hope to see a lot of brothers and their family and friends attend the Stated meeting dinner. The menu for this month’s dinner is:
Kalua Pork, Teriyaki Chicken, Tropical Rice, Glazed Carrots, Island Cole Slaw, Hawaiian Rolls, and Banana Cream Pie.
Below are some pics from our July stated meeting dinner. We would love to see more brothers and their families attend.
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. Below are the pics for the 3rd degree we visited in July at Silver Gate 3 start lodge. If anyone has any suggestions, please let Brother Wade and/or I know.
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
Welcome to September. The Grand Lodge will be holding the Annual Communication in October. They have sent the proposed Legislation. It will be in a binder on the table in the hallway 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 Dave Murray for being the 2024 Hiram Awardee and to Worshipful Ken Bychak for being the 2024 Mason of the Year Awardee. Two very deserving brothers!
I am starting to prepare the Dues Notices for 2025. 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.
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 16 Brothers that are in arrears for the 2024 dues. Remember, you have an obligation to pay your dues. If you have not made your payment, you are overdue. The dues for 2024 are $126.00. Per our By-Laws, the calculation is $60.00 + per capita rounded up to the nearest dollar. Per capita is $65.25 this year, which gives us our total of $126.00
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 2024 only, and owe for 2023, I cannot send you your 2024 dues card. You are still in arrears and will need to bring your dues up to date first.
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