The 2022 class of Master Masons grew by one more in October. Congratulations to Brother Kevin Hall on being raised to the Sublime Degree of Master Mason. His hard work paid off and - for 2022 - we have three newly raised Brothers, who may make fine Officers someday (wink wink).
Special thanks also go out to Worshipful James Wise of General Douglas MacArthur Lodge No. 853 for serving as Senior Warden during Brother Hall's degree. His dedication to the Craft has caused him to help in several other lodges, but, on October 13, he chose us. Thank you, pare!
History was again made for our Lodge on October 27. I originally thought it had been over a decade but was later informed it had been more than two decades since Washington Lodge No. 20 held a Table Lodge.
It was a great night of camaraderie, libations, and dinner to celebrate our very own Worshipful Joseph Dongo, PM's installation as a Grand Lodge Officer. It was also a night of learning as we learned how to do toasts from our Direction of Celebrations, Brother Creston Whiting-Casey III. Thank you, Brother Creston, for all the research and planning you did before the event and for keeping up with everyone during the event. Seven toasts quickly grew to over 10.
Our Cordon Bleu Crew, led by our very own Brother Bob Taylor, made us a great multi-course meal. I cannot thank enough Brother Wally Clark and his wife Carolyn for helping prepare, and Brother "Smokey" Stover for helping in the kitchen that night. The food was excellent as always!
November will be a relatively quiet month as has been in the past.
Ladies' Night will, unfortunately, be postponed until early December. We have our Annual Elections of Officers coming up during the Stated Meeting on Thursday, November 3. Officers School of Instruction (OSI) on November 16 will be covering Installation protocols.
Being the month of thanks, this is where I want to show my gratitude for the people who helped me during my year in the East.
Thank you to my wife, Fahm, who supported me in my decision to work in the East this year. When I was in the Lodge, she was taking care of our children and keeping our home in order. She helped me set up most of our lodge events and worked behind the scenes to make sure everyone had a fun time. Thank you for your patience, my love.
Thank you to my kids, Kenobi and Kanan, who continually remind me of why I do what I do. I will always remember them staying up in bed (ssshhhhh… I won't tell mom) waiting for me to get home from our late Masonic nights. A few more months, boys, and dad will be able to go to all of your practices and watch those Marvel and Star Wars shows on the night of release!
Thank you to my Brother Officers. Your love and devotion to the craft made this year move quickly. I hope the multiple practices and degrees were just enough and not too much. Thank you to our Brother Secretary, Worshipful Francisco Marques, PM, for his work this year. Literally, nothing could have happened this year without you. For every event, practice, degree, etc., there was Worshipful working in the background figuring out the logistics. Most of what I did in my capacity in the East was because of his continual reminders.
I also want to spotlight our Senior Steward (Senior Deacon-to-be), Brother Bill Workman, for maintaining the logistics for this year. Even with a major job change, you still made sure the Brothers never went without.
And finally, thank you to you, Brothers of Washington Lodge No. 20. This year had its difficulties, but your enthusiasm and participation made it worth it. Whenever I felt down, being around all of you made me feel better. There is something about our Brotherhood that can instantly alleviate any bad mood someone can be in. This year will be memorable for me and I hope all of you can say the same.
Dear Reader, in lieu of my usual musings, this month I thought I would include a couple of excerpts from a text that I would heartily recommend to all Master Masons.
With our Lodge raising three new Master Masons in as many months’ time, I thought this month to be a great opportunity to feature the text, entitled The Meaning of Freemasonry by W.L. Wilmshurst.
Published in 1922, it’s now in public domain and is easy to obtain. Below the author writes about his interpretation of the deeper meaning of a Lodge:
"I cannot too strongly impress upon you, Brethren, the fact that, throughout our rituals and our
lectures, the references made to the Lodge are not to the building in which we meet. That building itself is intended to be but a symbol, a veil of allegory concealing something else.
'Know ye not' says the great initiate St. Paul, 'that ye are the temples of the Most High; and that the Spirit of God dwelleth in you?'
The real Lodge referred to throughout our rituals is our own individual personalities, and if we interpret our doctrine in the light of this fact we shall find that it reveals an entirely new aspect of the purpose of our Craft."
Later on, Wilmhurst discusses the third degree:
"And there is none but insists upon the supreme lesson of self-sacrifice and mystical death to the things of this world so graphically portrayed in our third degree; none but indicates that in that hour of greatest darkness the light of the primal divine spark within us is never wholly extinguished and that by loyalty to that light, by patience and by perseverance, time and circumstances will restore to us the 'genuine secrets,' the ultimate truths and realities of our own nature."
The book is a really fascinating read. One may not necessarily agree with all the conclusions and interpretations to which he arrives, but I personally enjoy considering many points of view on a subject.
This column, being published in November, indicates that Thanksgiving is rapidly approaching. I would like to wish everyone a wonderful Thanksgiving with their family and friends!
Hello Brethren.
We are heading down the backstretch in our Masonic year. November historically brings fall colors, shorter days, lots of food (always a good thing), and celebrations. Our Annual Election of Officers is held in November, which indicates that as members of Washington Lodge No. 20, we carry the charge to vote in elections that will determine the new line of Lodge Officers for the ensuing Masonic Year.
Holiday celebrations include, of course, Thanksgiving, where we give thanks to the Great Architect of the Universe for our bounty. We also set aside Veteran’s Day each November to recognize and thank those who served to preserve and protect our liberty and freedom. More on holidays shortly.
The Real "First Thanksgiving"
We all know the story of the "Pilgrims and Indians" celebrating the "First Thanksgiving." First in the "New World" it may have been, but it was not the first United States Thanksgiving.
Brother George Washington proclaimed that first official Thanksgiving celebration in 1789, when he declared November 26 to be set aside not to be thankful for the nation's bounty but to give thanks for the newly adopted Constitution. Washington also enjoined people to "...unite in most humbly offering our prayers and supplications... beseeching [God] to pardon our national and other transgressions.”
Although celebrated off-and-on, usually unofficially, from that time forward, Thanksgiving did not become a permanent official US holiday until Brother Franklin D. Roosevelt proclaimed it so in 1939.
Milestones
A very Happy Birthday to the 19 brothers who celebrate their birthday in November, and also a very Happy Masonic Birthday to the 19 brothers who were raised to the sublime degree of Master Mason in November. On both counts, November seems to be a busy month.
Of note, our very own Worshipful Treasurer Eric Hixson, who on November 1st gets to hear the celebrated “Happy Birthday" song once again. Happy Birthday, one and all.
The Month of November
November is best known for Thanksgiving and Veterans' Day, but it's packed with an abundance of special days of awareness and observances to celebrate.
Two Christian holidays, All Saints' Day and All Souls' Day, fall in early November, and the Advent calendar begins at the end of the month to countdown until Christmas, as well.
Daylight Saving Time ends on Sunday, November 6th, at 2:00 AM.
Fun Fact: November was the ninth month of the year under the Roman calendar and got its name from the Latin word novem, meaning nine.
THANK YOU, VETERANS
Celebrations
National Mickey Mouse Day
November 18 is National Mickey Mouse Day. Yes, you read it correctly, it is Mickey Mouse Day. Quite significant to many of us who have been Disney aficionados for much of our life, and for those of us who recognize the cultural impact made by Walt Disney and Mickey Mouse
Mickey Mouse first appeared publicly in the short film “Steamboat Willy” on November 18, 1928, the day fans officially recognize as Mickey Mouse’s Birthday. It must be fun to celebrate your birthday when you never age! Mickey reminds us of the magic of childhood — a time when dreams had wings, and our imagination made everything possible.
Mickey Mouse is more than just a character, he’s an iconic figure for the Disney brand. But he almost didn’t exist. Mickey Mouse was only created as a replacement for Walt Disney’s original successful creation, Oswald the Rabbit. Oswald was made by the Disney studio for Charles Mintz, a film producer and distributor through Universal Studios. With so much success from Oswald, Disney asked Mintz to increase the studio’s budget, but instead Mintz demanded Walt take a 20 percent cut. He then reminded Disney that Oswald was owned by Universal and that he had already signed most of Disney’s current employees to his new contract. Disney refused to sign the new contract, finished the final Oswald comic of his contract, and ended his work with Universal.
With just himself and two loyal animators, Ub Iwerks and Les Clark, Disney had to start from scratch. From this experience, he learned to make sure he owned all the rights to characters produced by his company. His inspiration for Mickey came from a tamed mouse at his desk at Laugh-O-Gram Studio in Kansas City, Missouri. The original name for the character was Mortimer Mouse until his wife, Lillian, convinced him to change it, ultimately creating Mickey Mouse.
On May 14, 1928, Mickey appeared in a test screening of the cartoon short “Plane Crazy”, but failed to impress audiences and attract distributors. Walt then produced a second Mickey short called “The Gallopin’ Gaucho”, which also suffered from a lack of distributor interest.
“Steamboat Willy”, first released November 18, 1928 in New York, was co-directed by Walt Disney and Ub Iwerks. Intended as a parody of Buster Keaton’s “Steamboat Bill, Jr.”, it was the third Mickey film produced and the first to find a distributor, serving as Mickey’s debut.
Why We Love Mickey Mouse Day
1. He cheered up the world
Mickey Mouse was born at time when the world most needed a mischievous mouse to lift their spirits—his film debut occurred just 20 days after the stock market crash in 1929, and his endless optimism and good cheer made him an instant favorite of both children and adults. It's only right that we celebrate his birthday!
2. It’s a celebration of imagination
Take a moment to consider the implausibility of a cartoon mouse achieving fame. He’s been a sailor, a musketeer and a mouseketeer, a prince and a pauper, a sorcerer and much more. And it's all due to the imagination of the humans that put him there. Thanks, Walt Disney, for your inspiring vision!
3. The world’s most famous mouse deserves his own day
Oddly enough, there have been a number of famous mice. There’s good old Jerry (from Tom and Jerry), Speedy Gonzales and Geronimo Stilton to name a few. But none can hold a candle to the original mouse with a mission. He's a bona-fide legend, and we have to celebrate that.
Just for Smiles
In case you need some Mickey Mouse material, here are a few:
What kind of car does Mickey Mouse’s wife drive?
Answer: A Minnie van!
Why did Mickey Mouse become an astronaut?
Answer: He wanted to visit Pluto!
Why did Mickey Mouse get hit with a snowball?
Answer: Because Donald ducked.
SMILE!! 😊
SPECIAL ANNOUNCEMENT
Worshipful Richard Wilson, PM, and his wife Kitty, will be installed Worthy Patron and Worthy Matron of Rising Star Chapter No. 36, Order of the Eastern Star, on Saturday, November 19th, at 7:30 PM in the George A. Primrose (Oak Plains Lodge) Masonic Center, 3010 Becerra Way, in Sacramento. (Map)
The ceremony is open to the public and you all are invited along with your family and friends. Light refreshments will follow the ceremony. Please RSVP to Kitty at kitpaws47@gmail.com.
For those of you who are not familiar with the Order of Eastern Star, in the 1800’s there was interest in forming Freemasonry for women, including work done by Empress Josephine, wife of Napolean.
In the United States, Brother Rob Morris, second Poet Laureate of Freemasonry, began Eastern Star around 1850 as a group for both women and men. The term for such a group was then an androgyny, but today we refer to the Order as co-ed. From its inception, a woman has been the chief officer. Like Freemasonry, the Order gives women opportunities to perform ritual and ceremony, do public speaking, and learn organization and administration.
Brother Morris chose a five-pointed star with a pentagon in its center as the emblem of the Order. In that pentagon is an altar with an open Bible on it to signify the Word of God. The hallmarks of the Order are a belief in a Supreme Being and a belief in Life after Death. The points of the pentagon and star line up with each other. The star represents the Star in the East which the three Wise Men followed. The Wise Men can then be seen to represent the Brothers.
Men must be Third Degree Masons before they can join the Order. Women must be related to a Master Mason in order to qualify to join the Order.
Brother Morris chose five Heroines from the Bible to represent the five points of the star:
Adah, Jeptha’s Daughter, (Book of Judges) represents Daughters and her virtue is Fidelity.
Ruth (Book of Ruth) represents Widows; her virtue is Constancy.
Esther (Book of Esther) represents Wives; her virtue is Loyalty to kindred and friends.
Martha was the sister of Lazarus, so she represents Sisters; her virtue is Belief (in life after death).
Electa represents Mothers; her virtue is Love, especially as expressed in Charity.
There are a total of 18 Officers in a Chapter: Worthy Matron and Worthy Patron (presiding officers),
Associate Matron and Associate Patron, two Conductresses, Secretary, Treasurer, Chaplain, Marshal, Organist, five Star Points, and two door guards—Warder and Sentinel.
There are three levels of organization: local, State, and General Grand Chapter, which is international.
Local and State terms of office are one year, but General Grand has three-year terms to allow the chief officers to make official visits to all 50 states plus Chapters in places like Canadian Provinces, Scotland, Italy, etc.
If you want to learn more, join us on November 19th.
Richard and Kitty Wilson
NOVEMBER 2022
BIRTHDAYS
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01 Eric Hixson (Past Master) (Treasurer)
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02 David Stallberg (Fellow Craft)
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04 Jonathon Brown (Entered Apprentice)
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05 Richard Rose (Master Mason)
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06 Tod Barnes (Master Mason)
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08 Richard McCaleb (Master Mason)
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11 John Djubek (Master Mason)
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11 Nicholas Johnston (Master Mason) (Senior Warden)
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15 Joseph Wallach (Master Mason) (Junior Deacon)
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16 Kevin Hall (Master Mason)
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17 Jared Dailey (Master Mason)
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23 James Ramey (Master Mason)
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25 Arthur Henrikson (Master Mason)
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26 Eric Young II (Master Mason)
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27 Josh Pane (Master Mason)
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28 John Day (Entered Apprentice)
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28 Victor Novak (Master Mason)
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28 Tim Tyler (Master Mason)
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28 V. Allen Winter Jr. (Past Master)
MASTER MASON ANNIVERSARIES
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03 Todd Barnes (30 Years)
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10 Gerald Van Wagner Jr. (28 Years)
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10 David Freeman (34 Years) (Grammarian)
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14 Richard Wilson (Past Master) (54 Years)
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15 Denton Carlson (10 Years)
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15 James Clark (43 Years)
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16 Eddie Haskins (23 Years)
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17 Michael Quinn (17 Years)
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17 Craig Spilman (45 Years)
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18 Richard Rose (46 Years)
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19 Luis Montero (Past Master) (10 Years)
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19 Walter Santwer (24 Years)
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20 David Keehner (53 Years)
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23 Stephen Michalski (29 Years)
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28 Sonny Stormes (Past Master) (15 Years)
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29 Wally Clark (56 Years)
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30 John Djubek (46 Years)
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30 Alan Grundel (Past Master) (55 Years)
Washington Lodge No. 20
Mission Statement
To practice and promote a way of life that binds like-minded men in a worldwide
brotherhood that transcends all religious, ethnic, cultural, social and educational differences.
Through Masonic principles and tradition, and by the outward expression of these
through its fellowship and compassion, Washington Lodge No.20 Free & Accepted Masons provides ways in which to serve God, family, country, neighbors, and self in an environment that contributes to the enrichment and betterment of its members, mankind, and its communities.
The Story and Legend of Hiram Abiff:
Foundations of Freemasonry Series
by William Harvey, Manly P. Hall, and Albert G. Mackey
Prominent masonic scholars explore the history, myth, and symbolism behind Freemasonry’s most prominent character; the architect our rituals are quite literally built around.
Hiram Abiff is the dramatized symbol of the human soul-of mine, of yours, of every man. The work he was engaged in is symbolic of the work which you and I are committed to performing in the supervision, organization, and direction of our lives from birth to dissolution.
The enemies that Hiram meets are really symbols of those lusts and passions and failures of the spirit which in ourselves and others make war on our characters and spiritual aspirations.
Presented here are the essays:
The Story of Hiram Abiff by William Harvey,
The Legend of Hiram Abiff by Manly P. Hall and
The Hiramic Legend by Albert G. Mackey.
ABOUT THE AUTHORS
His mother Lodge was Stirling Royal Arch No.76. He was a founding member of Lodge Progress No. 967, Dundee, and was R.W.M of that lodge from 1914 to 1916.
He was a prolific writer of Masonic articles and books - his 'Harvey Manual of Degrees' is frequently used within the Lodges of Forfarshire. He also published a number of small booklets on various Masonic topics. He was at Glamis when H.R.H. The Duke of York (the future King George VI) became an affiliate member of the Lodge of Glamis No. 99. He died on the 5th of July 1936.
He founded the Philosophical Research Society in 1934, a non-profit organization dedicated to the dissemination of useful knowledge in the fields of philosophy, comparative religion, and psychology. In his long career, spanning more than 70 years of dynamic public activity, Mr. Hall delivered over 8000 lectures in the United States and abroad, authored over 150 books and essays, and wrote countless magazine articles.
Many of Mr. Hall's lectures have been transcribed and are available as pamphlets; others were taped live, and the audio recordings are available on CDs as well. He is perhaps best known for his 1928 classic, "The Secret Teachings of All Ages," an encyclopedia of the world's wisdom traditions and symbolic disciplines.
Today, younger generations are re-discovering the works and words of Manly Hall, finding that the material he put forth so many years ago is still relevant and useful today. Mr. Hall's hope for humanity was to learn from the greatest minds of all times so that we may solve current problems - both in society and in the individual - today.
He was a physician, journalist, and educator. He acquired the Greek, Latin, Hebrew, and continental languages almost unaided, and lectured frequently on the intellectual and moral development of the Middle Ages.
Subsequently, he turned his attention exclusively to the investigation of abstruse symbolism, and to cabalistic and Talmudic research.
He served as Grand Lecturer and Grand Secretary of The Grand Lodge of South Carolina, as well as Secretary General of the Supreme Council of the Ancient and Accepted Scottish Rite for the Southern Jurisdiction of the United States.
Mackey moved to Washington, D.C. in 1870. He died in Fortress Monroe, Virginia in 1881.
ISBN-10 : 1631184113
ISBN-13 : 978-1631184116
AS IRON
SHARPENS IRON
SO A FRIEND
SHARPENS A FRIEND
HOW TO PAY
YOUR 2023 DUES
1. ONLINE at Freemason.org
Registration Required:
- Lodge Number: 20
- Your Member ID: (Ask Secretary)
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(Mailed to 1123 J Street 95814)
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CALENDAR OF EVENTS
NOVEMBER
• 01 Executive Committee Meeting Tuesday • 06:00 PM (Zoom)
• 03 Social Hour Thursday • 05:30 PM (Club Room)
• 03 Stated Meeting Dinner Thursday • 06:15 PM (Banquet Room)
• 03 Stated Meeting (Annual Election of Officers) Thursday • 07:30 PM (LR1)
• 10 DARK Thursday
• 16 Officers School of Instruction Wednesday • 07:00 PM (LR3)
• 17 DARK Thursday
• 24 DARK Thursday HAPPY THANKSGIVING!
• 29 Executive Committee Meeting Tuesday • 06:00 PM (Zoom)
DECEMBER (*)
• 01 Social Hour Thursday • 05:30 PM (Club Room)
• 01 Stated Meeting Dinner Thursday • 06:15 PM (Banquet Room)
• 01 Stated Meeting Thursday • 07:30 PM (LR1)
• 08 Officers' Practice or DARK Thursday • 07:00 PM (LR1)
• 15 Officers' Practice or DARK Thursday • 07:00 PM (LR1)
• 18 WLN20 Annual Installation of Officers Sunday • 02:00 PM (LR1)
• 21 Officers School of Instruction Wednesday • 07:00 PM (LR3)
• 22 DARK Thursday
• 29 DARK Thursday
(*) WLN20 Annual Ladies Night (TBA)
Masons of California
Masonic Health Services
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Masonic Homes of California Resources
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Masonic Youth Order Resources Library
California Masonic Foundation Cornerstone Society
Washington Lodge No. 20
2022 Officers
Russell Tomas
Master@WLN20.org
(707) 315-6593
Nicholas Johnston
Senior Warden
Mauro Lara
Junior Warden
Eric Hixson (PM)
Treasurer
Francisco Marques (PM)
Richard Wilson (PM)
Chaplain
Prezell Harris
Assistant Secretary
Matthew Mason
Senior Deacon
Joseph Wallach
Junior Deacon
Creston Whiting-Casey III
Marshal
William Workman
Senior Steward
Michael Contreras
Junior Steward
Martin Buff
Organist
Floyd Tritt
Tiler
Francisco Marques (PM)
Junior Past Master
D. Edward Entrican (PM)
Treasurer Emeritus
Jared Yoshiki (PM)
Officers' Coach
Nicholas Johnston
Head Candidates' Coach
Michael Woo (PM)
Inspector 414th District
