Trestle Board June 2010

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Brethren:

Our 50 th Anniversary wasMay 16, 2010, and severalbrothers made it a verysuccessful event. TheBrothers involved in thepreparation, which beganin the month of January2010, and to whom we owea grateful Thank You areMark Clark, Treasurer; TCDowden, our Historian andprogram event coordinator;Joseph Johnson, PM,decorations; JosephDuPont, SW; MikleBrooks and David Haines;also to a big thank you toLinda Mason, ElaineJohnson and TinaBergamin for all their help.

The visitation of our GrandMaster, Kenneth G. Nageland his wife, Kathy Nagel,was most gratifying to ourLodge. Our Grand Masterheld a meeting with yourOfficers and Inspector todiscuss our past and whatour future thoughts andvision were for our Lodgefor the next Fifty Years. Itwas a good communication

rom the EastBro. Joseph Romero, Worshipful Master

with all who attended themeeting. Instruction aswell as compliments waswell accepted. To thosethat did not attend this

event you missed anopportunity to meet andhear a wonderful leaderand personage of ourMasonic Order andFraternity for this year2010. His were inspiringwords to promote Masonryas a way of Life. May theG.A.O.T.U. continueguiding Grand Master Ken

and Kathy Nagel.Thank Joseph JohnsonPM next time you meetand see him for driving twoWorld War II veterans toLAX, and then bringingthem home two daysfollowing, as requested byGrand Lodge s "GreatestGift Program". Their

names were submitted bythe American Legion.

I want to thank the Lodgefor supporting a student, a16-year old young lady, toattend a one month MusicProgram. Also at our last

Stated Meeting a motionto elect two additionalTrustees was tabled. Weshould have a least fiveso that the Trustees canhave meeting in lateJune.

An application wasreceived by the Lodge fo

the Degrees and we willbe having a First Degreeon June 10, at 7:30pm.A Third Degree will beheld on the 27th, withdinner at 6:30 pm andDegree work at 7:30 pm.

Our Masonic Educationand Information Nightcontinue on every third

Thursday of the month atthe Lodge with dinner,good fellowship and anexploration of basicMasonic principles.

Fraternally, JosephRomero, WM, PM

A newsletter serving the Masonic and affiliated bodies of the high desert

Yucca Valley Lodge #802

Yucca Valley California

June 2010 Trestleboard

Trestleboard - a draftsmans designing board; that on which a Mason draws his designs for his character and spiritual growth;that on which the Worshipful Master lays out his designs for the workmen; a Lodge s newsletter and calendar of events.

Do you want to getthe Trestleboardsooner? Sign up foremail delivery andyoull get it beforethe 1 st ! Send anemail to the editorto sign up.

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Were not part of theNational Sojourners, but we can look closely at what they do. Outreach isthe start, brotherly love, afestive board, and Masonic principles are therest.

In my efforts to do backgroundresearch on MasonicEnlightenment, I recently read aterrific short story by BrotherRudyard Kipling. The storywas titled, In the Interests of the

Brethren . The story related howKipling happened on anunauthorized Lodge of Instruction in London duringWWI.

The Lodge in the story, Faithand Works No. 5837 wasentirely focused on the needs of

sojourners from all across theBritish Empire, away from theirhomes, their families, and homeLodges. It was all about thesojourners finding brothers. Hewrote of the deep need of brother Masons of that day toexperience the beauty of theritual work, the differences inthe ritual, and the sheer joy theyfelt as they shared theexperience.

I was deeply moved by the storyand it brought to mind thediscussion we had with Ken

The Editors Corner Bro. T.C. Dowden CDR, SC, USN (ret) 32

June is here, another month slipsinto the history. Our 50thAnniversary celebration was anevent to be remembered, the

Grand Master of CaliforniaMasons, Most WorshipfulKenneth G. Nagel came notonly to perform the ceremoniesfor this event but spent a fewhours enjoying fellowship withmembers and friends of thelodge, both before and after theformalities of the occasion.Many thanks to everyone who

Nagel, the CA Grand Master,regarding how we as a Lodgeshould be supporting thesojourners at the Marine Corpsbase. He asked us what wewere doing to invite Masonscoming to the base to join usfor fellowship.

In Kiplings story, the Lodgeof Instruction offered whatreturning warriors needed;camaraderie, support, food,faith, and Masonic instruction.That Lodge of Instruction was

open three nights and twoafternoons a week. Throughword of mouth, the Lodge wasalways full. They met a needthat the Grand Lodge did not,a place for any brother to meet.In so doing, they demonstratedbrotherly love and relief withritual training and a festiveboard.

We have an opportunity withour Lodge to provide some of

the same; all we have to do ismake sure that those Marinesand sailors know that we are

here and that we are awelcoming Lodge. Theyhave choices, they can visitus, they can visit with theOasis of Mara, or they canpass entirely.

It leads us to consider, whatdo we have to offer these

brothers? The answer is, ocourse, ourselves. We have great group of men here,interested Masons who

welcome new members andvisitors. Even more, we havmen who are invested in thetenets of Masonry.

The military Lodge system igone, although it lives on inpart through the NationalSojourners. Were not parthe National Sojourners, butwe can do what they do on alocal level. Outreach is thestart, brotherly love, a festivboard, and Masonicprinciples are the rest.

participated in this celebration,particularly those who performedthe labors necessary to make itall come together.

Last month I attended the SeniorWardens retreat weekend,anyone that believes that the

word retreat means 'a relaxingget away' would be mistaken,classes began Friday evening assoon as we arrived and continuedthru Sunday, with the singlefocus of preparing the SeniorWardens for the following year.

Somewhere I developed thenotion that always learning

rom the WestBro. Joseph DuPont, Sr. Warden

something new is part of growing, and the more you growthe more you realize there ismuch more to learn. Sometimeswe learn in formal settings suchas the retreat I attended, butmore often we happen acrossopportunities in less formalsettings. Sitting with friendsseems to me one of the bestplaces to learn and developideas, none of us have exactlythe same experience in our livesso everyone has somethingunique to contribute as long aswe are receptive to new ordifferent ideas.

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Establishment of YuccaValley Lodge #802

F&AMPrior to WWII, Yucca Valley wasprimarily ranchland and somehomesteads. It was popular withpeople suffering from lung ailmentsand arthritis, but there was notenough here economically to reallygrow a city. Residents looking for

work generally went down the hill.After World War II, however, theeconomy of Yucca Valley boomed.People began looking for retirementor vacation homes away from thesmog and problems of cities.Because water was more easilyavailable in Morongo Valley and 29Palms, those areas grew first. Thereal trigger was the Marine CorpsBase replacing the Navy Glider Baseand both Twentynine Palms andYucca Valley blossomed.

Freemasonry experienced a similargrowth surge following WWII aswell, which ultimately led to theformation of our Lodge. Veteranswere looking for the comradiery of fraternal organizations and foundMasonry. Veterans, retirees,escapees from the cities and activeduty servicemen who were alreadybrother Masons in the local area

found each other.On March 10, 1956, a group of Masons got together to form anunofficial Masonic Club, dubbed theDesert Sojourners Club. The firstmeeting of the club was on April 13,1956. The club met originally at theCommunity Hall in Joshua Tree, CA,

but they knew they needed their ownLodge building.

So, on January 11, 1957, a buildingcommittee was formed to find anappropriate site in Yucca Valley for aMasonic Temple, which became theDesert Sojourners Club, Inc. Thatsite was found, and is the currentLodge grounds.

In April 1958, the lot was cleared forpreparation of the Temple, plans weredrawn up, permits were granted, andground was broken on July 18 th forthe foundation. While constructingthe Temple, the Yucca ValleyMasonic Club was officially formedin June 1959.

The construction of the Temple wasdonated with over 3000 hours of donated man hours, it being deemedthe Sojourners Building. Thebuilding was completed on January 9,1960. Afterward, the Club requestedpermission of the Grand Lodge tobecome a Lodge.

The Grand Master of California, theHonorable Joe L. Shell, grantedpermission to the Yucca ValleyMasonic Club to form a Lodge inMay, 1960, becoming Yucca ValleyLodge U. D. (Under Dispensation)instituted June 11, 1960.

The initial membership of the Lodgewas 47 Charter Members. The firstMaster of the U.D. Lodge wasClarence E. Miller, who turned overthe Masters position to Louis L.Cunningham after a few months.

Disaster stuck when a fire nearlydestroyed the Sojourners Building onApril 5, 1961, gutting the building

and causing over $25,000 damage.In todays dollars, that would be$177,321.00! Insurance covered theloss and rebuilding began in earnest.The Lodge was granted its charter inOctober 11, 1961 to form a Lodgefrom the Yucca Valley MasonicLodge U.D. to become YuccaValley Masonic Lodge #802 F&AM(Free and Accepted Masons)

On February 26, 1963 the YuccaValley Masonic Lodge Temple

Association accepted the ownershipof the Sojourners Building as theTemple for the Lodge.

Of particular note, on March 2,1968, Masons from the Lodge laidthe cornerstone for the YuccaValley High School, which wasattended by 22 California GrandLodge Officers. This began the YVLodges long association withpublic schools.

On May 16 th, 1974, a ceremonial burning of the Temples mortgagewas held, which was attended byover 100 people and celebrating 14years of efforts and payments.

The Lodge has been in continuousoperation ever since, waxing andwaning with the times, having acurrent membership of about 86members.

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Worshipful Masters of Yucca ValleyLodge #802

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Photos of the Celebration

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Famous Mason : Joseph Rudyard Kipling: Poet, Author, Freemason He was born in Bombay, India,December 30, 1865 and calledfrom labor on January 18, 1936.

Celebrated author and poet, hisliterary career began withDepartmental Ditties (1886), butsubsequently he became chieflyknown as a writer of short stories.A prolific writer, he achieved famequickly. Kipling was the poet of the British Empire and its yeoman,the common soldier, whom heglorified in many of his works, inparticular Plain Tales from the

Hills (1888) and Soldiers Three (1888), collections of short storieswith roughly and affectionatelydrawn soldier portraits. His

Barrack Room Ballads (1892)were written for, as much as about,the common soldier. In 1894appeared his Jungle Book , whichbecame a children's classic all overthe world. Kim (1901), the storyof Kimball O'Hara and hisadventures in the Himalayas, isperhaps his most felicitous work.Other works include The Second

Jungle Book (1895), The SevenSeas (1896), Captains Courageous (1897), The Day's Work (1898),Stalky and Co. (1899), Just So

Stories (1902), Trafficks and Discoveries (1904), Puck of Pook's Hill (1906), A ctions and

Reactions (1909), Debits and Credits (1926), Thy Servant a

Dog (1930), and Limits and Renewals (1932). His collectedpoems appeared in 1933.

His writings frequently giveMasonic allusions peculiarlysignificant to the Craft. The storyof The Man Who Would be King is a good specimen of the kind inquestion. His poems, the MotherLodge, the Palace, and L'EnvoitoLife's Handicap are splendidlytypical. He was made anhonorary member of CanongateKilwinning Lodge at Edinburgh,a Masonic distinction of which hevery properly has been not a littleproud. The English MasonicIllustrated (London, July 1901+volume 1, number 10) saysBrother Kipling was initiated inFreemasonry at the age of twentyand a half, by specialdispensation obtained for thepurpose, in the Hope andPerseverance Lodge, No. 782, atLahore. In 1888, he joined theIndependence and Philanthropy

B2B Brother to Brother Section

Lodge, No. 391, meeting atAllahabad, Bengal. In the issueof the London Times quoted inthe Freemason, March 28, 1925there is an interesting statementfrom Brother Kipling regardinghis active service in his ownLodge in Lahore, Punjab, EastIndies.

This is what he writes: "I wasSecretary for some years of theLodge of Hope andPerseverance, No. 782, E.C.,Lahore, English Constitution,which included Brethren of atleast four creeds. I was enteredby a member from BrahmoSomaj, a Hindu, passed by aMohammedan, and raised by anEnglishman. Our Tyler was anIndian Jew. We met, of courseon the level, and the onlydifference anyone would noticewas that at our banquets some othe Brethren, who were debarreby caste rules from eating foodnot ceremonially prepared, satover empty plates."

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Yucca Valley Masonic Center

June 2010Sunday Monday Tuesday Wednesday Thursday Friday SaturdayGemini Cancer

1 Hall Association Building BoardMtg. 6 PM

2 3Stated Mtg 6 PMDinner 6:30Open Mtg 7:30

4 5Breakfast8-10 AMYucca Valley

Galaxy Club 11 AM

6 7Oasis of Mara

Stated Meeting29 Palms

8 9Daughters of the

Nile 11:00 PMYucca Valley

10 First Degree

7:30 PM

11 12Breakfast

8-10 AMOasis of Mara

13 14 Eastern Star 6 PMYucca Valley

Flag Day

15 16 17MasonicEducationWorking GroupDinner 6:30 PM

18Shrine Club11:00 AMYucca ValleySizzler

19 Officers School ofInstruction

20Fathers Day 21Input due for theTrestleboard!

22 23Scottish Rite inPalm Springs

24St. Johns Day Dinner 6:30Third Degree 7:30

25 26

27 28Eastern Star 6 PMYucca Valley

29 30 1 2 3

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Special thanks for excellent service and color prints to:

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http://www.facebook.com/?ref=home#/pages/Yucca-Valley-CA/Yucca-Valley-Masonic-Lodge-802/387646035017?ref=sgm

Yucca Valley Masonic LodgePO Box 686

Yucca Valley, CA 92284

PHONE:(760) 820-4499

FAX:(760) 820-4499

E-MAIL:

[email protected]

Trestleboard Editor:T. C. Dowden 418-5236

[email protected]

Were on the Web! See us at:

www.masons802.org

YUCCA VALLEYMASONIC LODGEPO Box 686

Yucca Valle , CA 92284

Grand Master of the State of California Most Worshipful Kenneth G. Nagel

Worshipful Master Joe Romero, P.M. 228-2515Senior Warden Joseph DuPont 367-4373

Junior Warden Vacant

Treasurer Mark Clark 367-7246

Secretary Oscar Rodriguez 449-0147

Chaplain David Glenn 660-5736

Senior Deacon Joseph Johnson PM 365-5764

Junior Deacon Joseph Pennington 362-2785

Marshal Wayne J. Stuart 364-4586

Senior. Steward James N. Henley 366-2527

Junior Steward Brian L. Slack 365-6245Tyler Vacant

Officer s Coach Vacant

Inspector 830th Masonic Dist Mert Gayler

Telephone ChairAdriana C. (Tina) Bergamin 365-5523

Lod e Officers 2010

USPSIdentification Statement Trestleboard - Published monthly by

Yucca Valley Lodge #802 F&AMPO Box 686, Yucca Valley CA 92284

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