In the 2017-2018 fraternal year, 18 lodges made the decision to support the Let’s Write the Future campaign as Pace Setter donors, pledging between $100,000 and $300,000 to the California Masonic Foundation. These unprecedented gifts truly set a new example of philanthropic leadership in our fraternity. Learn why three lodges chose to write a better future for California communities.
We Are Driven to Serve
Nevada Lodge No. 13
We are an older lodge, and many of our members are children of the Great Depression. We are conservative about spending money for any purpose because so many of us remember a time when our lodge was barely able to meet its financial obligations. As recently as the 1970s and 1980s, we were nearly broke. But mixed with that, we are a very generous membership. We want to be fiscally responsible, but we are even more driven to be of use to others. When we came together to discuss making a gift, the overriding theme was that we aren’t here to amass wealth; we are together to help each other and our communities; to take care of our brothers and their wives and children. Our Pace Setter gift was an ideal opportunity to do just that.
Coming together to make our gift has renewed our commitment to actively engaging in service within our own community. We are reaching out to our elderly brethren and widows, actively seeking opportunities to support them better and provide hands-on services. For the first time in several years, we partnered with our local Masonic youth for a service project. The last time we did so, four members attended. This time, there were more than 20. This gift has truly renewed a sense of community within our lodge.
– G. Sean Metroka, 2018 Lodge Master
We Give Our Best
During a Foundation presentation at our lodge, we learned that presently, residents at the Covina Masonic Home might be sent to other facilities to get the care they need, thus separating couples. Our hearts went out to those seniors who would have to endure such a separation, while at the same time, the anxiety of being in a strange place. Together, we decided that it was extremely important for us to support advanced care at the Masonic Homes. The idea that there is a place that any of our brothers can turn to if we are in need makes us proud to be Masons.
Through the process of making our gift, every one of our brothers had the willingness in his heart to help; having a way to show this spirit collectively gave us the capability to participate as a team. It has been the culture of our lodge to help or lend a helping hand. Being a Pace Setter Lodge is something that we cherish. Through the years, we have always supported Masonic charitable causes, because we believe helping others is of utmost importance. Where we are able to extend a helping hand, we try to give our best.
– Ricardo Z. Escalante Jr., 2018 Lodge Master
We Set an Example
When we learned about the campaign’s goals, and that the fraternity needed our lodge to step up, we basically said, “Yes, we’ll figure it out.” In the end, it was an easy decision: We have always seen ourselves as leaders in California Masonry, and philanthropy is no exception. We strive to set an example for other lodges. It wouldn’t do for us not to give.
Raising A Reader is near and dear to our hearts, as many of us have seen how reading has developed our children’s critical thinking skills and thirst for knowledge. As the saying goes, we spend the first seven years of our lives learning to read; the rest reading to learn. We have to foster a love of reading at an early age, so children can succeed at school and grow into productive adults. And, as Masons, we are obligated to care for the men and women who have supported our lodges for the entirety of their adult lives. To do it well, we need the Masonic Homes, and the new advanced care and memory care facilities we’re building. Philanthropy is just what we do. It’s part of our lodge culture.” – W. Jay Sener IV, 2018 Lodge Master
This is a group that loves an excuse to get together. At each stated meeting, the old opera house where the lodge meets is brimming with the three youth orders and allied Masonic groups, not to mention kids and grandkids. “You can see just by looking at the sidelines: Friendship and family are embedded in this lodge,” says Master Mark Allen. “These relationships are what attract brothers to our lodge, and keep them coming back. They’re what’s truly important and essential in Masonry.”
In the 1880s, Frederick Dorn was a San Luis Obispo district attorney, master of King David’s Lodge, and member of the Odd Fellows. He fell in love with Cora Belle Russell, the daughter of a fellow Freemason whose family was known for its wealth and influence. They seemed like a golden couple, andwere married in 1890 by a noted minister, Reverend Russell Weeks Summers of the Protestant Episcopal Church.
“It’s all in the name of Masonry,” says Isagulyan, who is the current lodge secretary. He explains that one of the main reasons for forming this lodge was to bring the fire back to the community, creating sparks of positivity that would effect far-reaching change on a local level, as well as in the world beyond. “We wanted to start creating action to benefit society more,” he says. “We’ve been very passive lately… as a society, and within Masonry.” Fellow members echo Isagulyan’s passion and commitment. They agree that Masonry has made them better men and they hope to see the lodge better their community.
One way that the brothers have been able to see and feel the impact of their work is through their immediate community of friends, family, and local public schools. Raven’s Rock Lodge is predominantly Armenian, which is more a matter of location than intention. Most of its members live in Glendale, a city with one of the largest populations of people of Armenian descent in the United States. The lodge welcomes people of all ethnic, cultural, and religious backgrounds. Its international and local membership includes brothers who maintain memberships in other lodges, as well. Without negating the benefits of such diversity, having so many members living in the same city is a strong suit; it makes it easy for brothers to witness their efforts at the end of the day.
Take an awe-inspiring tour of John Russell Pope’s breathtaking architecture, including the two 17-ton sphinxes that adorn the building’s entrance and the magnificent dome ceiling of the Temple Room, which soars 100 feet above the altar. You’ll also be dazzled by a good amount of Masonic memorabilia in the mini-exhibits throughout the interior.
This impressive Masonic temple was built in 1873 and serves as the meeting place of the Grand Lodge of New York. Among its 15 immaculately restored event spaces are the fresco-embellished Renaissance Room and star-adorned Gothic Room. Its 14th floor houses the Chancellor Robert R. Livingston Library and Museum, which includes more than 60,000 volumes detailing Masonic history, philosophy, and symbolism.
Constructed in 1873, it is filled with intricate ornamentation representing Masonic philosophy, symbolism, values, and history. Its museum counts among its many treasures the Masonic apron worn by United States President George Washington in the 18th century. Take a selfie with the bigger-than-life bronze statues of George Washington and Benjamin Franklin in front of the building.
You can’t miss it – its architecture and interior garden sets it apart from its surroundings. Cool down from the hot sun with a tour of the lovely Alhambra Theater and more.
