Two perspectives on DeMolay, Masonry, and Life
By Cécile Revaugér
DeMolay provides early exposure to positive values and life skills. Masonry is its natural continuation, giving young men an opportunity to put into practice the values they have learned. Two Senior DeMolays and current Masons exemplify the teachings that both organizations impart.
GLENN WOODY RYAN TONDARES
80 years old 25 years old
DeMolay since 1952 DeMolay since 2008
58 years as a Mason Four years as a Mason
How old were you when you became a DeMolay and what chapter did you join?
Glenn: “I was 14 years old, and at the time, that was earliest age you could sign up. I belonged to the E.Y. Lee Chapter in Lubbock, Texas. ”
Ryan: “I was 12 years old. My uncle’s sons were in DeMolay, as were two of my best friends. I belonged to the Walt Disney Chapter in Anaheim, California.”
Did you serve in any leadership positions?
Glenn: “Did you serve in any leadership positions? I took to DeMolay like a duck to water. I was active until I was 21 years old. I served as master councilor of my chapter and was then elected to area master councilor, then state master councilor. I was a member of the DeMolay International Supreme Council for a number of years. ”
Ryan: “I served in high school as chapter master councilor. My first year of college, I was the illustrious knight commander of Saint Bernard Priory, where I assisted the Southern California jurisdiction of DeMolay.”
What did you learn in DeMolay?
Glenn: “It was rewarding to learn about leadership, organization, planning skills, and mentorship. I gained great experience that enhanced my public speaking skills for the rest of my life. I believe most of the doors of opportunity that opened for me were a result of things I was exposed to early on in DeMolay.”
Ryan: “My DeMolay events were funded by our jurisdiction or chapter, so we all worked together to pay for our events. I learned planning, budgeting, finance, and preparation. I also learned a lot about leadership and responsibility, and it gave me little steps toward maturity. It was rewarding to gain the skills for becoming an adult. I always wanted to be a businessman, and those precepts instilled values to remain polite, and not do things that would tarnish my reputation.”
How important are your DeMolay and Masonic friendships?
Glenn: “In my 40s, I was sitting on a balcony in a beautiful hotel in Hawaii and I began to think about my life. I wrote down the names of the people who had been instrumental. It was my mother, my father, who became a Mason during the time I was in DeMolay, and five other men who were mentors and advisors to me early in DeMolay. The point is that, except for my mother, they were all Masons. DeMolay and Masonry created lifelong friendships.”
Ryan: “Masonry follows DeMolay, especially with brotherhood and the degrees. My brother and my dad were a part of my degrees. The lodge feels like a family. The events that we do are fun, but we also give back to the community. I’ve learned that giving back is spiritually rewarding.”
If you could tell other men one thing about DeMolay and Masonry, what would it be?
Glenn: “It is the leading place to be exposed to positive values and be given the opportunity to practice them and develop them in your own life. Some people reach an age at which they wonder if they’ve made a difference. Advisors for the Masonic youth groups, DeMolay, Jobs Daughters and Rainbow for Girls don’t ever have to ask that question.”
Ryan: “Honestly, it’s a group that pushes you and reminds you to do good and be a better person by following lessons learned in the degrees and in the rights of joining Masonry and DeMolay. Young men grow through DeMolay to do good and be better young men.”
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.
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.
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.
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.