Saddleback Laguna Lodge
No. 672 F. & A. M.
Kindling the Fire
Russ Hennings
Worshipful Master
May Recap and New Things
Jason Petz
Senior Warden
The nth Degree
Kenneth Bennett
Junior Warden
“To strive, to seek, to find, and not to yield.”
--Ulysses by Alfred, Lord Tennyson
Master’s Trestleboard
June 2015
Grand Master of Masons of California MW Russell E. Charvonia
CongratulationstoournewestMasterMasonRyanGreninger,raisedonPastMastersnight!
Message from the East
relationships we gain from old to
young alike are so rare in our society
today.
Kindling the Fire
Halfway through the year now and
the Lodge is well! The passion I see
in the eyes of our candidates is
contagious. Their drive and quest
for knowledge fuels the lodge and
paints a picture of a bright future! I
am, however, missing some of the
Brothers I used to see every
Thursday. It makes me think hard
as to why it is I don’t hear from
them even when I reach out to
them? So many questions enter my
mind and I have to contemplate, as
our Master, why. Is Masonry
inconvenient? Are they too busy?
Have we not given them what they
seek? WHY?
I know membership retention is
always on the minds of the leaders
of our fraternity, but why is it such
an issue? I know from my
experiences that Freemasonry
provides a great structure that
improves our lives. I have felt this
personally in the decisions I have
made from the lessons the craft has
taught me. The deep philosophies
provided in each of the degrees can
leave the scholar with a lifetime of
reflection and learning. The
Hi
I was reflecting on this point at Lo
Twelve the other evening. We were
all sitting around our usual table at
BJ’s Pizza. I looked down the table
to see beaming smiles and pure
elation. These smiles were so unique
because they were on men 40 years
apart. The dynamic Freemasonry
provides with brotherly love is a very
powerful idea. We create friendships
between people that would not, in a
normal situation, even considered
sitting at the same table together.
The fact is we are comfortable with
making friends of our own age and
of our own desires. Masonry breaks
that down and causes true
friendships to develop between men
who would otherwise have never
considered each other to be friends.
We supply all that and much more,
yet we can’t seem to maintain a full
participation in the lodge. Currently,
we have about 20% of our
membership attend lodge regularly.
This is 10% greater than the average
lodges of our jurisdiction, which is
good, but is it what we want? We
currently have 222 members in our
lodge. Most live here in Orange
County. Is it possible we can raise
the number from 20% to 40%? We
can but it takes those who read this
to do something about it.
Master’s Note
made you ask. Please reach out to me,
tell me why you love our craft. Tell me
what it is that we can do better. Tell
me how the lodge can bring
Freemasonry to the forefront of our
community.
When you see the fire inside of our
candidates, you see the light of
Freemasonry. How do we kindle that
fire in all 222 of our members? These
are hard questions to answer. They
are questions; even the most
enlightened members of our craft seek
the answers to. I believe we can find
those answers if we learn to discuss
these things together. If we speak up
about what it is we want to do as a
lodge we might avoid 20% of our
membership only showing up to our
meetings. Our goal should be to
improve this. After all, we knocked for
a reason. We pay our dues for a
reason. We should be active in our
Lodge. Please reflect and let’s work on
making an impact on all of our
members.
Upon the square,
Russ Hennings
Worshipful Master
Currently, about 63 of our members
read the Trestleboard. Can all of us
agree to bring another Brother to the
Lodge each week? Can we reach out
to see how they are doing? I know it
is possible. Will you do something?
We need you. We need you all to
remember why you knocked on the
door. Remember what it was that
gh
June2015
SaddlebackLagunaLodgeNo672F.&A.M.
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Message from the West
SeniorWarden’sNote
put their best foot forward. I
know for some of us it is more
difficult than it may appear in
Lodge. Congratulations to Brother
Michael Ballou on becoming a
Fellowcraft!
As always, Past Masters Night was
enjoyable for all. The Past
Masters really looked like they
were enjoying themselves, and I
know Brother Ryan Greninger
appreciated being raised during
this once-a-year event. Thanks to
all of our Past Masters for dusting
off their degree work; it was great
to see everyone perform again.
May Recap and New Things
Well, May was a bit of slow
month in terms of number of
degrees we had but they were
well-attended and the degree
work continues to impress. It's
been a while since we had a
second degree and Brother Tom
Gruenbeck's staircase lecture
was excellent, as was the charge
giv en b y Broth er G ene
Giordano, which was delivered
from the heart. Thank you to
everyone for taking the time to
Last month, I announced to the
Lodge that we would be bringing
back the 3/5/7 program, making
it a requirement for advancement
in the degrees. I would also like to
invite any Brother who wishes to
make a presentation to the Lodge
to do so. Doing the research for a
short presentation is always very
enlightening and by making a
presentation, you can inspire
someone else to the same.
is just a short description of a
portion of the degree we are
conferring that night. Again, this is
explaining some small piece of the
degree. These small pieces of
information will eventually lead to
a greater understanding of the
degrees for everyone. If you are
interested in contributing to this
part of the degree please let me
know and I will get you on the
schedule. Our goal is to make this
available to everyone and not just
have the officers making the
presentations.
I hope everyone paid tribute to our
armed forces this past Memorial
Day.
On the level,
Jason Petz
Senior Warden
We also started the “moment of
light” segment last month, which
Highlights from The Regional Games at On Target
June2015
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Message from the South
JuniorWarden’sNote
Oddly enough, the nth degree is
at once the most exclusive degree
that may be received in our Craft,
and yet it is highly discoverable,
right under one's nose so to
speak, if we but seek it out. It is
conferred in the most grand of
lodges, but the challenge is that
this particular lodge does not
exist in the material world, and is
not a place in the spatial sense. It
resides in the mind, in the heart,
and in the soul.
The
nth
Degree
Freemasonry
of
Masons are fond of formal
dress, pins, and honorific
titles. They are even fonder of
degrees. Beyond the three
degrees of the Blue Lodge,
there are many degrees to be
had in the appendant and
concordant bodies of
Freemasonry. Numerically at
least, perhaps most famous
among them is the 32nd (or
for the few more deserving,
the 33rd) degree of the
Scottish Rite. As with Blue
Lodge Freemasonry, all of
these degrees are designed to
enlighten and to inculcate in
the novitiate a higher moral,
philosophical, or spiritual
understanding of our
existence. But I wonder how
many Masons have heard of
that
ultimate,
most
mysterious of Masonic
degrees, the nth degree?
While the secrets of the nth
degree can hardly be described in
words, you needn't be alarmed if
I divulge its ceremonies, for they
are quite "monitorial". You begin
by embracing the friendship of
your Brothers, by attending
Lodge, and sharing a meal. You
then participate in the degrees of
your fellow Brothers, no matter
what the role, for even a sideliner
returns the honor once given him
when he was a candidate. Next,
you become a coach and mentor
to candidates, and take time to
know them, teach them, and
learn from them. You engage in
fellowship activities beyond the
Lodge, and you take time to assist
a Brother in need, and to attend
the last rites of a fallen Brother.
All along the way, you observe,
listen, and meditate. You study
widely and deeply, about
Freemasonry in particular, but
also about nature, science, and
the world in general. You reason
with patience and an open mind
through th e problems and
opportunities of the day, keeping
your passions, prejudices, and
interests well circumscribed. You
become a source of harmony and
civility for your family, neighbors,
and community.
Having experienced this ritual, you
realize the greatest mystery of all
about the nth degree. It is in fact a
degree that has no end, not so long
as we live. You see, as long as it is of
our own free will and accord, we
Masons go through the nth degree
every day, from our first initiation
into the Fraternity until that final
moment when we enter the great
Celestial Lodge. And when those
doors open, the Light which we
have sought throughout our
Masonic journey will shine brightly
upon us, and the Great Architect Of
The Universe will congratulate us
on having received the greatest
distinction of all.
By the plumb,
Kenneth Bennett
Junior Warden
Brethren Hard at Work Beautifying the Lodge Dining Room
June2015
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Page4
Masonic Discoveries, Part II
columns represent the philosophic
idea of "as above, so below." Is there
a better description of Masonry,
than a compressed structure to
enable energy transfer from above to
below?
by Brother Matt Harrison
Continuing our theme of using the
four dimensions of esoteric,
scientific, psychological, and social
Masonic analysis, we turn our
attention in this month's column to
three more major symbolic
concepts and interpretations that
may help Brothers more enjoyably
experience their journey through
the Craft.
Pillars and Columns: The
Connection from Above to
Below
Scientific/Esoteric: Columns are
everywhere in our Lodge building
and in references throughout
ritual, and their scientific
functionality can help us better
understand their deep meaning.
The architectural function of
columns is to compress and
transmit the weight of the
structure above to other structural
elements below. In other words,
even the physical function of the
Scientific/Social: As explained by
the Roman historian Vitruvius,
columns originally arose as crude
wood structures to used to protect
buildings from the elements.
Notably, columns are also present at
Gobekli Tepe, the single oldest
spiritual structure known to
mankind. As such, they are a
continual reminder of how with
scientific knowledge, mankind can
utilize the natural world to protect
himself from the vicissitudes of the
seasons.
Living Stones: A Lasting
Monument for the Benefit of
Mankind
Social/Psychological: As noted in
our public descriptions, Freemasons
are "speculative" and not "operative"
Masons. That is, we work not in
stone, but rather in our thoughts,
spirit and actions to build that H not
M with H, E in the H. This
perspective can give us additional
insight as we evaluate our thoughts
and actions in the context of their
value to future generations. If
everything we did was set in stone as
a permanent monument to our
contributions, would we be
satisfied? Would we be making the
world a better place? These are the
questions that we must continually
ask ourselves to improve our
Orator’s Note
thoughts, actions and contributions,
based on this perspective.
Esoteric: Masons should appreciate
the deep symbolism of Matthew 21:42,
"The stone which the builders
rejected, the same is become the head
of the corner: this is the Lord's doing,
and it is marvelous in our eyes." While
theologians have published a number
of diverse interpretations of this
passage over the years, one uniquely
Masonic perspective is the idea that
innovation is the solution to social
rejection. A cornerstone has a unique
symbolic and structural function,
while a typical builder's stone is
common and fungible. Thus, we are
taught that the inability to conform to
others' guidelines can often be an
opportunity to create or build a new
edifice of lasting value, and that this
innovative creative process is favored
by the GAOTU.
The Builder's Instructions:
Following Your Guide
Esoteric/Psychological/Social: All of
the great esoteric spiritual traditions
are unified in identifying a certain
divine spark within mankind, a sort of
inspirational channel by which human
action can carry out the plan of the
GAOTU. All of these traditions use the
Holy Writings and other canonical
texts as preparatory guidelines in
order to experience this insight. In
ritual, this is referenced by the G you
followed without fear after first
declaring your belief, the seven LA
and S, and the D written on the T by
our GMHA.
Highlights from the Installation of Officers
June2015
SaddlebackLagunaLodgeNo672F.&A.M.
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Coaching Corner
Itineris Ad Lucem JuniorWarden’sNote
Did you feel the same way? This
would be a daunting task, I
thought, clearly beyond the
immediately possible. Then I met
my coach and, with the
reassurance of someone who has
gone this way before, he
reinforced that I would be
surprised at how I would be able
to learn the same.
by Brother Gene V. Giordano
As a newly obligated Mason, I
found myself amazed at how my
new Brothers could have
memorized the ritual I had just
experienced. Surely, these were
men who had a special gift, but
then I heard the Master share
that it would be necessary for me
to learn a portion of this as well.
My immediate reaction was,
“Wait, you want me to learn
this?!!"
In that same spirit, on Saturday,
May 9th, Brother James Cates
shared some of his practical
lessons for learning our oral
ritual. Joined by 11 Brothers of
our Lodge, our focus was on
supporting Entered Apprentices
and coaches in how they each can
become more proficient in
memorization. While we covered
the importance of symbols and
allegories in our ritual, the
majority of our time was spent on
different memorization
techniques. Several of the coaches
expressed their own personal
learning methodologies and
sh ar ed how v isualizatio n,
repetition, meter, and seeking the
counsel of your coach are all
important paths on the learning
journey.
Brother James again highlighted
that our degrees are so much more
than just words. He noted
"nothing is random", but rather,
that each word is a key of meaning
and many, as we have learned,
possess more than one key. Being
a coach has been one of the more
rewarding parts of my Masonic
journey. It is far more than just
assisting a Brother in memorizing
our ritual to progress upward in
degrees. It is an opportunity to
share a Brother's journey and
learn together. For Masonry is a
never ending journey; a journey
where neither the coach nor the
candidate has all the answers, but
a journey walked together in
brotherhood.
Good Citizen certificates presented to local students!
June2015
SaddlebackLagunaLodgeNo672F.&A.M.
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Second Annual FestiveBoard
June2015
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Education Night
June2015
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Page8
June 2015Calendar
Day
Date
Time
Event
Locaon
Thursday
4
7:30 p.m.
Stated Meeng
Dinner @ 6:00 p.m., Meeng @ 7:30 p.m.
Masonic Center
Saturday
6
9:00 a.m.
Prepare food for Tusn Street Fair
Bro. Gruenbeck’s house
Sunday
7
9:00 a.m.
Tusn Street Fair
Starts @ 9:00 a.m., Ends @ 4:00 p.m.
Tusn, CA
Thursday
11
7:00 p.m.
Degree Meeng
Dinner @ 6:00 p.m., Meeng @ 7:00 p.m.
Masonic Center
Thursday
18
6:00 p.m.
Second Annual Fesve Board and Table Lodge
Dinner @ 6:00 p.m.
Masonic Center
Thursday
25
7:00 p.m.
Educaon Night: “The Pythagorean Roots of Freemasonry”
Dinner @ 6:00 p.m., Presentaon @ 7:00 p.m.
Masonic Center
PleasecontacttheTrestleboardEditor,BrotherJohnJ.Grace,ifyouhaveanyquestionsorwouldliketo
beaddedtothedistributionlist.Sende-mailtotrestleboard@saddlebacklaguna672.org
E-Trestleboard
In an effort to operate in a sustainable fashion, increase cost effectiveness, and deliver information as quickly as possible, our
Trestleboard is delivered by e-mail and posted online. Any member of the Lodge who would like to receive a printed copy should contact
our Secretary by e-mail at [email protected]; by U.S. mail sent to Secretary, Saddleback Laguna Lodge No. 672, P.O.
Box 761, Lake Forest, CA 92630; or by phone at 949-246-1596. A copy will be sent by first-class mail.
PastMasters(LivingMembers)
DonaldG.McMyne LeonardL.Todd,Sr.
GeraldE.Heaton
GeorgeH.Claude LyleJ.Robertson
GrahamWilcox
FrederickH.Baribeault
JamesC.Webb
RonaldG.Shores
RobertNick
GeorgeW.Morton StevenJ.Frogue
1976
1981
1984
1985
1987
1990
1991
1992
1993
1994
1995
1996
RonaldG.Shores
JamesT.Brown
JamesT.Brown
FrederickH.Baribeault
JosephH.StoutIII GaryL.Peterson
ScottE.Preston
TuocKimPham
JoeJ.Suarez
WilGarcia
ErichKreidler
JeradSchulte
1997
1998
1999
2000
2001
2002
2003
2004
2005
2006
2007-2008
2009
StevenBass
GaryC.Silverman
EricHanan
PeterLofthouse
JackC.Hennings,Jr.
2010
2011
2012
2013
2014
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Inspectorofthe1042ndMasonicDistrict
WorshipfulArthurL.Salazar,Jr.,P.M.
Bro.ThomasGruenbeck
http://easternstar524.org
CharleneNorris(949)364-2854
[email protected]
AngieThomas(949)606-6867
[email protected]
MeetingsEveryThursday
23685BirtcherDrive,LakeForest,CA92630
949.458.5750www.saddlebacklaguna672.org
2015 Officers of the Lodge
Worshipful Master
Russ Hennings
Senior Warden
Jason Petz
Junior Warden
Kenneth Bennett
Treasurer
David Griffiths
Secretary
Bob Feldtz
Chaplain
David Hansch
Senior Deacon
Tom Gruenbeck
Junior Deacon
Gene Giordano
Marshal
John Grace
Senior Steward
Lachlan MacKinnon
Junior Steward
Christopher White
Tiler
Jack Hennings
Matt Harrison
Orator
Highlights from the Installation of Officers
June2015
SaddlebackLagunaLodgeNo672F.&A.M.
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