November 2023 Trestleboard

Congratulations to Worshipful Lynn Wallingford and the other elected and appointed officers for the 2024 Masonic Year!

We will be participating with the Masonic Service Bureau in collecting used clothing and shoes for the Midnight Mission. Please bring your used items to our December Stated Meeting.

If you have not done so yet, please RSVP for our upcoming Table Lodge event and Masonic Family Holiday Party. We will be drawing names from a hat at our December Stated Meeting for a gift exchange and having a White Elephant gift exchange at the holiday party.

Let's wrap up the year with fun, good times together, good health, and an eye towards the future.

When I visited Grand Lodge this past weekend for the installation of the Grand Lodge officers, I was asked this question by some Brothers I was speaking with from other visiting lodges around California. One asked, "How old is your Grandmother?"

At first, I thought it was an odd question to ask someone you just met. I guess from the look on my face, the first Brother went on to explain that the "Mother" in the question referred to my Lodge, and the age refers to my lodge number. He explained the customary answer would be something like, "She is 807 and lives in Thousand Oaks" (or "California" if you are from out of state). So, if a Brother takes the time to look it up, he would discover that I am from Conejo Valley Lodge #807 in Thousand Oaks, CA.

After doing a little research to find the origin of the question, I discovered it came from a time when Masons were generally viewed unfavorably by the community at large. Thankfully, that is no longer the case, and it has just become a fun way to interact with a fellow traveler of the craft.

If you could create an image of what California Freemasonry looks like to you today, what might that look like? What types of symbols or meanings would that include?