Freemasonry – Page 12 – Culver City Foshay Lodge № 467

November 15, 2015

A Gift to Those in Need

The program of cooking turkeys has become a tradition for our lodge. We recognize and willingly support the charitable work performed by One Incredible Family (a non-profit charitable organization that brightens the holidays for those in need) by preparing I excess of 1600 meals to be distributed to the shelters of those in need. This act of giving strikes at the very heart of who we are and what we do.

I have a list of brothers and others who have volunteered to use their ovens to prepare turkeys that will be handed over to One Incredible Family the Saturday following Thanksgiving. Our volunteering brothers will pick-up the turkeys on Friday at 10:30 a.m. The turkeys will have been purchased at Costco with donations from the brethren. Those volunteering to prepare turkeys will return them, fully cooked, in the provided, disposable aluminum pans on Saturday at 8 a.m. The disposable aluminum pans will be issued with the purchased turkeys on Friday. All we want is the turkey, and NOT THE JUICE OR GIBBLETS (neck and innards). On the Saturday following Thanksgiving, at 8:00 a.m., at our temple, we will load them in my truck and take them to Southern California Lodge where an army of mostly college and university volunteers will be working in an assembly line fashion to fill the boxes with all the trimmings of Thanksgiving, including the turkeys that we have furnished. They will receive all the trimmings from contributing companies but the one thing they need most are the turkeys.

Now, we need donations to buy the turkeys. If you want to participate but can’t cook a turkey then please make a donation so we can purchase one for someone else to cook. It stands to reason that we need enough cooks to match the number of turkeys purchased. We are looking for one cook per turkey, although a volunteer may cook more than one, if he or she has the ovens available. It takes about $20 to buy one turkey. Last year we provided over 32 to this fine program. We are hoping to equal or exceed that record this year.

If you wish to volunteer (either to purchase or cook a turkey) please contact Clarence Kussner by email, at clarencekussner@gmail.com or by phone at 310-398-7683. We would be proud to have you on board.

Fraternally,
Clarence Kussner,
Secretary
#ClarenceKussner #Secretary

November 5, 2015November 24, 2015

From The Inspector

From The Inspector by Justin J. Daza-Ritchie. P.M.,Inspector, 709th Masonic District

Dear Brethren,
This summer the Inspectors from across Southern California met to discuss the upcoming Masonic year, and the several priorities Masons have identified at town hall meetings held across the state. There was response from thousands of brothers, and four fraternal priorities were decided; Meaningful Degrees, Rewarding Member Experience, Strong Lodges and Halls, and Our Impact on Society.
For my purpose in this article I focus on meaningful degrees. The several Lodges in the district do a fine job in conferring the 3 degrees of Masonry. This is obviously important, as 81% of the brothers surveyed said that Degree conferrals are the most meaningful and interesting activity in a Lodge, and we owe our side liners and candidates meaningful work.
I fear not that we will be able to continue the fine job done by our Lodges in the 709th District. Part of this confidence comes from the fact that a new Officer’s Coach training program has been created, which will be rolled out following annual communication. I am not yet familiar with the details, but it should have the effect of keeping our Officer’s Coaches sharp, and can be used to identify new Coaches as other opportunities present themselves.
Many brethren have heard of a Ritual Floorwork Manual jealously guarded by Inspectors. Well, in 2016 the OC’s will be able to access them online as well, and will have better access to materials to tune up our Lodges already well performed ritual.
The Ritual Competitions will not cease. In the coming year there will be two types of competition; individual and team. This year Culver City-Foshay Lodge competed in the 2nd section of the 3rd Degree, and did quite well. The purpose behind these competitions is not winning, but creating a win for candidates by getting Lodges to practice regularly and attain greater technical proficiency in the working of our Degrees.
We will undoubtedly learn more at our Annual Communication this year. I look forward to visiting with you all at your Lodge.

Fraternally,

Justin J. Daza-Ritchie. P.M.
Inspector, 709th Masonic District

November 5, 2015

XIV World Conference of Regular Masonic Grand Lodges

A Display of National Heritage – XIV World Conference of Regular Masonic Grand Lodges Credit to the Grand Lodge of California

Masonic leaders from throughout the world are preparing to convene at the California Masonic Memorial Temple in San Francisco for the XIV World Conference of Regular Masonic Grand Lodges. Taking place Nov. 18-21, 2015, the conference presents an unprecedented opportunity for California Masons to interact with our global Masonic brotherhood. Register today.

New! “Washington Bible” Display

To help mark the conference’s first return to North America in seven years, the Henry Wilson Coil Library and Museum of Freemasonry has partnered with St. John Lodge No. 1 in New York to display the historic “Washington Bible” during the conference.

Printed in 1765, this historic manuscript was used by George Washington during his inauguration as the first president of the United States. Warren G. Harding, Dwight D. Eisenhower, Jimmy Carter, and George H.W. Bush were also sworn in as U.S. presidents with the same Bible.