Memorial Day celebration and Chico-Leland Stanford Lodge No. 111

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Our lodge with other community groups participated in the memorial day service at the Chico Cemetery. We presented the compass and square wreath. The DeMolay and advisers placed flags on all the veterans and flowers on all memorials in the Masonic area of the Chico Cemetery.

Chico-Paradise Rainbow Initiation

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On Monday night May 16, our local chapter of Rainbow Girls International held a very well attended initiation night for three new young ladies from Chico.  If you have never seen a Rainbow ceremony they are very special and the girls did a wonderful job under the tutelage of mother advisor, Lisa Johnson, and direction of the Grand Worthy Advisor our very own Heidi Johnson.  The York Rite Room was packed with visitors from Marysville, Chico, Paradise, Durham, and all of the Table Mountain Lodge officers.  Thank you Table Mountain for coming out to support the girls.  Thank you Chico-Leland Standford Lodge No. 111 WM Matt Cherrington for capturing some images of the event.

The three new initiates are in the front. This brings five new members to date, exceeding their recruitment target for the year.

The three new initiates are in the front. This brings five new members to date, exceeding their recruitment target for the year.

2016 Masonic Scholarship Winners!

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This years scholarships for local graduating high school seniors were swept by two great female students from Durham High School. We are pleased to announce that Mary Freitas and Heidi Johnson are this years scholarship recipients.  They are shown with Worshipful Master Matt Cherrington.

Congratulations Girls from the members of the Chico-Leland Stanford Lodge No. 111. All the best with your future education.

Book Club: The Golden Thread- The Ageless Wisdom of the Western Mystery Traditions

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There is still plenty of time to purchase the book, read the 150 pages, contemplate its information and meaning to Masonry, and then come join us on the Grana Patio on June 9th at 6:30!!

The next meeting of the Masonic Book Club will be:

  • When: Thursday, June 9th at 6:30pm
  • Where: Grana restaurant patio in downtown Chico

At this meeting, we will be discussing the book The Golden Thread: The Ageless Wisdom of the Western Mystery Traditions by Joscelyn Godwin. 

This book's discussion will be open to brothers of all Masonic degree levels.

From Amazon:

The Golden Thread traces the interconnectedness of esoteric wisdom in the Western world, from classical antiquity to contemporary Europe and America. Joscelyn Godwin lends personal perspective to an arrangement of text that is historical and wisdom that is timeless, creating a source of inspiration that calls us to action in our everyday spiritual practice. Every chapter, therefore, makes reference to some aspect of contemporary life and issues of immediate concern. Elegantly written and not without irony and humor, readers will appreciate the non-threatening tone of Godwin's writing, which is not meant to preach or convert but rather inform the public on an often baffling field. Educated readers who are curious about the esoteric and mystery traditions and interested in finding surprising, new approaches to subjects that veer away from the trends of current thought will be particularly drawn to this book.

WHERE TO GET THE BOOK

You can obtain the book on Amazon in both paper and electronic format at a reasonable price for used copies, some as low as $8.99.  Also check out www.abebooks.com for great used deals as well.

Prior to the meeting, we will be sending out a list of questions to all attendees to encourage thought and foster discussion.

This is a convivial as well as an educational gathering so please feel free to imbibe in a favorite beverage at Grana with us, if you like.

Please RSVP so we can set aside chairs and tables on Grana's patio by sending an email to Bro. Steve Catterral, oldegold@hotmail.com

We hope to see you there!

Chico & Durham Teacher Apperciation Night

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On Tuesday April 26 our lodge celebrated exemplary teachers in the Chico and Durham School Districts.  In attendance were Kelly Staley, Superintendent of Chico Unified School District and Len Foreman, Superintendent of Durham Unified School District.  It was a wonderful evening of celebration for exemplary teachers.

Honored teachers of Chico Unified School District: Kathy Jones, Mary Sours, and Mike Bruggeman

Honored teachers of Chico Unified School District: Kathy Jones, Mary Sours, and Mike Bruggeman

Durham Unified School District honorees: Cyndi Haapanen, Deanna Coyne, and Kari Stotler.

Durham Unified School District honorees: Cyndi Haapanen, Deanna Coyne, and Kari Stotler.

Master of Ceremonies Steve Catterall and Worshipful Master Matt Cherrington.

Master of Ceremonies Steve Catterall and Worshipful Master Matt Cherrington.

April 2nd Week: Enchilda Tuesday and Book Club Thursday

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Lodge Dinner and Stated Meeting, Tuesday April 12 @ 6:30.

All members, their families and interested visitors most welcome. Bring a friend who may be interested in Freemasonry.

Cost: $8.00

RSVP contact: Lodge Secretary @ 893-6171 OR email: 111secretary@sbcglobal.net

From the Magic Masonic Kitchen Menu of Steve and Fritz comes...

  • Enchiladas in red sauce
  • Mexican rice
  • Refried beans
  • Mixed salad
  • Cake of some kind with ice cream

Stated Meeting: 7:30pm; Masonic members only

Thursday April 14 @ 6:30 Starts the Lodge's Masonic Book Club @ the Lodge.

Our first meeting of the Lodge Book Club will discuss The Masonic Myth: Unlocking the Truth About the Symbols, the Secret Rites, and the History of Freemasonry by Bro. Jay Kinney. This book's discussion will be restricted to Master Masons.  See Book Club page for details.

If you purchased the book come and discuss with a group of interested readers in all things Masonry.

Cellphone App Ready for our Lodge - Download Now!

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Grand Lodge of California rolled out a pilot app that can be customized for each lodge. During March Chico-Leland Stanford #111 lodge partook in building our own smartphone app as part of this larger Grand lodge program.  Some of the features we wanted addressed:

  • Looking for a way to motivate engagement outside stated meetings.
  • Ability to be able to share photos, messages, and social events privately with our own lodge members.
  • Help us to increase attendance at events, and getting RSVPs in early.
  • Make the app personalized for the exclusive use of our brothers...at no cost.

Features and benefits

• Post and comment on messages and pictures in a Facebook-like news feed.
• View calendar information for your lodge; all data is pulled in directly from our lodge website Google calendar; dates are automatically synced.
• Send notifications of events directly to members’ smartphones.
• RSVP to events straight from your smartphone.
• Collect payments for events, donations, or anything you want. (future feature linked to website)
• Browse member contact information; email and call other members with ease.
• Create smaller groups on specific topics, or send a private message a single person.
• Link to our lodge website, Trestleboard, or other important documents from the app.
• All activity is private to the members of the app only; message and post to only members on the app.
• Administrators can see reports on what is popular in your app. Brother Dean Fairbanks is the administrator of both the app and the lodge website. Questions? Contact at chicolelandstanford111@gmail.com

Use this link to install our lodge's app:

http://ourapp.link/chico-stanford-111

The app needs to install completely before "Device Management" and the option to trust will show up in "General" (in Settings).  FYI below are the instructions for "trusting" the CA Grand Lodge, follow them completely.

Brothers can trust the CA Grand Lodge by opening Settings, then "General", then "Device Management", then trust apps from "GRAND LODGE FREE & ACCEPTED MASONS OF THE STATE OF CALIFORNIA, Inc.". They should then be able to open the app. (The download page also contains these instructions, for reference.)

St. Patricks Day, Washington, Osiris, and Bacchanalia...what a mix?!

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March 17 is the day generally believed to be the death of St. Patrick, the British-born missionary who is credited with converting Ireland to Christianity.

During the Continental Army’s 1779-1780 winter encampment  in Morristown, New Jersey, well known Master Mason General George Washington granted a single holiday to his troops – Saint Patrick’s Day.

See History Channel – George Washington’s Revolutionary St. Patrick’s Day

So in an effort to give his men a badly needed break, to recognize the heritage of many of his soldiers and to express solidarity with the “brave and generous” people of Ireland, Washington issued general orders on March 16, 1780, proclaiming St. Patrick’s Day a holiday for his troops. It was the first day of rest for the Continental Army in more than a year. “The General directs that all fatigue and working parties cease for to-morrow the SEVENTEENTH instant,” read the orders, “a day held in particular regard by the people of [Ireland].”

The date of St. Patrick’s Day already held special significance for Washington. Four years prior, on March 17, 1776, the British evacuated Boston, and the general had his first major strategic victory since assuming the command of the Continental Army in Cambridge, Massachusetts, in July 1775. Nearly 9,000 Redcoats and more than 1,000 Loyalists boarded 120 ships in Boston Harbor on that St. Patrick’s Day morning, and the enormous flotilla set sail for Halifax, Nova Scotia. Legend has it that Washington selected “Boston” as the password for the first troops to re-enter the town that day, and, in honor of Ireland’s patron saint, “St. Patrick” was the proper response.

But now March 17th becomes even more interesting...

In Egyptian mythology, Osiris was killed on the 17th day of Athyr, the third month of the ancient calendar (which would have been October).
But “St. Paddy’s” has traditionally been a very minor Saint’s day in Ireland. Considering that the day has become America’s defacto Bacchanal (which takes us back to Osiris) it’s worth noting some of the parallels of this day with Solar mythology.

• Osiris was believed to be the source of barley, which was used for brewing beer in Egypt.
• It’s customary to wear green on St. Patrick’s Day and Osiris was known as the “Green Man”
• The root word of Patrick is pater, the Latin word meaning father. Osiris is the father in the Egyptian Trinity.

Finally, one other famous Roman-Greek festival started on March 17th, the festival of Bacchanalia, a celebration to the deity Bacchus or Greek Dionysus to whom wine was sacred. This festival is seen as a re-interpreation of Osirsis, where drinking beer was sacred to the followers of Osiris, the Green Man.

And now? St. Patricks Day via Washington has become America’s defacto Bacchanal, which kind of takes us back to Osiris, The Green Man.  March 17th is close enough to the vernal equinox or the first day of Spring! Thus heres to the Green Man, St. Patrick’s Day and a prominent American Freemason bringing the budding season to the fore.

Happy St. Patrick's Day to you all!

Sources used:

http://secretsun.blogspot.com/

http://www.midnightfreemasons.org/2014/03/st-patricks-day-and-freemasonry.html

Chico-Leland Stanford Lodge Book Club...Begins!

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Our first meeting of the Lodge Book Club will discuss The Masonic Myth: Unlocking the Truth About the Symbols, the Secret Rites, and the History of Freemasonry by Bro. Jay Kinney

When: Thursday, April 14th at 6:30pm

Where: Lodge library room.  

This book's discussion will be restricted to Master Masons.

For 15 years, Bro. Kinney was the publisher and editor of Gnosis, the premier journal covering Western esoteric traditions and spiritual paths.  He is a California Mason and a member of the York and Scottish Rites, and is a noted Masonic author.  He has been a speaker at the California Masonic Symposium, and is a recipient of the Albert G. Mackey Award for Excellence in Masonic Research. He is also the head librarian for the San Francisco Scottish Rite Library.

From Amazon:

"His book is an accessible and fascinating history of the Freemasons that sheds new light on this secret fraternity. A nonfiction look at the mysterious and wrongly maligned ancient society that plays a major role in The Lost Symbol, the new novel by Dan Brown (The Da Vinci Code), Kinney’s The Masonic Myth debunks the myths as it reveals the truth about the Freemasons, their history, and their secret symbols and rituals—a truth that is far more fascinating than all the conspiracy theories combined."

WHERE TO GET THE BOOK

You can obtain the book on Amazon in both paper and electronic format at a reasonable price for used copies, some as low as $1.99.  Also check out www.abebooks.com for great used deals as well.

One week prior to the meeting, we will be sending out a small list of questions to all attendees to encourage thought and foster discussion.  Get the book now and dedicate 10 pages a night to reading it and you will be done! Around 200 page with illustrations.

This is a convivial as well as an educational gathering so please feel free to bring snacks, tea/coffee, or juice to share, if you like.

The Lodge library room is limited to 20, so please RSVP by sending an email to Bro. Steve Catterral, oldegold@hotmail.com, who will be coordinating the Book Club.

We hope to see you there!

Chico Shrine Club Mini Car Unit Spaghetti Dinner Fundraiser!

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The Chico Shrine Club Mini Car Unit is hosting an all-you-can-eat spaghetti dinner to raise money for insurance and parade entries. Currently it cost the Shrine Mini-Cars nearly $1000 per year for us to attend 9-10 parades a year to raise awareness for the Shriner's Hospital for Children.

The cost for the full dinner is only $10 for spaghetti, salad, bread, and dessert. This is gong to be a fun event with raffles and guys wearing funny hats...what's more fun than that??!

The doors open at 5:30pm, and dinner is served at 6pm. There will be 'to-go' containers available if you want to pick up your dinner on the way home.

If you are interested in purchasing tickets, please call 342-3422 to RSVP (so we know how much food to buy). Tell 'em you saw this on the Lodge website.

We are also accepting any donations for raffle prizes if you want to help us out that way.

Please SHARE this event to your timeline and to all your friends to get the word out....Thank you!

"It's all about the kids!"

An Early California Leader, and a Mason: John Bidwell

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Featured at the California Freemason.org website this week.

The Henry Wilson Coil Library and Museum of Freemasonry has among its archives an 1857 petition for the Royal Arch degrees of John Bidwell. Shown here, with punctuation added for clarity, the certificate reads:

To the M.W. High Priest, King, Scribe, and Companions of Washington R.A. Chapter No. 13:

The petition of the subscriber respectfully sheweth that being a Master Mason in good standing and a member of Chico Lodge U.D. and residing within the jurisdiction of your chapter is desirous of receiving the degrees of Mark, Past and Most Excellent Master and Royal Arch therein if found worthy.

Residence: Chico, Butte Co., Cal. [....37]
Occupation: Farmer.

[Signed]

J. Bidwell
[The names of those who recommended Bidwell are then listed.]

John Bidwell (Aug. 5, 1819 – April 4, 1900) led a fascinating life. Originally from New York, Bidwell was part of the first wagon train that traveled from Independence, Missouri to California. He assisted in drawing up the Bear Flag Republic’s resolution of independence and fought in the Mexican War. After the war, he was the first person to find gold on the Feather River in Sutter’s Creek.  Bidwell founded the Chico Masonic Lodge No. 111 on December 31, 1856.

Bidwell used the profits from his good fortune to create a dual career as California’s leading agriculturalist and as a state politician. He served in the state senate and was a strong supporter of Lincoln in the bourgeoning Civil War. Bidwell was unsuccessful in bids to serve as governor of California and president of the United States. Around the same time, he became disillusioned with Freemasonry, and left the Craft in 1867.

To learn more about Chico-Leland Stanford Masonic Lodge No. 111 history and John Bidwell go here

To learn more about California’s Masonic history and to view archival documents and artifacts online, visit

All freemason.org articles may be repurposed by any Masonic publication with credit to the Grand Lodge of California.

Darrel and Mary Louise Hunter in Masons of CA News!

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A Union Built on Charity

Darrel and Mary Louise Hunter talk about charitable instincts, being part of an organization that takes care of its own, and the gift that that’s the greatest of all.

Fifty-seven years ago, Mary Louise and Darrel Hunter met at a church youth gathering, fell in love, and married within months. They were 19 years old. There were many things that drew them together, of course. One was a shared charitable instinct.

“We both grew up in families with just enough to get by, yet that always found a way to help those in need,” explains Mary Louise, “whether it was driving somebody to church or the grocery store, or doing odd jobs.”

“For both families, giving was part of our DNA,” Darrel agrees.

Darrel became a Mason in the 1980s. He and Mary Louise joined Eastern Star, and Mary Louise began a 19-year engagement playing piano for a Rainbow assembly. Darrel became a lodge leader: He is past master and current secretary of Chico-Leland Stanford Lodge No. 111, and former district inspector. He served seven years on the Masonic Homes Endowment Board, and can still rattle off trivia about the original Union City Home. When he imagines the 3,000 Masons who climbed the hill on its dedication day, his voice takes on a dreamy tone.

Giving remains in the couple’s DNA. Among many charitable endeavors, they are long-time donors to the fraternity’s annual fund.

“For 100-plus years, the Masonic Homes has cared for our own,” Darrel says. “And now, Masonic Outreach Services has drastically reduced the financial burden on lodges to care for aging members and widows. We want to support that. So whether it’s for a birthday, anniversary, or holiday, it’s just better to make a donation to our Masonic charities than to buy something else that needs dusting.” (“Or finding a place for!” chimes in Mary Louise.)

“It makes my chest swell with pride,” Darrel says, “to be part of an organization that takes care of people the way the Masons do.”

In Forbestown: A Rare Masonic Artifact

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In the small California town of Forbestown (our Butte County Brethren!), located in the mountains of northern gold country, a local museum holds within its collection a silver embroidered Masonic collar, adorned with a square and compass symbol within a winged egg. But this is no ordinary Masonic artifact: It is a ceremonial garment from the Rite of Memphis – a Masonic body rarely encountered throughout the history of California Masonry.

The collar, which is believed to have been created in the 1860s, was donated to the Forbestown Historical Museum by the Persons family. It belonged to Horace T. Persons, who was born in New York in 1828. During the Civil War, Persons left Forbestown to serve as a surgeon in the Union Army, where he was held for a time as a prisoner of war. He later returned to the tiny mountain town, where he died in 1870.

Persons was a member of Forbestown Lodge No. 50 and a Knight Templar; in 1867, he also became a member of the Rite of Memphis, which was attempting to establish a presence in California. Incidentally, California’s second grand master, Benjamin Hyam, was a member of a related rite, the Rite of Memphis Misraim, and served as an officer within its ruling body after returning to Washington, D.C. The regalia in this exhibit was generically labeled as “Masonic” until it was recently identified as belonging to the Rite of Memphis. It is significant not only because the Rite of Memphis is rarely heard of in California, but also because it serves as an example of the proliferation of many Masonic high degree rites, which sometimes competed for popularity.

Want to know more?

http://www.memphis-misraim.us/

http://grandcollegeofrites.org/

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rite_of_Memphis-Misraim

All freemason.org articles may be repurposed by any Masonic publication with credit to the Grand Lodge of California.

A Tribute To Prince Hall In Honor of Black History Month

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Roughly about 240 years ago, in 1775, Prince Hall Free Masonry among Black men began during the War of Independence, when Prince Hall and fourteen other free black men were initiated into Lodge # 441, Irish Constitution, attached to the 38th Regiment of Foot, British Army Garrisoned at Castle Williams (now Fort Independence) Boston Harbor on March 6, 1775. The Master of the Lodge was Sergeant John Batt. Along with Prince Hall, the other newly made masons were Cyrus Johnson, Bueston Slinger, Prince Rees, John Canton, Peter Freeman, Benjamin Tiler, Duff Ruform, Thomas Santerson, Prince Rayden, Cato Spain, Boston Smith, Peter Best, Forten Howard and Richard Titley.

When the British Army left Boston, this Lodge, # 441, granted Prince Hall and his brethren authority to meet as a lodge, to go in procession on Saints John Day, and as a Lodge to bury their dead; but they could not confer degrees nor perform any other Masonic "work". For nine years these brethren, together with others who had received their degrees elsewhere, assembled and enjoyed their limited privileges as Masons. Finally in March 2, 1784, Prince Hall petitioned the Grand Lodge of England, through a Worshipful Master of a subordinate Lodge in London (William Moody of Brotherly Love Lodge # 55) for a warrant or charter.

The warrant was granted on September 29, 1784 under the name of African Lodge, # 459 on the register of the Grand Lodge of England by authority of then Grand Master, the Duke of Cumberland, delivered in Boston on April 29, 1787 by Captain James Scott, brother-in-law of John Hancock and Master of the Neptune. Prince Hall was the first Master of the lodge which was organized one week later, May 6, 1787.

The warrant to African Lodge # 459 of Boston is the most significant and highly prized document known to the Prince Hall Masonic Fraternity. Through it, Masonic legitimacy among free black men is traced, and on it more than any other factor, rests their case. That charter, which is authenticated and in safekeeping, is believed to be the only original charter issued from the Grand Lodge of England still in the possession of any Lodge in the United States. African Lodge allowed itself to slip into arrears in the late 1790's and was stricken from the rolls after the Union of 1813 although it had attempted correspondence in 1802 and 1806. In 1827, after further unreplied communication, it declared its independence and began to call itself African Grand Lodge # 1.

It is interesting to note that when the Massachusetts lodges which were acting as a Provincial Grand Lodge also declared themselves an independent Grand Lodge, and even when the present Grand Lodge of Massachusetts was formed by the amalgamation of the two separate lodges, African Lodge was not invited to take part, even though it held a warrant every bit as valid as the others.

Source: https://www.reddit.com/r/freemasonry/comments/45b93r/a_tribute_to_prince_hall_in_honor_of_black/

 

Black Freemasonry: From Prince Hall to the Giants of Jazz

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New book on Prince Hall Freemasonry.  Looks really well laid out and represents an important contribution to Freemasonry in America.  From time to time I will present interesting reads to our local Masonic brotherhood in order to further our understanding of Freemasonry, its history and implications on culture. United we stand.

“Our human compassion binds us the one to the other—not in pity or patronizingly, but as human beings who have learned how to turn our common suffering into hope for the future.”
— Bro. Nelson Mandela, Raised June 28, 1990, M.W. Prince Hall Grand Lodge North Carolina.

Black Freemasonry: From Prince Hall to the Giants of Jazz
By Cécile Révauger, Pages : 320, ISBN-13 : 9781620554876, Release Date : January 02, 2016

Révauger traces the history of black Freemasonry from the late 1700s through the 1960s. Black lodges were instrumental in helping American blacks transcend the horrors of slavery and prejudice, achieve higher social status, and create their own spiritually-based social structure, which in some cities arose prior to the establishment of black churches.  The history of black Freemasonry from Boston and Philadelphia in the late 1700s through the Civil War to the Civil Rights Movement:

  • Examines the letters of Prince Hall, legendary founder of the first black lodge
  • Reveals how many of the most influential jazz musicians of the 20th century were also Masons, including Louis Armstrong, Duke Ellington, and Nat King Cole
  • Explores the origins of the Civil Rights Movement within black Freemasonry and the roles played by Booker T. Washington and W. E. B. Du Bois

When the first Masonic lodges opened in Paris in the early 18th century their membership included traders, merchants, musketeers, clergymen, and women--both white and black. This was not the case in the United States where black Freemasons were not eligible for membership in existing lodges. For this reason the first official charter for an exclusively black lodge--the Prince Hall Grand Lodge of Massachusetts--was granted by the Grand Lodge of England rather than any American chapter.

Through privileged access to archives kept by Grand Lodges, Masonic libraries, and museums in both the United States and Europe, respected Freemasonry historian Cécile Révauger traces the history of black Freemasonry from Boston and Philadelphia in the late 1700s through the Abolition Movement and the Civil War to the genesis of the Civil Rights Movement in the early 1900s up through the 1960s. She opens with a look at Prince Hall, legendary founder and the chosen namesake when black American lodges changed from “African Lodges” to “Prince Hall Lodges” in the early 1800s. She reveals how the Masonic principles of mutual aid and charity were more heavily emphasized in the black lodges and especially during the reconstruction period following the Civil War. She explores the origins of the Civil Rights Movement within black Freemasonry and the roles played by Booker T. Washington and W. E. B. Du Bois, founder of the NAACP, among others.

Looking at the deep connections between jazz and Freemasonry, the author reveals how many of the most influential jazz musicians of the 20th century were also Masons, including Louis Armstrong, Duke Ellington, Nat King Cole, Eubie Blake, Cab Calloway, and Paul Robeson. Unveiling the deeply social role at the heart of black Freemasonry, Révauger shows how the black lodges were instrumental in helping American blacks transcend the horrors of slavery and prejudice, achieve higher social status, and create their own solid spiritually based social structure, which in some cities arose prior to the establishment of black churches.

New Lodge Website Introduced Last Night! Stated Meeting/Dinner

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Brethren!

Its here, the new Chico-Leland Stanford Lodge No. 111 website.  This has been something long in the works and finally ready for your viewing and reviewing.  The website was debuted last night at dinner before the stated meeting by our website developer, Thomas Thackery of Go Gossamer Web Design of Chico.

Thomas went through all the pages and explained what he was tasked to do and what is coming as we finish up the product.  We will also be hooking up the website and its calendar to the new phone app from Grand Lodge so look for that integration by February.  

One item of interest to members is the ability to pay annual dues online!  This will be hooked up for use by the end of January.

We are making steady progress. Spread the word!