California Freemason Magazine Fall 2024

heroes of Masonry heroes of Masonry

THE GRAND MASTER’S

MEXICO CITY TRIP

2 SNAPSHOT

The Masons hit a home run with the San Francisco Giants Community Fund.

4 EXECUTIVE MESSAGE

In his final note as grand master, Sean Metroka salutes the Masons and lodges setting an example for the fraternity.

5 THE MOSAIC

For Masons with disabilities, membership has its challenges— and also its rewards [page 5] ; a fraternal gift to Prince Hall Masonry linking two groups together [page 7] ; meet a California member doing double duty as grand master of Hawaii [page 8] ; at one San Francisco lodge, members are committed to research projects [page 9] ; a California Maxson is on a quest to introduce a fraternal license plate [page 10] ; and more.

31 MASONIC ASSISTANCE

Get to know the ins and outs of memory care at the Masonic Homes of California. 36 DONOR PROFILE

How one Bay Area Mason’s connection to a brother in the Philippines inspired him to give back.

20 THE MASTERMIND

At just 42, Stephen Doan was elected grand master. And for the 30 years since, he’s continued to be a source of inspiration, mentorship, and knowledge. 24 THE EXEMPLARS

The 2024 Masons of the Year show there’s more than one way to make an impact on the fraternity. charity, the fantastic fastest-growing lodges, or the administration, these heroes don’t wear capes, but they do wear aprons.

DURING A JULY 10 GAME, REPRESENTATIVES FROM THE MASONS OF CALIFORNIA, INCLUDING TERRY QUIGLEY, PRESIDENT OF THE MASONIC HOMES (FIRST ROW, THIRD FROM LEFT); DOUG ISMAIL, PRESIDENT OF THE CALIFORNIA MASONIC FOUNDATION (FRONT ROW, CENTER); AND GRAND MASTER SEAN METROKA, PRESENTED A CEREMONIAL CHECK FOR $650,000 OVER THREE YEARS TO THE GIANTS COMMUNITY FUND.

A Winning Team

IF THERE’S ANYONE who understands the local link between baseball and Freemasonry, it’s Larry Baer, the San Francisco Giants’ team president and chief executive.

Speaking at a special pregame celebration on July 10, Baer thanked the California Masonic Foundation for its new three-year pledge to the Giants Community Fund to expand the Masons4Mitts equipment drive for Junior Giants and to support other youth enrichment programs, making it the largestever pledge from a foundation to the Giants Community Fund. He also recalled that his father, Monroe Baer, was a proud member of Pacific-Starr King № 136 for more than 50 years. As such, the younger Baer had a special appreciation for the shared aims of two of the city’s most significant institutions. “We are inspired by your commitment, and we will continue to work together for the principles that we’re about, which are education and citizenship for our youth,” he said. “Our longevity as institutions and the principles we’ve developed are very much core to who we are and what we do. Our partnership is now 16 years old, which is a long time. People change, leadership changes. But those principles don’t change.” For more, see page 12. —IAN A. STEWART

PHOTO COURTESY OF SAN FRANCISCO GIANTS

THE BEST OF US

What

makes California Masonry so special? That’s easy. It’s the people.

What’s the best part of being grand master? I’m asked that often as I crisscross the state visiting as many of our 327 lodges as I can. It’s certainly not the travel, which can be exhausting. I’ve logged more miles on the road and through the air than I ever imagined I would.

The simple answer is that the best part of this job is the people I’ve been blessed to meet on this journey. No matter where I go, I’m always impressed by the commitment of California Masons to one another, to their communities, and to our craft. I get to see brotherly love, relief, and truth put into practice in a million different ways— some big and dramatic, some small and close to home. But in every case, I know when I come to a Masonic lodge, I’m going to meet brothers who are taking the values and teachings of Freemasonry and putting them into action outside the lodge.

This issue is a celebration of those people, those lodges, and those ideas. It’s through their actions that we make Freemasonry come to life. It’s when we’re interacting with our neighbors, strengthening our community, or helping elderly members get the support they need that we most truly embody the Masonic spirit and push our craft forward.

As I prepare for the end of my term as grand master, I know I’ll miss the feeling of inspiration I get each time I engage with a group of Masons doing extraordinary things to make the world a little bit better. Luckily, I don’t have to go far to see that kind of thing, because it’s happening all around us.

Sincerely and fraternally,

G.Sean Metroka Grand Master of Masons in California

EDITORIAL STAFF

Emily Limón Executive Editor

Ian A. Stewart Editorial Director

Pete Ivey Creative Director

Isabelle Guérin Managing Editor

J.R. Sheetz Multimedia Editor

Justin Japitana Assistant Editor John Dale Online Editor

PUBLICATION COMMITTEE

G. Sean Metroka Grand Master

Russell E. Hennings Editor-in-Chief and PM, Saddleback Laguna № 672

Allan L. Casalou Grand Secretary and PM, Acalanes Fellowship № 480

Ian E. Laurelin South Pasadena № 290

Dagoberto Rodriguez PM, South Pasadena № 290

Emanuel A. Rose PM, Humboldt № 79

James L. Tucker PM, Logos № 861

OFFICERS OF THE GRAND LODGE

Grand Master: G. Sean Metroka, Nevada Lodge № 13

Deputy Grand Master: Arthur L. Salazar Jr. Irvine Valley Lodge № 671

Senior Grand Warden: Garrett Chan California № 1

Junior Grand Warden: Ara Maloyan

Santa Monica-Palisades № 307

Grand Treasurer: Charles P. Cross Metropolitan № 352

Grand Secretary: Allan L. Casalou

Acalanes Fellowship № 480

Grand Lecturer: Ricky L. Lawler

Elk Grove № 193

CALIFORNIA FREEMASON

ISSUE 04 • VOLUME 72 • FALL 2024

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Mind, Body, Connection

FOR MASONS WITH DISABILITIES, MEMBERSHIP POSES CHALLENGES— AND OPPORTUNITIES.

BY BRIAN ROBIN

Being a part of something bigger than himself. That’s what led Conor Moorman to knock on the door of his lodge the moment he turned 18, despite fully recognizing the difficulties he’d encounter along the way. No matter, he was up for the challenge. And 13 years later, Moorman has not only cleared that hurdle, but is among a group of California Masons lighting the way for others who, like him, have had to forge their own paths.

Moorman has for virtually all of his life lived with quadriplegia, the byproduct of post-polio syndrome contracted as an infant. “When Masonry was created, they didn’t have me in mind,” Moorman says. “But I can do this just fine.” He isn’t the only one demonstrating that. People with disabilities, whether physical or mental, can be found in lodges up and down the state. Some, like Moorman, are easy to spot. Others are not. Kelly Ranasinghe, a past master of Imperial Valley № 390, was diagnosed with bipolar type 1, major depressive disorder, ADHD, and PTSD. In his case, mastering the written, verbal, and memory work presented serious problems. Both men have been able to overcome those obstacles through a combination of creativity and team support. It wasn’t always that way. Historically, one of the requirements for joining the fraternity was that applicants ▼

PHOTO BY MATHEW SCOTT

Surveying California Freemasonry

CONOR MOORMAN IS A TWO-TIME WINNER OF THE CALIFORNIA RITUAL AWARD.

be of “sound body and mind,” which prevented many disabled people from joining. It wasn’t until the end of World War I that lodges began making allowances for members, many of whom had been injured in battle. Writing in 1918, the grand master of Rhode Island stated, “It is elementary that the internal rather than the external qualifications are the essential requisites for entrance into the institution. If a man possesses suitable qualities of mind and heart, the physical qualifications are and should be considered as secondary.”

Moorman, of Cypress Mountain № 196 in Atascadero and King David’s № 209 in San Luis Obispo, is certainly a testament to that. Since joining in 2011, he has served as chair of his lodge’s charity committee, on its executive committee, as ex officio master of the Paso Robles Temple Association, and as a member of the building committee. When his former lodge, Atascadero № 493, consolidated with Thaddeus Sherman № 196 in 2021, Moorman was elected as the first lodge master of the new group— just as he has been each of the three intervening years. “His energy and passion for our craft is second to none,” says secretary David Coss.

Not that it’s come easy for Moorman, who uses a wheelchair and speaks through a ventilator. “I can’t imagine how difficult putting on the degrees for me was,” he says. “I wish I could have been in the room when they were discussing how to give me the third degree. They’re lucky I’m a good driver, because leading me around the room blindfolded in a large wheelchair would be hard if I wasn’t.”

Despite that limited mobility, Moorman has become one of the preeminent ritualists in the state. In 2022 and 2023, he won the California Masonic Ritual Award and has earned the division’s top award several other times. “I make the joke that I enter ritual compe-

“When Masonry was created, they didn’t have me in mind. But I can do this just fine.”

tition because I can’t play football and this is what I know how to do,” he says. “I’m very competitive, and I like being able to say I won.”

In his case, Moorman is able to lean on his team for support. During lodge meetings, Moorman has what he calls “the shadows,” two fellow Masons who handle the physical duties inherent in degree work—everything from showing the candidate how to wear the apron to kneeling with them during an obligation. At certain points of the ritual

and performative standpoint.”

On that front, Ranasinghe had to get creative. “I used every trick I could to learn the ritual,” he says. Simply trying to read and memorize was, for him, “torturous. My brain was bouncing back and forth.” Instead, he drew pictures and created PowerPoint slides. He wrote poems and created puzzles. He color-coded sections of text. He set the words to movement, walking around as he recited. “I interpreted that ritual artistically as many ways as you could,” he says. “The original ritual artists are probably rolling in their graves.”

From the Page to a Partnership

A STAINED-GLASS PORTRAIT OF PRINCE HALL TURNS INTO A SYMBOL OF FRIENDSHIP BETWEEN TWO MASONIC ORGANIZATIONS.

THERE AREN’T ANY IMAGES in existence of Prince Hall, the first master of African Lodge № 1 in Massachusetts, the forerunner to the historically Black fraternity that bears his name, made during his lifetime. So when the Masons of California and the Most Worshipful Prince Hall Grand Lodge of California agreed to work together on a first-ever collaborative issue of California Freemason magazine dedicated to the life and legacy of Prince Hall, they knew they’d have to take some artistic license in how they portrayed him.

ceremony, Moorman pauses to describe the movements outlined in the degrees.

Ranasinghe’s challenge has come on the other end of that degree performance. As any Mason can tell you, few things are as stressful as sitting in front of a roomful of Masons and reciting a complex ritual written in cipher. For people with reading or learning difficulties, that can be even more daunting.

A government attorney who works child welfare cases and is a self-described “knowledge geek,” Ranasinghe was originally drawn to Masonry for its connection to notable scientists like Edward Jenner and Alexander Fleming, the fathers of immunology and penicillin, respectively. Initiated at San Diego № 35, Ranasinghe later moved to El Centro and became active at Imperial Valley № 390, where he embraced the lodge’s commitment to community service. Still, he says, “Learning the ritual was an extraordinarily hard challenge for me from a communication

Now, Ranasinghe is proud to serve as an advocate for mental health issues, including with the National Alliance on Mental Illness, and is a vocal advocate for people with what he calls “invisible disabilities” throughout the Imperial Valley.

Throughout, the lodge has had his back. During National Suicide Awareness Month in September, he led fundraising efforts at his lodge for several local mental health care providers, during which he was “overwhelmed by the wonderful support the brothers gave me.”

And while the fraternity has come a long way from the days of injured soldiers being turned away from lodge, there’s still work to do to make the fraternity welcoming to all, he says.

“The nature of the stigma surrounding mental illness, even today, means there’s a little trepidation in discussing it with other people,” Ranasinghe says. “One of the things that’s important for Masons to understand is that there is a subset of Masons who have these disabilities, and it’s important to recognize their part in all of this.”

The result of that creative brainstorm wasn’t just the inspiration for the magazine’s cover. It’s now a physical reminder of what’s become a powerful partnership between the two groups.

In July, Grand Master G. Sean Metroka presented his counterpart, David San Juan of the Prince Hall Masons of California, with the stained-glass portrait of Prince Hall that had been custom-made to serve as that cover image, at their Annual Communication in Los Angeles.

Made by Nzilani Glass Conservation in Oakland, the piece depicts Hall and several Masonic symbols.

“To be able to work with the Grand Lodge of California on this project and to be able to tell our own story in this way was such a joy,” says Grand Master San Juan. “It’s hard to put into words what it means to have this beautiful and unique piece of art as a reminder of that. I’m extremely thankful.”

Says California Freemason editor-in-chief Russ Hennings, “With this magazine, it’s always rewarding to create something new and inspiring. But to see it come to life and help bond our groups together makes it even more meaningful.”

—IAN A. STEWART

PHOTO BY MATHEW SCOTT

MOORMAN, MASTER OF CYPRESS MOUNTAIN

IN ATASCADERO, WITH HIS DOG, BARLEY.

Gloriani Lontoc

California Freemason: In addition to belonging to five California lodges, you were just installed as the Grand Master of the Grand Lodge of Hawaii. First of all, congratulations. How do you have time for so much Masonry?

GLORIANI LONTOC, A MEMBER OF SEVERAL CALIFORNIA LODGES AND THE CURRENT GRAND MASTER OF HAWAII, STANDS IN FRONT OF A STATUE OF KING KAMEHAMEHA OUTSIDE THE ALI‘I Ō LANI HALE SUPREME COURT BUILDING IN HONOLULU.

I would find myself in this position. I am, and always will be, struck by this honor the brethren of Hawaii have given me. Five years ago, the grand master appointed me as grand standard bearer. When I got home, my wife stopped me in the doorway and said, “Alright, what just happened?” I said, “It’s only for one year,” which is a famous Masonic phrase.

CFM: Of course, the Grand Lodges of California and Hawaii aren’t what you would call strangers.

GL: Yes, the Grand Lodge of California established the Grand Lodge of Hawaii. The connection dates back to 1852, when Hawaiian Lodge received its charter from the Grand Lodge of California, and all Hawaiian lodges were part of that jurisdiction until 1989, when the Grand Lodge of Hawaii was officially established. That history is fascinating and really reflects the bonds of Freemasonry across the Pacific.

CFM: So how many lodges in California and elsewhere are you now involved with?

GL: In San Diego, I’m a life member of South West № 238, Lemon Grove № 736, and East San Diego № 561. I’m also a three-time past master of Chula Vista № 626 and a charter member of MW Manuel L. Quezon Lodge № 874. In Hawaii, I’m a past master of Leeward Lodge and Schofield Lodge and a member of Ko‘olau Lodge. I was first raised at Magdiwang № 238 under the Grand Lodge of the Philippines. I’m also an honorary member of Nilad № 12 in Manila. Being a member of five lodges in California keeps me involved in a lot of local projects and programs in the San Diego area like Masons4Mitts.

CFM: How did you get involved with Freemasonry in California?

GL: At the Grand Lodge of Hawaii, our mission was and always is to grow, assist our constituent lodges in their administration and management, ensure the observance of our ancient customs, landmarks, and ritual, and promote Masonic participation in community activities, especially charitable work.

CFM: What do you appreciate the most about your time as a Mason?

GL: Through Freemasonry, I have been able to connect some of the dots about this small world by meeting men of all countries, sects, and opinions, and knowing that we all share some common values. A few of those meetings changed my life forever. Being a member of multiple lodges in multiple jurisdictions, it’s the brotherhood that keeps me engaged. The strength of Freemasonry is the loyalty Masons have to each other.

CFM: What’s your pitch to someone who’s interested in Masonry but doesn’t know much about it?

GL: There are many reasons people become Masons—brotherhood, a sense of structure, or a desire to get involved in the community. Friendships made through Masonry last a lifetime.

CFM: Any final words of wisdom?

GL: Get involved with your lodge! Ask more questions, take time to research and understand the traditions and appreciate why they are important. Enjoy the journey. Freemasonry is local and personal, and there is no way to do it well except at your lodge. —Justin Japitana

THE DIPLOMATS

SEVERAL CALIFORNIA MASONS ARE DOING DOUBLE DUTY AS OFFICERS OF OTHER MASONIC JURISDICTIONS.

JEAN-PIERRE ROLLET

LA FRANCE № 885

GRAND MASTER, GRAND LOGE NATIONALE FRANÇAISE (FRANCE)

PHILIPPE MILGROM

LA FRANCE № 885

EMANUELE

BARIANI’S ENTERED

APPRENTICE WORKPIECE PRESENTATION.

736, East San Diego

№ 561, Chula Vista № 626

Gloriani Lontoc: I have been congratulated by many members on how hard I worked to get here, which I respectfully disagree with. I just enjoy being part of the fraternity and have only done what was needed or asked of me to make Freemasonry a better experience for us all. Awards and honors are just decorations. However, it is overwhelming and humbling to say the least. Never in my wildest dreams did I think

GL: I first discovered Freemasonry through the Order of DeMolay in 1977. I was a charter member of the General Emilio Aguinaldo chapter in the Philippines. I moved to Hawaii in 1998, and then in 2010 I got a job offer in San Diego, where I found the Kimball chapter of DeMolay in National City. South West № 283 was their sponsoring body, so I affiliated to get involved with the chapter.

CFM: What are your goals as grand master for the coming year?

GRAND STANDARD BEARER, NGLF (FRANCE)

DANIEL VELAZQUEZ

SAN DIEGO № 35

GRAND CHANCELLOR, GRAND LODGE OCCIDENTAL MEXICANA, JALISCO

ERIC HANAN

RAVEN’S ROCK № 870

ASST. GRAND MASTER, GRAND LODGE OF ARMENIA

STELIAN TIPA

LOS ANGELES № 42

HONORARY GRAND MASTER, GRAND LODGE OF HUNGARY

JOE C. DARNELL

MOUNT OSO № 460

PAST GRAND MASTER, GRAND LODGE OF ALASKA

DAVID WOREL

CHANNEL ISLANDS № 214, PAST GRAND MASTER, GRAND LODGE OF ALASKA

DAVID H. FRYDAY

LIBERTY № 99

PAST GRAND MASTER, GRAND LODGE OF OREGON

WILSON CAMAGAN

AMERICAN CANYON № 875, PAST GRAND MASTER, GRAND LODGE OF HAWAII

MICHAEL P. BAKER

PLACERVILLE № 26

PAST GRAND MASTER, GRAND LODGE OF HAWAII

They’re

Not Purely Academic

AT PROMETHEUS № 851, CANDIDATES BRING MASONIC PHILOSOPHY TO

THEY COME WITH titles that might seem a little daunting. “Allegory Through Allegory: A One Act Play.” “The Geometry of Relationships.”

These aren’t dense works of Masonic research, though. They’re presentations given by candidates at Prometheus № 851 in San Francisco, which, in addition to being a traditional observance lodge, has also fashioned itself into one of California’s most dedicated boosters of Masonic education. Such “workpieces” are required of every new initiate. Subjects are picked by the candidates, who are given a forum to expand on any element of the degree they’re working on. They can write about a particular symbol, a historic event or member (“Brother Benjamin Franklin: Notes on a Masonic Life”), or anything else. Every five years, the workpieces are printed, bound, and stored in the lodge’s library. “We’ve evolved beyond just presenting papers,” says Damien Noorbakhsh, the lodge’s senior warden. Some members’ presentations have included art components or musical performances.

The ideas aren’t meant to flow just one way. During the lodge’s festive boards, which are held after each workpiece, the emcee picks a topic and asks every member to talk about its impact on their Masonic journey. While some of the concepts can get pretty esoteric, they’re all ultimately grounded in members’ personal journeys. “There is no right or wrong approach,” says master Khalil Sweidy. “We’re trying to give the brothers the opportunity to be creative.”

The result has been a more engaged membership, Noorbakhsh says. “If you make education a part of your lodge culture, it enriches the experience of all members.”

—BRIAN ROBIN

MASONIC EDUCATION

MEMBER

Want a Masonic Plate? You’ll Have to Wait

ONE MEMBER IS ON A MISSION TO INTRODUCE A MASONIC LICENSE PLATE. THE ONLY HOLDUP: CALIFORNIA’S DMV.

For a group that’s been frequently if not quite fairly disparaged as being a secret society, Masons tend not to be overly shy about flaunting their membership. Look no further than the bustling trade in Masonic T-shirts, polos, neckties, ball caps, lapel pins, signet rings, and the like for evidence of that impulse. But for Shivam Sharma, there remains yet another frontier for the square and compass: his license plate.

Chalk it up to oversight, but California does not presently offer motorists the opportunity to

That’s not the case elsewhere, including in Florida, New York, and Pennsylvania (and several others), all of which offer Masonic plates. Sharma, the master of Solomon’s Staircase № 357 in Orange County, is on a mission to add the Golden State to that list.

California special-issue license plates feature alternative designs, and a portion of the fees charged for them are donated to eligible nonprofit organizations. (California’s “whale tail” plates, for instance, support the state coastal commission; the vintage blackand-yellow plates benefit environmental projects.) Other special plates include ones for Snoopy (benefitting state museums), dogs and cats (spay and neuter programs), Lake Tahoe, firefighters, veterans’ organizations, and many more. For Sharma, Masonry should have a place alongside them. “We’re a wellestablished, decades-old nonprofit institution, so it’s safe to say we have a strong case,” he says.

“We’re a wellestablished, decades-old nonprofit institution, so it’s safe to say we have a strong case.”

adorn even the most personalized vanity plates with the fraternal logo. License plate holders, bumper stickers, and window decals, sure. But the California DMV–issued plate is currently verboten.

Sharma has already brought the matter up at recent master and wardens retreats and with grand lodge officers, and has been “engaging in multiple talks” with the relevant state officials.

“I’m hoping everyone joins hands on this project,” Sharma says.

“I see it now as a matter of working with Grand Lodge to provide paperwork and nonprofit-related documentation to the DMV.

Soon enough, you’ll see a square and compass on my Toyota Highlander’s plate.”

Sharma says he’s hoping to launch the project by next year. But patience may be required. He’s dealing with the California DMV, after all.

—Justin Japitana

Celebrating the best and brightest of Freemasonryin California. heroes of Masonry heroes of Masonry

Outreach Rangers

AT OAKLAND № 61 , A PHONE-BANKING EFFORT HELPED ESTABLISH THE LODGE AS ONE OF MASONIC OUTREACH SERVICES’ BEST LOCAL PARTNERS. FOR THAT, IT IS THE 2024 JOE JACKSON AWARD RECIPIENT.

THE LIST OF NAMES was daunting: nearly 400 active and inactive Masons to reach, plus more than a hundred widows of deceased members. But as they say, many hands make light work. And so over the course of two weeks last year, a committee of volunteers from Oakland Durant Rockridge № 188 and Live Oak № 61 set out to make contact with every member and widow associated with their lodges to inform them of plans to merge the two groups into what is now Oakland № 61. For Phil Williams and the rest of the newly reorganized lodge, the results were eye-opening— in more ways than one.

First there was the good news. Together, volunteers were able to make contact with 78 percent of all their targets. And those they spoke to were overwhelmingly in favor of the merger, with well more than the mandatory three-quarters agreeing to the move.

care for her own mother elsewhere. In another, a lodge widow’s air conditioner had malfunctioned during a heat wave, and she needed cash to have it repaired. One conversation revealed that a past master had just returned home following surgery and needed in-home care until he recovered.

“You start seeing that there’s a lot of need out there. That really woke everybody up.”

The phone-banking also helped the group identify members who’d died or moved away, and allowed them to whittle the combined roster down to a more manageable 350 or so. And for the many “rusty trowels”—members who hadn’t visited the lodge in years or even decades—the phone call offered a welcome invitation back into the fold. All of that was positive and, generally, expected.

Then there was the other side of the coin.

Reaching out to so many members, “You start seeing that there’s a lot of need out there,” says Williams, who is the lodge treasurer and oversees the group’s outreach committee. “There are so many people who need help. That really woke everybody up.”

The stories that poured in underscored that. The committee soon realized that the lodge was in a unique position to offer a lifeline to members and their families and to help them tap into a fraternal network of support. Their issues ran the gamut from small inconveniences to much more serious health and housing challenges. In one instance, an elderly member with dementia was living out of state and lacked proper health care, and his wife was helping

In each case, the lodge was in a position to offer help, either directly or by connecting people to Masonic Outreach Services, through which professional case managers are assigned to fraternal family members to help get them the support they need, whether that’s a referral to inhome health care, placement in an assisted living facility, or a one-time cash payment. In recognition of the lodge’s work with its members, the Masonic Homes of California conferred to Oakland № 61 the 2024 Joe Jackson Award, named for the late San Diego–area Mason who helped develop the lodge outreach program. The outreach effort had effects even beyond the assistance the lodge was able to provide to its members. Lodge leaders say the campaign in Oakland helped the group establish fraternal support as a bedrock of its identity at a time when members were thinking very consciously about how to create a distinct

The Footwear Fanatic The Footwear Fanatic

A YEAR AGO, Steven Yeffa listened as Past Grand Master Stu Wright spoke at the Annual Communication about how the Masonic Service Association Network of America was able to donate 10,000 pairs of new socks to Veterans Affairs hospitals. Yeffa immediately thought of the thousands of socks piled up in boxes in his garage. “I was like, I can help with that!” he recalls.

As CEO of Flight Adventure Parks, a national chain of trampoline gymnasiums, Yeffa had access to a lot of socks. (The parks give patrons complimentary hospital-style socks to wear while jumping.)

It didn’t take long for Yeffa, a member of Pleasanton № 321 and the current grand marshal, to connect the dots. He immediately pledged 25,000 pairs of socks. But after speaking with representatives from the VA, he says he was blown away by the opportunity to help fill a critical, if typically overlooked, void at the hospitals. “I was just blown away by the need,” he says. “Anything that comes their way is a dollar they can spend elsewhere.”

Rookies o f t h e Year TJ ELLIOTT

PHOENIX RISING N o 178

DARREL WATSON

CORONADO N o 441

JOSH

IN SPORTS, A TEAM CAPTAIN is relied on to motivate his players, relay direction and strategy, and provide organization. The world of fundraising, it turns out, is pretty similar.

When it comes to Masons4Mitts, much of the boots-on-the-ground rallying comes from team captains, who get the word out, pass the hat, and solicit donations. “But we’re more than that, too,” says Josh Price of Veritas № 855. Price is one of 16 new team captains who volunteered for the 2024 season, injecting a much-needed dose of creativity and enthusiasm into the effort. “We’re ambassadors, too.”

The Masons4MittsChampions

Impressd, Yeffa upped his donation from 25,000 to 125,000 pairs of socks, an in-kind gift of half a million dollars. The pledge was made through the Grand Lodge of California and the MSANA to the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs, and over the summer, 275 boxes of socks were shipped to 208 VA hospitals around the country. “It was a wonderful synergistic response to a real need, and we were happy to do it,” Yeffa says. “I think it’s important to not only give through Masonic charities, but also work with our communities, in all aspects of our lives. That’s really sharing the light of Freemasonry.”

“It was a wonderful synergistic response to a real need.”

And it’s only the start. As chairman of the Adventure and Trampoline Parks Association, Yeffa says he’s spoken with other executives in his field about making similar donations. He also has lots of kids’ socks, too, and is now working with representatives from the Shrine to arrange an additional $500,000 in-kind donation to their children’s hospitals. Says Yeffa, “It’s a wonderful way to repay the fraternity that’s given me so much.” ◆

Thanks to captains like Price and his fellow rookies, including Darrel Watson (Coronado № 441) and TJ Elliott (Phoenix Rising № 178), the fundraising drive looks poised to break records set in 2022 and 2023, which helped bring all-time giving to Masons4Mitts to over $2 million.

The challenge of asking for money is made easier by the nature of the program, which provides mitts to kids in underserved areas who might otherwise never get a chance to play baseball and softball. “Leading with the story of these great kids makes soliciting money easier, because Masons have big hearts and this program really makes a difference,” Watson says.

Having already made an impression in their debut season, the rookies are already looking ahead to year two. “It’s about setting new, more ambitious goals and learning how we can get better at this,” Elliott says. “At the end of the day, it’s all about the kids.” ◆

THE MITTS THEMSELVES are striking—black with orange piping and the Masons’ logo embossed on the thumb. And soon there will be a whole lot more of them gracing local fields, thanks to a newly announced $650,000 pledge from the California Masonic Foundation to the San Francisco Giants Community Fund.

But beyond the mitts—of which nearly 60,000 have been donated to Junior Giants players—the gift supports a range of community efforts aimed at helping kids in under-resourced areas. The pledge is the largest ever made by a foundation to the Giants Community Fund. In addition to providing mitts to the noncompetitive, coed Junior Giants baseball and softball leagues, the pledge also includes support for the expansion of Junior Giants Schools, which brings free PE classes to San Francisco schools. The pledge also funds the addition of a career and technical education component within the Giants Community Fund Academy’s baseball leagues for middle and high school students. Through the Masons’ pledge, those programs will now feature sessions designed to expose students to careers in the trades.

The Tearjerker

In what was very likely before her death on April 23, former state superintendent of public instruction Delaine Easton brought the house down with a rousing speech to California Masons and their educational partners in Sacramento. Reflecting on her time in office, Easton recalled how Masons had been among her most loyal supporters. “The first people to stand up were the Masons,” she said to applause. “I owe you so much.”

Douglas Ismail, president of the Foundation, invoked the Masonic working tools while announcing the pledge.

“The trowel helps us level the playing field for people from all walks of life,” he said.

“With this investment, we’re doing that by ensuring that every kid who wishes to is able to participate in these programs and that they’re able to have a summer to remember.”

Steven Yeffa

DELAINE EASTON

heroes of Masonry

A A The

Super Dads

THE 2024 YOUTH SUPPORT AWARD RECIPIENTS SHOW THAT WHEN IT COMES TO THE MASONIC YOUTH ORDERS, YOU GET MORE THAN YOU GIVE.

SK ANYONE WHO’S

been closely involved in the Masonic youth orders about a favorite moment and you’re likely to get a version of this: A first encounter with a bright but shy kid who’s petrified to speak in front of others. Over time and with the support of their peers, the kid begins to grow into themselves. They learn to recite and deliver the ritual. They gain confidence. And a few years later, standing before hundreds of their peers and their parents, it all clicks into place as they deliver a well-honed speech. If that’s a story that’s been repeated thousands of times before, it’s no less meaningful for the adults who’ve watched it play out. And for the four recipients of the 2024 Grand Master’s Youth Support Awards, it’s more than sufficient reward for what was often years spent helping to mentor these young people. And while none of them do it for the thanks or credit, the fraternity is proud to recognize the significant amount they’ve given—in man-hours and dollars, but also in support and expertise—so the next generation has what it needs to experience its own aha! moment.

DeMolay, Southern California:

EVER MENDOZA

Ever Mendoza’s journey into the world of the Masonic youth orders followed that of his first son, Eddie. In 2012, the year Mendoza was raised as a Master Mason in Van Nuys № 450, young Eddie joined the newly reconstituted Hollywood chapter of DeMolay, which had just relaunched after a more than 20-year period of dormancy. The elder Mendoza volunteered to help as an adviser, quickly becoming the chapter’s dad, or adult supervisor. Under his leadership, the Hollywood chapter grew into one of the most active groups in Southern California, and in 2018, Eddie was named the Southern California jurisdiction’s master councilor. “When [Eddie] started, he was kind of a wallflower. So for him to go from that to jurisdiction master councilor, it gave him a voice and helped him find his own two feet,” Mendoza says. Luckily for the Hollywood chapter, just as Eddie graduated out of DeMolay, Mendoza’s younger son, Michael, aged in—meaning that the family remains a fixture of the chapter. “I don’t see myself retiring anytime soon,” Mendoza says with a laugh.

DeMolay Northern California:

STEVE KOLDEN

When Steve Kolden’s youngest daughter was 13 and a member of Unity Assembly № 65 of the Rainbow for Girls, one of her friends asked him about DeMolay. As a teenager, Kolden had been an active member of its Castro Valley chapter, and even after aging out, he’d served as chapter dad for the group several times in the 1990s.

But by 2016, when the request came in, the Castro Valley chapter had shuttered. So Kolden made it his mission to restart the group. “I had two petitions in my pocket,” he explains of his motivation. The newly reformed chapter grew from two members to five and now stands at a stable 13. With Kolden serving as chapter dad, the group navigated the pandemic shutdowns and continued to meet. In 2021, Kolden was named adviser of the year; in 2023, the group was named Chapter of the Year.

For all he’s meant to the chapter, it’s only one of several Masonic organizations Kolden has supported. He’s also a five-time worthy patron for the San Lorenzo Chapter № 103 of the Order of the Eastern Star (this year serving alongside his wife, Heidi, who is the worthy matron), a former dad for the Rainbow’s Unity Assembly, and a former lodge marshal for Crow Canyon № 551. “With every new member I meet, I make a new friend,” Kolden explains. “So my interest comes from both a teacher’s point of view and a place of comradeship.”

Rainbow for Girls: ROB MEYER

It started with a simple-sounding request. A board member for the local assembly of the Order of Rainbow for Girls asked Rob Meyer if he’d be willing to join as a board member with a minimal commitment: “They asked me

The New Kids on the Block

From the time he first raised the idea of starting a new lodge to the day this past February that Eugene Abad found himself sitting in the east as master of it, only a few months had passed. But for Abad, that relatively short stretch was actually the culmination of a much longer wait, reaching back five generations in his family and including countless hours of imagining what is now Kapayapaan at Pagkakaisa UD , San Diego’s newest Masonic lodge.

Meaning “peace and harmony” in Tagalog (many of the 27 charter members are Filipino), Kapayapaan at Pagkakaisa aims to live up to its name. Abad says officers seek member buy-in at every turn: After a successful breakfast fundraiser, for instance, members sat down and had a two-hour long debriefing. “That turned into a productive conversation about how the lodge was doing overall,” Abad says. Those lessons are informing how they’ll stage their next event: a fundraising golf tournament.

The Campaigners

MARIN N o 191 • ROSS VALLEY N o 556

MILL VALLEY N o 356

WITH A LITTLE HELP from their friends, the three lodges of Marin County have pioneered a new hyperlocal approach to membership drives—and in doing so, demonstrated remarkable intralodge cooperation. This February the three lodges, all of which had been struggling to attract new members and officers, pitched in on a countywide social media awareness campaign. Piggybacking on the Grand Lodge’s statewide drive, the three lodges shared the cost of the $10,000 ad buy, which targeted prospective Masons in the North Bay. With more than a quarter-million impressions, the campaign is helping replenish the membership pipeline for the first time in years. ◆

The Ambassadors

LOS ANGELES N o 42

“I realized what I valued most in Masonry was finding peace and harmony among brothers.”

The seed of an idea for the lodge was planted around the time Abad’s father and grandfather passed away, causing him to reflect on their lives and the place that Freemasonry held in it.

“I realized what I valued most in Masonry was finding peace and harmony among brothers,” he says. That thought galvanized him to found a lodge modeled on those principles.

Whether any lodge can live up to such lofty tenets always remains to be seen. But for Abad, the secret ingredient to the fraternity’s centuries of success lies in its ability to create just that kind of atmosphere. “I think we found what works for us,” he says. “That’s what matters most.” ◆

Elysian N º 418

The Recruitment Agency

THERE’S A CERTAIN similarity between gatherings at Los Angeles № 42 and a Model U.N. meeting. That’s because the lodge has become one of the state’s most international groups, with dual members living all around the world and a steady stream of foreign visitors stopping into the lodge from as far away as Italy, Azerbaijan, Moldova, and Armenia. Then there’s the lodge’s monthly Zoom call with William Preston № 327 of Romania—a pandemic-era program that has continued ever since. In fact, this summer the two lodges signed a “sister lodge” resolution recognizing their cross-jurisdictional bond. “We have members present papers or we talk about general Masonic principles,” master Ronald Hopkins says. “Symbolism is a pretty universal language.” ◆

Asked how his relatively small group, housed in a handsome if unassuming red-brick lodge hall in Los Feliz, has made itself into the buzzing hub of Masonic initiation in California, Elysian № 418 master Frank Barbano gives a shrug. “We don’t do anything special,” he offers. “We just focus on making people feel welcomed.” Whatever they’re doing, it’s working. Elysian currently has more than 30 prospects, plus four pending applicants. Over the past year, the lodge initiated 19 Entered Apprentices, meaning the lodge has grown about 20 percent over the last 12 months. Those new members hail from as far away as Armenia, the Philippines, Japan, Latin America, and all around the United States. Pressed on their secret sauce, Barbano acknowledges that the lodge has done well to put a strong system in place to handle and guide prospective members. The result is a program in which a current lodge member is assigned to each would-be brother, tasked with answering their questions and welcoming them into the group. “That way, when Grand Lodge forwards us someone, we know we have guys ready to greet him,” Barbano says. “A Masonic lodge should be open to all good men seeking to be better men. That’s what we want our lodge to be like.” ◆

The Friendliest Reminders

Up and down California, little blue flowers were sprouting, reminding Masons everywhere of their obligation to others. That was the result of the California Masonic Foundation’s effort to distribute to members seed packs of forget-me-nots, a flower typically associated with love and remembrance and used by German Masons during WWII in place of the square and compass to avoid persecution by the Nazis. (Members of lodges where 100 percent of officers donated to the Foundation received a handsome blue forget-me-not lapel pin, too.) Just be careful: Unlike charity, the flowers may spread farther than you’d like! ◆

Kapayapaan at Pagkakaisa

CALIFORNIA MASONIC FOUNDATION

heroes of Masonry

IN A CAPSTONE TO A REMARKABLE LIFE AND CAREER IN FREEMASONRY, R. STEPHEN DOAN IS THE 2024 RECIPIENT OF THE GRAND MASTER’S LIFETIME ACHIEVEMENT AWARD.

YOU WANT TO GET

a sense for Stephen Doan’s impact on the fraternity, look no further than the Proceedings of the Grand Lodge of California for the year 1993. There you’ll find then–Grand Master Doan’s remarks, ranging from his thoughts on Masonry in the 21st century to religion, education, and his recommendations to his successors for the years to come. In recent years, such messages have run about six pages. Doan’s entry is nearly 200 pages long.

Mastermind The if

California before joining Triangle Lodge (now Sunset № 369) in 1970. By 1975, at 26 years old, he was elected lodge master and joined his first Grand Lodge committee. (He has served on at least 10 other boards and committees since then.) He became a Grand Lodge officer in 1978 as grand bible bearer under Grand Master Donald Ingalls.

At 74, Doan remains a prolific writer, speaker, and thinker within the world of Freemasonry. As grand master, he was one of the people most responsible for shaping the Grand Lodge into today’s professional enterprise. He authored some of the most meaningful decisions of any modern head of the fraternity and has mentored generations of leaders behind him. For half a century, he’s also been the organization’s go-to legal mind, one of its most generous donors, and something like the official keeper of institutional knowledge. “I call him the bridge between generations,” says David Ferreria, a member of Santa Monica-Palisades № 307 , who has served since 2006 on the Grand Lodge jurisprudence committee with Doan. “We all look up to him.”

“I call him the bridge between generations. We all look up to him.”

This fall, the fraternity to which he has devoted so much of his life will recognize him with the Grand Master’s Lifetime Achievement Award. It’s an opportunity to salute a figure who has, directly or indirectly, touched the lives of thousands of Masons in California and beyond.

A LIFETIME IN MASONRY

In many ways, Doan was destined to leave a mark on the world of Freemasonry. Along with his brother David, Stephen is the product of five generations of Masons before him, including his father, Robert, a member of Triangle № 548. Stephen grew up in DeMolay, eventually becoming the jurisdiction master councilor for Southern

So began what has been one of the most distinguished careers in California Masonry. In 1984, Doan was appointed as grand orator. Around the same time, he joined the boards of the Mason-run homelessness nonprofit Midnight Mission and the Los Angeles Scottish Rite, and in 1989, at age 39, was selected as junior grand warden, making him the second-youngest person ever to hold that office in state history. That selection was a reflection of Doan’s status as a rising star—in his professional life, he’d been made partner at the law firm of Adams, Duque & Hazeltine—and his family connection to an older generation of leaders. It was also the result of tension within the Grand Lodge, which at the time was grappling with a sharp decline in membership, questions about the direction of the Masonic Homes, and concern over its financial stability. Between the old guard and a younger group eager for change, “I was acceptable to both of the camps,” Doan explains. “I’m a consensus builder.”

The Entertainers The Entertainers

RICK HODKIN • ERIC CHILSON

KEVIN CURTIS • CHRIS BARRY EUREKA N O 16

Last year’s inaugural Auburn Festive Board was a smashing success—so much so that the planning for this year’s event began in earnest just one week later.

That zeal for preparation showed, as the 2024 festive board took the concept of the Masonic dinner-and-lecture event to new heights—quite literally, in the case of the 12-foot-tall decorative angels hoisted in the rafters. Where some Masonic festive boards are somber or formal, Auburn’s—cohosted by Eureka № 16 and the local York Rite—takes things to 11 by leaning into the theatrical element. This year’s theme was the holy writings, so organizers transformed their hall into King Solomon’s temple, complete with incense altars, members in costume as high priests, and an Ark of the Covenant. There were lasers, fog machines, an illuminated Bible, and other not-inconsiderable audiovisual components. The seven-course meal was punctuated by short talks on each of the passages from those texts that appear in the Masonic degrees.

“I don’t know how we’re going to top it,” says Rick Hodkin, a past master of Eureka № 16 and one of the event’s organizers. “The grander vision is to make a name for

TheSaucier

TSchoolSpiritS

WISDOM N o 202

EACH SPRING FOR the past 20 years, students and parents in Glendale are reminded that the local Masons have their back. That’s because Public Schools Night at Wisdom No 202 has grown into one of the most anticipated fundraisers in town.

This year, more than 200 people crammed into the lodge to attend the program, which included a performance by the student choir at Benjamin Franklin Elementary School. The lodge also recognized the school’s principal, teachers, and music department with a donation to fund new keyboards for piano students.

That’s reward enough for lodge members, but the exposure the group gets from hosting the event is a nice bonus. Capitalizing on the large turnout, the program now included tours of the lodge room, informational pamphlets about Freemasonry, and a short talk about the history of the fraternity. “It’s a good way to introduce the fraternity to the community, and of course, gather prospects,” says lodge master Hampo Nazerian. “We love to let them know that nothing is stopping them from knocking.” ◆

• HOME N o 721

The way to a man’s heart is through his stomach. For Javier De La Torre, it was also the way to Freemasonry. Nearly two decades ago, he was hired as a maintenance man at the Van Nuys Masonic Temple. Within a few years, he’d taken over as cook, too, manning the grill for the many lodges sharing the hall (including Van Nuys № 450, Reseda № 666, Home № 721, North Hollywood № 542, Clarence F. Smith Daylight № 866, and Beverly Hills № 528). Ten years later, he finally swapped out his chef’s apron for a lambskin one, joining . “Through the years, I saw the wonderful things these men did in the community,” De La Torre says. “I like giving back to my brothers and I’ll keep doing it as long as they like my food.” ◆

TheSwingers

Slices, hooks, duffs, and bogeys all feel a bit better when you know it’s for good cause. At least that’s the idea behind Hiram’s Hackers Golf Club’s annual Grand Master’s Golf Tournament, which, after taking a pause in 2024 following a change in leadership, is aiming for a grand return in 2025.

The annual charity golf tournament, which benefits the California Masonic Foundation’s fundraising efforts for Masons4Mitts, the Masonic Homes of California, and the literacy nonprofit Raising a Reader, was launched in 2009 to bring Masons together for the shotgun-style tournament. In addition to the stroke-play champion, there are prizes given for putting, long drive, and more—as well as “cheater’s kits” available for those needing a little help getting to par.

After being held primarily in the South Bay, the tournament is relocating to the North Bay for its next installment. That’s not the only change in the offing: Organizer Paul Dana says the next edition will incorporate an afterparty at Riverstone Ranch in Healdsburg, in Sonoma County, where previously he held the Hiram’s Haven family picnic. “Our goal in moving the event is to get some new people involved and really tap into some of the vibrant lodges in the North Bay—and ultimately to get people active during the charity auction,” Dana says. That’s not all. Dana says that in the future, he hopes to expand and replicate the Hiram’s Hackers tournament formula so that Mason golfers in other areas have a chance to get in on the action, as well. He envisions regional tournaments held all over the state, all benefitting the Foundation’s programs. “That’s the 10-year plan,” he says, before taking a mulligan. “Or maybe the five-year plan.” ◆

Hiram’s Hackers Golf Club

The

Exemplars

DENNIS

CAOILE

AND HENRY DOSDORIAN , THE 2024 MASONS OF

THE YEAR, DEMONSTRATE THAT THE COMMON DENOMINATOR OF FREEMASONRY IS SERVICE TO OTHERS.

A APERSON’S IMPACT on the fraternity can be felt in an instant or over a lifetime. It can come through high-impact philanthropic efforts or slow and steady mentorship. It can be clear to everyone around you, or it can be felt intimately on an individual level. In short, there’s no one way to make one’s mark, just as there’s no one way to be a Mason. That’s never been more clearly reflected than in this year’s Masons of the Year award recipients. On the one hand, an energetic upstart who has dived into lodge

leadership with a passion and enthusiasm that’s inspiring to all around him; on the other, a longtime coach whose reliability and quiet guidance has benefitted countless others. What they share is a selflessness and commitment to supporting those around them that’s a credit to Freemasonry everywhere. This year, the Masons of California are proud to recognize two deserving Masons of the Year who show there’s no single blueprint to leaving a legacy.

The Flash

DENNIS CAOILE • WIDOWS SONS Nº 869

A couple of years ago, things at Murrieta № 869 were starting to feel stagnant, says Rufi Magbuana. He’d been one of the charter members of the lodge when it was launched in 2018, but by 2022, he says, the group had hardly grown at all and found that it was having trouble distinguishing itself among the dozen Masonic outfits in Riverside County.

So he and several other members hatched a plan: They’d essentially reset the lodge, with a new name and a new identity. Thus Widows Sons № 869 was born, a group that would meet just quarterly, and instead focus primarily on traveling to perform the ritual for others, embracing philanthropy as a core tenet, and involving family more than ever before.

“When I met Dennis, I said, ‘Man, he’s going to be great one day.’”

“I knew Dennis from one of my other lodges, and when I met him I said, ‘Man, he’s going to be great one day.’”

As it turns out, he was even more right than he could have known. And less than two years later, not only has his first recruit turned into a key figure in the lodge, but he’s been honored as the Southern California Mason of the Year.

For Dennis Caoile, it’s the culmination of a whirlwind 18 months during which the leadership skills he accumulated over 20 years in the military have been redirected into his lodge. “When they called, I remember I said, ‘OK, I’ll help out,’” Caoile says somewhat nonchalantly. “Then I guess the rest is history for me.”

motorcycle rides as far away as San Diego and Northern California. The lodge has performed degrees for lodges all over the Southland, twice this year hosted the division’s Masonic Outreach Services meetings, and this fall will lead a motorcycle brigade to the Masonic Homes in Covina to deliver a significant lodge gift. On a personal level, Caoile has also become president of his division’s officers’ school of instruction and in 2022 won its ritual competition. Even more crucially, during that time Widows Sons № 869 grew from just 31 members to 75, most of whom were gained via word of mouth and by affiliation.

For Caoile (pronounced kay-olee), who was born in Pangasinan province in the Philippines, that sort of energetic leadership is second nature. Having enlisted in the U.S. Marines at 19, he spent 22 years in the service, rising from private to gunnery sergeant and finally to the position of chief warrant officer 3 in administration, a role reserved for officers considered experts in their field. Based at Camp Pendleton and serving in Japan, the Philippines, and throughout Asia, he led teams of as many as 20 Marines—many of whom were Freemasons. When he retired from active duty in 2018, he decided he finally had the time to join. “Whenever I do something, I want to commit 100 percent of myself and my time to it,” he says.

That hasn’t been lost on his colleagues. Says Magbuana of Caoile, “He’s an overachiever. He’s always going to do the very best he can. When we went to Dennis and said we’re starting something different over here and creating a new identity, he was a big part of that, and now he’s taking it to an even different level. Everything for him is for the benefit of the lodge and the fraternity.”

The Memorizer

Magbuana knew he’d need officers to help carry out the vision— and he knew exactly who his first call would be to.

And now it’s history for the fraternity, too. In just three short years since being raised and affiliating with Widows Sons, he’s served as that lodge’s senior warden, candidates’ coach, prospect manager, assistant secretary, and now master. In that time, he’s overseen one of the most ambitious lodge calendars in the state, with ritual and social events scheduled just about every week, including a first-ever district-wide past masters night (which more than 42 past masters and 100 longtime Masons attended), a charity golf tournament (raising more than $10,000 for the Masonic Homes and other projects), a blood drive (benefitting the Red Cross), and fundraising

HENRY DOSDORIAN • PHOENIX Nº 144

Raymond Dosdorian can remember driving with his father, Henry, and looking over to the passenger seat to see him studying the cipher booklet of the Masonic ritual. “He knows this thing by heart, but he’s still practicing and memorizing it,” he says. Michael Johns remembers Henry helping him memorize the degrees by working on the ritual

heroes of Masonry

T Bookworms

CHANNEL ISLANDS N o 214

THE MASONS OF VENTURA County are throwing the book at local students—in a good way. Building on a partnership with the literacy nonprofit Raising a Reader that began in 2017, members of Channel Islands № 214 have turbocharged their educational efforts lately, helping to ensure that local students in transitional kindergarten, kindergarten, and first grade have access to exciting and relevant reading material.

In 2023, the lodge hosted its first-ever Blue Bag giveaway for kids entering second grade, during which they visited the South Oxnard Library to get their library cards and listened to story time with local Masons. The success of that event led the lodge and Raising a Reader to partner with nearby Port Hueneme School District to invite the book-bag program into 122 more classrooms this fall. Says Kirt Wilson, a past master who helped lead the effort, “The program gets the kids excited to read, and it becomes a whole family activity. It was surprising to see how impactful this thing is, and it really reinforced my commitment to keep it thriving.” ◆

JUSTIN + JASON BERRY

The Intergenerational Dynamic Duo

The butterflies were fluttering in a flight pattern Jason Berry had rarely experienced. And yet beneath the nerves there was a father’s pride. After all, it’s not every day you get to make family and fraternal history all at once. That’s what happened on May 22, as Berry performed the third degree for his son Justin, raising him as a Master Mason. The seldom-seen father-son degree is known within Masonry as a Lewis Degree, so-named for the ancient tool used to hoist large stones. It’s not known how many Lewises there are in California, but it’s likely no more than a few. (The degree was introduced here in 2016 by then–Grand Master David Perry, who raised his son.)

For the elder Berry, the occasion was one he won’t soon forget. “We don’t have many family legacies or traditions in our family,” he says. “So the fact that my son chose to join the fraternity is establishing a legacy for our family—not only now, but for future generations.” ◆

The Brainstormers

SACRAMENTO N o 40

ONE RECENT NIGHT, the members of Sacramento № 40 were gathered around a table and asked to write down 25 things they’d like to accomplish in their lives. The exercise was inspiring, helping each person consider their priorities, where they found joy, and what to do with their limited time on earth. Then they were asked to eliminate 20 of them.

If that sounds heavy for a Tuesday night, well, that’s the point of the so-called SocratiCafé program, a potluck dinner and philosophical debate. Think of it as a modern-day version of 18th century French salons, except the topics are firmly rooted in the 21st century.

Palos Verdes Nº 883

The Hurricane Lodge

Twenty-six degree conferrals in a year would be a lot for a lodge of any size. But it’s doubly impressive for Palos Verdes № 883, given that the lodge was only constituted a year ago, and that its initial membership included fewer than 40 Master Masons.

“When they look back, they can see how different ideas impacted their journey.”

That intellectual curiosity has emerged as a hallmark of Sacramento № 40, which in 2020 launched a series of “TED Talks for Zoom,” with speakers including MMA fighter Frank Forza, Robert Johnson from the Masonic podcast Whence Came You, Jared Stanley from the “How to be a Mason” YouTube channel, and Johnny Royal, the director of the Illuminated and 33 and Beyond documentaries (and a California Mason), among others. Members also keep personal journals in the lodge’s chambers where they can write about their philosophical growth. “It’s a textbook for their life,” says master Blake Green. “When they look back, they can see how different ideas impacted their journey.” ◆

“We kept ourselves busy,” admits Charlie Cailao, worshipful master of the lodge. “We made giving degrees a goal, and I think we did pretty good.”

The numbers don’t lie, though Cailao points out that it’s about

Themore than just stats. “We wanted to make sure the men coming into our lodge fit in,” he says. For that, they’d have to be committed to not just degree work but community work, as well. “Right now, we’re focused on growth. Then we’ll be able to make a difference around us,” Cailao says. If the number of prospects approaching the lodge is any indication, that message seems to be resonating. “I’m guessing we will be busy again next year,” Cailao says. ◆

CONNECTORS

THE ROUGH ASHLARS, HOME N o 721

Last year, Michael David founded a new Masonic club. With any luck, by next year none of the current members will still be enrolled. The club, the Rough Ashlars, is made up entirely of prospects, suspended members, petitioners, and others waiting for a lodge to act on their application. The Rough Ashlars meet every week at Home № 721 and stay in touch over a text thread. They are invited to all the lodge’s social, philanthropic, and non-ritual events, and even hold events of their own, like a volunteer day at the local elementary school. “We did this to prevent people from falling through the cracks and to get them involved in a productive and enjoyable manner,” says David, a past master. “That way when the time comes, they’re ready to be a better Mason.” To date, the Rough Ashlars have had 40 members. Of those, eight have gone on to petition a lodge for membership; four are now Entered Apprentices; one is a Fellow Craft; three are now Master Masons; and two are preparing to become lodge officers. ◆

Widows Sons No 869

The Easy Riders

There’s no missing the members of Widows Sons № 869 when they pull onto the scene. Unofficially known as Team Burgundy, members are loud and proud about Freemasonry, often arriving to degrees or charity events on their motorcylces en masse, wearing their distinctively colored vests, ties, and hats. “To me, team burgundy represents unity, solidarity, and a sense of belonging,” says senior warden Arielito Hipolito. “It shows that each member is part of a cohesive group with shared values and goals. It’s a sense of pride and identity within the fraternity.”

The lodge, which was chartered in 2018 in Murrieta, hasn’t taken long to make its mark. The group hosts frequent charity rides to the Masonic Homes in Covina and elsewhere, and has attracted a following among the two-wheeled set, though they’re

equally committed to socializing off the road, as well. In fact, motorcycling isn’t a requirement to join the lodge; only about half the members actually ride, and—in a confusing twist of nomenclature—the motorcycle club they belong to is the Brazen Pillars, a local chapter of the statewide Widows Sons Motorcycle Club.

With members hailing from all over the state, lodge events can easily turn into weekend-long celebrations of Freemasonry. “My favorite part is the camaraderie not only among the brethren, but also with our families,” says Jack Fernando, a charter member of the lodge. “Our lodge makes our gatherings worthwhile by combining business with pleasure. To me, that’s just one of many reasons our lodge exhibits that strength, uniqueness, and sophistication.” ◆

“TeamrepresentsBurgundyunity, solidarity, and a sense of belonging.”

The Survivors

JOSEPH L. SHELL DAYLIGHT N o 837

THINGS WERE GETTING pretty bad for the members of Joseph L. Shell Daylight № 837 . The COVID shutdowns had decimated membership and the sale of the San Diego Scottish Rite had turned the group into nomads. “We were very seriously considering turning in our charter,” says four-time master Abel Parra.

Consolidation wasn’t an option: As San Diego’s only daylight lodge (meaning it meets during the day), Shell № 837 serves a membership of primarily older members, many of whom can’t or don’t drive at night. To merge with another group would eliminate that option. So Parra and inspector Dave Vassall put on a full-court press, visiting every lodge and Masonic meeting in the county to give their pitch for preserving daylight Masonry in San Diego. Parra also asked his neighborhing lodges to run an ad in their newsletters promoting the group, with the hope of gaining enough affiliations to stay intact.

lined up for later this fall. Parra is optimistic he can increase membership by 15 percent through affiliations by the end of the year.

“I see an enthusiasm I didn’t see before,” he says. Vassal, too, is impressed by the team spirit at the lodge. He recalls how quickly members showed up to help clean up after a flood caused damage to the old Scottish Rite building.

“When Masonry calls you, you have to step up. That’s all there is to it.”

“You have this group of 75- and 80-year olds moving stuff into pods,” he says. “They just keep on trucking.”

So far, the plan seems to be working. After years of losses, the lodge’s numbers have finally stabilized, and this summer it held its first third-degree ceremony in years, with a second-degree event

The Pin King The Pin King

KAVEH ASTANEH-ASL, ACALANES FELLOWSHIP N o 480

“I’ll tell you, I have a conversation every day about Masonry,” says Kaveh Astaneh-asl. It’s no wonder: Drawing from a collection of more than 400 Masonic pins, medals, and jewels, plus a wardrobe full of Masonic-themed

For his part, Parra says that’s just part of the job. “When Masonry calls you, you have to step up. That’s all there is to it.” ◆ clothes, “I’m definitely a walking billboard for Masonry.”

What makes Astaneh-asl’s collection of Masonic flair even more incredible is the fact that it was all compiled over a scant 18 months since he was raised as a Master Mason at Acalanes Fellowship № 480.

Besides his love of a good pin—Astaneh-asl has given a talk at his lodge on the history of pins—indulging his habit has brought him closer to the history of the fraternity. Shortly after joining the lodge, Astaneh-asl posted a message on Facebook asking anyone with extra Masonic gear to ship it to him. In exchange, he’d do research on its connection to the craft. Soon pins began pouring in from all over the country— and he was helping people learn more about their fathers and grandfathers. Now he’s preparing a history of Masonry in the East Bay for the lodge.

But as much as he loves acquiring new or especially old pins, what Astaneh-asl really enjoys is handing them out. “Someone did that for me once,” he says. “He took his pin right off his lapel and gave it to me—and I thought that was so cool.” ◆

The Fill-in

MERT GAYLOR, COACHELLA N o 476

AS HE LOOKS TOWARD next year and the future of Coachella No 476— a future that not long ago seemed very much in doubt—it’s easy to detect a note of satisfaction in Mert Gayler’s voice. “We’re on the right track,” he says. “I think next year I’ll be sitting on the sidelines, like I ought to be.” If anyone’s earned the rest, it’s Gayler. A past master of the lodge in 1996 and 1997, and a longtime district inspector in the Inland Empire, Gayler was called out of semi-retirement in 2022 after the lodge had its charter suspended. With many of its officers having quit or abandoned the lodge, Gayler was asked to take over as master and help rebuild its leadership line. “I wasn’t about to see that lodge go under, as long as I had any ability to help,” he says. “I just said, ‘This is not going to happen.’”

Along with inspector Stu Ryan and assistant grand lecturer Vic Ropac, Gayler reached out to past masters and to others who hadn’t been to lodge in years. Within months, he’d established a quorum to hold meetings, and soon began growing. From July 2023 to July 2024, the lodge gained 11 new members, and last fall it regained its charter. “Now we’ve got degrees going almost every week,” Gayler says. Now he’s once more in a position to hand the reins to the next generation.

Culver City Foshay Nº 467

THE SOCIALITES

“ IF IT DIDN’T HAPPEN on social, it didn’t happen at all,” explains Jason Berry. That’s not a worry at Culver City Foshay № 467. Berry, the lodge master and the voice behind the group’s social media channels, runs one of the best Masonic accounts in California by showcasing as much of lodge life as possible, from degree conferrals and prospect portraits to out-there psychedelic AI-generated Masonic memes.

Balancing reverent or esoteric Masonic images with more lighthearted fare is a conscious attempt to lower the barrier for outsiders to engage with the lodge. Says Berry, “Having a presence on social media allows people to see the many diverse faces associated with our building. Otherwise, they might just pass by us while they’re walking to yoga.” ◆ instagram.com/ccmasons

TEXT BY JUSTIN JAPITANA, TONY PIERUCCI, BRIAN ROBIN, AND IAN A. STEWART

ILLUSTRATIONS

BY

TAYLOR CALLERY

For Dementia, the Best Medicine Is Engagement

STUDIES SHOW THAT PERSONAL CONNECTIONS AND ACTIVITY CAN SLOW MEMORY LOSS. BY IAN A.

STEWART

Deanne Rehberg and her team of memorycare specialists were there for support, but the group of seniors with dementia who’d gathered for a Red Hat Club meeting were the ones in charge. And that meant that the conversation was wide-ranging, free-flowing, and, at times, quite emotional. One resident, not a big talker, was moved to share pictures from a family photo album. Another recalled the grief of losing a child. The other members of the club were there to hear them out and share their own memories. “That’s the importance of these groups,” Rehberg says. “People need an outlet to talk about their feelings.”

For Rehberg, that’s become one of the keys to a holistic approach to memory care adopted by the Masonic Homes of California. Rehberg, as the newly appointed director of memory care, oversees with her staff the Traditions program, which serves seniors dealing with memory loss, from the affliction’s earliest stages to its most advanced forms. Engagement is at the beating heart of the program.

“What happens with people with dementia is that people start taking things away from them,” she says. “But one of the essential things you can do to slow the disease and maintain cognitive levels is to keep up social connections—things like going out

MASONIC ASSISTANCE

MEMBERS OF THE RED HAT CLUB GATHER TO SOCIALIZE AND TALK ABOUT THEIR MEMORIES, PART OF THE TRADITIONS

with peers, giving back to the community, doing service projects.”

Those kinds of social activities, along with regular exercise and brain-boosting games, have been shown to slow the progression of memory loss by as much as 60 percent for people with an early diagnosis, Rehberg says. “As long as there’s support in place, there’s nothing that should be holding seniors back.”

Rehberg, who has spent more than 20 years in senior care and memory care, says that’s the driving force behind Traditions, which includes several important components.

EXERCISE

Keeping physically fit benefits not only the body but also the mind. As part of Traditions, seniors

“As long as there’s support in place, there’s nothing that should be holding seniors back.”

minutes in the morning, and an additional 15 to 30-minutes in the afternoon.

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SOCIAL GROUPS

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Through Traditions, residents gather every day for a wide range of group activities, including “artist’s corner,” a gardening group, cooking and baking classes, walking teams, and lunch clubs.

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BRAIN GAMES

Games like bingo may get a bad rap as stereotypical senior game-night fare, but group activities can actually help stave off memory loss and keep seniors sharp. Team trivia, card games, and the like also help strengthen memory and bring people together.

GROUP OUTINGS

The Next Generation of Masonic Leaders

Needs

Exploring other parts of the campus, including the Masonic Homes’ library, museum, ice cream parlor, and clothing shop, is a key element of the program. As are off-campus group trips, whether for a lunch outing or to visit a museum.

COMMUNITY INTEGRATION

memory-care residents to fully participate in the campus community. Whether it’s sharing lunch with friends, attending a ceramics class, or attending a music performance, dementia-care residents are invited to all Masonic Homes events, both on campus and off. Through Traditions, they are able to attend while ensuring that there’s trained staff on hand to support them, no matter where they are.

Says Rehberg, “Everything is geared around making sure residents have their independence and choice, and that they’re not being isolated. It’s all about preserving their dignity and respect.”

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The Next Generation of Masonic Leaders Needs

Crucially with Traditions, the program encourages

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[DeMolay Intl Logo] The Next

As part of the Masonic family, the young people in your life deserve the benefits of being a Job’s Daughter, Rainbow Girl, or DeMolay.

To learn more about Traditions and the Masonic Homes of California’s memory-care programs, visit masonichome.org.

Learn about ways you and your family can support

The Next Generation of Masonic Leaders Needs

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As part of the Masonic family, the young people in your life deserve the benefits of being a Job’s Daughter, Rainbow Girl, or DeMolay.

The Next Generation of Masonic Leaders Needs

Learn about ways you and your family can support

The Next Generation

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OUTREACH

culture for Oakland № 61. That included ensuring the lodge was a meaningful community partner—which it accomplishes by issuing scholarships for local students and Masonic youth order members, as well as by fundraising to benefit nearby Claremont Middle School.

“We now have what I’d call an eight- or nine-prong approach” to outreach, Williams explains, only slightly exaggerating. Since merging, the lodge now devotes more space to MOS updates in its monthly Trestleboard, which it sends both physically and via email—a move requested by several elderly members. The group also voted to fund a lodge Lyft account, which any member can use in order to get a free ride to and from lodge meetings. “For elderly guys who can’t drive at night or have problems, this way they’re able to get to lodge, no big deal,” Williams says, adding that the lodge is considering expanding that program to include widows, members of the Eastern Star, and other Masonic groups. “In the end, if it’s $200 a month, that’s nothing to get people in the door and feel that they’re a part of this lodge,” he says. “That’s what we’re excited about.” But the biggest result to come out of the effort was to instill a sense among members that Oakland № 61 can and should be a resource for its members, their families, and the community around it. Says lodge master Cal Gilbert, “We look at those obligations we take as we pass through each of the degrees and we take them very seriously. So for us, this kind of outreach is, certainly, part of how we are able to walk the walk.” ◆

SUPER DADS

FROM PAGE 16

to come to one meeting a year,” Meyer remembers. Twenty-four years later, “I’m still not sure which meeting that was,” he says. “Because I’ve been to all of them.”

Rather than a strictly part-time gig, Meyer’s involvement in Rainbow, beginning with Camellia Assembly № 108 in

AUGUST. THROUGH MOS, LODGE MEMBERS LEARN THE BASICS OF OUTREACH AND SOCIAL WORK.

Sacramento, has evolved into something like a calling. He’s served several times as chairman of the assembly’s board, helps with the group’s summer Rainbow Camp, and in 2022 was appointed the state Rainbow dad, mentoring, guiding, and chaperoning the 28 youth leaders of the group.

For Meyer, who’s also the lodge secretary for Drytown № 174 in El Dorado, it’s been worth the commitment. “I just enjoy watching the girls grow and learn,” he says.

Job’s Daughters:

ROBERT PAWNESHING

Most of the time, you become a Mason first, then get involved in the youth orders. That wasn’t the case for Robert Pawneshing. Instead, it was his wife and children’s involvement with Bethel № 161 of Job’s Daughters that spurred him to learn about Masonry and join Lakewood № 728. More than 25 years later, he’s become integral to both groups.

Pawneshing first served as treasurer for Bethel № 161, where he made a point of involving the young members in the finances of their organization. Later he spent a year as a grand officer for the state organization and was recruited by his youngest daughter, Hannah, who’d since grown up and become Culver City Bethel № 2 guardian, to take over as treasurer. But he remains simply “an extra set of hands” for any of the groups in the area needing help. That often means popping into meetings at other bethels in San Pedro, Norwalk, and Bellflower.

Having already seen his kids matriculate through the order, he’s now got another milestone on the horizon that’s keeping him close to the group. “My granddaughters are 5 and 8 now,” he says— almost ready to keep the family legacy going. ◆

MASTERMIND

FROM PAGE 21

Making CHANGE

Doan didn’t waste time in effecting the change he sought at the Grand Lodge. That included clearing a $200,000 debt and establishing an endowment to guard against future deficits; creating guidelines for the establishment of each year’s budget; and updating fraternal rules on fundraising that had threatened to bankrupt the Shrine.

Other of his decisions were geared toward opening the fraternity to the wider world. Doan issued grand master’s decisions

encouraging members to more freely discuss Freemasonry with nonmembers and allowing candidates to use holy writings other than the Bible during degrees. But most significantly, he issued the directive that allowed for mutual recognition with the Prince Hall Grand Lodge of California. “It was about, What are the essentials that make us Masons, and what are the things that are not essential?” Doan explains.

Past Grand Master Larry Adamson, who has known Doan since they were both DeMolays at Triangle Chapter, says, “Steve made major changes to improve the craft. He and I share a belief that if you’re going to make progress, you have to have the infrastructure in place or it’s meaningless.”

Ferreria says Doan certainly accomplished that. “He essentially rewrote the California Masonic Code,” he says. “He put it all together in a way that made sense.”

The result was a more financially stable organization staffed by a team of full-time professionals. And thanks to his ruling on Prince Hall, the fraternity was opened to more people than ever before. “He has an incredible lens that draws on not only the current state of [Masonic] law but also the historic traditions of grand lodges in the past,” Ferreria says.

That ability to thread the needle between change and tradition has remained a hallmark of Doan’s ever since.

A CAREER OF MENTORSHIP

Today, relatively few members are old enough to remember Doan’s term as grand master. But over the past three decades, he’s done anything but fade into retirement. In addition to his work as chair of the jurisprudence committee, he has also made a point of mentoring Masonic leaders as they climb the ranks.

When Past Grand Master Jeff Wilkins first met Doan, he says, “Our relationship wasn’t like a teacher and pupil. He was a true mentor: He’s asking how he can help me develop into the best me I can be.” Now, Wilkins says he considers the Doan family, including wife Donna and their children, Robert and Stephanie, as well as her husband, Brian Bezner, to be part of his extended family.

In that way, Adamson says, Doan has also rewritten what it means to be a past grand master.

“As I left office, Steve told me, ‘Our greatest contribution isn’t what we did as grand master, but what we do to build the future of this craft,’” Adamson says.

As a true polymath, with an interest in the arts, philosophy, and symbolism, Doan in many ways represents the quintessence of the search for Masonic knowledge.

“Steve Doan is one of those unique human beings and unequivocally one of the smartest people I’ve ever met,” Adamson says. “He’s not driven simply by knowledge but by understanding. He always asks why? and that’s why Freemasonry absolutely fits him so well.” ◆

EXEMPLARS

FROM PAGE 25

together while they were fixing up his car. For generations of San Francisco Masons, there’s a similar memory associated with Dosdorian of patiently practicing the memorization of the ritual, often inside of or underneath the hood of a car.

That makes sense, since Henry Dosdorian has spent a lifetime mastering those two crafts. First initiated all the way back in 1957 at Paul Revere № 462, Dosdorian has perhaps as much institutional knowledge of Freemasonry as anyone in the state. He’s served as lodge master nine times across three different lodges, first in 1970 and most recently in 2023. He’s formally been an officers’ coach for Golden Gate Speranza № 30 and Phoenix № 144 since 2012, and informally a local source of knowledge on all things pertaining to the ritual for much longer. He was also instrumental in the 2001 merger of Paul Revere and Oriental № 144. In addition to that, he’s been lodge treasurer at both Golden Gate Speranza and Pacific-Starr King № 136, and a reliable fillin officer in any role, whenever and wherever he’s needed. “He’s always been the go-to guy when someone has a question about the ritual,” says Rey Harrold, the current inspector of San Francisco’s District 143.

With almost 70 years in the fraternity, Dosdorian has seen— and mentored—countless of his fellow Masons as they prepared for the degrees. Outside of lodge, he was also the man to see for anyone with automotive trouble, having worked with cars his whole life, including 30 years as a mechanic for the city of San Francisco’s auto pool. “I just enjoy it,” Dosdorian says of his role in the lodge. “I enjoy seeing people who want to advance, I enjoy coaching people, and I’m still learning things.”

Johns has known Dosdorian his whole life—he recalls Dosdorian picking his father up to take him to lodge each week. Years later, it was Dosdorian who encouraged Johns to join them at Phoenix № 144. “He’s kind of like my second father,” Johns says. “He’s one of the kindest, most genuine people I know. He’s probably the reason I ended up in the car business.” (Johns is now a manager at two auto dealerships.)

For as devoted as Dosdorian has been for so long to Freemasonry, he never pursued any of the concordant bodies of Masonry, like the Scottish Rite or Shrine. “I never had enough time for it,” he offers.

As for what advice Dosdorian has gleaned from almost seven decades of coaching and mentorship within the lodge, the now90-year-old offers a simple admonition: pay attention. “It’s easy to listen, and you learn an awful lot,” he says. “By talking you miss a lot.” ◆

Allan Nubla

MEMBER SINCE 2007

MASTER, SAN LEANDRO No 113

INSPECTOR, DISTRICT No 141

California Freemason : You’ve been a very generous donor to the California Masonic Foundation. What inspires you to give back?

Allan Nubla : It’s a great feeling when you give from the heart. I didn’t have a lot when I first came to the United States. After becoming a father, I wanted to devote myself to not just my children, but the next genera tion, too. We need to ensure our youth are ready for the future ahead. So besides being a Grand Master Circle donor, I also give to St. Jude, the children’s research hospital. And my lodge, San Leandro № 113, is also involved in Masons4Mitts.

CFM : How did you get involved in Freemasonry?

A N : My late brother, who lived in the Philippines, intro duced me. About 10 years after I immigrated to the U.S., I visited my brother, who was an Entered Appren tice at the time. He shared a lot with me about the craft and what Masons do. In 2006, I was introduced to San Leandro № 113 and was raised a year later. I remember showing a picture to my brother and he was so proud. Unfortunately, he passed before he could become a Master Mason himself, and so I dedicate and owe my whole Masonic journey to him, in his honor. It’s changed my world and has indeed made me a better man.

CFM: Can you tell me more about your career?

AN : I was a longshoreman for 40 years at the Port of Oakland. Similar to how Masonry taught me to be a better man, my work on the waterfront taught me to be more responsible, especially to others. It’s a dangerous job operating heavy machinery—cranes lifting tons overhead—all while ensuring everyone is safe. There’s this saying, “Everything that falls on your head is silent.”

CFM : You must have seen a lot of ships and people come and go. Did you ever come across other Masons?

AN : There was one night shift. I was with my foreman, who is a Prince Hall Mason, and we looked up at a ship and saw someone making the grand hailing sign of a Master Mason. We ran up on the ship and asked if he was OK. He told us he needed help and that he heard a lot of Masons worked at the waterfront. It worked, all right! I was just amazed.

—Justin Japitana

“THE

KEEP YOUR INFORMATION CURRENT

To receive special member email and other important information, please keep your contact information current. Log in and update it today at freemason.org! OFFICIAL PROGRAM COVER GRAND MASTER’S GALA A “Sparkling, Celestial Night” with friends and brothers. SPOUSES AND PARTNERS LUNCH

W ith the pandemic disrupting schools and all aspects of students’ lives, kids need our help now more than ever before. That’s why this year, in addition to our classic leather baseball mitts, M asons 4 M itts will provide children in need with a Super Summer Book Bag : A one-stop goodie bag filled with expertly vetted and age-appropriate reading and math material, compiled by the literacy experts at Raising A Reader. This summer, let’s rally together for California youth!

IVE T ODAY AT M

COME TOGETHER FOR A WEEKEND FULL OF MASONIC EVENTS YourReserveSpot! freemason.org/ AnnComm24

Jordan Tyler Yelinek Assistant Grand Secretary

Food tour of San Francisco + cabaret show at Club Fugazi PLUS Business sessions, vendors’ hall, Grand Master’s installation, and more!

Mark Edson Pressey Grand Marshal

Paul Boghes Bazerkanian Grand Standard Bearer

Alberto Luke Casanova, Jr. Grand Sword Bearer

Frank Rickey Young Grand Bible Bearer

Mark Alexander Nielsen Senior Grand Deacon

David Andrew Forsyth Junior Grand Deacon

Micheal Anthony Padilla Senior Grand Steward

Thomas Lester Pryor, Jr. Junior Grand Steward

Andrew Leroy Rieland Grand Pursuivant

Stephen Richard Miller Grand Organist

Vinz Olivar Tolentino Grand Tiler

Jonathan Shane Davis Assistant Grand Organist

Scotty Joe Christian Assistant Grand Tiler