“A lie can travel halfway around the world while the truth is putting on its shoes.” ~ Bro. Samuel Clements, aka, Mark Twain “The dumbing down of American is most evident in the slow decay of substantive content in the enormously influential media, the 30 second sound bites (now down...
Greetings, Brethren and guests! First, please allow me to open with a small apology for putting this article out a month behind schedule – June was quite the month for me (as it seems it was for many of us,) and served as a personal reminder of something I’ve heard...
Greetings Brethren, family, and friends of Lodge 542! Last month, we had the honor of welcoming the Principal of Coldwater Elementary School, Cynthia Braley, to our Stated Meeting Dinner. Our Lodge has partnered with Cynthia for over 10 years in a literacy program for elementary school kids in the neighborhood....
Greetings Brethren, family, and friends of Lodge 542! The previous month gave me the unique opportunity to experience Masonry from present, past, and future perspectives. I witnessed the revival of one of our current traditions, spoke with a Past Master who ran the Lodge back in the 1970s, and will...
Greetings, brethren! As some of you may know, May is Asian American/Pacific Islander Heritage Month. In the spirit of this, and to both celebrate as well as shed some light on what may be a lesser-known corner of Masonic history, I’m going to take this time to highlight some important...
In thinking what to write about this month I keep coming back to our May Stated Meeting and the discussion that took place. While I can’t divulge the details of the discussion, I can say that it had a very big impact on me and the way I think about...
Greetings Brethren and friends of Lodge 542! It is starting to feel like summer outside… and inside too if you live in The Valley! Summer marks the end of school year and I am sure kids are restless to get out. I hope this is a special summer for them...
The Masonic lewis is an ancient, stone-working tool that symbolizes a Master Mason whose father is also a Master Mason. This honor extends to grandfathers, stepfathers, and other patriarchs within the Master Mason’s family tree. The lewis tool, and variations of it, are still in use by operative masons today....
Greetings, Brethren! A happy April to you, along with the many days of observance and remembrance it brings. I’d like to open this month’s address with an amusing conversation I had recently: I was showing this year’s challenge coin to a friend of mine – the one that lists the...
Hello Brethren, Well, it’s April already. We have now been at the Van Nuys Masonic Center for three months and after some hesitation and doubts, it’s going much better than any of us thought it would. We still have quite a ways to go, however, with regards to making ourselves...