We had an incredible month which was highlighted by a Grand Lodge visit and the laying of two cornerstones in one day.
The first was at Eureka High School’s new Jay Willard gymnasium, where Grand Master G. Sean Metroka performed the ceremony to a grateful crowd. After lunch, we traveled to Blue Lake and took part in the second cornerstone ceremony for the new Hula Health Center on the Blue Lake Rancheria. It was exciting to be a part of it all, and everyone seemed to enjoy the fellowship. Thanks again to everyone that participated and helped to make the day a memorable one.
It was also a month of remembrance for the lives of two of our most distinguished brothers.
Worshipful Wayne Cooper and Worshipful Lee Astorino entered into rest and now reside with the Supreme Grand Master of the Universe. They will both be sorely missed. Thank you to all the brothers that attended their services.
Quote of the month:
Sweet is the memory of distant friends! Like the mellow rays of the departing sun, it falls tenderly, yet sadly, on the heart. – Washington Irving
Upcoming events:
October 3rd, Thursday – Stated Meeting at 7:00pm
October 10th, Thursday – 2nd Degree Proficiency for Brother Leo Herrera at 6:00pm
October 17th, Thursday – 3rd Degree for Brother Leo Herrera
October 19th, Saturday – Curtesy 3rd for Crescent Lodge #45. More details to follow.
October 25th-27th – Annual Communications (Grand Lodge)
Respectfully,
Dan Sarver Master Humboldt Lodge No. 79
Humboldt Lodge No. 79 – September 2024
Greetings brothers.
September is here and we have a few events coming up, including a 3rd degree for Brother Toland. Please see below for details.
Quote of the month:
Time is the most valuable thing a man can spend. – Theophrastus.
Upcoming events:
September 5th, Thursday – Stated Meeting
September 8th, Saturday – Yard cleanup at the Lambos. Brothers, if you are free on the 8th, please consider visiting with the Lambos starting at 11:30am to help with some yard and garden cleanup.
September 12th, Thursday – Brother Toland Proficiency and 3rd degree practice at 6pm.
September 14th, Saturday – Humboldt Lodge Open House at 12pm to 3pm
September 19th, Thursday – 3rd degree for Brother Toland at 6:30pm
September 26th, Thursday – Cornerstone Meeting at 6pm. All lodge officers are invited.
September 28th, Saturday – Cornerstone ceremony. Grand Lodge opening at Humboldt Lodge No. 79 starting at 9am.
Respectfully,
Dan Sarver Master Humboldt Lodge No. 79
Humboldt Lodge No. 79 – August 2024
Greetings, brethren.
The days are flying by and it’s August already. The Perfect Ashlar Society has a big project in front of us and brothers, I need your help.
We have purchased 252 bicycles that will be donated to Toys 4 Toys, and they’ll be given as Christmas gifts this year. The only catch is that the bicycles will need to be inspected and some minor repairs performed as required. A few of the bikes will also need to be assembled. If you are willing to join the team and have metric tools, we meet at the Toys 4 Tots warehouse on the weekends and spend a few hours working on the bikes. Please reach out to me for details and I look forward to seeing you there.
You can also reach me through the lodge or iMember.
Quote of the month:
Until you value yourself, you will not value your time. Until you value your time, you will not do anything with it. -M. Scott Peck
Upcoming events:
August 11th – Sunday, 12pm, Masonic Picnic at Rohnerville Park in Fortuna. This is a free event and the whole family is welcome. Come out and enjoy the day with the whole North Coast Masonic Family.
August 8th – Thursday, 6pm, Officer’s Rehearsal – advanced stations
August 15th – Thursday, 6pm, Officer’s Rehearsal – advanced stations
August 22nd – Thursday, 6:30pm, First Degree for Mr. Jace Baldosser.
August 29th – Thursday, 6:30pm, First Degree for Mr. Damon Ladousier.
We all know how important the First Degree is, so please join me as we welcome two new brothers to our fraternity.
And now, in his own words, I’d like to introduce you to Brother Joseph Freedman:
I was born in İstanbul Türkiye, came to America as a baby, and grew up in Humboldt County. I’m a dual citizen.
I have a big family in Türkiye on my mother’s side, and also family in Australia, Hawaii, and San Francisco on my father’s side. I am single and have no kids.
I am currently a student taking classes in math & computer science, and I make and sell pens. In the beginning of the year I had finished building a robot/CNC that fully automates the pen-turning process. Starting from rough pen blanks to finished pen barrels, from the press of a button on my phone.
I have also been building a quantitative hedge fund called Fintron. In a nutshell, it involves various technologies for identifying and exploiting market inefficiencies autonomously, similar to the concept of a self-driving car, though for finance. It involves a lot of programming, math, statistics, machine learning, and most of all, dealing with data!
Besides building machines for making pens and software applications, I like to throw knives in my spare time, and go out in nature. I used to play video games a lot and I still miss them. Skyrim, GTA 5, and World of Warcraft were my go-to. I and my family also like traveling.
One of the special interests I’ve had, particularly as a teenager in the Boy Scouts, is bushcraft & survival skills. Building shelters, fires, tools, etc. Right now my focus is on modern and future technology, but primitive technology is also really important to me and I will come back to it more in the future.
I smashed my PS4 in November of 2021, because I loved playing video games too much, 5+ hours a day. I realized I was wasting so much time, and I decided to start learning programming instead.
The main reason I joined Freemasonry is that I’ve always been curious about ancient wisdom and philosophy, and I wanted to learn more about it through Freemasonry. The brotherhood aspect is also great and I’ve met very interesting people that I wouldn’t have met otherwise.
My message to all of you is to embrace your uniqueness. We all have flaws that we’re working on, and I am no exception to that. But our weaknesses are often on the other side of our strengths, two sides of the same coin.
Some weaknesses are worth fixing, while others can be complemented by the strengths of our fellow team members. The wisdom is, knowing which ones to fix, and which ones to accept.
Work on your weaknesses, to navigate the world more effectively, while tripling down on your strengths. Your difference is what makes a difference in the world.
Respectfully, Dan Sarver Master Humboldt Lodge No. 79
Humboldt Lodge No. 79 – Senior Moments Baseball
Who are these young guys? These are the members of the senior softball team, Senior Moments, the team that Humboldt lodge has sponsored for the past seven seasons. The members are 60 plus years in age. They want to thank the lodge for their support and hope that the lodge will support them in the years to come.
Humboldt Lodge No. 79 – July 2024
Greetings, brothers. It is July and that means it’s time to break out the grill! Our lodge had an enjoyable day at the Crabs baseball game and barbecue with over 60 guests in attendance. It is an event that I look forward to every year and this time, I had the pleasure of manning the grill. Excellent weather and good company made for a great day. And the Crabs came from behind and won in the 11th inning. What a game! I hope you all are enjoying the summer.
Quote of the month:
“Success is not final; failure is not fatal: It is the courage to continue that counts.” —Winston Churchill
July events:
July 4th – Thursday – Humboldt lodge is dark for the July 4th Holiday
July 11th – Thursday – Stated Meeting @ 7pm
July 18th – Thursday – 3rd degree rehearsal @ 6pm
July 20th – Saturday – Masonic Race Day Barbecue at the Samoa Drag Strip @ 11am. We will need volunteers to help with set-up, packing and cleanup.
July 25th – Thursday – 3rd degree for Brother Tom Lazio @ 6:30pm
July 27 – Saturday – Coffee with the Master @ 9am
And now, I would like to introduce you to Brother Jesse Hindbaugh.
Jesse was born in Illinois and grew up in the Midwest. He spent time in the Sierra Nevada’s and then moved to Humboldt County.
He worked for a time as a microbiologist but now likes to try new things that interest him. One thing he mentioned was that he has his own ammunition company, which lead me to think that he is a hunter. And I was right. Jesse loves hunting season and the great outdoors. He also likes hiking, which is understandable since. Humboldt County has some of the finest trails to be found on the west coast.
Jesse is also the adventurous type that likes to ride motorcycles, 4 wheelers, and jet skis. When pushing the limits of his vehicles, he sometimes went a little too fast which led him to break a few bones. About 76 of them! Hey Jesse, are you moonlighting as a Hollywood stuntman?
Golfing is another favorite pastime and while he admits that he will never be the greatest golfer, his goal is to be the best dressed golfer.
When I asked Jesse what he most enjoys about masonry, he said it is the strong friendships he has made over the years; how his brothers are always there to lend a helping hand if needed and how everyone gets along. “I wouldn’t trade masons for anything. I just really like this group.”
Jesse lives in McKinleyville with his wife Erica, and three teen daughters.
Respectfully,
Daniel Sarver Master Humboldt Lodge No. 79
Humboldt Lodge No. 79 – Masons 4 Mitts
Details and QR code below. Every $20.00 buys a baseball mitt for a child. Donate today!
Humboldt Lodge No. 79 – June 2024
Greetings, brethren.
June is finally here. Temperatures are rising and the weather has been beautiful lately. It’s the perfect time to enjoy the great outdoors of Humboldt County. Whether it’s strolling on the beach, or hiking in the redwood forests, now is the time to be outside.
I would like to take a moment to thank all the brothers that showed up at Ocean View and Sunset cemeteries to put flags out for Veterans Day. It was a fun time, except for those blood thirsty mosquitoes. In the end, we put out and collected about 3,000 flags in total.
We have some degrees coming up including a couple of 3rd degrees. We just need a few more practices and we’ll get them on the calendar. Stay tuned.
Quote of the month:
“What lies behind us, and what lies before us, are tiny matters compared to what lies within us.”—Ralph Waldo Emerson.
Our June calendar of events is listed below.
June 6th, Thursday – Humboldt Lodge Stated Meeting at 7:00pm
June 8th, Saturday – District School of Instruction at Crescent Lodge in Crescent City. Starting at 10:00am.
June 13th, Thursday – Taco Thursday for the Eureka Police Department, where the lodge will be treating EPD to a free taco lunch. Also, we will have a rehearsal of the 2nd section of the 3rd degree at 6:30pm.
June 15th, Saturday – Father’s Day Dinner at the VI in Ferndale starting at 5:30pm. Tickets are $30.00 per person and can be purchased on the lodge website. When you buy your ticket, please specify your meal choice, chicken or steak.
June 18th, Tuesday – Humboldt Lodge Festive Board at Six Rivers Lodge No. 106 starting at 6:00pm. This year, we will have our annual festive board with our brothers in Arcata. This is a free event. Please RSVP to info@humboldtlodge79.org if you’d like to attend.
June 20th, Thursday – Rehearsal of the 2nd section of the 3rd degree at 6:30pm.
June 22nd, Saturday – Coffee with the Master at Humboldt Lodge starting at 9:00am. Come on out and enjoy a cuppa with the leadership team and share your ideas for future lodge events.
June 27th, Thursday – 2nd degree for Brother Leo Herrera at 6:30pm.
June 30th, Sunday – Crabs baseball game at the Arcata Ballpark starting at noon. $10.00 a person and this includes the game ticket, food and drinks. Bring the whole family. Tickets can be purchased on the lodge website.
And now, I’d like to introduce you to Joshua Lawrence.
Josh was born in Arcata, California and raised in Cutten. He is a software developer by trade and has been married to his wife Ann for 15 years in September. She is a part-time flight attendant and they met at the airport in McKinleyville. He is a dog lover and has two of them, Jake and Zelda. The older dog, Jake is about 15 years of age. Josh and Ann got him the first year of their marriage.
In his spare time Josh likes to work with his hands. One project that Josh enjoyed was remodeling his AirBnB. It gave him the chance to, “do something that doesn’t require a computer” he told me. I understand that feeling. (I also work with computers all day.)
And he has done some traveling. He was telling me about a trip to Machupicchu in Peru, before COVID and how he enjoyed taking pictures and trying some of the local delicacies, including fire roasted guinea pig on a spit. “Gamey” was how he described its flavor. Funny, I thought it would have tasted like chicken.
When I asked Josh what he most liked about Freemasonry, he said it was the friendships he has made over the years with his lodge brothers. “I have made friends with guys that I might have never crossed paths with outside of the lodge.”
Josh frequently attends our lodge events with Ann and you can also find him at our monthly stated meetings.
Respectfully,
Dan Sarver Master Humboldt Lodge No. 79
Humboldt Lodge No. 79 – Additions to the May Events Schedule
Hello Brothers.
We have some additions to the Humboldt Lodge events schedule for May 2024 and beyond. They are as follows:
May 9th, Thursday – 1st degree for Mr. Sheyenne Stillinger at Humboldt Lodge– 6:30pm
May 10th, Friday – Cook your own steak night at the Elks – 6:00pm
May 11th, Saturday – Two events: Coffee with the Master at Humboldt Lodge – 9:00am. Humboldt Lodge group blood donation at Northern California Community Blood Bank – approximately 11:00am
May 13th, Monday – Humboldt Lodge carpet repairs begin.
May 16th, Thursday – 3rd degree rehearsal at Humboldt Lodge – 6:00pm. This will take place in the library (read through) or the dining room due to the lodge carpet repairs.
May 23rd, Thursday – 3rd degree rehearsal at Humboldt Lodge – 6:00pm. This will also take place in the library (read through) or the dining room due to the lodge carpet repairs.
May 25th, Saturday – Place flags on the graves of veterans at Ocean View Cemetery – 7:30am. The whole family is welcome. We usually put out a few thousand flags in a few hours. Donuts are also provided.
May 25th, Saturday – BBQ with Six Rivers Lodge at Six Rivers No. 106 – 6:00pm. Brothers this is a FREE event. There will be standard BBQ food, with whiskey and cigars by the campfire!
May 27th, Monday – Remove flags from the graves at Ocean View Cemetery – 3:00pm
May 30th, Thursday – 3rd degree rehearsal
June 1st, Saturday – Herman Bouler Masonic Funeral at Six Rivers Lodge No. 106 – 1pm. Brothers, if you only attend one event this month, this is the one. Herman was a beloved brother of the fraternity, and he is sorely missed. Please join me as we pay our respects to Herman and his family.
June 8th, Saturday – District School of instruction at Crescent City Lodge – 10am to 12pm
June 15th, Saturday – Two events: the annual trap shoot at the Humboldt Trap Club – 10am to 2pm. See Buster Garrison for more information. Father’s Day dinner at the VI in Ferndale – 5:30pm to 8pm
June 18th, Tuesday – FESTIVE BOARD at Six Rivers Lodge No. 106 – 6:15pm. This year, our festive board will be sponsored by Six Rivers and will take place at their lodge. Brothers, this is another FREE event. Beef stew is the main course this time. Please RSVP to me at info@humboldtlodge79.org if you’d like to attend. Masons only.
Take care, talk soon.
Dan Sarver
Master
Humboldt Lodge No. 79
Humboldt Lodge No. 79 – May 2024
Greetings, brethren.
The month of May is here, and Spring is in full bloom. It’s my favorite season for a lot of reasons, the beautiful flowers, the mild temperatures, but mostly, it’s the fragrances. Lilacs blooming, their sweet smell on the breeze. Falling asleep at night to the scent of Jasmine flowers right outside the bedroom window. And my wife’s favorite, viburnum, sweet and spicy in all its splendor.
Quote of the month:
“Spring is far more than a changing of the seasons; it is a rebirth of the spirit.” – Toni Sorenson
Congratulations to Brother Doug Brown for obtaining his 3rd degree proficiency. Well done! And a special thank you to Worshipful Nick Bertell for being his coach.
I would like to thank all the brothers that attended the district school of instruction on April 25th. The brethren’s ritual is coming along nicely and I’m proud of the commitment you all have shown. A special thank you to Sandy Lambo for the absolutely excellent meatball sandwiches.
Upcoming events:
Thursday, May 2nd – Stated meeting at 7pm.
Thursday, May 9th – The all-important 1st degree for Mr. Sheyenne Cimaron Stillinger at 6:30pm. Brothers, I want as many masons on the sidelines as possible for this degree. Let’s give Mr. Stillinger a 1st degree he’ll always remember!
Saturday, May 11th – Coffee with the Master at 9am. We have some things to discuss regarding the upcoming cornerstone events in September. Right after coffee, there is a Masonic Blood donation at the Northern California Community Blood Bank, approximately 11am.
Thursday, May 16th – 3rd degree rehearsal.
Thursday, May 23th – 3rd degree rehearsal.
Saturday, May 25th – There are two events. First at 8am, we are meeting up at Oceanview cemetery to put flags on the graves of our veterans. Flags will be collected on Monday, May 27th starting at 3pm. All masons and their families are welcome to attend.
The second event, later that evening at 6pm, we are having a masonic barbecue at Six Rivers Lodge No. 106. This is a no cost event that will feature fellowship, food, whisky, and cigars. All masons are welcome.
Thursday, May 30th – 3rd degree rehearsal.
A very busy month indeed. I’m looking forward to it.
And now, I’d like to introduce you to Brother Peter Castellano.
Born in Oklahoma, Pete moved to Florida at age 7. He then moved to Humboldt in 1999 to attend college.
Pete is a direct support professional for Humboldt Community Access and Resource Center (HCAR) and works at The Studio, helping people with disabilities. Over time, he worked himself up the ranks and now manages the program.
Pete has a lot of interests and hobbies. In his spare time, he enjoys cooking, going to the beach, kayaking, fishing, photography, collecting marbles, rock hunting and rock tumbling.
Caitlan is Pete’s wife of 7 years. And they have two fur babies, Ved the dog and Davey the cat.
When I asked Pete what he most enjoys about free masonry he said that the fraternity gives him the opportunity to a have a larger effect on the world than just by himself. “It’s a better framework for improving myself. Making me a better person. And let’s not forget helping Santa get tuned up for Christmas as his masonic elf!
