To whom it may concern,
We are planning on having our Installation of Officers for the ensuing Masonic year on Saturday, December 7th, 2024 at Eel River Empire Lodge #147, at 2 pm. It will be an open event and all are welcome. Refreshers will be served after the installation. Could you please put this on your Masonic calendar.
Thank you,
Mike Flockhart, WM
Thank you to everyone who attended our September 4th meeting. We had 9 officers present and several guests! It was so nice to see so many people. It was also wonderful to see all the school supplies donated for Alice Birney School. There were items in the East and in the West, plus I received three more bags of donations down at the cars, and more donations the following night. Thank you to everyone who participated in this project! You are all so much appreciated!
Along with the school supply drive, refreshments of school lunch type foods were provided prior to the meeting. The “Thank You for Coming!” gifts went to Sisters Lisa McCombs and JoAnna Matlock!
To back up just a little bit, August 31 was a beautiful reception honoring Grand Electa, Sister Deanna Bay. The decorations were beautiful, with hand-made gorgeous large paper roses all around the room. Watching Deanna and her special escort (a gaggle of grandchildren) walking up to the East was adorable!
The following day, September 1, was a brunch reception for our Deputy Grand Matron, Sister Lisa McCombs, and was a lovely event, followed by a LOT of wonderful food for brunch. Anyone who walked away hungry had only themselves to blame!
Coming up, Rohnerville-Redwood Chapter will host a Revelation Night party on Thursday, Sept. 26, at 7:30. Revelation Night is the evening that the 2025 Grand Officers and Deputy Grand Matrons will be revealed. R-R have a big screen in their dining room to stream live the announcements. There will be a Dessert Potluck, so if you have a favorite dessert you would like to share, please bring it. I plan to attend, so if you need a ride, let me know. It will be a lot of fun!
Camellia Star’s next meeting will be on October 2 and have a “Teddy Bear Picnic” theme. Please bring with you to our picnic your stuffed best friend, whether it be a teddy bear, an elephant, a rasta banana, a bat, or whatever is your favorite plushy! Refreshments will be at 7:00 and the meeting at 7:30. Attire will be business casual. The meeting will be long-form for the Camellia Star officers.
The October meeting is also elections, so be sure to have your signed paper on the dais before the meeting starts stating what office you aspire to, if you are running for an elected office. You do not have to be present to run, but I do need a paper you signed, along with two other members of our Chapter who nominate you for the office.
I mentioned at our September meeting that Brother Lee had been tickled by the fact that there is a “Marooned Without a Compass Day” in November and had wanted that theme for the November 6 meeting; however, he did not tell me what he had in mind for that meeting. So if you have any ideas as to what to do for the “Marooned Without a Compass” theme, please let me know! Thank you!
Best wishes to one and all –
Joni Hewston, Worthy Matron
Camellia Star Chapter No. 63
PHOTO: Worthy Matron Joni with some of the many donations for the school supplies drive at Camellia Star’s September meeting
All,
We will be conferring a 3rd degree upon brother Johnny Johnson Sr. on Wednesday, September 25th at Eel River Empire Lodge #147. We plan to open at 7 and beginning the degree at 7:30. All Master Masons are welcome.
Fraternally,
Mike Flockhart, WM
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
Our meeting on August 7 was a nice one. We had a potluck that included hot dogs and various side dishes and desserts and enjoyed each others’ company prior to the meeting. Then we had an ante room meeting to accomplish our business before going our separate ways.
Reports were made of the successful Afternoon Tea benefiting Paws for Purple Hearts which raised about $1,683, plus a donation from a generous benefactor (who will be missed very much) of another $1,000, and of the delivery of the prizes and monetary donation to the Humboldt County Library for their Summer Reading Program.
Our next meeting is on Wednesday, September 4, 2024, with a “Salute to Teachers!” and a school supply drive. For your information, this was another service event that was brought up by and supported by Brother Lee. Refreshments are at 7:00, meeting at 7:30. Attire is business casual. Please bring school supplies to adorn the East and spill over into the West. The supplies will be donated to Alice Birney School.
In the meantime, I hope you have all RSVP’d and plan to attend the reception for our Grand Electa Deanna Bay on August 31 at 7 p.m. in Loleta and the brunch honoring our Deputy Lisa McCombs on Sunday, September 1, at 11:00 a.m. in Arcata. Both of these ladies are very special people, and it’d be so great to support them and show them our appreciation and love.
Looking ahead, our meeting on October 2 is a Teddy Bear (and other animals) Picnic with refreshments at 7:00 and meeting at 7:30. It is also elections night, so if you aspire to any elected office, please remember to have your signed paper on the dais stating what office you aspire to with two signatures by other members of the Chapter nominating you for that position. You do not have to be there in person, but your paper needs to be present for me to read under elections. Thank you!
Please remember we are a small Chapter, so it is important to attend the meetings if you are able to ensure we have a quorum so we can conduct business and vote on things.
Both our September and October meetings will be long form for our officers so we are sure to conform to the OES rules about such things.
Also please check the articles being posted on northcoastmasons.com by our Chapter and other Chapters, by Masonic Lodges, youth groups, etc., to keep up with everything that is going on in our District area.
I look forward to seeing everyone on September 4.
Take care, and be well, and thank you for being you –
Joni Hewston, Worthy Matron
Camellia Star Chapter No. 63
“Knowledge is limited. Imagination encircles the World.” – from Albert Einstein
Greetings Honored Ladies and Sir Knights of Eureka Court and California Order of the Amaranth.
We are nearing the end of August and hoping to also be nearing the end of the summer temperatures and smoke from all of the fires, that seem to arrive every summer. We hope that all of our members are safe with family and friends and are settling in for the cooler weather we all hope for.
July was the time for our Official Visit from our Deputy Grand Royal Matron, Elizabeth Lorig, and Tricia Coombs, our Grand Lecturer. It was a successful visit and both ladies, after observing our Court and its records, gave gracious remarks.
We received Communications for the newly installed Supreme Royal Matron and Patron, the Supreme Lecturer and Grand Secretary and our Associate Grand Conductress. Our own HL Dolores Wright sent a message of “love and missing everyone” from her home south of us. She is not able to travel as she and her husband Paul (PRP) were able to do in the past. HL Jary is doing better with new medications. HL Donna Kennard (PGM) was able to share some of the things she did while on her visit as Grand
Representative to Oklahoma. Her granddaughter was able to attend sessions with her. We also received a message that the OES District 1 Tea held for “Paws for Purple Hearts” was successful to the tune of $2,300.00. Thanks were received for all those who participated to this worthy cause.
Nine members of our Court responded to an invitation from HL Tricia, Mother Advisor of Humboldt Assembly IORG, and HL Liz, Deputy of the Assembly, to assist with an initiation at Humboldt Assembly, International Order of the Rainbow for Girls. Some of our Honored Ladies were Rainbow Girls in their youth and some were not, but all stepped up immediately to assist. And what a fun time it was. They were joined by members of the Eastern Star Chapters in our District and gave a wonderful, inspiring Initiation. This reporter was one who was a member of Rainbow in the 1960’s and due to living in an area where the Assembly had closed, had not been to a meeting since. But the ritual came back to mind immediately. And I thank Liz and Tricia for the opportunity to participate. HL Jaelen Lorig was the Installing Faith and did an excellent job. The new initiate had the best team on the job. Ladies, when is the next one. I’m ready.
Members and Friends of Eureka Court, welcome. We hope you are having a good summer. We have a couple of months left of this season, if all goes well. Otherwise it may be several months until summer leaves us for the cooler weather.
DID YOU KNOW The summer temperatures are taking a great toll on Shasta and Trinity Lakes. Scientists say that from July 1st through 9th Shasta Lake has lost 2.2 billion gallons of water and Trinity Lake has lost 828.5 million gallons, just due to evaporation. Just an interesting fact you can share with friends who wonder why the lakes are not at the levels we think they should be.
The Stated Court meeting was held on June 26. It was a busy meeting. In addition to a vote on a by-law change, which we detailed previously, several members were installed into their Grand Offices and Chapter Offices. Congratulations to all who were installed and thank you to all who participated.
Royal Matron and HL Tricia are asking for ideas and input from the members for a fund raiser for the fall. A Bowl-a-Thon has been
suggested and ideas are welcome. It sounds like a fun way to raise some money as well as promote our organization and enjoy being around friends, old and new.
Below are a few reminders of things upcoming on our calendar. Remember, your support at these events promotes “paws-a-tivity” and fellowship with other Masonic orders.
Chapter Dates
July 24 – Eureka Court. Our next meeting is the Official Visit of our
Assistant Grand
Lecturer and Grand Royal Matron.
September 25 – Eureka Court. Official Visit of the Grand Royal Matron and Grand Royal Patron.
Other Noteworthy Events
August 10 – Initiation for International Order of Rainbow for Girls
August 11 – Masonic Family Picnic
August 31 – OES Reception. Grand Electa. Deana Bay
September 1 – OES Reception. Lisa McCombs. Deputy Grand Matron
! September 24 – Madaket Cocktail Cruise. Reservation Required. $20.00.
! September 28 – Queen Christina Luncheon. Los Angeles County Zoo.
Reservations Required.
Dates are subject to change, so be sure to check with the appropriate organization. Also check for specifics as to confirming reservations and
cost. Reservations are usually required four to six weeks in advance.
Those of you who have been missing our meetings of late, we hope that you are back in good health, your family visitors have returned to their homes, and your various vacations and other obligations will now allow you
to join us at our next meetings.
THOUGHT FOR THE DAY
Happiness is the only thing that multiplies when you share it.
By Albert Schweitzer.
My Brothers and Friends,
Busy times here at Six Rivers #106. First of all we are doing a few degrees from First to Third. July 13th saw our annual Michael J. Vertar Memorial Outdoor degree at Wor. Steve Jacobs Estate in Fieldbrook. This year we Raised Br. Charlie Johnson to the degree of Master Mason; congratulations my Brother, we already have a place in the line prepared for you. Skipping ahead to August 27th, we will be Initiating a new brother at the Lodge starting at 7 PM. Mr. James R. Reid (Mitch) will be welcomed into Masonry and it is hoped his new Brothers -to-be will all attend.
A good time was had by all 22 Masons, their family and friends at our Lodge Crabs game and BBQ night on July 23rd. Tri-Tip steak was cooked by Br. Charlie Johnson, which was enjoyed by all; we even got free Crabs hats to honor the 80 years of Crabs baseball in Arcata. Our next big event will be the District wide Picnic in Fortuna on August 11th, starting at Noon. Come for the BBQ beef and stay for the good fellowship. Again this year, a chili cook off will be judged with prizes and everything! All chili is welcome. Please bring your specimens in a warming dish and they will be dealt with in a proper manner. Looking into September, we will be honoring our local First Responders with a BBQ dinner on September 11th at the Lodge. We are inviting the Arcata Police and McKinleyville Firefighters as well as our Lodge Brothers and families. On September 28th, We will be assisting Ca. Grand Lodge in placing two Corner Stones, one at Eureka High School starting at noon and the other in Blue Lake at their new Health Center starting at 3 PM. There is much to do and your help would be appreciated.
Thank you George Durfee, WM #106
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.
My contact information:
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
Our new term started off with installation on June 9 with a fairyland theme. Betsy was installed as Honored Queen for her third term. Logan was installed as Junior Princess. The other officers installed for this term are Carla as Chaplain, Emily as Recorder, Alice as Treasurer, Lily as Librarian, and Aubrey as Inner Guard.
On June 15, our Bethel participated in the Flag Ceremony at the Elks Lodge. New Junior Princess Logan did an outstanding job paying tribute to the American Flag.
Our meeting on June 17 was a business meeting at which we started planning the new term. One thing that we are looking forward to this summer is fitting in a camping trip!
We left for Grand Bethel in Visalia on June 19. Three of our members had entered competitions, and received some awards! Good work, ladies! Grand Bethel is always more fun the more involved you are. Our Bethel was selected to be the Representative of Kentucky, so we will be communicating with the Bethels there to see what sort of activities they like to do. Our Honored Queen Betsy got to carry the Kentucky flag. Our Bethel also took part in the necrology ceremony. After Grand Bethel, we visited Discovery Kingdom on our way home. Lots of fun – and exhaustion – ensued!
On the 4th of July our Bethel had a booth selling Krispie Kreme donuts in Old Town Eureka. Thank you to all who stopped by to purchase donuts! It is our main fundraiser for the year and helps pay our way to Leadership Camp in October.
Junior Princess Logan took a brief break from the donut booth to be a part of the parade in Ferndale on the 4th of July!
On July 14, we helped the 4 Chapters of Eastern Star with their Afternoon Tea benefiting Paws for Purple Hearts.
Next up, we look forward to attending the Masonic Picnic and traveling to Oakland for Librarian’s Day North at the Chabot Space and Science Center where we will spend time with our Grand Guardian and Daughters from all around the north end of the state!
Because our first meeting after summer always lands on Labor Day, we have requested a special dispensation to move the meeting (as we usually do). Our next meeting will be Monday, August 19, at 7:00 p.m. (which will be our Deputy’s instructional meeting), and then the next meeting will be September 16, on the usual third Monday of the month. We will not be meeting on Labor Day.
We would again like to thank everyone who supports our Bethel. We have received several donations from the Masonic family organizations, and we greatly appreciate them all! We also appreciate seeing the Masons, Eastern Star, etc., when they visit our meetings or events or purchase something from us when we have a fundraiser. We could not do all the things we do without the support.
Thanks again, and Happy Summer, everyone!
Bethel No. 86 Eureka
