CALIFORNIA FREEMASON 2002 Winter Relief IN THE 21ST CENTURY The Midnight Mission is Masonic philosophy in action www.californiamasons.org A STUDENT IN DISTRESS MAY NOT ASK FOR HELP. ith early intervention, troubled students have a greater Since 1994, charitable giving to the California Masonic W chance of redirecting their lives before it’s too late. Foundation has enabled 3,500 California educators to assist more than 30,000 students. The Masonic Student Assistance Program gives teachers the skills to detect warning signs of low self-esteem, depression, violence, suicide, parental neglect, substance For more information about MSAP, go to abuse, and other problems. www.californiamasons.org. C ONTENTS CALIFORNIA FREEMASON VOLUME 51 DECEMBER 1, 2002 NUMBER 1 12cover story PUBLICATION BOARD M. William Holsinger, Grand Master What does Masonic relief mean to us today, in the John L. Cooper III, Grand Secretary 21st century? In 1914, relief was providing a meal EDITORIAL STAFF Allan L. Casalou, Managing Editor to someone in need. Today, relief might be Kimberly B. Rogers, Copy Editor Steffani Kizziar, Masonic Homes Editor assistance with chemical dependency, protection Brad Bradbury, Online Editor from an abusive husband, or teaching someone the CONTRIBUTORS skills needed to get a job. The Midnight Mission is Ann Lyon Dudley Rob Ellis an inspiring story of Masonic relief in action. This Andrew Horn Douglas D. Ismail issue looks at the many faces of Masonic relief and Terry L. Mendez how they have evolved throughout history. Alison Steiner Miller PHOTOGRAPHERS David Braun Photography Alison Steiner Miller Moulin Studios Andrew Horn Ann Felipe Alec Duncan 5 in california Art direction by TLM Communications Design by Burritt Design The Kids ID program gives parents Cover by Mark Dastrup Photography peace of mind. OFFICERS OF THE GRAND LODGE GRAND MASTER M. William Holsinger, Evergreen No. 259 DEPUTY GRAND MASTER 16 history Howard D. Kirkpatrick, Reading No. 254 SENIOR GRAND WARDEN Relief becomes a Mason’s central David R. Doan, Sunset No. 369 duty during one of the nation’s JUNIOR GRAND WARDEN 10 lodge spotlight Frederick L. Sorsabal, El Dorado No. 26 worst disasters. GRAND TREASURER Southern California lodges join Warren J. Blomseth, Crow Canyon No. 551 together to assist the Grand GRAND SECRETARY John L. Cooper III, Culver City-Foshay No. 467 Lodge of Hungary. GRAND LECTURER 18 around the world Harold A. Macy, Palmdale No. 769 The Grand Lodge of the Czech Republic receives support from www.californiamasons.org Masons worldwide after being 11 masonic education devastated by floods. A look at Masonic relief in the CALIFORNIA FREEMASON (USPS 083-940) is published quarterly by the 18th century. Publishing Board and is the only official publication of the Grand Lodge of Free and 20 masonic homes Accepted Masons of the State of California, 1111 California St., San Francisco, CA 94108-2284. Lauryn Taylor becomes the first Phone: 800/831-8170 or 415/776-7000; fax: 415/776-0483; known Mason to grow up in the e-mail: [email protected]. Children’s Home at Covina and Publication Office – Publication offices at the Grand Lodge Offices, 1111 California Street, 15 membership retire at the Masonic Home at San Francisco, CA 94108-2284. Periodicals Postage Paid at San Francisco, CA and at Union City. additional mailing offices. While total membership has been Postmaster – Send address changes to declining for years, 2002 marks a California Freemason, 1111 California Street, San Francisco, CA 94108-2284. rise in the number of degrees Publication Dates – Publication dates are the first day of December, March, June, and conferred — a promising sign for September. Masonry in California. Subscriptions – CALIFORNIA FREEMASON is mailed to every member of this Masonic jurisdiction without additional charge. Others are invited to subscribe for $2.00 a year or $2.75 outside of the United States. Permission to reprint – Permission to reprint original articles in CALIFORNIA FREEMASON is granted to all recognized Masonic publications with credit to the author and this publication. California Freemason 3 Winter 2002 E DITORIAL Executive Message Let them know you care hat an honor and privilege it is to care for themselves and their families. But remember, the responsibility for me to have been elected to History discloses that most miners belongs to every Mason to be a friend to W serve as the grand master of this found little gold, some died looking, and those who are not as fortunate as you. great jurisdiction. I shall endeavor to carry many contracted fatal illnesses. One of the Make a commitment to yourself that on the rich traditions of my predecessors. original lodges, Jennings Lodge No. 4 in during this year, you will visit someone The theme for this year will be Sacramento, expended all its assets caring who is sick or lonely and let that person “Freemasonry seeks good men and makes for the sick in the great influenza know that you care. You will be glad you them better — tell a friend.” Central to this epidemic, and the lodge ceased to exist. did, and so will they. theme is membership development and In the 21st century, our challenge is While you are making that visit, keep Masonic education. These are the issues quite different, yet basically the same. your eyes open for that good man who has we will be emphasizing this year, but now I While we are fortunate to be able to not yet learned about Masonry. If you find want to call your attention to one of the provide for our times of poor health him, enlighten him, and maybe he will ask three principal tenets of Masonry — relief. through various forms of insurance, the to know more. In the first degree we were all reminded basic need for human involvement is still Freemasonry seeks good men and that “to relieve the distressed is a duty the same. Newly discovered drugs can makes them better — tell a friend! incumbent on all men, but particularly on relieve pain and suffering, but there are Masons.” times when a kind word from a friend will When those gold-seeking 49ers found do far more to relieve a broken heart than their way to California, some with lodge all the drugs science has created. charters in their saddlebags, many had left It is the responsibility of each one of us M. William Holsinger their wives and families hundreds of miles to remember our sick and lonely friends, grand master behind, not knowing whether they would neighbors, and brother Masons. At times ever see them again. I am confident one of when the need is too great for an the reasons they established Masonic individual, the lodge should move into lodges in the frontier was to establish a action. When the need is overwhelming, connection with men of similar values, our Masonic Homes stand ready to with the knowledge that Masons are provide assistance. compassionate, caring men. They also knew they were taking a step toward caring for those loved ones far away. Remember that Medicare and health insurance did not exist. There was no Social Security, and men were left to their own resourcefulness California Freemason 4 Winter 2002 I N C ALIFORNIA Giving parents peace of mind Kids ID program prepares parents for the unthinkable It’s every parent’s worst nightmare: Your child is missing. What do you do? With several high-profile abduction cases and increasing media coverage, parental awareness and concern is on the rise. Indeed, the statistics are sobering. About 800,000 children are reported missing each year in the United States. And it’s estimated that the total number of missing children (including those that are not reported) is as high as 1.3 million per year. Law enforcement officials say that when a child is missing, a current picture, fingerprint, and physical information is critical in the crucial first hours. The Kids ID program puts this information in parents’ Members of San Diego Lodge No. 35 provided Kids ID service at a local school’s Halloween hands. The program’s biggest benefit, however, is to festival. About 100 children were IDed at this event, bringing the lodge’s total for the year to 1,000 kids. parents’ peace of mind. Having this information gives parents comfort that they are prepared — just in case. KIDS ID SUCCESSFUL FROM START “Parents are extremely interested in how the identification The Kids ID program began in 1998 when the California sheet works,” says Kenneth Miller, master of Ontario Lodge Masonic Foundation purchased three systems. The No. 301. “Parents tell me that it’s a big relief not only to have Foundation systems are loaned to lodges for use at local fairs, this information on hand, but more importantly, to know what festivals, and community events. to do in case they ever need to use it.” From the start, Kids ID events have been highly successful. JUST IN CASE As more and more lodges saw a need for Kids ID events in their communities, demand for the systems was soon so great One parent at a recent Kids ID event in San Diego said, that the Foundation began selling the software to individual “With so many kidnappings in the news, you realize it can lodges. happen to anybody. As a parent, you start to wonder what Almost five years later, more than 40 lodges have purchased you’d do if it was your child. I have lots of pictures around, but the software and their own equipment. The Foundation now I don’t have fingerprints. God forbid I ever need to use [the owns 11 systems that are loaned to lodges, as well as a identification sheet], but I know I have it ready if I need it.