Sword & Trowel June 2019 Volume 7 No. 01 Page 1 · Sword & Trowel June 2019 Volume 7 No. 01 Page 5 • RI James (Jim) M. Sunseri-Grand Orator • RI William (Bill) J. Miklos-Grand

Sword & Trowel June 2019 Volume 7 No. 01 Page 1


Table of Contents ..... 2 Vision Statement ..... 3 OMG We Have an Avocado Picker ..... 4 Request for your help ..... 9 Officers Biography’s’ ..... 10

Guy and Jeanne Chalmers ...................... 10 Grand Sessions ..... 17 Red Bluff ..... 18 Channel Islands ..... 20 San Luis Obispo ..... 21 Sebastopol ..... 22 Scholarships ..... 23 Editor’s Thoughts ..... 23 Contacts ..... 24

Illustrious Grand Master Cryptic Masons: 24 Grand Secretary/Recorder: ..................... 24 Assistant Secretary/Recorder: ................. 24 Website: ........ ......................................... 24 Officers: Grand Council Cryptic Masons California 25

Table of Contents


Vision Statement


Wow!!! Do you realize what you have done! You have Raised-UP a former avocado picker to be your Most Illustrious Grand Master! God Bless You All! This can only happen in

America! I truly feel humbled to have been elected as your presiding Grand Officer and I

want to thank you all for this great recognition and honor.

I want to thank my Installing Team, who are truly a Dream Team, starting with:

• IO: MIC David L. Chesebro [2014] and his Lady Sarah,

• Inst. Marshal: MIC Robert A. L. Whitfield [2011] and his Lady Genie,

• Inst. Chap: MIC James G. Baum [2001] and his Lady LuAnn,

• Hon. Marshal: MIC Lee P. Whelan [2017],

• Inst. Recorder: MIC Frederick (Tiny) Potter [2008] and his Lady Donna, and our

• Host: The Junior MIPGM Bill Dann and his Lady Anne.

These six Most Illustrious Companions have served as my mentors throughout the years, so

I want to extend my deepest appreciation for all of their support, advice, and

encouragement they have given me during my time in the Progressive Line. A special

thanks to RI Mark Harris for his Sweet Song and Musicality.

In particular, I want to acknowledge and thank our Junior Past Grand Master, MI Bill Dann, for having done a wonderful job at the helm of our beloved organization.

Notwithstanding two huge personal tragedies he had to face at the beginning of his tenure,

he was able to muster the strength and composure needed to fulfill his duties. He showed

True Grit. He also served as a mentor to me and I am most grateful.

I also want to thank my photographer extraordinaire, IC Art Walton. He exhibited the

patience of Job, while several of us attempted to herd cats for the photo shoot.

To my officer’s appointed and elected, I want to thank you for helping me develop our

Vision, Mission, and action packed Business Plan for our Grand Council, and I look forward

to our journey together. I want to make sure you know who they are:

• RI: Robert (Bob) A. Morrison-Deputy Grand Master

• RI Peter G. Champion-Grand Principle Conductor of the Work

• MIC: Robert (Bob) A. L. Whitfield-Grand Treasurer

• MEC Philip (Phil) Hardiman-Grand Recorder

• RI Thomas (Tom) Krummell-Grand Assistant Recorder

• MIC William (Bill) Price-Grand Director of Ritual

• RI Jonathan H. Prestage-Grand Chaplain of the North

• RI Eric Bertolli-Grand Chaplain of the South

• RI Guy M. Chalmers-Grand Captain of the Guard

• RI Michael (Mike) T. Sherman-Grand Conductor of the Council

• RI Jeffrey A. White-Grand Steward

• RI Andrew (Andy) B. Pippin-Grand Sentinel

OMG We Have an Avocado Picker


• RI James (Jim) M. Sunseri-Grand Orator

• RI William (Bill) J. Miklos-Grand Marshal of the North

• RI Michael Miller- Grand Marshal of the South

• RI K. Mark Harris-Grand Soloist

• RI Merrick Hamer-Grand Organist

• RI Ron E. Presser-Grand Bible Bearer

• RI Bruce L. Ewald-Grand Standard Bearer

I would also like to recognize the Assistant Directors of Ritual (ADRs) and Inspectors, who

are truly the backbone of our organization:

• ADR – Dept. 1 James B. Briggs Inspector – Arch 1 Vacant

• ADR – Dept. 2 K. Mark Harris Inspector – Arch 2 Richard Fonseca

Inspector – Arch 3 Carl J. Brickner

• ADR – Dept. 3 William E. Ellison Inspector – Arch 4 C. Alberto Chavez

Inspector – Arch 5 Martin W. Maxey

• ADR – Dept. 4 R. Scott Hussman Inspector – Arch 6 Joseph K Dongo

Inspector – Arch 7 Vacant

• ADR – Dept. 5 Steven R. Goad Inspector – Arch 8 David L. Chesebro

• ADR – Dept. 6 Rick L. Baca Inspector – Arch 9 Raymond (Ray) A. Broomfield

Inspector – Arch 10 Charles L. Schubert

• ADR – Dept. 7 Brett A. McDonald Inspector – Arch 11 Robert M. Wellington

• ADR – Dept. 8 Mark A. Quinto Jr. Inspector – Arch 12 John E. Bickerstaff

Inspector – Arch 13 Matthew J. McColm

Lastly, I would like to thank the following dignitaries from the Grand Lodge of California

for honoring us with their presence at our Grand Sessions: MW Ken G. Nagle and MW Frank

Louie, PGMs of all Masons-California. A special shout-out to MW Ken who was instrumental

in helping us achieve an excellent Installation.

During the time leading up to, during, and after our Grand Officer’s Conference, which was held this past March, your Grand Council hammered out a seriously ambitious Business

Plan. Our Business Plan called for an updated Mission Statement and Vision Statement,

the creation of a Member Satisfaction & Perception Survey to help us ascertain what would motivate our members to increase their participation, and a revised Illustrious Master of

the Year Award program in support of my theme for the year, which is: Striving to Increase

Participation through Purposefulness and Passion, my three Ps.

Purposefulness is that focused attention that guides our choices. Passion is that emotional

content that gives us the fervency and zeal to see it done. Consequently, all of our planning efforts are focused on what we believe to be the Mother of all desired outcomes for the

benefit of our Constituent Councils. The overarching outcome is Increased Participation at

the Council level.

We believe that by purposely executing certain actions with the positive mindset of

increasing participation, instead of the negative mindset of trying to solve problems, you will work toward enhancing the membership experience, which will truly enable you stem


attrition, grow your membership, and increase your revenue. If you continue to do what

you have always done, you will always get what you always got! Striving to increase membership, without enhancing the Masonic Experience is a futile effort. We just create a

revolving door of volatility in the form of ingress and egress. Meet, Greet, and then we don’t

see them again. We must focus on our product, the membership experience.

You see, it is daunting to have to resolve individual problems in a disjointed fashion. Isn’t

it intuitively easier to work toward a desired outcome that unites, or connects all of the dots? Your Grand Council recognizes that the Dais Officers of each Council have many

commitments and obligations, and may not have the time to engage in strategic planning.

After all, the Planning level of thought is conceptual and is not nearly as glamorous and

engaging as the Action level of thought, especially when your attention is divided.

Therefore, as part of our revised Illustrious Master of the Year Award, all Illustrious Masters will be receiving a copy of our Illustrious Master of the Year-Report Card, which is

essentially an Action Plan Matrix that was adapted from the Grand Commandery’s Cross &

Crown Award Program. This matrix includes a listing of recommended actions that if executed with Purposefulness and Passion, will lead to Increased Participation. All each IM

needs to do is to choose which actions to take, get their respective Council’s support, and

develop a plan for its implementation. It can’t get any easier than that.

I believe that if each Illustrious Master commits to undertake the responsibility to put in

place “Those Things” that will increase participation in their respective councils, the ensuing abundant fruit will result in increased attendance, a magnet for new members, and

increased revenue as a by-product. But wait, there’s more. Successful implementation of each action listed in the matrix with earn valuable Passion Points. The highest scoring

Illustrious Master (IM) for each Department will not only be awarded the coveted IM of the

Year Award, but also a monetary incentive in the form of a $100 gift card, as a small token of our appreciation. Furthermore, we are planning to enhance the value of our Officer’s

School of Instruction, and Leadership Seminars.

More detailed information will be communicated to our Constituent Councils in the coming

days via articles our Sword and Trowel publication, email blasts, our DGOs, ADRs and

Inspectors. We aim to fire on all cylinders.

Wow! I feel so lucky to have a very strong and engaged team of masonic professionals who

have a genuine desire to ensure that the leaders of our constituent councils have the skills, tools, and additional training needed to help them in their Action Plan implementations. I

also want you to know that it is truly a great honor and privilege for me to have this

opportunity to serve you and this venerable institution. I promise that I will work hard to

add value to your Cryptic experience and to earn the trust you have placed in me.

Eduardo Estrada-MIGM


Business Plan



Companions

I recently attended a memorial for the father of a Brother, and that same evening learned of another Brother who had recently passed away unexpectedly. Unfortunately, such is the state of our Organization – many of our members are up in years. To be sure though, none of us know when our warranty will expire, and likely some of us will go before our time.

Each time I attend a memorial the feeling of contemplative reflection becomes strikingly present. I ask myself, who would be at my memorial? What would they say? Did I make a positive impression on people during my lifetime? Did I make a difference? Will anyone

remember me in a few years or will I just be another nameless face upon the walls of a Lodge? I don’t write these questions to be maudlin, but I do believe that each one of them does deserve serious thought. We owe it to ourselves to regularly evaluate the path we are travelling and adjust our trajectory as necessary. As an organization, the Fraternity should also be thinking about how to answer these questions. If Masonry died tomorrow, who would notice? The members for certain, but what would the rest of the world say?

This not to imply that the Fraternity isn’t making a difference – it most assuredly is: with Hospitals, Scholarships, donations to catastrophic events, CMMRF and so on. Many great programs that in some cases radically alter a person’s life. On the other hand, since we are making a difference, why aren’t we flooded with applicants wanting to participate in our worthy efforts? Maybe the philanthropies aren’t the draw at all, since donating money to a cause takes very little effort. Maybe people would rather spend time in an organization that teaches them something. I don’t pretend to know the answer, but I do know that we must keep evaluating ourselves and trying to make the York Rite better.

One major difference between the York Rite here and the York Rite in other locales is the speed in which one progresses through the degrees. I don’t propose the change how we confer degrees in weekend festivals, but I have an idea which I believe might give us something close to the best of both worlds. I haven’t discussed it with others, but I would like to hear everyone’s input.

My idea is to confer a degree following a quick stated meeting. At the following stated meeting, with our new members, we could hold a panel discussion regarding the degree that had just been conferred. Obviously, these conferrals would be independent of our regular festival schedule, so we would need a dedicated group willing to learn the degree ritual. This would make our candidates feel close to us as companions with a home. I’m very interested in your feedback by phone, email, in person, or even by smoke signal! Remember, this is only an idea and would require agreement and support by the officers and members. Maybe, it isn’t an interesting or useful thing to do at all, but I think it is worthy of discussion. Rest assured though, I am regularly evaluating my path and trying to be a positive influence on the Fraternity.

Now, you may ask, what does all of this about conferring degrees beyond our usual one has to do with attracting members? My thesis is this: in order to attract new members, we must first be more effective in attracting the ones we already have. Once we are again able to fill a

Lodge room, more applicants will (hopefully) be the natural result, because we won’t be able to contain our excitement about going to a meeting!

Ill. William E. Price KCT, KYGCH, MIPGM Grand Director of Ritual

Request for your help


Guy and Jeanne Chalmers Bio - Professional, Masonic, and Life in general:

Guy was born in Lincoln, Nebraska, in 1950, raised in Kansas City, Missouri, and grew up

in California. Jeanne was born in 1954 and raised in Dearborn, Michigan.

After two years of college, Guy found his life’s occupation as a carpenter. Working in

cabinet shops and on boats, he realized his talent building single family, custom homes. At

the age of 27 he met his future wife in San Francisco. In 1979 they were married and lived in a small house in the forest of the San Geronimo valley. One month before they were

married, they bought a small bungalow style house west of Petaluma where they still live happily married 40 years later. Unable to have children, spare time was travelling to

Europe, Mexico and Central America, but mostly all over the United States. Jeanne’s

occupation has primarily been as a bank manager, with some experience as executive

secretary and marketing.

After an early retirement from the rigors of carpentry, Guy joined a country lodge in Bloomfield named Vitruvius #145, raised a master mason in 1996, and advanced to become

Master of the Lodge in 2001. Next he was Master of the Northern California Research Lodge

in 2002 and was active in the education committee of Grand Lodge. He affiliated with Petaluma-Hamilton #180 in 2008, serving as Treasurer until he was asked to serve as

Master in 2011, and again in 2016, and is currently the Secretary. He has been the presiding Officer of the three York Rite bodies in Sonoma County several times. He is proud

to be a Past Prior of San Francisco Priory #38, KYCH. He is a Past Sovereign Master of

Britannia Council #303, AMD, now serving as the Secretary. He has happily organized the Comptche Outdoor Royal Arch Degrees in Mendocino County for the last 19 years. He was

accepted into the St. Phillip chapter of the Red Cross of Constantine in Oakland in 2013. The highlight of his masonic career so far is his appointment to the line of the Grand

Council of Cryptic Masons in 2015, this year as the Grand Conductor of the Council,

anticipating advancing to Grand Master in 2022.

Officers Biography’s’


Installation Pictures







Grand Sessions


Red Bluff



Channel Islands


San Luis Obispo


Sebastopol


Companions, your children, grandchildren, & for some, great-grandchildren may receive financial help for attending school. After opening up Scholarship Center website, have them go to bottom of page & find the Scholarship Manual in (PDF format – 450KB) to download.

There they will find instructions for filling out the forms.

This is the link which will take you to the public Grand Lodge web page on scholarships. All the information you need should be right there. This is a complete manual that you can download that talk about all of the scholarships available from the California Masonic Foundation as well as the Scottish Rite, York Rite, Eastern Star, High Twelve, DeMolay, Job’s

Daughters, & Rainbow for Girls.

Our Illustrious Grand Master or Thrice Illustrious Grand Master, Thrice Illustrious sounds better but long ago we changed the name to Illustrious Grand Master. Anyway, under no

circumstance we will not hear talk of Impeachment, he worked long, hard, & ate many

dinners to become Illustrious Grand Master.

Meaning of Thrice Illustrious, which is easier to guess than the meaning of mysterious nine,

you have occupied the Master’s Chair Three Times, Lodge, Chapter, and Council.

We also have new marching orders or better known as Illustrious Grand Master Message

and please read as this was not dreamed up overnight.

I raise my glass of Maker’s Mark to the Grand Council Cryptic Masons of California and to

each Council Comprising the Grand Council Cryptic Masons of California may we grow

individually as Masons, as Fathers, as Community Workers

Scholarships

Editor’s Thoughts

http://www.freemason.org/scholarshipCenter/index.htm


Illustrious Grand Master Cryptic Masons: Most Illustrious Companion, Eduardo Estrada, KYGCH & Natasha Grand Master Grand Council Cryptic Masons Omega Council No. 11

Grand Secretary/Recorder: Philip Hardiman, OSV, KYGCH, PGHP Grand Secretary Grand Chapter Royal Arch Masons California, Grand Recorder, Grand Council Cryptic Masons California, &

Grand Recorder, Grand Commandery Knights Templar California 1123 J Street Sacramento, CA 95814 E-mail: [email protected]

Assistant Secretary/Recorder: Thomas Krummell, KCT, KYCH 1123 J Street Sacramento, CA 95814 e-mail: [email protected]

Website:

Grand York Rite of California

Note: Hyperlinks or links to other pages or web sites are prevalent throughout the document.

Contacts

mailto:[email protected]


http://www.yorkriteofcalifornia.org/

https://www.facebook.com/groups/Grand.York.Rite.of.California/


Officers: Grand Council Cryptic Masons California

Most Illustrious Companion

Eduardo Estrada, KYGCH & Natasha

Grand Master Grand Council Cryptic Masons

Omega Council No. 11

Right Illustrious Companion Robert A. Morrison, KYCH, & Lady Pauline

Deputy Grand Master Grand Council Cryptic Masons

Butte Council No. 50

Right Illustrious Companion Peter G. Champion, KYCH, & Lady Janice Grand Principle Conductor of the Work Grand Council Cryptic Masons San Luis Obispo Council No. 38

Most Illustrious Companion Robert Whitfield, KYGCH, MIPGM & Lady Genie

Grand Treasurer Grand Council Cryptic Masons

Oakland Council No. 12

Most Illustrious Companion Philip Hardiman, KYGCH, PGHP, & Lady Nancy

Grand Recorder Grand Council Cryptic Masons Sacramento Council No. 1

Most Illustrious Companion William Price KCT KYGCH MIPGM & Lady Janet

Grand Director of Ritual Grand Council Cryptic Masons

California Council No. 2

Right Illustrious Companion Thomas A. Krummell KCT, KYCH, & Lady Marcia Assistant Grand Recorder Grand Council Cryptic Masons Gateway Council No. 13

Right Illustrious Companion Jonathan H. Prestage KYCH & Lady Hanna K

Grand Chaplain (North) Grand Council Cryptic Masons

Sword and Trowel Council No. 65

Right Illustrious Companion Eric Bertolli Grand Chaplain (South) Grand Council Cryptic Masons Omega Council No. 11

Right Illustrious Companion Guy M. Chalmers, KYCH, & Lady Jeanne

Grand Captain of the Guard Grand Council Cryptic Masons

Redwood Empire Council No. 46

Right Illustrious Companion Michael T. Sherman, KYCH Grand Conductor of the Council Grand Council Cryptic Masons Helix Council No. 58

Right Illustrious Companion Jeffrey A. White, & Lady Lisa

Grand Steward Grand Council Cryptic Masons

Pacific Council No. 37

Right Illustrious Companion Andrew B. Pippin, KYCH, & Lady Juli Grand Sentinel Grand Council Cryptic Masons Pacific Council No. 37

Right Illustrious Companion James M. Sunseri, KYCH

Grand Orator Grand Council Cryptic Masons Orange County Council No. 14

Right Illustrious Companion William J. Miklos III, KYCH & Lady Angelica

Grand Marshal (North) Grand Council Cryptic Masons

Amador Council No. 31

Right Illustrious Companion Michael Miller, & Lady Martha Grand Marshal (South) Grand Council Cryptic Masons Alpha Council No. 39

Right Illustrious Companion K. Mark Harris Grand Soloist

Grand Council Cryptic Masons Oakland Council No. 12

Right Illustrious Companion Ron Presser, & Lady Kathleen T (Kate) Grand Bible Bearer Grand Council Cryptic Masons Omega Council No. 11

Right Illustrious Companion Bruce Ewald, KYCH, & Lady Ruth

Grand Standard Bearer Grand Council Cryptic Masons

Omega Council No. 11

Right Illustrious Companion Merrick R. Hamer Grand Organist Grand Council Cryptic Masons Alpha Council No. 39





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Documents

Sword & Trowel June 2019 Volume 7 No. 01 Page 1 · Sword & Trowel June 2019 Volume 7 No. 01 Page 5 • RI James (Jim) M. Sunseri-Grand Orator • RI William (Bill) J. Miklos-Grand