Pioneer Lodge No. 82

Trestle Board

3901 W. Pioneer Road, Phoenix, 85086 – Stated Meeting 3^rd Monday of each Month

Secretary, Michael Deapen, Phone: 602-618-7116, FAX: 623-486-7746

Mailing Address: 6134 W Columbine, Glendale, AZ 85304

Volume 1 July/August Issue Number 1

PIONEER LODGE No. 82 RECEIVES ITS CHARTER

“Brethren, behold your Worshipful Master! Worshipful Master, behold, your Brethren!” These are the words spoken by the Most Worshipful Grand Master James W. Sebastian on Sunday, June 19, 2005 as he installed our line of officers in an impressive, slightly different, but joyful ceremony. The occasion was also marked by the reading and presentation of the Charter for Pioneer Lodge No. 82 granted by the Grand Lodge of Masons in Arizona. The solemnity of the occasion was made lighthearted by the unconventional costumes and comments of many members of Pioneer Lodge, including some of the Grand Lodge Officers. We thank them for their understanding and willingness to participate in the Chartering our Lodge. We also thank all those who worked to make this day possible, especially C.J. Smith, Michael Deapen and Bryan Cooper-Keeble.

The following (Charter) officers were installed:

My first greeting to my Brothers at Pioneer Lodge No. 82 is one of great joy and accomplishment. In just five months and two days the Pioneer Lodge UD became a real Chartered Masonic Lodge. I congratulate and thank all of you who worked so very hard to make this happen.

This is a very different Masonic Lodge. No tuxes or formal suits to make us uncomfortable, instead what a Mason would have worn in 1879, canvas type pants, loose fitting shirts, bandanas, hats and personal fire arms – even chaps and spurs.

This is a Lodge that has a good time at its meetings. We have more fun than any lodge that I have visited.

You, my Brothers, make this Lodge a pleasure to attend, and what will become the best Lodge in Arizona, one that will be looked upon as a leader. Our goal, as we move forward using Grand Lodge guidelines, will be to capture as many Grand Lodge Awards as possible in our very first year. And, we will deserve them, my Brothers, because you will have earned them.

Though we will not be having Stated Meetings during the months of July and August, we will be doing degree work. We are working to put together something on that now. We also plan to have social events, one of which is a picnic with some of the West Valley Lodges. More information on this later.

In the meantime, have a wonderful summer and rest up for a busy fall.

My best to you all, J.C. Smith, WM

From the West…

Now that we are an official lodge and had our first stated meeting, we look forward to the future. As for the Charter Presentation and Installation of Officers, I would like to thank all the Grand Lodge Officers for coming out on such a hot day. The ceremony they provided was outstanding and very much appreciated. We also thank W.Bro. Joe Sheldon our District Deputy Grand Master for the wonderful cake he provided for the special affair. Also, we thank Marvin Dobson for the Masonic Education offering. Marvin and Mike Stegen were kind enough to provide the bottled water used for our meetings. It was nice to see many of the Grand Officers wearing Western clothing instead of tuxes. We thank them one and all. Many thanks to the people at the restaurant for their wonderful support and good food. We all look forward to resuming our festive meetings in the fall. So, my Brethren, have a great summer, rest up well because we have much work to look forward to in the fall. Fraternally, Chris Smith, SW

From the South…

It seems WE have begun. We have achieved a Charter, a name and number “Pioneer Lodge 82” or as I like to call it Pioneer 1882. We have a diverse membership. We have Past Masters and dedicated sideliners. We have a historic building. We have a theme. We have an established attire. We have fun. We even have a nickname, “the Father’s Day Lodge”

Plans have been discussed to round up all the awards at the Grand Communication 2006. Master Builder/Architect, Trestleboard, Web Site, most handsome Officers, etc.

It has also been discussed that we invest in each of our Candidates the time, patience and dedication to teach them all we can through the catechism and regular Masonic Education.

What we don’t have (yet) is a sense of direction. We know what all Lodges must do, but what seems most important at this time is laying the foundation for all the tomorrow's.

The cornerstone has been laid, now we must begin to erect the edifice. Partially as we want it, partially as we can and partially as we must.

This is OUR Lodge. We must design it. We must hew it. We must erect it. We must live within its walls. Let us build it with care, enthusiasm and hope.

Fraternally,

Doing what I can for the good of Freemasonry,

Ed Barron JW

An Old Farmer's Advice:

Your fences need to be horse-high, pig-tight and bull-strong.

Keep skunks and bankers and lawyers at a distance.

Life is simpler when you plow around the stump.

A bumble bee is considerably faster than a John Deere tractor.

Words that soak into your ears are whispered...not yelled.

Meanness don't jes' happen overnight.

Forgive your enemies. It messes up their heads.

Do not corner something that you know is meaner than you.

It don't take a very big person to carry a grudge.

Every path has a few puddles.

When you wallow with pigs, expect to get dirty.

Live simply. Love generously. Care deeply. Speak kindly. Leave the rest to God.

A Message from Josh in Iraq

This note was received from Josh VanSteenwyk, now stationed in Iraq.

"Well, obviously I'm OK. But yes we have been getting hit hard the past few days. It is to be expected with the weather heating up. Anyway, I sent you a message yesterday with a few lines for the trestle board, and attached to this message is a picture of me and my friend Jeremy. This picture was taken last week as we prepared to go out on a patrol. The air temp is about 108 and the ground is at around 130. In the picture you can see my "combat load." It consists of my body armor, 3 litres of water, 2 frag grenades, my rifle with 390 rounds, my pistol with 60 rounds, a first aid kit, and a few flares. All total it weighs around 60 pounds. Well, I'm going to go to breakfast and get some sleep so I'll talk to you later, Josh"

Josh is a member of Pioneer Lodge and a loyal member of the United States Marine Corps.

Every one of us knows of someone who has either served our nation in uniform, or has personal knowledge of someone now serving as a member of our fighting forces. Let us keep Josh and all our fighting patriots in our prayers. Let us also let them know that we are proud of their work and commitment in an effort to secure peace in the Middle East, and ultimately the U.S.A.

Brother “Chico” Sanchez----Brother Ed Barron---M.W. Bro. Jim Sebastian and W.Bro Bill Robertson, Deputy Grand Sec.

From your Treasurer –the Englishman

Bryan Cooper-Keeble

When our Grand Master MW Brother Jim Sebastian ‘Opened Grand Lodge’ at Pioneer Living History Museum Sunday June 19, 2005, in order to Constitute our new Pioneer Lodge No. 82, I felt so proud to be a Charter member of this new ‘Fun-loving’ Lodge.

It was so wonderful that our ladies could be in the Lodge room to see the Constituting procedure and then to witness our Charter Master CJ Smith Jr. and his corps of Officers Installed in their several Stations and places by the Grand Master.

As I was being installed as Treasurer by the Grand Master, he called me the Englishman. He mentioned that MW George Roskruge, who served as Grand Secretary of Grand Lodge of Arizona from 1882 to 1928, except in 1889 when he was Grand Master, was known as the Englishman as he was from the UK (actually from Wales).

We now have about 35 members of the Lodge. Almost all of us dress in some variation of 1890s period outfit. Some are more authentic than others. Cowboys, Cavalrymen, Lawmen, Bankers, Merchants, Claims men; you name ‘em, we’ve probably got some who are dressed in some way representative of that period. The thing that is so different about us, is that, we want to maintain our Masonic Principals and have lots of fun doing it. It won’t be long before we have many more members to share in the fun.

We are a young Lodge and we need to think about Capital funding in addition to our Lodge Membership Dues and initiation fees. I will be putting forward suggestions to the Lodge at future Stated meetings and in our Trestle Board for fund-raising Ideas to help our Lodge grow financially.

Now, we don’t have another Stated meeting until Monday, September 19^th, and my wife and I will be in Columbus OH until August 2, so, I say to you all: ‘Have a wonderful Summer .If you are staying here in Arizona - walk slowly and drink a lot o’water.‘

Fraternally,

Bryan Cooper-Keeble, PM Treasurer

WM - CJ SMITH, PM 602-242-3022

SW - CHRIS SMITH 602-242-3022

JW - ED BARRON 623-536-6063

TREAS - BRYAN COOPER-KEEBLE, PM

623-376-6666

SEC - MICHAEL DEAPEN, PM 602-618-1116

CHAP - AUREO MACARAEG 623-522-0705

SD - DANNY BELFORD, PM 602-769-2741

JD - JIM BONIFACE 623-587-1790

MAR - FERMIN "CHICO" SANCHEZ

602-350-2382

SS - MIKE STEGEN, PM 623-582-4475

JS - RON KINMANN 623-465-4949

TYLER - RON VANSTEENWYK 602-690-1251

The popular country and western song is not entirely correct. My heroes have not always been cowboys. On the other hand, they have always been in my personal top ten so I get irritated when I hear others disparage the cowboy—especially others from nations and places that never knew a frontier culture or the big sky and endless horizon of the American West.

In the days since the mind-numbing terrorism of September 11, America’s leaders have begun taking the war to the bad guys. Finally. And, of course, voices both foreign and domestic are decrying those actions, saying it is just America playing “cowboy” again, practicing “cowboy diplomacy,” as though that were a bad thing.

Let’s talk about cowboys.

In the American West, history is only one page back in the book. I’ve personally known men and women who rode with our Brother, Buffalo Bill, or who shot it out against Butch Cassidy and his Wild Bunch. It wasn’t that long ago. Of my own grandparents, one was born in a sod hut on the high plains, another came west by covered wagon, another was born on an Indian reservation. A great-grandfather was a ‘49er in the great gold rush. Both were Brothers.

The cowboy and the cowboy western myth are an indelible part of our history—a very recent part.

Let’s talk about myth for a moment.

Myths are stories that help us explain who we are. Usually, there’s an element of truth to the story but not always. Brother George Washington chopping down cherry trees and Lincoln doing his numbers in charcoal on the back of a shovel are wonderful stories. They speak to the character of our national legends and the expectations we have of our leaders. Hell, they might even be true, but it’s not really that important.

The cowboy is part of the American myth. Our great national adventure was the “taming” of the West. No matter what your political or politically correct point of view, it’s still a staple of literature, art, movies, and other forms of entertainment. It is a part of who we are, for better or worse.

Cowboys, the myth says, were dependable, solid, independent, modest and brave. They stared evil in the face and didn’t back away. They defended the women folks and their way of life and they didn’t take…well, they didn’t take anything from anybody.

Brother John Wayne said it well in his last movie, “The Shootist.” “I will not be wronged, I will not be insulted and I will not be laid a hand on. I do not do these things to other people and I expect the same in return.” Or words to that effect.

Of course, not every cowboy fit all or even any part of the mythical image. Doesn’t matter. The myth is what survives. Get west of the Mississippi River and there aren’t too many closets without a Stetson and at least one pair of boots. At heart, we’re all cowboys.

And now there are those who sneer at America and call us “cowboys.” They don’t know anything at all about the historic cowboy and they don’t mean it in a nice way. The only thing they have to go on is the myth.

Well, if they mean America is dependable, solid, independent, modest and brave, it works for me. If they mean we stared evil in the face and didn’t back away, it works for me. If they mean we are defending the folks at home, others in need and our way of life, it works for me.

My heroes haven’t always been cowboys. But, right now, well, let’s mount up, pard. A little cowboy diplomacy is just what this old world needs. And where’s our Brother John Wayne when we really need him?!

Pioneer Lodge No. 82

Trestle Board

PIONEER LODGE No. 82 RECEIVES ITS CHARTER

From the East

From your Treasurer –the Englishman

List of Lodge Officers

LET’S PLAY COWBOY…

By W.Bro. Skip Boyer