July - The 4th - Freedom....
...the wonderful celebration of the independence of this great nation! How thankful we are to be a part of this country even with present and future trials that await us. How grateful we are for those, in the past, that have kept the freedoms of this country intact. Let us hope and pray that the following generations will be as grateful for this country as we have been.
The Masonic family is a very patriotic group. It is refreshing to attend functions where our country's flag is displayed, the pledge of allegiance recited and the National Anthem sung. It brings joy and pride to our soul.
I love seeing the attendance of our members in celebratory functions. One of those functions being parades.... |
Photo of Ralph and Florence taken by Paula Massey
Forbestown Lodge had their own "celebrities" who rode in a model A in the La Porte 4th of July parade this year. Brother Ralph Prater, PM, and his wonderful wife Florence, were part of this jubilee. They were passengers with friends Vic and Diane who noted they could not go 20 yards without someone coming up to shake hands with Ralph or Florence. The Praters have been a part of the hill community forever. Florence's family has been here since gold rush days and Ralph's family came when he was just a young man. They are known and cherished from the mountain community of La Porte (former home of Jefferson Lodge) to the lower foothill communities and beyond....
Forbestown Lodge had their own "celebrities" who rode in a model A in the La Porte 4th of July parade this year. Brother Ralph Prater, PM, and his wonderful wife Florence, were part of this jubilee. They were passengers with friends Vic and Diane who noted they could not go 20 yards without someone coming up to shake hands with Ralph or Florence. The Praters have been a part of the hill community forever. Florence's family has been here since gold rush days and Ralph's family came when he was just a young man. They are known and cherished from the mountain community of La Porte (former home of Jefferson Lodge) to the lower foothill communities and beyond....
Photo provided by Vic Cembellin, driver of the car and friend of Ralph (front passenger ) and Florence (rumble seat in red) Prater.
Birthdays
July
Dan Norton Harlan Guinn John Baker Raymond Penix John Wright William Vest Dewey Schneider August
Bill Connelly Robert Mortensen Howard Ayers Kenneth Holley Hughey Mabry |
Dan Norton current and Past Master
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Anniversarys
July Bob Daley David Davis Scott McArthur John Rice John Wright August
Robert Barr John Davis Sr. Jeffery Gross William Liebhauser Dennis Parker Raymond Penix Carl Thompson Feltus Young |
This month is "dark" there is no Officers Association Meeting. Check the District Calendar for any possible changes. |
The following event is open to all. Please be sure to RSVP in the next few days!
JULY
Grand Ruth Reception
Josephine Chico Chapter #104, Order of the Eastern Star cordially invites you to the
"You'll Never Walk Alone"
reception honoring Jan Smith, Grand Ruth of the
Grand Chapter of California, Order of the Eastern Star and
The Ruths of California
on Saturday, July 27, 2013 at 7:30 p.m. @ Chico
RSVP's to Marie Worthy at (530) 343-7878 or email to [email protected] on or before July 20, 2013
Attire - Dressy casual for the Ladies - street length casual dress or nice blouse and skirt. No jeans or shorts or formals.
Dressy Casual for the Gentlemen - slacks and dress shirt, sports jacket, slacks and polo. No jeans or shorts or Tuxedos.
Grand Ruth Reception
Josephine Chico Chapter #104, Order of the Eastern Star cordially invites you to the
"You'll Never Walk Alone"
reception honoring Jan Smith, Grand Ruth of the
Grand Chapter of California, Order of the Eastern Star and
The Ruths of California
on Saturday, July 27, 2013 at 7:30 p.m. @ Chico
RSVP's to Marie Worthy at (530) 343-7878 or email to [email protected] on or before July 20, 2013
Attire - Dressy casual for the Ladies - street length casual dress or nice blouse and skirt. No jeans or shorts or formals.
Dressy Casual for the Gentlemen - slacks and dress shirt, sports jacket, slacks and polo. No jeans or shorts or Tuxedos.
July 29th - Eastern Star
Official Visit of the Grand Officers
This is the official visit of the Grand Officers to our district and will be at the Masonic Center in Chico. This will be a social, not a formal ritual event, and promises to be very special.
History Corner
If ever any of you have delved into your own family history and have caught the genealogy bug, you know some of the thrill of the search is not just finding the names of those ancestors but hints of their lives, things that bring your ancestors to "life" for you. Part of the 'bringing to life' is to walk where they have walked. Recently some of the descendants of Nathaniel D. Plum, (Past Master 1861-66, 1871-74, 1877) contacted the Yuba Feather Historical Association to find answers to some of their questions and to walk where N.D. and his wife, the former Harriet Forbes, have walked.
The family toured the Museum in Forbestown and then took a tour of our Lodge building before they took a self-guided tour of the old cemetery. Imagine entering the Lodge where your gr-gr-grandfather was Master of Lodge. He passed through the same iron doors and through the outer room that the Tyler still guards during Stated meeting. You enter a room that emanates history, part of which he witnessed. He was Worshipful Master when President Abraham Lincoln was assassinated. His photo is on the wall along with the other Past Masters of the Lodge and the chairs that line the wall are the chairs that were there when he presided over Lodge and when he visited with his lodge brothers. There are still kerosene lights on the wall, the candle stands that are still used, are they the same? Is the podium the same podium he used? You can almost see the spirits of our past and if you are really quiet you can almost hear them.... almost.
The family toured the Museum in Forbestown and then took a tour of our Lodge building before they took a self-guided tour of the old cemetery. Imagine entering the Lodge where your gr-gr-grandfather was Master of Lodge. He passed through the same iron doors and through the outer room that the Tyler still guards during Stated meeting. You enter a room that emanates history, part of which he witnessed. He was Worshipful Master when President Abraham Lincoln was assassinated. His photo is on the wall along with the other Past Masters of the Lodge and the chairs that line the wall are the chairs that were there when he presided over Lodge and when he visited with his lodge brothers. There are still kerosene lights on the wall, the candle stands that are still used, are they the same? Is the podium the same podium he used? You can almost see the spirits of our past and if you are really quiet you can almost hear them.... almost.