Consuelo Lodge No. 325

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Sunday, October 26th 2025 Most Worshipful Garrett S. Chan was installed as the Grand Master of Masons in California. From all of us at Consuelo Lodge №. 325, we wish you and the craft an incredible year of prosperity!

At the Pasadena Scottish Rite, a Masonic Thespian Crew Has Staged A Special Performance for Nearly a Century. Photos by Justin L. Stewart and Mark Read Above: The Pasadena Scottish Rite Cathedral, which seats 300, has hosted a production of the Spirit of Hiram, a Masonic play, nearly every year since 1927. There’s a lot […]

The Masonic Ritual is the heart of Freemasonry. And at the center of the ritual is drama. it’s no wonder Masons go to such lengths to put on an unforgettable show. By Tony Gilbert Tucked inside a shopping center in Tarzana, hidden in plain sight amid the signposts on Ventura Boulevard, there’s something powerful and […]

The Lodge Records Survey pilot program is an effort to collect, inventory, and preserve the records of the Bay Area’s extinct lodges. Over the coming year, the program will expand to all of California. In the case of lodge consolidations, things like tiler’s records, membership reports, and other correspondence often end up in a dusty attic or, oftentimes, a secretary’s garage.

Whether it’s the super idea behind a new charity, the fantastic team powering the state’s fastest-growing lodges, or the marvels of lodge administration, these heroes don’t wear capes, but they do wear aprons.

In a capstone to a remarkable life and career in Freemasonry, R. Stephen Doan is the 2024 Recipient of the Grand Master’s Lifetime Achievement Award. By Ian A. Stewart If you want to get a sense for Stephen Doan’s impact on the fraternity, look no further than the Proceedings of the Grand Lodge of California […]

By Ian A. Stewart Above: Stained-glass artists Armelle Le Roux and Ariana Makau (pictured) used both modern and traditional techniques to create an original stained-glass portrait of Prince Hall, complete with Masonic emblems and symbols. How do you go about creating an image of someone who was never photographed or painted in his lifetime? For […]

Our very own, Worshipful Brother Jon Gary Rick labored as the Junior Warden at the Past Masters Night held at M.W. John R. Heisner Lodge No. 442 this past Wednesday, May 22nd. Thank you, Worshipful for representing Consuelo Lodge!

Most Worshipful G∴ Sean Metroka, Grand Master of Masons in California recognized Worshipful George Tegart for 50 years of dedicated service to Freemasonry at Arcadia Masonic Lodge. Worshipful Tegart was raised to the sublime degree of Master Mason on May 19, 1973 in Walworth Lodge No. 254 in Wayne County, New York; becoming the Master […]

Congratulations to Brother Black who returned his standard-form Entered Apprentice proficiency last night! Looking forward to your passing to the degree of Fellowcraft!

Consuelo has been extremely busy keeping up with the continuous flow of proficiencies and degree conferrals since the beginning of the year.Congratulations, Brothers Ortiz & Gourley! Consuelo also had the honor of hosting our brethren from Most Worshipful Manuel Luis Quezon Lodge No. 874, and Kapayapaan at Pagkakaisa Lodge U∴D∴ Thank you for your continued […]

Last night, Consuelo welcomed the newest Entered Apprentice into the Lodge. Let’s give a warm welcome to Brother Matchynski! Thank you Brother Habib from Heartland Lodge No. 576 for visiting us on this momentous occasion!

Last Sunday, October 23, Most Worshipful Brother Randall L. Brill was installed as Grand Master of Masons in California. From all of us at Consuelo Lodge №. 325, we look forward to an incredible year of prosperity under his leadership, inspired by his theme: “Fulfilling our obligations.”

File this under possible Masonic firsts: This May, San Diego Masonic lodge S.W. Hackett № 574 held a second degree ceremony with current masters of nearby lodges sitting in every officer’s position. “The theater of it was really next-level,” says Ethan Carswell, who received the Fellow Craft degree. “I met some great people and some great mentors.”

From scientists and soldiers to politicians and philanthropists, many of the world’s most influential men have also been brothers of the mystic tie – and great authors are no exception. Here, we profile three Masons whose legendary works have captured the imaginations of so many readers both in and out of the brotherhood.

Mark Twain – born Samuel Langhorne Clemens – was the trickster storyteller of American letters, so it should be no surprise that he applied his particular brand of observation to the Masonry as well. Take, for instance, his description of a character in his 1897 “Tom Sawyer’s Conspiracy”:

My Brothers, As the sun sets on my year as Master of the Lodge, I humbly reflect at the great year you all have made. Looking back to the beginning of the year, many were not sure if we would even open. It was not a guarantee that we would be able to return to labor within our Lodge, but through patience and perseverance we were able to open with some restrictions.

In September, NBC’s streaming service Peacock debuted a new television adaptation of Dan Brown’s The Lost Symbol, based on the follow-up novel to the smash hit The Da Vinci Code. One of the most anticipated novels of all time, The Lost Symbol originally set several sales records when it was released in 2009—selling a million copies on its first day and staying on the New York Times bestseller list for 29 weeks. 

My Brothers, the sands of the hourglass seem to be falling faster and faster as the year wanes. Recently, we had our “Past Master’s Night.” The Degree was very well done with Worshipful Tom Handell in the East. The candidate, Bro. Currie, was passed to the Degree of Fellowcraft and enjoyed more enlightenment as he was introduced to additional moral lessons veiled in the allegories of the Middle Chamber. This is a signpost of Consuelo Lodge that the year is coming to an end.

My Brothers, welcome to October! The sun is already setting earlier, the leaves are slowly falling from the trees, and there is more darkness in a 24 hour period than light. As time begins to dwindle down on 2021, Consuelo Lodge is still going strong.

Brethren, we are in the last quarter of the year. In the coming months we will have the Mason of the Year, Hiram Award, Grand Communications, Elections, Veteran’s Appreciation Night, and the Holiday Party. All of this, some degrees including Past Masters Night, and another community project we will fit into the next three months. We can, and we will. I will be breaking up a few of the above events into committee’s to spread out some of the work. That being said, I encourage everyone to participate as they can. Your contribution to the success of these events is what makes Consuelo 325 such a successful lodge. If you would like to volunteer to be a chairman of any of these committees please let me know ASAP.

My Brother’s by the time you receive this Trestleboard edition, August will be over half spent. These last two months have been very busy in the Lodge, and outside with Masonic events. For those that are interested, I trust you have had the capacity to join at least one of the events Consuelo #325 has had to offer. Whether it’s been a degree, Coffee & Donuts, Consuelo at Refreshment, Fire Side Chats, the Pancake Breakfast, or our visit to the combined East San Diego Masonic Lodge # 561/ San Diego #35 Lodges for a BBQ and to donate blood. I would find it easy to defend there has been something for everyone this month. 

Around 1853, the subject of this photograph, Samuel Larison (also spelled Larrison), drawn by the promise of the Gold Rush, emigrated to California. Larison mined for a few years and “met with more or less success.” Eventually he left prospecting and purchased land to farm. He settled with his family near the town of Cloverdale in Sonoma County, California. There he became a pioneer winemaker, a cooper for the new wine industry, and a charter member of the town’s Masonic lodge.

“Time is free, but it’s priceless. You can’t own it, but you can use it. You can’t keep it, but you can spend it. Once you’ve lost it you can never get it back.” – Harvey Mackay. My Brothers, where has the time gone? Already it is July, and we are into the second half of our year. While we are just beginning to open the doors to Consuelo Lodge, we are already full-speed ahead in preparing to confer the best possible degree the Lodge is capable of, providing all Brothers with the best possible experience in their Masonic journey, and becoming more visible in the Escondido community.

As Oliver Napalan prepared to be raised to the degree of Master Mason in October 2019, he was sweating buckets. And rightly so. While he’d felt a few nerves in advance of receiving each of the first two degrees of Masonry, he knew this time would be different.

The trades have historically represented a path to a living wage. That doesn’t just mean electrical work, carpentry, and plumbing. High tech and skilled sectors like solar installation, renewable-energy maintenance, and IT support are expanding rapidly. Yet few young adults are encouraged to enroll in the kinds of schools that teach those skills.

My Brothers, the light at the end of the tunnel is finally here. I appreciate everyone’s patience, and their excitement to get the show going. The last 17 months have been something that most, if not all of us, have never experienced. The isolation and unknowing has certainly taken its toll on many people, and it is not lost on me that some aspects of life may never go back to what they were 17 months ago.

Behold, how good and how pleasant it is for brethren to dwell together in unity! While it is not the most preferred conditions, the Temple again has Brothers working together within its walls. By the time you have read this, the Officers have already performed at least one practice of the Second Degree. One Brother is ready to perform his Proficiency, and a hand full of others are preparing to present to the Senior Warden and Officer’s Coach (Wor. George Tegart).

My Brother’s, April is here, and with the spring flowers comes the hope that Lodge will soon be open for in-person meetings. This past week, it was communicated that the Grand Master has requested that lodge’s, “Get Ready.” The news has also been passed via the Secretary & Treasurer’s training that The Grand Lodge of California is actively working on a plan to open up Lodges in a safe and respectable manner. The Grand Master has even calendared an in person event for June.

My Brothers, how quickly two months passes. By the end of March, a quarter of my term as the Master of Consuelo Lodge will be behind us. This week I happened to have a great conversation with a Past Master of the Lodge. In our discussion, he made a reference that will now be forever be a part of my year, “The Master’s position is just another shot at being a “Steward” of the Lodge.” How true that is.