Masonic Life Network

Riverside Lodge 635  newest member Carlos Alvarez received  his Master Mason Degree. Steve Hale obligated, Gary Miller gave the lecture with the assitance of Evergreen Lodge 259 and Temescal Palms Lodge 314.

I would like to thank all of those Brothers and Sisters that came out to Evergreen Lodge this past Saturday. Through your generous support and hard work, Evergreen had one of the most successful events to happen in a very long time. We were able to collect 22 pints of blood. This is double the amount from our last Blood Drive two years ago. And as of yesterday, there have been 1,143 toys donated, totaling and estimated $7,200 – and more donations are still coming in.

There is something beyond all of these wonderful accomplishments that also transpired this weekend.  There were so many Brothers and Sisters in attendance that an accurate head count would be impossible  The parking lot was full. The foyer was full. There was standing-room-only in the dining hall. There was interest and support from the community. The mayor and congressman paid a visit.  A car club stopped by, donated toys, then stayed to show off their rides and draw a crowd. There was a genuine buzz in the air. People were excited, smiling, and having a good time. I am often asked what Freemasonry is all about, and sometimes that can be hard to put into words. Ladies and Gentlemen, Saturday was a shining example of what Freemasonry is all about: coming together in support and for the benefit of the greater good. This is a good time to be a Mason.

I'll add to this  . . .   that the toys will be delivered  to  the  Shrine Hospital in Los Angeles this week by the  Ladies of the Oriental Shrine assisted by the Jobs Daughters .

Dr. Stanley L. Channon: family patriarch, husband (65 yrs) , father, grandfather, Past Grand Master of Masons in California & Hawaii, has moved on to be with our Supreme Grand Master. He passed, with family at his side, on November 9, 2013 8:15AM in Pleasanton, Ca., at the age of 89, after being hospitalized with a series of illnesses .

Stanley is a native of Australia . His father, John Lyall Channon and mother, Margaret (Merrigan) were both teachers in Bendigo, Victoria, Australia.. Stan earned his Bachelor's degree, then moved to America to continue his education, completing a Masters degree at University of Utah and a Ph D in Metallurgical Engineering from University of Illinois where he met Elizabeth (Beth) Callaway. They were married in 1949 in Tuscola, Illinois. They moved, within a few years, to Spokane Washington and then to Riverside where they resided for 40 years before designing and building their retirement-dream home in Valley Springs, Ca. They shared that home for 15years until their recent move to Pleasanton.

Stan and Beth have three children: John , Nancy, and Bryan, and five grandchildren: Alivia, Christina, Kyle, Marci, and Kevin. Stan has two nephews in Australia.

Stan's careers were many. His professional career involved metallurgical research and development in aluminum, titanium, magnesium and steel fabrication and composite materials and management of aerospace technology teams. Dr. Channon held management positions at Hunter Engineering, Rohr Aircraft, Aerospace Corp. , and Institute for Defense Analysis.

He earned the rank of King Scout in Australia (the equivalent of Eagle Scout here). That scouting urge bit him to become Cub master, and later, Scoutmaster of Troop 112 in Riverside in the years when both sons were in scouting.

He was raised as a Master Mason in 1959 and served in the line of Evergreen Lodge thru 1965 when he led as Master of the lodge. In 1966 , he was appointed Inspector and served in that position for 12 years. During this time, he chaired the Evergreen Lodge Building Committee and was President of the Evergreen Temple Board. He supervised the design and construction of the new Evergreen Masonic Center throughout its construction from 1974 – 76 including its cornerstone laying. Evergreen honored him with the Hiram Award in 2001.

In 1983, he was appointed a Trustee of the Masonic Homes of California and was chairman of the Expansion Program at both Homes from 1985 to 1989. He was elected Junior Grand Warden in 1985 and progressed through the Grand Lodge chairs to become Grand Master for the 1988-89 year.

After completing his term as Grand Master, Stan served on the Long Range Planning committee, Policy and General Purposes Committee and Code Revision Committee of Grand Lodge. Additionally, he served on the Steering Committee for the Masonic Information Center in Washington DC.

From 1993 -2001 Stan Channon chaired the Tournament of Roses Parade Float committee raising funds , designing and planning the Masonic Family Floats for 9 years . Several of these floats were afforded awards. Media coverage, volunteers , video promotion tapes were all carefully coordinated.

Upon their move to Valley Springs, Stan joined Calaveras Lodge and subsequently chaired their 150 yr celebration committee. He was also involved with the homeowners' assoc in the community and managed to enjoy a few games of golf in the course across the street from the house. One of his pride and joys was his tomato and plumb tree garden, the produce from which he donated to many local groups.

He was awarded the Masonic Golden Veteran's certificate and pin at an Australian-themed ceremony at Evergreen Lodge in 2009 . Stan Channon was a Mason for 55 yrs.

Memorial Services will be held at the Union City Masonic Home on December 7, at 5 PM and at Evergreen Masonic Center, 5801 Chicago Ave, Riverside on December 15 at 2 PM.

The family is accepting flowers at the memorial services . Condolences may be sent to the family at 1858 Old Bridge Rd, Riverside, 92506.