Masonic Life Network

A partnership between the Masons of California and San Jacinto Unified School District is bringing a family-based reading program to San Jacinto Elementary kindergarteners next school year.

It is part of the fraternal organization’s more than $750,000 public education commitment statewide announced on Thursday to targeted programs, like Raise A Reader in San Jacinto, and high school scholarships. The event also celebrated Public Schools Month.

On a school level, it shows parents another commitment to helping even the youngest child to learn to read. Jasmin Verduzco, a mother of five who has three children at the school, said the new program contributes “to start to bring the culture of reading to kindergarten” and brings quality time to parents and their children.

“This is going to bring families much closer together,” said Patricia Chun, who has two children, including a second-grader at the San Jacinto Elementary.

What is this a snippet of? I will tell you…The Press Enterprise has published an article about the recent Raising a Reader activities in the Inland Empire!

You can view the entire article by clicking here

Operation Literacy Committee At Work

Dave Hall, P.M.

As the sun lowered in the west on the eve of last weekend, Div VIII committeemen sat at their laptops busily searching for photographs and icons that will convey the important message of our 2012 program Operation Literacy in partnering with the Grand Master’s project “Raising A Reader”.  As some searched, others worked on articulative narrations for their various tableaus.  Why?  What is so important to the Masons of Division VIII that many willingly sacrifice their personal time to prepare a program for the Grand Master’s project?

1% Improvement In Literacy Scores Increases Productivity

It has recently been documented that improvement in literacy scores demonstratively increases productivity.  The Grand Master’s Project “Raising A Reader” is worthwhile because it will help our underprivileged children make that quantum leap from their present futility to a successful future in life’s achievements.

Division8masons.com

Division VIII Masons have raised the bar every year in sponsoring programs that partner with the Grand Masters’ projects – all of them very worthwhile.  All Masons get involved because this is what Masons do!

Division VIII Masons want you and all Masons to join us in making Operation Literacy a success.  We are working hard but it will only be a success if you join us – boots, shoes, and saddle!  The real success is when our kids have the books and their mentors’ interest achieved in Raising A Reader.

California Rainbow Girls had their annual convention, the past weekend March 31 – April 3, 2011, in Fresno, California. The theme this year was “A Rainbow Camporee in Nature’s National Parks”. The Grand Worthy Advisor was Megan Crowley, from Green Valley Assembly in Yucaipa.   This years Grand Service Project was the San Diego Adaptive Sports Foundation, and they raised $72,746.64.

The Grand Master and the Grand Lodge officers attended the VIP/Grand Officer/Grand Family dinner on Sunday evening. The Rainbow Grand Officers included everyone in the camp songs and campfire stories.

Following the banquet, at the evening session, the Grand Master was escorted. The Grand Assembly room was lined with Master Masons’ wearing their Masonic aprons. It was quite an impressive site.  The other Grand Lodge officers who were introduced were, Grand Chaplain Joseph Ross, the AGL of Division 4, Ricky Lawler,  the AGL of Division 6, Cub Jack, the AGL of Division 8 Frank Lee, the Grand Marshall, Allen Weisser, the Sr. Grand Deacon, Mario Balbiani, the Jr. Grand Deacon, Victor Key, Jr, Sr. Grand Steward Runo Lemming, and the Jr. Grand Steward Thomas Thompson.  There were also two Past Grand Master’s introduced, C. Ray Whitaker  and Richard Wakefield Hopper.

The evening concluded with the announcement of the new Grand Officers for 2012-2013. The new Grand Worthy Advisor is Shelby Zimmerman from Diablo Valley.  Rick Lawler’s daughter, Rebecca was appointed as the Dean to the Grand Cross of Color and Representative to Connecticut and Rhode Island.  From our Division, Nicole Patterson from the Green Valley Assembly, in Yucaipa, was appointed to the Grand Executive Committee California Flag Bearer and Grand Representative to Aruba, Florida and Tennessee.

 The D8 Today team interviewed several actors from the “Seniors on Stage”, which is presenting a Vegas style variety show for San Jacinto Lodge #338, and they expect to have over 200 in the attendance.   They met and interviewed “Larry the cable guy” who is portrayed by Jack Aten and several other actors and even met the Producer/ Director. Several other portrayals are scheduled to be on stage at this event, which will last about one and a half to two hours long.

All ticket proceeds will be donated to the Grand Master’s Project and will be presented to him at the Division 8’s program on June 20, 2012. The “Raising a Reader” program is designed to circulate children’s books to homes, engage families in shared reading of those books, and help thousands of children develop reading readiness skills.

Food will be available through the school’s P.T.A and the profits from the food go to helping their P.T.A. program.

This variety show promises to be funny and very entertaining for all ages. So please make plans to come out and support this worthwhile fundraiser for  “Raising-a-Reader. All donations are greatly appreciated and can be made through this web site.   For more information about this event, please check out the event calendar on the right hand side of this page. The D8 Today team hopes you enjoy this first interview with the Producer/ Director. Other interviews with some of the cast members will be posted on this web site in the next few weeks. Stay tuned.

Jim Ridley

After meeting with Joe Blanco, the CEO of American Charities Center.com I realized what a great program this is. Joe Explained that after being in business for several years, he determined what he needed to do to separate his charity service from the others. The result is that he will take ANYTHING as a donated vehicle. He then re-furbishes the vehicle and sells it for top dollar for the charitable purpose. In this case of course it is for our Grand Masters project, Raising-a Reader. Joe utilizes   e-commerce to sell the vehicles thus opening the world up for his marketing strategies. Yes, he sells the vehicles all over the world and can ship them anywhere.

What really surprised me was that he can take vehicles that are in running condition or not. And he will take any vehicle with or without a title. What a    win-win situation for everybody involved with his transactions.

It is really easy to donate a vehicle to American Charities center. All you have to do is make one phone call to Joe Blanco at toll free 888-322-4483. He has operators on duty 24 hrs a day seven days a week to make it easy for you to donate.

You can also donate at AmericaCharityCenter.com  or  RVDonations.org

So if you have a vehicle and want to help Raising-A-Reader please contact us.

Jim Ridley

(951) 329-8854