My Brothers:
Each year, a "Christmas in July" toy drive is held at Evergreen Lodge in Riverside; always in mid-July. The toys are collected for delivery to the Shriners’ medical center in Pasadena. It will come as no surprise that the event did not happen this July. However, a team of people is putting together an event in December. This will simply be a toy collection at Evergreen Lodge, for the same purpose. There will be no meal, no party, no Santa, and no elves – other than the volunteers who decide to dress up as elves. The drop off will probably take place outside and/or under the front covered patio, permitting social distancing. Only volunteers will be in the building, sanitizing and organizing the donations, then packing them in boxes for the trip to Pasadena.
Naturally, the organizers need assistance, particularly in (1) getting toys and (2) getting the word out. As for toys, the organizers are looking for new toys. Batteries should be provided for toys that require them, so that the toy will be usable immediately once it is given to a child. NO STUFFED ANIMALS ARE TO BE INCLUDED WITH THIS TOY DRIVE.
It is my request that each of the members of Temescal Palms Masonic Lodge (1) get the word out to their friends and family, and (2) prepare to participate by contributing a toy or two.
The toy collection is set for Saturday, December 12, 2020, from 10 AM to 2 PM.
Fraternally,
John G. Dickman, Mastet
Temescal Palms Lodge #314 celebrated its annual Public Schools Observance on Tuesday April 30, 2019. Thanks to our continued coordination with the Corona-Norco Unified School District and fundraising efforts of the Brethren, we honored students and teachers with monetary awards to use for classroom supplies and further educational opportunities. Thanks also to the City of Corona, State Senator Richard Roth, Assemblywoman Sabrina Cervantes, Riverside County Supervisor Karen Spiegel, and Representative Ken Calvert for providing all honorees certificates of recognition. Attendance was fantastic and a huge thanks to the Ladies of the Lodge for a wonderful dessert reception.
Corona Senior DeMolay’s Travel’s to raise a Brother
As a Past Chapter Dad and a Senior DeMoly myself, one of the reasons I joined the Masonic Lodge was I wanted to be like them, they were not only advisors, pillars of the community but also very successful in there labors and with their families.
So when I became Chapter Dad, it was very important to me that my boys got the same introduction I had when I was their age. We played the lodge every year in a softball game we had activities where they got to know the members of my lodge on many different levels.
I have helped raise many Senior DeMolay’s in my 46 years as a mason, but the one that will aways be special to me, will be the one I had the pleasure of taking part in last month.
One day I got a call from Brian Kelly one of my PMCs and he said Dad I am getting my third degree February 22 here in Commerce City CO, at Park Hill Lodge. I hope you will attend. Well, at that point I said Brain I wouldn’t miss it for the world.
I got off the phone called the Master of their lodge and was granted permission for myself and a couple other Senior DeMolay’s to take part in the second section. So with that Robert Burger PMC and a PM served as Master in the East, I was in the West and Will Votaw PMC and a PM of Boise Lodge #1 played third base. We practiced the night before and everything flowed great between 2 different Jurisdictions.
When a Chapter Dad raises his own, with his own boys the feelings are tearful. My father who was also very involved in our youth groups once told me,”Son in 20 years look at the kids you advised, it will be at that point you will know just how good and affected you were. All of my boys turned out great. That evening after the degree all 3 of them told me this was one of the best things we ever did, they then asked me who will be the next one Jeff or Kevin. My response was don’t forget the others brothers in the Chapter.
Since this being the 100 year anniversary of DeMolay, my son and I our working on a reunion of of our Chapters, El Rancho Chapter from Pico Rivera CA and Whittier and Corona Chapters the first weekend of June and celebrating it together at the June 2ndGrand Lodge event in Long Beach.
Erdean Johnson PM HA
Temescal Palms Lodge #314
Blast from the pass : Corona DeMolay Installation 1991
Video provided by: Franklin R. Lee P.M. HA