From the Archives
From the Archives
Las Palmas Lodge received its Dispensation in April of 1905 and was granted its Charter when the California Grand Lodge met in October of that year. Unfortunately, the minutes of meetings from 1905 have been lost. The earliest Lodge minutes start in January of 1906. In order to learn more about the history of Las Palmas Lodge and its founding members, I read all of the Lodge minutes from January 1906 through December of 2005. It is from these minutes, and my own memory, that I have been able to write my monthly column entitled "From the Archives". Most stories are presented in a loose chronological order. Richard W. Frey, PM.
2012
August-- 1976 Our Bicentennial Year
September--Membership and Salaries of Secretary, Organist and Tiler
November--WW I and Las Palmas part 1
December--WW I and Las Palmas part 2
2013
January--Masonic baseball games to raise money for Red Cross
February--Old time Masonic Funerals, A brother who helped with a Lodge in Germany during WW I
March--Black cube in the ballot box
April--Las Palmas grows, Masonic Trowels, Masonic Club Houses at UC Berkeley and UCLA
May--Visit from our local Congressman, calling down for a proficiency, Life Membership
June--Members named after famous people
August--Quartettes to sing at Masonic funerals, Lodge Charity at Christmas
October--Greeting the new Master, guest speakers at Lodge
November--Candidate's Occupational Degree Team
December--The Great Depression and Lodge finances
2014
March--The Great Depression, French First Degree
April--New form for Masonic Funerals, Stereopticon slices for First Degree Lecture
May--Investing Lodge funds during the depression, serving a dinner before the Stated Meeting
November--WW II part 2, Las Palmas is getting busy
December--WW II part 3, The busiest years of Las Palmas
2015
January--The Post WW II Years part 1
February--The Post WW II years part 2 and the beginning of Ponderosa Lodge
March--The Post WW II years part 3
April--Masonic Blood Bank and acquiring land for a new Temple
May--Changes in ritual and our 50th Anniversary
June--Problems with the old Fresno Masonic Temple and progress report on building a new joint Temple
July--The formation of Sierra Lodge in Oakhurst, Funding the joint Masonic Temple
August--Past Master Dee Moyers and his wife deed land for our own Masonic Temple
September--Raising money for our new Temple and Ground Breaking
October--Excerpts from 1942 to 1945 Las Palmas Trestleboards
November--Cemetery plots available to members and their families
December--The end of Las Palmas's tenancy in the old Masonic Temple
2016
January--The opening of our New Temple
February--A dark part of Las Palmas history
March--Problems selling our stock in the old Masonic Temple
April--The failed attempt to build a joint Masonic Temple
June--Why there had not been a Grand Master from the Fresno area in several decades
July--Las Palms was getting plenty of candidates and the other local Lodges were not so fortunate
August--Old Masonic Temple sold, but no money for Las Palmas
September--Las Palmas thrives in our new Temple
November--Lodge Mortgage Burning Ceremony
December--Las Palmas is busy in the 1960's
2017
January--My introduction to Masonry and Las Palmas
March--Joining Las Palmas Lodge
April--My application process with Las Palmas
May--Our two Grand Masters and what Las Palmas was like in 1967
June--Changes in the election of Lodge officers
July--Leonard "Len" Gottner, our Senior Past Master
September--Dinner with our Dates on Valentines Day and I get my 3rd Degree
October--Masonic Bible given after passing 3rd degree proficiency
November--Weekly visitation committee reports
December--How your dues are used by the Lodge
2018
January--February--A letter from 1968 Master, Len Gottner
March--What it costs to keep Las Palmas-Ponderosa Lodge running
April--Brother John Reynolds, PM
May--How degrees were conferred 50 years ago
June--Retirement of Inspector Sam Dollar and Grand Lodge Annual Meeting
December--My Installation as Marshall
2019
January--James C Clark, our Secretary for many years
February--1973--My first year in the Officer's Line as Marshall
March--Candidate's proficiencies in the late 1960's and early 1970's
April--Activities at Las Palmas in 1973
May--Changing of the Guard from 1973 to 1974
June--Bob Paden, Las Palmas Secretary from 1974 to 1987
July--Rachel Browne, our guest at the Masonic Homes and other Lodge activities in 1974
August--Making room for our "Perfect Attendance" school bike give-away
September--Las Palmas-Ponderosa Burial Plots
October--Life Memberships and death of PM Lee French
November--Death of PM Bobby Bingham and PM Ray Shilling
2020
January--Politicians and Masonry
February--Activities at las Palmas in 1975
April--The Spanish Flu of 1918-19 and COVID-19 and Las Palmas Lodge
May--Las Palmas in 1975 & 1976
June--Covid 19 and prior flu epidimics
July--No in person Lodge meetings or degrees
August--More of Las Palmas in 1975 & 1976
September--Problems with Entered Apprentice Masons advancing
October--Brother Lawrence Myers and Brother John Herring PM
November--Active members and their assigned duties at Las Palmas Lodge
December--Printed Masonic membership rosters and Fresno Lodge's centenial celebration
2021
February--My 1980 Installation
April--The first candidate I obligated--Ray Mitsch
May--Las Palmas activities during spring to fall of 1980
June--Las Palmas 75th Birthday Party
July--Masonic Funeral for Marvin Wallace PM
August--Summary of my year as Master of Las Palmas Lodge
October--1981 Lodge Activities
November--1981 Lodge Activities
December--LP opens up after being closed for Covid Pandemic
2022
January--The start of our yearly Chinese Dinner
February--Our 1982 Installation of Officers and Brother Sam Marko Pavlovich, PM (1967)
March--Have you ever sat in Lodge with a Famous Person
April--The impact of Covid-19 on Las Palmas Lodge and Masonry
June--Visiting an out of state Lodge and our officer's line appointments
July--Las Palmas Lodge in 1983
August--Lodge Disasters and our Distressed Worthy Brothers
September--Covid 19 and LPP's recovery from the Pandemic
October--Temple kitchen remodel in 1983 and Masonic tenants in our Temple
December--Resurecting Past Master's Night
2023
January--How lucky we are to be at Las Palmas-Ponderosa Lodge
February--Las Palmas Lodge and what it was doing in 1950
April--Some of the tennents of Free Masonry and the world has not changed much in 39 years
May--Dues increase and Layman's night
June--1985 Summer activities at Las Palmas
July--Lodge and GL activities in 1985
August--Mike Reynolds obituary Three Strikes and You're Out
September--Covid 19 and what it did to Las Palmas-Ponderosa Lodge and Masonry
October--1986 Free Masonry is governed by its membership
November--Masonry has not surrendered to modern thinking
December--LPP The Little Train That Could
2024
January--A new beginning for LPP
February--Inflation and our GL assessment
March--Las Palmas Widow's Club
April--Senior Past Master Len Gottner