Yucca Valley Lodge #802
Yucca Valley California
June 2010
Special Interest
Articles:
From the East. 1
From the West. 2
Individual
Highlights:
Editors Corner 2
History of YV 3 successful event. The
W Ms of YV 4 opportunity to meet and
Anniv. Photos 5 hear a wonderful leader
Famous Mason 6
B2B Section 6 Fraternity for this year
Calendar 7 2010. His were inspiring
Officers 8 program event coordinator;
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Trestleboard
A newsletter serving the Masonic and affiliated bodies of the high desert
Trestleboard - a draftsmans designing board; that on which a Mason draws his designs for his character and spiritual growth;
that on which the Worshipful Master lays out his designs for the workmen; a Lodges newsletter and calendar of events.
From the East
Bro. Joseph Romero, Worshipful Master
Brethren:
with all who attended the
th meeting. Instruction as
Our 50 Anniversary was
well as compliments was
May 16, 2010, and several
well accepted. To those
brothers made it a very
that did not attend this
event you missed an
Brothers involved in the
Stated Meeting a motion
preparation, which began
to elect two additional
in the month of January
and personage of our Trustees was tabled. We
2010, and to whom we owe
Masonic Order and should have a least five
a grateful Thank You are
so that the Trustees can
Mark Clark, Treasurer; TC
have meeting in late
Dowden, our Historian and
words to promote Masonry June.
as a way of Life. May the
Joseph Johnson, PM,
G.A.O.T.U. continue An application was
decorations; Joseph
guiding Grand Master Ken received by the Lodge for
DuPont, SW; Mikle
and Kathy Nagel. the Degrees and we will
Brooks and David Haines;
also to a big thank you to be having a First Degree
Thank Joseph Johnson on June 10, at 7:30pm.
Linda Mason, Elaine
PM next time you meet A Third Degree will be
Johnson and Tina
and see him for driving two held on the 27th, with
Bergamin for all their help.
World War II veterans to dinner at 6:30 pm and
LAX, and then bringing Degree work at 7:30 pm.
The visitation of our Grand
them home two days
Master, Kenneth G. Nagel
following, as requested by Our Masonic Education
and his wife, Kathy Nagel,
Grand Lodges "Greatest and Information Night
was most gratifying to our
Gift Program". Their continue on every third
Lodge. Our Grand Master
names were submitted by Thursday of the month at
held a meeting with your
the American Legion. the Lodge with dinner,
Officers and Inspector to
discuss our past and what good fellowship and an
I want to thank the Lodge exploration of basic
our future thoughts and
for supporting a student, a Masonic principles.
vision were for our Lodge
16-year old young lady, to
for the next Fifty Years. It
attend a one month Music Fraternally, Joseph
Program. Also at our last Romero, WM, PM
Our 50th Year in Yucca Valley
 Yucca Valley Trestleboard Page 2 of 8
The Editors Corner
Bro. T.C. Dowden CDR, SC, USN (ret) 32

In my efforts to do background Nagel, the CA Grand Master,

Were not part of the
National Sojourners, but
we can look closely at
what they do. Outreach is
the start, brotherly love, a
festive board, and
Masonic principles are the
rest.
research on Masonic
Enlightenment, I recently read a
terrific short story by Brother
Rudyard Kipling. The story
was titled, In the Interests of the
Brethren. The story related how
Kipling happened on an
unauthorized Lodge of
Instruction in London during
WWI.
The Lodge in the story, Faith
and Works No. 5837 was
entirely focused on the needs of
sojourners from all across the
British Empire, away from their
homes, their families, and home
Lodges. It was all about the
sojourners finding brothers. He
wrote of the deep need of
brother Masons of that day to
experience the beauty of the
ritual work, the differences in
the ritual, and the sheer joy they
felt as they shared the
experience.
I was deeply moved by the story the same; all we have to do is
and it brought to mind the
discussion we had with Ken
regarding how we as a Lodge
should be supporting the
sojourners at the Marine Corps
base. He asked us what we
were doing to invite Masons
coming to the base to join us
for fellowship.
In Kiplings story, the Lodge
of Instruction offered what
returning warriors needed;
camaraderie, support, food,
faith, and Masonic instruction.
That Lodge of Instruction was
open three nights and two
afternoons a week. Through
word of mouth, the Lodge was
always full. They met a need
that the Grand Lodge did not,
a place for any brother to meet.
In so doing, they demonstrated
brotherly love and relief with
ritual training and a festive
board.
We have an opportunity with
our Lodge to provide some of
make sure that those Marines
and sailors know that we are
here and that we are a
welcoming Lodge. They
have choices, they can visit
us, they can visit with the
Oasis of Mara, or they can
pass entirely.
It leads us to consider, what
do we have to offer these
brothers? The answer is, of
course, ourselves. We have a
great group of men here,
interested Masons who
welcome new members and
visitors. Even more, we have
men who are invested in the
tenets of Masonry.
The military Lodge system is
gone, although it lives on in
part through the National
Sojourners. Were not part of
the National Sojourners, but
we can do what they do on a
local level. Outreach is the
start, brotherly love, a festive
board, and Masonic
principles are the rest.

From the West participated in this celebration, something new is part of

Bro. Joseph DuPont, Sr. Warden
June is here, another month slips all come together.
into the history. Our 50th
Anniversary celebration was an Wardens retreat weekend,
event to be remembered, the
Grand Master of California
Masons, Most Worshipful
Kenneth G. Nagel came not
only to perform the ceremonies
for this event but spent a few
hours enjoying fellowship with
members and friends of the
lodge, both before and after the
formalities of the occasion.
Many thanks to everyone who
particularly those who performed
the labors necessary to make it
Last month I attended the Senior
anyone that believes that the
word retreat means 'a relaxing
get away' would be mistaken,
classes began Friday evening as
soon as we arrived and continued
thru Sunday, with the single
focus of preparing the Senior
Wardens for the following year.
Somewhere I developed the
notion that always learning
growing, and the more you grow
the more you realize there is
much more to learn. Sometimes
we learn in formal settings such
as the retreat I attended, but
more often we happen across
opportunities in less formal
settings. Sitting with friends
seems to me one of the best
places to learn and develop
ideas, none of us have exactly
the same experience in our lives,
so everyone has something
unique to contribute as long as
we are receptive to new or
different ideas.

A beautiful system of Morality, veiled in Allegory, illustrated by Symbols

 Page 3 of 8
Establishment of Yucca
Valley Lodge #802
F&AM
Prior to WWII, Yucca Valley was
primarily ranchland and some
homesteads. It was popular with
people suffering from lung ailments
and arthritis, but there was not
enough here economically to really
grow a city. Residents looking for
work generally went down the hill.
After World War II, however, the
economy of Yucca Valley boomed.
People began looking for retirement
or vacation homes away from the
smog and problems of cities.
Because water was more easily
available in Morongo Valley and 29
Palms, those areas grew first. The
real trigger was the Marine Corps
Base replacing the Navy Glider Base
and both Twentynine Palms and
Yucca Valley blossomed.
Freemasonry experienced a similar
growth surge following WWII as
well, which ultimately led to the
formation of our Lodge. Veterans
were looking for the comradiery of
fraternal organizations and found
Masonry. Veterans, retirees,
escapees from the cities and active
duty servicemen who were already
brother Masons in the local area
found each other.
On March 10, 1956, a group of
Masons got together to form an
unofficial Masonic Club, dubbed the
Desert Sojourners Club. The first
meeting of the club was on April 13,
1956. The club met originally at the
Community Hall in Joshua Tree, CA,
A beautiful system of Morality, veiled in Allegory, illustrated by Symbols
Yucca Valley Trestleboard
but they knew they needed their own
Lodge building.
So, on January 11, 1957, a building
committee was formed to find an
appropriate site in Yucca Valley for a
Masonic Temple, which became the
Desert Sojourners Club, Inc. That
site was found, and is the current
Lodge grounds.
In April 1958, the lot was cleared for
preparation of the Temple, plans were
drawn up, permits were granted, and
ground was broken on July 18th for
the foundation. While constructing
the Temple, the Yucca Valley
Masonic Club was officially formed
in June 1959.
The construction of the Temple was
donated with over 3000 hours of
donated man hours, it being deemed
the Sojourners Building. The
building was completed on January 9,
1960. Afterward, the Club requested
permission of the Grand Lodge to
become a Lodge.
The Grand Master of California, the
Honorable Joe L. Shell, granted
permission to the Yucca Valley
Masonic Club to form a Lodge in
May, 1960, becoming Yucca Valley
Lodge U. D. (Under Dispensation)
instituted June 11, 1960.
The initial membership of the Lodge
was 47 Charter Members. The first
Master of the U.D. Lodge was
Clarence E. Miller, who turned over
the Masters position to Louis L.
Cunningham after a few months.
Disaster stuck when a fire nearly
destroyed the Sojourners Building on
April 5, 1961, gutting the building
and causing over $25,000 damage.
In todays dollars, that would be
$177,321.00! Insurance covered the
loss and rebuilding began in earnest.
The Lodge was granted its charter in
October 11, 1961 to form a Lodge
from the Yucca Valley Masonic
Lodge U.D. to become Yucca
Valley Masonic Lodge #802 F&AM
(Free and Accepted Masons)
On February 26, 1963 the Yucca
Valley Masonic Lodge Temple
Association accepted the ownership
of the Sojourners Building as the
Temple for the Lodge.
Of particular note, on March 2,
1968, Masons from the Lodge laid
the cornerstone for the Yucca
Valley High School, which was
attended by 22 California Grand
Lodge Officers. This began the YV
Lodges long association with
public schools.
On May 16th, 1974, a ceremonial
burning of the Temples mortgage
was held, which was attended by
over 100 people and celebrating 14
years of efforts and payments.
The Lodge has been in continuous
operation ever since, waxing and
waning with the times, having a
current membership of about 86
members.
 Yucca Valley Trestleboard Page 4 of 8
Worshipful Masters of Yucca Valley
Lodge #802

A beautiful system of Morality, veiled in Allegory, illustrated by Symbols

 Page 5 of 8 Yucca Valley Trestleboard
Photos of the Celebration

A beautiful system of Morality, veiled in Allegory, illustrated by Symbols

 Yucca Valley Trestleboard
Famous Mason: Joseph Rudyard Kipling: Poet, Author, Freemason
He was born in Bombay, India,
December 30, 1865 and called
from labor on January 18, 1936.
Celebrated author and poet, his
literary career began with
Departmental Ditties (1886), but
subsequently he became chiefly
known as a writer of short stories.
A prolific writer, he achieved fame
quickly. Kipling was the poet of
the British Empire and its yeoman,
the common soldier, whom he
glorified in many of his works, in
particular Plain Tales from the
Hills (1888) and Soldiers Three
(1888), collections of short stories
with roughly and affectionately
drawn soldier portraits. His
Barrack Room Ballads (1892)
were written for, as much as about,
the common soldier. In 1894
appeared his Jungle Book, which
became a children's classic all over
the world. Kim (1901), the story
of Kimball O'Hara and his
adventures in the Himalayas, is
perhaps his most felicitous work.
Other works include The Second
Jungle Book (1895), The Seven
Seas (1896), Captains Courageous
(1897), The Day's Work (1898),
Stalky and Co. (1899), Just So
B2B Brother to Brother Section
A beautiful system of Morality, veiled in Allegory, illustrated by Symbols
Stories (1902), Trafficks and
Discoveries (1904), Puck of
Pook's Hill (1906), Actions and
Reactions (1909), Debits and
Credits (1926), Thy Servant a
Dog (1930), and Limits and
Renewals (1932). His collected
poems appeared in 1933.
His writings frequently give
Masonic allusions peculiarly
significant to the Craft. The story
of The Man Who Would be King
is a good specimen of the kind in
question. His poems, the Mother
Lodge, the Palace, and L'Envoito
Life's Handicap are splendidly
typical. He was made an
honorary member of Canongate
Kilwinning Lodge at Edinburgh,
a Masonic distinction of which he
very properly has been not a little
proud. The English Masonic
Illustrated (London, July 1901+
volume 1, number 10) says
Brother Kipling was initiated in
Freemasonry at the age of twenty
and a half, by special
dispensation obtained for the
purpose, in the Hope and
Perseverance Lodge, No. 782, at
Lahore. In 1888, he joined the
Independence and Philanthropy
Page 6 of 8
Lodge, No. 391, meeting at
Allahabad, Bengal. In the issue
of the London Times quoted in
the Freemason, March 28, 1925,
there is an interesting statement
from Brother Kipling regarding
his active service in his own
Lodge in Lahore, Punjab, East
Indies.
This is what he writes: "I was
Secretary for some years of the
Lodge of Hope and
Perseverance, No. 782, E.C.,
Lahore, English Constitution,
which included Brethren of at
least four creeds. I was entered
by a member from Brahmo
Somaj, a Hindu, passed by a
Mohammedan, and raised by an
Englishman. Our Tyler was an
Indian Jew. We met, of course,
on the level, and the only
difference anyone would notice
was that at our banquets some of
the Brethren, who were debarred
by caste rules from eating food
not ceremonially prepared, sat
over empty plates."
 Page 7 of 8 Yucca Valley Trestleboard
Lodge Calendar Our 50th Year in Yucca Valley
Yucca Valley Masonic Center

June 2010
Sunday Monday Tuesday Wednesday Thursday Friday Saturday
1 2 3 4 5
Gemini Cancer Hall Association Stated Mtg 6 PM Breakfast
Building Board Dinner 6:30 8-10 AM
Mtg. 6 PM Open Mtg 7:30 Yucca Valley

Galaxy Club 11 AM

6 7 8 9 10 11 12
Oasis of Mara Daughters of the First Degree Breakfast
Stated Meeting Nile 11:00 PM 7:30 PM 8-10 AM
29 Palms Yucca Valley Oasis of Mara

13 14 15 16 17 18 19
Eastern Star 6 PM Masonic Shrine Club Officers School of
Yucca Valley Education 11:00 AM Instruction
Working Group Yucca Valley
Dinner 6:30 PM Sizzler

Flag Day

20 21 22 23 24 25 26
Fathers Day Input due for the Scottish Rite in St. Johns Day
Trestleboard! Palm Springs Dinner 6:30
Third Degree
7:30

27 28 29 30 1 2 3
Eastern Star 6 PM
Yucca Valley

Special thanks for excellent service and color prints to:

A beautiful system of Morality, veiled in Allegory, illustrated by Symbols

 Yucca Valley Trestleboard Page 8 of 8
Lodge Officers 2010

Grand Master of the State of

Most Worshipful Kenneth G. Nagel
Yucca Valley Masonic Lodge California
PO Box 686 Worshipful Master Joe Romero, P.M. 228-2515
Yucca Valley, CA 92284
Senior Warden Joseph DuPont 367-4373
PHONE: Junior Warden Vacant
(760) 820-4499
Treasurer Mark Clark 367-7246
FAX: Secretary Oscar Rodriguez 449-0147
(760) 820-4499
Chaplain David Glenn 660-5736
E-MAIL:
Senior Deacon Joseph Johnson PM 365-5764
secretary@masons802.org
Junior Deacon Joseph Pennington 362-2785
Trestleboard Editor: Marshal Wayne J. Stuart 364-4586
T. C. Dowden 418-5236 Senior. Steward James N. Henley 366-2527
TCDowden@roadrunner.com Junior Steward Brian L. Slack 365-6245
Tyler Vacant
Were on the Web! Officers Coach Vacant
See us at:
Inspector 830th Masonic Dist Mert Gayler
www.masons802.org
Telephone Chair
facebook Adriana C. (Tina) Bergamin 365-5523

http://www.facebook.com/?ref=home#/pages/Yucca-Valley-CA/Yucca-Valley-Masonic-Lodge-802/387646035017?ref=sgm

YUCCA VALLEY
MASONIC LODGE
PO Box 686
Yucca Valley, CA 92284
City, ST 78269

USPSIdentification Statement
Trestleboard - Published monthly by
Yucca Valley Lodge #802 F&AM
PO Box 686, Yucca Valley CA 92284

A beautiful system of Morality, veiled in Allegory, illustrated by Symbols