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THE CALIFORNIA ENCOMPASSER IS THE OFFICIAL PUBLICATION OF THE GRAND YORK RITE BODIES OF CALIFORNIA AND IS PUBLISHED QUARTERLY TO PROVIDE AN INFORMATION VEHICLE FOR THE MEMBERSHIP
Volume 31 January 2016 Number 1
TABLE OF CONTENTS
CASEY NORRIS, REST IN PEACE 2
EASTER OBSERVANCES 3
GRAND SESSIONS 2016 3
COMPTCHE 3
RITUAL AND MEMBERSHIP 3
OPERATIONS AND TRAINING MANUAL 4
COMPANION ADEPT OF THE TEMPLE 4
EDITOR’S MESSAGE 4
GOLDEN STATE RESEARCH CHAPTER 5
GRAND YORK RITE CONTACTS 5
GRAND SESSIONS REGISTRATION DOCUMENTS 6 -- 11
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CASEY NORRIS, K.Y.G.C.H., RIP
In November, we recognized two fine York Rite Masons – unfortunately, at their memorial services. First, Dave Shull, who served into his mid-90s. And most recently Sir Knight Casey Norris, KCT, KYGCH, Past Grand Commander, Grand Commandery Knights Templar of California, a Royal Arch Mason who made good in the Grand Commandery, serving as Grand Commander in 2011. He lost his wife, Jackie, last year, and is now re-united with her. R. E. PGD Chuck Waterman, Commander, and R. E. PGC Elmer Curtis, Prelate, performed the Knight Templar Memorial on the 28th of November at Natoma Lodge #64 in Folsom, where Casey had served as Master and had received the Hiram Award. R. E. Chuck then performed the Blue Lodge ceremony, with a eulogy offered by his son, Casey Jr. and a couple who had been friends of Casey and Jackie for 40 years. She pointed out in her remarks that Casey and her husband were never able to resolve their unending debate as to whether the Pope was too liberal or too conservative! The Past Grand Commanders were assisted in performing the service by R. E. PGC Fred Smith and R. E. PGC Myron Tisdale with members of Vacaville Commandery No. 38 serving as the Honor Guard. Many Sir Knights from Southern California made the long journey north to honor Casey, including R. E. PGC Dave Kussman and R. E. PGC Carlos Gonzales. Also present, of course, was R. E.
PGC Bruce Pruitt in a full house – Casey got a great send-off. “Soft and safe to thee, my Brother . . . “
EASTER OBSERVANCES
Three celebrations are planned for 2016 –
Alexandria, VA; Tempe, AZ; and Kansas City, MO.
Information and flyers can be obtained at the
following website. Soon, the website for the West
Coast observance in Tempe will be available at
www.wseo.us. But for now, get info about the
observances at:
HTTP://WWW.KNIGHTSTEMPLAR.ORG/
GRAND SESSIONS 2016
Dates for the 2016 California Grand York Rite Bodies:
Monday, May 23, 2016 – Grand Chapter Tuesday, May 24, 2016 – Grand Council
Wednesday, May 25, 2016 – Grand Commandery
Forms are now ready at www.ca-gyrs.org
Copies of the Registration Form and the Ad Form are copied at the back of this newsletter, along with copies of the forms to be used by elected reps or proxies. Remember, each body is governed differently, as to representation, so plan now to have your members properly certified with the necessary documentation.
COMPTCHE OUTDOOR DEGREES
The 44th Annual Comptche Outdoor Royal Arch Degrees are coming up in June. So set aside the weekend of June 25th at the Tunzi Ranch, just 9 miles inland from Mendocino. All four Degrees will be conferred on Saturday, with the Prologue beginning at 8:30 a.m. The reservation deadline is June 17th. You could make a vacation around this event. Self-contained RVs and tent campers are welcome to setup from June 22nd through the 27th.
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There are no 120V hookups but there are chemical toilets in the meadow. There is a hot water shower in the restroom shack, as well as men’s and women’s bathrooms.
Fish Fry Friday night -- $15.50 Breakfast Saturday morning -- $10 Dues Registration -- $12 Companions Lunch -- $12.50 Tri-tip Barbeque Saturday Night -- $20 Breakfast Sunday morning -- $10
Children half-price; only companions pay the registration. Make checks payable to COMPTCHE OUTDOOR DEGREES, and complete and send the registration document below to Guy Chalmers, 50 Lohrrman Lane, Petaluma, CA 94952-3609.
RITUAL AND MEMBERSHIP
Our four bodies exist to preserve and perform the Ritual with which we are entrusted. We use, and maybe over-use, words like “sublime,” “august,” “holy,” “sacred,” but it is indeed sacred work that we do as we administer our bodies, market our work, perform our ritual, gain new members, and build our bodies. It is “sacred” in the sense that our work is based on Scripture and is intended not just to make good men better but to make them better in a spiritual sense – hence, as Webster would put it, our ritual is “hallowed by association with the divine.” Success in all our enterprises begins with success in the Mark Master Degree. There can be no new Royal Arch Masons, Cryptic Masons or Knights Templar if there are no new Mark Master Masons. We are, in duty, bound then to educate ourselves in the ritual and to discipline ourselves to give it priority, WHENEVER POSSIBLE. We must simply do the following in each and every Chapter. And this involves Council and Commandery members, as they are per force Chapter members:
1. Establish a team to practice and perform the Mark Master Degree
2. Calendar a date for the conferral 3. Identify and exhort prospective
members at Blue Lodge gatherings Planning is crucial as, of course, you must allow time for receipt of petitions and balloting. But get creative. One Chapter recently held an information night for Blue Lodge members, explained the York Rite and the Mark Master opportunity, and offered to meet later that night and ballot and confer for those who were prepared to submit their petitions then! Remember that no money need exchange hands or delay the process, as the fees are not due until the candidate wants to proceed beyond the Mark.
OPERATIONS & TRAINING MANUAL
For decades, we have all clamored for a single document that gives us what we need to effectively run our organizations. General Grand Chapter has now produced the Manual which meets this need for Chapters – and each Chapter should acquire at least one copy for use by its Dais Officers. Councils and Commanderies can benefit from this production as well. Although it is oriented to the Chapter needs, and contains some info specific to the capitular ritual, it does contain the following chapters, which will be found to be useful by all bodies:
A. The Art and Science of Leadership B. Officer Selection & Development C. Protocols and Governance D. Membership Management E. Presentation and Education F. Dues, Fees and Budgets G. Communications and Public Relations H. Strategic Planning and Development
This new Manual is well worth the cost of $25.00. It can be ordered from the General Grand Chapter as follows:
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By writing to General Grand Chapter RAM, PO Box 128, Greenfield, IN 46140; or via email at: [email protected]
OPERATIONS & TRAINING MANUAL Here are some snippets from the Manual Chapters on Leadership and Membership Management.
COMPANION ADEPT OF THE TEMPLE
The York Rite Sovereign College has developed a self-study educational program, similar in concept to the Scottish Rite’s Master Craftsman Program, for the York Rite bodies. It is available to any York Rite Mason by enrollment through the Sovereign College Office. Cost is only $30. Eight resources are made available, seven of them at no cost. Your editor purchased the other from Amazon for $1.99! These resources include books by Mackey, Thomas Smith Webb, Jeremy Cross, Bernard Jones, Jackson Chase and George Cooper Connor. You will be happy to have these resources on your PC! Or your eBook reader. For information, contact the College Office at (313) 833-1385.
Congratulations are in order to John R. Carter, Casey M. Latham, Charles L. Schubert, and Michael Sekera for completing the five exams of this Education Program, and for achieving the honorific title of “Companion Adept of the Temple”!
EDITOR'S MESSAGE
CALENDARS OF PRESIDING OFFICERS
The itineraries can be found at the Grand York Rite website. Hold down the CTRL key and click on the line below. For M.E.C. Steve Goad go to: http://www.yorkriteofcalifornia.org/royalarch/ghpcalendar.html For M.I.G.M Brett MacDonald go to: http://yorkriteofcalifornia.org/council/calendar.html For R.E.C. Fenton Mereness go to: http://yorkriteofcalifornia.org/commandery/itinerary.html COMMUNICATIONS As mentioned in previous editions of the Encompasser, communications are vital to assist those seeking further light in Masonry. So resolve now to ACT: 1) broadcast this publication far and wide, and encourage each of your York Rite bodies to buy a 2-year subscription; 2) broadcast the monthly Workman to the leaders of all your bodies; 3) access the following websites, and see that your Companions are aware of their existence and how to access them: www.yorkriteofcalifornia.org www.goldenstatechapter.org www.yorkrite.org And as you continue into this York Rite year, make every effort you can to continually remind your membership of the Colorado River Fall Festival this October. Confer the Mark Master as often as you can and build interest in our brethren of pursuing further light.
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GOLDEN STATE RESEARCH CHAPTER
The website at www.goldenstatechapter.org now
contains a copy of the 2010, 2011 and 2012 Grand
Orations booklets. Also included is a copy of “The
Royal Arch Path,” by MEC Phil Hardiman,
KYGCH. The latest meeting was at Grand Lodge
on Saturday at noon. A couple of dozen brethren
were in attendance, and about 10 new Companions
were elected to membership.
The next Semi-annual meeting will be held during
Grand Sessions in May next year.
For information about membership, contact:
Ex. Companion Bob Morrison, High Priest
Dr. Paul Arthur Clark, King
Ex. Companion Tony Yuson, Scribe
Ex. Comp Casey Latham, Secretary
GRAND YORK RITE CONTACT INFORMATION
Most Excellent Grand High Priest:
Steven R. Goad, KYGCH
2300 Diamond Head Way
Oxnard, CA 93036-7762
(760) 608-1585 (C)
(760) 939-9704 (W) Weds-Fri
(805) 989-4748 (W) Mon-Tues
Most Illustrious Grand Master:
Brett A. MacDonald , KYGCH
469 Stephora St
Covina 91724-2653
(626) 339-0871 (H)
(626) 991-6688 (C)
Right Eminent Grand Commander
Fenton R. Mereness, KYGCH
P. O. Box 357
Jamestown, 95327-0357
(209) 984-0737 (H)
(408) 761-6239 (C)
Grand Secretary:
Ken Hope
11428 E. Artesia Blvd, #13
Artesia, CA 90701-3872
(562) 924-6500(W)
(562) 484-1611(C)
Editor:
Phil Hardiman, PGHP
2713 Hoffman Woods Lane
Carmichael, CA 95608
(916) 712-4814(C)
Websites:
www.yorkriteofcalifornia.org
If you need access to the confidential
features of the website, contact one of the
officers above for userid and password.
WWW.GOLDENSTATECHAPTER
www.goldenstatechapter.org
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What do You Want Your Ad to Say? Camera ready ad material is preferred (Black and White or Gray scale only). We can assist you in creating your ad. Provide on a separate page, the exact wording of your ad. Submit logos, pictures (original B&W or Gray scale only—no color or “scanned pics”) or business cards that are to be used in the ad on an accompanying sheet.
Payment must accompany Ad request, payable to “Grand York Rite of CA” or we will invoice you via PayPal to use your credit card. DEADLINE FOR ACCEPTING AD REQUESTS: 4/10/16 Send Ad and Payment to CA-GYRS PO Box 402 Penryn, CA 95663-0402 Questions – contact: Casey Latham, Ad Chairman Email: [email protected]
2016 GRAND YORK RITE SESSIONS Souvenir Ad Program Order Form
____________________________________________________________________________________ Company Name or Organization Contact Name ______________________________________
Phone _______________
E-mail ______________________________
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Please enter quantity:
____ Full Page @ $160.00 each
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____ Eighth Page @ $25.00 each
____ Business Card @ $25.00 each
____ Name on Name Page (list below) @ $5.00 each
Total Amount ____________
Check # ____ or Invoice me via PayPal
Names for the Name Page (at $5 each) _____________________________________________
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W E N E E D S U B S C R I B E R SThe California Encompasser is requesting subscribers to assist with the ever increasing costs of paper, printing and postage. We are also in constant need of new items, fillers, pictures, jokes, educational papers (short) and anything else you might be able to think of.
California FreemasonsThe Family of Freemasonry
“Masonry on the Rise”
S u b s c r i p t i o n F o r mYes! I would appreciate receiving the California Encompasser. You will find my check for $100.00 enclosed for a lifetime subscription or $40.00 for a two-year subscription.
NAME: ______________________________________________
ADDRESS: ___________________________________________
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GRAND CHAPTER ROYAL ARCH MASONS OF CALIFORNIA
11428 E. Artesia Blvd, #13, Artesia, CA 90701-3872
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