This is a radio interview that aired in the week preceding this amazing event!
The sunny day in Fresno was a perfect day for checking out Highway 146 between the San Joaquin Valley and Paso Robles, so off we went! The road is largely two lane but it’s a lovely amble, and nice to watch the country change from inland valley to coastal. Plenty of cows, and somewhere I’d like to explore a little more when we have more time.
We arrived in Paso Robles at the Starbucks for the “quick change” in the bathroom. Thanks, Starbucks, for always having a clean bathroom and a hot latte! There was a guy out front with two “doodle” dogs, which made me homesick for our goofy dog and her dreadlocks.
The Masonic lodge in San Luis Obispo was festooned with bright banners announcing the building’s 100th anniversary celebration. Inside, the place had been scrubbed and shined and awesome displays of the lodge’s history had been set up.
The lodge hosted a community open house before the actual ceremony, and this is definitely one of those “best practice” things. It was AMAZING to see literally hundreds of people from the community of San Luis Obispo flood through the building. They lingered and read the historical items, they asked questions, they ate the snacks, they showed their kids how King David’s Lodge had been at the heart and soul of San Luis Obispo for over a hundred years.
I had a chance to talk to people about what Masonry is, and what I love about it and why Masonry is a thing of value for men and women of all faiths, and lots of other cool things. Russ had the chance to talk to a number of young men about how to petition the lodge. One that was remarkable was a young man who’d been interested in Masonry for years, but as a member of the military hadn’t been in one place long enough to check it out. Suffice it to say that the Secretary of the Lodge ran out of applications!
The lodge room itself was filled to (beyond) capacity! We got a sly wink-nod approval from one of our favorite firefighters, Steve Knuckles to exceed the posted capacity by just a “couple” of seats.
The ceremony was begun and was executed very nicely by the guys. It’s always an impressive ceremony with the covered implements next to the altar, and the candle lighting. AGL Ricky Lawler stood in for the Grand Marshal and did a great job of not lighting the covering cloth on fire! (Always a plus.)
The oration was done by a Cal Poly Professor of history, Daniel E. Kreiger, who did a great job linking the history of the lodge with the history of the community. He talked about how San Luis Obispo was actually proposed to be the state capital in the event that the territory from central California to Texas and down to Mexico broke off and became it’s own state.
Another remarkable thing is that the ceremony was live streamed via the web to viewers all over the world, and to the full dining room next door to the lodge room! This is something that is a great idea for getting the light of masonry spread far and wide.
The whole day was one of pride in the men and women who are King David’s Lodge, and in the community of San Luis Obispo. When I went to college there I couldn’t have predicted that one day it would feel like my second home.
Afterwards we had the pleasure of joining the Master, Peter Champion and his lovely wife, Jan (and their son Tom and daughter-in-law-to-be) Kerry, for dinner and the fun of their company. It was a great way to end a nearly perfect day!
Miles (Fresno to SLO and the home) 266 Total Miles 58,550
The Golden State from the Passenger's Seat 