April 2022 Trestleboard

The Lodge Secretary endeavors to keep our roster as accurate as possible. If you are moving, changing your mailing address, phone number or email address, please update your information in GrandView or notify the Secretary so that your information can be kept current.

Twin Peaks Lodge Secretary

The Trestleboard is an official publication of Twin Peaks Lodge No. 32, which is a legally constituted Masonic Lodge operating under charter granted by the Most Worshipful Grand Lodge of Free & Accepted Masons of Utah. The Trestleboard is published for the sole and exclusive use of the members of Twin Peaks Lodge No. 32, and any other use is expressly forbidden.  The editor of The Trestleboard is Glen Van Steeter.  Submissions of educational articles or other announcements may be sent to the editor at [email protected], and if selected for publication, will be given full attribution. All submissions are subject to the approval of the Worshipful Master of Twin Peaks Lodge No. 32 and the editor of the Trestleboard.

Stated Meeting

April 4nd:

• 6:30 PM – Pre-meeting Dinner
• 7:30 PM – Stated Meeting

Other Mondays

• April 11th: Virtual Grand Lodge Visitation.
• April 18th: Officer’s Meeting – Ritual Practice.
• April 25rd: Masonic Public Meetup @ Slackwater Sandy

Other Activities

June 3rd – Planned Trip to visit Vegas Lodge #32, located at 623 E. Charleston Blvd, Las Vegas, Nevada. Planning to attend their stated meeting and festive board. A few will be staying for the weekend for a buffet and a show on Saturday.

Holidays and Observances

(US) Memorial Day

From the East

Dear Brethren,
The first quarter of the year has flown by and April and Spring are now upon us. We’ve had some highs and lows.

I was not expecting to start off this year performing the funerals for two of our close brothers. With much sorrow, we said goodbye to two long-time brothers and pillars of the lodge. Losing Worshipful Brothers Lee Rogers and Leland Nielson has been a big blow. Thank you for coming out to support us as we performed their funerals. The lodge did it with dignity and honor. Their families were very grateful.

My eyes were opened this past month to how much of a Lodge family we really are. I have always felt the brotherhood of the lodge, but seeing the Eastern Star help with Lee’s funeral, and Linda Rogers stepping up and taking charge of the organization of the meal for Leland’s services, my heart was touched how much support we show for each other as an entire family. Thank you to all of the brothers and your ladies for supporting one another during this difficult time.

One of our goals this year is to to visit other jurisdictions. We had our first of these trips to see the Master Mason Degree by Portneuf Lodge in Pocatello, Idaho. We made the trek up to Idaho and enjoyed a beautiful degree: the costumes, the props, and the music added a whole new element of beauty. I can say I’ve seen the Master Mason degree hundreds of times, but we all learned something new that day. When the ritual is performed well, the all in attendance can learn something, not just the candidate.

Our next trip will be to Las Vegas Lodge on Friday, July 3rd. We will be visiting them for their stated meeting a table lodge. It will be a fun time of food and fellowship. A few of us are planning to make a long weekend out of it. Please let us know if you are planning on coming!

Thank you all for making this a successful year thus far. We are only getting started! I look forward to seeing you brothers at our meetings and activities.

On the Secretary’s Desk

Brethren all,

For a change, there isn’t much for the Secretary to report on. I am happy to report that we’ve had very few mentions of sickness and distress, but it should be noted that WB Winslett’s son is being treated for colon cancer and prayers are requested and appreciated.

This is a gentle reminder that there are a number of brethren who have not yet paid their 2021 dues. If you think you have not paid yet, feel free to contact me and I can confirm your status.

The Master is putting together an “official visitation” of Vegas Lodge No. 32 of the Grand Lodge of Nevada on June 3rd. If you are interested in joining us for this event, please contact the Worshipful Master and let us know!

Finally, you may have noticed the mention in the Master’s article about our Mason’s at Work picnic to be held in South Jordan on July 9th. We are looking for members to help with site setup, food preparation, lawn entertainments as well as items for the silent auction. If you are interested in helping in any way, please reach out to Worshipful Brother Robert Hartman. I’m sure he’d be very glad for your assistance! And of course, if you just want to enjoy good food and friends on a (hopefully) pleasant summer afternoon, then make sure you put it on your calendar.

Glen Van Steeter, PM
Secretary, Twin Peaks Lodge No. 32 F&AM

Masonic Anniversaries

These are the members of our Lodge who were raised to the Degree of Master Mason in the month of April.

• Most Worshipful Brother Dean Douglas Rein PGM, raised on April 29, 1995 and has 27 years of service.
• Brother Robert D Milbourn, raised on April 27, 2009 and has 13 years of service.
• Brother Robert Byron Rollins, raised on April 28, 2014 and has 8 years of service.

Happy Birthdays!

Masonic “Symbols”

Masonic Sayings

It was over four-hundred years ago that the first Grand Lodge was formed. This occurred in 1717 when four Lodges in London, England, declared that they would form a “Grand Lodge”, ostensibly for the purpose of standardizing the ritual used. Freemasonry can make a pretty good argument that it has existed since at least the mid-1300s, which can be gleaned from the existence of the Regius Poem, also known as the Halliwelll Manuscript, which has been estimated to have been penned circa 1390.

It is therefore entirely unsurprising that there are a few sayings that are used in the general English-speaking public which can be said to have originated from members of our Fraternity.

Per the Northern Jurisdiction of the Scottish Rite, there are three that are likely to have originated from Freemasons.

“On the Level”

This saying is usually used to describe a person whom the speaker finds to be trustworthy, or sincere, or well-balanced. In otherwords, this phrase implies “integrity.” The idea of being “on the level” is amonst the most basic ideas inculcated in Freemasonry. It is a reference to a tool used by stonemasons to ensure that a structure’s foundation or floors are not sloped, thereby ensuring the highest likelihood of structural strength and stability. In our ritual, the level is symbolic of equality, which is a core concept of the Craft. We are taught that regardless of a member’s position, title or profession in life, within the fraternity our members are taught to treat each other as equals and that all have equal privileges within the Fraternity. This principle can be encapsulated from the fact that during the installation ceremony of lodge officers, the newly installed Worshipful Master is admonished: “From the ranks you have risen and to the ranks you shall return.”

“Third Degree”

In common usage today, “getting the third degree” implies that somebody is being thoroughly questioned about something. Commonly found in the pulp crime novels of the early and mid 20th century, its meaning can be traced directly to Freemasonry.

When Freemasonry as we know it today first formed in the early 1700s, it was quickly met with some resistance from members of the ruling classes. Masonic lodges being places where the free exchange of ideas and information could be experienced behind secured and guarded doors, it was often outlawed or considered heretical. Additionally, questions are asked of candidates and their answers examined prior to being advanced to the next degree, in order to assure the members and officers of a Lodge that the candidate had attained a satisfactory understanding and knowledge of Freemasonry.

Specifically, this probing practice can be seen today in the ceremony of the Master Mason Degree, or third degree.

“Cornerstone”

A cornerstone, also know as the foundation or setting stone, is the stone that forms the base of a corner of a building. It is the first stone laid down when a new building is being erected. The cornerstone, with its right angles, determines the angles of the two walls emanating from it, and its height defines the base course. Therefore, the cornerstone is critical to the remainder of the foundation of the building. It must be installed perfectly level, and perfectly in alignment with the remainder of the planned building. Otherwise, the future superstructure may be fraught with critical construction errors.

In colloquial American English, to refer to something as “a cornerstone” is to imply or declare that it is an essential element. Examples include: “Trust is the cornerstone of a strong relationship”, or “Vegetables are the cornerstone of a healthy diet.”

For Freemasons, we are taught that operative masons (those who were in the trade of actually building stone structures) usually laid the cornerstone, or first stone of a new building, in the northeast corner. The symbololgy of this act is two-fold. First, it is the initial act of a building’s actual construction, which is a metaphor for embarking on a new and virtuous education, which couldn’t be completed without this initial act. Additionally, Masons are taught that the East represents Light, which is a metaphor for wisdom and knowledge, particularly divine knowledge. As King Solomon’s Temple, which all Lodges are said to represent, was set far enough north of the ecliptic plane (or in other words, a latitude) that the sun, at noontime, would not travel far enough north to light the north part of the Temple. Therefore, Masons consider the north to be a place of darkness, a metaphor for ignorance. Therefore, the cornerstone being placed in the northeast corner can be said to be partway between ignorance and full knowledge, which again is a metaphor between the building having been started, an essential act, but not yet completed.

Submitted by Glen H. Van Steeter, PM – Inspiration for this article found from the website for the Northern Jurisdiction of the Ancient and Accepted Scottish Rite.