On Tuesday, August 18th, Saratoga Lodge #428 once again hosted District 107’s 2nd degree ritual. That night the 2nd Degree Team, under the direction of Mason Wolf, welcomed Brother Neal Jervis and Sister Christine Jervis, both of Saratoga Lodge 428, and Brother Erik Woodbury of True Fellowship Lodge 52 into The Degree of Love. The Dramatis …
Cupertino #70 hosted an initiation ceremony Monday, August 31 where 4 candidates were surrounded by 22 oddfellows to welcome them into our lives as our chosen brothers and sisters. While many of the cast returned to reprise roles in Monday’s degree, we were delightfully entertained by a new “Venerable Warden” (Mason Wolf), Noble Grand (Adam Ptolosky), …
We had a tight timeline and a simple goal: raise enough money for new shelves in the basement. We pulled it off. By the end of the sale we had raised over $700, which covers the shelves with room to spare. The work started well before the doors opened. Getting ready meant going through the …
Read more “A Garage Sale, a Goal, and a Visible Basement Floor”
Volcano Lodge #25 has begun holding monthly social events on the third Tuesday of the month, and invites other Odd Fellows from the area to join in. We started our monthly “Volcano Domino Night” two months ago, so we have some experience with it. It’s held in Friendship Hall at 7:30 pm and runs 1 …
On August 15th, I boarded a flight from San Jose to Dallas, excited to begin my first trip to our Sovereign Grand Lodge Sessions. I arrived at the hotel too early to check into my room, but one of the first people I saw was none other than Rodney Metoyer. Among other things, Rodney was …
Friday morning began at 5:15, with a trip to Ben Shuler’s dialysis appointment. From there, I returned home to make sure all of the luggage was packed, weighed, and ready to go. I took care of the cats, made sure the house was as ready as it could be for us to leave, and had …
Read more “Brigadier General Deborah Shuler’s 2026 GMC Report”
Castro Street Window Display – August and September 2026 Mountain View Lodge #244 is very fortunate to be located on the main street of downtown Mountain View, Castro Street. Our August display honors the National Honeybee Day which occurs on the third weekend in August. This display is a nod to our siblings, the Rebekkahs, as the beehive is …
The Jane Austen ball returned to San Jose on August 8th. This sold out once again; we had a few no-shows, but the hall was still comfortably full. The dining room, where the refreshments are, is sufficiently comfortable that it’s hard to pry people out of there to start dancing again. At 7:00, scheduled start …
On September 5th, the Victorian Preservation Association (VPA), a club for lovers of old houses, hosted a presentation by Deb Wible of Bay Area Ghost Hunters in the True Fellowship 52 Lodge. The talk featured interesting stories of unexplained phenomena in Victorian-era houses in this area. Imagine a house where cans rolled back and forth …
