THE LODGE OF PERFECTION
 

Brethren,

By the time you get to read this newsletter, 2018 will be behind us. I hope everyone and their family had a wonderful Christmas and New Years. As your newly elected Venerable, I am truly looking forward to this amazing opportunity and leading us into another wonderful year.  With our leadership team of dedicated and outstanding brothers, I can only see our valley getting stronger. I am looking forward to seeing you and your family at our next Stated Meeting.

I want to thank everyone for their support and let’s all look forward to a prosperous year!

James L. Cutsinger, 32°
Venerable Master, Burlingame Lodge of Perfection

The Latest News from the San Francisco and Burlingame Childhood Language Center

Guest Essay: For this month’s bulletin, it is my pleasure to present a guest essay written by one of the older students receiving services in our San Francisco Language Center.

- Jim Cartwright, Center Director

Thanks to the Scottish Rite, I Will Persevere
By: Nicholas Yee

School hasn’t always been easy for me, but I am a very devoted student.  When I was in second grade, my mom and teacher noticed that reading was difficult for me and put me into tutoring. But, my family doesn’t have a lot of money, and we were not able to pay for tutoring for very long.  Without tutoring, I struggled at school.  Eventually, my mom found out about The Scottish Rite.  After a little more than two years on the waitlist, I finally got in.  Since then, I have received support for talking (including public speaking), vocabulary improvement, reading comprehension skills and now, working on essay writing, including this one.  

I used to be very shy and did not like to speak in public.  I also did not feel confident at school because I was not getting very good grades.  Even though I still have learning challenges and some subjects are difficult for me, I am doing much better.  I have decided never to give up.  Coming to the Scottish Rite has helped me improve my confidence.  

Working with Jim has helped me in many ways.  For one thing, he has helped my mom and I advocate for my needs at school.  This has included being given accommodations in my vocabulary class so that I am required to learn fewer words at a time.  Jim helps me improve my vocabulary skills by explaining the meanings of words in simpler ways so that I can understand them.  He also assists me in making up my own sentences using new words.  

We have also worked on me becoming more comfortable with public speaking.  I had to give a speech when  I ran for Technology Commissioner on our Student Council, and I won.  I got pulled out of class in order to do my job and was actually able to keep up with my classwork.  Also, I am less shy and have begun taking the lead role in group assignments at school.  

Furthermore, I am discovering my own strengths.  One of them is math, and I have helped tutor younger kids who struggle with math.  My grades are improving, and I am planning to go to college after high school, but I have not decided what I want to major in.  Whatever I major in, I know it may be hard sometimes, but I trust that I can reach my goals.  Thanks to the Scottish Rite, I am more confident, and I know that I have a great future ahead of me.  

The Word from the Orator

Welcome to 2019 everyone!

I hope that your 2018 was a good year on average. I know that many of you had some sadness in the year, but I do certainly hope that 2019 will be a banner year for us all!

As I look to 2019, I plan to pay homage to Most Worshipful Stu’s charge of raising the level of excitement and enthusiasm in our organizations, by targeting speakers from the different Masonic bodies under our Fraternal umbrella. First up in February is Right Worshipful Aaron Washington - Junior Grand Warden of the Most Worshipful Prince Hall Grand Lodge of California Free and Accepted Masons and 33º in the United Supreme Council Ancient & Accepted Scottish Rite of Freemasonry Prince Hall Affiliation. RW Aaron will be discussing the differences between our 30th and 32nd degrees and the PHA SR degrees, as well as some of the differences in the structure/operation of our organizations. My hope that this also serves as a conduit for us all to attend an SR PHA ceremonial as well as a Prince Hall degree conferral (or two or three). 

For the rest of the year, in addition to other short talks, I plan to engage someone from Royal Arch, Cryptic Council, Knights Templar, OES and Shrine to visit us in Burlingame and discuss the history, goals and highlights of their organizations. These will of course not be esoteric discussions since not all of us are members of the respective organizations, but it will advance our collective knowledge regarding our Fraternal umbrella.

Now I make this demand of you, can you recommend a Brother that would be able to speak on behalf of these groups? It’s preferable that he be a Scottish Rite Mason but not absolutely necessary. Are there other topics that are of particular interest? Please let me know as soon as possible so I can start booking dates!

Fraternally,

Chris D. Smith, 32° KCCH...
Orator

Brethren,

Knights of St. Andrew is a service organization created to support and assist our  Scottish Rite Valley wherever needed. We have a vibrant group of Knights at Burlingame Scottish Rite and are always looking for Brothers to participate. We will be knighting four Brothers in early 2019 and would love for that number to increase. If you have interest in participating in a new avenue of service to your valley, please contact me at our Stated Meetings and I will be happy to give you more information and of course an application.

Fraternally,
Jim Pettit, KSA