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.
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
December Calendar
Monday, December 4 @ 7:30pm – Stated Meeting. Dinner will be served at 6:30 PM prior to the meeting. Dress is business.
Monday, December 11 @ 7:00pm – Public Installation of Officers for the year 2024.
Monday, December 18 @ 7:00pm – Planning Meeting at the Lodge for the upcoming 2024 year.
Monday, December 25 – No Lodge. Merry Christmas to all!
Sickness and Distress
Kathleen Hartman We are delighted to share the news that Kathleen Hartman is out of the hospital and is now at home, embarking on the next phase of her journey towards her journey to full recovery. While there is still ongoing work to determine the balance of mediation and rehabilitation, having her back home is a significant positive step after an extended period. Brother Hartman expresses his appreciation for the many messages of support.
Brother Jordan Whitney I am deeply saddened to inform you of the passing of Brother Jordan Whitney. Brother Whitney regretfully took his own life on Tuesday, November 7. Brother Jordan was a beloved member of our lodge. His friends and family said he spoke highly of our lodge and his friendships in the lodge. We performed a Masonic graveside service which was sincerely appreciated by his family. Please reach out and share any memories you have. His family has loved hearing of his involvement and memories we have of him.
Please keep these brethren and their families in your thoughts, and add them to your daily devotions to the Grand Architect.
If you happen to hear about a brother who is in distress, please contact either the Worshipful Master or the Lodge Secretary ASAP so that the Lodge can put itself in a position to assist.
FROM THE EAST
Looking back and reflecting on the events of the past year in 2023, I am filled with appreciation and gratitude for the collective efforts that have propelled Twin Peaks Lodge on a trajectory of growth and success. Some of the memorable highlights include the following:
We enjoyed a very fun and vibrant Masons at Work Picnic, thanks to the dedicated efforts put in by Worshipful Brother Bob. The event brought out families and brothers we have not seen in years, and also proved to be a successful fundraiser for the lodge.
Our Lodge actively supported those within our Masonic family. As a lodge, we attended the installation of the Demolay Chapter in Salt Lake to show our support. We invited both the Order of Demolay and Job’s daughters to make a presentation within our lodge which was well attended by members and guests alike. We assisted with degrees in Progress Lodge #22 and Oquirrh lodge #19, building and strengthening the bonds with our fellow lodges.
This year we recognized the need to update our dues to continue to be financially responsible. We researched and voted in favor of increasing our annual dues to ensure the long-term viability and financial health of our beloved lodge.
One of our focuses of Twin Peaks has always been Masonic Education. This year, we hosted several Esoteric Education Nights which delved into the symbols and meanings of the Entered Apprentice Degree, enriching the understanding of our members.
To our community, we followed through on our commitment to serve in our volunteer efforts with the Utah Food Bank. It was always a positive experience serving alongside fellow brothers and your families in a capacity outside the direct sphere of Masonry.
The success of our online presence and monthly fellowship meetups is evidenced by a continual vibrant interest in our lodge. We regularly receive inquiries from many prospective candidates wanting to learn more, as well as other visiting and sojourning masons. This year we hosted a candidates night for our many interested visitors which was well attended and educated prospective members and their spouses eventually leading to multiple petitions.
This past year was marked by excitement of performing numerous degrees, welcoming many new brothers into our lodge. We raised brother Austin Stoker to the sublime degree of a Master Mason. We welcome Brothers Joshua, Earl, Taigo, Rubens, Brock, and Joey as they start on their masonic journey.
In closing, I want to extend my heartfelt gratitude to everyone contributing to the success of our lodge. Thank you for serving on the various committees, attending our various activities, participating in degree teams, and serving as coaches to our new candidates. Your dedication has been instrumental.
It has been an honor and privilege of serving as Worshipful Master for the past two years. This has been a profoundly rewarding experience. I am genuinely excited about the bright future that lies ahead for Twin Peaks Lodge. I remain steadfast in my commitment to contribute to its continued success. Thank you for your unwavering support and dedication.
Your Brother on the Square, Ephraim Sng, Worshipful Master
FROM THE SECRETARY’S DESK
Happy Holidays, Brethren.
It’s that time of the year to check your mail for your dues notices. Please send them in by December 31st. As I’ve said each year, if you anticipate financial difficulties that would create undue hardship by paying your dues, then please contact me or the Worshipful Master as soon as possible in order for us to have sufficient time to try to come up with alternatives.
As can be seen below, elections were held at the November stated meeting. Congratulations to the officers that were elected to serve the Lodge in 2024. We know that they will perform their duties with diligence and dedication. We also ask that the membership (that’s YOU all who aren’t officers!) to please support them and the Lodge. We have had some success in recruiting new members recently, and we are excited to watch their progress through the Three Degrees.
Speaking of offices, I have been your secretary since 2021, and I previously served in that position in 2006. Additionally, I served as secretary of Phoenicia Lodge No. 58 from 2015 through 2017. This means that including 2024, I am coming up on seven years as secretary. I have long held that no one person should hold this office for an extended period of time, for any number of reasons. Not the least of which is that for purposes of transparency and accountability, a different brother should be elected to this office every three to five years. I am therefore interested in finding a brother who would be willing to commit to performing this very vital duty. The job qualifications, above and beyond those stipulated in the Utah Grand Lodge Code, aren’t particularly difficult. First, you really need a computer and should be comfortable with word processing and spreadsheets. Second, you need an internet connection and an email account, because this is the primary way that you will communicate with members of the Lodge, potential visitors and prospects, and with Grand Lodge. Lastly, you need to be able to commit to a couple of hours a week to this job. Note: The months of October, November, December and January demand a bit more time as you will be generating dues notices, receiving and booking dues payments, preparing the secretary’s end-of-year report, and finally, submitting the annual Lodge returns to the Grand Lodge.
Finally, I hope that you will welcome the following new brethren to our Lodge:
Brother Tiago Vidigal, initiated on October 16th.
Brother J. Earl Dowdle, initiated on October 16th.
Brother Rubens Barbosa, initiated on October 30th.
Brother Brock Haymond, initiated on October 30th.
Brother Joseph “Joey” Sanchez, initiated on November 20th.
Glen Van Steeter, PM – Secretary
Twin Peaks Officers for 2024
Congratulations to the brothers elected to serve Twin Peaks Lodge for the ensuing 2024 Masonic year!
Appointed officers are pending. The Installation of officers will be held on Monday, December 11, 2023 at 7:00pm at the Midvale Masonic Temple.
Elected
Worshipful Master
WBro. Robert Hartman, PM
Senior Warden
WBro. Lyle Glenn Miller, PM
Junior Warden
Brother Frank Glade Keller III
Treasurer
MW Bro. Frank Baker, PM
Secretary
WBro. Glen Van Steeter, PM
Three-year Trustee
Brother Michael Edward Hartman
Appointed Officers
Senior Deacon
Brother Michael Hartman
Junior Deacon
Brother Austin Stoker
Senior Steward
Junior Steward
Chaplain
WBro. Jay Roundy, PM
Marshall
Tyler
Masonic Anniversaries
These brethren were raised to the Sublime Degree of Master Mason in the month of December.
Worshipful Brother Glen H. Van Steeter PM, raised on December 20, 1999 and has 24 years of service.
Brother Trent J Norton, raised on December 12, 2011 and has 12 years of service.
Brother Delwyn Lorin Price, raised on December 16, 2013 and has 10 years of service.
Brother Richard Taylor Lee, raised on December 26, 2018 and has 5 years of service.
Happy Birthdays!
These brethren were born in December. Make sure and wish them a “Happy Birthday!” when you see them this month!
Brother Kevin Brown, born on December 5.
Most Worshipful Brother James Wadley, born on December 7.
Brother John Kaddas, born on December 26.
Worshipful Brother Leon Crockett, born on December 26.
NEWS ITEM – The LODGE is MOVING!
Brethren and friends, it has been mentioned in Lodge meetings for nearly a year that our Fraternal Brethren of Canyon Lodge had been approached by developers to sell the Midvale Masonic Hall in order that it can be converted for (in their eyes) more useful purposes, such as additional housing. It is now official. Canyon Lodge has sold the location at 7689 S. Center Square in Midvale. As things now stand, we will hold our December stated meeting and public installation of officers in the current location, but we will be starting out the new year at our new location. So get your pencil and paper out, because you need the new address, which is 7390 Creek Road, Sandy, Utah, 84093.
Welcome to our New Brothers!
We have been busy! Please join me in welcoming our many new brothers to Twin Peaks Lodge!
Brother Tiago Vidigal, initiated on October 16th.
Brother J. Earl Dowdle, initiated on October 16th.
Brother Rubens Barbosa, initiated on October 30th.
Brother Brock Haymond, initiated on October 30th.
Brother Joseph “Joey” Sanchez, initiated on November 20th.
Lodge Shirts
Lodge shirts are here and they came out great! If you want one but didn’t order the first time, please contact Ephraim Sng so we can put together a second order.
Meetups
November 15th, 2023
Brethren,
It has long been known that certain faiths have an adversarial relationship with communicants being members of our ancient and honorable craft. There are many interpretations as to the reason this lamentable situation exists. However, very recently Reuters reported on November 15th that the Vatican confirms ban on Catholics becoming Freemasons. You are encouraged to read this article, but I will extract certain portions of the article here for convenience sake.
The Vatican’s doctrinal office said in a letter published by the Vatican’s media office the following:
Acticve membership in Freemasonry by a member of the faithful is prohibited, because of the irreconcilablility between Catholic doctrine and Freemasonry.
Per the article, this letter was published as a response to an unnamed bishop in the Phillipines who is alarmed by the growing number of Freemasons in his country. The letter reaffirms a 1983 declaration, written by then Cardinal Ratzinger.
In another article published on the website Pillar Catholic, concerning the same issue, the Dicastery for the Doctrine of the Faith issued this letter because of some additional confusion or equivocation regarding Catholics who are also Freemasons. First, the DDF noted there is a “large number of sympathizers and associates who are personally convinced that there is no oppostion between membership in the Catholic Church and in Masonic Lodges.” Additionally, there was a public statement on the same issue from earlier this year (the article did not provide a date) from the Phillipine bishops’ conference doctrinal commission which “expressed openness to the situation of individual Catholics (on a case-to-case basis) who had joined Masonic Lodges, while reiterating the Church’s canonical and theological opposition to Masonic association as a whole.” Per this article, the DDF’s note was issued in response to an inquiry from Bishop Julito Cotres who was requesting guidance from the Vatican.
Clearly, the November 15th letter published by the Vatican offers no accomodation to Masonic Catholics, and that Catholics who knowingly enroll in Masonic associations are in a state of grave sin and may not receive Holy Communion, and fall under the provisions of the 1983 CDF Declaration, which was principally authored by Cardinal Joseph Ratzinger. It should be noted that Cardinal Ratzinger ascended to Pope, taking the name of Benedict XVI, and served in that capacity from April 19, 2005 until he controversially resigned in favor of Pope Francis on February 28, 2013. Previously, the most recent resignation of a Pope occurred nearly 600 years earlier, when Pope Gregory XII resigned in 1416.
The history of the Catholic Church and Freemasonry goes a long way back and can be characterized as “strained” at the best of times and “antagonistic” during the worst. Although Freemasonry had existed as a very secretive society going back to the 1340’s, it wasn’t until 1717 that it caught the world’s attention when four London Masonic lodges publicly formed the first Grand Lodge. 21 years later, Catholic canon law forbade membership in Masonic organizations with Pope Clement XII’x papal bull In eminenti apostolatus, published in 1738. When canon law was codified in 1917, this existing prohibition, supported by all of the subsequent Popes up to that time, was preserved in the code, particulary in Can 2335, which states: “Affiliation with Masonic or Similar Societies. Those who join a Masonic sect or other societies of the same sort, which plot against the Church or against legitimate civil authority, incur ipso facto an excommunication simply reserved to the Holy See.”
In 1983, the Code of Canon Law was adopted, which superseded the 1917 Code. A specific reference to Freemasonry was omitted from the new code. However, Can. 1374 states: “A person who joins an association which plots against the Church is to be punished with a just penalty, one who promotes or takes office in such an association is to be punished with an interdict.” A clarification was published on November 25th, 1983 entitled DECLARATION ON MASONIC ASSOCIATION which reasserted that the Catholic Church’s judgment regarding Masonic associations by its members remains unchanged, based on the Church’s belief that Masonic doctrine is irreconiably in conflict with Catholic doctrine.
Returning back to the fear held by the Catholic Church that Freemasonry is endeavoring to “destroy it.” This belief cannot come from any expressed declaration by the Masonic Fraternity, either through its justly and duly elected authorities such as Grand Lodges and their constituent officers, nor through any of our Constitutions, Bylaws or Masonic Codes at the Grand Lodge or Constituent Lodge level. However, like most faiths, whether it be the nearly innumerable Christian sects, or other faiths, the Catholics teach that their faith is the only “true” one which guarantees communion with God and the eventual salvation of the human spirit. It is very important to remember that Freemasonry, in its current form, came into existence in the early 1700’s. The Reformation of the 16th and 17th centuries saw not only the splintering off of faiths that have forms of worship and liturgies which are very similar to those that were and still are practiced by the Catholics, but, to the great dismay of Pope, Cardinals and Bishops, the foundation of whole new formal religions that, excepting for the continued use of the Christian Holy Scriptures as the basis of their beliefs, cast away in part or in whole the dogmas and liturgies as promulgated by the Holy See. The former are represented by the Roman Catholics, the Eastern Orthodox and Oriental Orthodox churces. The latter are represented broadly by the Protestant religions, such as the Lutherans, Anglicans, Presbrytyrians, Methodists and the like. These can be further classified as those that adhere to the Nicene Creed, and those that do not fully do so. Those that are Protestant and Non-Nicence can be argued to be wholly non-Catholic in nature. These include Latter-day Saints, the Jehovah’s Witnesses, and the World-wide Church of God. To see these divisions organized in chart form, I strongly suggest going to usefulcharts.com for this chart.
The above bit of history is necessarily laid out in order to understand that in the eyes of the Catholic ecclestiasticy, it is not necessary for Freemasons to be actively plotting the demise of the Catholic Church. The universal nature of Freemasonry holds that righteous men, who love and fear God, regardless of their Church, may safely and respectfully congregate in a Masonic Lodge room without fear of persecution or denigration. The only requirement that Freemasonry has of any member, in this regard, is that he hold an unfeigned, true and sincere belief in that Supreme Intelligent Being who created the universe, the earth and man, and that we all have an undeniable obligation to live our lives according the moral lessons found within our respective Holy Scriptures. Obviously, this is at definite odds with Catholic orthodox teachings, and in the eyes of the Catholic Church, is “irreconcilable”, for they stand firm on their claim that there is one, and only one pathway to salvation, which is to be Catholic.
At this point in this article, I feel I must point out one other item in Can 2335, which states “…which plot against the Church or against legitimate civil authority…” I can unequivocally state that the Masonic Fraternity, at least in the United States, inculcates in the strongest language that a Mason must “… be a quiet and peaceful citizen, true to your government and just to your country.” We are further admonished “…not to countenance disloyalty or rebellion, but patiently to submit to legal authority, and conform with cheerfulness to the government of the country in which you live.” In many Masonic jurisdictions the Petition for Membership contains the following question: “Are you now or have you supported any organization to subvert or overthrow the legal government?” A “yes” answer to this question will cause the Investigating Committee to deeply question the candidate regarding this topic, and in many cases, the petition will be rejected before ever coming to a ballot.
From where this author sits, this affirmation by the Catholic Church of this policy is regrettable. I have known many Masons in my 23 years of membership. Some are, or were, Catholics. Their love of Freemasonry was only eclipsed by their love of their Church and their families. But it would now appear that the Catholics are calling upon their membership to either renounce Freemasonry, or to repudiate their membership in Freemasonry upon threat of excommunication in order to continue to receive Holy Communion, arguably one of the most important Sacraments of their Church.
— Submitted by Worshipful Brother Glen Van Steeter, PM – Secretary of Twin Peaks Lodge No. 32
