
The Toastmasters: The Dive Master
A SoCal Mason shares a beloved family tradition: a good drink.
By Ian A. Stewart
California Freemason: How were you first introduced to Freemasonry?
Cesar Aguirre: My dad was a Mason in Peru. Growing up, I’d see him with all the other Freemasons, so I knew a little bit about it. But as I got older, I started wondering about what he actually did at lodge. That was the mystery of Freemasonry. I wanted to figure that out. So when I became an adult, I approached the lodge here [Naval Lodge No. 87]. I was very nervous, but I was welcomed by all the brothers from the very beginning.
CFM: Are there many differences between Freemasonry in California and in Peru?
CA: A major difference is that here, we do more philanthropic work—help out, get more involved in our community, which is something I like personally. In Peru, they do that a little bit, but it’s not as much a focus.
CFM: You made your first Anniversary-level gift this year. What inspired that?
CA: The past couple of years, I’d just been trying to pay my bills. But with this whole pandemic affecting so many, and with people losing their jobs, I felt very grateful—I still do—that I have a job and that my siblings and family still have their jobs. So I felt like I needed to contribute. I got a bonus this year, and felt like if I could, I had to help.
PHOTOGRAPHY CREDIT:
Russ Hennings/Moonbeam Studios
A SoCal Mason shares a beloved family tradition: a good drink.
A time-traveling, continent-hopping pub crawl of the fraternity’s most important watering holes.
Permission to reprint original articles in CALIFORNIA FREEMASON is granted to all recognized Masonic publications with credit to the author, photographer, and this publication. Contact the editor at [email protected].
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