THE JEWEL KEEPS SHINING

The year seems to have gone by faster than I anticipated. This is the last message I will write for this magazine as your grand master. So I want to sneak in a big thank-you to all of you for the good work you have done over the past year, and for everything you continue to do.

Speaking of good work, we are celebrating the 125th anniversary of the Masonic Homes of California this year. What an incredible history our Union City and Covina campuses have. I’ve always marveled at the photos displayed around the Masonic Homes of those early widows and orphans ascending the long stairway up to what’s now called the Head building in Union City and been reminded of just how far this organization has come.

Today, our Masonic Homes are widely recognized as top-tier facilities offering the best in senior communal living, memory care, and assisted living, as well as through the Masonic Center for Youth and Families and Masonic Outreach Services, mental health and social services for people of all ages. And those offerings are not limited to the physical campuses. The Masonic Homes provides incredible support to those who wish to remain in their own community. Many kudos to the leadership team and the employees who manage, conduct, and support all these amazing programs.

In this issue, you’ll get an even deeper understanding of the breadth of services our Masonic Homes of California offers and what it means for our community. I hope you’ll also gain insight into why, as Masons, it’s so important that we continue to support it. Whether you’re young or old, rich or poor, the Masonic Homes is here for you and your family when you need it most. 

As we celebrate this sesquicentennial, we find ourselves welcoming a new management team at the Masonic Homes, and I have no doubt that the good work will continue for years into the future. The “crown jewel of California Masonry” has evolved and taken on new forms over the years, but I’m proud to say that 125 years later, it still shines as brightly as ever.