Outreach By Our Masonic Lodge

One of Freemasonry’s traditions is that Masonic Lodges do not solicit members or ask men to join. Men must seek membership on their own initiative.

On the other hand, Masons do invite men to learn more about Freemasonry and their own Lodges.

One such Lodge is Clarence F. Smith Daylight Lodge No. 866, Free and Accepted Masons of California, which meets on the first four Saturdays of each month (with some exceptions) usually at 10AM at the Van Nuys Masonic Center (Sherman Way, east of Kester).

Although the Lodge’s meetings are for Masons only, visitors are welcome to meet with the members before or after the meetings to learn more about the Lodge and the fraternity. The men of CFS Daylight also meet socially and informally outside of the Lodge for fellowship on a regular basis and the Lodge also conducts charitable events, to all of which non-Masons are welcome.

These visits are also an opportunity to get to know the members and for them to get to know the visitors (if, at some future time, a visitor seeks membership and asks for an application).

To advance public awareness, this Daylight Lodge also has turned to social media in addition to person-to-person contact: its new website is at https://clarencefsmith.org/ and there is a active Facebook page for visitors at https://www.facebook.com/Visiting-with-Clarence-F-Smith-Daylight-Lodge-108895338421743 .

As the Grand Lodge of California describes it (at https://freemason.org/ ), “Freemasonry is the world’s first and largest fraternal organization. It is guided by the enduring belief that everyone has a responsibility to make the world a better place. For 300 years, Freemasonry has enhanced and strengthened the character of individual men by providing opportunities for fellowship, charity, and the search for truth – within ourselves and the larger world. Through Freemasonry, we make true friends, improve ourselves, and have a positive impact on our communities.”

The Grand Lodge has also produced a more thorough informational booklet about Masonry, available for download at https://freemason.org/wp-content/uploads/2022/05/Opening-the-Door-Guide-to-Masonry.pdf .

As the reader can see, Freemasonry is not a secret society, although it has some secrets. And Freemasonry is not a religion. This writer likes to say, “it is simply a fraternity for grown-ups” with a long history and tradition.

Feel free to investigate further if this article has piqued your interest.

CONTACT:

David I. Karp, Newsletter Editor, Clarence F. Smith Daylight Lodge No. 866, F. & A.M.

818-515-9361, davidikarp@karpmediation.com

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