Burlingame
Valley
- 1922 -
The Burlingame Bodies of the Scottish Rite may be unique in its origins.
It traces its beginnings back to the Peninsula Chapter, Order of DeMolay.
Four Scottish Rite members of the DeMolay Advisory Council felt a need
to establish Scottish Rite Masonry on the Peninsula to help support
their work with youth.
The first meeting of the Peninsula Lodge of
Perfection was held under dispensation on May 8, 1922 and it was
chartered in October, 1923. The next year, Letters Temporary established
a Chapter of Rose Croix followed by the Council of Kadosh in 1926 and
the Consistory In 1927.
The first class of 34 candidates received
the Fourth Degree in Burlingame Lodge No. 400 under the most primitive
conditions. Temporary wires were strung from which to suspend the
scenery for each degree. The room then had to be restored for Blue Lodge
use.
The California and San Francisco Bodies
were generous in their assistance to the Orient of California's new
addition. They supplied curtains, scenery, robes and properties.
In 1927 the Peninsula Bodies moved with
Burlingame Lodge into a new home on Park Road. The new building included
a stage that made
it possible to present all the degrees, although it was several years
before all four Bodies made use of the new facility to stage degrees.
By 1923, the year of its Charter, the
Lodge of Perfection boasted 167 members. Growth was slow during the
"Great Depression" of the thirties and at the end of World War
II the membership stood at about 350. During the next decade membership
almost tripled with over 1,018 members. By 1959 it peaked with 1140.
Like every Valley in the Orient, Peninsula
felt the pinch of small classes and growing attrition. (1)
The Supreme Council decreed that the
Valley and each Body should be named after the city in which they met.
Consequently, on July 1, 1961 the names of all four Bodies were changed
from "Peninsula" to "Burlingame." The By-laws were
again changed in 1968 to hold the Stated Meetings of all four Bodies
concurrently.
The Fourteenth Degree Ring Ceremony was
initiated in 1969. It holds special appeal as the wives presented the
ring to their husbands. It is an important event at which family and
friends can be present. The work with youth groups has been an important
feature of Burlingame Bodies since their inception. Scottish Rite
members have served on Youth Advisory Boards in Menlo Park, Redwood
City, San Carlos and other peninsula communities. In addition to
sponsoring the Order of DeMolay, they have served also as adult leaders
for Rainbow Assemblies and Bethels of Job's Daughter.
A highlight in any organization's life
must be its Golden Anniversary. The Burlingame Bodies celebrated that
Gala Event on October 29, 1973. By the year 1973 there were hopes of
building a new Temple. A building fund had grown over a period of 15
years, and property was owned free of debt. However, circumstances were
such that it was not feasible at that time.
The Diamond Jubilee Celebration was
another major milestone for the Burlingame Bodies. On October 24, 1998 a
festive evening of dinner and dancing was held at the Hotel Sofitel.
The past quarter century has shown a
steady decline in membership as is true in every valley and Freemasonry
in general. The increasing age of members and the steady rise in the
cost of living has resulted in many losses through deaths, suspensions
and demits.
The Burlingame Bodies over the past years
have continued to be a small, but vital part of the community. They can
look with pride to their support of the Public Schools. The Teacher and
Student of the Year Awards, recognizing outstanding individuals by
giving financial aid to further their education, have been very
successful. The Rite continues to encourage local Masonic Lodges with
visitations and participation in joint activities.
Although few in number they still have a
feeling of good fellowship and warmth within the ranks of Masonry. Their
major goal is to continue to meet the needs of the Brethren and
schedules for the year are not only to confer degrees but to Include
friends and families with social nights, dinners and entertainment.
The Burlingame Valley jointly sponsors the
San Francisco Scottish Rite Center for Childhood Language Disorders
Clinic with the San Francisco Bodies. (2)
Bibliography
Sources
My
thanks to all those, names and nameless,
who helped me amass the materials used in compiling
this history of the Orient of California.
Ill:.
Robert D. Haas 33°
