WHAT IS THE PAST MASTER'S DEGREE?

As early as 1723, special ceremonies were used to install the newly elected Master of a Lodge. By 1792, there appears to have been a separate ceremony attended only by the retiring Master and the Past Masters. At this separate ceremony, the newly installed Master of the Lodge was obligated, given a sign in commemoration of that obligation and invested with a grip and word so that he could thereafter make himself known to other present and past Masters of Masonic Lodges.


By the time that this ceremony came to the United States, it had grown beyond an obligation, a sign, a grip and a word. It had become more like a degree. The intent was not simply to bind the newly elected Master with an obligation, but to teach him the course of conduct necessary to discharge his newly assumed duties as Master of a Lodge.


While our California Blue Lodge ritual does not include this degree, the lessons of this historical ceremony are too important to be abandoned. They have been preserved by the Southern California Past Masters Association. All new members of the Association participate in this ceremony, with some modifications. They take the Past Master’s obligation and receive the sign, grip and word of a Past Master. The ceremony illustrates certain lessons which a new Master should learn before he can preside successfully.


All Masters and Past Masters who have not yet joined the Association are encouraged to do so to share in this important, historical ceremony.

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WHAT IS THE PAST MASTER'S DEGREE?

As early as 1723, special ceremonies were used to install the newly elected Master of a Lodge. By 1792, there appears to have been a separate ceremony attended only by the retiring Master and the Past Masters. At this separate ceremony, the newly installed Master of the Lodge was obligated, given a sign in commemoration of that obligation and invested with a grip and word so that he could thereafter make himself known to other present and past Masters of Masonic Lodges.


By the time that this ceremony came to the United States, it had grown beyond an obligation, a sign, a grip and a word. It had become more like a degree. The intent was not simply to bind the newly elected Master with an obligation, but to teach him the course of conduct necessary to discharge his newly assumed duties as Master of a Lodge.


While our California Blue Lodge ritual does not include this degree, the lessons of this historical ceremony are too important to be abandoned. They have been preserved by the Southern California Past Masters Association. All new members of the Association participate in this ceremony, with some modifications. They take the Past Master’s obligation and receive the sign, grip and word of a Past Master. The ceremony illustrates certain lessons which a new Master should learn before he can preside successfully.


All Masters and Past Masters who have not yet joined the Association are encouraged to do so to share in this important, historical ceremony.

2024-2025 OFFICERS

Shawn Donohugh

SECRETARY

Don

Muller

TREASURER

Greg

Peterson

ASST. SECRETARY

Christian Marano

PRESIDENT

Division 5

John
Schuster

1st VICE PRESIDENT

Division 7

Doug
Ford

2nd VICE PRESIDENT

Division 9

Tim
Taggett

MASTER of CEREMONIES

Division 8

Robert
Scott

STEWARD

Division 6

Ryan
Phillips

TILER

Division 5

Raul
Cifuentes

CHAPLAIN

Division 6

2024-2025 OFFICERS

Shawn Donohugh

SECRETARY

Don Muller

TREASURER

Greg Peterson

ASST. SECRETARY

Christian Marano

PRESIDENT

Division 5

John Schuster

1st VICE PRESIDENT

Division 7

John Schuster

2nd VICE PRESIDENT

Division 9

Tim Taggett

MASTER of CEREMONIES

Division 8

Robert Scott

STEWARD

Division 6

Eric Bertolli

TILER

Division 5

Raul Cifuentes

CHAPLAIN

Division 6

PAST PRESIDENTS

2024 David Shampay

2023 Jeffrey Schimsky
2020-22 Michael Thibodeaux

2020 Maurice Sourmany


2019 Joseph Tabrisky

2018 Mark Pressey

2017 Geoffrey Holbrook

2016 Rusty Roten

2015 Brian P. Bezner

2014 James (Bill) Allen

2013 Westel R. Reed, Jr.

2012 A. Sherman Ostrom

2011 Christopher L. Holme

2010 Richard Dinsmore

2009 Lynn Wallingford

2008 Vernon M. Dandridge

2007 Albert Kellner

2006 Jack M. Rose

2005 Andrew D. Saar

2004 A. Bruce Ivie

2003 Thomas Jarrard

2002 David R. Doan

2001 Arthur H. Weiss

2000 Joseph A. Stouch

1999 Paul E. McCleary

1998 Larry Adamson

1997 Adam M. Martin

1996 Dennis C. Shaffer

1995 Frederick Kleyn III

1994 R. Stephen Doan


1993 Francis Russell Jr. 


1992 Glenn D. Woody


1991 Robin Mansfield 


1990 David Farlee

1989 Glen Neikirk

1988 Melvin F. Schuster

1987 Donald Nielsen

1986 M. William Holsinger

1985 Louis H. Lipscomb

1984 Richard C. Kelley

1983 Kenneth L. Hemphill

1982 Ronald L. Broaddus

1981 Delmer W. May

1980 Melville H. Nahin

1979 James F. Davidson

1978 Stanley L. Channon

1977 Harry L. Maynard

1976 Melvin A. Pixley

1975 G. Basil Gordon

1974 Ernest M. Newton

1973 Ray H. Paine

1972 Charles S. Barrett

1971 Wayne C. Bates

1970 Thomas Thurman

1969 Reginald Newman

1968 Paul R. Nichols

1967 Byron C. Morton

1966 Floyd O. Mason

1965 Jesse M. Sheegog

1964 Henry M. Welch 


1964 John M. Gordon


1963 Milton H. Lang

1962 Louis H. Mahler

1961 Graham B. Palmer

1960 Ralph W. Collins

1960 Myron E. Smith

1958 W. Blair Gibbons

1957 Edward A. McMullen

1956 Guy B. Mize

1955 Ralph H. Head

1954 William J. Courtiour

1953 William J. Williams

1952 Leonard Grose

1951 Ernest C. Bashor

1950 Ralph C. Hine

1949 Ralph K. Pierson

1948 Winston E. Squire

1947 Louis C. Drapeau

1946 John R. Moore

1945 C. Stanley Chapman

1944 Ralph E. Smith

1943 Gustav A. Quick

1942 Lloyd C. Campbell

1941 Charles M. Scoville

1940 William L. Hovis

1939 Frank M. Smith

1938 Oakley K. Morton

1937 Frederick L. Johnstone

1936 Rollie W. Miller


1935 Frederick W. Kester 


1934 J. Lynn Goode 


1933 Earl Campbell 


1932 W. Avery Miller 


1931 Sidney K. Lehman 


1930 Martin L. Griffith 


1929 Lee T. Mullen 


1928 L. Ludlow Haight 


1927 R. B. LaFontaine


1926 Myron J. Newberg 


1925 Edmund P. Ingmire 


1924 Ralph A. Chase 


1923 Henry D. French 


1922 Clark H. Shaw 


1921 William Rhodes Hervey 


1920 Charles H. Ritchie 


1919 Irving J. Mitchell 


1918 Walter A. Lewis 


1917 Charles E. Boag 


1916 David J. Reese 


1915 Lemel L. Test

1914 Samuel E. Burke 


1913 Benjamin F. Bledsoe 


1912 Jack Harlan Bean 


1911 S. M. Puryear 


1910 O. M. Robbins 


1909 Dana R. Weller 


1908 Dana R. Weller  


PAST PRESIDENTS

2024 David Shampay

2023 Jeffrey Schimsky
2020-22 Michael Thibodeaux

2020 Maurice Sourmany


2019 Joseph Tabrisky

2018 Mark Pressey

2017 Geoffrey Holbrook

2016 Rusty Roten

2015 Brian P. Bezner

2014 James (Bill) Allen

2013 Westel R. Reed, Jr.

2012 A. Sherman Ostrom

2011 Christopher L. Holme

2010 Richard Dinsmore

2009 Lynn Wallingford

2008 Vernon M. Dandridge

2007 Albert Kellner

2006 Jack M. Rose

2005 Andrew D. Saar

2004 A. Bruce Ivie

2003 Thomas Jarrard

2002 David R. Doan

2001 Arthur H. Weiss

2000 Joseph A. Stouch

1999 Paul E. McCleary

1998 Larry Adamson

1997 Adam M. Martin

1996 Dennis C. Shaffer

1995 Frederick Kleyn III

1994 R. Stephen Doan

1993 Francis Russell Jr. 


1992 Glenn D. Woody


1991 Robin Mansfield 


1990 David Farlee

1989 Glen Neikirk

1988 Melvin F. Schuster

1987 Donald Nielsen

1986 M. William Holsinger

1985 Louis H. Lipscomb

1984 Richard C. Kelley

1983 Kenneth L. Hemphill

1982 Ronald L. Broaddus

1981 Delmer W. May

1980 Melville H. Nahin

1979 James F. Davidson

1978 Stanley L. Channon

1977 Harry L. Maynard

1976 Melvin A. Pixley

1975 G. Basil Gordon

1974 Ernest M. Newton

1973 Ray H. Paine

1972 Charles S. Barrett

1971 Wayne C. Bates

1970 Thomas Thurman

1969 Reginald Newman

1968 Paul R. Nichols

1967 Byron C. Morton

1966 Floyd O. Mason

1965 Jesse M. Sheegog

1964 Henry M. Welch 


1964 John M. Gordon


1963 Milton H. Lang

1962 Louis H. Mahler

1961 Graham B. Palmer

1960 Ralph W. Collins

1960 Myron E. Smith

1958 W. Blair Gibbons

1957 Edward A. McMullen

1956 Guy B. Mize

1955 Ralph H. Head

1954 William J. Courtiour

1953 William J. Williams

1952 Leonard Grose

1951 Ernest C. Bashor

1950 Ralph C. Hine

1949 Ralph K. Pierson

1948 Winston E. Squire

1947 Louis C. Drapeau

1946 John R. Moore

1945 C. Stanley Chapman

1944 Ralph E. Smith

1943 Gustav A. Quick

1942 Lloyd C. Campbell

1941 Charles M. Scoville

1940 William L. Hovis

1939 Frank M. Smith

1938 Oakley K. Morton

1937 Frederick L. Johnstone

1936 Rollie W. Miller


1935 Frederick W. Kester 


1934 J. Lynn Goode 


1933 Earl Campbell 


1932 W. Avery Miller 


1931 Sidney K. Lehman 


1930 Martin L. Griffith 


1929 Lee T. Mullen 


1928 L. Ludlow Haight 


1927 R. B. LaFontaine

1926 Myron J. Newberg 


1925 Edmund P. Ingmire 


1924 Ralph A. Chase 


1923 Henry D. French 


1922 Clark H. Shaw 


1921 William Rhodes Hervey 


1920 Charles H. Ritchie 


1919 Irving J. Mitchell 


1918 Walter A. Lewis 


1917 Charles E. Boag 


1916 David J. Reese 


1915 Lemel L. Test

1914 Samuel E. Burke 


1913 Benjamin F. Bledsoe 


1912 Jack Harlan Bean 


1911 S. M. Puryear 


1910 O. M. Robbins 


1909 Dana R. Weller 


1908 Dana R. Weller  

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