Autobiography of Ralph Raymond Beal, Jr.
(Copyright©1998 by Ralph Beal. All Rights Reserved.)
Chapter Six-Masonic Activities
I remember that in my days of living in Palo Alto, my Grandfather Bertsche was very active in the Palo Alto Masonic Lodge and in the Scottish Rite. I have his well-worn Scottish Rite ring. I learned later that, as a building contractor, he had constructed the Palo Alto Lodge Temple building. After the Lodge building was burned down during the riots in the 60's, I obtained one of the salvaged brass door knobs from the original Lodge building, which has the Masonic Emblem on it.
My father used to disappear into his bedroom with a strange man for hours at a time for "coaching", and I later learned that he was in the Officers Line and learning the work for Senior Deacon in the Palo Alto Lodge. Unfortunately, he did not continue because of his move to New York in 1935.
During this same period, my Mother and Grandmother used to attend regular meetings of the Eastern Star, which is a ladies auxiliary to Masonry. Today I have both of their pins.
None of these activities made a deep impression on me at the time, and, although I went through the ritual of Phi Delta Theta in college, I thought nothing more of Masonry. After Margie and I were married, and the children arrived, together with my commuting, still nothing happened to stimulate me to join a Masonic Lodge.
In 1959 son Richard joined the La Canada De Molay chapter, which was sponsored by the La Canada Masonic Lodge, together with several of his friends. At that time Dr. Willard Gardner, who was our family doctor, was Chapter Advisor (Chapter Dad), and he was also a member of La Canada Masonic Lodge. He kept telling me what I was missing by not being able to attend the De Molay meetings with my son, since you had to be a Master Mason to attend, and I began to become interested in Masonry.
Early in 1960 I found that several of the men I worked with and greatly respected were all Masons. I asked Mel Wilson, who was also a member of La Canada Masonic Lodge about joining Masonry, and that was the magic question! Before I knew what was happening, I was taking the degrees, and late in the year I received my third degree to become a Master Mason in La Canada Lodge No. 739, Free & Accepted Masons. I was deeply honored that Margie's Dad (who had been a Mason for years) made a special effort to be there that night and he presented me with my Masonic Bible, upon which I had been obligated.
Later, I found out that many friends and relatives, including my Grandad William H. Beal and my Grandad George Bertsche were all Masons, and the common bond made us all feel closer.
As a Master Mason I started attending De Molay meetings, and Richard was working his way through the officers line, and then John also joined. I became Ritual Advisor for several years, and the Chapter participated in ritual competitions with several wins. Meanwhile, Richard became Chaplain and later Chapter Scribe (Secretary) and John became Master Counselor, the top office, with Margie serving as President of the De Molay Mother's Club, with many events to support. Both boys continued to be active in De Molay until High School graduation, Richard in 1962 and John in 1964, and they both continued to participate in later years.
I entered the officer line soon after joining the Lodge in 1960, and worked my way up to be come Master of La Canada Lodge No. 739 in 1967. After my installation, Margie said she would call me anything but "Worshipful Master", which was my Masonic title. She presented me with a beautiful Masonic Past Master's ring at the end of my term, and I wouldn't be caught without it.
During 1967 I joined the Scottish Rite, and became a 32nd degree Mason after taking the degrees at Pasadena Scottish Rite.
We bought our house at Lake Arrowhead in 1976, and I joined the Masonic Lodge at Twin Peaks, and members of that Lodge started the Mountain High Twelve Club, which was chartered in May, 1984. I was a Charter Member, and still maintain my membership. When we sold the Lake Arrowhead house in 1986, I demitted from the Twin Peaks Lodge, but continued my membership in my original La Canada Lodge No. 739, which later merged and became La Canada-Oakwood Lodge No 739 and then later again merged and became Crescenta-Canada Lodge No. 652 and still later Jewel City Lodge No. 368. Due to dissatifaction with Jewel City Lodge, I demitted again and joined Arcadia Lodge No. 278 in 1995.
In 1976, the Scottish Rite joined with the York Rite in exchanging degrees for members, and I took the York Rite degrees with some of my friends from the Scottish Rite. So then I became a "Sir Knight", as well as a Past Master and 32nd Degree Mason.
I started attending the Pasadena High Twelve No. 36 meetings with some of my Masonic friends from JPL during the 60s and 70s, and I ultimately joined about 1983, after my retirement, and held several offices and became President in 1989.
Also, after my retirement, Vern Cox and many of my High Twelve Masonic friends talked me into visiting the Pasadena Shrine Club as a guest, and the future President, Fred Wood, eventually convinced me to join Al Malaikah Temple Shrine in 1985, and become "Noble Beal". It turned out that he needed someone to edit the Shrine Club Bulletin when he became President, and I was his designated choice and edited and mailed the Bulletin for a couple of years after I joined the Pasadena Shrine Club.
In May 1994 I was honored to be initiated into The Royal Order Of Scotland, a very select group of international Masons, so I am now "Sir Ralph". I also joined their California club called The Robert The Bruce Association.
I have been a Director in both the Pasadena High Twelve Club and the Pasadena Shrine Club for the past several years, Secretary of the Shrine Club for one year and then Vice President, and regularly attend both activities.
Due to our hopeful eventual move to Carmel, I joined the Carmel High Twelve Club in 1992. I had visited the Club as a guest of Margie's Dad in the years that he lived in Carmel in the 1960s and had visited on my own during trips to Carmel in recent years. The Carmel High Twelve Club folded in 1995.
We moved to Carmel Valley Manor in November 2002. After living at Carmel Valley Manor for 6 years, Margie died of heart failure on April 27, 2008. Her ashes are interred at Pacific Grove Cemetary.
I demitted from Arcadia Lodge in 2009 and joined Carmel Lodge, but my age precluded my attending functions.
So, in summary, it is only fair to say that Masonry has been a most significant and important factor in my life since 1960, and I am only sorry that I didn't ask to join a Masonic Lodge many years sooner.