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Calendar of Meetings and Events Dec 1 6:00 pm - Annual Christmas Party (in lieu of Stated Communication) Dec 10 Noon - Joint Installation of Officers at Glenwood Lodge #65 - Luncheon followed by Ceremony of Installation. Dec 17 6:00 pm - Fruita Masonic Lodge #120 Annual Christmas Party at Independence Village. Jan 24-25 All Day - Grand Lodge Annual Communication Mesa lodge #55 AF&AM Grand Junction, Colorado December 2016 Famous Masons Brother Christopher Houston “Kit” Carson (Adapted From Grover W. Brunton, 33° Mastermason.com April 11, 2004) Christopher Houston “Kit” Carson was born in Madison County, Kentucky on December 24, 1809, to Lindsey and Rebecca Carson. He came into the world the day before Christmas in 1809, making thirteen persons to share the log cabin Lindsey had built on Tate’s Creek in Madison, County, Kentucky. When Christopher was about two years old, Lindsey moved the family to Howard County, Missouri where Christopher grew up. Christopher was only nine years old when his father died and the need to work prevented him from ever receiving an education, (attending school only to the third grade). At an early age, Christopher shortened his name to Kit and that name stuck with him for the rest of his life. When he turned 14 he was apprenticed to a saddle and harness maker, but grew restless after a year and left home in 1826 with a wagon train heading west to Santa Fe, New Mexico. From Santa Fe he went north to Taos, New Mex- ico where he worked as a cook, errand boy, and harness repairer. In spite of his small stature (he never exceeded 5 and a half feet) he soon proved himself able and coura- geous. Kit became a fur trapper and a mountain man. In com- mon with many mountain men, he lived among the Indians. In about 1840, he was employed by William Bent as chief hunter for Bent’s Fort in Colorado, where his job was to keep the Fort supplied with meat. Carson happened to meet John C. Fremont on a Missouri Riverboat. Fremont hired Carson as guide for his first expedition to map and describe Western trails to the Pacific Ocean. Kit’s real fame grew through serving as a scout for the scientific and mapping expeditions of John C. Fremont. t Master’s Message Greetings from the East As you celebrate the holidays with your families, don’t forget to pause for a moment on December 27th, the Christian feast day of St. John the Evangelist, one of the “Saints John” that figure prominently in masonic ceremonies. There are two main “Saints John” which offer good lessons to masons. John the Baptist is best remembered in Christian tradition for having lived with such zeal for his religious beliefs. This John was a “voice crying in the wilderness.” Amid chaos, he believed that divine light was coming and lived his life accordingly. John the Evangelist was the first of Jesus’ followers to recognize Him as Christ. Thus, John the Evangelist ought to be loved masonically for his wisdom in acknowledging divine light when presented with it and making a decision to orient himself accordingly to that light. It is in this John’s account of the gospel that we find such powerful imagery of light and darkness, much the same way we use them as masons. My Brothers, my year as Master of Mesa #55 has come to an end. I would first like to thank all of our current officers for their excellent work and commitment to the craft. Without your help we would not have completed what I consider to have been a very successful year. I wish I could name all the brothers who supported me and the Lodge in all our undertak- ings, but, I am afraid I will leave someone out and hurt their feelings. So, I will just throw a BIG THANKS to each and every one of you. Also, I would like to extend my heartfelt thanks to the members of Fruita Masonic Lodge #120, Palisade Lodge #125 and Grand Junction Lodge #173 for the support and assistance they gave Mesa 5#5 during degree work. I would like to wish the very best to our incoming Master, Worshipful Brother Doug Gaumer, and our newly elected and appointed officers. It has been my distinct honor, privilege and pleasure to have served as Master of Mesa Lodge #55 over the past year. Thank you all for a wonderful year and I look forward to serving you again. Fraternally, Roger Phillips, WM When the Civil War erupted in April of 1861, Kit Carson resigned his post as federal Indian agent for northern New Mexico and offered to help organize the New Mexico volun- teer infantry. On April 21, 1866, Brigadier General Christopher Carson, took command of Fort Garland, in the Colorado Territory. Ill health forced him to resign the following year, and in 1868 the family moved to Boggsville, near present-day La Junta, Col- orado. Carson retired at the ripe old age of 58. His only assets were a $3,000 note from Lucien Maxwell and a $7,900 estate. He died in nearby Fort Lyons on May 23, 1868. The Masonic Record of Christopher Houston “Kit” Carson shows that he was initiated an Entered Apprentice on April 22, 1854, passed to the degree of Fellowcraft June 17, 1854, and raised to the sublime degree of Master Mason December 26, 1854 in Montezuma Lodge #101 in Santa Fe Territory of New Mexico. By 1850 there were at least 10 Masons living in the Taos vicinity. On November 16, 1859 they applied for and received a dispensation from the Grand Lodge of Missouri to form Bent Lodge #204 A. F. & A. M. in Taos, New Mexico. Brother Carson was the first Junior Warden and the following year moved up to Senior Warden, being a charter member of the same. With the surrender of the charter of Bent Lodge #204 in 1864, Brother Carson re-affiliated with Montezuma Lodge #101 A. F. & A. M. Santa Fe Territory of New Mexico. Due to his service in the U. S. Army during the Mexican and the Civil War he was never able to sit as Master of a Lodge. Brother Kit Carson was a statesman, a muleskinner, trapper, guide, and soldier. He was proclaimed a National hero in 1854. The Masonic fraternity was fortunate to have had such a man as Christopher Houston “Kit” Carson as a member. (Read the full article at http://mastermason.com/Millennium382/Papers/KitCarson.pdf) December Birthdays Spencer Hughes December 9 Bruce Bower December 18 Thaddius Wilcox December 20 Shane Allerheiligen December 24 Nick Gaznis December 28 Ted Lambert December 30
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