Cinema Grotto

Prophets,

Over the years, I have observed the way we as human beings are often quick to judge and slow to forgive.  With politics, we seemingly condemn every statement, with sports we vociferously criticize every error, and with religion we self-righteously consider the hypocrisy of every notion. Now, I’m not a Psychologist so I can’t explain why we do this but I do find it curious. Although, I might personally be one of the first to analyze a situation or discuss a person’s actions, I trust that in my heart I am forgiving.  So what does this have to do with Cinema Grotto? Well, it is the essence of who we are. To truly enjoy ourselves we need to put aside the obstacles in our lives and focus on the vision. We are already half way through the year and we still have much FUN to accomplish.

Starting with our next meeting on Friday, June 15^th we will be launching our Cigar Dogs Event. Our Cigar Dog Master will be THE Prophet that on his Grotto Application listed his employment as “Man of Leisure”.  A  Prophet who sometimes drives two hours to attend our meetings and still finds time to smoke a cigar beforehand. Yes, he drinks his milk out of a dirty glass and doesn’t even wipe his mouth. He always stays thirsty, my friend. This Cigar Aficionado is Gary Sturm.  Gary has agreed to bring cigars and teach us novices how to not inhale cigar smoke while ingesting too many hot dogs. Yes, he knows a lot about dogs too.  He has taught old dogs a variety of new tricks. Freemasons strive to learn HIS secret handshake. He is the life of parties that he has never attended. It should be fun. Bring $15, the cost of cigars and hot dogs might be worth it but really the payment is just to meet him.

Some of the most interesting conversations in the world are had with cigars. It is not so much the cigars as it is the conversation. You won’t want to miss this even if you don’t care for cigars. I have been looking forward to this event for quite some time and hope to continue many times in the future. It turns out the Supreme Council is meeting that week and it is my obligation as your Monarch to attend. Rest assured our Worthy Chief Justice has the keys and is prepared to open the door to your Cinema Grotto Enjoyment. If any Prophets have any issues or ideas for me to share with Supreme Council of the Grottoes of North America please contact me.

As Prophets of the Mystic Order of the Veiled Prophets Enchanted Realm, let us continue to turn things upside down by striving to be Slow to judge and Quick to forgive.

Fez, Shirts and Quarters required at all meetings!

Stay Thirsty Prophets,

Michael Schneider

Monarch – Cinema Grotto 2018

Prophets,

The month of May reminds me of Mother’s Day and May Flowers.

I remember when I was but a wee little lad, my Great Grandmother told me about a May tradition. She shared that May 1^st used to be called May Day which involved the placing of baskets of flowers on friend’s porches and the children used to dance around a Maypole with ribbons attached to it. It sounded fun and carefree and to this day I still picture it when May comes around. I wish it was still continued, but in a way it reminds me of the carefree fun we still enjoy in the Grotto which is why I’m suggesting we each bring a flower to the meeting this Friday or at least draw a picture when you get there. I know it sounds silly and awkward but that is the fun of Grotto. It serves another purpose as well it reminds us of those that no longer have mothers. As you know, Dave Taylor will be chairing the meeting this Friday and he lost his mother this year so this was his first Mother’s Day without her. God rest her soul.

Last month was spectacular for Cinema Grotto. We held our 2^nd Ceremonial in 25 years initiating 9 new Prophets thanks to our amazing Ritual Director/Chief Justice and cast; also in attendance were our District Deputy, several Past Presidents and current President of the Western Grotto Association, Grand Trustee and Grand Chief Justice as well as Prophets from other Grottoes, and the Ladies of Mokanna. We raised money for the WGA and Cinema Grotto, reveled in great entertainment and savored tasty food.

Special thanks to Jim Jarnagin for cooking the food, the ladies that helped to clean up and the Prophets that brought additional food and drinks.  But most of all thank you Prophets, we enjoyed Good Fellowship – the comradery of everyone pulling together to help out and the congenial atmosphere with we interacted truly made this a special event.

Calendar:

18 May – Dave Taylor will be acting Monarch. It is the month of May Day and flowers. Try to bring Dave a flower. He will smell so good!

10 Jun – 17 Jun – Supreme Council Session – Indianapolis, Indiana

15 Jun – Cigars and Scotch after Meeting – Gary Sturm

14 Jul – UCP BBQ1 – Donald Gipson

20 Jul – Monte Carlo Night after Meeting – (Mystery Prophet)

17 Aug – Donald Gipson Acting Monarch – Karaoke

18 Aug – UCP BBQ2 – Donald Gipson

01 Sep – Houdini Room – Magic Castle – Prophets Only – Michael Schneider/Dave Taylor

17 Sep – Ceremonial Practice Meeting (Ceremonial TBD by Ritual Director)

19 Oct – Dave Taylor Acting Monarch – Annual Halloween Costume Competition

27 Oct – WGA Convention – Laughlin, NV

16 Nov – Elections

1 Dec – Cinema Grotto Installation

Dec – UCP Caroling (TBD by Chief Justice)

Laugh and feel better about yourself!

Fez, Shirts and Quarters required at all meetings!

Stay Thirsty Prophets,

Michael Schneider

Monarch – Cinema Grotto 2018

Prophets,

It is that beautiful time of year when the rain has turned the hills green again; the misty dew has refreshed the air and made us feel crisp and clean; and the spirit of the wind has blown the fallen leaves away and started life anew with tree blossoms and hope for new life in the year to come. The lawn mowers are buzzing and the children are playing. How sweet it is to be in Southern California in the springtime.

For the Grotto, this is a time of renewal as well; it is the time for us to start new life again; to bring in new members and reinvigorate our membership and forecast our future.  As prophets by definition we are visionaries. So let us look to the future and find those few good men worthy of our order. Fear not the naysayers for “they know not what they do”. We know the benefits of Sympathy and Good fellowship. This is your charge to go online and share our passion. Talk to your Masonic brethren and invite them to join our order, “compassionate their miseries and restore peace to their troubled minds”.  It is our duty as the social arm of masonry to reach out, embrace and share the joy and happiness of the Grotto to the masonic world.

As you know, our annual ceremonial will be on April 28^th. Practice will be at/or immediately following our April meeting on the 20^th. We need your help. I cannot recruit alone and our Chief Justice Donald Gipson cannot conduct the ceremonial by himself.  Let’s have fun and “cause true friendship to exist among those who might otherwise have remained at a perceptual distance”. Did you know that Supreme (Grotto HQ) rewards you for bringing in even one member? That to form you own unit it takes only 6 prophets and you will be rewarded with $500. How great is that? When brethren ask me what is the Grotto, I say to them that there has never been a meeting where I have not laughed and felt better about myself and closer to my prophet brethren.

In January we planned our year, in February we celebrated the Chinese New Year, in March we were treated to a Leprechaun initiation, in April we practice and conduct the most unique and celebrated ceremonial in Masonic Tradition. Here’s what is in store for the rest of the year…

18 May – Dave Taylor will be acting Monarch. It is the month of May Day and flowers. Try to bring Dave a flower. He will smell so good!

15 Jun – Cigars and Scotch after Meeting – Gary Sturm

16 Jun – Magic Castle Houdini Room – Michael Schneider/Dave Taylor

14 Jul – UCP BBQ1 – Donald Gipson

20 Jul – Monte Carlo Night after Meeting – (Mystery Prophet)

17 Aug – Donald Gipson Acting Monarch – Karaoke

18 Aug – UCP BBQ2 – Donald Gipson

17 Sep – Ceremonial Practice Meeting (Ceremonial TBD by Ritual Director)

19 Oct – Dave Taylor Acting Monarch – Annual Halloween Costume Competition

27 Oct – WGA Convention – Laughlin, NV

16 Nov – Elections

1 Dec – Cinema Grotto Installation

Dec – UCP Caroling (TBD by Chief Justice)

Laugh and feel better about yourself!

Fez, Shirts and Quarters required at all meetings!

Stay Thirsty Prophets,

Michael Schneider

Monarch – Cinema Grotto 2018

(Epiphany – illuminating discovery)

Prophets,

Recently, after reading about the history of the Grotto, and after deep contemplation while sitting alone on my back patio enjoying a cigar and a sipping a glass of scotch something occurred to me… I really need to buy better scotch. Oh and something else too.

As you know, the Supreme Council of Mystic Order of Veiled Prophets of the Enchanted Realm was founded all the way back in 1890 on June 13th. It was a spin off from the York Rite Bodies. The York Rite Bodies are rich with ritual and can be a rewarding and prophetic experience. So why would it be necessary that a new group be formed? It started when a group of York Rite Masons were having fun by playing jokes on one another. Of course they could not do this during the ritual so they would meet at different pubs, residences and other locations (sounds similar to the founding of freemasonry). Their changing locations were marked by the placing of an old lighted red railroad lantern. They had so much fun or good fellowship and developed such compassion or sympathy for one another they decided to form a new group which we now endearing refer to as The Grotto. Upon reflection and after another puff of my cigar I had another realization… that I really need to buy better Cigars too.

But seriously, thinking about some of the many Masonic bodies that are available to us including Blue Lodges, Scottish Rite, Shriners, Eastern Star, Youth Orders and of course the York Rite I wondered how are we tied together and why would we need the Grotto? Well, I think we could all agree that Freemasonry and its appendant bodies are tied to one another by the ritual of Masonry. To share a secret and to share an experience together like that of the ritual causes us to be “linked together by the indissoluble chain of sincere affection”. Although this has helped us to be better men by learning, history, philosophy, various religious and esoteric theories, leadership, organization and even business acumen, there still remains emptiness. For many of us our positions have become that of dutiful meeting attendants. For others with only average ritualist abilities our positions have become that of angst while interacting before the meeting. Lastly, for those of us with busy lives our positions have become hurried while rushing home after the meeting never to truly enjoy the friendship of our fellow masons.

Finally, after another sip of scotch and puff of the cigar, I thought about being alone on the patio. I remembered why I had originally joined Freemasonry – friendship. I had an epiphany… that it wasn’t the cigars or the scotch but the Sympathy and Good Fellowship that was most needed. It was illuminating to discover this hasn’t changed in over 100 years. Freemasonry needs Fun. Freemasonry needs The Grotto. The Grotto needs more fun. The Grotto needs you. Most importantly you need The Grotto. To have more fun with one another “causes true friendship to exist among those who might otherwise have remained at a perpetual distance”. I started to view us as the social arm to all Masonic organizations. We have much more freedom than other Masonic bodies and by accepting only Master Masons (we are all good men) and by not reporting up to Grand Lodge (we have less red tape) we therefore hold a unique position to help everyone have more fun.

Think about how great it would be to help everyone be happier and become better friends.

Fez, Shirts and Quarters required at all meetings!

Stay Thirsty Prophets,

Michael Schneider Monarch – Cinema Grotto 2018

mschneider@cinemagrotto.com

661-644-9835 cell/text