The
giant sequoias of California are conifers, or evergreens, of the taxodiacae, or redwood,
family, and they are members of the gigantea, or big tree, species.
Some of the extraordinarily large trees are over 300 feet tall,
and, in bulk, they are the largest of all trees. The greatest
have a circumference of over 100 feet, a diameter in the 30-foot
range, and branches starting at about 130 feet above the ground
with a diameter of over six feet. These giant trees have an estimated
total weight of about 2,000 tons with foliage alone weighing
over 150 tons.
Native to the westerly slope of the Sierra Nevada, the giant
sequoias grow at altitudes of 5,000 to 8,000 feet. Commonly
referred to as the oldest of living things, some sequoias
have been estimated,
based on ring counts, to be over 3,000 years old.
As sequoias thrive because
of their intertwined
roots,
Brethren benefit from the mutual
support offered through
Freemasonry.
Sequoias do not stand alone. They could not. Their roots
are shallow, and there is no central taproot to give
them stability.
But they grow in groves consisting of as few as four and
as many as 3,500 mature trees. In these groves, their
roots
intertwine
in such a way that they support each other. For centuries,
their interdependence has enabled them to stand tall
and magnificent
despite the violent forces of nature.
John Donne, English poet and clergyman (1572–1631), wrote, “No
man is an island, entire of itself; every man is a piece of the
continent, a part of the main.” We do not stand alone.
Like the giant sequoias, we are interdependent and must live
in communities of mutual support. Gregarious by nature, we desire
fellowship and reach out to others through Masonry’s meaningful
fraternal relationships. In Lodge, we find our social nature
fulfilled and our need for friendship met. u
California
Lodge Promotes Sequoia Reforestation: Following the disastrous 2003 forest fires
in the San Bernardino Mountains of California, Rim of the
World Lodge #711, Twin Peaks, California, adopted a program
to distribute sequoia seedlings (pictured above) to the local
area. Giant sequoias are drought-, bark beetle-, smog-, and
fire-resistant, grow three feet a year, and live thousands
of years. The 12-inch seedlings from Oregon are selling for
$2.00 each or $1.50 each in batches of 500 or more. The program,
which other California Lodges may adopt, has garnered positive
public awareness of Freemasonry and even attracted new members
to the Lodge. Congratulations Brothers!
To obtain sequoia seedlings,
contact Bro. Joseph A. Sucurro, 32°, at:j-sucurro2@verizon.net
W. Howard Coop is a retired United Methodist Minister and has been a Mason since
1952. He is a Past Master of Lancaster Lodge #104 and currently
serves as Chaplain of W. R. Selby, Sr., Chapter 4, Danville,
Kentucky, and the Scottish Rite Bodies of Louisville, Kentucky.
Contact:111 Dogwood Drive, Lancaster, Kentucky 40444; HKCOOP@aol.com
The
giant sequoias of California are conifers, or evergreens, of the taxodiacae, or redwood,
family, and they are members of the gigantea, or big tree, species.
Some of the extraordinarily large trees are over 300 feet tall,
and, in bulk, they are the largest of all trees. The greatest
have a circumference of over 100 feet, a diameter in the 30-foot
range, and branches starting at about 130 feet above the ground
with a diameter of over six feet. These giant trees have an estimated
total weight of about 2,000 tons with foliage alone weighing
over 150 tons.
John Donne, English poet and clergyman (1572–1631), wrote, “No
man is an island, entire of itself; every man is a piece of the
continent, a part of the main.” We do not stand alone.
Like the giant sequoias, we are interdependent and must live
in communities of mutual support. Gregarious by nature, we desire
fellowship and reach out to others through Masonry’s meaningful
fraternal relationships. In Lodge, we find our social nature
fulfilled and our need for friendship met. u