The Richard Brouse Degree Lodge (aka the cave degree) recently received a donation of degree props from Sierra Park, an HOA located next to the Three Links camp, which used to an Odd Fellows establishment, complete with its own lodge, Sierra Park Lodge no. 376.
It did not last especially long. But when it ceased being a lodge, the community that inherited the space didn’t know what to do with all of the property that formerly belonged to it. Fifty years later, thanks largely to the persuasive efforts of Brother Andrew Crockett (whose family owns one of the cabins there), the directors of the association voted to donate these items to the Richard Brouse Degree Lodge, which, as a 501(c)(3) non-profit, could issue a tax-deductible receipt.
Acceptance is not a minor undertaking, however. The degree lodge borrows space from Yreka 19, but doesn’t have a lodge building of its own. We received permission from True Fellowship 52 to temporarily hold these items, and on July 28th, several members began going through them, sorting genuine treasure from, well, trash. Once items were identified, they were graded based on how much (if any) repair might be needed, and comparable items sought out online to determine their approximate worth.
While repair and restoration work is still required, and it’s still uncertain what the degree lodge will keep or give away to other lodges that would potentially benefit from it, we believe we took in items worth around $7000 in all, and are grateful that Sierra Park entrusted them to our care.
— By Mason Wolf