On the Town: New head of local Masons stresses diversity
More than 250 friends and family members joined members of Burbank Lodge 406 of Free and Accepted Masons as they installed their newly elected and appointed officers last week.
In a formal ceremony, held at the Burbank Masonic Center on Glenoaks Boulevard, local Masons gathered for the 107th time to support their 2016 leadership and honor those who served throughout 2015.
Under the direction of Installing Officer Ken Barnes, master of ceremonies Steve Harris and Installing Chaplain Arthur Beddoe, the assemblage witnessed the elevation of Thomas “Tommy” Quiroz to serve as the organization’s 2016 Worshipful Master.
This year’s installation ceremony began with a welcome address by outgoing Worshipful Master Peter Babaian, who expressed how honored he is to have joined the list of the lodge’s distinguished past masters.
“It has been with the help and support of those past masters, and every member of our lodge, that we have been able to accomplish much more than I even thought we would this past year,” Babaian said.
Quiroz, who was accompanied by his wife, Carol, and daughters, Brittney, Breeanna and Tatiana, is a water utility supervisor for the Los Angeles Department of Water and Power. He became a member of Lodge 406 in 2009.
“I am the first Latino to ever serve as master of the Burbank lodge, and I have accepted the gavel from a man who is Armenian,” Quiroz said, touting his pride of the organization’s cultural diversity. “We have come a long way, and I’m very proud of that diversity our lodge has embraced and for having the honor to serve as our master.”
Along with Quiroz, this year’s presiding officers are James Laage, Jhairo Echevarria, Norm Furman, Karl Warren, Ricardo Cervantes, Jesus Valdiviezo, Gary Glass, Simon Lutterbie, Leon Adkins, Nishan Matossian, Lee Broussard and ongoing Master Babaian, who will now serve as the organization’s secretary.
In 1909, a dispensation was granted by the California Grand Lodge of Free and Accepted Masons for a group of men who would become Burbankers (Burbank was not yet an established city) to form lodge 406. Members held their inaugural meeting on July 1 of that year in their first home on South San Fernando Road.
With initial membership applications received from five ranchers, five farmers, a doctor, a carpenter, a teamster, a butcher, a teacher, an oil driller and a railroad worker, the Burbank lodge continued to grow, moved to its second location on Olive Avenue in 1931 and its current location in 2000.
Today, with more than 200 members and more than a century of service to the community and charitable organizations they embrace, local Masons are currently supporting the causes of the national nonprofit organization as well as local groups and organizations.
--
DAVID LAURELL may be reached by email at dlaurell@aol.com or (818) 563-1007.
