After 24 years we again turned to the “sea” to have a September Grand Council meeting!  Forty three of us got together for the cruise. On Friday the Trustees met “informally” to check the books and found everything in order!  Only Trustee Renee Adair was unable to participate.

Saturday all the State Officers who attended (Orator Mary Jane Cambria was unable to join us due to a previous commitment)

Born in Brescia, Italy Caterina Stagnoli a member  of our Eureka Lodge for 36 years passed away in August. Her strength amazed all who knew her, surviving as a child with her family during WW II and later immigrating in 1966 to the United States with her husband Francesco and their two children. Landing in Humboldt County Caterina, Francesco, Maurizio, and Giuliana made their home in Arcata, California. She adapted quickly to life in

Mervin Lernhart
1936 - 2024

Mervin was a valued member of our Napa Lodge for over 55 years. He regularly attended our dinner dances and had a personality that was larger than life. His accomplishments within the Napa legal field

Birth Defects check presentation at Stanford, representing the Columbia Lodge #1940 and the Cornelia-Vita Nuova Lodge #1198.  Unfortunately, our Medical Charities/Birth Defects Library Chairperson Mary Lucido was unable to attend due to a work commitment, so I represented on her behalf.  Mary, you were missed.  This was a special event for us, as it marked the 50th Anniversary of the founding of our Birth Defects Library at Stanford, which was created on February 12, 1974 as the first Birth Defects Library in our Grand Lodge chain of libraries.

We were warmly greeted by Susan Schelley, MPH, LCGC, Senior Genetic Counselor and Dr. Jon Bernstein, MD, PhD, Chief, Division of Medical Genetics at Stanford Children’s Health.  Susan has been in the Genetics Department for over 40 years, and was hired by Dr. Luigi Luzzatti, who helped found the Pediatrics Birth Defect Center at Stanford.  I