It goes without saying that this has been one of the most challenging years of our lives. Last year, as I was sitting here in Las Vegas, I was thinking of the promise of a very active year. In 2019, I met some wonderful people and was looking forward to spending more time with them this year. I was also installed as chaplain for Bakersfield Chapter #125 in 2019. I was installed as Senior Deacon in 2019 and was looking forward to my year before becoming Junior Warden this year.

                Work was as unpredictable as ever as I continued to work as a substitute teacher in several school districts in Bakersfield. In March, I had just accepted a long-term assignment in an 8^th grade class and had only worked two days before the schools closed for the rest of the 2019-2020 school year due to the CoVid-19 pandemic. When the 2020-2021 school year began, I was receiving calls to work but I did not feel comfortable going to the school sites. In October, I returned to work as an English Language Proficiency Test proctor for Kindergarten students. In November, I was able to attend training for distance learning and became a school site substitute.

The time off gave me time to reflect on my future in education. As much as I love the students, I feel like it was time for me to transition to another career that would allow me to make a difference in society. In November, I began a Master’s in Business Administration with a Public Administration concentration.

I miss my masonic family as all Masonic events were cancelled due to the pandemic. I have been able to stay in touch with many members of Meudell-Oildale Lodge, Bakersfield Chapter, Fremont and Golden Crown Courts. Speaking of Fremont Court, I was elected Associate Patron. I have attended many Golden Crown Zoom gatherings and enjoyed being connected even thought we cannot meet in person.

Zoom also allowed me to stay connected with my friends when one was diagnosed with COVID and when others thought they might have been exposed. Safety came first, but we were still able to laugh and play games online.

I still maintained contact with my mom and was able to call and visit her often this year.

2021 is going to be an amazing year and as Kelly Clarkson says if you don’t like something, just change it. I have many professional and personal goals that I WILL accomplish in 2021.

Love and prayers to those who have lost friends and loved ones this year. Keep shining in the dark. Your actions will help someone, and you may not realize it!

Love, Amaranth Love, Star Love, and Brotherly Love,

Dennis

It has been an emotional few days. Saturday, June 11th would have been my dad’s 67th birthday. I miss him every day. Yesterday was a massacre at the gay nightclub Pulse in Orlando, Florida. Even though I am across the country and did not know any of the victims, it has hit me very hard. I am scared, sad, angry and just emotional. There are so many issues that this brings up: LGBT, gun control, politics, and religion. I consider myself to be an educated person and some would say naive, but tragedies like this bring out the best and worst in people, especially in this election year.

One thing that has me horribly upset is people wanting to get rid of a religious group (Muslims). They don’t want their children learning about Islam. They post pictures on Facebook of wanting to play Cowboys and Muslims. Yes, the radicalization of religion is wrong and scary, but wanting to deport someone based on religion is wrong (how quickly we forget the Holocaust, but that is a topic for another blog).

We are all angry and have our own ways of dealing with them. As it has been said an attack against Americans in one place is an attack against all Americans. As a gay man, this is definitely an attack against me and my friends who live here in California.