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A Beautiful Experiment: Public Schools Month at 100

One hundred years ago, Grand Master Charles A. Adams did something profound: He asked his brothers to consider the schools. With public education reeling in the wake of World War I, the move soon transformed into Public Schools Week, perhaps the fraternity’s proudest—and most wide-reaching—civic campaign ever. Now, acentury later, that move still reverberates, as Masons across California once again consider how they can best support the systems that, in the words of Past Grand Master and Supreme Court Chief Justice Earl Warren, represent “the foundation of a liberty-loving people—the greatest blessing this or any nation has ever had.”

Learn more about the Masons of California’s century-long support of public education, and about the present and future of those efforts, in the latest issue of California Freemason magazine. From the Silicon Valley-area lodge eschewing high-tech for brass and woodwinds to the Masonic connection to one of the most famous court cases of the 20th century, this issue provides a lesson on a profound and gratifying legacy of support.

Also, search California Freemason‘s new digital edition for articles on your favorite topics, peruse past issues, and find the latest news from the fraternity all in one convenient place.

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A few highlights from the Annual Report:

A Beautiful Experiment
How the Masons of California launched one of the greatest public-education awareness campaigns of the century.

Lessons In Support
Meet some of the lodges taking public-school support into their own hands.

The Big Picture
Ten years after launching, the Masonic Center for Youth and Families is a trusted resource for public schools.

Teacher Knows Best
A former Teacher of the Year on how outside organizations can truly make a difference in local schools.

A Work of Art
Immortalizing a legend of Masonic schools history—without much to go on.

Member Profile: Mickey Ganitch
Meet the East Bay Mason who received his 50-Year Golden Veteran pin—on his 100th birthday.

Have feedback you’d like to share, or a story idea we should check out? Email editor@freemason.org.