Have Lion, Will Travel

Since 2000, a concrete lion has graced the front garden of the Masonic Lodge at 19 Corte Madera Avenue in Mill Valley, CA. Most passerby's have probably never given this lion much consideration. However, like the other statues of two ancient operative Masons, the posture of that particular lion has significance to Masons who recognize in its stance an allusion to important symbols of the fraternity.

Under cover of darkness during a new moon on May Day, May 1, 2003, thieves made off with the Lodge's lion. The thieves did not, however, make a clean escape. In climbing the garden fence the thieves dropped the lion and broke a corner off of its square base. The theft was discovered the next day, and reported to the Mill Valley Police Department. The officer taking the reported concluded that it was probably the work of youths, possibly a graduation prank. Instilled with the idea that merry pranksters may have taken the the lion, there was hope that it might be recovered.

On May 22nd, the Lodge received a telephone call from a Mill Valley Historical Society docent. She advised that in preparation for the Mill Valley Historical Society's annual "Walk into History" she and other docents had noticed the appearance of a lion of unknown origin in Homestead Valley's Volunteer Park at the corner of Evergreen and Melrose Avenues. The docent asked those connected with the Homestead Valley Land Trust about the lion and had learned that they had no idea how the lion had gotten there. On asking around, Historical Society members could only conclude that it had been in the park little more than two weeks. The next morning, members of the Lodge went to investigate, but found no lion. The trail had gone cold.

On May 25th, a member of the Lodge picked up the trail again when he took the Mill Valley Historical Society's "Walk into History," celebrating the centennial of Homestead Valley. During the course of this walk, the allusive lion was spotted on top of a small bluff in front of a home on Montford Avenue once occupied by famed beat poet Jack Kerouac and his notable friends, including Allen Ginsberg, Neal Cassady, Kenneth Rexroth, William Burroughs, Peter Orlovsky, Michael McClure, Philip Whalen, Gregory Corso, Gary Snyder, and Locke McCorckle. Could this lion's slow westerly jaunt be part of a literary pilgrimage?

An investigating committee from the Masonic Lodge quelled such speculation the following day when they learned that Homestead Valley Land Trust had simply expelled the loitering lion from Volunteer Park. Most importantly, like the tale of Cinderella, the large chip broken from the base and left behind by the thieves matched perfectly the broken base of the lion at Montford: Mavrick, Homestead Valley Land Trust's manager said, "It's yours, take it home."

Epilogue: The wayward Masonic lion's journey has been immortalized on film! On reviewing the Mill Valley Historical Society's video of the Homestead Valley Historical Walk, the lion can be seen clearly in footage shot of Volunteer Park. The lion will be reinstalled in the Masonic Lodge's garden after undergoing some repairs. Measures will be taken to prevent any future wondering. Finally, in this cycle of the wayfaring lion it is an appropriate coincidence that both Mill Valley Lodge No. 356, and the community of Homestead Valley are both celebrating their centennials this year, 2003.