Brother’s,
Your class picture from The Grand Cross Reunion is in the office. Please stop by or you can pick them up at our next Stated Communication- Wednesday- June 3rd.
OPPORTUNITIES FOR WORKING AT THE SCOTTISH RITE REUNION- OCTOBER 30-31ST
May 26, 2009 By Leave a Comment
RITUALISTS, SPEAKING
RITUALISTS, NON SPEAKING
ROBING ROOM/ MAKE UP
STAGE CREW
CHOIR
RECEPTION COMMITTEE
ELECTRONICS
LODGE AMBASSADOR’S
MARSHALL’S
KNIGHT’S OF ST. ANDREW
Our Newest Scottish Rite Brothers
May 20, 2009 By Leave a Comment
Please call the office at 704-365-3579, we need your e-mail to add to our master list and make sure we have your current phone numbers for all upcoming events.
Masons Helping Children Update
May 18, 2009 By Leave a Comment
The first outing for “Masons Helping Children”, was this past week end May 16th and 17th. in Waxhaw, NC. Thanks to Jim Adams for the new signage in white with blue lettering atop the white tents. Our Board decided to take the word Charity out of our name as the word does not adequately describe all that Masons do. Jr Harward and a couple of helpers painted the display unit white and together, makes the pictures of the Children from Oxford, The Learning Center and Shrine Hospital stand out. (we will post pictures soon)
Our day started early on Saturday with Jr. Harward, Max Walker, Jim Adams, Mack Archer and myself setting up our booth in front of the Masonic Lodge of Waxhaw. The day started bright and the people came. We never know what or who to expect as we man this booth and there were the usual good comments about Masons. The Shrine Hospital, which, some asked if it was going to close, our answer was today it is business as usual and that seemed to please all who had questions.
The Learning Center is still the best kept secret and we really wanted to talk about it. Shortly before noon a lady walked up with her two children and stated that their family had just moved to the area from St.Louis and the two children were having a hard time in the transition. They felt they were behind in their work and getting worse, along with giving up. This family name and address has already been turned over to the Center.
We are still surprised with those who walk up and say thanks for what you do and hand us a dollar or two or five or in one case a twenty. There was one fellow who could not have been over 30 years old looking at the pictures of the Shrine Hospital. As I approached him he told me this beautiful story of how he and his wife and three children and taken on a foster child a 13 years old young girl.. The agency told them the young girl need a stable home so that she could be admitted to the hospital for spinal surgery and the family agreed. He talked about his ready made family and the unexpected challenges due to her age, environment, parents that did not want her, rebellion, all those thinks that a young family don’t need. I asked one of the children what it was like to have this new addition in her home and her remarks were slow in coming and with her father’s approval she looked at me and said, “It was nice”.
Most of you reading this know that the afternoon was pretty much over because of the rain. Teenagers stayed around eating hot dogs, popcorn and cotton candy. But was pretty much over for us.
Sunday found overcast skies with a little sunshine. The crowd picked up and we again had the usual well wishers. Max Walker and Mack Archer talked to all their neighbors. The discussion in our booth and with the few Member of Waxhaw Lodge was the visit from the Grand Master on Thursday. Jr. made it clear that he planned to have our portable display unit ready to be used by Waxhaw Lodge during this visit.
Again clouds threatened the afternoon but not before we had a visit from an Angel. She is a four year old in a wheelchair who is paralyzed from the waste down. I won’t go into her medical problems, there were several of us in the booth space sitting and stand around when she and her mother entered our booth. It was lake a symphony as every man jumped up and looked and spoke to her and saw the radiant smile on that beautiful four year old face and the sweet wave of that small hand. I could have sworn there was a halo over her head, but I now believe it was the reflection of a tear that had somehow gotten in my eye.
The rains did come again on Sunday Afternoon and we dismantled and came home. As I reflect tonight on this week end, was it worth while, was it worth getting wet two days in a row? It was, you see if we were there for just one of the above, I would think it worth while. If Masons everywhere could see and hear what we see and hear, I think we would again be reminded of why we even exist. I believe that the Great Architect of the Universe gave us all we could handle this weekend.
Thanks to those who participated this week-end, Max Walker, Mack Archer, Bob Braswell, Jim Adams and Jr. Harward.
Fraternally,
Don Wilson
Reunion Rings for our New Brothers
May 18, 2009 By Leave a Comment
Brethern,
If you went through The Grand Cross Reunion, your rings have arrived. Please call Deb at 704-365-3579 and you can pick them up in the office.
Grand Cross Reunion of the Carolinas – 2009
May 6, 2009 By Leave a Comment
Have you ever wondered what makes Reunions so special? In the Scottish Rite, its Brotherly Love… and much more.
An idea conceived of over a year ago, came to fruition in Charlotte over the weekend when The Orients of North and South Carolina held the first Grand Cross Reunion of the Carolinas on April 15th – 18th 2009. Ill. William B. Brunk and Ill. Michael D. Smith devised a way to bring our Orients even closer together as well as Honour our Grand Cross recipients. Scottish Rite Masons from the fourteen Valleys in the Carolinas came together to Confer all Twenty-Nine of the Degrees on one hundred and two Candidates. This is a benchmark for our Orients, never before has a Reunion of such great significance been attempted! Ill. Allen Hardy was tasked as Chairman, and set to work organizing committees.
After weeks of practicing, sound upgrades, meal planning, hotel planning, and more planning of every kind! (the time had finally arrived) On the Friday before all this was to take place, Ill. Hardy had to be hospitalized for some tests! You are probably thinking – Oh No! But, guess what happened? The Brethren all pulled together and put on a wonderful Reunion! and ILL. Hardy was able to join us on Saturday!
We received our Grand Masters, Honorees, SGIGs and visiting SGIGs under clanking swords and pounding gavels. There were more than fifty Knights of St. Andrew from around the two states, Inspectors General Honorary in tuxedos, and everyone was waiting with baited breath. Then the time came to receive the Grand Commander, and after some powerful remarks, Ill. Ronald A. Seale paid homage to Ill. Col. Arthur R. Datnoff, (G.C. of SC – deceased) with a very touching Memorial. Handmade gavels were presented to the Grand Commander, the SGIGs of NC & SC, the Grand Masters of NC & SC and our Grand Cross, by Bro. Wayne Millis 32KCCH (who made them in honour of this occasion).
In attendance, we had eight SGIGs! Enough to Open the Supreme Council! (We think thats the first time ever that that has happened, outside of Wash., DC of course!)
ILL. RONALD A. SEALE – SOVEREIGN GRAND COMMANDER
ILL. ROBERT L. GOLDSMITH GRAND PRIOR SGIG IN FLORIDA
ILL. JAMES D. COLE GRAND TREASURER GEN. SGIG IN VIRGINIA
ILL. WILLIAM B. BRUNK GRAND ORATOR SGIG IN NORTH CAROLINA
ILL. WILLIAM R. MILLER SGIG WASHINGTON
ILL. MICHAEL D. SMITH – SGIG IN SOUTH CAROLINA
ILL. THOMAS E. PAYNE, III SGIG IN NEW MEXICO
ILL. HOYT O. SAMPLES – SGIG IN TENNESSEE
ILL. DEAN R. ALBAN – DIRECTOR OF MEMBERSHIP SERVICES
ILL. STAN DODD PUBLIC RELATIONS FOR MEMBERSHIP RELATIONS
ILL. GERALD CARVER M.W.G. MASTER OF SOUTH CAROLINA
ILL. JAMES MARTIN – GRAND CROSS – VALLEY OF CHARLOTTE, ORIENT OF NC
M.W.B. DAN RICE – M.W.G. MASTER OF NORTH CAROLINA
There were Brothers from the Orients of Maryland, Washington, Virginia, Pennsylvania, Alaska, Ohio, New York and…the Philippines!
North Carolina: 355 South Carolina: 104 Non NC-SC: 28
Supreme Council: 12 TOTAL CONFIRMED REGISTRATIONS: 499
We are entirely confident in stating that a few individuals could have slipped by without grabbing a name tag (members running late who were part of a degree team, then left immediately after the degree work had concluded). Therefore, with that assurance, we can state, that in fact more than 500 Brothers attended the first Grand Cross Reunion of the Carolinas during the course of the four day event!
ILL. Paul Whitfield and the other Class Lecturers did a wonderful job of introducing each Degree, and kept the Class on the edges of their seats. Just as we were getting ready to begin the 4th Degree, the spotlight blew its bulb! and scared the whole auditorium! Well, we were able to calm a few nerves, replace the shattered bulb and we were on to the next Degree! ILL. Paul Whitfield and the other Class Lecturers did a wonderful job of introducing each Degree, and kept the Class on the edges of their seats. Some of the Degrees had never been conferred in either of the Orients. The Knight of the Sun was done by the Charlotte Scottish Rite Masonic Research Group, and most of the Brothers had never been a ritualist in Scottish Rite! They developed a spectacular slide show, had colorful costumes and did a superb job! (two standing ovations!) There was an illusion box on the Knight of Kadosh Degree (wish you could have seen that), and during the Minister of States speech on the Master of the Royal Secret Degree – a standing ovation? You bet! There were many others, all have stories, but the main thing to communicate here is that the Candidates, as well as the Brethren in attendance, all seemed to enjoy the Degrees very much.
ILL. Jim Martin G.C., was the keynote speaker at the banquet on friday evening, and gave an inspiring talk about the Scottish Rite. ILL. Martin attended the ENTIRE Reunion, watched most of the Degrees and assisted Ill. Brunk and Smith in a special ending to the 32nd Degree, when Fathers and Sons received their Black Caps (there wasnt a dry eye in the house).
Brotherhood? It was in great abundance in Charlotte this spring, we met some new Brothers and made some new friends. Now they are talking about the next one! (give us a few days to rest first)
What makes a Scottish Reunion Special? You do… We All Do!
Pictures