Several Items of Interest

Well my weekly Inspection travels are now over for the Chapter until fall, though my overall travels are not. Yesterday was a very busy day. First was the Scottish Rite reunion were over 100 joined and it was. It was a good opportunity to talk to several new Masons about the York Rite again. Afterwards was the Shrine Potentate's Ball. There was a great turnout including many who have joined the Shrine in the past year and many non Masons as well. We were told there would be some big surprises as there definitely were some BIG surprises. At the first break our Potentate and his fiancé Pam got MARRIED! Definitely this will be a hard act to follow!

Breaking From The Plan

Sometimes something comes up which warrants you breaking from the planned schedule. Tonight was one of those nights. While I planned to attend Salem's Chapter Inspection, I went to the viewing for a very good friend and Mason, Rob Kopp. I've known and travelled with Rob to various Lodge events for 20+ years. Rob and I joined the Scottish Rite line together and served 10 years together as officers in Scottish Rite with the final two as presiding officers at the same time.(I was Thrice Potent Master and he was Sovereign Prince). We also received our 33rd together. We got along so well and I respected him and his wife so much that last year when I was Potentate I asked them to serve as Aides for the year which they willingly accepted. Rob never asked for anything but was willing to do whatever it took to get the job done. He was a great ritualist and performed the Lecture for years for the Shrine Past Masters Club when they went out to perform the Master Mason Degree. He donated much of his time in the spring to helping folks less fortunate with their tax return preparations. But most of all, Rob was a good friend... so long Rob.

St. Mary's Photo Dedication

Tonight St. Mary's temple (Mercer Lodge and St. Mary's Chapter) honored 6 members who have made significant accomplishments in Masonry. They had a nice program and unveiled six new portraits to hang in their temple with one of those being Steve Oliver. Steve as you might remember unfortunately passed away as Grand King (though at Grand Chapter he was made an Honorary Past Grand High Priest). St. Mary's is a unique little town which I have been to many times as I've known several from here who have presided. Past Grand High Priests MEC Steve Duncan and MEC Bill Purdy were present along with Grand Captain of the Host Bob Blankenhorn. Dennis Hughes from Grand Commandery was present to represent them as well as Neil Smalley representing Grand Lodge/Scottish Rite and Doug Habagger representing Grand Council. The six honored were MEC Steve Oliver, REC William Garrett, REC Jack Hollman, REC Johnnie Dickey, EC Keith Manbeck (33rd and Past Presiding Officer Scottish Rite) and RWB Gary Thomas (PDDGM).

Little Closer to Home Tonight...

Tonight, I went to the stated meeting for the Shrine Greeters. They do something which I think Chapters might be well to consider doing. Twice per year they have a ladies night where the ladies join us for dinner and while we have a short meeting they have their own activity. Introductions are limited and it is definitely a little less formal. We have been running around 15 members at a meeting and tonight we where closer to 25 and with the ladies the total was close to 50.

P.B. Morgan #233 Stated Meeting

Tonight I went to P.B. Morgan chapter located in Vermillon Ohio (next to Cleveland on the lake) in the 9th District. I had some business to discuss with the Chapter which was accomplished as The District Deputy Grand High Priest REC Herb Smith and Grand Captain of the Host REC Robert Blankenhorn were also present. What a great day for a drive! The weather was fantastic and I decided to take a couple pictures: one of the sites on the way with an Amish buggy which was in front of me part of the way and then some of the Vermillon Lighthouse and Lake Erie.

Grand High Priest Reception 6th District

The Sixth District held their King's School, District Meeting and Grand High Priest reception in Bellefontaine. There were several present including Past Grand High Priest's MEC Bill Berry and MEC Garis Pugh. In addition the following Grand Officers were present: Grand High Priest MEC Don Owens, Grand King REC Robert Thomas, Grand Captain of the Host REC Robert Blankenhorn, Grand Master of the First Veil REC John Donohoo, Grand Marshall REC Dan Smith, Grand Chaplain REC Chester Burton and REC Richard Hall Grand Aide. The sixth district has been holding these events as a combined function quite successfully for some time now and in addition they pass out their District awards at the event.

 

My Travels Week of 4/22

While often my travels are dictated by my work schedule, I am going to try keep at a running two week schedule of potential Chapter related visits/events which I plan to post every Sunday or Monday. If anyone from my area is interested in traveling with me, contact me and we will see what we can do.

Week of 4/22

·  Monday 22       9th District P.B. Morgan #233 Chapter
·  Wednesday 24  2nd District St. Mary's Dedication
·  Thursday 25     19th District Salem #94 Chapter Inspection

Week of 4/29
·  Tuesday 29     7th District Carey #159 Chapter Inspection

·  Friday 3          3rd District Annual Meeting

Grand Masters Class

Yesterday was the Grand Masters Class in Dayton. I sat through over 400 new Master Masons being raised and we gave each of them a package of information on the York Rite. At this point I think we must do something to contact these new Masons and invite them to a Chapter event or to become a Chapter member. I charged our District with determining a way to sponsor spending the necessary funds to send out the information to make it happen. If we get even 20% to join that would be over 80 but it won't happen if we don't actively follow up on the information they have already been given.

Shrine Circus Wrap Up ... And we contributed

We can be proud in the 3rd district as we contributed to the Shrine Circus this year making more money than they did in 2012. You ask how did we help with this feat? We did the parking for the Shrine Circus which for the first time they collected parking fees and they were able to use the extra money that they made here to surpass the financial totals from last year.  (UD told us last year the Shrine was the only group not charging for parking and encouraged them to charge) Of course we also benefited quite nicely from a financial standpoint by the Shrine giving us this opportunity. Hopefully everyone bought some warm clothes to help us out next year as we have been asked back to help again.

King's Dinner

Yesterday work demands didn't allow me to get out of the house in time to head north for Cleveland for Heights Chapter Inspection but I was hoping to be able to go to my Chapter stated meeting instead. Unfortunately the weather decided different, and I was busy trying to divert the massive amounts of rain away from where it could do any damage. The normal channels for the water to escape around the house were overwhelmed. Tonight, I headed to Middletown for the 3rd District Kings Dinner where we heard the program REC Robert Thomas has planned for us for next year. Also in attendance were Past Grand High Priest's Jerry Crawford, Steve Duncan and George Shell. REC Dan Smith, Grand Marshal, was introduced as the recommended person to start in Grand line. REC John Donohoo, Grand Master of the 1st Veil was also present. And I guess you have me to blame if you don't like his pin design for the next year since I helped him design it!

Shrine Cabiri and Commandery Meeting

Tonight was the monthly meeting for our Past Potentates and afterwards the stated meeting for my commandery. Unfortunately, last night we were facing a vote on the same item in our commandery that our chapter faced last month which was a vote to increase dues and fees to join. While dues increases should be considered a normal method of doing business, the problem is the amount which you would need to raise fees/dues to get one step ahead is too great so we continue to address the immediate need.  I know this is a common problem in most temples, increasing costs with decreasing membership and somehow we have to find a method to address this issue.

Dayton Sharks Indoor Football

This past year a new sport moved into the Dayton area, the Dayton Sharks indoor football. So what does this have to do with Masonry? Plenty! At Antioch Sheine we talked to them and since they wanted some exposure to the community we let them participate in the Shrine Circus. In exchange they gave us a day at the game and sponsorship money for the Shrine Circus. Well today at the game WE were the entertainment during the game. I think this is really going to work out well as they want to talk about bigger things in the future, I think this is something we need to investigate in chapter, getting more involved with the small local teams or non profits. They are always looking for help to keep their costs down which could help to get us more out in the public. I've said getting the folks in the door is the biggest part of the battle. Once we have them as members it is up to us to keep them.

My Travels Week of 4/15

While often my travels are dictated by my work schedule, I am going to try keep at a running two week schedule of potential Chapter related visits/events which I plan to post every Sunday or Monday. If anyone from my area is interested in traveling with me, contact me and we will see what we can do.

Week of 4/15

·  Tuesday 16     16th District Heights #206 Chapter Inspection
·  Wednesday 17 3rd District Kings Dinner
·  Sunday 21        6th District Grand High Priest Reception Bellefontaine
Week of 4/22

·  Monday 22       9th District P.B Morgan Chapter Stated
·  Wednesday 24  2nd District St. Mary's Dedication
·  Thursday 25     19th District Salem #94 Chapter Inspection

18th District Grand High Priest Reception

Tonight was the Grand High Priest Reception and Awards for the 18th Capitular District in Massillon. Past Grand High Priest MEC John Gartrell was also present in addition to the 18th DDGHP and the Grand Master of the 1st Veil. We all had a good meal and left for home early....which was probably a good thing since everyone from outside the District had been up early and in meetings all day for the 20th District All Degree Day.

All Degree Day in Ashtabula

Today was the Inspection for Geneva Chapter, Conneaut Chapter and Western Reserve Chapter in the 20th District at Ashtabula. In addition, the District did a join Royal Arch Degree to complete all four degrees in one day. At the end of the day, they had 10 new Royal Arch Masons. Our Grand High Priest MEC Don Owens, Grand King REC Robert Thomas, and Grand Master of the 1st Veil REC John Donohoo were also present and helped out where needed. Several received the Grand High Priest Excellent in Ritual Pin. I also took a quick side trip to a covered bridge just on the outside of town as there are more covered bridges left in this county than any other in Ohio.

   

Palmyra Chapter # 235 inspection

Tonight was the chapter inspection for Palmyra Chapter in the 3rd District in the Royal Arch degree at Brookville. It was the final inspection of the year for our chapter district. Twin Valley Came over and help them out with a few of the ritual parts and had a official visitation. I think we had a good inspection season but hopefully next year we will have bigger crowds at the inspections. This is the Home Chapter of Past Grand High Priest MEC Jerry Crawford's and he was present in addition to Past Grand High Priest MEC George Shell. Unfortunately, the Guard had some car issues tonight and. ran into the house next door and was hurt fairly bad.

Sometimes it doesn't pay to get up in the morning

While I planned to attend Piqua's Inspection last night and head north to Golden Rule this evening, my plans were changed when a more urgent matter at the house required immediate attention.... a water leak. While I think I determined the source of the leak, getting it fixed (luckily it is on a line to the outside of the house and only is an issue if the outside faucet is turned on) and the clean-up is still ongoing. I'm hoping by tomorrow evening to be able to head to Palmyra's Inspection but we will see if the water clean-up issue was successful or if I have to resort to more drastic measures tomorrow night. And as anyone who has had a water leak knows, the clean-up and attention to getting it resolved can't be delayed.....

Antioch Shrine Stated Meeting...Maybe a Lesson For Chapter

Tonight was our stated meeting at Antioch. Rather than just a normal meeting business meeting, tonight it started off with a family from the Cincinnati Hospital coming to tell their story about how the Hospitals helped them out when their son had some critical birth defects. When was the last time we brought someone in at a stated meeting (or special event of the Chapter) who could give a personal example of how the charities we support helped them. This was really a powerful message and I know it made everyone in the room proud to think this is what they are helping to happen. They also had a ladies program while the men were in their meeting called paint by the glass where a lady came in and showed how to paint and then each of the ladies got to paint a couple glasses or a canvass. My wife is not a painter but she told me she had a great time and would love to do it again. (Maybe another lesson for us in Chapter ... a fun filled program for the ladies during one of our events in which they actually get to participate might make them more willing for us to participate.) The bottom line ... while we have great ritual work  ... maybe we need to give the members a little more to keep them coming back .... and for those who have been around a long while they would know this is something we used to do in Chapter.

My Travels Week of 4/8

While often my travels are dictated by my work schedule, I am going to try keep at a running two week schedule of potential Chapter related visits/events which I plan to post every Sunday or Monday. If anyone from my area is interested in traveling with me, contact me and we will see what we can do.

 Week of 4/8

·  Tuesday 9         3rd District Piqua #31 Chapter Inspection
·  Wednesday 10  9th District Golden Rule #167 Chapter Stated Meeting

·  Thursday 11     3rd District Palmyra #235 Chapter Inspection Brookville

·  Saturday 13     20th District Western Reserve #8 Chapter Inspection Ashtabula

·  Saturday 13     20th District Conneaut #76 Chapter Inspection Ashtabula

·  Saturday 13     20th District Geneva #8 Chapter Inspection Ashtabula

·  Saturday 13     18th District Grand High Priest Reception Massillon

 Week of 4/15
·  Tuesday 16     16th District Heights #206 Chapter Inspection
·  Wednesday 17 3rd District Kings Dinner
·  Sunday 21        6th District Grand High Priest Reception Bellefontaine

Hamilton Chapter Inspection followed by Jimmie Buffett

Today was the Inspection for Hamilton chapter in the Royal Arch Degree. The Grand High Priest MEC Don Owens, Grand Chaplain REC Chester Burton, Grand Guard REC Ron Hart Sr, were all present in addition to Past Grand High Priest MEC George Shell. REC Jim Stephens filled in as High Priest at the Inspection after the elected High Priest resigned.

Afterwards, I headed north for a Jimmie Buffet Party at Antioch Shrine. There were around 140 in attendance and most stayed for dinner and 4 hour party with music afterwards. I mention this because it was a fun time and several younger members were present but the older folks also seemed to have a good time. I can remember when individual Chapters and District used to have fun events like this and we had good turnouts and also had a good mix of young and old. Possibly we should again try some fun event at the Chapters to help get more people involved.

13th District Grand High Priest Reception

Last night was the Grand High Priest Reception for the 13th District in Athens. It was a great day for a drive so it was nice that we were able to take the scenic route. They also presented their awards for the year. The facility at Athens is perfect for this type of event and they always put out a good meal. It was a shame more could not attend. On the way back we saw lots of deer and luckily saw one just before he ran in front of the car which gave me  time to slow down and miss him.

Grotto. Meeting, Preble Council SEM and Past Masters Club Meeting

Well I'm falling a little behind so dock my pay ...wait a minute I forgot I don't get paid! Work has been unbelievable and I haven't had time to update the BLOG so here goes.....

Tuesday I went to my Grotto stated meeting, Wednesday went to Preble Council to help them out with their Super Excellent Master degree, and tonight to the Shrine to the Past Masters Club meeting.    The good part is I was able to take care of some Chapter follow up business at each of the three nights since  it was a different group of persons at each meeting.

More Sad News

Today was the viewing for REC Herb Clonch who lost his battle with Cancer this past week. In addition, REC Keith Green's mother past away last week. If that wasn't enough another friend from another organization also past away last week so today I had 3 viewing for various persons. Due to work, I was unable to attend the service for Keith Green's mother but I believe it was more family only. I was slated to attend the other two viewing/services this evening but unfortunately I got a cut and it took over an hour to get the bleeding stopped. Luckily I'm now fine and everything is under control...though I missed both which I really wanted to attend as both were very active in their respective organizations.