THE FEAST OF THE PASCHAL LAMB

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1 Notice & Newsletter Valley of Reading, Pennsylvania MARCH 2019 THE FEAST OF THE PASCHAL LAMB A solemn memorial service for our brethren who have departed through the West Gate of the Temple Presented by Francis Marion Highley Chapter Knights of Rose Croix of H-R-D-M John K. March, 32, Most Wise Master Sunday, March 31, :00 PM In the auditorium of the Scottish Rite Cathedral 430 South Seventh Avenue West Reading, PA The public is invited to participate in the service. No reservations are required. No admission will be charged. No offering will be collected. Appropriate attire requested. Refreshments served after the service. Page 1 Feast of the Paschal Lamb OPEN CDC Dir. of Operations Page 2 Presiding Officer Messages Commander-in-Chief Most Wise Master Page 3 In Memoriam T.T.G.O.T.G.A.O.T.U. Basket of Cheer Raffle Page 4 Membership message Hiring Valley Custodian Abbott Scholarship Page 5 Model Railroading Club PA Farm Show Winner New Veterans Award Page 6 Golden Eagles Ladies Auxiliary News Page 7 Ladies Trip Page 8 Easter Brunch & Egg Hunt Page 9 County Club Events Page Ill. Lynn G. Brandt, 33 Memorial Golf Outing Page th Annual John Gay Sport Banq. Page C-i-C Cruise Page 14 Fashion Show OPEN POSITION Director of Operations of Children s Dyslexia Centers, Inc. Robert F. Ogg, Jr., the current Director of Operations, has submitted his resignation, effective April 30, Supreme Council is soliciting applications for the position with an anticipated commencement of employment date of on or about April 1, Interested parties are invited to submit their resume and other documentation supporting their application to Kevin J. Hecht, Director of Human Resources, at your earliest convenience. Bro. Hecht can be reached at (781) or khecht@srnmj.org. *Please note that the position is located at Supreme Council in Lexington, Massachusetts and will require moderate travel. For a copy of the Job Description, please contact the Valley Office.

2 Most Wise Master s Moment John K. March, 32 The Commander- in-chief Kevin S. Barnhardt, 33 Greetings: It s not often that I get the time to read a book, but one that I m presently struggling through is The Soul Of America By Jon Meacham. The book lays out in historical terms what our great country endured during times of great struggle and strife and how we as a country were able to move forward and become a better, more lasting union. I m intrigued by what details were glossed over in history class about how our country suffered under difficult periods of history, such as, selfinflicted leadership, or lack of same, or during wars that tested our moral and physical resolve. It brings to mind for me the history of American Freemasonry and could be written in much the same manner. We ve had our good times and struggles but what we must always keep in mind is our guiding principles as a country and as a fraternity. We have and will survive the slings and arrows of those who choose to denigrate the fraternity and the political class that tried to destroy us from with the Anti-Masonic Party. If we take time to remember our sacred vows taken at the altar of Freemasonry, we know that whatever comes our way, we can endure for what we vowed is more lasting and meaningful than a short term movement or change in political direction. I believe now, more than ever, with the country at a moral crossroad, men can find the Brotherhood of Freemasonry as a safe haven to express their passion and compassion for the best of what we can become as a society and as a fraternity. We all need to seek our better angels! Spes Mea in Deo Est, To all Scottish Rite Brethren wherever dispersed, Greetings, I hope this message finds all of you in the best of health and if it does not, please inform me. I keep you all in my daily prayers. Those of you who brave the wilds of Pennsylvania in an attempt to supplement your diet with wild game, I hope you were successful and if not in this season, hopefully in the next. As I write this, it is 6 th of February, 2019 and I m pushing the deadline for submission. Those who know of my involvement in the other Masonic Bodies, are probably wondering that I have time to write this at all. I am somewhat grateful that I only have to write three of these messages but also grieved that I cannot share more of my journey through the Masonic Fraternity. Someone, who shall remain nameless, told me to keep this short, as no one reads past the second paragraph. So Teddy, I ll keep it short. It has been and continues to be an honor to serve the Valley of Reading as the Most Wise Master of Rose Croix. The job requires a good bit of memorization which I hadn t planned on at this stage of my career, but I think I m dealing with it. By the time the Feast of the Paschal Lamb rolls around, I (hopefully) will have a lock on my dialogue. Only time will tell. Speaking of the Feast of the Paschal Lamb, please let everyone in your circle of friends, relatives and brothers know that it is scheduled for 2:00 o clock PM on the 31 st of March, Before I write you again, Valentine s Day, Ash Wednesday, St. Patrick s Day, the First day of spring, the Feast of the Paschal Lamb, Passover, and Easter will be history AND we will have returned to daylight savings time. In closing, I am planning a road trip to the Valley of Coudersport for their spring reunion to be held on June 13 (vespers) June 14 and 15 th, FIRST COME FIRST SERVED. There is only room for sixteen (16) at the cabin. More on this reunion at this website: Kevin Courteously, John 2

3 IN MEMORIAM The Valley of Reading remembers with respect the following Brethren whose deaths have been reported since the last publication of the Valley Notice. Eugene K. Stahl Lodge No. 741 December 13, 2018 Edwin R. Yeager Lodge No. 660 December 21, 2018 William J. Rahn Lodge No. 435 January 21, 2019 Calvin S. Mengel Lodge No. 406 January 28, 2019 James R. Strunk III MSA Lodge No. 660 December 20, 2018 Christ L. Ganas Lodge No. 227 January 3, 2019 George P. Moliatu Lodge No. 660 January 25, 2019 John W. Freeston MSA Lodge No. 216 February 19, 2019 T.T.G.O.T.G.A.O.T.U. (To The Glory Of The Grand Architect Of The Universe) A Stated Meeting of the Ancient Accepted Scottish Rite Bodies of Freemasonry, sitting in the Valley of Reading, Pennsylvania, will be held in the Scottish Rite Cathedral, 430 S. Seventh Avenue, West Reading, Pa., on the 20th day of the Hebrew month Adar II, 5779 corresponding to: Tuesday, March 26, :00 PM Business will be transacted in Reading Lodge of Perfection, 14, C. Gilbert Steffe Council, 16, Princes of Jerusalem; Francis Marion Highley Chapter, 18, Knights of the Rose Croix; and Reading Consistory, 32 Sublime Princes of the Royal Secret. A cordial and fraternal invitation is extended to all members of the Rite duly accredited. By order of: Dennis F. Shaffer John K. March Thrice Potent Master Most Wise Master Ernest D. Lopes Kevin S. Barnhardt, 33 Sovereign Prince Commander-in-Chief ATTEST: James R. Shaw, 33, Secretary Children s Dyslexia Center Baskets of Cheer Raffle $10.00 per ticket Drawing May 18, 2019 For each bottle donation, in increments of $10, we will give you a raffle ticket in exchange. Please support this worthy cause by: Helping to sell tickets Purchasing tickets Donating bottles of cheer! Dinner will be served before the meeting 6:00-6:45 $8.00 per person Valley Notice is a publication of the four bodies of the Valley of Reading, Ancient Accepted Scottish Rite of Freemasonry for the Northern Masonic Jurisdiction and is the official notice of meetings, events and activities of the Valley. Please provide timely submissions to the Editor: Jillian Shotzbarger, P.O. Box 6013, Reading, PA Phone: , Fax: valley.of.reading@comcast.net Note: All submissions are subject to revision. Please provide all Valley Notice submissions in.doc/.docx formats to allow for editing. 3

4 MEMBERSHIP MESSAGE I hope everyone had a great holiday season. It is now time to start planning for the Spring Reunion on May 18 th. Membership is so important to the Valley of Reading. We support the Children s Dyslexia Center, Holiday Happenings, Easter egg hunt, family picnic and other community oriented events at the Valley. We need new members to carry on the tradition that was started many years ago by those Brothers who saw the need to form the Valley of Reading and were instrumental in building this beautiful facility that we enjoy today. Who will carry on if we do not have new members to replace ourselves? I am sure each of us knows someone who is not a member of our Valley. You may be surprised to know that if you ask them to join they probably will say yes and join. Some of our Blue Lodge brothers do not know about the Scottish Rite Fraternity and there are more Blue Lodge brothers who are not Scottish Rite members than are. Just ask the members of your Blue Lodge to join and we will have a growing Valley. A large Spring Reunion would be great! Remember petitions need to be in to the Valley prior to the Reunion on MAY 18 th. If you need someone to talk about the Valley of Reading at your Lodge feel free to contact me. Gary Dukeman, Membership Chairman The Valley of Reading is seeking to hire one or more custodians to work part-time on an as-needed basis. The position involves opening and closing the building for rehearsals and events, as well as setting up for and tearing down after rental events and Valley functions. It also includes maintenance duties as necessary. Applicants must be a member of the Valley of Reading. Interested persons may submit their names for consideration to the Valley office. There s still time to apply for the Abbott Scholarship! Application forms may be downloaded at: Find Abbott Scholarships under Charities No applications will be accepted after April 1, 2019 Applicants should submit their application to the Valley with verification of their eligibility. Scottish Rite Office Attn: James R. Shaw, 33 P.O. Box 6013 Reading, PA

5 Ancient Accepted Scottish Rite Valley of Reading, Pennsylvania MODEL RAILROADING CLUB Established 1998 ON TRACK WITH THE MODEL RAILROADING CLUB For 20 years the club has been delivering warm memories and big smiles to others through our train exhibits; but it doesn t stop there. The club is aimed at doing good to others through its gifts of time and donations to goodhearted causes as well. One of those causes is the Children's Dyslexia Center of Reading. The center is part of a charitable corporation of the Northern Masonic Jurisdiction of the Scottish Rite, and depends upon members of the Scottish Rite and the community for donations to fund the program, which is free for students. Each year the club makes a cash donation to the center to completely fund the purchase of a book for each student for Christmas. The center matches the books to the child s age, interest and reading levels. Our gift supports the center s purpose of teaching reading, while helping to instill an interest and joy in books for dyslexic children. In addition, the club and the Hiram's Scottish Riders motorcycle club split cost for a new computer for the Dyslexia Center. Also, last fall the Children s Dyslexia Center was experiencing a financial short fall. At the Valley s Fall Reunion the club presented the center with a donation of $1000 dollars. ALL ABOARD, the MODEL RAILROADING CLUB invites to you to come on board and enjoy membership in our Club. Become a member of the MODEL RAILROADING CLUB and join in our fun, join in our camaraderie, and join in our service. For further information contact Bro. Bill Young, Club Secretary, at Helen Hummel, our Ladies Auxiliary Fashion show coordinator and wife of member Dick Hummel, WON FIRST PLACE for her homegrown pickled beets at the PA Farm Show in Harrisburg and WON SECOND PLACE for her peach jam. She has entered at least the past 8 years with produce from the Hummel garden or local farms, but these are the first ribbons she has been awarded. After growing corn for a church project 15+ years ago, Helen and Dick continued growing vegetables and have raised tomatoes, onions, carrots, peppers and gourds. Thanks for sharing your success with the Valley! VETERANS PLEASE READ Sammy Lee Davis Peace & Freedom Award Sovereign Grand Commander David A. Glattly introduced the Sammy Lee Davis Peace & Freedom Award - an honor that every Valley in the Northern Masonic Jurisdiction may award to Scottish Rite veterans with an honorable discharge. As Commander Glattly stated, "It is my great privilege to announce the creation of the Sammy Lee Davis Peace & Freedom Award. As you know, one of the Scottish Rite core values is service to country. It is highly fitting for the NMJ to have a formal way to recognize our veteran Brothers who bravely and faithfully upheld their duty to our nation. Men like Brother Davis served in our armed forces in the pursuit of peace and the hope of freedom. It is an honor for all of us our entire Scottish Rite Brotherhood to name this award after Sammy Lee Davis." To help prepare for the release of this award, we ask all members with Military service to sign into their profiles on the Northern Masonic Jurisdiction website to enter their information, or contact their Valley Secretary to do so for them. This way, when the award is released the information will already be in the system to avoid delays. 5

6 Greetings from the Members of the Golden Eagles Club. Yes, the Golden Eagles Club is a seniors-based group affiliated with the Valley of Reading, Scottish Rite Masons. HOWEVER, that being said, you do NOT have to be of senior status nor a Mason to join the group. The membership is OPEN to any and all, male or female, Mason or Non-Mason who would like to join our merry group. Good food catered by Dori Martin s Catering out of Fleetwood - $8.00 and plenty of food for the day, good programs and brief business meeting. Best of all is the friendship and relationships that are built by the members. Dress is casual. Again, meetings are the third Wednesday at 12 Noon in the Scottish Rite Cathedral banquet room. Day trips are being planned and much more. Try us you will like us and bring a friend along. Please make reservations for lunch with Don or Barb Loos at at least four days prior to the meeting. Fraternally, Carey M. Kaucher, President cnjk1992@aol.com Home phone March 20th Meeting Program is BINGO; Meal is Chicken Cordon Bleu, scalloped potatoes and hot buttered beets.(wear YOUR GREEN!!!!) April 17 th Meeting Program is Eastern Barns presented by Greg Huber Meal is Fresh sausage w/sauce, onions & peppers, mashed potatoes and corn bake Scheduled Day Trips: June 1, 2019 New York City 9/11 Memorial & Museum, Statue of Liberty and Ellis Island Sept. 23, 2019 Bloomsburg Fair Seniors Day Free admission. December 10, American Music Theatre Christmas Show Joy to the World 6

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9 Hiram s Scottish Riders IRISH WAKE Celebrate the passing of Old Man Winter Saturday, March 9, 2019 at the Scottish Rite Cathedral in West Reading, PA Buffet dinner ~ BYOB ~ Casual dress code 6pm-10pm Raffles, 50/50, Silent Auction, Door Prizes & Giveaways! Tickets $25/person also available at the door Contact Rick Storms for tickets: or stormsrw@yahoo.com Proceeds benefit Children s Dyslexia Center of Reading Lancaster County Club Ladies Night Tues. March 12, :00 social, 6:30 dinner $24 per person Weaver s Banquet Facility in Denver, PA Contact Dick Eby for reservations Please mail checks to: J. Richard Eby 522 E. Conestoga St. New Holland, PA Chester County Club Installation of Officers & Ladies Night At Pronto Bistro Italiano in Thorndale, PA Wed. April 3, pm social, 7pm dinner $30/person Please RSVP by Friday, March 29 Contact: Paul Swank pasnuf@aol.com Good Fellowship Club Valley of Reading Schuylkill County Club Seafood Night Wed. April 10, pm social, 6:30pm dinner At Schuylkill Lodge No. 138 in Orwigsburg, PA Open to the ladies! For tickets contact: Jim Moyer Donald (Ducky) Schneck Annual Banquet Wednesday, April 17 th 6:00pm Social Hour, 7:00pm Dinner $25.00 Keystone Fire Company, Boyertown, PA Presentation: World Renowned Dog Trainer Shawn Reed For Tickets contact Barry Millard shay1021@aol.com 9

10 ANCIENT ACCEPTED SCOTTISH RITE Valley of Reading Announces Tenth Annual III. Lynn G. Brandt, 33 Memorial Golf Outing Modified Shotgun Start at 1:30 on Friday May 10 th, 2019 Twin Ponds Golf Club 700 Gilbertsville Rd, Gilbertsville, PA Phone: (610) Better-Ball Scramble Format COST: $75.00 Per Person (Complete) (Clip) (Return with Check) PAYABLE TO Reading Lodge of Perfection AND SEND TO: Richard Storms 440 Windy Hill Rd. Gilbertsville, PA Attached is a check for Golfers at $75.00 per person = GOLFER S NAMES (Your Name First) ADDRESSES (Optional for Future Mailings) INDIVIDUALS, BUSINESSES OR CORPORATIONS INTERESTED IN SPONSERING A HOLE, PLEASE CONTACT RICHARD STORMS, FOR MORE INFORMATION Deadline to Register for golf is Friday, April 26,

11 ANCIENT ACCEPTED SCOTTISH RITE VALLEY OF READING Tenth Annual III. Lynn G. Brandt, 33 Memorial Golf Outing Start at 1:30 PM, Friday, May 10th, 2019 Gilbertsville Golf Club 700 Gilbertsville Rd, Gilbertsville, PA We would appreciate your support of this event by sponsoring a hole or a tee. This fee is $50.00 for each sponsorship. The name of your sponsor will be placed at the hole or tee of choice. We also invite you to get a foursome to enjoy this magnificent golf course. A reservation form is enclosed. If interested in supporting this event, please complete the provided slip below. Make your check payable to Reading Lodge of Perfection and mail to: Richard Storms 440 Windy Hill Rd. Gilbertsville PA Thank you for your kind and generous support. Deadline for Hole Sponsors is Friday, April 19, Sincerely, Richard Storms Richard Storms CUT HERE Tenth Annual III. Lynn G. Brandt, 33 Memorial Golf Outing Friday, May 10, 2019 We will be pleased to sponsor holes at $50.00 per hole for the lll Lynn G. Brandt Memorial golf outing on May 10, 2019 at Gilbertsville Golf Club. NAME: PHONE: ADDRESS: CITY: STATE: ZIP: $50.00 Check enclosed $ payable to Reading Lodge of Perfection.Deadline for Hole Sponsorship will be Friday, April 19, Please mail by April 12, 2019 to Richard Storms, 440 Windy Hill Rd., Gilbertsville, PA

12 25 th Annual John Gay Sports Banquet June 20, 2019 at Revere Tavern in Paradise, PA Speaker will be Drew Bycoskie, Penn State Athlete, college coach, author Tickets are $30.00 Ads: ¼ page $30; ½ page $60; full page $100 Ad Deadline is May 25 Contact Paul Swank for tickets and ads: A Brief History of the John Gay Memorial Sports Banquet Contributed by Ed Stumm, 33 and Paul Swank In June, Chester County Club will host the 25 th Annual John Gay Memorial Sport Banquet. In the fall of 1993, Brother John Gay was the entertainment chairman for the Chester County Club; he suggested that the club host an annual sports banquet to help increase attendance at Chester functions. In the spring of 1994, Chester county club held a sports banquet at the Sadsburyville Fire House. The guest speaker was a Pennsylvania Game Warden who spoke about the growth of coyotes in the state of Pennsylvania. He stated that there were coyotes in every single county of the state including Pittsburgh and Philadelphia. The banquet was a modest success and club members looked forward to the banquet next year. After the 1994 banquet, Brother Gay passed away. The officers of the Chester County Club wanted to honor him in a way that would be a living testimony to him and what he believed in. A committee was formed consisting of Ed Stumm, J. Richard McLucas and Alan Gay. A granddaughter of Brother Gay attended the Children s Home in Elizabethtown and the idea of a scholarship in Brother Gay s name was suggested. After much help from Buzz Cash, Director of the Children s Home and the Masonic Village Scholarship Committee, it was decided to start a scholarship fund in the Brother Gay s name and each year a $500 scholarship would be awarded to a deserving student. A cash award of $1500 is presented to the high school student who best exemplifies Brother Gay s characteristics of service above self, honesty, integrity, caring for others, and compassion for others. This award is to be used upon graduation to further the pursuit of educational and career goals. Next, the committee needed to decide how to fund the scholarship. After much discussion, it was decided that the Chester County Club would host the John T. Gay, Jr. Memorial Sports Banquet in June annually. To increase attendance at the banquet, it was decided to have a well-known sports figure from the Philadelphia area to be the guest speaker. In 1995, Pete Retzlaff of the Philadelphia Eagles (an all pro tight-end) was the first guest speaker at the banquet. There were around 75 men in attendance and the banquet was a success. To add to the proceeds of the banquet, Skerrett Lodge #343 gave a generous donation. After this money was donated, the first scholarship was awarded in 1996 to Helen Caronneau. There are no words to describe the success of the banquets. In its early years, the banquet was mainly held at the Old Maple Inn near Honey Brook before moving to the Revere Tavern, its permanent home. There have been many fine speakers including Art Mahaffey and Larry Christenson from the Phillies, Keith Kreple, Dick Vermeil and Vince Papale from the Eagles, broadcasters Bill Werndl, Kevin Reilly and Beasley Reece and in 2018, Vai Sikahema from channel 10, The scholarship endowment is able to provide a $1500 scholarship each year. Now that the endowment fund is selfsupporting, the Chester County Club donated the proceeds of the annual banquets to the Children s Dyslexia Center at the Valley of Reading. Skerrett Lodge continues to give a generous donation. The banquet has become one of the premier Masonic events held annually by the Scottish Rite Valley of Reading. Chester County Club would like to thank everyone that has helped to make this banquet successful. 12

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14 Notice & Newsletter Valley of Reading, Pennsylvania