REPORTER Vol. XXXVII Published Quarterly March/April/May, 2013

Transcription

1 THE SCOTTISH RITE The Scottish Rite Reporter NONPROFIT US POSTAGE PAID Published Bi-Monthly 855 Elm Avenue HUNT. BCH CA PERMIT #438 Long Beach, CA POSTMASTER: DATED MATERIAL PLEASE DELIVER BY FEBRUARY 28th REPORTER Vol. XXXVII Published Quarterly March/April/May, 2013 POSTMASTER: DATED MATERIAL PLEASE DELIVER BY FEBRUARY 28th

2 Ill. Ronald A. Seale, 33, Sovereign Grand Commander Ill. Frank Louie, 33, Depudy of the Supreme Council in California LONG BEACH BODIES OF THE ANCIENT AND ACCEPTED SCOTTISH RITE OF FREEMASONRY 855 ELM AVE, LONG BEACH, CA Telephone: (562) or (714) FAX: (562) Ill. Tim Cable, 33 Personal Representative of the Sovereign Grand Inspector General of the Orientl of California Ill. Michael Stovall, 33, Assistant Personal Representative Chuck Bruggeman, 32, K.C.C.H., General Secretary 2012 Officers Hon. Jonathan P. Dilley, 32, K.C.C.H., Venerable Master - L.B. Lodge of Perfection Raymond Louison, 32, Wise Master - L.B. Chapter Rose Croix Ill. Michael W. Stovall, 33, Commander - L.B. Council of Kadosh Hon. Lee J. Cleveland, 32, K.C.C.H., Master of Kadosh - L.B. Consistory Ill. Serving All Bodies Fred Cook, 32, Treasurer Douglas Tayrien, 32, Orator Thomas G. Horngren, 33, Almoner Ricky Sullivan, 32, Tiler Cathedral Staff Ill. Don Fishering, 33, Chief Purveyor Matthew Marfield, 32, K.C.C.H., Librarian Ill. Aldo Zanier, 33, General Production Manager Paul Burgos, 32, Sound Director Florian Zukas, 32, Lighting Director Open, Stage Director Open, Robing Room Director Degree Staff Ill. James Sunseri, 33, Classroom Director Ill. Ellsworth Chan, 33, Classroom Staff Harold Kennedy, 32, Classroom Staff Richard Schott, 32 Classroom Staff Ill. Richard Schowengerdt, 33, Director of the Work Support Organizations Jorge Cabradilla, 32, Chieftain, Knights of Saint Andrews Scottish Rite Reporter Ben Ponder, 32, K.C.C.H., Managing Editor & Typesetter 2146 Mt. Shasta Dr., San Pedro, CA (310) bjtypesett@dslextreme.com Fax (310) The views expressed in the Reporter are not necessarily those of the Scottish Rite Bodies. Submission of articles are welcome and due by the 15th of the month preceding the publication. SUPPORT THESE MEMBERS WHO ARE MAKING THIS REPORTER POSSIBLE Call me, I will take care of all your real estate needs! BROTHER ALDO ZANIER OWNER - BROKER 5924 NAPLES PLAZA LONG BEACH, CA CELL (562) THIS SPACE IS AVAILABLE From the Desk of the Personal Representative Due to the fact that the Long Beach Scottish Rite Bodies is catering all the meals for its functions, the following is in effect and mandatory! EVERY FUNCTION and for EVENTS WITH A MEAL WILL REQUIRE AN RSVP. There will be NO EXCEPTIONS, no RSVP, no meal! Ill. Tim Cable. 33 Personal Representative for the Valley of Long Beach 2 THE SCOTTISH RITE REPORTER j MARCH/APRIL/MAY,

3 All proceeds benefit Food Finders Food Rescue Program Notes from the Personal Representative Ill. Timothy Cable, 33 Personal Representative of the Sovereign Grand Inspector General in CA Brethren, My message is dedicated to one word, support! Without your support our beloved Rite will cease to exist. That s right, cease to exist. I know we all have conflicts that preclude us from attending our Blue Lodges and the Rite, it s a busy world these days and with the economy, gas prices and the like many of us tend to just stay at home. I was very proud to see such a nice turn out for our cap and ring ceremony; it brought memories of yester year when all of our dinners were well supported. I want to personally thank Illustrious Jim Sunseri who did such an outstanding job as Master of Ceremonies he is such an important and dedicated member we are truly blessed to have him in our ranks. Our new body heads are doing a great job and by the looks of things this will be an exciting and historic year under their leadership. I can t emphasize enough the need for your support this coming year. We have planned some very worthwhile events starting in March with our High School appreciation night. I am working to make these a true total Masonic event. Not just for the Rite but I ve sent invitations to every Blue Lodge in our area as well as the York Rite and others. My goal is to bring the community into our fabulous facility and share our appreciation for the dedicated teachers at our local high schools. Following that in May will be our appreciation night for the Long Beach Police Department and one is planned for out Fire Department in June. We need your support for these events as a poor showing of our membership would not show the public our sincere support for our schools, police and fire. We have traditionally been known as a group who stands behind them and this is our chance to join hands in full support and appreciation for the outstanding work they do to teach our children and protect us every day and night. I also want to remind each of you of my open door policy, I am open to every suggestion, idea or gripes you may have and I assure you I will listen and do my best to work things out. I work for you, I do not have my own agenda here, all I want is to bring us back into the spotlight of having the best valley in the state. I am very pleased with the work Ill. Jim Sunseri and our new Venerable Master Jonathan Dilley are doing to try and build up cast members for our degrees. Nothing would be better than to once again offer a long class with many of our degrees exemplified once again in our beautiful theatre. We will once again be joining with our brothers in the Santa Ana Valley for our June reunion class, the schedule is included herein. However, that schedule may change with the addition of exemplified degrees so please check for any scheduled updates at the Rite. 18 THE SCOTTISH RITE REPORTER MARCH/APRIL/MAY,

4 Notes from the Secretary Hon. Charles Bruggeman, 32, K.C.C.H. RING IT AGAIN, DADDY One of America s most treasured relics is a one-ton bell now in the Independence Hall in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. The phrase chiseled around the top of the bell which was taken from Leviticus 25:10, Proclaim liberty throughout the land unto all the inhabitants thereof, Is also in every heart of every American. Bells have played a significant role in the history of our world. They are mentioned as early as the second book of the Bible. Bells have historically been used to celebrate all special events. For example, all over the New World bells rang on July 4, When the Allied troops pushed the aggressive Germans back at the Battle of Marne, and the Germans surrendered to the Allies, bells rang in the cathedrals in France, in the great churches in Great Britain, all across America and throughout the free world! For some reason, the bells of America have become muted. Let us look at what has caused the silencing of these bells. Let us look and see if we still truly believe in the ringing of the bells for freedom. Let us again make them ring across the Eastern Seashore and across the Allegheny Range, across the Middle West and across the Mississippi River to the Plains States, then let their clarion peal be heard in the villages and hamlets of the Western Mountain Area, and to the great populace areas of the West Coast. Let the bells ring now. Let the southern breezes carry their clarion echo across the Gulf States, to the Atlantic Seaboard. Let the bells be heard for all people of the world. Let the freedom purchased by our forefathers, many of whom were Masons, again resound. Let the bells ring! Let the bells ring for a return to our Nation s greatness! Our forefathers crossed the ocean not to find soil for their plows, but liberty for their souls. The secret of America is her heritage. Some 170 years ago, a noted Frenchman came to America to seek the secret of her greatness. He wrote, I sought for America s greatness. I found it not in her fields and forests; I found it not in her mines and factories; I found it not in her Great Congress and great tribunals. It was only when I heard her preaching righteousness that I discovered her greatness. Then he added, America is great because America is good. If America ceases to be good, America will cease to be great. America is living in an integrity crisis. Our forefathers were wise and brave. They gave us our heritage and freedom. They founded a nation that Abraham Lincoln rightly called, The last best hope on earth. 11 But they are gone now, and we are here. We are the ones who are alive at this moment. History is not just panoply of events frozen in moments. History is also the here and now, the present. We are of it and we are in it, and we have a responsibility to it. America, we live in a world of patchwork quilting. There are many cultures and languagesa myriad of fabrics, a myriad of designs, a myriad of multicolored threads holding us together. This patchwork builds the design that has made America strong. God forbid that we lose it. When we look back on the history (Continued on Page 5) THE BEEHIVE (Continued from Page 16) form of work called industry the Beehive symbolizes only one in Particular it at the same time represents the system of forms of work, is, as it were, an ensemble of them; and from it a sufficiently well-informed thinker could think out the system of Masonic Philosophy. In our Craft the whole of fraternalism is nothing other than the fellowship required by the forms of work, because the majority of them require men to work together in association, in stations and places, and therefore in co-operation. It is strange that in its present-day stage of development the so-called science of economics should concern itself solely with such subjects as wages, machines, money, transportation because these are but incidentals and accidentals. Work is the topic proper to economics; and the forms of work are its proper subject-matter. Any scholar or thinker who chances to be a Mason could find in his own Fraternity a starting point for a new economics, as fresh and revolutionary and revealing as was the work of Copernicus in astronomy, of Newton in Phusics, of Darwin in biology. A beehive itself is a trifle, and scarcely worth ten minutes of thought; what it stands for is one of the largest and most important subjects in the world, and up until now one of the least understood. [Mackey s Encyclopedia of Freemasonry] *************************************** BROTHERS: We would like to add some new names to our list of those submitting articles to the Reporter. Articles submitted are appreciated and this is an invitation to any brother to send in an article we can use, as well photographs of Masonic events, all articles should be optimistic. Even articles to share, that absent brothers can send on their thoughts and travels are welcomed. Remember this is YOUR news publication. Submit to: Ben bjtypesett@dslextreme.com, send in word format. **************************************** REDUCING COSTS ON PRINTING THE REPORTER IF YOU HAVE A COMPUTER, YOU CAN ACCESS THE MONTHLY REPORTER ON-LINE BY GOING TO lbscottishrite.org CLICK ON REPORTER THERE IS A BENEFIT TO THE WEBSITE OPTION BECAUSE YOU CAN ALSO ACCESS THE LAST 11 MONTHS ISSUES. 4 THE SCOTTISH RITE REPORTER MARCH/APRIL/MAY,

5 THE BEEHIVE Submitted by Harold Kennedy, 32, K.C.C.H. In our Twentieth Century America, the word industry denotes manufacturing and factories classified as heavy industry and light industry; and connotes machines and factory workers. When the Beehive is said to be an emblem of industry the word is not used in that sense, indeed, it is used with an almost opposite meaning for it is used in the sense if centuries ago, which was the true sense. Industry was the employment of a very large number of men, tens of thousands in many instances, on one undertaking at one place and at the same time, and they might or might not use machinery. It was the method by which in the ages before heavy machinery vast building enterprises were accomplished, some of which have so long mystified modern men, the building of the pyramids, of he ancient Egyptian canals, of the Hanging Gardens of Babylon, of the Zigguarats, of vast Hindu temples, of the Chinese Great Wall and Grand Canal of the Mayas City of Chichen-Itza, etc., the same method by which in World War II the Burma and Ledo roads were constructed as well as great airfields in the remote hills of China; and the method by which from Caesar s time until modern times the Dutch have built their hundreds of miles of dykes. The Beehive is the perfect emblem, of typical instance of the power of industry, because what no one bee or succession of separate bees could accomplish is easy where hundreds of them work together at one task at one time. The Medieval Freemasons did not study and think about the same subjects as architects and builders except in fundamentals. They had two great subjects: materials and men. A modern architect knows far more about materials than the Medieval builder because he has universities, literature, laboratories, and factories to draw on; but he knows for less about men, indeed, he knows almost nothing about men. Where a modern builder looks to machines as the means to accomplish his results, the Medieval builder who had no power-driven machines had to look to men. For this reason the Medieval builder knew far more about work than his modern counterpart because work is nothing other than a man making use of himself as a means to get something made or produced or accomplished. Where a modern foreman thinks of himself as a supervisor of a building full of machines the Medieval foreman thought of himself as a Master of workmen. By the same token a workman had to know himself, instead of a machine, because he was his own machine. Skill is the expert use of one s self. It was for such reasons that Medieval Freemasons thought much about and had a wide knowledge of the forms of work. The general organization of a Lodge is based on the principle of forms of work; so are the stations and places of officers. Though as an emblem of the (Continued on Page 6) RING IT AGAIN, DADDY (Continued from Page 4) of America, we see our Fraternity as a vital part of the link that has made America great. While operative Masons were chiefly interested in the creation of structures, buildings and dwellings, Speculative Masons have been concerned with other types of the art of buildings. These Craftsmen have laid the foundation for free government, of equality, freedom and liberty, equality of opportunity, freedom of thought, and liberty of action. They have built the idea of a Fraternity of a worldwide Brotherhood under the Fatherhood of God. They have erected a temple of human love a temple founded on wisdom, supported by strength, and adorned by beauty. Men have not always been free and equal. Governments have not always been democratic. Liberty has not always been easily obtained. It has been said that during the Middle Ages when Europe was a nightmare of persecution, the little lights of hope that flickered here and there in the lowest vales and on the highest hills were lighted by small bodies of Freemasons who every day walked with their lives in their hands. And when the great rift in the darkness came it was realized by those who could see it had been a triumph of light over darkness. After Freemasonry had become firmly implanted in the new English Colonies of America, the spirit of freedom and liberty began to permeate the minds and hearts of the colonists. In those times, Masonry was the only institution which enabled the various Colonies to meet on a common ground. It cannot be reasonably disputed that Freemasonry was responsible for the successful termination of the American Revolution. And, when the Craftsmen laid down their arms, they again picked the rule and gavel-the plumb, the level and the square and the trowel, and built the greatest free government ever conceived by man. They built it upon the tenets of Masonry. We have observed that the establishment of Freemasonry has, almost without exception, preceded man s struggle for freedom, liberty and independence. It is not strange then to observe that in every instance, before those virtues are surrendered or wrested, Freemasonry is first banished from the nation. But where are we today? In a world who needs something. Again, let the bells ring out to call us forward to a new vision. The Prophet of the Old Testament is heard to cry out: Where there is no vision, the people parish. Without a vision, the Fraternity, the Country, life will parish as we know it in a free world. The American Nationality does not spring from one family, one tribe, one country, but incorporates the vigorous element of all civilized nations of the earth, says Carl Shurz. Brother Warren G. Harding at the entombment of the Unknown Soldier on November 11, 1921, said: He may have been a native or an adopted son; that matters little, because they glorified the same loyalty; they sacrificed alike. Let the bells ring calling us to a better world. This has been and is our supreme task. It is here that we win or lose the battle. It has been said; The darker the day the brighter Freemasonry is shown. In spite of martyrdom and (Continued on Page 6) 16 THE SCOTTISH RITE REPORTER MARCH/APRIL/MAY,

6 RING IT AGAIN, DADDY (Continued from Page 5) persecution, Freemasonry has spread. The blood of the martyr has always been the seed of Freemasonry. It is again time that we as Freemasons begin to ring the bells of freedom and mean what we say. Consider the story of a Mason who once took his son back to the small rural community in which he had grown up. After they had gone through the small village, the father took him to the corner drugstore where he had spent so many hours at the fountain. He took him by the school where he had first learned his lessons of life, took him by the old home place where at his mother s knees he learned the foundation of morals and ethics. Then by the old swimming hole where they went skinny-dipping, and then to the vale where there was a clapboard church. Pulling up in front of the church, the father noted with great dismay that the whitewash was gone, the painted stain glass windows were broken. The front door hung agar, and almost as if to fall. The father welled up with emotion inside, jumped out of the car with his small son, and walked up toward the church. As they entered through the rickety door, he saw that the pulpit was askew. He saw that dust and cobwebs clung where beauty once adorned. Suddenly his son noticed something dangling from the ceiling. It was a rope. He asked his father, What s that Daddy? The father answered; Well that s the rope that goes to the bell up in the belfry. I don t know if the bell is still there, but I do remember that I would help my father hitch up the team early so that I could come and be the first one here and would always be able to ring the bell. The boy said: Daddy, why don t you see if the bell is still there? And the father, with a mind flooded with happy memories of when his mother, his father, his sister and his brothers worshipped there, suddenly took hold of the rope with both hands. And he began to pull it, and the large bell was still there. And it began to ring out over the country side. The little boy, in all his excitement, said: Ring it again Daddy! Ring it again! And he rang it again and again and again. But what he did not realize was that the people from miles around on that still summer day could hear the sound of that bell that had been so long silent. And they thought some tragedy had befallen the community. And so they hurriedly got into their pickups and cars, and they came within only a few minutes. There were 25 to 30 people standing in the churchyard. And the father began introducing his son to the people whom he had known in other days, and children with whom he had been reared, and some who were new. He explained to them what had happened, and he apologized. The past had met the present. The spirit of those who had labored long ago lent spirit to bring life to the church again. To make a long story short, the church was revived. This is the message for the mission of Masonry today. Let us revive the past along with the stones from which we have been hewn, that have been smoothed by the turbulence of time. Let them be strong. Let them give us the stone strength for the present and the future. It is time again for the Masons to awake the bells, to pull the ropes of freedom, and allow the bells to give their clear and clarion call across the nation. Ring it again, my Brother, ring it again for freedom s sake, for Masonry s sake, for our country s sake! From Dr. Edwin Malone III, 33 Family Ties Submitted by Barbara Ashwill Find and circle all of the words that are hidden in the grid. The remaining leters spell a special occasion for families. F N E W L Y W E D S I S T E R S P R O G E N Y Y G O L A E N E G W H H A L F B R O T H E R F B A E A U M S C S M R D R E L R I I H L S O T O N G A E H E O C L W P F B M N U O D N T T T H T N R E S A C A S I M O I H H N T E U N I N H D I T M A E R E G L A Y S S D I N N A E R R R P A U S F T T S L E S L S P A R T S T A E N E I D C T E S P P I I E F S D E R B R S N R D N V A L A U F F R D L E E U N I E I P R O G C O A N I N D A E S R I W P E L E L P O N E R C U N R I S T A N I K O B G G E R O T S E C N A N T S ANCESTOR, AUNT, BOND, BROTHERS, CHILDREN, CLAN, COUSINS, DAD, DAUGHTER, DESCENDANTS, FATHER, FOLKS, GENEALOGY, GRANDPARENT, HALF BROTHER, HALF SISTER, HUSBAND, KIN, MARRIAGE, MOM, MOTHER, NEPHEW, NEWLYWED, NIECE, OFFSPRING, PARENTS, PROGENY, RELATIONS, RELATIVES, SIBLING, SISTERS, SON, SPOUSE, STEPPARENT, TRIPLETS, TWINS, UNCLE, WIFE 6 THE SCOTTISH RITE REPORTER MARCH/APRIL/MAY,

7 VISIT YOUR LODGES ANGELS GATE LODGE #198: Bland Place, Lomita Meets every Tuesday (310) ARTESIA #377: E. 187th St., Artesia. Meets on Second Friday (562) BELLFLOWER #320: 9813 Beach St., Bellflower. Meets First Tuesday (562) EL SEGUNDO LODGE #421: 520 Main Street, El Segundo. Meets First Tuesday (310) GARDEN GROVE #352: 1270 Acacia Parkway, Garden Grove. Meets First Tuesday (714) GOLDEN TROWEL NORWALK #273: E. Rosecrans Ave., Norwalk. Meets Second Thursday (562) HUNTINGTON BEACH #380: 601 Palm Ave., Huntington Beach. Meets First Wednesday (714) INTERNATIONAL CITY #389: 5155 E. Pacific Coast Hwy., Long Beach. Meets First Thursday (562) LAKEWOOD #728: 5918 Parkcrest St., Long Beach. Meets First Thursday (562) LONG BEACH #327: 3610 Locust Ave., Long Beach. Meets First Thursday (562) LOS ANGELES HARBOR LODGE #332: 1640 W. 9th Street, San Pedro. Meets every Wednesday (310) LOS CERRITOS #674: 3610 Locust Ave., Long Beach. Meets First Monday (562) PACIFIC RIM #567: 3610 Locust Ave., Long Beach. Meets First Tuesday (562) SOLOMON S STAIRCASE #357: 6841 Western Ave., Buena Park. Meets First Thursday (714) Donations made are recorded at the time they are received, and depending on the amount, some are acknowledged by special letters to the donors. However, REPORTER deadlines mean that we may not get everyone listed. If you were missed this time, your name will appear in the next issue. We DO appreciate your donations. LANGUAGE CENTER DONATIONS IN MEMORY OF ILL. H. DOUGLAS LEMONS, 33 By Neil Simmons LANGUAGE CENTER DONATIONS Huying Lena Chhang Neil Simmons Richard Ivey Christine Byron Juan Canteo Rachelle Johansen John McKenzie Max Stanger LANGUAGE CENTER DONATIONS WITH DUES Joseph Casaletti III Joseph Cruz Nicholas Grossman Bartlett S. H. Michel Clifford Slosson Donald Allchin Bert Ferris James Rankin Robert Keezer Ivan Claman Dennis Davis Brice Martin Kenneth Pridy John Wamsley Robert Van Tress Jack Parket Barry Thorpe Earnest Sands BUILDING DONATIONS WITH DUES Joseph Casaletti III Bartlett S. H. Michel James Murphy John Reynolds James Rankin Earnest Sands Joseph Cruz Brice Martin Donald Allchin Jack Parker Robert Keezer ALMONERS DONATIONS WITH DUES Joseph Casaletti III James Garrett Jack Parker Henry Gillespie Earnest Sands Joseph Cruz Bartlett S. H. Michel James Rankin Robert Keezer HAPPY BIRTHDAY TO ULA ANDERSON ON HER 100th BIRTHDAY 14 THE SCOTTISH RITE REPORTER MARCH/APRIL/MAY,

8 MARCH CALENDAR LBSR EVENT CENTER (Closed on Mondays) SATURDAY, MARCh 2nd 6:00 P.M. - 12:00 A.M. FOLORIKO DANCE/DINNER SATURDAY, MARCH 9th 5:00 P.M.-12:00 A.M. ROCHA SWEET 15 TUESDAY-THURSDAY, MARCH 12th-14th 6:00 P.M.-10 P.M. SOUTH COAST CHORALE REHEARSALS FRIDAY & SATURDAY, MARCH 15th-16th 8:00 P.M. SOUTH COAST CHORALE SHOW THE QUEENS CABARET SUNDAY, MARCH 17th 7:00 P.M. MANTINEE DD THE QUEENS CABARET (SCC) LBSR CATHEDRAL TUESDAY, MARCH 19th 7:00 P.M. STATED MEETING LBSR EVENT CENTER SATURDAY, MARCh 23rd 6:30 P.M.-10:30 P.M. FRIENDS OF CHORAL MUSIC / DINNER LBSR CATHEDRAL THDURSDAY, MARCH 28th 6:00 P.M. MAUNDAY THURSDAY DINNER HONOUR MEN, LB MASONIC CLUB, LB SHRINE CLUB, SIGNAL HILL HIGH TWELVE CLUB & RED BUTTONS HIGH TWELVE CLUB FRIDAY, MARCH 29th & 30th OFFICE CLOSED GOOD FRIDAY AND EASTER WEEKEND NO BOOKINGS $3.00 per pin The profit of $1.00 goes to the Clinic. APRIL CALENDAR (Closed on Mondays) LBSR EVENT CENTER THURSDAY-SUNDAY, APRIL 4th 7th TENTATIVE A PLAY IS COMING TO THE ERNEST BORGNINE THEATRE CALLED OUR TOWN Written by Thorton Wilder details coming soon LBSR CATHEDRAL TUESDAY, APRIL 9th 7:00 P.M. STATED MEETING LBSR EVENT CENTER SATURDAY, APRIL 20th 6:00 P.M.-10 P.M. FOOD FINDERS SWING DANCE / DINNER & SILENT AUCTION SATURDAY, APRIL 27th 5:00 P.M.-12:00 A.M. CONTREAS SWEET 15 MAY CALENDAR (Closed on Mondays) FRIDAY, MAY 10th 5:30 P.M. SOCIAL HOUR TENTATIVE 6:30 P.M. DINNER / GRAND MASTER S RECEPTION HONORING JOHN LOWE 7:30 P.M. ENERTAINMENT TO FOLLOW TUESDAY, MAY 14th 7:00 P.M. STATED MEETING FRIDAY, MAY 17th 5:30 P.M. SOCIAL HOUR 6:30 P.M. DINNER / APPRECIATION NIGHT FOR LONG BEACH LBUSD / TEACHERS 7:30 P.M. ENTERTAINMENT Long Beach Scottish Rite Language Center Give children the freedom to communicate. Support our center with a simple $3.00 donation and receive the pin shown on the left. If you want it mailed to you, please add $.50 per pin. Send your money to: Long Beach Scottish Rite, Clinic donation. You will be mailed your pin in 5 to 7 days. On behalf of the children, THANK YOU! RENAISSANCE (Continued from Page 11) weeks later (depending on the progress of the Cast) in a private location and stage the entire production. In this manner, each Degree Team will be ready to stage a dress rehearsal at the Scottish Rite with the sound, lighting and stage crews present, along with the Director of the Work and the Classroom Director (if you want me). In my opinion, if we do not do this, we may very well lapse into a terminal state of apathy, indolence, delusion, depression, and self-destruction. The Light of Scottish Rite Wisdom and Knowledge is dimming in Long Beach, and it will go out completely and irrevocably unless we all stand up, join together, roll upour sleeves, and replenish our Degree Teams now! Our Brothers who put this Valley together had the vision, the courage, the energy, and the determination to light the Light! Our Brothers who sustained and expanded that original Valley maintained that Light! It is now our time to save that Light and raise it back up to its Brightness as in years ago! Now, please do not call, write, or me with all of your reasons why this cannot be done. Also, vandalizing my car, office, home, or my body will not help solve The Problem either. However, if you wish to be part of The Solution, then please, by all means, call, write, or me at Telephone (714) ; or jimsunseri@verizon.net. Thomas Edison said, If we did all the things we are capable of doing, we would literally astound ourselves. Albert Einstein said, There are two ways to live: you can live as if nothing is a miracle; you can live as if everything is a miracle. Let us astound ourselves and create the miracle. FREEMASONRY TO ENJOY LIFE AND SERVE MANKIND In Memoriam ILL. H.DOUGLAS LEMONS, 33 Past S.G.I.G. of California 8 THE SCOTTISH RITE REPORTER MARCH/APRIL/MAY,

9 OVER 80 LIFE MEMBERSHIP RESOLUTION Be it known that there has been a misunderstanding for those over 80 years of age concerning dues payments. Therefore, as membership Chairman of the long Beach Scottish Rite, Valley of Long Beach, Orient of CA, I propose a special Life Membership for those who have attained the age of 80 years to be charged the fee of $ which will be payment in full for their Life Membership. When you purchase the Life Membership for $475.00, all past dues in arrears are forgiven. Without payment of the Life Membership, all past dues would be due and payable to retain current membership Ill. Lewis L. Main, Jr., 33 General Membership Chairman Valley of Long Beach Orient of California Moved to Accept: Ill. James Scribner, 33 2nd by: Florian Zukas, 32 Passed Unanimously Stated Meeting Cash or charge the fees on your Visa or MasterCard; and please complete the following: Charge $ to my Number Name of Credit Card Print Name Phone # Signature: Life Membership Program Long Beach Scottish Rite Under age 49, 21 times annual dues... $ to 54 Inclusive, 19 times annual dues... $ to 59 Inclusive, 17 times annual dues... $ to 64 Inclusive, 14 times annual dues... $ to 79 Inclusive, 11 times annual dues... $ Over $ Membership Chairman ILL. LEWIS L. MAIN, JR., Elm Ave. Long Beach, CA Morning (562) (714) Afternoon (562) (H) (562) (Cell) Ill. Lewis L. Main, Jr., 33 General Membership Chairman Valley of Long Beach Orient of California Who is Our Venerable Master? Sir Knight, Jonathan P. Dilley, 32º, K.C.C.H., was born & raised in Irvine CA. In addition to living in Orange County, he has lived in South Carolina, Hawaii, Indiana and Japan. Brother Dilley graduated from the University of Southern California: School of Cinema-Television with a BA Degree and has also attended Purdue University & BYU-Hawaii where he studied Psychology and Japanese. While attending BYU-Hawaii Brother Dilley was raised to the degree of Master Mason and received the 32º from the Honolulu Valley of the Ancient & Accepted Scottish Rite and became a Noble of the Aloha Shrine all in the same year. Later, during his studies at USC Brother Dilley joined the Santa Monica York Rite Bodies including the Commandery and affiliated with the Los Angeles Valley of the Scottish Rite where he was a part of the Traveling 4º Team. The Traveling 4º Team took Brother Dilley to Nevada, Colorado and eventually to Long Beach for the Southwest Regional Reunion Class where he was a part of the cast of several Degrees, including the 4º. It was during the Southwest Regional Reunion Class that Brother Dilley built many close friendships and also developed a great respect for the work being done in the Long Beach Valley. Shortly after graduation from USC, Brother Dilley was invested with the 32º Knight Commander of the Court of Honour and continued to serve in Masonry as Master of the Culver City-Foshay Lodge #467 in Culver City, CA in His service as an Officer has also included the York Rite & Scottish Rite Bodies and Brother Dilley currently sits as the High Priest of the Santa Monica Bay Chapter #97, Royal Arch Masons and is a recent inductee and Life Member of The Royal Order of Scotland. As a Scottish Rite Mason, Brother Dilley has not only held the Office of Wise Master in the Los Angeles Valley, he has also been the Assistant Director of Membership and the Director of Education & Head Instructor of the Master Craftsman Program in Los Angeles, keeping in direct and constant contact with the House of the Temple in Washington, D.C. After changes in the Los Angeles Valley and after several phone calls from the Long Beach Valley, Brother Dilley was invited to affiliate. He accepted this invitation and brought his father and a handful of quality Brothers with him to the Valley. In addition to being a Past Master & Past Commander (Santa Monica Bay Commandery #61), he has been the President of the Kiwanis Club of Costa Mesa, the President of the Kiwanis Club of Costa Mesa Foundation and has worked in the Motion Picture & Insurance Industry. On November 5 th 2011, Brother Dilley married his love at first sight sweetheart Marine Corps Veteran Sgt. Janelle Dilley. Janelle is very supportive of her husband and his mission to strengthen the bonds of Brotherhood in the Fraternity and together they have recently joined the Order of the Eastern Star as a way to work side by side as partners in Masonry. 12 THE SCOTTISH RITE REPORTER MARCH/APRIL/MAY,

10 RENAISSANCE By James M. Jim Sunseri, 33, Classroom Director Degree Master, 7th, 28th, 31st Degrees I am used to speaking, lecturing, pleading, begging, joking, challenging, being challenged, and engaging in unlimited talk, discussion, and argument. By vocation I am a lawyer, by avocation I am (for lack of a better term) a Teacher, by nature I am a human being (although many doubt and question that), and by the will of the Great Source and Origin of all that is, I exist. I will inform you that I teach nothing but what you might learn yourselves [Confucius]. That s the end of today s lecture. In the past several years, the quantity and quality of the degree work at our beloved Scottish Rite Valley in Long Beach has declined to the point that we apparently have abandoned staging all but the Mandatory Degrees, and perhaps two or three others. Why? The reasons may be numerous or few. The Problem may be deep or shallow. The Solution ( Solutions ) to resolving The Problem may be complex and difficult, or simple and easy; there may be no solutions, or there may be many. I believe that this Problem has been brought up on and off for many, many years. However, I believe that this is the first time that the Long Class has been fully abandoned. This is a major and catastrophic event. It appears to be a complete abandonment of our very reason for being, and forebodes the end of the Long Beach Scottish Rite. Without the degree work, there is really no valid reason for a Valley to exist. We call ourselves the University of Freemasonry, and we say that we teach by exemplifying the 29 Degrees, and expounding on them in Classroom Lectures and Discussions. How very strange for a university to cease to offer subjects and yet expect students to pay and attend! Our subjects are the 29 Degrees. Without them, we are reduced to insignificance. With them, we have a reason for our existence. More important, we have a duty and a mission to carry on the work which has given us so much knowledge, wisdom, and pleasure. So, what do we need to do? First, we must change our attitude, because attitude is a little thing that makes a big difference [Brother Churchill]. We have heard about The Problem for years and years and years. The more we talk about it, the greater it becomes in our minds, and the less we do, because we are making the problem to appear to be unsolvable. In fact, the longer we dwell on our misfortunes, the greater is their power to haem us [Brother Voltaire]. Now, we have given in to our fears and cancelled all non-mandatory degrees, with two or three exceptions. And, as Brother Henry Ford used to say repeatedly: If you expect to fail, you will not be disappointed! I, for one, no longer wish to hear any more self-fulfilling prophecies of self-destruction! The Solution appears to me be quite simple, to wit: We need to work, and the work we need to do is to put on the Degrees. We all know that, you might (Continued on Page 11) RENAISSANCE (Continued from Page 10) say, but, what do we do? Let s first review what we have. We have the following: A great big building, a great auditorium, a great lighting, great sound system, great sound effects, great scenery, great members, a great office staff, a great stage crew, a great lighting crew, a great sound crew, great degree masters, great actors, and a not-too-bad classroom staff. But, The Problem says: We don t have enough Candidates, Degree Masters, Cast Members; and so it is impossible to put on all of the degrees. How strange to hear this over and over. Most brothers talk about what WE DON T HAVE, but very few brothers talk about what we DO HAVE. Let s change our attitude. Let us start by doing what is necessary, then do what is possible, and suddenly we will be doing the impossible [St. Francis]. Perhaps we cannot put on all of the 29 degrees starting tomorrow. But, we must not let what we cannot do stop us from what we can do [UCLA Coach John Wooden with apologies to USC fans]. I have a simple suggestion (I will call it a Solution ) to resolve this situation, and here it is: [DRUM ROLL, PLEASE!] Train Degree Masters, Assemble Casts, and Teach them how to put on the Degrees. That s it, and here the nuts and bolts to doing this: TRAIN DEGREE MASERS: Invite Scottish Rite Masons with proven ritual ability, a desire to teach, an ability to recruit and organize a team, and knowledge of others with interest and some ability to participate in a Degree, to be Degree Masters. Several Degree Masters and Brothers (me included) will offer a Training Class (no more that 4 hours on 1 day), where we will present to you certain written materials on this subject and instruct you in this subject, including recruiting, leading, training, and directing Cast Members. ASSEMBLE CASTS: Go to your lodges, recruit Scottish Rite members to take up a Degree; put an article in the Scottish Rite Journal advertising that you (the new Degree Master) are assembling a Cast for your Degree (summarizing it briefly), and welcome their participation. Ask the Director of the Work, the Classroom Director, and everyone else a the Scottish Rite to help you recruit. Most of us should know one or two Brothers who would like to get involved. TRAINING CASTS: (1) The Cast will meet First at Lunch or Dinner at a Restaurant or someone s home, where the Degree Master will pass around copies of the Script, so that each potential Cast Member may read and select his Part. (2) The Second meeting will also be an informal meal 4 weeks later where there will be a read-through of the entire Degree; it is hoped that each of the Cast will have at least a part of his role memorized. (3) The Third meeting will be held in a private location 4 weeks later (lodge Room large basement, etc.), at which time every member must have their lines memorized; the entire play will be spoken from memory; after the speak-through, the Degree Master will walk them through the floor work. (4) The Fourth meeting will be held from 2 to 4 (Continued on Page 13) 10 THE SCOTTISH RITE REPORTER MARCH/APRIL/MAY,