DESTINY COURT NO. 14 Order of the Amaranth Joan E. McNoldy Manassas, Virginia Charles E. McNoldy Royal Matron July 2005 Royal Patron

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1 DESTINY COURT NO. 14 Order of the Amaranth Joan E. McNoldy Manassas, Virginia Charles E. McNoldy Royal Matron July 2005 Royal Patron From the Throne ~ WOW! This certainly has been an exciting and busy time to be Destiny Court's Royal Matron and Patron. It began with our regular June meeting, followed by assisting with Manasseh Lodge's Strawberry Night with a visit by Grand Master Quinley where many of our members made and served the dinner. Then it was our fabulous Multi-State Exchange Visit and our GRM & GRP Official Visit, followed by a trip to Richmond for the 50th Birthday Celebration of Virginia Grand Court. After that, we traveled to Columbus, Ohio, for the Supreme Amaranth Session; home on Thursday, then off to Richmond on Saturday (July 9th) for a Dinner Reception honoring Peggy Rudd, Supreme Royal Matron. Our Multi-State Exchange Visit and GRM-GRP OV, was absolutely the most rewarding, fun event that Chuck and I have had the pleasure of participating in. There were nearly 100 members in our Court Room, and we were pleased that so many of them were from New Jersey, Pennsylvania, West Virginia and Maryland. There were 4 GRMs and 5 GRPs in attendance, and the throne was FULL. The introductions were numerous, and almost overwhelming! Every time I looked up, there was a throng of dignitaries waiting to be introduced. Fortunately, GRM Laura said I did not have to be serious, that this was supposed to be fun, and fun it was! Between officers and pro tems, all stations were filled and everything was perfect. Dinner, thanks to Bob Riggle and Dave Ekren was excellent and a great fundraiser for Ways and Means. Most of all, the friendship and fellowship were second to none, and smiles and laughter abounded. Thanks to everyone for making this day such a success which will be long remembered. The next event we attended was the celebration of the 50th anniversary of Virginia's Grand Court at Richmond Scottish Rite Temple. It was a memorable occasion with mementos from past GRMs and GRPs, and lots of strolls down memory lane through various scrapbooks and photos. Delicious refreshments were served, and Destiny Court was well-represented. Then on to Supreme Council Session in Columbus, Ohio. Chuck and I were so honored to represent our Court on the auspicious occasion of HL Peggy Rudd's installation as Supreme Royal Matron of our Order. We met so many wonderful, friendly people, were awed at the sight of the magnificent Court Room so beautifully decorated, and the sight of 82 GRMs and GRPs! To realize that so many people there were current or past GRMs and GRPs, as well as past Supreme Officers was just overwhelming to us. We really felt insignificant alongside so many dignitaries, but also realized that our work in our home Court is important too. The Installation was very moving as HL Peggy became the first ever Supreme Royal Matron from Virginia. Her dress was spectacular in a gorgeous shade of purple, with a beautiful long train, and she carried herself so regally as SK Claude escorted her around the Court Room. Destiny Court was there to witness this special moment with Sue & Bob Riggle, Cherry & Bill Costis, Becky Moose, Kip & Bill Volkstadt, Darlene Hawkins, Betty Hovatter, Cathy Thompson, and Joan & Chuck. Royal Matrons attending from VA were Cathy Thompson, Audrey Wilson and Joan McNoldy. In all, approximately 56 Virginians were there to support our special friend and Honored Lady, Peggy Rudd. Next year's Supreme Session will be held in Richmond in June. Please put this event on your calendar and I promise you will not be disappointed. There is nothing like seeing Amaranth on the Supreme level and seeing the enthusiasm exhibited by members from all of the other jurisdictions. Chuck and I will never forget the wonderful time we had at Supreme and the new friendships that were formed there. I would be remiss not to mention Supreme appointments from Virginia: Sue Riggle, Supreme Page; Peggy Goldsmith, Supreme Faith; Vickie Cosgrove, Supreme Lecturer; and Ralph Bartley, Supreme Chief Commissioner of Appeal. The new Supreme AC is HL Monya Boggs from Georgia. Some of us joined Illinois' Grand Court Green Hat Society, a fun group limited to 100 Charter Members. By the way, at the Supreme Luncheon honoring HL Peggy and SK Bob Breckenridge, which was attended by 400 people, many of those from PA, WVA, NJ & MD told me how much they had enjoyed the exchange visit. The GRM of PA sought me out to apologize for missing the meeting and heard how nice it was. Our Court has to be among the friendliest and funniest of them all! The Sheraton in Richmond was the site of the Reception and Dinner for HL Peggy, with straw hats decorating the tables. It was another well-attended event attesting to the pride and love we have for our

2 own HL Peggy, as well as PSRP Claude. The Supreme Officers were there in their gorgeous deep pink dresses adorned with embroidered starfish and sand dollars. Oh, but you should have seen the Supreme Officers' floor dresses in lilac with shimmering overlays. That Feliciana is marvelous with her creativity. I've probably expounded too much on these activities, but I'm hoping some of you might want to follow in my footsteps and enjoy the exciting times that await you as Royal Matron of Destiny Court No. 14! HL Joan McNoldy Royal Matron From the West ~ SK Chuck McNoldy Royal Patron Hi everyone. I hope you're enjoying your summer. We've been busy traveling and making money for Diabetes. The disease doesn't take the summer off, so we can't either. We have a few special things planned for the fall: We're still selling opportunity tickets for the cradle and the stained glass window. We'll be bringing both to the meetings, so you can take a good look. All the money goes to the Diabetes fund, so we really appreciate your support. We have a Bowl-a-Thon planned for October. If you can't attend, or can't bowl, there will be Destiny Court members who will be happy to bowl on your behalf. What does that mean to you? That means you can still take pledges. People are happy to give to good causes; all you have to do is ask. The yard sale planned for August is still in the works, but we've had to change the date several times. Keep cleaning and collecting and we'll let you know the new date as soon as possible. We had planned to go to a craft festival at the Manassas Mall, but they don't host it anymore. We WILL find a place to sell our crafts, so if you're working on something, don't stop now. Thanks to everyone for their consistent help. It means a great deal to both of us, and the money truly is for a good cause. HL Becky Moose Assoc. Matron SK Bill Costis Assoc. Patron From the South ~ Hope that everyone is enjoying a warm summer so far. We now have our "first ever" Supreme Royal Matron from Virginia!!!!! How exciting that it should be for each and every one of us. H.L. Peggy Rudd and S.K. Bob Breckenridge ("first ever" Supreme Royal Patron from Iowa) had a lovely installation. There were 12 that were there from Destiny Court including our newest member, H.L. Darlene Hawkins. Even though we were all so busy, we managed to find a few minutes here and there just to enjoy each other. For those first timers to Supreme, I hope that you had a good time. Just think, next year it will be in Richmond, Virginia!! Now, down to business. On June 18, Destiny hosted the five-state exchange meeting between MD, PA, WV, NJ and VA. and it was also the official visit of our Grand Royal Matron, H.L. Laura Anderson, accompanied by our Grand Royal Patron, S.K. Alvin Dean. What fun we had!!!! Thank you, thank you to everyone who baked items for my goodie table and to those who bought items. There were some people who just went beyond the call of duty, but I sure did appreciate it. We had H.L. Gail Lee, from Potomac Court, who baked a lot for the table; H.L. Carol Ekren from Alexandria Court who baked two or three dump cakes; H.L. Darlene Hawkins baked so much for the table; H.L. Cherry Costis who made a cherry pie that didn't make it to the table before it was bought and H.L. Becky who made three or four cheese cakes. We also had contributions from a couple of people who didn't have time to bake anything, but wanted to contribute in that way. How much did we profit for Ways and Means from that goodie table? Come to the meeting to find out. Once again, thank you to EVERYONE!!!! Thank you to S.K. Bob Riggle and S.K. Dave Ekren who made the wonderful meal that we served to the ones that stayed afterward. People went away with their tummies full. Profit will be in my September report. Once again, thank you, thank you! The day was so successful and it could not have been without ALL of your help. We all left feeling like tired little puppies but what a good feeling it was!! On June 3rd, S.K. Bob and S.K. Dave, our chefs, cooked a delicious meatloaf dinner for Manasseh Lodge. The members of the Lodge and visitors enjoyed EVERY little bite. They gave us a donation of $100. Thanks to those that help served the dinner. The next day, June 4th, S.K. Bob and S.K. Dave served another dinner for 30 people for Karlene Saenz who was installed as President of the North Carolina/Virginia club of the White Shrine of Jerusalem. This was a joint 2

3 fundraiser for Destiny Court #14 and Alexandria Court #7. H.L. Karlene gave a donation of $100 to each of the courts for this event. There are some more dinners coming up and I urge you to either volunteer your help or agree to help when asked. This is a busy year for our court and I urge everyone to please take part. We need each and every one of you. 9/10 SAC s Reception, Atlanta, GA 9/15 Destiny Court Stated Meeting 7:30 PM 9/17 GRM s OV & NC Exchange Visit at Cavalier Court, 2:00 PM, Portsmouth 9/22 GRM s OV at Roanoke Valley Court, 7:30 PM, Roanoke 9/26 GRM s OV at Harmony Court, 7:30 PM, Petersburg Birthdays: July/August 7/8 SK Bob Jones 7/23 HL Peggy Goldsmith 7/28 HL Kip Volkstadt 7/28 HL Barbara Russell 7/30 HL Cathy Thompson 8/9 HL Sue Rennagel Anniversaries: July/August WHITE HOUSE ORNAMENTS -- I know that everyone is out and selling those ornaments, right? RIGHT! You can go online and see the ornament for yourself. I went into DC and bought one so that I could see what it looked like and it is beautiful. Remember to have all of your orders, with money, in at the October meeting so that we can deliver them to everyone at the November meeting. That way people will have them in time for Christmas. Remember, they are $18 each -- SELL, SELL!!!! Looking forward to seeing everyone at our September meeting, if not before. Have a great summer!!!! HL Sue Riggle Conductress August Events 8/5 GRM s OV at Blue Ridge Court, 7:30 PM, Charlottesville 8/6 Catering Grand Commandery Luncheon at Manasseh Lodge 8/14 Amaranth Masonic Home Visit, 2:00-4:00 PM, Richmond, VA 8/20 Destiny Yard Sale for Diabetes, 8:00 AM to 12Noon at Costis house 8/20 Prince William Chapter DeMolay Installation, 7:00 PM 8/20 SC s Reception, Seattle, WA 8/24-9/6 Supreme UK Trip September Events 9/2 Catering dinner for Manasseh Lodge, 6:30 PM 9/3 GRM s OV at Colonial Heights Court, 3:00 PM, Hopewell 9/7 GRM s OV at Potomac Court, 8:00 PM, Arlington 9/10 Manasseh Lodge Family Picnic 7/13 HL Cherry & SK Bill Costis 8/14 HL Carol & SK Dave Ekren IMPORTANT REMINDER By vote of the Court, Destiny s Rules and Regulations were changed to have the regular meetings begin at 7:30 PM rather than at 8:00 PM. Please make a note of that on your calendars. About Our Members Congratulations to HL Callie Baker on her recent marriage to Curtis Randall Beatty. She and Curtis are expecting their first child, a baby boy, August 4th. HL Lucy Briesbois is in better health after being under the weather for the past few months and HL Mary Pardo who took a fall over the 4 th of July and bruised her shoulder rather seriously is recovering well. SK Bob Riggle and SK Bill Costis, both Past Patrons of Destiny Court as well as Past Grand Patrons of Virginia, were awarded the DeMolay Legion of Honor on July 10 at the George Washington Masonic Temple. Almost the entire Grand Line of Virginia Grand Court was in attendance for this auspicious occasion. SK Edwin Elliott will also be receiving this same award on August 20 prior to the Prince William Chapter DeMolay installation of officers. Our own HL Den-Lu and SK John Stallings are the proud parents of Nate Stallings who will be installed at VA State Master Councilor on Saturday, July 30 th. Nate is an outstanding young man and quite a credit to his parents and to Prince William Chapter DeMolay. HL Dixie Waibel is still in Annaburg Manor for long term care as a result of her cancer treatment. She is in very good spirits and would love to have visitors. If you can t get by to see her, please try to send her a card. 3

4 How proud were are of our own HL Sue Riggle who was installed as Supreme Page at the Supreme Assembly in Columbus, OH. HL Sue has always been such a vital part of Destiny Court and we know she will represent us well in her Supreme travels. HL Peggy Goldsmith is recovering very well after her recent knee surgery. HL Darlene Hawkins is scheduled for gall bladder surgery on August 30. We wish her a speedy recovery. Our sympathy is extended to the Hoffer family at the loss of HL Jane s father on July 24 th. Get To Know Your Officers H. L. Joan, our Royal Matron, asked Bob and me to write an article about ourselves. She asked that it not be a "book". SHEW! How do you put 38 years into a small article? Here goes!!!! I was born on October 20, 1947 (yes, almost 58 years ago) in Clintwood, Virginia to George and Tennessee Kendrick. Dad was a coal miner and mom a homemaker. Yes, that makes me a coal miner's daughter!!!! I was the second of seven children. I was a very shy little girl growing up and BELIEVE IT OR NOT, I did not come out of that shyness until I was in my mid-thirties!!! Bob was born on March 30, 1941 in Toledo, Ohio to Chalmer and Ruth Riggle. He has one sister, Margaret. His dad was a school teacher and principal. His mother was a homemaker. Bob and I met in April of 1967; engaged on October 20, 1967; and married December 9, I guess you could say we had a whirlwind of a romance. We have a daughter, Melanie, (Jobie majority member and who is a member and past matron of Destiny). She is married to Raymond Hall and they have four daughters -- Caitlin (Rainbow girl), Susie, Cassie & Trish. We have a son, Rob, (former DeMolay). He is married to Amy (Henderson) and they have a daughter, Cleo. A brief history tidbit for you -- our daughter, Melanie, and Cathy Thompson's daughter, Judi, are the ones who named our court "Destiny" when our court was instituted and constituted. We are all chartered members of Destiny. I am a PM of the Order of the Eastern Star (3 times) and belong to White Shrine of Jerusalem, Order of the Beauceant, and also Ladies Oriental Shrine. I am a Past Royal Matron of Destiny (real proud of it too), Past Grand Royal Matron of Virginia and currently serving as Supreme Page of the Supreme Council, Order of the Amaranth. Bob is a Past Patron of the Eastern Star (5 times), Past Patron of Destiny Court #14, Past Grand Royal Patron of Virginia, Past High Priest of Manassas Royal Arch Chapter, Past Commander of Piedmont Commandery #26 and Past District Deputy Grand Commander, Past Master of Mt. Carmel Lodge #133 in Warrenton, Virginia. He has served as Associate Bethel Guardian of Bethel #67 in Grandville, Michigan and Bethel #21 in Manassas, Virginia. He is a member of the White Shrine of Jerusalem, and a senior DeMolay. This past month he was one the recipients of the active Legion of Honor in DeMolay. Bob and I are very proud to be a part of the Order of the Amaranth. Our court, Destiny Court #14, is real special to us. We thank you for all the opportunities that have been afforded to us, but most of all, for your friendships. HL Sue and SK Bob Riggle Special Thanks As you know, my responsibility this year as GAC is to raise funds for our Grand Court Philanthropic project, Amaranth Diabetes Research Foundation. I have had help from so many people this year people who have suggested projects, donated items for me to sell or purchased them from me, the list goes on and on. But I have a specific project that has been supported by so many members that I must recognize them individually. That project has been the sale of shawls. This idea was given to me by HL Cathy Thompson, GAM of VA and a charter member of Destiny Court. With her help and that of HL Carol Ekren, I was able to find the material needed to make shawls to sell starting in April. It became a tremendous success and, again, with the help of HL Cathy and HL Carol, I was able to continue buying material to fill order as quickly as they came in. Thank you HL Cathy and HL Carol. HL Becky Moose, aka Ethel, once again came to my rescue and helped me with sewing when I just could not keep up filling orders. She spent many hours at my house sewing with and for me. Thank you HL Becky. HL Dianne Dean really aided my efforts when she was able to persuade Wal-Mart to donate three bolts of fabrics for the project. This enabled me to make even greater profit on my sales. Thank you HL Dianne. And for the most important thanks, I want to thank HL Dianne Dean, HL Cathy Thompson, HL Carol Ekren, HL Sue Riggle, HL Joan McNoldy, HL Kip Volkstadt, HL Becky Moose, HL Darlene Hawkins and especially SK Bill Costis who promoted and sold shawls for me at Supreme Session in Ohio. With HL Becky s and SK Bill s help, I was able to take 127 shawls with me to Supreme and with the help of the above members, I came home with 118 of them sold. HL Cherry Costis, GAC 4

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