Valley Honors Members

Scottish Rite Association of Northern New Jersey 2333 Morris Ave, Suite B-208A Union, NJ 07083-5714 RETURN SERVICE REQUESTED Pre-sorted First Class Mail U.S. Postage Paid New Brunswick, NJ Permit # 1 ValleyREVIEW Newsletter of the Valley of Northern New Jersey Vol 8 No 1 908-688-7483 valynnj@aol.com Winter 2014 Valley Honors Members Upcoming events for the Valley Tuesday December 2, 2014 Executive Council Valley Office, Union Tuesday December 9, 2014* Adult Holiday Party Adoniram Lodge, Lyndhurst *Snow Date 12/16/14 Tuesday January 6, 2015 Executive Council Valley Office, Union Saturday January 10, 2015 Grand Masters Class Reunion Collingswood, SVNJ 4,5,8,13,30 Tuesday January 13, 2015 Stated Meeting, RC AP Lodge Westfield Tuesday January 27, 2015 Stated Meeting, LOP Clifton Masonic Temple Tuesday February 3, 2015 Executive Council Valley Office, Union Tuesday February 10, 2015 Albert Pike, CSPRS AP Lodge, Westfield Tuesday, February 24, 2015 Stated Meeting, CPOJ Clifton Masonic Temple Valley s meetings, social functions, and other events take place on the second and fourth Tuesdays of the month, unless otherwise noted, fourth Tuesdays are held at: Clifton Masonic Temple, 1476 Van Houten Avenue, Clifton, NJ 07013

2... VALLEY REVIEW 5 A message from the Most Wise Master Dear Knights of Rose Croix, First of all, I would like to take this opportunity to thank you for the faith and trust you have placed in me to serve you and our Valley as Most Wise Master. A few of you might recall that I joined the Scottish Rite a day after I was raised to the Sublime Degree of Master Mason. I remember contacting Ill. Bro. Robert Deissler, 33 and Deputy Ill.David Glattly, 33, when I was still a Fellow Craft Mason, urging them to please put me on the candidates list for the fall reunion, because I did not want to wait another 6 months to join the Rite at the following reunion. I do understand that this is not a common or recommended practice, but what attracted me the most to the Rite (also known as the College of Freemasonry), is the writings of Albert Pike and my passion for Masonic education and symbolism, especially the ones hidden in our ritual. One of the many strengths of our Valley is the fact that not only we do value friendship and fellowship, but we also put an effort to dispense further Light in Masonry at our events, by hosting Masonic speakers and scholars from all over the country. This ensuing Masonic year will be no different. Therefore, if you encounter a brother Mason, who is looking for that extra mysticism and enlightenment, I urge you to recommend him to speak to us, and we will make sure to help him satisfy his thirst for knowledge. Furthermore, despite some of the obstacles that we are facing as a valley, which revolve mainly around the fact that we do not have our own building to meet in, and having to move our permanent location multiple times, I assure you that we are moving forward and making the best out of this situation! Now we will be holding our meetings in different towns around Northern New Jersey to allow many of you the opportunity to conveniently participate and attend our events. We are committed to providing you with an exceptional Scottish Rite experience and to present to you events that are inspirational, convenient, and enjoyable. Finally, you might recall the symbol associated with the Chapter of Rose Croix, which portrays a pelican piercing her own breast with her beak, in order to feed her young with her own blood, which are seven in number. This pelican is a symbol of self-sacrifice, philanthropy, and devotedness and of that humane and charitable character that ought to distinguish us as Knights of Rose Croix. I urge you to keep this symbol in mind in all your undertakings, especially as you travel on the path of self-improvement, and further Light in Masonry. Yours in the Mystic Tie, S.P. Mohamad A. Yatim, 32 MSA Most Wise Master ValleyReview Editorial Director...SP Paul M. Ferreira, 32, MSA Design Director...Ill. Ronald J. York, 33, MSA Valley Review is published in Fall, Winter and Spring by the Scottish Rite Association of Northern New Jersey, a 501(c)(10) nonprofit fraternal order headquartered at: 2333 Morris Avenue, Suite B-208A, Union, NJ 07083-5714. 2013 by the Scottish Rite Association of Northern New Jersey. All rights reserved. All correspondence must be mailed to the address above. Phone: 908-688-7483. E-mail: Valynnj@aol.com please send us your e-mail address for monthly fliers. Valley s meetings, social functions, and other events take place on the second and fourth Tuesdays of the month, unless otherwise noted, at: Clifton Masonic Temple 1476 Van Houten Avenue Clifton, NJ 07013 Northern NJ Lodge of Perfection SP Paul M. Ferreira, 32, MSA Thrice Potent Master Northern NJ Council Princes of Jerusalem SP Emilio Bermudez, 32 Sovereign Prince Northern NJ Chapter of Rose Croix SP Mohamad Yatim, 32, MSA Most Wise Master New Jersey Consistory, S.P.R.S. Ill. R. Bud York, 33, MSA Commander-in-Chief Secretary: Ill. J. Robert Deissler, 33 Treasurer: SP Peter M. Maris, 32, MSA Active Members of Supreme Council Ill. David A. Glattly, 33,.Deputy for New Jersey Ill. Robert J. Sheridan, 33...Active Ill. Daniel M. Wilson, 33...Active Ill. Thurman C. Pace, Jr., 33...Active Emeritus Ill. Donald D. Miller, 33...Active Emeritus Deputy s Representative: Ill. Robert V. Monacelli, 33, MSA Latest 33rd Degree Nominees Announced! The attendees on this fine evening in October waited with baited breath to hear the announcements of the second grouping of those elected to receive the 33rd degree this upcoming August in Indianapolis! It was the occasion of the fall meeting of the 33rd Society. The meeting was planned as the annual event that normally occurs for the society in which, its membership is comprised of those attaining the high honor of being coroneted an honorary member of the Supreme Council of the Northern Masonic Jurisdiction. Evening entertainment was provided by; Brothers in Harmony, a large choir styled singing group which descended upon the evening to entertain with a few of their finely rehearsed tunes. This was coupled with a brief presentation from SP Paul M. Ferreira related to the creation of the Smile Network, a vehicle of notification and recognition utilized by the Northern Valley to notify brethren of recent sickness and distress. Other highlights of the evening included the annual election of the new slate of officers representing the 33rd Society for the ensuing year. Ill. David Herman was the outgoing President of the society, now making way for a new team of leaders being headed up by Ill. Leonard Vanderhorn the new president elect of the organization. Ill. Len referenced his commentary to the importance of picking up a phone and reaching out to someone you haven t spoken to in a long time and further noted the value in expressing with someone close to you the love you have for them. Therefore, as the trio of these events were completed we heard a few words from our Grand Master MW Gerald J. Sharpe. Now it was time for the Deputy to make his announcements as to those who had been elected to receive the distinct honor of being named to receive the 33rd Degree and last degree of the Supreme Council. They were as follows: RW Paul M. Ferreira, Past Grand Marshal (Euclid Lodge No.136) Valley of Northern New Jersey. RW Dieter B. Hees, Junior Grand Warden (Sunrise Lodge No. 288) Valley of Southern New Jersey. RW Walter R. Kaulfers, Senior Grand Warden (Mosaic Lodge No.194) Valley of Northern New Jersey. These three brothers will join the first grouping of elected brothers as the class of 2015 to be held in Indianapolis, IN. August 29 to September 2, 2015. These brothers were elected by the Supreme Council in executive session at a meeting held this past August in Lexington, MA. The four brothers announced previously are: RW Robert W. Hertneck, Jr. DRI 18, (Merchantville No. 119) Valley of Southern New Jersey. RW Mark E. Megee, PDDGM (Hightstown- Apollo Lodge No. 41) Valley of Central Jersey. RW Anthony W. Montuori, Dep. Grand Master, (Madison Lodge No. 93) Valley of Northern New Jersey. WB Peter L. Parras (Blue Stone-Mystic Tie- Malta Doric Lodge No. 35) Valley of Northern New Jersey. Sincere congratulations are in order for these hard working and true assets to Freemasonry!

24 VALLEY REVIEW 5 VALLEY REVIEW 5 Awards& Valley Recognition! Every year the Valley hosts a party to recognize the workers in the various quarries of the Northern Valley, and this year was no different. The brethren and their guests converged upon the Hanover Manor located in East Hanover, New Jersey. It was a gala event celebrating the accomplishments of Twenty-three hard working contributors to our valley system. The Ribbon awards program and the MSA ceremony were just some of the highlights of the evening. Couple these valley hallmarks occasions with the awarding of the Family of Freemasonry award and the Lifetime achievement award, and you have the plan for a nice event en-joyed by all. Approximately 91 people were in attendance for a sit down dinner and cash bar on hand. We began the evening with the awarding of the Lifetime Achievement Award tone deserving brother named Lloyd I Anderson. Lloyd hails from one of our original valleys located (at the time) in Jersey City, New Jersey. To be honest, there aren t a whole lot of our members that are still with us who hailed from this landmark Valley once situated in the pristine Journal Square neighborhood of Jersey City. Lloyd is a treasure of a man. Quiet and very soft spoken, Lloyd truly enjoyed receiving this honor of a lifetime achievement award. A wonderful plaque and specially designed Ribbon with Consistory Cross Medallion was presented to Lloyd. Lloyd was completely honored by the occasion and noted in his commentary the long standing love he has for Freemasonry and his original valley home of Jersey City. In Lloyd s tenure, he has recommended numerous brethren to join our Valley with complete success in his efforts. Lloyd became a Scottish Rite member in 1957! If you are doing the math, that s Fifty-Seven years ago Sublime Princes! Truly a remarkable man! Congratulations to Lloyd! The next award that followed in our sequence was the Family of Freemasonry Award. This honor is designed to compliment the workers of our valley who are not necessarily members of our operation, but demonstrate outstanding and consistent support to our valley and its membership. Few have given back so much as this year s honoree Mrs. Ellen Secallus. She has served in numerous capacities from our former ladies club to her most recent role as our ribbon awards seamstress detailing the assembly of our annual ribbon awards program items. Along with her spouse Ill Charles Secallus, 33 they attend the overwhelming majority of valley events and meetings on a consistent basis. In her acceptance speech, Ellen touched on the importance of her association with the valley and wished to thank the many people that touched her life through the camaraderie and friendships developed through the years at the Valley. Next up in our awards medley was the ceremony and the awarding of the Meritorious Service Award. These select recipients were voted upon at the previous session of the Council of Deliberation to receive these honors this fall. Namely they are sublime princes Alexander S. Dakak, Herbert D. Heeren, Jack J. Janssens, and Charles E. Willer. All of these aforementioned men have given outstanding and long contributions to our valley. Moreover, they have done it in a variety of ways. Alex has worked tirelessly in the valley and has served as a Presiding officer of the Council, Jack has made his mark in the work he does with the learning centers for Children with Dyslexia, Charlie Willer served many years in the kitchen crew of our valley, and Herbert has been a long time Tuesday crew veteran which was a group of valley brethren assembled to keep the valley building in Lincoln Park up and running with various repairs and event set-up. The MSA Ceremony itself is promulgated by the Supreme Council. Each of the awardees are invested in the same way and manner with the presentation of the MSA Jewel, followed by the placing of the distinctive Red Cap, and then followed by the accompanying certificate signifying the occasion at hand. Truly a meaningful moment in man s Masonic Journey of accomplishment. Congratulations to our newest MSA s! Next, were our award ribbons presentations. The ribbon awards are signified by an array if ribbon colors attributable to the level of attainment which accompany s the awarding of the particular ribbon. The Valley has a system of point accumulation distributed amongst the various levels of ribbon awards with the corresponding color. The valley issues ribbons in the colors of Gray, Blue, Green, Orange, Red, White, Gold, and the crowning achievement of the Purple Ribbon with Grand Medallion. This night s recipients in the order of the color of ribbon were: Gray Ribbon with Medallion: Edward Cantillo, Jorge Gandiaga, Barry Kornspan, Richard Powell, Richard Schultz, Roy Simpadian, and James Wright. Blue Ribbon: David Reed Green Ribbon: Jack Janssens Orange Ribbon: Mohamad Yatim, William Morris, Jr. Purple Ribbon with Grand Medallion: Moises Gomez Sincere congratulations to these hard working brethren of the Valley! Keep it going! With the conclusion of the ribbon award portion of the program, this left us with our last scheduled award for the evening. This particular award known as the Medal for Masonic Service is typically awarded in the way and manner of a complete surprise to its recipient. Our honoree for this evening truly had no idea it would be him as this years selected honoree. To place even more emphasis on the awarding of this medallion, the presentation is conducted in the presence of our Deputy for New Jersey Ill. Brother David Glattly. Once David was called to the podium by our Master of Ceremonies Ill. Robert Monacelli, our Deputy continued forth outlining the qualifications of our new recipient. This eventually produced the name of the one brother of significance selected to receive this honor on this night. It was Right Worshipful and Sublime Prince Neal A. Mc Carthy! Neal offered a sincere thank you for both the monetary donation to the Wheelchair Track and Field meet (the reason to get him to appear at the event for the surprise) and followed with his sincere thank you for being named the recipient of this distinct honor. The awarding of the Medal for Masonic Service brought our ceremonies and the event to a close. All in attendance enjoyed a pleasant evening and look forward to next year s event and new slate of Valonorees!

26 VALLEY REVIEW 5 The 11th Degree Examined Sublime Master Elected The eleventh degree falls under the category of Ineffable Degrees. These are a set of degrees conferred in the Lodge of Perfection. Originally named Sublime Knight Elected it was part of the Francken rituals of the mid-18th century. The candidate in this degree expresses a desire to become a Sublime Knight Elected. The tradition of the ineffable degrees provides for a set of sacred words all leading towards a build-up to the Grand Ineffable Word symbolized in the thirteenth degree and then revealed to all candidates in the fourteenth degree. The lesson of the degree is that the true and faithful brother among us will receive his just reward eventually. The degree reminds us that public office is in fact a matter of public trust. Those chosen to serve owe a special obligation to those they serve. This theory is so connected to the times of today is it not? Establishing public trust in our elected officials seems to be a continuing challenge in today s society. The lessons put forth further encourage us as Masons to instill and keep a guard on our elected officials honesty and integrity of service to the people they serve. Always keeping in mind that, the right choices always hold precedence in the story book of life. As the story of the Eleventh Degree unfolds, we discover that Nadad the chief tax collector has repeatedly forced the people to pay unjust amounts of tax. Jonathan (a workman), steps forward to defend his people (accused by Nadad) of avoiding due taxes. Jonathan is taken away to be held in confinement until he receives lashes from the whip or pay the proclaimed amount of tax beyond the true amount conveyed. As the story progresses, Nadad returns to the audience chamber of King Solomon to report of all the tax collections made from the people of Capernaum. Nadad, continually boasts of his ability to collect taxes from the Kings people, and notes the willingness of all to pay their just amount or be punished! With that, Jonathan appears from the shadows and expresses the disloyal nature of Nadad, accusing him of known oppression and extortion of the funds collected. Eventually, Nada d confesses his evil sins to King Solomon. It is then that King Solomon informs Nadad he was well aware of his crimes but wanted to hear of the same from Nadads own mouth. With these revelations King Solomon assigns the former wealth of Nadad to Jonathan and directs Jonathan to distribute this wealth amongst the people it came from. That being the people of Capernaum. Solomon then admonishes Nadad and his henchman to hard labor in the quarries! With this. King Solomon proclaims Jonathan as Superintendent of Tax Collection based on his honesty and courage. Jonathan now comes to be called; Sublime Master Elected and further appoints the Men of Capernaum to assist him in the administration of this new role. The sacred word of the Eleventh degree is Al-om which means; The God of Strength. The month of November 2014 brought us the loss of a great man and brother who was a mentor to many young Masons including the writer of this tribute. From a historical standpoint, taking place after the merger of the three valleys was the valley class to be named in honor of MW Otto Gegrig, Jr. This took place in the spring of 1972. There are times in a man s life whereby, instances create indelible marks in ones journey. MW Gehrig was a Past Grand Master from the days of old. His mannerisms, belief system, and dedication to the ritual, were all second to none. A graduate of Rutgers University, Otto was a top notch gymnast in his youth who made the college team. His family roots were from the Swiss city of Alpina, Switzerland and Otto always maintained a strong connection to his family lineage. It was what made him whole. His loving wife Evelyn and he were married on the Fourth of July. My first sojourn into Masonry immediately pointed me towards Otto. Imagine.you are a brand new mason and every single person in the room wears an apron of white very similar to yours. Some others have one with a Purple border of different widths and in a beautiful Purple gross grained ribbon. Then, your eyes affix on that one apron that stands out from all the rest in New Jersey. That one apron decorated with strands of Gold Bullion and a bursting sun in the middle of it all. It creates an immediate sense of individuality coupled with a tremendous sense of respect due to its very fabric. For me that was my initial attraction to MW Otto. I knew from my questioning of more informed brethren that with that apron came tremendous respect and honor and the In Honor of MW & Ill Otto Gehrig, Jr. PGM 1972 person wearing such an apron would be in all likelihood an individual who could impart some serious light for this new brother. They were right! Thus began our immediate relationship of learning and experiencing things I have never encountered before. My Masonic journey to informed knowledge was off to a flying start! My first full-fledged meeting at Euclid Lodge as a Master Mason found me serving in the Junior Stewards position, and the first person who asked me if I would take part was none other than Otto. He showed me where the chair was and assisted me with being clothed with an officer s apron. He then whispered to me and said; just relax and sit and rise with the sound of the gavel and to do whatever the Senior Steward instructed me to do going forward. At our lodge rehearsals, Otto was the chief ritual instructor as part of a tandem of respected senior members in our lodge. Otto was a serious Mason from the get go. Although you could attend rehearsals in casual dress, you could never try and attempt to enter the lodge room for rehearsal with a baseball cap or some other covering unless you were in fact the Worshipful Master of the lodge. Seriously! It was not tolerated! MW Gehrig would also assign a word of the week to the officer corps. It would be some word or phrase taken from the ritual we were rehearsing, and it was your job (as an officer) to work on that meaning and report back the following Tuesday at rehearsal with what you had discovered. You better believe that every officer worked to make that happen and approached the weekly Tuesday rehearsal with the enthusiasm of a school kid! He made it fun he made it different he made it something to look forward to. Each discovery came with a detailed explanation from Otto as to its application and meaning. Otto was an old time school teacher who knew his stuff! I was a weekly regular at the lake house on Cupsaw Lake for many a year. Sometimes arriving unannounced! But yet, he was always willing to accept my arrival and even spent countless time with me by phone offering suggestions and advice on all things Masonic, Family Life, and Friendships. He was always wise counsel. Otto never lost his temper or control regardless of the circumstance. Whenever Otto and I would end our conversations either in person or by phone, he would remind me to pay attention to the ones you love and always thank your wife for the commitment she has also made to help me pursue the craft. In Otto s day, being a Grand Lodge officer was a detailed duty. Each appointed officer in a Grand Master s term had individual receptions that had to be attended. Rarely were they combined events like today, and they were consistently closed receptions for men only. Otto was part of a Masonry gone by. He was in my eyes a living legend and a shining example of how things used to be. Maybe not so applicable in today s society, but you would have to admit that it must have been a special time and place in our craft! MW Sir, me and countless others you have impacted, will surely miss your guiding hand and your warm smile. May God bless you with manifold blessings. I ll look forward to greeting you in the next world and I ll make sure to enter the Celestial Lodge above uncovered. Just like you would have expected. Submitted by the Editor

l 8 VALLEY REVIEW Rose Croix Commemorates Jacques DeMolay By S.P. Mohamad A. Yatim, 32, MSA On Tuesday October 28, 2014, the Officers of the Northern New Jersey Chapter of Rose Croix of the Valley of Northern NJ, Ancient Accepted Scottish Rite, hosted a program that honored the 23rd Grand Master of the Order of Knights Templar, Jacques DeMolay, on his 700 year anniversary of Martyrdom. After a quick business meeting, the members of the northern Valley, their ladies and guests, were invited into the lodge room at Clifton Lodge No. 203 to be part of this unique program. Ill. David A. Glattly, Deputy for New Jersey, kicked off the program by giving a historic background on Jacques DeMolay and the reasons he is highly regarded and celebrated among Freemasons. The Deputy also shared with the attendees the details of a recent trip that he took to France on behalf of the Supreme Council of Northern Masonic Jurisdiction, AASR to be part of a ceremony that was held on the 18th of March 2014, at the exact spot where Grand Master Demolay was burnt at the stake 700 years earlier to the day. The Officers of the Northern NJ Chapter of Rose Croix then presented a play in full costume, that is based on the Chinon Parchment, a historic document that was accidently discovered in September 2001 by an Italian paleographer at the Vatican Secret Archives, that details the actual inquisition of Demolay and other Knights Templar in 1308 in Chinon, France. The Vatican then published the Chinon Parchment as part of a limited edition of 799 copies, one of which was acquired by the Library of the Grand Lodge of New York. S.P. Michael Canavan, 32 of the Valley of Northern New Jersey, spent numerous hours at the Grand Lodge Library reading the Latin text and translating it into English. He then wrote the Chinon Parchment play that was presented at the Valley that evening, which is based entirely on the exact events noted in that historic document that was secretly preserved for 7 centuries at the Vatican. The play is not based on fiction or the work of imagination, but on true facts. At the conclusion of the play, Most Wise Master, S.P. Mohamad A. Yatim, 32 MSA, answered all the brethren s questions related to the Chinon Parchement, Jacques DeMolay, and the Order of Knights Templar. He then introduced S.P. Ryan Vander Horn, a new member of the Valley and a Past State Master Councilor of the New Jersey Order of Demolay to share with us how this international organization for young men has shaped his life and his character as a Man and as a newly raised Freemason. It was truly an Inspirational and Convenient meeting that was Enjoyed by all who attended. Sunday January 25, 2015 L Affaire Caterers 1099 Route 22 East, Mountainside, NJ 07092 All you can eat brunch from 11:30am to 3:00pm Featuring: Carving Stations, Hot and Cold dishes, Coffee & Deserts $40 Per Person, $20 Children under 12 The Scotch Plains Children s Dyslexia Center is a 501 c3 Non-profit Charitable Organization Your donations are deductible to the fullest extent of the law. Consult your Tax advisor! www.learningbear.org for tickets and information or 908-322-6241

l 10 VALLEY REVIEW We are all familiar with these little jokingly phrases of pioneer marketing aren t we? Sure we are! We ve heard these sayings or something similar to them before. As an example; yeah buddy I believe that and I gotta a bridge I can sell ya too or This bridge can be yours right now for a one time contribution right here and now!. Well, what if I told you there is a certified real bridge story and it involved one of our Past Sovereign Grand Commanders? I speak of Past Sovereign Grand Commander George Adelbert Hey Buddy... Wanna Buy a Bridge? Somewhere over a Rainbow? Newbury and his direct contributions to the eventual fruition of seeing a much needed bridge to be rebuilt. Illustrious Newbury was Sovereign Grand Commander of the Northern Masonic Jurisdiction from 1965 to 1975. His involvement with the construction of the Rainbow Bridge at Niagara was a cornerstone in his legal and civic career. The Rainbow Bridge at Niagara Falls, is an international steel arch bridge across the Niagara River gorge, and is a world-famous tourist site. It connects the cities of Niagara Falls, New York, and Niagara Falls in Ontario, Canada. The Rainbow Bridge was built near the site of the earlier Honeymoon Bridge, which collapsed in 1938, due to an ice jam in the river. A joint Canadian and American commission had already been considering a new bridge to replace it, and the collapse added urgency to the project. A design by architect Richard (Su Min) Lee was chosen. King George VI and Queen Elizabeth, during their visit to Niagara Falls as part of the 1939 royal tour of Canada, dedicated the site of the Rainbow Bridge; a monument was erected to commemorate the occasion. Our Illustrious brother Newbury had the occasion of meeting these members of royalty at the time, as he was a part of the ceremonies that day, because of his legal work contributions to get the documents and legalistic issues resolved in order for construction and completion to commence. The bridge was officially opened in 1941. Know one really knows where the bridge name came from? Possibly one origin might be T.B. McQuesten, the then chairman of the Niagara Parks Commission, and another a delivery boy who had forgotten the name of the city. It was likely inspired by the bible verse from Genesis 9:12 17. The name was in use by the Niagara Rainbow Bridge Com-mission as early as 1939. The complex on the Canadian side of the bridge features the Tower. In Commander Newbury s civic life, he was a well-respected lawyer and Banker. He hailed from the Valley of Buffalo and served his valley as Thrice Potent Master of the Palmoni Lodge of Perfection in 1931, and progressed to Commander in Chief of the Valley of Buffalo from 1936 to 1939. Sovereign Grand Commander Newbury received his 33rd degree in 1940 at Cincinnati. He served in numerous roles and committees of the Supreme Council for many a year following his election as a 33rd degree. Earlier on in this article, I mentioned Ill. Newbury s propensity to brush with royalty. Apparently this was a normal and re-occurring circumstance! While serving in World War I as a gunnery officer on the USS Delaware, and stationed in the Firth of Forth, Scotland, he was called to serve as Junior Deck Officer for a specific day. This enabled him to meet King George V as the official welcome committee for any visiting dignitaries to the ship. King George V took great pride in inspecting both the US and British fleets as an Admiral in the Royal Navy. This was followed by a 1927 event at the Peace Bridge (also in Niagara) on the occasion of the opening and dedication of that edifice. This time, it was Prince Edward VIII (Prince of Wales) who represented Canada and Great Britain. Commander Newbury was present as the representative to the Law firm who handled the legal formation of this bridge. His final brush with royalty came for the dedication ceremony of the aforementioned rainbow bridge. There he met with King George VI who had brought along his wife and daughter who later was to become Queen Elizabeth II the present Monarch. Therefore, within the space of 35 years he greeted three current Monarchs and one future one in Queen Elizabeth II. Got a bridge? Sovereign Grand Commander George A. Newbury would have been able to recollect some great stories about that for sure! Valley Shift in Calendar Dates for 2014-2015 As we prepare to embark on a new year of activity at the Valley, we needed to address the need for moving to a new home related to our second meeting of the month calendar for the aforementioned ensuing year. A decision was made to move our permanent meeting location from Salaam Shrine in Livingston to our new home in the Clifton Masonic Building. This shift in location was necessary as the Shrine has sold the location that they have called home for more than 35 years. With the sale of the Shrine property almost imminent as of this writing, the need to find a static location for the valley was paramount. Once again, your valley trustees and Executive Council consulted with various locations and with the ultimate approval of the Deputy for New Jersey, we have settled upon Clifton Masonic Lodge as our new home for fourth Tuesday meeting schedule. Clifton Lodges location is central to major transportation hubs and highways with the nearby locations of Route 46, Garden State Parkway, Route 3, Route 80, and Route 20 all within a five to ten minute distance from this spot. To accommodate Clifton s busy building schedule, the Valley will switch its normal Tuesday block to reflect the Fourth Tuesday to be at Clifton Lodge, and the second Tuesday meeting will continue forth with the plan of roaming locations. This worked out well for the valley in that, the Clifton Lodge building had a regular meeting of its Craftsmen s Club on that fourth Tuesday. However, its membership had plans to move the meeting date ultimately, which freed up the spot for the valley! The new Presiding Officers of the valley have further lent support to this shift in meeting dates and locations by solidifying its complete term calendar complete with roaming location sites and a set schedule in terms of stated meeting decisions and proposed activity at alternate locations. To view the calendar of activity one can log onto www.njscottishrite.org and proceed to the calendar page to review the set dates for the valley. As part of our organizational mantra to strive to be a fraternity which cares for our members, these latest set of actions was intended with the best interests of our membership in mind. Your new slate of valley officers are committed to making this endeavor the success it deserves to be. We are much more than just bricks and mortar and we are working everyday to ensure a good experience for all concerned. Come be a part of it! Master Mason Degree Team of the Valley performed the second section at Essex Lodge on May 20, 2014. Do you have an interest in being a part of the team? Does your lodge require assistance for an upcoming Master Mason Degree night? Why not give them a try? Contact SP Alex Dakak, 32, MSA at adakak@optonline.net or 973-278-9203 Keep in touch with the Valley on the go! facebook.com/thenorthernvalley @valynnj linkedin.com pinterest.com/valleynnj Ancient Accepted Scottish Rite, Northern Masonic Jurisdiction, United States of America