Dear Brothers and Friends,
Welcome to the Valley of Orlando eNews. We hope you are finding these newsletters timely, and filled with the type of information you are looking for. If you have any suggestions for improvement, just click on the “Reply” button and we will be sent your thoughts. Looking for the latest events? Click here to go to the Valley Calendar of Events.
Out and About with the Valley of Orlando
Monday, July 21st — the Valley will visit Merritt Island Lodge No. 353, which meets at 7:30 p.m. The Lodge is located at 247 S Tropical Trail, Merritt Island (Map to Merritt Island Lodge)
Monday, July 28th — the Valley will visit Mt Dora Rainbow Assembly, which meets at 7:00 p.m. The Assembly meets at Mt Dora Lodge No. 238 which is located at 535 N Donnally Street, Mount Dora (Map to Mount Dora Lodge)
Official Visitation of the S:.G:.I:.G:. Friday, July 25th! Dinner at 6:30 p.m., Program at 7:30 p.m. Please be present to welcome Ill:. Bro:. Goldsmith, 33° back to the Valley of Orlando.
14° Ring Ceremony
 The Scottish Rite of Freemasonry, with its honors and obligations, touches all aspects of a new Candidate's Life. It is important, therefore, that his lifelong Masonic journey continue after receiving the Scottish Rite degrees. In an effort to signify this continuation and to involve the Brother's Lady in understanding a small part of the significance of the Scottish Rite of Freemasonry, the Fourteenth Degree Ring Ceremony is being held for our Spring Reunion Class.
The Ring Ceremony with its color, warmth and dignity is meant to impress upon the wives and ladies of the Candidates their new status upon his attaining the Fourteenth Degree and to make them feel that they are also a part of the Scottish Rite. Please make every effort to attend our July 25, 2008 stated meeting and visitation of the S:.G:.I:.G:. to witness the 14th Degree Ring Ceremony and extend a hearty welcome to these newly made Masters of the Royal Secret and their ladies.
From the desk of the Personal Representative
WHERE DO WE GO FROM HERE?
It’s a difficult decision, where to go when the path is not so clear! As we prepare for the Fall Reunion, all the signs point to success! Everyone is getting ready to fulfill their respective obligations and I’m sure we’ll have another successful and improved reunion from the last. BUT, WHERE DO WE GO FROM HERE? Let’s recap the past 2 years: We started to host open meetings, Appointed Aides to every Lodge in the Valley and armed them with their duties and responsibilities, created a Mentor Program from inception to completion, one that rivals the best out there. We brought back the “Ring Ceremony” after being forgotten for so many years. Opened the Executive Committee Meetings to all Scottish Rite Masons, added another level of management to our existing organizational structure and more.
Still, we are losing members, attendance is not improving! We’ve tried new things and they work incredibly well once and then they just seem to lose their luster, don’t draw the same numbers, or just plain die, and that’s fine, I don’t expect everything to succeed! What I do expect is to have a few events succeed, events that may provide us with ideas to improve on, grow and expand towards the future direction of the Valley. However, this cannot and will not be the case if our members do not make an effort to get involved and take ownership of just one small project and see it through to the end. We can’t continue to operate without help! We can’t grow without help and we can’t succeed without your involvement. It doesn’t have to be much more than supporting the Valley functions!
For the past year, we have been planning the Flag Day Program, held June 14th; we had a very good turnout of Non-Scottish Rite Masons and retired a record 5,346 flags! Very few Sideliners from the Valley made an effort to attend and for the life of me, I have to sit back and ask WHY? Should we stop doing the program? If it does not interest the members, let’s turn our efforts to something that will. I believe that this is just one example of our lack of interest in other activities outside the regular meetings. YOU are the Valley and what happens to the Valley is directly connected to YOU, the members! So, again, I ask, “WHERE DO WE GO FROM HERE”?
Here is a sample list of our needs: Office/Clerical help, membership recruiting, kitchen help, Degree work, makeup, wardrobe, stage crew, sound and lights (year round), fundraising, publications, publicity, event advertisement and promotions, mentoring and the list goes on. Anyone interested? Many of these positions are paying positions with Double Eagle points. Chose one and send me a note, we’ll be happy to add you to our team and turn around this loss or membership and lack of participation!
— Zeb E Blanton, Jr., 33°, Personal Representative of the S:.G:.I:.G:.
Email: zeb.jr@blanton.com
New Petition Form Available
Starting with the Fall Reunion, the Valley will be using an updated petition form that is available from the Valley web site Petition Page. Please make sure you use the new petition with all candidates for the Fall Reunion.
In addition, make sure your candidates know that they can pay for the balance of their petition fees, hat, and case, on the day of the reunion using a credit card.
All petitions for the Fall Reunion must be on the new petition form!
Riteoberfest
Come join us on Saturday, October 18, 2008 at the Orlando Scottish Rite Center for a fun evening of fine food and drink, fine fellowship, dancing for the fleet of foot und ach!! Such entertainment! Plus a Silent Auction and presentations to Ill:. Robert L. Goldsmith, 33°, S:.G:.I:.G:.
Registration begins at 5:30 p.m., Dinner at 6:00 p.m., Program 7:00 p.m.
Tickets: $25 / person (assigned seating)
Preferred Fraternal Table : $250 (table adjoining dance floor, with seating for 8 people of your choice)
For tickets send check payable to Orlando Scottish Rite and SASE to:
Ritetoberfest — OSR
1485 Grand Rd
Winter Park, FL 32792
Masonic Education Minute
Frederic the Great is said to have established the A. A. S. R. in:
(a) 1722
(b) 1717
(c) 1725
(d) 1786
(e) 1730
The answer will be published in the July 15th edition of the eNews. For information on the history and development of the Scottish Rite, check out your copy of Bridge to Light, or the Scottish Rite Ritual Monitor and Guide which is also available in the Valley Library.
For more Scottish Rite and Masonic education, check out the Master Craftsman Program on the Supreme Council web site, and the College of the Consistory program from the Valley of Guthrie.
— Ron Blaisdell, 32°
Reminder - the 2009 Valley of Orlando dues will be $75.00. Dues notices will be mailed shortly, and you can pay your 2009 dues online now.
Upcoming Events:
- July 21st - Scottish Rite visit to Merritt Island Lodge #353, 7:30 p.m.
- July 23rd - Scottish Rite Executive Meeting, dinner 6:30 p.m., meeting 7:00 p.m.
- July 25th - Official visit of the SGIG, dinner 6:30 p.m., meeting 7:30 p.m.
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- July 28th - Scottish Rite visit to Mount Dora Rainbow, 7:00 p.m.
- July 31st - Joint District 26 Scottish Rite Clubs Meeting - Melbourne Lodge
- September 20-21 - Fall Reunion
- October 18th - Ritetoberfest, registration 5:30 p.m., dinner 6:00 p.m., program 7:00 p.m.
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Club Meetings
- Central Brevard Scottish Rite Club
Meets 3rd Thursday each month at Brevard Lodge #113 at 7:00 p.m. Covered dish dinner. Contact the Secretary, Ill:. George Malone, 33°, email: gemalone@bellsouth.net
- Deltona Scottish Rite Club
Meets 3rd Monday each month at Landmark Lodge #383 at 7:00 p.m. Covered dish dinner. Contact the Secretary, Bro:. George Sites, 32° email: gsites@bellsouth.net
- Halifax Scottish Rite Club
Meets 1st Monday each month at Daytona Beach Lodge #270 at 7:00 p.m. Contact the President, Bro:. David Rosenthal, 32° email: davidonefl@aol.com
- Lake Scottish Rite Club
Meets 1st Wednesday each month at Tavares Lodge #234 at 7:00 p.m. Reservations required. Contact the Secretary, Bro:. Hank Link, 32° email: hlinkjr@comcast.net
- New Smyrna Beach Scottish Rite Club
Meets the 1st Tuesday of each month at the New Smyrna Beach Shrine Club 7:00 p.m. for covered dish dinner.
- Osceola Scottish Rite Club
Meets 2nd Friday each month at St. Cloud Lodge #221 at 7:30 p.m. Spaghetti Dinner. Contact the Secretary, Bro:. Frank Bierbaum, 32° email: fredmc1900@aol.com
- Sanford Scottish Rite Club
Meets 2nd Wednesday each month at I-Hop Orlando Ave (US 17-92) south of the 417 at 6:00 p.m. Dinner meeting.
- South Brevard Scottish Rite Club
Meets 4th Thursday each month at Melbourne Lodge #143 at 6:30 p.m. Covered dish dinner. Contact the Secretary, Bro:. Fred Baker, 32° K:.C:.C:.H:. email: bake1640@bellsouth.net
- Titusville Scottish Rite Club
Meets 2nd Tuesday each month at Indian River Lodge #90 at 6:30 p.m. Covered dish dinner. Contact the President, Bro:. Jeff Bills, 32° email: jlbills@cfl.rr.com
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