My Brothers,

Our first month is in the books at our new home, and all appears to be on a right path. We enter our reunion with a few challenges in front of us. As with many lodges, our membership is diverse, but there are those who stand out, and we would call them possibly a fixture, or someone who is always there. What happens when one of your crucial ritualists can’t make the degree, you lose one of your hardest workers in doing projects, one of your best thinkers when it comes to ideas? Have you a backup plan and can you go on without a hitch? Recently, in DeMolay, we lost an Executive Officer who gave his life to the Order. Over the years I heard a lot of good and some bad about him, but I always liked and respected him, as I knew he gave a lot to many a young man that crossed his path, as well as many years of time to the fraternity, in which he loved and believed. As with Scottish Rite, there are many brothers like that who step up and push our valley with their efforts, and next month we honor them for their work. But I feel sometimes we miss those unsung heroes who are always there giving of their time. The fixture in that degree team who knows his part and may only be there for the reunion, the pot scrubber in the kitchen crew who always gets down and dirty without complaining. The set-up crew member who stays the long hours putting things away after the others are gone. While we recognize many of these brothers through the years for their hard work and efforts, I want to applaud those brothers who I call the “unsung heroes” for what they do and encourage them to continue their efforts for our Scottish Rite. I have said many times that a brother doesn’t have to come to all the meetings. Sometimes what we need the most are the brothers that are always there, year in and year out, doing that one ritual part by memory, or giving his all in a long day, be it in the kitchen or stage crew, for our reunion. Success will come when we recognize that they’re many out there that make up our team and those brothers who may only come out to help on our reunions are very much appreciated.

As we begin to enter the upcoming holiday season; think about those unsung heroes in your lodge, your business and say thank you to them or recognize their efforts. Hope you will join us at our next meeting and see you in the future throughout the valley.

Take care and thanks for all you do for the Scottish Rite.

Fraternally,

Ill:. Larry Williamson, 33°
Master of Kadosh