My Brothers all:  

January is over, and it seems like it just started!  I guess it is true – time flies when you’re having fun.  We are getting ready to submit our VMAP 2019 end of year closing paperwork.  Once finalized, I will share the results with all, and we will see just how successful we were within the VMAP conduit for 2019.  I would say we had a successful year; let’s see what we hear back from those who evaluate our performance.

As we start the new Masonic Year, we are inviting the Worshipful Master and their ladies from the 36 Masonic Lodges in our area to join us for dinner and the evening’s program.  We will start by congratulating and acknowledging their achievement of being elected and installed as Worshipful Master, wishing them a successful 2020 year in the East.  The program for the evening will be an open meeting, with all in attendance joining us in the Lodge Room.  We will start with the Ring Ceremony, followed by the Knighting of all-new Masters of The Royal Secret.  Please make every effort to attend this open meeting so we can warmly welcome our new members, and congratulate our newly installed Worshipful Masters.

Something for your consideration is attending the A.A.S.R. Southern Jurisdiction – “Passing the Tools of Leadership” workshops.  Workshop Dates & Locations are listed below. Additional information on the web at https://scottishrite.org/members/2020-workshops/

March 13–14 • Charlotte, NC
March 27–28 • St. Louis, MO
April 24–25 • San Diego, CA

If any member of the Valley of Orlando plans to attend one of these workshops, please let me or Ill. Keith Albright, General Secretary of the Valley, so we can assure Deputy Ill. Rick Hoover is aware of who will be attending.

Remember, our Spring Reunion is around the corner and is on the third (April 18th and 19th) weekend and not the second weekend in April allowing brothers and their families to celebrate the Easter holidays.  Now is the time to make those final adjustments in your degree, to ensure a reunion experience that doesn’t just meet, but exceeds what our new members would expect.

The Ancient and Accepted Scottish Rite is an organization that confers or communicates twenty-nine additional degrees and is structured to provide additional Masonic Education to assist a Master Mason to grow and expand his knowledge and understanding of our great fraternity.  I am confident that there are many of you out there who have a subject, topic, thought or experience that could be shared that would be of interest to brothers that receive our eNews.  If you would like to prepare an article (and I strongly encourage you to do so) for a future edition, please get with me via eMail or text and give me a quick overview of what your topic will be and when you can have it ready.  We will then schedule your article in a future edition.

Until next time, remember the many things for which you are thankful!  Be safe in your travels; “whisper wise counsel in the ear of an erring brother;” and respect the dignity of all, as it makes you and our fraternity stronger one action at a time.  We want to ensure that what we are enjoying today will be strong for those who will follow.  Simply stated – “We lead the way today, so those who follow us can lead the way tomorrow!”  Thanks for your continued support and participation; and may the “Spirit of Fraternity” reign supreme within our “Valley of Orlando!”

May you and yours be blessed with health, happiness, and prosperity in 2020!

Fraternally,

Ill:. Chester A. “Chet” King, 33°
Personal Representative

“People forget what you say, and forget what you do, but forever remember how you make them feel!”