Hello, My Brothers all:

I hope this article finds you and your families doing well and remaining COVID-19 free. If you have been touched by this pandemic, hopefully you have made your way through it and are well or heading in that direction.

We now have 26 new Masters of The Royal Secret, and as was mentioned it in my last article, I want to say it again – thank you for following the guidelines we established to ensure a safe and healthy reunion experience for all.

A special thank you to Ill. Rick Hoover, 33° Deputy of the Supreme Council in the Orient of Florida, who visited our Valley in October. Ill. Rick offered his thoughts and comments, and received $2,400 in donations to the Scottish Rite Foundation of Florida, USA, Inc. Joining us via Zoom Video Conferencing were Kim and Kirsten from the Center for Speech and Language, LLC. They provide diagnostic and corrective care for children with language learning disorders, and brought us up to date on activities underway at their clinic, explaining steps they have taken to create a safe and healthy environment, minimizing the potential impact of COVID-19. Special thanks to you and your staff for the quality care provided to the young folks whom we sponsor.

The year is quickly coming to an end and we have two meetings remaining. The November meeting on the third Friday, the 20th of November. We will have dinner at 6:30 p.m. followed by a tyled meeting at 7:30 p.m. to elect officers for the 2021 year. After the election we will open the lodge to ladies and guests to witness the installation of their loved ones. Our last meeting of the year will be on the second Friday the 11th of December. Dinner will be served at 6:30 p.m. and following dinner we are working on entertainment to close out the 2020 year. More details will be provided in future editions of the eNews. I hope we will see our regular members and particularly the new Masters of the Royal Secret who have recently joined us.

THE MASONIC BOOK CLUB (MBC) is back!

The Masonic Book Club (MBC) was formed in 1970 by two Illinois Masons, Alphonse Cerza and Louis Williams. The MBC primarily reprinted out-of-print Masonic books with a scholarly introduction; occasionally they would print original texts. After some 40 years of service to the craft, the directors in 200 decided to dissolve the MBC. The club originally was limited to 333 members, but the number eventually expanded to nearly 2,000, with 1,083 members when it dissolved in 2010.

In 2017 MW Barry West, 33°, the last president of the MBC, transferred the MBC name and assets to the Supreme Council, 33°, SJ USA. The revived Masonic Book Club has the goals of publishing classic Masonic books and of supporting Scottish Rite SJ USA Philanthropies. Membership is open to anyone 18 years or older who id interested in the history of Freemasonry and allows you to purchase MBC editions at a pre-publication discount.

The new MBC will have a different busines model than the old. Most significantly, there will be no dues; being a member entitles you to purchase books at a pre-publication discount. For additional information including FAQ’s and past publications, and to join, please visit the below site.

https://scottishrite.org/media-publications/masonic-book-club/

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 reliable 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!”

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!”