My Brothers All: A warm thank you goes out to all the brothers of the Valley of Orlando who participated in the various degrees conferred at our Spring Reunion that took place on the 9th and 10th of April. We had 24 Master Masons who became 32° Masters of The Royal Secret. There were also 5 Master Masons from our Valley who traveled to the Valley of Tampa to be consecrated 32° Masters of The Royal Secret by Illustrious James D. Cole, Grand Commander of the Supreme Council 33° of the A.A.S.R. Southern Jurisdiction. On behalf of all members of the Valley of Orlando I congratulate each of these 29 brothers for taking another step forward in Freemasonry, expanding the opportunity to continue learning. Remember that the “Master Craftsman” program is now available to you. It will assist you in gaining a better understanding of The Ancient and Accepted Scottish Rite, as well as Freemasonry. As I shared with you, we have a very active Master Craftsman study group program within the Valley that is now available to you. I encourage you to take advantage of this opportunity. If interested please contact ILL Keith our Valley Secretary at 407-657-4550 or via email at GenSecOrl@gmail.com who will assist you in getting started. Keep in mind that participating in a study group enhances the Master Craftsman experience for everyone and starts the building of fraternal friendships between those brothers who participate.

As a reminder, our already established Master Craftsman study groups are regularly meeting. If you are interested in participating in this monthly study group, please contact Ill Keith at the Valley office via phone or email to ensure you are added to the mailing list to receive all invitations to participate via ZOOM.

In each eNews article, you are encouraged to read the bi-monthly Scottish Rite Journal, and enjoy the excellent articles and information contained therein. Also, to continue growing and learning about Freemasonry, the Short Talk Bulletin (STB) offers short stories about many varied topics. Please note that this publication is celebrating its one hundredth anniversary with Volume 100, No. 1. Each Masonic Lodge receives a copy of the STB each month. Please take 10 minutes to read and reflect.

At the start of the 2022 year, through the eNews, we started sharing short articles on notable Brothers within the Ancient and Accepted Scottish Rite. This section has been expanded and is titled “Notable Brothers of Free and Accepted Masonry.” Each month this section provides an article on a notable Brother Mason(s). To date we have enjoyed featured articles on Albert Pike, Brother Robert Burns, Masonic Presidents and in this eNews Albert Gallatin Mackey is featured. These short articles afford you another opportunity to learn. Please read and enjoy!

The next item that warrants your attention is our up-and-coming Golf Event on Friday the 20th of May 2022 with a shotgun start at 8:30 AM. It is named a golf event because it is not necessary that you play par golf, but that you like to utilize Golf for enjoyment and in this particular event a chance to enjoy fraternal fellowship. It is not limited to just Masons, so please ask your friends, and work associates who play golf to come and have some fun and fellowship. Please note that the proceeds from this Golf Event support the Scottish Rite Foundation of Florida, Inc. which is a 501( c )( 3 ). This Foundation funds a network of fifteen Speech and Language Clinics for children in the State of Florida. There are sponsorship opportunities, and now is the time to “step-up and sign-up!” All information on this event can be found online, simply click the following link GolfScottishRite.com. Please sign up to play, and also consider a sponsorship by your Lodge, or a friend or associate who has a business. It would sure be nice to have a foursome from each of the Lodges in the four District area that is served by the Valley of Orlando.

“PARTICIPATE” is defined by Merriam Webster Dictionary as: to take part in something. It could be a game, a dinner event, a golf event, etc. In this case I am referring to participation in our Grand Fraternity and the rich history it enjoys. The one thing I am sure about is that you must participate to realize the benefits that Freemasonry, including all the allied and appendant orders offer. Your participation is earnestly (solemn, sedate, staid) requested.   

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 available for those who 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 2022, and may we all stay COVID free.

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!”