My Brothers All: Our August meeting started with dinner at 1830, prepared by Chef Tokar and his team of culinary professionals. After dinner we had the pleasure of meeting ILL Mitch Hensley, 33° who replaced ILL Chuck Morgan 33° as the new Major Donor Officer for the area of (Eastern TX, AR, LA, MS, AL, GA and FL). After a stellar presentation on the “Acacia Guild” and how it can apply in planning for your future. After the presentation and the Q & A that followed the presentation, we moved into the Lodge Room for a tyled meeting and the conferral of the 6th degree. The conferral was well done and enjoyed by all the brothers who attended. The tyled meeting and conferral of the degree was well attended with an estimated 62 brothers in attendance. Several Brothers commented that they enjoyed the conferral and we will take a closer look at doing this periodically

The Spring Reunion, while earlier than usual, was on the 9th and 10th of March and was a success with 15 brothers joining the Ancient and Accepted Scottish Rite in the Valley of Orlando. A warm thank you goes out to the brothers of the Valley of Orlando, who assisted by participating in those degrees we conferred.

At the start of the 2022 year, the eNews 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). Take time to read and enjoy these specially prepared articles! I hope you will read and enjoy! Special thanks to Brother Den for the time he devotes to finding some notable Brothers and their success.

My Brothers of the Valley of Orlando, we are not planning to raise dues in 2024, but I would encourage members, when you receive your new dues card, to make a donation to the building fund. Even though we do not own a building, we do have expenses that allow us to make improvements from time to time in support of our host, Winter Park Masonic Lodge. Also please remember the “Almoners Fund,” to assist a brother in distress, and the charity we sponsor, which is our local Language Learning Clinic. They do excellent work and assist a lot of children in improving their language learning skills.    

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. 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!”