Dear Brethren and Friends:

Good Morning and Good Monday everyone!

Tonight the Officers of Kilwinning Chapter of Rose Croix will rehearse for their conferral of the 18th Degree on April 11th.

Wednesday night, the Officers of Benjamin Franklin Consistory will rehearse for their conferral of the 32nd Degree also on April 11th. Their rehearsal will also include practicing to receive the Deputy and the Right Worshipful Grand Master.

Both rehearsals happen In Gothic Hall.

Parking for these and all Valley functions at the Temple, is at the Convention Center Parking Facility, 1324 Arch Street. Park there and we have a chaser for you. Park elsewhere and, well, you know.

Busy times preparing for the closing night of Spring Reunion, but as you know that isn't all that is left this Spring.

Our Annual "You don't have to be an Officer," Officer's Conference happens on Saturday, April 26th at the Masonic Temple in Jenkintown. The doors open at 7AM, coffee and donuts will be available, and the Conference kicks off at 8:30 and will conclude at noon.

If you are a member of one of our Officer Lines, you are expected to attend. If you serve on any of our Valley Committees, you should attend. If you want to get involved in any part of our Valley, you're welcome and encouraged to attend. BUT, yes, there's always a but, you must register! You can do that by calling 215-563-1814.

Sunday, April 27th is the date of our Annual Memorial Service. It will be held again at Gloria Dei, "Old Swede's" Church, Columbus Blvd & Christian Street in South Philadelphia. The Service begins at 3PM.

As always you and your family are encouraged to attend and a complimentary dinner will be served following the Service. BUT, yes, there it is again, you must have a reservation. AND, you must have a reservation no later than April 17th! Again, you can do that by calling 215-563-1814.

Speaking of reservations. Do you have yours yet for the Spring Reunion Closing Night? Huh? Well do you?

If you don't time is almost up. You have until this Friday, yes, this Friday to get that in! Again, you can call 215-563-1814.

NOTE: I will not take or accept or squeeze you in, after FRIDAY! No kiddng or since it will be April, No Fooling!

One more thing: Please do not assume that because you're a Candidate, Cast Member or Officer that I have your reservation by default. That'd be wrong folks! Get it in!

So is that all? NO!

Don't forget the, wait make that, THE MOST IMPORTANT Valley event of the Scottish Rite year occurs on Friday, May 16th, And that is our Annual Meeting!

That evening we will elect and install the Officers of Philadelphia Lodge of Perfection, DeJoinville Council Princes of Jerusalem, Kilwinning Chapter of Rose Croix, a 33rd Degree and a 32nd Degree At-Large Member of the Executive Committee and a Trustee. Also we will recognize our 50+ year members and if available, present the check to our 2014 Abbott Scottish Rite Scholarship Recipient!

Stay tuned to this page as to when you can get dinner reservations for that!

So it's raining and windy and I've heard it's even snowing, around the area today. Hey, it's Monday. No one said they're expected to be easy.

Have a great day and a great week ahead. GET YOUR DINNER RESERVATION IN!

 

Good Morning and Good Friday everyone!

The Scottish Rite Office will be closed today as I have some personal things I have to attend to.

At last evening's meeting of the Executive Committee, Illustrious Bro. Dan Hinds, 33 announced that after meeting with the Temple's Caterer, she has agreed to extend our dinner deadline to a week before the meeting. I wish I had this information before going to print with the April issue of THE DOUBLE EAGLE, but we'll take it anyway!

So, for those following along, our DEADLINE for dinner reservations for the April 11 meeting is now, Friday, April 4th! But that's it! After the 4th, we will not accept any reservations! No exceptions!

To those that have gotten your reservations in already, Thank You. To those that haven't you now have a few, yes, only a few, so don't dawdle, days left.

Although I won't be in the office today, we still have email, voicemail and Facemail, well, okay it isn't exactly "Face" mail, but you can click, "Going" on our Spring Reunion Closing Night event page and make a reservation. Get it in!

Have a great weekend everyone!

Good Morning and Good Monday everyone!

Spring? Oh Spring? Has anyone seen Spring? I think we might have an unauthorized absence going on here, because, brrrrr it's cold out there!

We had a GREAT night Friday night from all the reports I've received, but then again did you expect anything less? Yeah, me neither....

Well we're right back at it tonight! That's right, tonight! This evening in Gothic Hall the Officers of Kilwinning Chapter of Rose Croix, the 18th Degree line, will rehearse for their upcoming presentation scheduled for Friday, 11 April. The rehearsal begins at 7PM. Dress code as always is coat and tie and parking is in the Convention Center Parking Facility, 1324 Arch Street.

Speaking of parking, I had a few Brethren approach me about their parking, 'situation' on Friday evening. Parking for the Valley is now and will be for the foreseeable future at 1324 Arch Street. It was that way during the Fall Reunion, it's been published in THE DOUBLE EAGLE as well. A member of our Reception-Stewards Committee informed me that a 'disgruntled' member complained that we didn't have parking validations for the Parkway garage, the garage he parked in and that his parking was going to cost him now. When our Committee Brother informed the Brother that the Arch Street garage was the garage published in THE DOUBLE EAGLE, that Brother announced that he "doesn't read that." Well then my question has to be, if you don't read the notice, how is that our fault? Well hopefully any of our Brethren that chose to park elsewhere will consider it a lesson learned and the case is closed.

Don't forget, our April dinner reservation deadline is April 1. Now what that means is I will be calling our FINAL count into the Caterer that day so you actually want to get your reservation in by Monday, 31 March, if possible. REMEMBER, no, wait, make that, NO reservations will be accepted past 1 April. No fooling! Sorry I had to. Call 215-563-1814 or email to phila.aasr@juno.com TODAY!

Have a great day everyone and a great week ahead! Good luck this evening, 18!

Again, with apologies to Rod Stewart, Tonight is the Night!

Our Spring Reunion begins this evening. We are honoring our very own Illustrious Valley Brother, Robert J. Bateman, 33, Right Worshipful Grand Master. He will be with us this evening, although we will 'officially' receive him as the honoree next month, when our Illustrious Deputy will also be on hand.

Good Luck and Thank You goes out to Bro. Brian Skoff and the other members of the 4th Degree Cast. Most of the Bret...hren in this Cast were members of our Fall Class. This is a new experiment in our Valley that is looking like it will become a tradition. Good Luck again Brothers and inspire our Spring Class!

We also have the 14th and 26th Degrees on the docket as well. Ill. Cliff Hutchens drills his guys and they will be ready to perform their usual exemplary work. In the epic 26th Degree, we have a group of experienced Scottish Rite Masons, but we also have two first timers as well.

IMPORTANT REMINDER: If you did not reserve a dinner by 11 March, and are coming this evening, please be sure to have dinner at home or visit your favorite restaurant before coming down. Our Reception-Stewards Committee, will not, REPEAT, will not have tickets for sale this evening for walk up diners. Why? Because we do not have any dinners to sell!

We have 47 Candidates. Three of them are from my Lodge. Our March Stated Meeting was last night, and they are excited about this next step in their Masonic adventure. These 3 Brothers and all of our Candidates will have the Candidate pocket tag, be sure to personally welcome them. It matters. It really does.

It' going to be a GREAT night! If you're coming this evening. See you there!

Our Membership Team visits Richmond Lodge No. 230 this evening at the Masonic Temple in Philadelphia.

It's never too early to start working on our Fall Class! If you're able, available and in the area, come on out support our guys.

Dear Brethren and Friends:

Good morning and Good Friday everyone!

Well we are officially one week away from the start of our Spring Reunion.

We have a total of 46 Petitions in for this Class. Yes, I know I last gave you an update of 45, but after I came home last evening I found one had arrived in the Valley's email box.

We are closed out with the Caterer, so if you didn't get a dinner reservation, it's too late. I'm sorry that there isn't anything we can do about it, but her policy is what it is and she has a contract with the Temple. The deadline information was posted here and published in The Double Eagle, so you can't say you didn't have any idea, like a certain Brother who offered to take me "outside" at the Temple one Reunion evening, when he found out the hazards of assuming something. I still laugh about that.

Our Degree Casts have all rehearsed this past week and each have one more before the big show on Friday night. There's some threats of snow, yes I said it, on Monday evening, when the 26th Degree next rehearses, but as the Degree Master, unless there is a closing of the Masonic Temple, we're on!

Have a great weekend everyone!

ATTENTION BRETHREN: The Caterer has our FINAL count as per her ten day in advance requirement. She allowed me to order 12 additional meals. Those meals are completely sold out.

There will be absolutely no tickets sold at the door, other than prior reservations.

I am no longer taking reservations for the dinner on Friday, 21 March.

Thank you and please pass the word.

4th and 14th Degree Cast Rehearsals this evening. 4th Cast goes on at 6:30PM, 14th at 7:30PM.

Parking is in the Convention Center Parking Facility, 1324 Arch Street. Dress code for the Masonic Temple is business suit or sport coat and tie.

Best wishes to both Casts.

Dear Brethren and Friends:

Congratulations go out to Valley Brother and Master of Ceremonies of DeJoinville Council, Princes of Jerusalem, Bro. Yasser Al-Khatib!

As many of you know Bro. Yasser developed the phone app for the Pennsylvania Council of Deliberation. Well, he's done it again with the phone app for the Supreme Council, Northern Masonic Jurisdiction!

Through this app, Masons will be able to receive push notifications from the Supreme Council and the Councils of Deliberation. The app allows many other features such as send feedback, and email to Supreme Council Membership Services, request to join Scottish Rite, send a card to a Brother in need, read THE NORTHERN LIGHT on your device, learn about Degrees, keep up with Degree schedules, contact AASR Valleys, obtain driving directions, and for fun, solve the Scottish Rite puzzle. To download the app follow the directions below for your device:
APPLE
1. Go to App Store
2. Search for Scottish Rite
3. Download NMJ SCOTTISH RITE

ANDROID
1. Go to Google Play
2. Search for Scottish Rite
3. Download THE SCOTTISH RITE NMJ

AMAZON
1. Go to Amazon's App Store
2. Search for Scottish Rite
3. Download SCOTTISH RITE NMJ

To contact the Scottish Rite NMJ App: Email nmjscottishrite@gmail.com
Way to go Yasser! We're proud to have you in our Valley!

If you're coming to our Spring Reunion Opening Night on Friday, March 21, 2014, today is the day to get your reservation in.

Thank you!

Dear Brethren and Friends:

You're probably enjoying your Sunday, but did you know that tomorrow is actually the first day of the first week of preparation for our Spring Reunion?

Day 1. Tomorrow evening at 7PM in Gothic Hall the 26th Degree Cast will have their, or should I say, our first rehearsal. Also tomorrow, you want to be sure to have your dinner reservations in, if you don't already. Reservations are easy to make, call 215-563-1814, email phila.aasr@juno.com, or and for our Facebook group members ONLY, click on the  'Events' tab and then click on "Spring Reunion Opening Night," and then click 'Going.' REMEMBER our Reunion is during the Lenten season, if you need a fish dinner, you want to be sure to have a prior reservation. REMEMBER, no, and I mean NO fish tickets can be purchased at the door!

Day 2. Tuesday is the day I give our FINAL count to the Caterer. If you are a recommender of a Candidate, please check with him and ensure yourself that he has called in. Thank you. And once more to emphasize, I give the Caterer the FINAL count on Tuesday, if you call on Wednesday or any day between Wednesday and Friday, March 21st, you just bought yourself a $30 dinner! The food's good, but thirty dollars good? With all due respect, I'm not too sure about that!

Day 3. Wednesday, is the first rehearsal for the 4th Degree Cast. We have a Cast made up mostly of guys from the last Class. Again we thank these new Brethren for stepping up and taking an instant active role in YOUR Valley! Also we have a first timer in the role of Degree Master. Bro. Brian Skoff will lead this Cast. We wish him and all the Brethren good luck and hope that this will be the first of many appearances for these Brethren. Who knows maybe this will be the first steps for some of them into eventually becoming Thrice Potent Master, Sovereign Prince or Most Wise Master? You have to begin somewhere! SPECIAL NOTE TO THE 4TH DEGREE CAST: Don't forget your start time has been changed from 7PM to 6:30PM!

Speaking of the Thrice Potent Master, also on Wednesday, Bro. Gerry Sealy and the rest of our 14th Degree Line and Cast will rehearse for their presentation of their signature Degree, 'the Summit of Ancient Craft Masonry,' Grand Elect Mason. Their rehearsal begins at 7:30 PM, again in Gothic Hall.

Remember, parking for all Valley activities, events and meetings is in the Convention Center Parking Facility, 1324 Arch Street. If you park in any other garage or lot, you will not receive the parking discount! Please note that the dress code for our rehearsals is coat and tie.

So there you have it. Week 1 leading up to our Reunion. If you're involved in some capacity, Thank You. If you're not, but are planning to attend the Reunion, Thank You for supporting your Valley. Hopefully we can get you too involved in the near future. There is a place for you. Just ask!

Dear Brethren and Friends:

So our petition deadline has come and gone and what we have is what we have.

Wait, not so fast.

If you can wrangle up a Candidate between now and Monday, let me know by message on Facebook or by email to phila.aasr@juno.com , that you have his petition in hand and give me his name and if his lady will be joining us for dinner so that I can get him/them in the count. If either one them prefer the flounder over the beef I need to know that too.

Don't forget, if you haven't gotten your reservation in yet, do that too. Also, if you're a recommender for a petition already received, check with your Candidate to be sure he has called in as well. Thank you in advance for your assistance there.

I now return you to regularly scheduled Saturday.

Keep on keeping on.

 

It's Petition Deadline Day!

Dear Brethren and Friends:

Good morning and good Friday to you!

Today is Petition Deadline Day for our Spring Class. Right now we officially have 31 petitions in hand for this Class. There is a Brother who is coming into the office today to drop off Petition No. 32. So unless YOU have a Candidate or two unknown to me as of yet, it appears our Spring Class will have a very appropriate Scottish Rite number of 32 Candidates.

Don't forget this is the weekend in which we "Spring Forward." 

This coming Monday is the first rehearsal for the Cast of the epic 26th Degree. I call it 'epic' because of its story, not because my buddy, Cliff Hutchens is in the Cast. If you're part of the Cast, I'll see you Monday night at 7PM in the Gothic Hall, y'all. See what I did there? Already practicing for reprising my role as General Pickett.

Don't forget that this coming Tuesday is our Dinner Reservation Deadline as well. I have to give the Temple's caterer our final dinner count that day, so if you haven't reserved yet, you at least want to get that in by Monday. If you haven't made your reservations yet, call 215-563-1814 NOW!

 Tomorrow is supposed to be a bit warmer with temps in the 50's. Enjoy your weekend with your family and friends. But, first, get your dinner reservation and your Candidate's petition in TODAY!

Brethren:

 

 Alright I know I usually keep my posts lighthearted. I always feel and still do that laughter and good cheer are the glue that keep fellowship together, but it's time to get serious.

Tomorrow, Friday, March 7, 2014 is the Petition Deadline for our Spring Class. I know that many of you are used to our week before deadline, but as I have previously explained the Temple's new caterer has given us a ten day final deadline for dinner reservations for our meetings. That would put our deadline past the reservation deadline. When I first brought this concern to the Executive Committee, there were a few that said, "No problem, we just won't provide dinners to late Candidates." Well you and I both know we cannot 'welcome' new Brethren like that.

Now, I'm hearing suggestions that perhaps we take late Candidates to either the Courtyard or Maggiano's for dinner. I won't give you my total opinion on that, but I think someone would take notice of all those possible meal dollars walking out the door.

But that isn't an issue as of right now. Right now we have to deal with an abbreviated deadline. Right now we have 30 Candidates for our Class. We can do better. We have today to prove that. Today is the day. Today is the day to get a petition into the hands of an interested Brother. Today is the day to have that talk with that Brother you've been considering. Today is the day we, you, I, make it happen.

You can do it. We can do it. Lets make it happen. Again.

Look no further! We have exactly what you're searching for!

In today's fast paced society, almost everyone is looking for quick results and instant gratification, well almost everyone. . .

Freemasons look to time honored moral lessons and values in their work of making good men better men.

The Ancient Accepted Scottish Rite amplifies those lessons, by better illustrating them through a 29 Degree system that will open not only your mind but your heart as well.

Philadelphia Region Master Masons: Now is the time to petition for these Degrees. Our Spring Class begins on Friday, March 21, 2014. Don't miss out on what could be the greatest experience of your Masonic life. Give us a call at 215-563-1814 and we'll help you begin!

Our Membership Team visits Athelstan-Lamberton Lodge No. 482 at the Masonic Temple in Philadelphia this evening.

Area Master Masons, if you're able to visit, why not come out for a great program on Scottish Rite Masonry?

Philadelphia Region Master Masons: Can you answer that question? If not, we'd like to help you.

Our Spring Reunion begins on Friday, March 21, 2014 and continues on Friday, April 11, 2014. Our Right Worshipful Grand Master, Illustrious Brother, Robert J. Bateman, 33, is our Spring Class Honoree. He will be here on the 11th of April to participate in the conferral of the 32nd Degree upon the Class. It is during the 32nd Degree that the, 'Royal Secret,' is revealed.

If you've ever considered seeking further light in Freemasonry, we want to assist you. Scottish Rite with its system of 29 Degrees will expand and further illustrate those lessons you learned as you progressed through the Degrees in your Symbolic Lodge.

No doubt you have questions. We have answers. Call 215-563-1814 for more information. Remember, the Class begins on March 21st. It won't happen again until October. Don't miss out!

Dear Brethren and Friends:

It appears Old Man Winter just doesn't want the Valley of Philadelphia and West Chester Lodge No. 322 to get together.

Due to the impending storm we again have to postpone "Scottish Rite Night" at the Lodge. Which was scheduled for tomorrow, Monday, 3 March.

Note to Bro. Dan Scheetz: As both your scheduled visits to the Lodge have been cancelled due to winter storms, see if you can get the Worshipful Master to agree to have a meeting say in July or August when we're all complaining about the heat and humidity. Might be good for a offseason cold front!

 

Our Spring Class begins on March 21st!

Our Class Honoree is our Right Worshipful Grand Master, Ill. Robert J. Bateman, 33. He is a member of our Valley and will be here throughout the Reunion, and will participate in the conferral of the 32nd Degree.

Philadelphia Region Masonic Brethren, are you ready to take your next step in Freemasonry, through the Ancient Accepted Scottish Rite?

If you are, or if you have any questions, please contact us at 215-563-1814.