Monday, June 23, 2014

Dear Brethren and Friends: 

Saturday, 26 July 2014 
Canstatter Volkfest Verein
9130 Academy Road, Philadelphia, PA
12 to 5 PM
$15 for Adults $10 for Kids 12 and under
Lunch and Dinner will be served!

So far we have 48 confirmed folks for the Valley's Summer Picnic. That means that 48 people have their tickets or will receive them shortly.
How about you? Are you coming? Do you have your tickets ordered yet? Still sitting on the fence about whether or not to come? Don't be that guy that says, " I wish I had gone."
Remember, your Lodge Brother can come for FREE! But, he will have to pay for the regular prices for his family. They will need their tickets in advance.
Yes, you read that right. Philadelphia Region Master Masons are welcome to attend for FREE! Our Membership Team will be on hand to welcome them and let them know all about our upcoming 2014 Fall Class. Master Masons reading this, if you have any questions, please call 215-563-1814.
Yes, tickets must be purchased in advance. No tickets will be available at the picnic! I've heard that someone is saying that we'll be selling tickets at the picnic. Not true! Think about it. How is the Canstatter to know how many to prepare for, if we're still selling tickets the day of the event? I can say this, the food at the Canstatter is always very good and that is a credit to their excellent chefs. But, they're not magicians! They can't cook what they don't have on hand!
Get your ticket orders in soon. This is going to be a fun day. You don't want to miss it!
Make your check payable to "Scottish Rite Bodies," and send it to, Scottish Rite Office, Masonic Temple, One North Broad Street, Philadelphia, PA 19107-2520. Ticket order forms can be downloaded at http://www.philascottishrite.org/calendar_of_events.htm

Wednesday, June 18, 2014

Dear Brethren and Friends:


Don't forget our Valley's Family Summer Picnic on Saturday, July 26, 2014 in the picnic grove at Canstatter Volkfest Verein, 9130 Academy Road, Philadelphia, PA 19114. The picnic begins at 12 PM and runs until 5 PM. 

Bring your family and your non-Scottish Rite Masonic Brother and his family and join with us for this great family day! Entertainment, games, and activities for the kids all day. The young ladies of the Order of Rainbow for Girls will be our guests for the day and they will be helping out with face-painting and other activities. Our Membership Team will be on hand to welcome your Masonic Brother, who can come for FREE!

Lunch and Dinner will be provided for one price. The Lunch menu includes: Hamburgers, Hot Dogs, Potato Salad, Sauerkraut, Cole Slaw, Baked Beans, French Fries and more. What's for Dinner? Roast Beef, Fried Chicken, Potato Salad, Cole Slaw, Cucumber Salad, Tomato Salad, Corn on the cob, plus more of your picnic favorites.

Tickets must be purchased in advance. No tickets will be available for sale at the event! Cost per person: $15 for Adults, Children 12 and under, $10, Master Mason guests are FREE  They will need to purchase tickets for their families at the regular prices and they too must have tickets in advance.

Make your check payable to "Scottish Rite Bodies" and mail it to the Scottish Rite Office, Masonic Temple, One North Broad Street, Philadelphia, PA 19107-2520.

This is going to be a great Valley Family day! Don't miss out. Hope to see you and your family there!


Our Almoner Fund t-shirt campaign ended yesterday. We achieved our goal of at least 50 shirts sold to insure the program's success. We sold a total of 54 shirts. A portion of all shirts sold will benefit our Valley's Almoner Fund, which was created to assist worthy Valley Brethren in distress. 

Thank you to all of our Brethren or Masonic Friends who purchased a shirt to support our campaign.

This was our second campaign. Stay tuned. We may do it again soon!

It's getting hot. Take it easy and remember to stay hydrated!

Thursday, June 12, 2014

Dear Brethren and Friends:
Good Morning and Welcome to Thursday! Wow, where did this week go?
It's that time of year again!
Yesterday I ordered our 2015 Scottish Rite Dues billing.
Once Supreme Council runs our dues, your bill will be in the mail to you.
For our new guys, that are now saying "2015? Steve, what are you talking about? It's only June of 2014?!?!" Our, Scottish Rite fiscal year runs from August 1st to July 31st, or in other words, 2015 arrives just a wee bit earlier in Scottish Rite. HAPPY NEW YEAR! No resolutions needed. Put down the champagne, it's not even noon yet! SHEESH!
Please wait until you receive your dues bill to pay your dues and PLEASE do not forget to return your bill with your check! I need your bill to post (give you credit for paying) your dues and our auditors use the bills and dues batch posting reports when doing the audit. It's whole chain of events and we're all links in the chain! And you thought you were just a Valley member! Perish the thought! You're much more than that!
If you prefer to pay your dues online with a credit card, you can do that as well at the Supreme Council's website (scottishritenmj.org). You will have to set up an account to do that and you will need your nine digit member number which is on your dues card. Please note that if you do pay online the Valley is charged the credit card service charge, which is taken from your dues payment. In other words, we do not get your full amount! So if it is at all possible for you to pay your dues by check, money order or that good old reliable, never fail, dead President/Statesman portrait bearing,E Pluribus Unum, Masonic world domination conspiracy causing, In God We Trust, CASH, please do.
Speaking of dues cards, everyone should have their permanent dues card. It's silver or gold, if you're a life member, and looks like a credit card. If you never received one or you've lost yours contact me in the office and I will see that you receive one.
Remember, 'permanent' doesn't mean you do not have to pay your dues! Don't pay them, and I will 'permanently' suspend you until you do!
Also, and I get asked this question every year, the term "Assessment" on your dues bill is your dues to the Supreme Council. We are not assessing you for anything! Just as your Lodge must pay dues to the Grand Lodge for you, we must do the same for the Supreme Council. Our base dues are still $60, which any active member worth his salt (sorry that's the Sailor in me) will tell you, you get that back and so much more! So, your total payment should be $87. If you do not pay the $27 "assessment," I will be forced to suspend you. YES, EVEN if you paid the $60 to the Valley!
As always make your check payable to "Scottish Rite Bodies" not, "Valley of Philadelphia," or "Masonic Temple." Yes, someone does that.
Now for those of you that were the first line signer for 3 or more INITIATED candidates this past year, yes, your dues are FREE. BUT, I need some assistance from you. Return your dues bill to me with "Membership Builder" written on it. Yes, I still need your bill too! And, yes your Candidates must have been a member of either the Fall 2013 or the Spring 2014 Class in order for your dues to be FREE.
We have 5 days remaining in our Almoner Fund t-shirt sale. We must sell 50 shirts (more are always welcome of course!) to make this campaign a success. So far we've sold 42 shirts. 

Did you order one yet? If you haven't, please do! Click on over to, Valley of Philadelphia Almoner Fund and join the team!


Have a great day everyone!

Tuesday, June 10, 2014

Dear Brethren and Friends:



38 sold so far! We're closer to our goal of 50 with 7 days to go!
Will we make it? Did you order yours yet?
Click on over to Valley of Philadelphia Almoner Fund, get your shirt, and support our Almoner Fund today!


While we want everyone to get a t-shirt to support our Almoner Fund, please don't forget our BIG Summer event!
The Valley's Family Summer picnic is scheduled for Saturday, July 26, 2014 in the picnic grove at Canstatter Volkfest Verein, 9130 Academy Road, Philadelphia, PA 19114. The day begins at 12 PM and everything wraps up at 5.
Lunch and Dinner will be provided for one price, Adults are $15 per person and kids 12 and under are $10. 
The Lunch menu includes: Hamburgers, Hot Dogs, Potato Salad, Sauerkraut, Cole Slaw, Baked Beans, French Fries and all the other 'picnic fixins'
The Dinner menu has: Roast Beef, Fried Chicken, Potato Salad, Cole Slaw, Cucumber Salad, Tomato Salad, Corn on the cob and more.
Philadelphia Region Master Masons are invited to come along for free. They have to pay for their families. Our Membership Team will be on hand to talk with them about membership in the Scottish Rite. 
The young men of the DeMolay will be there as well to host games for the kids all day. We will also have activities for the adults too.
Make your check payable to "Scottish Rite Bodies" and send it to the Scottish Rite Office, Masonic Temple, One North Broad Street, Philadelphia, PA 19107-2520. 
Don't miss out on this great Valley family event!
Hey, you might even want to wear your new shirt there!

Monday, June 9, 2014

Dear Brethren and Friends:



We're at 23 shirts sold on our way to our goal of 50!
Will we make it? Will we help our fledgling Almoner Fund to be there when a Brother needs assistance?
If you haven't ordered a shirt yet or you're still on the fence, please give this some thought.
These are high quality Hanes t-shirts. It features the 32nd Degree Eagle in an emblem surrounded with "Valley of Philadelphia, Ancient Accepted Scottish Rite" .
We raised $135 for the Almoner Fund with the last campaign and can expect more with this one.
It's Summer. YOU NEED A COOL T-SHIRT!'
Click on over to Valley of Philadelphia Almoner Fund and order yours today!


Saturday, June 7, 2014

Dear Brethren and Friends:

We've launched another campaign to raise money to support our Valley's Almoner Fund.

You can help us help our worthy distressed Brethren and their families by visiting Valley of Philadelphia Almoner Fund and purchasing our latest offering.

We have until June 17, 2014 to sell at least 50 shirts. Can we count on you?



Tuesday, June 3, 2014

Dear Brethren and Friends:
Good Morning and welcome to Tuesday everyone!
Yesterday I posted a "Help Wanted" ad on the Valley's Facebook group and due to the sage and always welcome advice of our Illustrious Deputy, I took it down. Thanks again Russ! Now you folks know why I nicknamed him the Valley's "Best Friend." Always helpful and always keeping me straight! Sage advice? Okay probably not the best choice of description, but let it be known I wasn't calling Illustrious Bro. Russ old!
But we still have a void to fill! So, if you are interested in working in a Cast this coming Fall in a large part, that demands your talent to convey the message of a particular Consistory Degree in a very dramatic and touching fashion, to our Fall Class, we need you!
Yes, I said large part, and yes that might be intimidating, but, you have plenty of time to study it! It's June. We're not scheduled to confer this Degree until 21 November. That is plenty of time to learn the lines, and most importantly, enough time for you to practice the serious emotions that this character will put forth as part of the conferral.
This is a great opportunity for someone who is looking to possibly enter a line if they are not already there, or possibly one day become a Degree Master, and have direction over a Cast for a future Degree. You don't have to be a 33rd, MSA or even a Past Line Officer to do that. We're always on the lookout for new vision in our Degree Directors.
Please give this some thought. It's not that hard really. You can believe me on that. I've done my fair share of "BIG" Degrees in my time in Freemasonry and speaking from personal experience, not much will make you feel better than the moment after the Degree is over and the Brethren, YOUR Brethren, are not only congratulating you, but thanking you for the job you did.
If you have any questions at all, or you're ready to give it a go, give me a call at 215-563-1814.
Hey, have you sent in your check for the Valley's Family Summer Picnic yet? You have? And you're wondering where your tickets are? They're being created and once I have them I will get them out to you.
You haven't? Why not? This is going to be a GREAT Valley family event!
It happens on July 26th in the picnic grove at the Canstatter Volkfest Verein, 9130 Academy Road, Philadelphia, PA 19114. The picnic begins at 12 PM and ends at 5. The cost per person is $15 for adults, and $10 for kids 12 and under. The picnic grove is nicely shaded and even on the warmest Summer day is almost always cool and breezy.
We will have both a lunch and dinner served. The lunch menu includes Hamburgers, Hot Dogs, Potato Salad, Sauerkraut, Cole Slaw, Baked Beans. French Fries, Pickles, etc. The dinner menu has, Roast Beef, Fried Chicken, Potato Salad, Cole Slaw, Cucumber Salad, Corn on the Cob and other 'picnic fixins.'
Now, let me ask you. Where are you going to get TWO delicious meals for $15?
The young men of the DeMolay will be there and they will be running games and activities for the kids ALL DAY! That's right, you can relax and enjoy the company of your Valley Brethren and our Valley Ladies! We'll have games and activities for the grown ups too. But, you're welcome to bring your favorite board games or a deck cards. Bring along a table cloth for your picnic table and your lawn chairs too if you want.
PICNIC PLUS: The Executive Committee recently agreed to allow Master Masons and their families to attend our picnic as well. What this means is your non-Scottish Rite Masonic friend can come for FREE. He will have to pay for his family,but he is FREE. Our Membership Team will have an information table set up to discuss Scottish Rite should he want to become a member of our Fall Class.
So have I sold you yet? If I have, send your check made payable to, 'Scottish Rite Bodies,' to the Scottish Rite Office, Masonic Temple, One North Broad Street, Philadelphia, PA 19107-2520 along with the picnic flyer form which is in your May issue of THE DOUBLE EAGLE.
If I didn't sell you, go back and read everything again. Eventually I'll get you sold, I've been told I can be infectious. I hope that's what they meant!
Don't forget our Membership Team will be visiting Hackenburg-Mt. Moriah Lodge No. 19 on June 12th at the Masonic Temple, in Philadelphia. That's next Thursday! If you're able and available, why not come on down and support our guys?
If you are a Worshipful Master, Senior or Junior Warden, our Membership guys, Ill. Clay Melson, Illustrious-to-be Dan Scheetz, Bros. Jeffrey Lees, MSA and Yasser Al-Khatib would love to speak with you about presenting a program to your Lodge. Again, you can call 215-563-1814 and I'll put you in touch with them!
I know it's early but let me share with you our next BIG Family Life event!
Our Family Life Chairman, Ill. Jim Rae, 33, MSA has done it again!
We have two dates and times for you to choose from. Saturday, December 6, 2014 at 7 PM or Saturday, December 13th at 2 PM to see "Les Miserables" at the Media Theatre, 104 E. State Street, Media, PA. All for the NICE PRICE of $20 per ticket!
There will be a flyer for this event in your Summer DOUBLE EAGLE. 
Okay, last thing. Yesterday I sent the 2014-15 Officers and Committees Directory to the printer. I know it's a bit later than usual but as always I had a few, lets say, less than cooperative Brethren, when it came to getting their info forms back in the traditional 'timely fashion.' But all in all, I want to thank EVERYONE for getting back to me just the same. As soon as the Directories are back from the printer, I will get them out to those scheduled to receive one.
Whew! Okay that seems to be it for now. Think about that open part. Send in your picnic check. Talk to a Brother Mason about the Valley picnic. Call about a membership program. "Les Miserables" Did I forget anything? Oh yeah, I know, I now return you to your regularly scheduled Tuesday, already in progress.