Hello Everyone, it's your friendly neighborhood Valley Secretary with an update.

So what's going on?

This past Thursday evening the Valley's Executive Committee met and some changes were made regarding our 2017 Fall Reunion:

Due to the Blue Lodge One Day Class event on 23 September, we have cancelled our 15 September Fall Reunion opener. This will give us a chance to have our Membership Team present on September 23rd to recruit from the One Day Class.

Our Fall Reunion will now begin on Friday, 27 October. Yes, that is the fourth Friday instead of our usual 3rd Friday. The Grand Lodge had mistakenly scheduled another event on the same evening as our Reunion meeting, so they've asked us to move our meeting to the following week.

That evening we will present to the Class, the 4°, the 16° and the 18°.

Our Fall Class is named in honor of Ill. Mark Haines, 33°, Right Worshipful Grand Secretary of the Grand Lodge of Pennsylvania. He will be with us on Friday, 17 November, which in itself will be a BIG night for our Valley.

Why? Well, not only do we have the Grand Secretary honoring our Valley with his appearance, but we will also welcome the Valley of Chicago including their Fall Class!

The Classes will be 'merged' to witness a yet to be named Degree presented by a Cast from the Valley of Chicago, followed by the conferral of the 32° by our Valley. Get that date on your calendar now and plan to be here!

Regarding the date change for the 4°, I will be sending out a letter to the Cast members with the new rehearsal dates and times and they will also be posted the calendar on the Valley's web site.

Don't forget the Pennsylvania Council of Deliberation's Annual Convocation on Saturday, 8 July at the Valley Forge Casino Resort, 1160 1st Avenue, King of Prussia, PA. The Convocation opens at 1:30 PM. Members of the Council are all the current Presiding and Elected Line Officers, all Past Presiding Officers, 33° members and MSA recipients. But, all Scottish Rite Masons are welcome to attend. The dress code is business suit or sport coat and tie. For those that are registered, lunch will be served at 12PM in the Independence Ballroom, Lower Level and the evening banquet will be served in the Delaware Room at 6:30 PM. Registration was required for those meals. If you didn't register by the 8 June deadline, you will not be served a lunch or dinner but you can still attend the meeting. It always looks good for the Valley to have a large representation present. Come on out!

Again this year. Bro. Norman Greene, 32° MSA and myself will be hosting the State Hospitality Room (Bar Foyer and South Ballroom-Lobby Level) from 9:30 until 11:30 AM on Saturday morning. Stop on by and say Hey!

Bro. Yasser AlKhatib, 32° MSA, our Sovereign Prince and the other Officers of DeJoinville Council, Princes of Jerusalem, 16° hope to welcome you and your family at the Valley's Family Summer Picnic on Saturday, 29 July in the picnic grove at Cannstatter Volkfest Verein, 9130 Academy Road, Philadelphia, PA, 19114.

The day begins at 12PM. We will have entertainment, including new this year; a DJ, games and activities for the kids (of all ages) all day. Lunch and dinner will be served. The lunch menu includes: hamburgers, hot dogs, potato salad, sauerkraut, cole slaw, baked beans, french fries with all the trimmings. For dinner: Eggplant Parmigiana, fried chicken, potato salad, cole slaw, cucumber salad, tomato salad and corn on the cob. The cost per person is $15 for those 13 and over and $10 for 12 and under. The picnic is over at 5PM

Again this year, we are inviting you to bring along a non-Scottish Rite Mason, a Master Mason, whose admission is free. He is welcome to bring his family along for the regular admission price. Our Membership Team will be on hand to welcome him and to speak with him about Scottish Rite and the Valley of Philadelphia.

Tickets are required for everyone. Including your Master Mason friend. Our Council Officers will exchange your ticket for a bracelet that day indicating that you've paid to attend.

Tickets can be ordered by mail. Send your check to the Scottish Rite Office, Masonic Temple, One North Broad Street, Philadelphia, PA 19107-2520. Make your checks payable to Scottish Rite Bodies.

Soon you will receive your bill for your 2018 Scottish Rite Dues. When I had the Supreme Council run our dues the other day we still had 142 Brethren that hadn't paid their 2017 Dues.

Remember our new by-laws indicate that a member owing one years dues will be suspended following the May Reunion meeting. If you are one of these 142 members please remit your dues. We didn't suspend you as we couldn't until our by-laws were adopted by the Valley; so essentially you are being given a one year grace period to get current. If your dues are not paid in full by our May 2018 Reunion meeting, you will be suspended as will all Valley Brethren still owing their 2018 Dues.

If you are having trouble paying your dues, please contact me in the Scottish Rite Office. We can work out something to help you retain your Scottish Rite Membership.

Our BIG event of the year, The Feast of Tishri happens on Friday, 6 October at Twining Hall at the Trevose Fire Company, 4900 Street Road, Trevose, PA.

Our very special guest keynote speaker for the evening will be Ill. Thomas Gamon IV, 33°, Right Worshipful Senior Grand Warden of the Grand Lodge of Pennsylvania.

This is a men only black tie event. Business suits are acceptable for those Brethren that do not own a tuxedo. All Masons are welcome to purchase tickets to attend. Perhaps you can get a table together from your Lodge or another Masonic body. Tickets at $65 per person.

The evening begins at 6PM with the Social Hour (cash bar) featuring butlered hors d'oeuvres. A delicious buffet dinner will be served at 7PM. Everyone attending will receive a souvenir wine glass from which you will take your toasts during the event.

Tickets are available by mail to the Scottish Rite Office, Masonic Temple, One North Broad Street, Philadelphia, PA 19017-2520. This is a not to be missed event!

I've begun work on the 2017-18 Valley Officers and Committees Directory. There are still a few of our Officers and Committee members out there that have not returned their information form to the Valley Office. These were due on Monday, 19 June. You were provided with an addressed postage paid return envelope with your form. Please get it in NOW. The sooner I have everything the sooner the Directory gets out to YOU. Thank you for your expected cooperation. I'd rather not leave you out of the Directory or publish the wrong information, but the longer I have to wait that is a possibility.

And, that's the news!

Our 2018 Dues Billing

Dear Brethren and friends:

Good afternoon everyone,

I just ordered the printing of our 2018 dues bills. Now I know a few of you are wondering why would I order 2018 bills in June of 2017?

Our fiscal year begins on 1 August in the Scottish Rite, so essentially 1 August is new year's day in the Valley of Philadelphia.

Once Supreme Council runs our dues bills they will mail your bill to you. When you receive your bill and remit your payment, please be sure to include your bill with your check for payment. If you do electronic banking, you cannot send your bill along and that is understandable and is fine. Please wait until you actually receive your bill before paying your dues!

We currently do not accept credit cards in the Valley, however, you may pay your dues by credit card through the Supreme Council's web site (scottishritenmj.org). But, please be advised, when you pay your dues in that manner, they deduct the banking charge from your payment. They will credit your record that you paid your dues in full, but we will receive less than that amount. Please consider that.

Supreme Council recently relaxed a rule in the Constitution that required Valley's to hold a non paid member for two years prior to suspending them for non payment of dues. This new 'policy' says that if the Valley has in its by-laws that it will suspend after one year, they may. Well, as you might recall this past Friday, we adopted a new full code of by-laws and one of the amendments to those by-laws is that those members who haven't paid their dues for the year will be suspended at the end of the year. To clarify, if your 2018 dues are not paid by our May 2018 meeting, you will be suspended.

On behalf of the Commander-in-Chief and the other Officers of the Valley, I want to thank you in advance for your payment of dues and for your continued interest and participation in our Valley.

If anyone is having trouble paying their dues and wishes to remain a member of the Valley, please do not hesitate to call me in the Valley Office at 215-563-1814 and we will discuss options to help you remain a member of the Valley.

Dear Brethren and Friends:

BRETHREN TAKE NOTICE:

For Friday's Annual Meeting, all Elected and Appointed Officers, this includes those Brethren standing for appointment as Guards (14°) Satraps (16°) and Acolytes (18°) should be in tuxedo (short coat). The Officers for Election and Appointment in the Consistory (32°) line should be in tails with white vest and tie.

After dinner you should report to the Ill. Carl D. Homan, 33° Complex on the fourth floor to get the appropriate collar or sash (18°) and apron for your line. Candidates for Guards, Satraps and Acolytes are welcome and encouraged to wear the appropriate regalia for your line; however, we ask that you wait until the current Elected and Appointed Officers are in their regalia before putting any on, just be sure we have enough for the line. Even if you do not have the regalia on you will still be installed to office and will muster with your line when your name is called during the installation ceremony.

Gold Officer caps should be worn as well and they are also available in the Complex. 33°'s and MSA's will wear their appropriate cap,

The Honor Guard will be required for this meeting as our Active, Ill Robert J. Bateman, 33°, RWPGM will be in attendance and will be received. Honor Guard members should be in tuxedo with a gold officers cap or white 33° or red MSA if applicable.

After dinner Honor Guard members should report to Ill. Philip J. Janusz, 33° MSA in Gothic Hall for rehearsal of duties.

Any questions or comments or concerns? Please ask.

Dear Brethren and Friends:

Tomorrow, Thursday, 8 June is the Reservation Deadline for dinners at the Annual Meeting.

If you plan to attend and wish to have dinner, make your reservations NOW! Also, please be sure to let me know what your entree choice is: Chicken, Salmon or Vegetarian.

Call 215-563-1814 to make your reservation or email to valleyofphiladelphia@valleyofphiladelphia.com. Be sure to include your entree choice!

Remember, by direction of the Executive Committee I am no longer permitted to order extra meals, which means that I will take NO reservations beginning Friday. Also, if you order a dinner and fail to show for the meeting you will be billed.

Govern yourself accordingly.

Good Morning Brethren and Friends!

This coming Thursday, June 8th, is our dinner reservation cut off for the Valley's Annual Meeting on Friday, June 16th. Have you made your reservations yet for the Annual Meeting?

If you are planning on attending and wish to have dinner, please do so no later than this coming Thursday. We will not accept any reservations after the cut off. Nope. Sorry. Just not going to happen. No exceptions.

When making your reservations, as this will be a sit down dinner, please be sure to let me know what your entree choice will be: Chicken Tuscany, Broiled Filet of Salmon or the Vegetarian option.

Reservations are easy to make too. All you need to do is call, 215-563-1814 or by email to valleyofphiladelphia@valleyofphiladelphia.com. Please be sure to include your entree choice

By direction of the Executive Committee I am no longer permitted to order a few extra dinners for 'walk ups.' Which means if you do not have a reservation, you cannot join us for dinner; but you are still welcome to attend the Annual Meeting.

Dear Brethren and Friends:

Plan now to join us for the Valley’s Most Important Meeting of the year: The Annual Meeting, on Friday, June 16, 2017

It is at the Annual Meeting where we will elect and install the Officers of Benjamin Franklin Consistory, 32°, Kilwinning Chapter of Rose Croix, 18°, DeJoinville Council, Princes of Jerusalem, 16°, Philadelphia Lodge of Perfection, 14° and the Coordinate Bodies.

Action will be had on the proposed budget for the 2017-18 Scottish Rite year and on a full code of by-laws.

Following the close of the joint sessions we will welcome the Ladies and other guests into Gothic Hall for the installation of officers. We will also recognize our 50+ year members, present checks to our Abbott Scottish Rite Scholarship recipients and present the Past Most Wise Master’s, Past Sovereign Prince’s and Past Thrice Potent Master’s jewels to Ill. William Klosz, 33°, Ill. Harry Rutter, 33° and Bro. Joel Wolfert, 32°, respectively. We will also present the Valley of Philadelphia’s Scottish Rite Lifetime Achievement Award to a very deserving Brother.

The evening begins at 6PM in the Grand Banquet Room with a sit down dinner. We have two entrée choices, Broiled Filet of Salmon served with fire roasted red pepper sauce or Chicken Tuscany; boneless rustic breast of chicken topped with fire roasted red peppers, onions, Portobello mushrooms & sweet Italian sausage with chef’s homemade marinara sauce. The balance of the dinner menu includes: Classic Caesar Salad, Chef’s choice vegetables and Apple Pie ala mode to finish. The cost for the dinner is $20 per person.IMPORTANT: PLEASE READ THE FOLLOWING:

By action of the Executive Committee, any member who reserves a dinner and doesn’t show for the meeting will be billed. If you are attending the meeting only you do not need to click ‘Going’ for so doing will order you a dinner and you will be billed for that meal. If you are attending the dinner please be sure to leave a comment regarding what your entrée choices are.Also, in the past I’ve ordered a few extra dinners for those that might call or email past the deadline. We will no longer offer that. If you do not reserve by the deadline you will not be able to eat with the Valley. NO EXCEPTIONS. This is by order of the Executive Committee. Please make a note of it. 

Reservations MUST be made by or before, Thursday, June 8, 2017. Absolutely NO reservations will be accepted past that date. NO EXCEPTIONS! Govern yourself accordingly. And again, TICKETS WILL BE COLLECTED IN THE BANQUET ROOM!

Reservations can be made by calling 215-53-184 or by email to valleyofphiladelphia@valleyofphiladelphia.com or by mail to: Scottish Rite Office, Masonic Temple, One North Broad Street, Philadelphia, PA 19107-2520. Please make checks payable to Scottish Rite Bodies.

Parking for the evening is in the Convention Center Parking Facility, 1324 Arch Street, Philadelphia, PA 19107. This is only garage we have chasers/validations for! Park elsewhere and you are on your own.

Dress Code: All Valley elected and appointed officers should be in tuxedo. All other members should be in business suit or sport coat and tie. Those Brethren that will be newly appointed to the lines should also be in tuxedo

Hope to see YOU there!