Good Morning Everyone and Welcome to our Fall Reunion!

Yes, everything starts this evening with the Fall Special Communication of Philadelphia Lodge of Perfection.

We have 47 petitions for this Class, the "Honor Our Veterans Class."

Everything starts with dinner in the Grand Banquet Room at 6PM, if you do not have a reservation for dinner, we are FULL. I called in to the Caterer yesterday to reconfirm our count of 200 people. Yep, we have that many. I won't get into how many called after the deadline, but it was more than a few. Thankfully the Caterer gives us 'some' wiggle room.

Good Luck to our 4°, 14° and 31° Casts. All your hard work will be on display this evening. Thanks to all of you for your dedication and service to our Valley!

This evening will be Illl. Cliff Hutchens' swan song as Degree Master of the 14°. Thank you Illustrious Bro. Cliff for your many years of service to the Valley. The pride and commitment to excellence that you've instilled in the Lodge of Perfection line shows in the work performed on the floor.

Best wishes to our Thrice Potent Master, Bro. Douglass Hocker and the Officers of our Lodge of Perfection.

Best wishes to our Valley Brethren from Thomson Lodge No. 340 who will present the new 31°, 'My Brother's Keeper' this evening. Special thanks go out to Bro. Frank J Lorine for all his work in putting this Cast together and all the Brothers who volunteered. I believe we are in for a great show tonight Brethren!

Thanks again to all of the Brethren that volunteered to be a part of our 4° Cast for this Reunion. It seems to be a task putting the Cast together each Reunion for this Degree, but we never fail to have a group of Brethren step up to be a part. Thank you to Bro. Brian Skoff for his dedication in keeping this together every time.

Thank you again to all of our Valley Ladies, who are coming out to support our Valley. Enjoy the Laura Amoroso Show tonight. . .you're getting very sleepy.. . sleepy. . .sleepy. . .What? No, you weren't acting like a chicken. Not at all.

See you tonight!

Good Morning All and Welcome to August!

Congratulations go out to our Sovereign Prince, Bro. Russell Combs, 32° MSA for a fantastic Valley Family Picnic this past Saturday! Great job Russ!

Our High Priest and Sovereign Prince-in waiting, Ill. Harry Rutter,33° has already booked next year's Picnic with the folks at the Canstatter. The date will be Saturday, 30 July. Hmm. That date seems familiar to me for some reason???

So, what's next up for the Valley of Philadelphia? Why our Fall Reunion of course!

No Reunion can start without Degrees being selected and Casts assigned and rituals being sent out. Done. Well, almost done. We still have to have the Cast Kick Off meeting for the 4°. As soon as our Degree Master, Bro.Brian Skoff , 32° gets his date to me for that event, I will send a letter out to the members of our Spring Class to encourage them to take part in this project.

Now as you know in recent years we've given the 4° to our newest members as an opportunity for them to jump right in and get their feet wet so to speak in our Degrees. But, if you've been a member for a number of years and have thought about getting involved but haven't had the time, were shy or just didn't know why you didn't, you too are welcome to attend the Kick Off and take part in the 4° Cast. We'll make room for you!

Our Fall Reunion begins on Friday, 16 October. That evening we will present the aforementioned 4°, along with the 14° and the for the very first time in the Valley of Philadelphia, the new ritual of the 31°.

Our Thrice Potent Master, Bro. Douglass Hocker, 32° and the other Officers, including all the new Guards appointed following the Officer's Conference, will present the 14°, which is back as part of our 'Traditional' Fall Reunion plan.

The new 31°, 'My Brother's Keeper' will be presented by a team of Valley Brethren who are also members of Thomson Lodge No. 340. Thank you to Bro. Frank J Lorine, 32° who stepped up to volunteer to recruit a Cast from his Lodge and to serve as Degree Master for this Degree.

Bro. Frank tells me our Thomson Brethren are very excited about performing the Degree and representing their Lodge. Well, we're excited too to see this first time conferral of a new Scottish Rite ritual!

If you have a number of Valley of Philadelphia Brethren in your Lodge and are interested in putting a Cast together for a future Degree conferral. Let us know. As of right now, we have requests from Lodges No. 51, 67, 115 and Lodge No. 506 is eager to return for another run. Please note that the ONLY Degrees that will not be Lodge Casted are the 4°, 14°, 18° and 32°.

For your calendar: The Fall Reunion will continue on Friday, 20 November with the conferrals of the 15° and 18° and conclude on Friday, 18 December with the presentation of the 32° only. BUT, that will be a BIG evening! As our Fall Class is named in honor of our Veteran Members of the Valley of Philadelphia, our Commander-in-Chief, Ill. Clay Melson, 33° MSA has arranged for 2015 Miss Philadelphia, Julie Rae Schluchter to be present that evening. She will sing the National Anthem and 'God Bless America' to honor our Veterans and Nation. She will be backed by a USAF Color Guard. Miss Schluchter will be the special guest for the Ladies Program while we're up in Gothic Hall for the 32° conferral.

Following the close of the Consistory, everyone, and that means Ladies and Brethren will be invited to Corinthian Hall to hear an address in honor of our Veterans, by Brother and General Wesley Craig, U.S. Army (Retired).

BUT WAIT THERE'S MORE! Yes, there is. Our Valley's Holiday Party happens on Saturday, 28 November at the Lazaretto Ballroom in Essington. Anyone who went last year will tell you that they had a great time and no doubt we will again this year. Watch the next issue of THE DOUBLE EAGLE for a ticket order form or you can download one RIGHT NOW by visiting: http://www.philascottishrite.org/announcements.html

Shhh. I shouldn't say this, but as you're all Brethren and Valley Ladies, I'm feeling a level of trust here: Our Commander-in-Chief, has sworn me to secrecy, but he has a REALLY BIG AND VERY EXCITING ANNOUNCEMENT that he will be allowing me to share with you very soon. Stay tuned to this blog, the Valley Website and THE DOUBLE EAGLE for more information. I can tell you this much, you'll read about it here first.

Well that'll fill you up for now. Have a great Monday everyone and an even better week ahead!

Good Morning Everyone! It's Picnic Day!

This is a ticketed event; which means,

A. If you do not have a ticket, please do not just show up.

B. Having a ticket means you're in the count and that there will be food available for you.

C. Just showing up and sitting down to eat means, you've taken from a Brother who reserved before the final count went in; and that wouldn't be of a Masonic character.

For those of you that have never been there before, Canstatter's picnic grove is shaded in most of the tabled area. Be sure to bring a table cloth unless you don't mind being on the bare wood.

Beer and mixed drinks are sold on sight. Please do not bring a cooler with your own, it is prohibited. And, no, these items are not included in your ticket price.

If you're bringing a Master Mason guest, please be sure to introduce him to myself or Bro. Dan Scheetz so that we can be sure that he is part of our 'short' Scottish Rite Membership Program.

If you ordered tickets and are paying for them at the event. Please see me upon arrival.

Your lawn chairs are welcome.

The Rainbow and DeMolay folks will be running games and activities throughout the day, Participate and have fun. Be sure to thank them for doing this for us. That small gesture goes a very long way,

Other than all of the above, have a great time and we'll see you there!

ATTENTION PHILADELPHIA REGION MASTER MASONS:

The Valley of Philadelphia's Annual Family Summer Picnic is on Saturday, August 1, 2015 in the Picnic Grove at Canstatter Volkfest Verein, 9130 Academy Road, in Northeast Philadelphia, and you can come for FREE!

The Picnic runs from 12 to 5 PM. Lunch and Dinner will be served. We'll have activities, entertainment and games for the kids all day and there will even be things for you to do!

Your family is welcome to attend as well for the admission price of $15 for those 13 years and age and up and $10 for those 12 and under.

Lunch menu includes: Hamburgers, Hot Dogs, Potato Salad, Sauerkraut, Cole Slaw, Baked Beans, and French Fries.

Dinner menu includes Roast Beef, Fried Chicken, Potato Salad, Cole Slaw, Cucumber Salad, Tomato Salad and Corn on the Cob.

Tickets are required in advance. Our Membership Team will be there to welcome you and share a program about Scottish Rite and You.
This is going to be a great day! Call 215-563-1814 now for more information on how you and your family can be there! Don't miss out!

This Sunday's Valley Family Day at Campbell's Field

IF YOU ARE GOING TO THE VALLEY'S FAMILY DAY AT THE RIVERSHARKS THIS SUNDAY:

The Riversharks have issued a traffic advisory for the games on Friday, 26 June through Sunday, 28 June, due to the Tall Ships events on the Camden Waterfront. Please allow for extra travel time!

The Camden Sheriff's Department has asked fans to display an official parking placard on the dashboard of their vehicle as they approach the waterfront to help traffic flow move as smoothly as possible and to help them direct you to the appropriate lots.

Here is the link for you to PRINT out your REQUIRED placard:http://riversharks.com.ismmedia.com/…/Camden%20Riversharks%…

Remember leave early to get there and anticipate traffic. Have a great time and enjoy the game. Thank you for supporting our Valley's Family Life events.

It will soon be dues time!

Brethren: 

Believe it or not the year 2015 is about to come to an end in the Valley of Philadelphia. That's right. 2015. Over. Soon.

Our fiscal year runs from August 1st to July 31st. Which means, August 1st will be day one of 2016 for the Valley of Philadelphia.

As such, soon it will be time to renew your dues to the Scottish Rite. I will be requesting the Supreme Council to run our 2016 dues bills next week. I try to do it early, as with 105 Valleys in the Northern Masonic Jurisdiction and most of us having our years end at the same time, there can be a 'traffic jam' so to speak in getting our bills out to you.

As always, PLEASE wait until you receive your dues bill in the mail to pay your dues and REMEMBER to include your bill with your check when paying your dues. I know our online banking folks cannot do that and that's okay, BUT, PLEASE remember to put both your name and your 9-digit member number (it's on your dues card) as your account number on the check. If your bank won't allow both, PLEASE be sure to include your member number!

Speaking of dues cards; all of you should have the silver credit card-style dues card. This is your 'permanent' dues card. You will not receive another. Unless of course you've lost it and then all you have to do is call or email me and I will order you another post haste. Do NOT misunderstand the word 'permanent.' It doesn't mean that you no longer have to pay your dues (with exception of life members).

Now, for those that still haven't paid your 2015 dues; pay them soon or you will find yourself owing two years dues and in danger of being suspended after the May Annual Meeting. We don't want that and hope you don't either.

Of course you can also go to the Supreme Council web site (www.scottishritenmj.org) and pay your dues by credit card as well. Be advised that when you do that, the Supreme Council does deduct the amount of the credit card processing fee from your dues,thus giving the Valley, YOUR Valley, less money. If you do plan to pay by credit card, PLEASE wait until you receive your actual bill to do so. That is your guarantee that our new dues rate has been posted and you're not paying short a few bucks. Thank you.

And as always, PLEASE remember the ever dreaded word, 'Assessment' on your dues bill, is NOT, I repeat, NOT some evil conspiracy to extract money from you! No, it's not. It is your dues to the Supreme Council. Plain and simple. Just as your Lodge must pay dues to the Grand Lodge for you, we must pay them to Supreme Council. If you pay only the Valley dues, you will receive a second notice for the 'Assessment.'

And lastly, REMEMBER, we raised our dues at the Annual Meeting. You were there. You voted for it. If you weren't there; don't look at me. You had a chance to voice your opinion, you chose not to. Our 2016 dues will be $99. That breaks down as $72 for the Valley of Philadelphia (remember, you're paying for 4 Bodies!) and $27 for the Supreme Council.

Okay, so that wasn't totally, 'lastly.' If you find that paying your dues might be a difficulty; call me. We can work out a payment plan that works for you. 215-563-1814. Really. Call me. I'm a nice guy, despite this new 'nickname' that has arisen lately. We can make it work for you.

As the Summer season begins

Dear Brethren and Friends:

Have you seen our new Valley web site yet? If not, surf on over and give it a look today. www.philascottishrite.org

The new site features a "Contact" page that allows you to communicate directly with the Valley by email. "Announcements" brings you up to date about upcoming Valley activities and events and provides the opportunity to order tickets for those functions. 

Our site still features a downloadable petition for interested Master Masons. Our "Officers" page has been condensed to show only our Presiding Officers, Valley Secretary and Treasurer.  The Valley's "Calendar" is still there bringing you all the dates regarding the Valley's activities and meetings as well as dates for activities throughout Pennsylvania Freemasonry and all the Holidays too!

Check it out!

Our NEW Commander-in-Chief, Ill. Clayton Melson, 33 MSA, has announced that our 2015 Fall Reunion will be held to honor our Veterans. All Valley Veterans are asked to send in their name, rank and branch of service. This information will be published in the 2015 Fall Class Reunion booklet.

Speaking of the "Honoring Our Veterans Class," they will begin their Scottish Rite journey on Friday evening, October 16, 2015. That evening the 4th Degree, "Master Traveler" will be presented by a Cast made up of members of the 2015 Spring Class. Bro. Brian Skoff, 32, Degree Master will soon announce the Cast Kick-Off meeting at which time the parts will be assigned to those Brethren that expressed interest in taking part. 

The October 16th meeting will include the 14th Degree, "Grand Elect Mason" presented by the Officers of Philadelphia Lodge of Perfection. The evening will round out with the conferral of the new 31st Degree ritual, "My Brother's Keeper." This new Degree will be conferred by a Cast of Valley members who are also members of Thomson Lodge No. 340.

Lodge Casts are an exciting new opportunity for Valley Brethren to get involved. So far we've had a Degree presented by a Cast of Valley Brethren from Cassia -Mount Horeb Lodge No. 273 and Jerusalem Lodge No. 506. Casts of Brethren from Concordia Lodge No. 67 and St. Johns Lodge No. 115 are in the works, as well as one made up of Valley Brethren who are also members of the Pennsylvania Shield and Square Club. If you are interested in getting a Cast together from your home Lodge, call the Scottish Rite Office at 215-563-1814 for more information.

The 2015 Fall Reunion continues on Friday, November 20th when the 15th Degree, "Knight of the East" and the 18th Degree, "Knight of Rose Croix," will be presented by the Officers of DeJoinville Council, Princes of Jerusalem and Kilwinning Chapter of Rose Croix respectively.

Speaking of our Valley's Bodies, if you were at the Annual Meeting this past May 15th, you no doubt noticed that our Lodge of Perfection, Council of Princes of Jerusalem and Chapter of Rose Croix lines have grown in size. Our Officer Selection and Officers Education Committees took notice of how many "unattached" Brethren attend our annual Officers Training Conference each year and go home empty handed. Not wanting to let their enthusiasm for getting involved and being an active part of the Valley, go to waste, the Committees decided to give these Brethren an opportunity to join one of the lines in newly created roles of Guards (Lodge of Perfection), Satraps (Council of Princes of Jerusalem) or Acolytes (Chapter of Rose Croix). These new appointments will give these Brethren the opportunity to be a part of the Line's Degree conferrals and to prepare themselves for an eventual journey through the actual line of the Body.

Our Fall Reunion will conclude on Friday, December 18, 2015. That evening Benjamin Franklin Consistory will present the 32nd Degree, "Sublime Prince of the Royal Secret." This will be the only Degree shown that evening. As our Class is named in honor of Veterans, we have a few special surprises in store to recognize this honor. First up, the reigning Miss Philadelphia, Julia Rae Schucter will be in attendance. She will sing "God Bless America" accompanied by a military color guard to kick off the evening; and remain with the Valley Ladies after dinner to discuss her program during her term as Miss Philadelphia. After the Degree conferral, Brother and General Wesley Craig,  US Army (retired) will address the Class and Valley members. Should be a fantastic evening!

We're headed back to the Canstatter for the Valley's Annual Family Summer Picnic! 

The Picnic sponsored by DeJoinville Council, Princes of Jerusalem, will happen on Saturday, August 1, 2015. The day begins at 12 PM in the Canstatter's picnic grove. Lunch and Dinner will be served for the price of $15 for those 13 years of age and older and $10 for those 12 and under.

There will be games for the kids and activities for everyone who wants to participate throughout the day.

See the May issue of THE DOUBLE EAGLE for a ticket order form or you can visit the "Announcements" page on the Valley web site (http://www.philascottishrite.org/announcements.htmlhttp://www.philascottishrite.org/announcements.html) to download one.

Valley members are encouraged to invite their non-Scottish Rite Masonic friends, who can come for FREE. Our Membership Team will be on hand to offer them a brief program on the Valley and the Ancient Accepted Scottish Rite. Your Masonic friend's family are welcome too for the admission price.

Everyone who attended last year had a great time. Don't miss this NEW Valley tradition!

May the Grand Architect continue to watch over and bless each of you and your families.