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.