Special 14° Ring Ceremony
in Billings, Montana
Photo: Glenn A. Hacker, 33°,
Secretary, Valley of Western Montana
During the Third Annual Statewide Scottish Rite Reunion,
held in the Valley of Billings, Montana, October 1-2,
2004, Grand Commander Ronald A. Seale, 33°, had the
pleasure of participating in an impromptu ceremony to
present the 14° ring to Bro. Billy Angel, the Exemplar
of the Degree and one of the Candidates at the Reunion
from the Valley of Western Montana. Pictured above (l.
to r.) at the ceremony are: Bro. Robert B. Benson, 32°,
Worshipful Master of Kalispell Lodge #42, Kalispell,
Montana, where Bro. Angel resides; Jack D. Rehberg, 33°,
SGIG in Montana and Grand Almoner of the Supreme Council;
Grand Commander Seale; Bro. Angel with his wife, Lacie;
and Bro. Philip W. Blaisdell, KCCH, a member of the Valley
of Western Montana.
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Congressman
Ruppersberger, 33°, Honored
for Creating “Operation Hero Miles”
On
October 6, 2004, in a special ceremony in Baltimore,
U.S. Congressman from Maryland C. A. “Dutch” Ruppersberger,
33°, received awards from the Better Business Bureau
of Greater Maryland and the Maryland National Guard for
his work creating “Operation
Hero Miles.”
Congressman Ruppersberger created “Operation
Hero Miles” to allow Americans a way to help our
men and women in uniform serving their country in Iraq
and
Afghanistan. The program allows travelers to donate their
unused frequent flyer miles, and troops can use them
to fly home for free. Illustrious Ruppersberger, Valley
of Baltimore, Maryland, started the program after visiting
Baltimore/Washington International Airport and learning
that troops were dropped off at the airport and forced
to pay their own way home. More than 540 million miles
were donated—enoughfor 22,000 free trips home. The
overwhelming
support of this program helped persuade Congress to pay
for these domestic flights for the troops. The program
was expanded to allow family members of wounded troops
to get free plane tickets to visit their loved ones at
military hospitals around the world.
Congratulations Brother Ruppersberger!
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Bradley County, Tennessee, Scottish Rite
Americanism Awards Banquet
The Bradley County Scottish Rite Club
Americanism Awards Banquet was held May 11, 2004, at
Ryan’s Steakhouse
in Cleveland, Tennessee. All students and teachers invited
to the banquet received savings bonds or gift certificates.
Food for all the guests and their families was paid for
by the Club. Pictured (l. to r. standing) are: Bro. Bruce
R. Bancroft, 32°, Club President and Americanism
Chairman, Valley of Chattanooga; William Scott Murphy,
runner-up and recipient of a $300 U.S. Savings Bond representing
Bradley Central High School; Ryan Ogle, runner-up and
recipient of a $300 U.S. Savings Bond representing Bradley
Central High School; Trey Bradshaw, winner of a $400
U.S. Savings Bond representing Walker Valley High School;
Bro. Ronald D. Oslin, KCCH, Master of Ceremonies and
Club Representative from Chattanooga Consistory. Seated
(l. to r.) are Kayla Carroll, winner of a $400 U.S. Savings
Bond representing Bradley Central High School; Emmy Finnell,
winner of a $400 U.S. Savings Bond representing Cleveland
High School; Kayla Marie Mikel, runner-up and recipient
of a $300 U.S. Savings Bond representing Walker Valley
High School. Matthew Park, overall winner of a $500 U.S.
Savings Bond, representing Walker Valley High School,
is not pictured. Teachers, also not pictured, receiving
$100 gift certificates each from Proffitts in Bradley
Square Mall are: Mrs. Sandra Higgins, Bradley Central
High School; Mrs. Wanda Dent, Cleveland High School;
and Mrs. Nicole Gober, Walker Valley High School.
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Lafayette
College Choir Performs
at the House of the Temple
Lafayette College Choir performs in the
Atrium of the House of the Temple in Washington, D.C.
Members of the Lafayette College Choir from Easton,
Pennsylvania, sang in the Atrium of the House of the
Temple in Washington,
D.C., Saturday, October 9. Before visiting the House
of the Temple, Director Nina Gilbert led her students
in a study unit about Freemasonry, which concluded with
a tour of the Headquarters by the Scottish Rite Interns.
The choir itself has two ties to Masonry. First, Lafayette
College is named for the Marquis de Lafayette, an American
Revolutionary war hero and Mason. Additionally, the Choir's
performance included a setting of "Cantate Domino" by
Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart, also a Mason.
The Lafayette College Choir poses with the sphinx "Wisdom"
on the front steps of the House of the Temple.
After the conclusion of an excellent program, Gilbert
praised the Atrium's architecture. It "is such a
magnificent space," Gilbert said. "It's spacious,
dignified and intimate at the same time. We felt that
the spirit of the room welcomed us. Acoustically, the
room seemed to sing along with our music."
For more information about the Lafayette College Choir,
please visit http://ww2.lafayette.edu/~choirs.
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Ill.
Billy J. Beatty Receives Missouri’s
Highest Masonic Honor
At
the 183rd Annual Communication of the Grand Lodge of
Missouri, held in Columbia on September
27, 2004,
MWB Stanley M. Thompson, KCCH, Grand Master, awarded
the Harry S. Truman Medal of Honor for 2004 to Billy
Joe Beatty, 33°, Valley of Joplin, Missouri (right
in photo). The medal is the highest recognition the Grand
Master can
bestow on a Missouri Mason, and it is awarded each year
to only one Mason for “Distinguished Service to
Freemasonry.” MWB Earl K. Dille, 33°, SGIG
in Missouri (left in photo), made the presentation.
Brother Bill, a Past Master of Joplin
Lodge #335, joined the Joplin Masonic Lodge in 1968 and
has received numerous
honor awards from the various branches of Freemasonry
for his dedication to and hard work for the Craft.
He also enjoys his woodworking shop where he has either
restored or created dozens of articles for various
Masonic
Lodges throughout the state as well as for the Grand
Lodge headquarters in Columbia.
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Grand
Commander Seale Inducted
into York Rite College
Following his induction into the York
Rite College during a meeting in Maggie Valley, North
Carolina, of the Great
Smokies Assembly of York Rite Masons, on July 12, 2004,
Grand Commander Ronald A. Seale, 33°, enjoyed fellowship
with the Brethren. He is pictured above (center) with
Brother James R. Fuller, 33° (left) and Robert G.
Officer, KCCH, both from the Valley of Chattanooga, Tennessee.
Grand Commander Seale addressed the Assembly, giving
an impressive speech on the direction of Freemasonry
in the Southern Jurisdiction.
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