In a new DVD “Beyond the Movie: Troy,” National
Geographic takes an inside look at the ancient myths and
unsolved mysteries that inspired the
block-buster film Troy. Through dramatic recreations, interviews and expert analysis,
the film traces thousands of years of storytelling to the people, places, and
events behind what has been called the greatest love story ever told and the
most sweeping war epic in history.
Was there a great Trojan War? Was it a battle over love
or commerce, and what ultimately destroyed this once great
city? Some questions have already been answered,
but even more have yet to be revealed. One thing is certain: the story Homer
told thousands of years ago appears to be based upon more than the imagination
of a mere poet.
But how is ancient Troy recreated in modern Washington?
With its soaring marble columns and broad staircase, the
Scottish Rite Temple was the perfect Trojan
Palace. Asking to bring technicians, actors, camera cranes, and props into
this magnificent temple was going to be a challenge, but according to producer,
Tim
Baney, “Rear Admiral William G. Sizemore and the men at the Scottish
Rite Temple could not possibly have been nicer, more accommodating, or more
interested
in our project.”
On a cold December weekend, battle scenes were staged outside
of the temple on the huge stairs (photo left) leading up
to the main entrance to the House
of
the Temple while King Priam and Helen of Troy mourned the death of Prince
Paris in a stunning recreation set in the Temple Room. The DVD includes
a bonus feature, “Recreating
Troy: Behind the Scenes with National Geographic,” which provides
a rare look at the transformation that brought ancient Troy to life.
“Beyond the Movie: Troy” is available now where DVDs are sold, online
at shopngvideos.com, or by calling 1-800-627-5162.
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Mississippi’s
Magnolia Speech School
Thanks Scottish Rite
Ill. Bros. Howard E. Kerce, SGIG in Mississippi
(left), and Kenneth W. Van Buren, Valley of Jackson, Mississippi,
visit with children supported by the Scottish Rite Foundation
of Mississippi at Magnolia Speech School, a beneficiary
of the RiteCare Childhood Language Program, in Jackson.
Over the past 30 years, Mississippi’s Scottish Rite Masons have provided
approximately $500,000 in financial support for the treatment of children by
the Magnolia Speech School in Jackson. This is in addition to innumerable hours
of volunteer assistance by Scottish Rite Brethren and their ladies. The school
is one of three RiteCare Childhood Language Program facilities in Mississippi.
The other two are in Columbus. Inspector Kerce and Ill. Van Buren (left and right,
respectively, in photo) are longtime members of the Magnolia Speech School’s
Board of Directors and very proud to assist in the partnership of the Scottish
Rite Foundation of Mississippi and the school in helping the Magnolia State’s
children to speak, to hear, and to understand.
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Symphonia Masonica
In
a historic move, the Board of General Purposes of the Grand
Lodge of Alberta, Canada, has approved the commissioning
of George Blondheim and Bernard Zolner, two well-known Canadian
composers and producers, to compose a three-movement Masonic
symphony called Symphonia Masonica.
his symphony, which
is intended to be a musical interpretation of the Three Degrees
of Freemasonry, will be performed by the Edmonton Symphony
Orchestra at the beautiful Winspear Theatre in Edmonton on
June 12, 2004, after the Grand Lodge Annual Communication
is completed.
George Blondheim is well known in the North
American music scene for his production of the musical scores
to some eight
different movies including the Hollywood hit The Jewel of
the Nile and the Canadian produced box office hit Bye Bye
Blues. In television, he is known for his production of the
music for “Da Vinci’s Inquest” and the
Vicki Gabereau show. George Blondheim and Bernard Zolner
recently received worldwide acclaim for their production
of the music associated with the NHL’s Heritage Classic
outdoor hockey game.
The Symphonia Masonica will be a multimedia
production with Alberta Masons providing a narrative to explain
the purposes
and principles of Ancient, Free and Accepted Masons. A “big
screen” is planned so that a continuous collage of
images can pass before the audience telling the story of
Freemasonry. All the foregoing is intended to accent the
accomplished musicians of the Edmonton Symphony Orchestra
conducted by George Blondheim. Since the performance will
be filmed and recorded, a television release and the sale
of CDs and DVDs is contemplated after a North American tour
is completed.
For those who are interested and able to travel
to Edmonton, the tickets, priced at $40 and $60, are available
now through
the Winspear Centre in three ways
(a) (780) 428-1414 [Edmonton local number]
(b) (800) 563-5081 [Toll Free Number] or
(c) online at http:/www.winspearcentre.com.
For everyone else who might be interested
but cannot attend, also, now available, online are some quality
memorabilia
of this event. This memorabilia is being marketed through
Linshaw Enterprises Inc. for the secure website but
all item processing will be done by the enthusiastic and
dedicated Brethren of Square and Level Holdings, who
are working
so
hard to make this event a success. This is a great
way to support the efforts of these Brethren if you are not
able
to attend the concert. It is anticipated that after
the
concert both CDs and DVDs of the event will be available.
When this
occurs they will also be available on the Linshaw Webstore.
The Linshaw Webstore is at:
http://www.linshaw.ca/cgi-sys/mivavm?Merchant2/merchant.mvc
PLEASE NOTE: If you purchase
Linshaw products in the same order, it will be processed
separately.
Finally, the Masonic contact for Symphonia
Masonica is VW Bro. Cam Mackay [Square and Level Holdings]
at (780)
455-0485;
fax (780) 447-5853; mackaylaw@hotmail.com, who
will
be pleased to answer questions and take orders
for memorabilia.
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Premier Convention of Masonic Magicians
The Invisible Lodge,
a club of Masonic Magicians formed in 1953, will hold its
first convention August 12–14,
2004, in Ft. Smith, Arkansas. The Invisible Lodge normally
holds meetings at magic conventions around the world, but
this year President John K. Miller, 32, of Irving, Texas,
decided it was time to organize the first Invisible Lodge “KonKlave.” Pioneer
television magician, Mark Wilson, while not a Mason himself,
will be honored for his lifetime achievement in magic.
Also to be honored is Bro. Merril Lee Grabel, 32°,
a part of the “Royal Dynasty of Magic,” which
started with Bro. Alexander Hermann, “Hermann the
Great” He passed his mantle to Bro. Harry L. Kellar,
32°, who passed it on to Bro. Howard F. Thurston, 32°,
he to Bro. Herman Jansen, “Dante the Magician,” he
to Bro. Lee Grabel, and Bro. Grabel passed the mantel on
to Lance Burton. The convention will feature contests,
magic dealers, public shows, and lectures on magic, including
one on the Faro Shuffle by S. Brent Morris, G.C., Director
of Membership Development for the Supreme Council, S.J..
For more information on this unique event, contact Bill
Pitts, General Chairman, 1200 North 55th Terrace, Ft. Smith,
AR 72904, 479-484-7512, bandrpitts@aol.com, or Roger Miller,
Registration Chairman, rogerrx@magician.org
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Knights of the Double Eagle in Orlando
The recent 2004
Leadership Conferences sponsored by the Supreme Council
had the theme “Things That Work.” The
Knights of the Double Eagle in the Valley of Orlando, Florida,
is certainly an example of a program that works. It encourages
volunteers and rewards them for attending Stated Meetings
and Reunions, serving as officers in the Bodies and clubs
of the Valley, or taking part in Degree Teams and committees.
Enthusiasm really builds as volunteers, whatever their
cap color, earn points toward their Double Eagle Award.
Points
are posted before each meeting, and Brothers crowd around
to check on how many points they received for their last
activity. February 27, 2004, was a very special night at
the Orlando Scottish Rite Masonic Center because it was
the first annual Knights of the Double Eagle Award
Program. After
a delicious dinner with a patriotic theme, Ill. Robert
L. Goldsmith, Grand Minister of State of the Supreme
Council
and SGIG in Florida, officiated at a colorful ceremony
where 70 deserving recipients were dubbed Knights of
the Double
Eagle (photo above). Congratulations to all!
Submitted by Ill. Keith
W. Albright
General Secretary, Valley of Orlando
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Baptist Church Children Visit
House of the Temple
On May 26, 2004, Joan K. Sansbury, Librarian/Curator of
the Library of the Supreme Council, continued her outreach
to the local Washington, D.C., community. Mrs. Sansbury (right
above) invited 12 two-year-old students and three teachers
from the Child Development Class of the First Baptist Church
of the District of Columbia to visit the Library and enjoy
a short entertaining program, accompanied by light refreshments
and a brief tour of the House of the Temple. Above, Ill.
S. Brent Morris, Grand Cross, Director of Membership Development,
entertains the children by twisting balloons into various
shapes. In this case, a bee is taking form. On other similar
occasions, Dr. Morris, who is an amateur magician, has performed
magic tricks.
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Vocabulary Contest for
Masonic Youth Groups
As a way to benefit the members of Masonic
youth groups, Bro. Marion P. George, KCCH, Valley of Birmingham,
Alabama, developed the novel concept of a vocabulary contest
with cash awards. He points out that there are few in-hand
rewards for academic excellence available to high school
students. Consequently, this program awards cash to individuals
and trophies to their sponsoring organizations. With a scholarship,
the recipient passes the money along, but in this contest,
the participants get cash to use as they wish. This approach
not only teaches vocabulary but also instills in each participant
a healthy sense of competition and the personal profit, as
well as responsibility, it can bring. Brittany Pratt, for
instance, donated half of her first-place winnings to charity.
After submitting their applications, participants are given
six months to study. The focus of this contest was on words
that begin with the letter A. The next contest will be devoted
to words that begin with the letter E. With the help of many
Brethren and their ladies, Bro. George now administers the
event through Dinar Grotto. For more information, e-mail
Bro. George at patgeorge@bham.rr.com
Marion
P. George, Jr., KCCH (right above), receives congratulations
from Frank W. Little,
R.W. Senior
Grand Warden, Grand Lodge of Alabama, on the success of Dinar
Grotto’s vocabulary contest, which is limited to participants
from Masonic youth groups. Bros. George and Little, both
members of the Valley of Birmingham, Alabama, are pictured
here with the 2003 contest winners (l. to r.): Brittany Pratt,
First Place ($500 cash award), Pleasant Grove Rainbow Chapter
#82; Cameron Griggs, Second Place ($250), Birmingham DeMolay
Chapter; and Jessica Barnett, Third Place ($125), also of
Pleasant Grove Rainbow Chapter #82.
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JROTC/ROTC
Awards in West Virginia
The Scottish Rite’s Education and Americanism Award
for JROTC and ROTC Cadets continues to be very popular. As
an example, on February 5, 2004, Lt. Col. Steven H. Burgh,
USAF (Ret.), Aerospace Science Instructor, presented the
honor (which consists of a certificate, medal, and ribbon)
to Cadet SMSgt Robert A. Stanley (photo above). Cadet Stanley
is a student at Cabell Midland High School, Midland, West
Virginia, and the presentation was made at a Military Ball
and Awards Banquet held at American Legion Post 177 in Midland.
For more information on the Southern Jurisdiction’s
JROTC or ROTC program, please contact your Valley Secretary.
Inquiries from the Northern Masonic Jurisdiction should be
directed to the Grand Executive Director’s Office,
202-232-3579, Ext. 121.
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