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Ancient Accepted Scottish Rite, Valley of Toledo

July 2009

The Valley of Toledo Annual Picnic will be held on Saturday, July 25, 2009 at the Browning Masonic Community in Waterville, Ohio.

This year the Cruise In will be back. The last time the Cruise In was held at Browning there were over 200 cars on display. The Farmers Flea Market will be there also.

There is no charge for tickets for the Chicken Dinners and Ice Cream for Valley Members and their immediate families. However, advance reservations are a must.

Tickets will be mailed upon receipt of your reservation. There will be no Tickets distributed at the picnic. Cut off date for reservations is Monday July 20th.

Valley Picnic to be Held July 25th

Annual Summer Picnic Reservation FormPlease reserve __________ meals for the Annual Valley of Toledo Picnic to be held at the Browning Masonic Community in Waterville, OH on Saturday July 25th

Name: _________________________________________Send to:32º Freemasons AASR Valley of Toledo • 1720 Indian Wood Circle Ste E • Maumee, OH 43537

There will be pony rides and other games for the kids and a relaxing atmosphere for everyone to catch up on old times and make some new acquaintances.

The event will start at 9:00AM and last until 3:00PM. We will begin serving at 11:30AM and stop serving at 1:30PM. Please feel free to come and go at your leisure.

In order to plan for food quantities please make your reservations as early as possible. You can make your reservations on the Valley website at www.toledoaasr.com, send in the reservation form below, or call the office at 419-893-2942.

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From The Desk of the Executive SecretaryMy comments this month are the same as last month and focus on the Fall Reunion. Now I realize that as I write this article it is July. So why focus on the “Fall” Reunion? The answer is really very simple. It is going to be an exceptional Reunion and I want everyone to be thinking about it, talking about it and asking brothers who do not belong to join.

The class namesake is Illustrious and Most Worshipful Brother Charles R. Murphy, 33º Grand Master of Masons in Ohio. I feel certain that there will be a good number of brethren who would like to be a part of the class named in his honor. All you have to do is spread the word and ask brothers to join and I think you will be surprised at the positive response you will get.

The Reunion will take place over two different weekends. The first weekend will be Friday October 30th and Saturday October 31st. Friday the 30th will be the Agape dinner in the evening hosted by the Knights of Saint Andrew. This is social evening which allows for the candidates, their sponsors and the Valley of Toledo Officers to meet in a relaxed atmosphere and share information about the Scottish Rite and the Valley of Toledo.

On Saturday October 31st the Valley will confer the 4º, 8º, 23º, and 29º in the Stranahan Theater. We will have a guest speaker for lunch, recognize our new 50 and 60 year award recipients and also recognize those who have attained a new level for membership

jewels. As this is Halloween we will be finished for the day by 3:00 PM so everyone can go home and be with their families.

Saturday November 14th will be a day for all to remember. We will open Consistory in the Stranahan Theater at 10:00 AM and confer the 31º/32º. All Valleys’ in the Northern Masonic Jurisdiction will be doing the same. While we are doing the degree conferral there will be entertainment for the ladies. Then at 12:00 PM we will assemble in the Great Hall for a Reunion Banquet complete with live entertainment

by Rag Time Rick and the Chef’s of Dixieland.

At 2:00 PM we will return to the Stranahan Theater with our ladies for a tribute to our Military Service

Men and Women and all Veterans. We will

then enjoy the Randy Riggles Nostalgia show. Randy is a Las Vegas entertainer and he also travels the country putting on his show in venues such as ours.

Brethren, this is going to be a Reunion you don’t want to miss. I encourage each of you to mark your calendars now and plan to attend. I also encourage you to reach out and ask those brothers who do not belong to get their petitions going. We are hoping for a class of 150 and the cut off for petitions to be received is September 30th.

SPES MEA IN DEO EST

Published by the32° FREEMASONS,Valley of ToledoAncient Accepted Scottish Rite

Mail address:32º Freemasonry AASR Valley of Toledo 1720 Indian Wood Circle Suite EMaumee OH 43537

Phone: 419.893.2942Fax: 419.893.2962E-mail:deputyrep@toledoaasr.comsecretary@toledoaasr.comkaren@toledoaasr.compamela@toledoaasr.com

Editor:Gary L. McElfresh, 33°

Design/LayoutDavid L. Olmstead, 33°

Contributing Reporter:Gary L. McElfresh, 33°Douglas W. King, 33º

Membership Development:Michael A. Lake, 32°

Photography:Richard L. Davis, 32° M.S.A.James R. Weyer, 32°

Trustees:Robert C. Rill Jr., 33°Nicholas J. Stroh, 33º Larry E. Ellison, 33°Dennis L. Wilhelm, Sr., 32°Douglas W. King, 33ºWilliam H. Koon II, 33°Gregory L. Zook, 32°James A. Foote, 33°

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4Visit our new web site at www.toledoaasr.com for event information and registration

“Newton’s Declaration of Principals”

A name now unfamiliar to most Freemasons, Joseph Fort Newton (1880 – 1950) was a Colossus of Twentieth Century American Freemasonry. A Baptist minister by profession, Newton joined the lodge as soon as he was old enough to do so. Newton’s enthusiasm for the Craft was truly existential in its nature. During the Civil War, Newton’s father, Lee Newton, a Confederate Mason, was captured and interned in a Union camp in Illinois. Disease swept the camp and his father was near death. The camp commander, also a Mason, took him into his own home and nursed him back to health. At the end of the War, the Union commander gave Lee the essentials of the day - money, a horse and a gun - and saw him safely on his way to his home in Texas. Young Newton grew up hearing this story as family folklore. As Allen E. Roberts notes: “If a brother Mason hadn’t saved the life of the father there would have been no son.”

Newton went on to became the Grand Chaplin of the Grand Lodge of Iowa and the author two seminal Masonic works: The Builders (1914) and The Men’s House (1923). Always concerned with the intellectual development of Masons, Newton in 1915 helped create the foremost Masonic publication of its day, The Builder Magazine, which ran until the Great Depression. In his preface to its first edition, Newton expressed in bold terms his concept of the Fraternity. Newton began by drawing an immediate contrast between those who created the publication and the frenetic fraternalism of his day that was as much a business enterprise as anything else:

Let it be said once for all that this movement has back of it no motive of personal aggrandizement, much less of pecuniary profit. Instead of trying to make money out of Masonry, the founders of [the magazine] are putting time, money and energy into it, thinking little and caring less of any returns other than to find the truth and tell it. They have no axe to grind, no vanity to vent, no fad to air. Were it possible, they would prefer to remain unnamed, and be known only by their work - - like the old cathedral builders, whose labors live but whose names are lost. Their solitary aim is to diffuse Masonic light and understanding, and thus to extend the influence and power of this, the greatest order of men upon the earth.

Newton’s conception of the Fraternity was certainly out of step with the majority of his fraternal peers, something much more than “a mere collection of social and faintly beneficent clubs”. Instead, Newton’s vision of the Craft soars: “Masonry is a form of the Divine life upon the earth, an order of men initiated, sworn and trained to make righteousness, sweet reasonableness and the will of God prevail.” Newton described the Fraternity as “a great liberalizing and humanizing fraternity whose mission it is to soften prejudice, to refine thought and sympathy and service, and so help to prepare the race for a nobler manhood and a juster and more merciful social order.” From the pen of a lesser intellect, such words would be mere hyperbole. From Newton, however, such sentiments are pure expressions of an inner man steeped in notions of the

Continued on page 4

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Valley Office is Updating

Fraternity as more than a mere collection of words and forms. And refreshingly absent from Newton’s thought is the modern angst over the religious identity of the Fraternity. Newton’s religious faith was more than second nature to him; it was first nature and informed and infused his understanding of the Craft. There is perhaps no better retort to the religious charges of anti-Masons than the unapologetic words of this renown Baptist minister.

If Newton were alive today, he would be amazed by our technological and material progress. Doubtless, however, he would recognize the current state of Masonic education as having changed little from

“Newton’s Declaration of Principals” Continued from page 3

his day. For those in every generation who seek more light, Newton’s preface concludes with an ongoing exhortation for self-improvement:

Hence their honorable ambition for [the Fraternity’s] service, not only by interpreting it to the world at large, but by broadening and deepening the interest of Masons themselves in the faith, philosophy, history and practical aims of the fraternity. Surely such a labor may well appeal to men who would fain serve their fellows, and do a little good before they die.

Military Records/FilesWe are asking all Military Veterans and those who may be currently serving to send in their Service Information. Branch of Service – Years Served – Rank attained and any other information you might feel per-tinent. This information is necessary not only to update our Valley files but is needed for future programming. We thank you in advance for your timely consideration of this matter.

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Fireland Scottish Rite Association held Annual Meeting, Robert Bickley InstalledOn April 30, 2009 the Firelands Scottish Rite Association held its Annual Meeting and Election of Officers. Bernie Welniak, High Priest of Northern Light Council Princes of Jerusalem installed the new Officers who are: President Robert Bickley, 1st Vice President Dave Knoll, 3rd Vice President Leroy Stober and Secretary/Treasurer Nelson Green. (The 2nd Vice President seat is unoccupied at this time). Guest Speaker for the evening was Author Debbie Alferio.

Allen County Scottish Rite Association Celebrates 100 YearsThe annual meeting of the Allen County Scottish Rite Association held on Saturday May 9, 2009 was a celebration of their 100th Anniversary. The event was held at the Ohio Northern University Event Center in Lima Ohio. The Association which borders the Valley of Toledo and the Valley of Dayton always has a good turn out. There were 16 Officers and their Ladies from the Valley of Toledo in attendance. The new Officers for the Association elected and Installed were David P. Jay President, Bernard J. Gehle Vice President and Ill. Brother David A. Huckeriede, 33º Secretary Treasurer. The entertainment for the evening was a play “Charlie Brown” put on by some of the young Actors and Actresses from a local Playhouse. To coin an old phrase “A good time was had by all”.

Take the Tidings Quiz!

What’s the web site to use to register for Valley events?

1.

What’s the title of one of the books that the guest

2. speaker at the upcoming reunion wrote?

What day is the Alphabet Scramble going to be

3. held on?

Who was the author of 4.

The Men’s House?

What is designed to be Inspirational, Convenient, and

5. Enjoyable?

Bonus Points • The first reader to email to the correct responses

to these questions to Gary will be taken to lunch. Look for the

winner’s name to be included in next issue of the Tidings. Who

knows, it could be you!

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This year’s Fall Reunion should prove to be one of the best ever. The Board of Trustees for the Valley of Toledo has approved an Agenda that should prove to be Inspirational, Convenient, and Enjoyable.

For starters the Fall Reunion Class has been named in honor of Ill. and Most Worshipful Brother Charles. R. Murphy, 33º. Ill. and MWB Murphy is a Past Thrice Potent Master of Mi-A-Mi Lodge of Perfection and is currently serving the Valley as Hospitaler.

There will be an Agape Dinner on Friday evening October 30th for the candidates, their mentors and officers of the Valley. Saturday October 31st finds the Valley conferring the 4º, 8º, 23º and 29º. We will have a guest Speaker B r o t h e r S t e p h e n Defoe who will do a presentation on the K n i g h t s Templar. We will be done in plenty of time for everyone to get home in time to enjoy friends and family for Halloween.

Fall Reunion Re-Designed to beInspirational, Convenient, and Enjoyable

Then on Saturday November 14, 2009 we will open Consistory at 10:00 AM and confer the 31º and 32º degrees. While we are doing that there will be entertainment for the ladies.

At 12:00 PM (High Twelve) we will assemble in the Great Hall for a large banquet complete with live entertainment by Rag Time Rick and the Chef’s of Dixieland.

At 2:00 PM we will assemble in the Stranahan Theater for a tribute to our Military Service Men and Women and all veterans.

We will then enjoy entertainment by Randy Riggles – a Las Vegas

entertainer who will do his nostalgia show. Randy has performed for

several Valleys’ in the State where he has been well received and comes highly recommended.

My brothers, it doesn’t get much better than this. Fun, food, fellowship and all the good things that go with being a Scottish Rite Mason. Please use the petition which can be found in this issue of the Tidings and encourage a brother mason to join.

Our goal for the fall reunion is two fold:

1). We hope to have a class of 150 candidates and

2). We would love to see some of our brothers who we have not seen for awhile.

Please mark your calendars and plan to attend the fall reunion.

Ill. & Most Worshipful Brother Charles. R. Murphy, 33º

Randy Riggles, Entertainer

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10Visit our new web site at www.toledoaasr.com for event information and registration

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The Northwest Ohio State of the Rite Committee consisting of Past and Present Grand Officers of the area’s Grand Lodge, Grand Chapter, Grand Council and Grand Commandery along with leaders of the Ancient Accepted Scottish Rite, Valley of Toledo, will be implementing a plan in 2009 to encourage Master Masons to join both the Scottish and York Rites.

An attractive, colorful inch and a quarter lapel pin have been commissioned to be given to candidates belonging to both Rites at the Valley of Toledo’s upcoming Fall Reunion and the Northwest Ohio York Rite Festival which was held on May 9, 2009.

The round pin has the Lodge, Chapter, Council, Commandery and Scottish Rite emblems in the center with the words “Working Together As A Masonic Family” around the outside edge.

To qualify for the free pin, candidates must show evidence of membership in the Rite they have previously joined. For example, if a candidate at the York Rite Festival shows his dues card from the Valley of Toledo, he will receive his pin following the Commandery Orders.

New Program Aimed at More Men Belonging to Both Masonic Rites

Likewise, if a candidate joins the Valley of Toledo and can display his

Council and Commandery dues cards, he will also be issued a free pin following the Thirty-second Degree.

Members belonging to both Rites prior to the festival and reunion will be able

to purchase pins for $5 by displaying their current Scottish

Rite, Council & Commandery dues cards. The pins will be available

for sale prior to and at the festival and reunion.

Pins may be ordered and sent through the U.S. mail for an additional $2 shipping and handling fee.

The Northwest Ohio State of the Rite Committee was formed more than 15 years ago by Raymond “Gene” Loose and Robert D. Sager, to promote a better relationship between the two Rites in Northwest Ohio. Recent projects of the committee in previous years included distributing free planning calendars to Worshipful Masters elect throughout Ohio.

For additional information and to order pins by mail contact: Ron Pool, 1075 Halbedel Drive, Upper Sandusky OH 43351, Phone 419-294-2751.

What could we do to help you get more out of your Scottish Rite experience?

Drop us a line, an email, a letter, or come by the Valley Office and talk it over while you play a game of pool.

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Knights of Saint Andrew

The Knights of St. Andrew on Pilgramage Members of the Toledo Chapter of the Knights of Saint Andrew are taking their organization on the road by sending a dispensation to each Valley in Ohio which portrays their namesake 29th Degree, Knight of Saint Andrew. In December, 4 members traveled to Youngstown to witness the 29th Degree in the historic Youngstown Temple. Many of our hosts were very curious about the organization (and our awesome glengarries) and we gladly shared with them the purposes of our Order. In May, 5 members traveled to Newark, Ohio, to witness the Degree (and others) at a Valley of Columbus Local Degree Experience. And what an experience it was. Excellent hospitality, accommodations and splendid, quality degree work awaited our members. The Toledo KSA was formally introduced to Sovereign Grand Commander McNaughton who was a special guest for the day.

Greg Zook, Bill Markin, Gene Gordon, Ill. Doug King, and Venerable Master Ron Drebert with Deputy Ill. Neil Smalley and Ill. J. William McNaughton

Knights of Saint Andrew Undertake Production of Namesake DegreeThe KSA has stepped up to undertake the presentation of the 29th Degree at the Valley Reunion on October 31. The 29th Degree, Knight of Saint Andrew (formerly known as the Scottish Trinitarian) features the lesson of the martyred Apostle Andrew and the chivalrous conduct of the historical Knights who adopted the Saint as the namesake of their knightly Order. The lessons of the degree are chivalry and toleration. With the assistance of Past Director Ill. Bruce Basil, the Chapter intends to make it an all-KSA production with new costuming, sets and music. Not just another club, the KSA is dedicated to providing Masonic Service to the Valley by supporting core Masonic activities such as our Reunions.

Pictured at right are Knights:Gregory L. Zook, R. Eugene Gordon, Ronald T. Drebert, V.M., William R. Markin, Ill. Brother Douglas W. King

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Valley of Toledo Awards ScholarshipsThe Valley of Toledo recently held its Annual Scholarship Presentations and Learning Center Graduation. The combined event was held at the Heatherdowns Country Club. The Valley received $7,000.00 from the Abbott Scholarship fund at Supreme Council and along with $13,000.00 from the Valley of Toledo Scholarship fund 10 $2,000.00 Scholarships were awarded. Receiving Abbott and Valley of Toledo Scholarships were:

Kathryn S. Chromik is a graduate of Whitmer High School in Toledo, Ohio. Kathryn will be attending Eastern Michigan University majoring in Speech Pathology.

Justin M. Creps is a graduate of Maumee High School in Maumee, Ohio. Justin will be attending The Ohio State University majoring in Mechanical Engineering.

Kelsey A. Dennis is a graduate of Anthony Wayne High School in Whitehouse, Ohio. Kelsey will be attending Bowling Green State University majoring in Sports Medicine.

Adrienne M. Haase is a graduate of Napoleon High School in Napoleon, Ohio. Adrienne will be attending Adrian College majoring in Business.

David C. Lovano is a graduate of Hudson High School in Hudson, Ohio. David will be attending The Ohio State University majoring in Chemical Engineering.

Zachary D. Maiden is a graduate of Whitmer High School in Toledo, Ohio. Zachary will be attending The University of Toledo majoring in Radiology or Business.

Jacob L. Rude is a graduate of Menominee Area High School in Menominee, Michigan. Jacob will be attending Bowling Green State University majoring in Education.

Richelle R. Williams is a graduate of Quincy High School in Quincy, Michigan. Richelle will be attending Eastern Michigan University majoring in Pre-Medicine.

Robbie L. Williams is a graduate of Quincy High School in Quincy, Michigan. Robbie will be attending Central Michigan University majoring in Music Education.

John C. Wolfe is a graduate of Needham Broughton High School in Raleigh, North Carolina. John will be attending The University of North Carolina-Wilmington majoring in Environmental Science.

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Register your Kroger Plus Card with the Masonic Learning Center and every time you shop at Kroger for groceries and swipe your Kroger Plus Card the Learning Center automatically starts earning a rebate. It is just that easy!

KROGER COMMUNITY REWARDS PROGRAM:

Go to www.krogercommunityrewards.com to register. You will need your Kroger Plus Card # and The Toledo Learning Center # 80133.

• Click on your state. (Michigan or Ohio)• Scroll down and Click on “Enroll”.• Click on “SIGN UP TODAY?” under the

‘New Customer?’ section on the right.• Enter your zip code and then click “Find”

to locate your store.• Select your store.• Enter in your e-mail address and create a

password.• Click on “Confirm”.• Check box for agreement and Click on

“Confirm”.• Go to your email inbox to receive your

Kroger message.• Click on the link within the body of the

email.• Sign in: click on Blue “Click here”

button and then type in your e-mail and password.

• Under Kroger Community Rewards

Section at the right; click on “Edit Kroger Community Rewards Information”.

• Enter your Kroger Plus card number.• Click on “Save Changes”• Enter your address information and click

“Save Changes”.• Enter The Toledo Learning Center #

80133.• Click on “Save Changes”• You are now registered. (You only need to

register this one time)

REMEMBER, your purchases will not count until you have registered your card!

Do you use your phone number at the register instead of your Kroger Plus Card? Call 877-576-7587 to get your Kroger Plus card number.

You must swipe your registered Kroger Plus card or use the phone number that is related to your registered Kroger Plus card when shopping for each purchase to count.

If you do not have a Kroger Plus Card, they are available at the customer service desk at any Kroger Store free of charge.

If you do not have access to the internet, please call 877-576-7587 to inquire about an alternative sign-up method.

Help Support the Valley of Toledo Learning Center!

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WHAT: The Annual James E. Olmstead Walk to Help Children with Dyslexia

WHEN: Sunday, October 4, 2009 (rain or shine)

WHERE: Swan Creek Metro Park Toledo, Ohio Entrance off Airport Highway

COURSE: 3 miles

TIME: Registration: 12:30pm Start: 1:00pm

INFO: Nick Stroh 419-866-4734 www.dyslexiawalk.org

Take an Important Step

in ourFight Against Dyslexia

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AASR Valley of Toledo 1720 Indian Wood Circle Suite EMaumee OH 43537-4041

NON-PROFIT ORG.U.S. POSTAGE

PAIDTOLEDO, OHIO

Permit No. 251

Look What’s Happening in Your Valley!Date Event Time Location City7/20/2009 Annual Officers Meeting 6:00 PM Valley Offices Maumee7/25/2009 Annual Picnic 11:00 AM Browning Masonic Comm. Waterville8-21-26-09 Supreme Council Sheraton Boston Boston