january-march 2013 newsletter
DESCRIPTION
January-March 2013 NewsletterTRANSCRIPT
January-March 2013
Volume 1, Issue 14 Valley of Newport News, Orient of Virginia, AASR
2013
The Valley of Newport News Scottish Rite
100th Year Anniversary Celebration
Four score and seven years ago…well, actually almost five score years ago, the Valley of
Newport News was formed. In October 2013, we will be celebrating our 100th Anniversary!
To celebrate this auspicious occasion, we are planning on having a banquet/celebration on
October 27, 2013. Our Sovereign Commander, Illustrious Ronald Seale, 33°; our SGIG,
Illustrious James Dean Cole, 33°; Most Worshipful and Illustrious Louis Kerford Campbell,
IGH, are currently planning on attending our celebration and Fall Reunion Ring Ceremony.
One of our goals this year is to bring in 100 new members. To help achieve this high goal,
we have lowered the application fee from $175 to $100. So if you know somebody who
might be interested and/or somebody who maybe hadn’t thought about joining, please let
them know about this great offer!! An application to join can be found on our website. Just
print it out and give it to the candidate.
We are currently working on getting a special logo made for this special year, so we can get
some lapel pins, shirts, coffee cups, patches, etc., made. We do not have an approved design
yet, but if you are interested in designing one, please contact Ill. David Burkus @
[email protected]. The winner will receive over $100 in prizes!
Every third Friday of the month, we are having a dinner fund raiser to help raise money for
the banquet and other items. The meal changes from month-to-month and the usual donation
requested is $7, so please come out and enjoy good food and fellowship.
100th Anniversary Year Ill. David Burkus, IGH
Valley of Newport News
Ill. James D. Cole, 33º Sovereign Grand Inspector General of Virginia
Ill. Clifford A. Parker, IGH Personal Representative of the SGIG in Virginia
Ill. Adrian L. “Pete” Eure, IGH Secretary for the Valley of Newport News
Ill. Danny O. Belott, IGH Assist. Secretary for Valley of Newport News
Ill. Gerald E. Burks, IGH Treasurer for the Valley of Newport News
Bro. Harold C. Joyner, KCCH Almoner for the Valley of Newport News
Ill. Jack L. Smith, IGH Chairman of the Trustees
Newport News Lodge of Perfection
Ill. Jimmy C. Willis, IGH Venerable Master
Newport News Chapter of Rose Croix
Bro. Rickey R. Johnson, KCCH Wise Master
Newport News Council of Kadosh
Ill. George F. Black, IGH Commander
Newport News Consistory
Ill. Danny O. Belott, IGH Master of Kadosh
Knights of St. Andrew
Bro. Page S. Neale, Jr., 32º Venerable Master
Chartered October 12, 1912
Upcoming Activities
January 18 - Valley of Newport News Scottish Rite
Monthly Dinner 5:00pm - 7:00pm
January 19 - Grand Lodge of Virginia Division
Leadership Conference at the
Valley of Newport News 8:30am
January 22 - Knights of St. Andrew
Stated Meeting 7:00pm
January 23 - Valley of Newport News
Stated Meeting 7:30pm (dinner at 6:30pm)
February 15 - Valley of Newport News Scottish Rite
Monthly Dinner 5:00pm - 7:00pm
February 27 - Valley of Newport News
Stated Meeting 7:30pm (dinner at 6:30pm)
March 8 - Grand Master of Virginia Official Visit to
Masonic Districts 14A & 14B at
Valley of Newport News 6:30pm
March 15 - Valley of Newport News Scottish Rite
Monthly Dinner 5:00pm - 7:00pm
March 23 - Orient of Virginia Scottish Rite Workshop
at Valley of Richmond 9:00am - 1:00pm
March 26 - Knights of St. Andrew
Stated Meeting 7:00pm
March 27 - Valley of Newport News
Stated Meeting 7:30pm (dinner at 6:30pm)
Our stated meetings are held on the fourth
Wednesday of the month at 7:30pm. A
deliciously prepared Dutch Treat dinner is
served at 6:30pm prior to all meetings w/e of
July & August. The Ladies of the Scottish
Rite meet at all meetings w/e of the July &
August Stated meetings.
Editor: Bro. J. Richard Rawls, KCCH Asst. Ed.: Ill. David A. Burkus, IGH
Offices: 65 Saunders Rd.
Newport News, VA 23601 Phone: 757 599 6617
Fax: 757 599 0021
Email: [email protected]
Please support your Blue Lodge, your
Scottish Rite and all other Masonic Bodies
you are a member of.
They all need your support.
Page 2
Inside this Issue
Page 2 - Upcoming Activities
Page 3 - Personal Representative
Page 4 - 2013 Golf Tournament Announcement
Page 5 - “From the Secretary”
Page 6 - Knights of St. Andrew
Page 7—Supreme Council Announcement
Valley of Newport News:
http://newportnewsscottishrite.org
Orient of Virginia:
http://www.orientofvirginia.org
Page 3
Valley Personal Representative Message Ill. Clifford A. Parker,
Sincerely & Fraternally,
Skip Parker
WOW! Where has 2012 gone? Like grains of sand in the hour glass, the days continue to
fall by the wayside of our lives.
The holiday season saw a resurgence of activity at the Valley as we decorated for our
Thanksgiving and Christmas dinners. Both were very successful but we do wish more of our
members and their families would come out for the events. A very special thank you for Bros. Don
Moyer, Chuck Sutphin, Ralph Hood and many more who helped in the preparation of the food and
beverages and to Bro. Harold Joyner for always keeping our Dining Room so presentable all of the
times.
This has been a wonderful year for the Valley of Newport News. We continue to move
forward with the upgrades in our office work and develop more efficient ways of doing business.
However, due to recent illnesses, we have found ourselves lacking in people to come in and man
the phones one day a week for a couple of hours. If anyone is interested in helping out, please stop
by the office on Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday or Friday between 9:00am and 12:00pm. Any
assistance would be greatly appreciated. We could also use additional help with our hospital
equipment supply room.
As we enter 2013, I want to remind each of you that we will be celebrating our 100th
Anniversary of the Valley of Newport News this year. The celebration weekend will be the last
weekend in October with our Fall Reunion, Ring Ceremony, speeches by our Orient Sovereign
Grand Inspector General, our Grand Commander, and our Grand Master. This will be a very
special weekend for our Valley and I would ask each of you to mark your calendars now to plan on
being with us for this most enjoyable weekend.
Brethren I am now accepting nominations to receive the Honours of the 33° Inspector
General Honorary (IGH) as well as 32° Knight Commander of the Court of Honour (KCCH).
Resumes´ are due to me no later than 1 February and I will make my recommendations to Ill.
James D. Cole, 33°, no later than 1 March. If you would like to nominate someone for one of these
Honours, please complete a resume´ detailing the worthiness of the good brother to receive the
Honour.
I want to wish each of you a very Happy and Prosperous New Year and look forward to
seeing each of you during 2013.
Page 4
From the Secretary’s Desk Ill. Adrian L. Eure, IGH
Golf Committee Ill. James A. Freeman, IGH
Ill. Adrian "Pete" Eure, IGH Secretary
Page 5
Freemason Network: www.FreemasonNetwork.net
Update your Scottish Rite Information: http://update.scottishrite.org
Pay your dues online: https://secure.scottishrite.org/OnlineDuesPayment/DuesPayment1.asp
The new year is here and we would like to thank all the members of our Valley who have
paid their 2013 dues. As you know, your dues are supposed to be paid by December 31st. As
the dues continue to come in slowly, the membership needs to understand that it is the
dues that enable us to pay our bills and continue the upkeep on our building. It is sad
when we will have to suspend almost 45 Scottish Rite members who are delinquent in
their dues. These Brethren need to understand that if they wish to terminate their
membership in the Newport News Scottish Rite Bodies, it would be the proper avenue
to pay up their dues and request a "demit". We really do not want to lose any of our current
members and would simply ask that if you are having any difficulties at this time to please
call the Secretary and let’s see if we can help you maintain your membership.
We would like to remind the members that the Valley of Newport News Scottish Rite, meets
every 4th Wednesday of the month, except in November and December, we meet on the 2nd
Wednesday. Please, if you have not been to a meeting in a long time, come on out and
renew some old friendships. Call the office if you need any information about the times
of the meetings.
The office and staff of the Newport News Scottish Rite wishes all a Happy New Year!!
See you at the next Scottish Rite Meeting!!!
Valley of Newport News 2013 Golf Tournament
Welcome to 2013. It is now time for you to make a special New Year’s Resolution. Consider the
following: Resolve to play in the 2013 Golf Tournament; Resolve to be a Hole Sponsor for the 2013
Golf Tournament; Resolve to serve on the Golf Committee for the 2013 Golf Tournament. All great
things to do to help your Valley put on the most successful Golf Tournament in Valley history. Our
Golf Tournament will be held on Thursday June 13th with a shotgun start at 11:00am. Your help is
needed so that the funds we raise will continue to benefit the children that are helped at the Old
Dominion University Childhood Speech and Language Center. As Scottish Rite Mason’s, I ask that
you do your part to support this worthy effort. Please contact me if you have any questions or need
to know exactly how you can help.
Fraternally,
Jim Freeman
(757-850-4366H; 757-532-1944Cell; [email protected])
Knights of St. Andrew Page S. Neale, Jr. 32o, Venerable Master
Fraternally Sir Knight Page S. Neale, Jr., Venerable Master
Page 6
The Annual Meeting of the Knights of Saint Andrew was held on November 27, 2012 and officers were
elected and appointments made for installation at our first meeting on January 22, 2013. The following
were elected/appointed: Sir Knight Page S. Neale, Jr. – Venerable Master, Sir Knight Joe Myers –
Senior Warder, Sir Knight Jeremy Utt – Junior Warder, Sir Knight Kirk Haynie – Senior Deacon, Sir
Knight Manuel Laserda – Junior Deacon, Sir Knight Bill Overby – Sentinel, Sir Knight Bruce Edwards –
Marshall, Sir Knight Vince Mundie – Treasurer, Sir Knight Roger Ward – Secretary, and Sir Knight Lee
Trent – Chaplain. A huge THANK YOU to all Sir Knights who willingly stepped up to serve as officers
and to all Sir Knights who continue to serve the Valley of Newport News.
A very special thank you goes to Sir Knight Vince Mundie for his untiring and dedicated service
as Venerable Master in 2012.
As we all look forward to a new year and new beginnings, 2013 promises to be exciting and busy.
The duties that we will continue to perform are to meet and greet members, spouses, friends, and other
guests of the Valley of Newport News at each of their stated meetings, assist with the annual Christmas
Country Breakfast, annual family picnic and other assigned or requested duties. Additionally, we will
continue to support, serve meals and clean up for the third Friday night family dinners which supports the
Valley of Newport News’ 100th Year Anniversary Celebration to be held in October 2013. We will also
present the 29th Degree at the Spring and Fall Reunions and will perform the Ring Ceremony for each.
As we begin this new year we do so ever searching for any and all 32nd degree “black hats” who
want to work and serve ourthe Valley. It is a great opportunity to serve in a structured and needed
manner. If you are interested, seek out a Sir Knight and discuss it with him, we don’t always know who
may be interested.
The following fourth Tuesdays are dates that we will be meeting in 2013: January 22, March 26,
May 28, June 25 (Feast), July 23, September 24, October 22 (Feast), and November 26. Also, please
keep in mind that as of January 2013, dues in the amount of $25.00 are due.
All Knights should be pleased to know that a letter has been received from the Masonic Home of
Virginia thanking us for our recent donation to them. Additionally, at the December Stated, a check in
the amount of $200 was presented to the Venerable Master of the Valley of Newport News Scottish Rite.
Page 7
Are you ready for the 2nd Annual Celebrating the Craft?!
Ready or not, come May 18, 2013, Celebrating the Craft will be BACK and BIGGER than last
year. The show will air live from 6pm – Midnight (EDT).
Our web event is similar in structure to a telethon but broadcast via the internet. It’s a unique
approach to raising money for our Rebuilding the Temple Campaign AND our Valleys. Each
donation called in during the event is split 50/50 between the House of the Temple Historic
Preservation Foundation, Inc. and 501(c)(3) local Valley or Orient charitable funds.
It is our goal to unite Valleys and Orients across the Southern Jurisdiction for a charitable cause
that also pays tribute to Freemasonry with entertainment, celebrities, humor, and educational
programming. All content and programming each year is new and fresh.
This year we want to feature YOU! We’re looking for even more involvement from our brethren
as we are hoping to showcase the abilities, talents, personalities, and accomplishments of our
members.
How you can get involved:
Participate in the Scottish Rite Has Talent program.
Participate in the Scottish Rite Heroes program (sponsored by the WSB Club).
Upload and send to us a 3-minute video using the online form featuring your local philanthropies
for us to show during Celebrating the Craft. If you have any questions on the uploading or filming
process, contact [email protected].
Contact the Development Office if you have any questions or ideas regarding the 2013
Celebrating the Craft event at [email protected] or 1-866-448-3773
Special Announcement from the Supreme Council
Nonprofit Organization
U. S. Postage Paid
Newport News, Virginia
Permit No. 54 Valley of Newport News
Orient of Virginia
65 Saunders Road
Newport News, Virginia 23601
Return Service Requested
Our Departed
Brethren
Their spirit to God,
their memory in
our hearts.
Herbert E. Anderson, 32o
December 31, 2010
Clayton Ayers, 32o
April 19, 2011
Robert M. Ruscansky, 32o
November 19, 2012
Early E. Jordan, 32o
December 3, 2012
Fred D. Brown, Jr., 32o
December 21, 2012
Raymond T. Tanner, 32o
W. E. William, 32o (Date of Death Unknown)