Orient Leadership Meets
Ill. Hugh Gill III, SGIG for Kansas, opened the 4th in the series of Orient-wide leadership meetings on Sunday, April 19th at the Armed Forces Insurance building in Leavenworth for advancing Scottish Rite in Kansas. Topics included: Blue Lodge degree teams, education and leadership. Valleys attending included Armed Forces (6), Northeast Kansas (4), and Lawrence (1). Missing were representatives from the valleys of Topeka, Salina, Fort Scott, and Wichita.
Ritual. Much discussion in follow up to the January initiative to provide degree teams to exemplify 1º, 2º, and 3º for lodges, especially in SE and W KS, that cannot do their own degree work.
ACTION ITEM: Personal Representatives are tasked to do a survey of their valleys to
(1) determine if this is something they want to do.
(2) if so, to survey their membership to determine how many degree teams (one each for 1º, 2º and 3º degree) they can field
(3) what level of proficiency they currently have and what coaching they will need to be a superior degree team
(4) how far they would be willing to travel.
This is a feasibility study with results due in 30 days.
NEXT STEP: If we find the Blue Lodge degree teams concept feasible, next step is to coordinate with the GL COA and through them to the A/DDGMs.
Education. Each new 32º Master of the Royal Secret is enrolled in the Master Craftsman I course. When the course is completed, his tuition is reimbursed by the valley. So far, only one tuition has been reimbursed (in ASFR). A reading list is available at the Topeka Valley site.
ACTION ITEM. All members (of AFSR) should complete the Master Craftsman I course. This is the bootstrap course; the common core. How can we expect our newer members to develop a fervor for our Rite if we, ourselves, are not willing to continue our education, stay current with the very basic curriculum, and set the example?
ACTION ITEM. New members should be given a copy of the Bridge to Light before the degrees and given direction to read it before the Reunion. Better yet, the book should have the candidate’s name inscribed therein. Better yet, the book should be signed by all the members of the Valley welcoming the new brother.
Leadership.
“You cannot increase desirability of a thing by lowering the quality of it.” M:. W:. Rick Reichert, PGM, 33º
Next meeting is tentative scheduled for Sunday, September 13, 2015 starting at 10 a.m. at the Lawrence Masonic Center, 1301 E 21 st St., Lawrence.
Note: These are my notes and interpretation and may not represent the actual position of AFSR on these topics.