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Brethren:
We are looking forward to the following three exciting Regional Leadership Conferences this year:
March 9 and 10, 2012, San Diego, California
March 23 and 24, 2012, St. Louis, Missouri
April 20 and 21, 2012, Baltimore, Maryland
The conferences are themed “MISSION POSSIBLE” based on the television series and the most recently released motion pictures. We will focus on our missions within the Scottish Rite fraternity.
Can we accept the mission of making our Scottish Rite Orients and Valleys the kind of welcoming, energetic, and exciting places that we all wish them to be, a place where Freemasonry grows and reaches out to deserving and well qualified men in our communities? Remember the TV series of the same genre with the little tape recorder going and the words, “Your mission if you choose to accept it…”? In many respects, that defines where we are. Do we choose to improve and continue the upward climb, even though difficult, in making Scottish Rite continue as the premier appendant body within the Masonic family. How can we better partner with our Grand Lodges, following their lead, so that the light of Freemasonry will shine throughout the land. This is the program content of this year’s Leadership Conferences.
Here’s a quick preview of some of the highlights. A number of our Orients have decided to participate in the Fellows Program again this year. Attending Fellows will meet on Friday morning at 9:00 a.m. While the Fellows are meeting, Tammy Fannin will provide Sentinel update information and I will discuss matters of interest to Personal Representatives and Secretaries.
Friday afternoon, in large part, will be devoted to hearing from the Strategic Planning Committee. In the general meetings and later in several breakout meetings, we will dialog with members of other Valleys and Orients with ideas and suggestions for successful Scottish Rite Valleys, particularly with emphasis on the Supreme Council’s strategic planning. As Friday concludes, a reception with a cash bar and snacks will precede dinner on your own.
Saturday morning will find us together again for an update on membership activities. Dean Alban with Stanley Dodd and Jay Patterson, always exploring new ways to present Scottish Rite membership in novel and exciting ways, will present a thought provoking program and a membership update.
Shortly before lunch is the Grand Commander’s Notepad. This is a meeting time with the entire group to discuss a list of topics with Matt Szramoski updating us on the capital campaign for the House of the Temple including plans for our first ever Telethon; Jason Van Dyke will highlight our new Supreme Council Life Masonic podcast; and other pertinent information will be presented.
Early Saturday afternoon has two breakout sessions offering contemporary topics that will be of immediate use to Valley leadership. For instance, how to use social networking (Facebook, Twitter etc.) to communicate Valley happenings, construction and design of Valley web pages, why media and public relations efforts often fail are a few of the topics being planned. And, by popular demand according to previous attendance, Jim Cole and Jorge Franchi will reprise their financial training and planning for Valleys. There are more breakouts than can be attended. That’s by design, allowing attendees to choose the topics that interest them most rather than be forced to sit through something that they have no interest in hearing.
Saturday afternoon will continue after the breakouts with a very special presentation of the Fourth Degree shortly before closing ceremonies at each of our meetings. This is under the direction of Dean and Membership Services and I think they have a very positive idea. Why not use a portion of our time to be in Masonic fellowship around the Altar and rededicate ourselves at the point where we began our Scottish Rite pilgrimage – the Secret Master? We are looking for actual candidates to participate. There will be a special program and time for candidates together before the degree and they will be free to attend any of the other meetings during the weekend. And the weekend finally concludes with a brief wrap up and commissioning by the Grand Commander.
I think the meetings will be truly a MISSION POSSIBLE. I look forward to seeing you at your Regional Conference – San Diego, St. Louis, or Baltimore! |
