2015 Volume 1, Issue 1.pub

Birmingham Valley Scottish Rite
Birmingham Rite now
2ND QTR 2015
VOLUME 1, ISSUE 1
Calendar of Events
Fraternal greetings from the PR.
I am excited to
be writing this first
PR’s message for our
new Valley of Birmingham Quarterly
Newsletter. It is very
important to keep the
craft informed on the
many activities of our
valley. I hope you realize that this newsletter
is a volunteer project
by a group of very
dedicated Scottish Rite
Masons.
By the time
this goes to print we
will have completed
our annual Table
Lodge honoring our
Grand Master and the
other Grand Lodge
Officers. This is a special event and is exclusive to the Valley of
Birmingham. My personal thanks to the
Knights of Saint Andrew for their hard
work and dedication as
this is their function.
I recently had
a member of my lodge
(Leeds 446) (the best
lodge in the state) sign
up for the Master
Craftsman Symbolic
Lodge Course and he
is not a Scottish Rite
Mason. He wants to
know more about our
fraternity and the blue
lodge. Scottish Rite is
the only appendant
body offering continuing education about
masonry. Scottish Rite
is the “University of
Freemasonry” I urge
each of you to seriously consider one of
the three study courses
for your personal masonic development.
I recommend
to begin with Master
Craftsman I for all SR
masons. Visit
WWW.scottishrite.org
for more information.
We recently
completed our midyear budget review
and we are financially
in good shape. This is
the first year our income will not cover
our expenses and we
are left with two
choices. Raise dues or
take a small withdrawal from our investment income. You
approved the latter. I
predict this will be the
same scenario in the
coming years as our
membership continues
to decrease. I recently
read an article in the
Knights Templar newsletter that basically
stated “all our attempts
to increase membership
have failed and we
should direct our efforts to a better experience for our existing
members”. The Valley
of Birmingham offers
that experience in our
many programs however the three great
enemies of masonry
continue to rear their
ugly and devastating
heads, Apathy, Indifference, and Selfishness. Will you not fall
prey to our enemies
and support, attend,
and pray for all our
Scottish Rite endeavors.
Fraternally and Sincerely,
Frank W. Little PGM 33°
Personal Representative
of the SGIG in Alabama
Valley of Birmingham
August 5—Court Of Honor meeting
@ Oak Mountain State Park—Meet
at 5:00pm, dinner at 6:00pm—Blue
Jay Pavilion
August 12—Lodge of Perfection
Dinner at 6:30pm. KSA meets at
6:00pm.
September 9—Lodge of Perfection
Dinner at 6:30pm. KSA meets at
6:00pm.—Special Program: Feast
of Tishri
September 19—Honors Day @ Valley of Montgomery
October 7—Court of Honor meeting
@ SR Business Office
October 14—Lodge of Perfection
Dinner at 6:30pm. KSA meets at
6:00pm. Program—Feast of Kadosh
November 11—Lodge of Perfection
Dinner at 6:30pm. KSA meets at
6:00pm. Program—TBA—Special
Business: Election of officers
November 20-21—Fall Reunion
December 2—Court of Honor meeting @ SR Business Office
December 6—Shoe Day
December 9—Lodge of Perfection
Dinner at 6:30pm. KSA meets at
6:00pm. Program—Feast of the
Consitory—Special Business: Installation of Officers
Page 2
Have you ever approached a prospective member to ask them to join our Rite and been
stumped when the candidate asks you what the
degrees mean?
Can you remember the apron presented during
the 16th degree Prince of Jerusalem?
What about lessons taught in the 25th degree
Knight of the Brazen Serpent?
Would you stumble over the Knightly Virtues
presented in 29th degree Knight of Saint Andrew?
For most of us, the answers are yes, no, no,
and yes. This is not because we are not involved or that we do not care about the Rite,
but because we have not given ourselves time
to delve into the great philosophical truths
contained in our rituals.
Take action and remedy these knowledge gaps
and take part in the Master Craftsman programs. These self study open book exams
guide you through the reading material and
help you digest the meaning of our work in a
systematic manner.
In Master Craftsman I you will study the formation and history of the Scottish Rite and
take a study in the four bodies along with a
high level overview of the 29 degrees. The
cost of this program is $35.00 and includes all
of the self study exams and a copy of the Scottish Rite Ritual Monitor and Guide. It does
not include a copy of A Bridge to Light, however you were presented a copy of this book at
the conclusion of your reunion experience.
When you finish and take on Master Craftsman II you will dive into each of the 29 degrees of our Rite and will be presented with essay opportunities. Many of these essay questions relate to how the work relates to use in our day to day interactions with the world at large. The cost of this program is $35.00 for the course work and you will continue your studies using the Scottish Rite Ritual Monitor and Guide and A Bridge to Light.
In Master Craftsman III (which we highly recommend to all Master Masons) you take on Albert Pike’s Esoterika. This work focuses on the symbolism contained within the EA, FC, and MM degrees. You will also study several of the oldest exposes on Freemasonry and will come away with an
understanding of how Freemasonry evolved over the years in different parts of the world. The cost of this program is $75.00 and includes all course
work and a copy of Albert Pike’s Esoterika.
So round out your Masonic education and take part in these programs today by going to www.scottishritestore.org today!
VOLUME 1, ISSUE 1
Page 3
7th Annual KSA Table Lodge
The Birmingham Valley Knights of St.
Andrew carried on their tradition of hosting a
Table Lodge in honor of the current Grand
Master on Saturday July 11.
The 39 brethren who attended met for a
social at 5:30pm followed by the lodge opening at 6:30.
This year we had the honor to host
Most Worshipful Grand Master John Strickling
along with other members of the Grand Lodge.
All members present enjoyed a meal, brotherhood, and fired their “Cannons” with pride!
If you have not attended a Table Lodge,
you are missing out. Be on the look out in
2016 and come take part in our fraternal hospitality!
Synopsis
29˚ Scottish Knight Of Saint Andrew
“Death before dishonor”
Here, in the second of the Chivalric Degrees, you learn anew the value of Humility, Patience, and Self-Denial. The necessity of a probationary period alludes to the time required for
new knowledge to be analyzed and processed, and its application in daily life discovered. The
idea is put forth, as was believed in the time of the great Chivalric Orders, that illumination
could be achieved by Knightly and Heroic Virtue. Therefore you are once again commended
to Humility, Patience, Self-denial, Charity, Clemency, Generosity, Virtue, Truth, and Honor.
You are given a brief introduction into the origin of some of the Orders of Masonic
Knighthood, departing with the knowledge that no true Mason ever despairs of the final victory of truth over error.
Synopsis from “Scottish Rite Ritual Monitor & Guide” by Arturo De Hoyos
Order your copy from www.scottishritestore.org
Birmingham Valley Scottish Rite
Phone: 205-957-2424
E-mail: [email protected]
Pictured above are the newest members of the Scottish Rite. These brethren came in during the Spring
2015 Class on May 8th—9th.
Find out who they are in their own words at: https://youtu.be/X68v6nIrhcg
Reminder
We meet on the second
Wednesday of every month at
the Metro York Rite Building.
3439 Ratliff Road
Birmingham, AL 35210
Dinner starts at 6:30pm
(bring a covered dish)
Spouses and family are always welcome to come have
dinner.
Lodge Opens at 7:30pm
We are on FACEBOOK!
VMAP Update
KSA Hat Locker
Program
We are pleased to announce that
our Valley has stepped up to the
challenge of taking part in the
Supreme Councils VMAP Program.
This program was created by
brethren across the Southern
Jurisdiction for the purpose of
improving the experience of not
only our new candidates, but our
existing membership as well.
We currently have several positions open on our VMAP committee and need brethren to step
up and help us improve our Valley.
If you have any Questions or
would like to assist reach out to
our VMAP Chairman Terry
Wester at
[email protected].
The KSA has an ongoing fundraising opportunity to support the
House of the Temple preservation
fund. They have arranged for
locker space to be available in the
dining hall. For the small fee of
$5.00 a year you can store your
Scottish Rite cap and cap box in
this locker.
This is an on your honor collection
system with the envelope and register located inside the locker/
cabinet.
So please support the KSA in their
effort to preserve the House of the
Temple and take advantage of this
great opportunity to ensure that
you do not arrive at our monthly
meetings without your cap.
Remember the Scottish Rite cap is
emblematic of the white apron you
wear at your local Blue Lodge and
you would not attend your Blue
Lodge without an apron.