I have a delivery for Mr. Ritual...

One of the things that we don't spend much time talking about on this Blog is the DeMolay ritual. While it is an important part of our program, it's not something that's easy to talk about in a public forum. However, there are aspects of the ritual and its performance that we can discuss without giving away information we shouldn't. Today, we are going to discuss one of "Dad" Labagh's pet peeves in ritual performance - speaking.

Learning how to use your voice to deliver a memorized part is an important lesson in DeMolay. Some guys are just naturally talented at ritual, while others have to take some time to practice it. When we learn ritual, most of us concentrate on the memorization and forget that the delivery is really what matters most. The biggest challenge that many of our young men face is something they don't have much control over - their voice.

During our teen years, our voice changes a lot. For some guys, it gets very low, while others remain high pitched and nasally. There isn't much you can do to change the voice you have, but you can learn how to use it to its full potential during ritual delivery. Over on the Art of Manliness page they have an article titled "Develop a Strong He-Man Voice." In the article, the author discusses ways to use the voice you have to be a more effective public speaker. Check it out and try some of the exercises. You'll be surprised how much of a difference they make.

On a side note, I will be on the road beginning on Wednesday of this week. I will be in and out of the office over the next two weeks, so updates may be erratic and / or sparse if they are from me. This is a great time for those of you who read the Blog to submit your own articles and ideas to be published here. Just jot down your thoughts and send them via email to webmaster@pademolay.org.

Frat! ~ "Dad" Seth Anthony