A Man's Need for Ritual

While I had not planned on blogging much over the break, I stumbled across an article online that I had to share with everyone. The folks over at the Art of Manliness are doing a series on man's need for ritual. It's a really great series and everyone should check it out:

http://www.artofmanliness.com/2013/12/16/the-rites-of-manhood-mans-need-for-ritual/

Continue enjoying your holidays and I'll see you all in January.

Frat! ~ "Dad" Seth Anthony

Holiday Hiatus

The PA DeMolay blog is taking a hiatus for the holidays. We should return to our regular posting schedule on the week of January 6, 2014.

Happy holidays to everyone!

Black Tie Fasion

Yes, you guessed that right... "Dad" Anthony is back on his high horse about men's fashion. This time, it's thanks to a timely post by the Art of Manliness that does an excellent job explaining men's "Black Tie" dress. I'll have to give a hat tip to "Dad" Dan Loughin on this one, as it was just two weeks ago that he and I were lamenting the fact that our Elected State Officers are wearing tuxedos less and less; and, when they do, they often aren't uniform. Hey, they're JO's - they get held to a higher standard!

As someone who is often in a tux for Masonic meetings, there is something abhorrent about seeing a tux worn inappropriately. I know it might seem fun to go to prom in a tux that matches your date's dress. But, honestly, once you get into the real world, no one wears colored vests and ties anymore. James Bond was classy in his tuxedo - he wore a classic cut, that fit him well, and that wasn't trying to be innovative. Class is part of the word classic for a reason.

Anyways, here's a video summary of the post from the Art of Manliness.

 

Ceremony of Light

I was recently checking out DeMolay videos on YouTube when I came across a magnificent video presentation of the Ceremony of Light performed by Brother Louis Martino down in Texas (but posted by Tennessee DeMolay.) This video shows what can be done when a person knows the words so well that they can then improve on the performance of the Ceremony. Perhaps it will inspire some of you to try to reach this level with your ritual work.

The video does start slowly, but I urge you to stick with it, as it's a great performance.

 

Frat! ~ "Dad" Seth Anthony

Master Councilor's Galore!

We have been celebrating the 90th Anniversary of DeMolay this year and, in my spare time, I was able to finalize a project that relates to this theme which I wanted to share with everyone. You see, "Dad" Zack Panitzke, and to a lesser extent, myself, have been the keepers of the history of Erie Chapter for the last five years or so. Thanks to some work that was done in the 1970's, and later in the 1990's, we were able to finalize a list of all of the Master Councilors ever to serve Erie Chapter, since its founding in 1923.

This was a major project that literally took several generations of DeMolays to complete. While it may not be particularly relevant to all Chapters, I wanted to publish the list here to show just how many men have served this one Chapter as a leader. When you think about how many Chapters PA DeMolay has had, and how many Master Councilors those Chapters have produced, you realize very quickly the impact our program has had on the Commonwealth. Perhaps this will inspire some of the other Chapters to work on compiling a similar list. So, without further hubbub, here it is!

Frat! ~ "Dad" Seth Anthony

First    Name	Last         Name	Start  Year	End Year	Start Month	End  Month
Ross	Webb	1924	1924	3	0
Paul	Wilson	1924	1925	0	0
LoRayne	Spetz	1925	1925	0	0
Warren	Williamson	1925	1926	0	0
Bruce	Mallory	1926	1926	0	0
Harold	Fargo	1926	1926	0	0
William	Ohler	1926	1926	0	0
Earl	Bahm	1926	1927	0	0
Mercellus	Fisher	1927	1927	0	0
Harrison	Wood	1927	1927	0	0
David	Murphy	1927	1927	0	0
John	Davison	1927	1928	0	0
Mortimer	Dean	1928	1928	0	0
Howard	MacIvor	1928	1928	0	0
Norman	Schutte	1928	1928	0	0
Harrison	Hartline	1928	1929	0	0
Edwin	Jones	1929	1929	0	0
Charles	Blaze	1929	1929	0	0
Robert	Fairgraves	1929	1929	0	0
Kenneth	Fargo	1929	1930	0	0
Harold	Scott	1930	1930	0	0
William	Boetcker	1930	1930	0	0
William	Page	1930	1930	0	0
Donald	MacIvor	1930	1931	0	0
Arthur	Shepard	1931	1931	0	0
Russell	Wallace	1931	1931	0	0
Clifford	Stone	1931	1931	0	0
Robert	Damon	1931	1932	0	0
Harvey	Roth	1932	1932	0	0
Leon	Shannon	1932	1932	0	0
Clifford	Dunlavey	1932	1932	0	0
Roland	Durst	1932	1933	0	0
Theodore	Sherman	1933	1933	0	0
Harold	Meyers	1933	1933	0	0
George	Schau	1933	1933	0	0
William	Brewer	1933	1934	0	0
William	Shoenfield	1934	1934	0	0
Harold	Durst	1934	1934	0	0
Robert	Bennett	1934	1934	0	0
Gayle	DeVore	1934	1935	0	0
Edward	Gauly	1935	1935	0	0
James	Wilson Jr.	1935	1935	0	0
Jack	Hull	1935	1935	0	0
Howard	Moomy	1935	1936	0	0
Roy	Church	1936	1936	0	0
Merle	Wadlinger	1936	1936	0	0
William	Sowers	1936	1936	0	0
Donald	Steiner	1936	1937	0	0
Donald	Carnahan	1937	1937	0	0
Richard	Dear	1937	1937	0	0
Chester	Durst	1937	1937	0	0
Maurice	Lee	1937	1938	0	0
Charles	Swindlehurst	1938	1938	0	0
William	Dear	1938	1938	0	0
Wilfred	Dean	1938	1938	0	0
Ed	Hausman	1938	1939	0	0
Rex	Moyer	1939	1939	0	0
J.P.	McGinnis	1939	1939	0	0
Alfred	Schnur	1939	1939	0	0
Gene	Carnahan	1939	1940	0	0
Jack	Aiton	1940	1940	0	0
Donald	Smith	1940	1940	0	0
Richard	Steiner	1940	1940	0	0
Harold	Stoops	1940	1941	0	0
Robert	Griewahn	1941	1941	0	0
John	Griggs	1941	1941	0	0
James	Strong	1941	1941	0	0
Mark	Wagner	1941	1942	0	0
Al	Cornelius	1942	1942	0	0
Jerry	Lundmark	1942	1942	0	0
James	Richardson	1942	1942	0	0
Harold	Beanland	1942	1943	0	0
David	Anderson	1943	1943	0	0
Don	Hirsh	1943	1943	0	0
Sax	Worthman	1943	1943	0	0
Charles	Connell Jr.	1943	1943	0	0
Mardson	Goard	1943	1944	0	0
Kenneth	Griewahn	1944	1944	0	0
Douglas	Stevens	1944	1944	0	0
Robert	Wagner	1944	1945	0	0
Jack	Bellingham	1945	1945	0	0
James	Deininger	1945	1945	0	0
George	Cornelius	1945	1946	0	0
E. Clyde	Snyder II	1946	1946	0	0
Richard	Dahlberg	1946	1946	0	0
William	Strucker	1946	1947	0	0
Elmer	Adams	1947	1947	0	0
Richard	Neithamer	1947	1947	0	0
Douglas	Aikens	1947	1947	0	0
Ernest	Kuerner	1947	1947	0	0
Harry	Mueller Jr.	1947	1948	0	0
William	Volgstadt	1948	1948	0	0
Vere	Montgomerey	1948	1948	0	0
Ted	Benson	1948	1948	0	0
Raymond	Neider	1948	1949	0	0
Ivan	Tate	1949	1949	0	0
Richard	Lawson	1949	1949	0	0
Robert	Faber Jr.	1949	1949	0	0
William	Wagner	1949	1950	10	1
Richard	Scheimer	1950	1950	1	4
James	Altman	1950	1950	4	7
Melvin	Seifer	1950	1950	7	10
Jack	Smith	1950	1951	10	1
Walter	Curry	1951	1951	1	6
Harry	Altman	1951	1951	6	10
Gary	Headley	1951	1952	10	1
Press	Fairweather	1952	1952	1	4
Arthur	Makynen	1952	1952	4	7
Ralph	Walter Jr.	1952	1952	7	10
Peter	Klomp Jr.	1952	1953	10	1
David	Hillman	1953	1953	1	4
James	Faber	1953	1953	4	7
William	Oesterlin	1953	1953	7	10
David	Hockenbrocht	1953	1954	10	1
Robert	Hennick	1954	1954	1	4
Ross	Walter	1954	1954	4	7
Ronald	Gray	1954	1954	7	10
William	Chandley	1954	1955	10	1
Richard	Clark	1955	1955	1	4
Robert	Butler	1955	1955	4	7
Karl	Rohrer	1955	1955	7	10
Glenn	Rinehold	1955	1956	10	1
Richard	Steiner	1956	1956	1	4
Robert	Falzone	1956	1956	4	7
Robert	Bresee	1956	1956	7	10
Larry	Curtis	1956	1957	10	1
David	Dennison	1957	1957	1	4
David	Nick	1957	1957	4	7
Kenneth	Asplund	1957	1957	7	10
Clare	Breter	1957	1958	10	1
William	French	1958	1958	1	4
Thomas	Clark	1958	1958	4	7
Wesley	Ross	1958	1958	7	10
Russ	McCurdy	1958	1959	10	1
James	Reynolds	1959	1959	1	4
Robert	Durst	1959	1959	4	7
Marvin	Hood	1959	1959	7	10
Douglas	Baur	1959	1960	10	1
Robert	Dudley	1960	1969	1	4
Richard	Durst	1969	1960	4	7
Barry	Martin	1960	1960	7	10
David	Campbell	1960	1961	10	1
Charles	Wall	1961	1961	1	4
David	Jamison	1961	1961	4	7
Herbert	Johnson III	1961	1961	7	10
Arnold	Vollbrecht	1961	1962	10	1
Larry	Youtz	1962	1962	1	4
Gordon	Kuntz	1962	1962	4	7
Joseph	Bashaw	1962	1962	7	10
William	Dear	1962	1963	10	1
Joseph	Kressel	1963	1963	1	4
Robert	Schneider	1963	1963	4	7
David	Schutter	1963	1963	7	10
William	Black	1963	1964	10	1
Garth	Barthelmes	1964	1964	1	4
Charles	Schlaufman	1964	1964	4	7
Steven	Gauly	1964	1964	7	10
Thomas	Will	1964	1965	10	1
David	Whipple	1965	1965	1	4
Lance	Masters	1965	1965	4	7
Rogers	Beall	1965	1965	7	10
Barry	Stamm	1965	1966	10	1
John	McCurdy	1966	1966	1	7
James	Fiddler	1966	1966	7	7
James	Silverthorn	1966	1966	7	10
Douglas	Wall	1966	1967	10	1
Kenneth	Fails	1967	1967	1	4
Larry	Mays	1967	1967	4	7
James	Butler	1967	1967	7	10
Ted	Stolz	1967	1968	10	1
G. Rene	Loder	1968	1968	1	7
Daniel	Swartz	1968	1968	7	7
Bruce	Miller	1968	1968	7	10
Gary	Sturrock	1968	1969	10	1
Kenneth	Mushrush	1969	1969	1	4
Thomas	Griffin	1969	1969	4	7
Robert	Moore	1969	1969	7	10
David	Otteni	1969	1970	10	1
Eugene	Anderson	1970	1970	1	4
Aaron	Haffley	1970	1970	4	7
Michael	Schenker	1970	1970	7	10
Jay	Washburn	1970	1971	10	1
Garrett	Fuhrman	1971	1971	1	4
David	Fresch	1971	1971	4	7
David	Fourspring Jr.	1971	1971	7	10
Randy	Alstadt	1971	1972	10	1
Wayne	Zimmer	1972	1972	1	5
Dennis	Ferguson	1972	1972	5	9
Richard	Coleman	1972	1973	9	1
Michael	Larson	1973	1973	1	5
Martin	Schenker	1973	1973	5	9
Paul	Baumbach	1973	1974	9	1
B. Scott	Eaton	1974	1974	1	5
Kenneth	Dias	1974	1974	5	9
Jeffrey	Washburn	1974	1975	9	1
Keith	Fisher	1975	1975	1	5
Thomas	Spears	1975	1975	5	9
Robert	Brown	1975	1976	9	1
Kenneth	Novet	1976	1976	1	5
Raymond	Nexdorf	1976	1976	5	9
Brian	Jacobs	1976	1977	9	1
Mel	Williams	1977	1977	1	5
Peter	Ogden	1977	1977	5	11
John	Richardson	1977	1978	11	5
David	Dennison	1978	1978	5	11
Brian	Swanson	1978	1979	11	5
Scott	Shunk	1979	1979	5	11
Warren	Hiles	1979	1980	11	5
Eric	Lawson	1980	1980	5	11
Kurt	Duryea	1980	1981	11	5
Brian	Shunk	1981	1981	5	9
Brian	Swanson	1981	1982	9	1
Douglas	Hammer	1982	1982	1	5
Daniel	Moore	1982	1982	5	9
Kermit	Seubert	1982	1983	9	1
Michael	Shannon	1983	1983	1	7
Robert	Shaffer	1983	1984	7	1
Ronald	Bissell	1984	1984	1	7
Arthur	Fitzsimmons	1984	1985	7	1
T. Douglas	Johnson	1985	1985	1	7
Christopher	Krupinski	1985	1986	7	1
Sean	Poole	1986	1986	1	7
John	Krihwan	1986	1987	7	1
Kenneth	Clausen	1987	1987	1	7
Donald	Doutt	1987	1988	7	1
Andrew	Fitzsimmons	1988	1989	1	1
Sean	Englert	1989	1989	1	7
Scott	Griswold	1989	1990	7	1
William	Alexander	1990	1990	1	7
Willam	Burch	1990	1991	7	1
Eric	McClung	1991	1991	1	7
Aaron	Roth	1991	1992	7	9
William	Burch	1992	1993	9	4
Jeffrey	Davidson	1993	1993	4	9
William	Fredricks	1993	1994	9	3
Steven	Hepp	1994	1994	3	9
Corey	Ferraro	1994	1995	9	3
Nathan	Rockwell	1995	1995	3	9
Jeremy	Rockwell	1995	1996	9	3
Jeffrey	Kuntz	1996	1996	3	9
Anthony	Snyder	1996	1997	9	3
Robert	Wynne	1997	1997	3	9
William	Barlett	1997	1997	9	3
David	Haffley	1998	1998	3	9
Mitch	Dougan	1998	1999	9	3
Mark	Haffley	1999	2000	3	3
Michael	Snyder	2000	2000	3	9
Brian	Eaton	2000	2001	9	9
Zachary	Panitzke	2001	2002	9	3
Michael	Eller	2002	2002	3	9
Seth	Anthony	2002	2003	9	3
Matthew	McAdoo	2003	2003	3	9
Matthew	Olsen	2003	2004	9	3
Jacob	Palo	2004	2004	3	9
Nathan	Lasher	2004	2005	9	3
Andrew	Grygier	2005	2005	3	9
Calvin	Kleckner	2005	2006	9	3
Ryan	Groves	2006	2006	3	9
Jack	Salter	2006	2007	9	3
Grant	Eaton	2007	2007	3	9
Steven	Sowers	2007	2008	9	3
James	Palo	2008	2008	3	9
Ronnie	Cox	2008	2009	9	3
Carl	Holmes	2009	2009	3	9
David	Roberts	2009	2010	9	3
Kyle	Cline	2010	2010	3	9
Darrin	Baldwin	2010	2011	9	3
DJ	Mundkowsky	2011	2011	3	9
Kyle	Grygo	2011	2012	9	3
Adam	Cline	2012	2012	3	9
Kyle	Cline	2012	2013	9	3
Alex	Dieter	2013	2013	3	9
Kyle	Grygo	2013	2014	9	3