Quality Remarks from a Master Councilor

Today’s blog post comes from Bro. Anthony Trento, the newly installed Master Councilor of Freedom Chapter, which just moved to a new location under the sponsorship of New London Lodge No. 545.  These are his remarks to the assembled members and guests after the ceremony.  We present them here as an example of what all Master Councilors should do at their installation:

1. Have a prepared text.
2. Share personal observations about the experience.
3. Share broad plans for the future—a theme, or a goal or two—not a complete calendar review.
4. Say “Thank You” and say it often!

Bro. Eric Dye, State Scribe, Installs Bro. Trento.

"For my first installation as Master Councilor for Freedom Chapter about a year or so ago, I had this great opening joke.  I had worked on this single joke practically longer than any other part of my speech in hopes that, when I read it, it would lighten the mood by giving the audience a small laugh, which, in turn, would hopefully make me feel welcomed, and I would then have an easier time going on through my speech.  By the time I had been called to the altar to give my responses I was too nervous to walk, I was shaking just trying to kneel down.  When I had finally reached the east I was soooo nervous that I had to skip the joke that I had worked so hard on.

The reason I’m saying this is not to say, “HEY I’m bringing back the old joke,”  because again, I am way too nervous for that, but instead, it’s to teach a lesson that through my last term as Master Councilor I had learned the hard way that ”life is what happens when you are making other plans.”
To me this was something new.  I tend to be very hard on myself and precise, and therefore tend to stress when things don’t go as planned.  You can imagine my dilemma.  With things changing around me within this Chapter, the new Lodge, and the new Advisors, I have begun to not only accept this idea but to have put it to work in my new outlook on Master Councilor.

Before I begin I would like to thank all the visitors here today.  It’s wonderful to see this much support for Freedom Chapter and DeMolay.  Also a huge thank you to the advisors and parents of Freedom Chapter.  Without you this Chapter would be next to nothing.  So, Thank You.
Two particular Advisors stand out to me, personally.  Mom Shuler and Dad Tony.  Mom Schuler supports all of the boys 100% and puts everyone else before herself.  I don’t think I could thank her enough but I would like to start by saying, “Thank you.”   Now, Dad Tony, I find him as a great role model for myself and the other boys of this Chapter. He has recently added DeMolay Advisor to his very busy schedule, of which he is also the Worshipful Master of his Lodge. Thank you whole-heartedly from both myself and on behalf of the Chapter.

Now, as some of you may have noticed Freedom is honored to call New London Lodge their new home. Would New London Lodge members Ted Wallace, Armand Frankhart and Earl Hatton please rise?  These three New London Lodge members went above and beyond for our Chapter and do so with every meeting by attending our stated meetings and bringing forward ideas that I will be sure to incorporate in my term plan.  I would like to give a great big thank you for their dedication.  I hope to impress you and make your hard work worthwhile. Thank you.

Change…..  the act or instance of making or becoming different.  Freedom Chapter has gone through a lot of change, some better than others, hence this new Lodge.  As a small Chapter, change affects us the most, but we are still here, growing slowly and achieving greatness. With all of this I thought a great theme for my term would be “focus,” just as Senior DeMolay Walt Disney said, “Times and conditions change so rapidly that we must keep our aim constantly focused on the future.”  So my theme for this year is FOCUS, both personally and as a Chapter.

Now, when I say Focus I don’t mean re-doing everything-- that would be pointless. I’m talking about going back to DeMolay’s roots—focusing on tradition, the old fashioned way, because, if it was successful once, then it should be successful now.  Additionally, I’m taking a whole new look on the MC job, because that’s what it is, a job.

As Master Councilor you are being counted on constantly to make the Chapter stronger than the past year.  This year I’m going to focus more on the Chapter and less on the idea of Master Councilor.  I’m going to act as a Representative of the Chapter and less as the final say to something.  I’ve started this by including not only the members of Freedom, but also Freedom’s Advisors AND New London Lodge members in creating the design of my term plan – or should I say OUR term plan. While looking back to our DeMolay traditions and working as a team with the positive influence from these wonderful new Lodge members and their spouses,  Freedom Chapter has a great foundation to grow and become stronger than ever.  Some say history repeats itself.  Well, PA DeMolay has had 90 years and is still thriving, and that seems like a good part of history to repeat. As Mark Twain says, “The secret of getting ahead is getting started.”  So… guys, let’s get started."

Get a C.L.U.E.: Part III - Professor Plum

As PA DeMolay prepares for the upcoming C.L.U.E. Spring Leadership Weekend, to be held May 2-4, 2014, at Patton Campus, we thought it high time to introduce you to some of the characters that you'll meet during the weekend. This series of articles will run every Thursday for the next several weeks, so make sure to check back!

Meet Professor Allistar Quimby Parkhamshireburgh Plum, IV, at HRH College of Upper Strathosphereburg on the Fuller Brush, Lecturer of Medieval History, Quantum Physics, Anatolian Literature, Phrenology, and 21st Pottery Design.

Professor Plum was born during the reign of HRH Queen Elizabeth II in Rotten Borough,
Northumberland. His father was a green grocer and his mother was a neuro-brain surgeon. He
graduated from grammar school summa cum laude and continued his education at Cambridge
University. He graduated with his Doctor of Philosophy summa summa cum laude and continued
his education at the Sorbonne in Paris where he became an expert on Henri Toulouse-Lautrec. He
graduated from the Sorbonne summa summa summa cum laude.

He returned to the UK and lectured at various colleges and universities always staying one step ahead of  the law. He introduced radical systems of education encouraging a more one-on-one style of tutoring. His theories on education seem to flourish to their fullest in segregated gender boarding institutions, particularly those catering to women. He was also known to do private tutoring to well known fashionable types of the London society set.

He enjoys the horses and frequents the races at Ascot, Exeter, Grantville, and Bath. He also enjoys
sailing and is often seen at the Osaka Cup, America’s Cup, and the Tour De France A La Voile races. He enjoys fine dining at the Ritz Carleton (London), Antoine’s (New Orleans), and McDonald’s (Allentown).

He has written numerous books and articles on various subjects. One of his more popular works was
Proper Cardiopulmonary Resuscitation Techniques on the Well Proportioned Female. He resides alone with his collection of photographs and etchings. Curiously, even though being British born and educated, he speaks with a North American accent. We're not sure why.

Jump Starting Your Car

DeMolays travel. A lot. One of the dangers of all of this travel is having something go wrong with your vehicle. Often, that something is a dead battery, for one reason or another. There has been more than one occasion were a DeMolay found his car battery had gone kaput while he was in a meeting and needed a jump afterwards. I'm always surprised by the number of DeMolays (and adults) who don't know how to jump start a car with a dead battery. Thankfully, the Art of Manliness is here to help with an awesome video on how to do it in just a few steps.

Also, there's a little Easter Egg is this video that should pop out to all of the members of the fraternity. Enjoy - and I hope you learn something!

 

Frat! ~ "Dad" Seth Anthony

Get a C.L.U.E.: Part II - Mrs. Peacock

As PA DeMolay prepares for the upcoming C.L.U.E. Spring Leadership Weekend, to be held May 2-4, 2014, at Patton Campus, we thought it high time to introduce you to some of the characters that you'll meet during the weekend. This series of articles will run every Thursday for the next several weeks, so make sure to check back!

Mrs. Eleanor Martha Louise Snootyham  Peacock was born with a silver spoon in her mouth. Her father, Sir Albret Snootyham was a British officer in the CCF, RAF and also MOD. Her mother, Ethyl came from a wealthy family in America who made their money selling medical supplies to hospitals in Cuba, Mexico and South America.Eleanor attended only the very finest boarding schools in the United States until she was ten years old, then off to finishing school in the Swiss Alps where she excelled in yodeling. She would secretly study economics and business because of her love for money, jewelry, and furs.

Her father died at the early age of 45 while on. a skiing trip in Italy. It was rumored he was making extra withdrawals from his wife’s bank account and trying to start a spaghetti sauce company. After her father’s death, Eleanor’s mother brought her home from the Swiss Alps and they moved to Washington D.C.  With her knack for managing money Eleanor tripled her allowance and became one of the wealthiest debutantes in D.C.  She and her mother both became very involved in the political circles. They were known for the parties they threw and only invited higher ranking politicians from around the world.

At one of these parties Eleanor met Mr. Peacock. With his charm, good looks, and ability to chew gum and walk at the same time he rose up through the ranks of politicians and became a Senator, and chairs a committee on nuclear waste.

Mrs. Peacock traveled the world extensively to obtain the rarest and best furnishings for her mansions to impress her guests.  Mrs. Peacock is known to raise money for any cause as long as she's in the spotlight. She appears calm, cool, and collected at all times - ordering her assistants to do her dirty work. She is very concerned with proper behavior, and has absolutely no patience or time for unrefined, common folk. Forgetting to put your napkin on your lap at one of her dinner parties can be a "deadly" mistake.

Introducing Bro. Nicholas Capes

Today's post comes from Bro. Nick Capes, of Illinois DeMolay, who will be assisting "Dad" Panitzke and "Dad" Loughin  in running the Key Man Conference this year. Check it out and get to know him!

Greetings brothers! My name is Nicholas Capes and I am excited to be this year’s Youth Director of the new Key Man University!

As some of you may know, I am currently the State Master Councilor of Illinois. My upbringing through DeMolay was fairly quick. I joined DeMolay in March of 2010 and became an appointed state officer 8 months later. Four months after that, I was elected State Junior Councilor by my brothers and set along the fast track of learning years of DeMolay material in a matter of one. During my time as State Junior Councilor, I also served as Master Councilor of my home chapter, David M. Wheeler Chapter. That same year, I was elected Deputy State Master Councilor.

Being both the Master Councilor of my chapter and the Deputy State Master Councilor of my jurisdiction was definitely one of the hardest times of my life. A mere three years and two months after I joined the order, I was elected State Master Councilor for one of the most prosperous Jurisdictions in DeMolay International, and it was a great achievement. It definitely goes to show that anything is possible when you put your heart and soul into it.

As you have been reading, this year’s Key Man is being overhauled. We are hoping to bring individualized experiences to all of you. If you have attended Key Man before, I recommend you come again and enjoy what the new Key Man University has to offer. If you know me personally, you know I am energetic and sometimes crazy, so imagine what Key Man 2014 is going to be like with me as Youth Director!

As always, I hope you are enjoying your time in DeMolay. I invite all active DeMolays to attend KMU, as I am sure there is something you will learn. There is nothing better than a week spent with your brothers. And don’t forget, sweethearts are allowed to attend now too!

If you have any questions, I am available by email me at n.capes@ildemolay.org, or you can message me on Facebook. I am always looking for new ideas so don’t be afraid to offer some advice! We are here for you, which means we need your input. Let us make this the best Key Man ever!

Nicholas Capes
Youth Director, Key Man 2014

Get a CLUE: Part I - Colonel Mustard

As PA DeMolay prepares for the upcoming C.L.U.E. Spring Leadership Weekend, to be held May 2-4, 2014, at Patton Campus, we thought it high time to introduce you to some of the characters that you'll meet during the weekend. This series of articles will run every Thursday for the next several weeks, so make sure to check back!

“Servicing Her Royal Highness” Or “Blowing ‘round the Horn”

 

The Life and Times of:

Colonel Sir Guldin Smythe Biggles Mustard, V.C., K.C.B.E., M.P.

Born in the Village of Whapping Foghole to an English father, Sir Doris Perambulator Mustard, Lord Windesmere, M.P. and his French born wife (from the Dijon region) Lady Maudlin Marquise de Milquetoast e’ clairvoyant, Lady in waiting to the French Queen and champion bare knuckles boxer. Guldin led a very careful life full of very little worth mentioning up until the age of 12 when his parents were forced to sell him to a Clan of wandering Scotsmen, so that they might pay their taxes to the Crown. The Parent’s taxes, not the Scotsmen’s.

At the able age of 17, Guldin engineered his own escape after 5 years of grueling labor, from the wholly unguarded potato patch where his Scottish Overlords had set him working at smashing as many potatoes as possible in a cunning Scot plan to take over Ireland by starving it’s inhabitants, and headed to London. With only crushed Potatoes in his pocket he bartered for a room with an Innkeeper of a local hostelry (thereby becoming the inventor of mashed potatoes, which were unheard of up until that time). The Innkeeper took quite a shine to young Guldin and upon realizing this, Guldin had the coppers pinch the old goose for attempted crimes of an unnatural preoccupation. Once again homeless, he wandered in the Flippin Wagbone section of London doing odd jobs and living off his mashed potato royalties until he blundered into an Army recruiting station, and before he could say “shut your filthy Cakehole you bleedin Knob” he had enlisted in 1st Company, 2nd Guards Regiment of Her Majesties Royal Coldstream Guards. Thus began his Military Career, which was to culminate in his highly suspect and mostly undeserved rise to the rank of Colonel of Guards, Exchequer of the Office of Taxation (responsible for the taxation of all Foreigners living abroad) and Royal Poultry Inspector.

On his very first day in the barracks, Guldin was immediately noticed by several of his superiors and singled out for the peculiar mark of their respect. After spending 6 weeks in Hospital, and as a special circumstance of several recent Courts Martial, which had served to eliminate several of his superiors, Guldin was invited to enter Officer Candidate School. After attending O.C.S. for a short period of 4 months, Guldin was promoted early by the School Commandant (The poor man’s last act before retiring to the rest home) and he was Officially Commissioned as a 2nd Lieutenant in the Guards and, as a special recognition of his abilities, he was forthwith posted to the most harrowing and potentially life threatening assignment that his superiors could come up with, namely collecting for Irish Relief in Glasgow. Having survived this grueling duty for 3 years, Guldin received new orders to report back to London for promotion and reassignment to Egypt. After having new teeth fitted in the Village of Simpering Wimpole, as a consequence of his last assignment as Choir Director at Newgate Military Prison, Mustard boarded a ship for Memphis. After returning from Tennessee, Mustard boarded the correct ship and proceeded to his posting in Egypt as a 1st Lieutenant. He distinguished himself at the Battle of Limeygetout where he single handedly led the retreat that saved hundreds of his fellows and prevented the General’s prize Tea Service from falling into enemy hands. Having been promoted to Captain, he was given command of the Calcutta Garrison. While in India he became embroiled in an ill advised tax dodge wherein he packed his apartment with cheap brass artwork which he was then planning to sell at 10 times the price through a type of mail order catalog (which of course would never work). Unfortunately, the cheap metalwork tended to tarnish easily and turned his overcrowded apartments into a black, sooty colour. One day, several of Mustards Neighbors and fellow Crown subjects, while attempting to pleasantly surprise the young Captain, snuck into his apartments while he was away on Llama spotting duty and decided to tidy his apartments using torches and oil, unfortunately, they became trapped by an avalanche of sooty Brass figurines. The oil and torches turned the cramped rooms into hot and acrid dungeons where many of his fellow countrymen lost their lives and from that day on his rooms, and the entire incident, became known to the world as the Black Hole of Calcutta, although the official Details were slightly different as reported at the time.

Having been cleared of any charges (as stupidity is not a crime recognized by the crown), Guldin was promoted out of India. The now Major Mustard was given command of the Royal Engineers and the Natal contingent at Rourke’s drift, South Africa. It was his actions here which earned him the Victoria Cross by his single handedly digging a tunnel several hundred feet underground in a matter of hours which successfully allowed the contingent to withstand the onslaught of the mighty Zulu Army. His Victoria Cross certification stated; “Never before has the British Army seen such an act” and “By his Ferret-like digging, he allowed the Competent Officers of his Command to concentrate on the Battle”. Along with his decoration came the inevitable promotion and Transfer, this time back to Headquarters. His last assignment had him searching for The Holy Grail in the Tower of London. After several weeks of searching for Holy Relics in the basements of the Tower of London, and several years of searching for the exit from the Tower of London, during which time he survived off of his wits and much more importantly, the Potatoes that now grew unchecked from his pockets, Colonel Mustard returned to his Regiment and was again ready for a new assignment.

Colonel Mustard was granted an early retirement with the caveat that he would go forth and travel the world, never to return to active service, staying away from England as much as possible. Upon the death of his Father, Colonel Mustard was granted the peerage due him by right of birth and became Lord Windesmere, also with the caveat that he never show his face in Parliament or attempt to represent the British Government in any way whatsoever, at home or abroad.

In his retirement, Colonel Mustard has gotten into many complicated and ridiculous adventures that are extremely involved yet far too uninteresting to bother mentioning here.

Recently Colonel Mustard has sold his rights to Mashed Potatoes (If you were making them before that time, you owe him royalties) and lives comfortably in Wapping Foghole with his wife, Bo and their three Daughters, Rosie, Ellen and Jodie (who don’t take after their Mother) and one son Rock (who does). He was raised a Master Mason in Apathy Lodge #449 in Horking on the Thames. He is currently a Member of Complacency Lodge # 112, Whapping Foghole, where he serves as Tyler for life. His involvement with the Order of DeMolay goes back to his days in Fargin Lumpchester Chapter and he would love to talk to you about it…at length…

Tie Tips for Everyone

The Art of Manliness just put out this awesome neck tie infographic that I had to share with everyone. Enjoy! (You can click the image to get a bigger version for reading.)

Frat! ~ "Dad" Seth Anthony

 

Choosing your KMU DeMolay Major

 

Hello, Pennsylvania ~ "Dad" Loughin here with exciting news and KeyMan University Update! 

Dad Panitzke and I, with a little help from the dedicated staff at the Youth Foundation, have nailed down the majors for Key Man University.  They are, in no particular order:

• Ritual
• Brotherhood & Membership
• Chapter Leadership
• Communications & Media
• Event & Program Planning
• Personal Development

These new majors are essentially replacing the "track" system we’ve had in the past. Major selection is on a first-come, first-served basis.  You’ll be choosing your major on the conference application, which is making its way around the Commonwealth now.  You’ll have to rank all 6 from most preferred (rank 1) to least preferred (rank 6). Since the applications are out now, you might be best served to apply sooner rather than later [HINT].  You may also want to ask your Chapter Advisor for help filling out your application, since they’ll need to sign off on your attendance [HINT].

So, how is the conference going to work?  You’ll have 6 core classes for your major covering a variety of topics in depth.  You’ll have a chance to take a few classes from the other majors to either fill in a minor, or to get a taste of everything.  You could also take some of the special interest classes that aren’t offered specifically for a major, but which will be equally informative.

The tracks aren’t the only things that are changing.  The layout of the staff is as well, to accommodate the need for more guidance.  In years past, we’ve had 2 dedicated staff members per chapter.  We’ve added a third advisor to help you out through the week.  The former "Chairman" is now a Department Chair, who will lead the development of most of the courses that you will be taking during  the week.  The remaining two advisors will be Academic Advisors, whose primary task is to aide you along the way with whatever you need. You may also see them teaching a class or two.

Along with these changes, we’re keeping some of the more popular aspects from previous conferences.  We’re still participating in a Masonic service program at the Masonic Villages across from Patton Campus.  We’ll still have tons of pool and gym time.  We’re still offering opportunities to complete RDs and LCCs, earn proficiency cards, and learn ritual parts.  "Dad" Richards is still going to lead a world-class chapel service. And, most importantly, we’ve still got Patton’s famous chocolate milk.

As both "Dad" Panitzke and I have mentioned in our previous posts, we want as many of you to come to Key Man this year as possible.  But remember, major selection is on a first-come, first-served basis, and we may not be able to put you into the major you want if you register late.  You should apply early and often.  So let’s start seeing applications in Elizabethtown!

 

How do you recruit?

FYI - this recruitment technique rarely works.

Recruiting new members is one the most vital parts to DeMolay. It's also one of the hardest. I can remember when I was a State Officer thinking "Yeesh, all we ever seem to talk about is membership. Can't we discuss something else once in a while?" Like many DeMolays, I knew how important memership was, but I wasn't quite sure how to go about fixing the problem. The last thing I wanted was some Advisor breathing down my neck about why I wasn't bringing any of my friends into the organization. As I became older and involved with the Masonic Fraternity, I found the message much the same. But, how I was supposed to get my friends interested?

Then, like a lightening bolt, I hit on the recruitment technique that has done wonders for me over the past few years and it's one of the easiet out there - tell them what they want to hear! 

Wait, wait, wait - you're thinking that I'm telling you lie or make things up. That's not what I'm saying at all. For instance, I had a friend express interest in joining Freemasonry. I asked him about why he wanted to join. He talked to me about his perceptions of the Fraternity and how it did so many good, charitable deeds. He wanted to be involved in an organization that did those kinds of things. As we talked, I made sure to reinforce those aspects of charity to him, discussing all of the programs that Freemasonry offers that help our local communities. Before I knew it, he was joining my Lodge and sitting in the chairs.

But, this man already expressed interest. How does one get someone interested who knows nothing at all about the organization? Again, listen to what interests them. If a guy loves basketball, then talk up the PA DeMolay basketball tournament and how much fun you have there. If a guy is really into drama or acting, tell him about this awesome play you saw when you joined DeMolay. Making a connection between what we do and what interests a perspective member is the easiest way to get them interested in joining.

As is often said, without new members, our organization will cease to exist entirely in 9 years. All it takes to exten its life is you and your friends having a good time and enjoying what DeMolay has to offer. I know you can do it - so go recruit a member!

Frat! ~ "Dad" Seth Anthony