Centennial Memory #52: Hoffman Family Knows How to MC

To celebrate the DeMolay Centennial, PA DeMolay will be counting down 100 memories worth celebrating that took place within the DeMolay Chapters and Jurisdiction of Pennsylvania.

One of the major teachings of DeMolay is the importance of family. We build family-like bonds within the fraternity, but our own biological family still comes first. It's great to see when families have the chance to share the DeMolay tradition by passing it down to the next generation.

The Hoffman family had DeMolay in it's bloodline. The tradition started with Donald Hoffman. Donald served as Master Councilor, and would later become an Active Legion of Honor recipient. Donald would later have three sons, Donald Jr., Edwin and William. Every male member of their family served an autumn term as Master Councilor of Allentown Chapter. Below you will see an article featured in the May 1963 issue of the Cordon. Since I do not have a picture of the family together, I will provide a picture of two of the Hoffman sons, as they both went on to become Past State Master Councilors of Pennsylvania DeMolay. 

Left to right: Edwin P. Hoffman, SMC 1961-1962,
William G. Hoffman, SMC 1965-1966

Until next time - "Dad" Joe Pullin

 

Reasons to be at Convention 2017

Convention 2017 is roughly a month and a half away. Are you registered yet? If not then what are you waiting for? If you're looking for more reasons why you should be there, then look no further. Here are the top ten reasons why you should be at the PA DeMolay Convention in Breinigsville, PA. 

10. Members will have the chance to participate in Ritual Competitions, from the Flower Talk to Ceremony of Light. 

9. You'll have the chance to stay at a fancy hotel, the Holiday Inn of Allentown, for the entire weekend. 

8. The hospitality suite will be a nice place to relax with plenty of food and drinks, hosted by the members and Advisors of Allentown Chapter. 

7. You'll get your very own copy of the 2017 PA DeMolay Convention Yearbook, with pictures and memories that remind us of the year's activities and adventures.

6. Friday, there is a optional opportunity to play Laser Tag at Lehigh Valley Laser Tag. The cost is only an additional $17 with registration. 

5. Also on Friday, participants will go to a Lehigh Valley Iron Pigs baseball game (the Triple A affiliate of the Philadelphia Phillies). There will be a firework presentation, and the first line signer on the most petitions from last Convention to this Convention will throw out the first pitch at the game.  

4. Your chapter will have the chance to receive awards during the business session and luncheon. Awards include Outstanding Chapter, RD of the Year, Visitations, Publications and many more. 

3. You'll get the chance to vote on your Elected State Officers for the 2017-2018 term. This includes the election of the State Sweetheart as well. 

2. After the luncheon on Saturday, participants will enjoy the rest of the night at Dorney Park and Wild Water Kingdom. A traditional picnic dinner will also be provided at the park.

1. Convention gives you the chance to see friends from the entire state of Pennsylvania for a great brotherhood atmosphere. 

Are you convinced yet? Registration is due June 1st, so don't wait too long. Hope to see you in the Lehigh Valley area this summer.

Until next time - "Dad" Joe Pullin 

Meet the Candidates: Eric Dye

Convention is right around the corner, which means it will be time to vote for PA DeMolay's Elected State Officers. This series will introduce you to each candidate as they prepare to run for office. They were all asked to provide a short biography and an answer to the three questions below.  

Who is your top choice for the position of State Master Councilor? Mine would be either Zombie JFK or Jacques DeMolay. However, I would like to humbly put my name in the ring as well. My name is Eric Dye, and I am a Past Master Councilor of Allentown Chapter, where I earned my PMC-MSA. I've earned a lot of other honors and awards in DeMolay in the past, but what's important now is the future. I look forward to helping make Pennsylvania DeMolay a better place for all of its members and advisors. 

If you are elected to serve, what do you hope to accomplish?

The future of DeMolay is up to us. Though this is a sweeping statement, it is very true in a larger sense. Every day, we have a chance to make DeMolay better. Every day, we can communicate, plan, and think of better ideas than the day before and put those plans into action. As State Master Councilor, I will work hard to establish clear communication on how DeMolays in Pennsylvania will accomplish great things together. Another area that I find strength in is the brotherhood that stays strong across the distance of PA. The members in our state have an incredibly strong sense of brotherhood, and together we can bring in more members who will help us get more ideas on how to plan bigger and better things. DeMolay is a process, and I plan on giving 110%, all day, every day, so we can see just how great our fraternity can be.

What is your greatest DeMolay experience?

We have had incredibly successful events, my favorite being the Monte Carlo Game Night at the 007 Weekend. The excitement that came from the members during this event is what makes our job as an Elected State Officer worth while.  

Who are some of your DeMolay influences?

I'd have to say some of my biggest DeMolay influences would have to be the PMC's and advisors from my hometown of Allentown Chapter. They have always been there for me to teach me what it means to be a leader. Thank you for all of the overwhelming support over the years.   

Selling the DeMolay Product

In order for DeMolay to grow, chapters must find ways to sell the organization to the general public. DeMolay is a worldwide organization, however when brought up in conversation with our peers, a lot of people know nothing about us. As members and advisors, it is our job to get the word out to the community. Sometimes that means putting on the salesman hat and selling the organization the best that we can. How do we do that? Here are some examples of how to sell DeMolay, and some examples from chapters in Pennsylvania to prove that these methods work.

Advertise in Publications
One of the best ways to advertise DeMolay is to promote in the local community newspaper. Recently, Elizabethtown Chapter and Chester Pike Chapters have done just that. Chester Pike Chapter advertised their local flea market to the community, while also explaining briefly what DeMolay was in the advertisement. Elizabethtown Chapter publicized the activities they participated in within the community, including the Dodgeball for Dyslexia Tournament and the Chicken Pot Pie Dinner they hosted.

Promote within the local Schools
I've mentioned this example before, but since it deals heavily with the membership growth of Pennsylvania DeMolay, it's worth mentioning again. Friendship-Bray Chapter has recently sent flyers and other information to local school to help promote the organization to the young members of the community. Rob Caroselli, an FBC advisor, is also a Principal of Fox Chase Elementary School, which has helped promote DeMolay to the young men of their school. FBC has brought in 9 members to DeMolay so far this year because of this, and looks to bring in even more in the near future. Since this took place, other chapters across the state have started to put together programs to target local school districts as well.

Get your Government Officials to buy in to the product
This year for DeMolay Month, we had several DeMolay Chapters that received proclamations from local Government Officials. This means that they show support to the program. Congratulations to Allentown, Pilgrim, Friendship-Bray, Chester Pike, Elizabethtown and all the other chapters that have reached out and received support from their local Government Officials.

How did these chapters have so much success in promoting the organization? There are a few factors that go into selling your product:

Know your target audience: Recognize who it is you plan to reach out to, and find the right way to promote to that group. If you're reaching out to youth, you may want to impress upon them the fun activities that we provide. If you're trying to reach out to the parents, you may want to explain to them the scholarship opportunities, honor roll challenges and other activities that will make a parent happy. If you're reaching out to a local Representative, explain the community based activities and offer a helping hand. 

Confidence: This is one of the biggest keys to success. The way the product is presented is important to know whether a person is buying in. If your excited about what you're promoting, a customer will acknowledge that and be more likely to buy in themselves. Remain calm and remembers what drives you in DeMolay.


Keep it simple: The saying "less is more" is very true. Make sure all of the facts are covered, without dragging on for long periods of time. If they seem interested enough to ask questions, that means they are engaged and want to know more. If its a news article that you are writing, keep it to a few paragraphs.

Hopefully this helps give some insight into promoting DeMolay. Go out there and sell DeMolay proudly!

Until next time - "Dad" Joe Pullin
  

Letter in DeMolay!

In 2014, DeMolay International designed a program called the DeMolay Varsity Club. This program allows members, advisors and sweethearts the opportunity to fill out an application so they can "Letter in DeMolay," similar to how an athlete can letter on the High School Varsity level. This achievement relies on a few key elements; leadership, involvement, knowledge and planning.

A member or sweetheart can earn a "letter" by doing all of the following:

• Mentor a new member
• Teach chapter members a new skill
• Serve in a leadership position
• Attend 6 Chapter Meetings and 2 other chapter events
• Plan a new event
• Bring in 1 new member or advisor
• Complete and earn the Representative DeMolay Award
• Complete and pass 1 Leadership Correspondence Course
• A member also must learn 1 new ritual part to perform at a meeting or public event

An advisor can also earn a "letter" by doing the following:

• Recruit a brand new advisor to the advisory council
• Lead and work with chapter members to create and execute a brand new event

A total of 8 people have earned the "letter" in Pennsylvania. Here are the people that have earned it so far:

• Alicia Daniels (Reading Chapter)
• Tyler Moyer (Pilgrim Chapter)
• Eric Dye (Allentown Chapter)
• Andrew Santilli (Chester Pike Chapter)
• Brian Martin (Carlisle Chapter)
• "Dad" Brett Otto (Carlisle Chapter) 
• "Mom" Kelly Otto (Carlisle Chapter)
• Adam Neubauer (Westmoreland Chapter)

The program concludes June 30th, so there is still time to earn yourself a "Letter in DeMolay." Fill out the application and earn yours today! 

Until next time - "Dad" Joe Pullin 

 

A Bro-Tie Earned

The Bro-Tie mentoring initiative is a program that encourages experienced DeMolay members to get to know the newer members of the chapter a lot better. Mentors are to teach the new members the basics of DeMolay so it becomes a more comfortable environment for them. The mentor receives a black bow-tie, while the new member receives a red bow-tie. A questionnaire is filled out to determine that the mentoring has taken place. When the mentoring has occurred, the two members will exchange a half of their bow-tie, creating a red and black tie known as the Bro Tie.

At 007: Secret Agent Weekend, PA DeMolay announced its first two graduates of the Bro-Tie program. Brothers Jake Yarnall (the mentor) and Justin Nixon (the new member), both of Allentown Chapter, received and displayed their Bro-Ties for all to see. A new friendship has taken place, and now Justin understands more about the organization. In fact, Justin was recently installed as Senior Deacon of Allentown Chapter. 

If you'd like to wear one of these cool Bro-Ties, you need to earn one. There is still plenty of time, so reach out to a new member and teach him the important lessons of brotherhood and comradeship.

Happy DeMolay Month to all!

Until next time - "Dad" Joe Pullin

      

Congratulations, "Dad" Blew!

Today, we take a moment to congratulate and honor one of our own - "Dad" Eric Blew, of Allentown Chapter, who has been nominated to receive the HODEGOS Award from the Grand Lodge of Pennsylvania for the year 2014 on behalf of DeMolay. Administered by the Pennsylvania Masonic Youth Foundation, the HODEGOS Award recognizes truly outstanding adult leaders of the youth programs, and creates further awareness of the Grand Lodge of Pennsylvania’s extensive support of our Masonic Youth. The award takes its name from the Greek word hodegos, meaning “a leader, a guide and an instructor of the inexperienced.”

Rather than just simply tell you about "Dad" Blew's accomplishments, I've decided to take a couple of paragraphs from the nominations letters that came in. Firstly, we have this from another Advisor at Allentown Chapter:

"During Eric’s time as an active DeMolay and officer, Allentown DeMolay thrived, winning many awards, including awards for ritual and Chapter of the Year multiple times. During his time as an advisor, particularly most recently as Chapter Advisor, Allentown DeMolay has thrived again, and once again, it has won many awards, including Chapter of the Year multiple times.

I can say without any hesitation or self-reservation in me whatsoever that Dad Blew is the biggest reason, if not THE reason, for the renaissance of Allentown Chapter, during the past 30 years. To put it simply, when the Chapter faced a decline in both membership and advisors, Dad Blew stepped up and through his relentless commitment of his time, knowledge, contacts, persuasion, persistence, and skill, Allentown Chapter is thriving again.

To put it most bluntly, Allentown Chapter might not exist today were it not for the dedicated efforts and exemplary service of Dad Eric Blew, and I wholeheartedly endorse him and recommend him for the Pennsylvania Masonic Youth Foundation HODEGOS Award."

... and this, from an Active DeMolay that "Dad" Blew has worked with:

"Dad" Blew was crucial in helping me become who I am today. When I shoed interest in rising to Master Councilor, I was met with encouraging words and inspirational messages from him. Giving me tips on to be an effective Junior Councilor and Senior Councilor, suggesting useful ideas for improving communication within our members, and guiding me to being the best Master Councilor I could be, he provided me with every tool I would ever need bot a prosperous as a DeMolay and as a human."
It's obvious that "Dad" Blew has touched many lives with his involvement in the fraternity and we will be pleased to see him receive this prestigious honor at our Convention in July in Reading.

Frat! ~ "Dad" Seth Anthony

Special Guest Post - Allentown Attends Patriots Class

That's right everyone - this week you get a special bonus post! Over the last couple of months I have been getting some fantastic articles from the members of Allentown Chapter relating to their activities and all the fun their Chapter is having. They really have embraced the idea of Take Control! - including doing their own newsletter and articles. I've been able to post most of them on the website, but the most recent one, an article on Patriots Class, was a bit similar to something I had already posted over at www.pademolay.org. However, I'm always in need of articles and I'd hate to discourage our members by not posting their hard work, so, I've decided to post this article by Bro. Evan Quinter, from Allentown Chapter, right here on the PA DeMolay Blog! Thanks for your hard work Evan! Keep it up!

On Saturday February 12, 2011, several Allentown Chapter members made an exciting trip to see and participate in a real DeMolay induction. On this certain Saturday 5 members, 1 prospect, and 3 advisors traveled to Reading to help out at Patriots Class. Patriots Class is a well known yearly event that was held in Reading, PA.

Allentown Chapter arrived early in the morning to practice the ritual and to rehearse our parts. Once we had finished this we relaxed with some square pizza and various types of sodas. Then, it was on to the real thing.

The participating DeMolays all did their parts successfully and performed awesome ritual. Then, we saw the DeMolay Degree, which was very entertaining. Finally we finished the ritual, ate some last minute snacks and went home after an exhausting day. In the end, it was a good day full of traditional learning experiences and very good pizza.

Editor's Note - The photo attached to this article is from the PA DeMolay coverage of the event. Leave it to a member of Allentown to be making funny faces behind the Deputy State Master Councilor's back. Nice work!   

I'll take "Community Service Competition" for $100, Alex...

Last weekend at PA DeMolay's Superhero School event we held the Community Service competition (among others.) This is the first time that PA DeMolay has held the competition at an event other than Convention in quite some time. There were some issues with notification of the competition, but that aside, those who competed did a fantastic job.

Once of the questions we often get asked is "Just what is my Chapter supposed to do for the Community Service competition?" Why, that's a fabulous question Johnny! To answer your query, I'm going to turn to the folks at Allentown Chapter, who did a fantastic job at putting together their presentation.

Allentown, under the direction of Bro. Carl Blew, built a nice a display out of some card stock and printouts. Nothing fancy or costly, but very functional. The display showcased how Allentown celebrated donated foods to the Allentown Ecumenical Food Bank. This wasn't any old food drive however! The Chapter teamed up with Arbor Insurance Agency, who supplied the members with eco-friendly "green" bags. These bags were created with the environment in mind, and are reusable. The Chapter members were asked to fill the bags with food, and then return them to the Masonic Temple. Pretty simple, huh?

Allentown didn't stop there, however. They got the local TV station to run a promotion for their food drive and posted flyers about town asking for support. In all, 10 DeMolays, 5 Advisors, and 15 hours of service amounted to several LARGE (and we mean big!) boxes of food being donated. One member, Andrew Barber, went even further by obtaining and decorating a box for the drive to encourage participation.

So, the event was successful, but how does that tie into the competition? The Chapter took lots of pictures of the event, and made sure to get copies of the letters and flyers they sent. They then put all of that information on a nice, well constructed, and informative display that they used during the competition. It really is that easy!

What did your Chapter do for Community Service last year? Did you participate in the competition?

Frat! ~ "Dad" Seth Anthony

P.S. - I know this post was a day late. How do I respond to such accusations? Simply put... *insert Newsman voice here...* deal with it!