Centennial Memory #31: Elizabethtown DeMolay and the E-Town Fair

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.

For many years, Elizabethtown DeMolay has taken part in the Elizabethtown Fair. In 1987, the Chapter held a car smash fundraiser. The photo below is of State Master Councilor, Andrew Kaufman taking a swing at the car that was used for this fundraiser. 

Since then, the fundraiser has changed, but the Chapter participation in the local fair has not. For a few years now, the Chapter has hosted a dime toss, allowing participants to throw dimes at mugs, coffee cups, and other glassware for a chance to win any glassware that a dime lands in. Having stopped by their tent many times, the event is popular to the community and provides a positive look into the DeMolay program. 

Until next time - "Dad" Joe Pullin

Centennial Memory #47: Elizabethtown Chapter Round 1

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.

The Elizabethtown Chapter that we all know today has been around since 1985. Did you know that Elizabethtown Chapter made an attempt at becoming a Chapter earlier than that?

The Chapter's first attempt came in 1961. The institution, which you will see in the picture below, took place on February 25, 1961.

Until next time - "Dad" Joe Pullin

Time to Plan for D4D4!

By Kody Anderson, Elizabethtown DeMolay PMC & Tournament Director

“Dad” David A. Glattly, Sovereign Grand Commander of the Ancient Accepted Scottish Rite of the Northern Masonic Jurisdiction , joins the leaders of Elizabethtown Chapter, Order of DeMolay, in encouraging DeMolays, Master Masons, Scottish Rite Masons, and everyone to form a team and register for the 4^th Annual Dodgeball for Dyslexia Tournament, proceeds benefiting the Children’s Dyslexia Centers.

Dodgeball for Dyslexia is a dodgeball tournament that has been driven for the purposes of raising as much money as possible for the Children’s Dyslexia Centers, the State Charity for Pennsylvania DeMolay. Dodgeball for Dyslexia was founded by Brother Evan Crawford of Elizabethtown Chapter, who has now passed the duties of planning this tournament to me, Kody Anderson, a 2017 Past Master Councilor of Elizabethtown Chapter.

Save the date: Dodgeball for Dyslexia will be held on May 12, 2018. The tournament will be held at the Spooky Nook Sports complex in Manheim, PA.

2018 will be the fourth consecutive year for this tournament. In 2017, we raised over $3,000 for the Dyslexia Centers, and we plan to raise even more for 2018! Each and every year, the Dodgeball for Dyslexia tournament has been increasing in participation, with teams coming from all over Pennsylvania and even Virginia. We had 13 teams in 2017, which consisted of many DeMolay chapters and even members from various Masonic Bodies.

We invite anyone who is willing to play dodgeball to make a team and help support and raise money for the Dyslexia Centers. All the money that is donated by teams will go to the Dyslexia Center nearest to them, so grab six to ten of your best players and come out to raise money, and have fun while doing it!  The overall winning team will take home the coveted Gold Dodgeball and have their name engraved on the trophy stand. The team that raises the most money for the Dyslexia Centers will win the Silver Dodgeball; and the team showing the most spirit will be awarded the Bronze Dodgeball.

In order to participate, each team will have a minimum registration fee of $75. The earlier you register, the less the fee.  Here are the dates and the registration fees. Our goal is to have all teams registered by March 1st.

·         By March 1st, $75

·         March 2nd - March 15th, $100

·         March 16th - April 1st, $125.

·         April 2nd - April 15th, $150

·         The absolute deadline to register a team is April 15th!

There are two ways to register: You can fill out the form and send it to our email at etowndodgeball@gmail.com as an attachment, or you can fill out the form and mail it straight to us at Elizabethtown DeMolay, 1244 Bainbridge Road, Elizabethtown PA 17022. Please contact us by via email to request a registration packet or by phoning 727 514 2462.

Remember: Making a team makes a difference, so come out and play dodgeball to raise money all for a great cause!

Defining Brotherhood

The following blog post is from Brother Kody Anderson, Region E Youth Representative and a PMC of Elizabethtown Chapter. 

From the very first day I joined DeMolay, I noticed that one of the many goals for every member was to bring in new members, and most importantly, make them want to come back to DeMolay. For me, there was one moment in particular that made me want to come back to DeMolay on a regular basis.

I joined DeMolay in September of 2014. Shortly after I joined, Elizabethtown DeMolay went to the Renaissance Faire. At this point, I didn’t really know anyone in my Chapter yet. I was just like any other DeMolay who had just joined, the one that wanted to talk and join the other members, but just didn’t know how to. After getting to the faire, everyone in my Chapter went their own ways, with their friends who they had known for quite some time already. Then there was me, not knowing where to go or what to do. Another DeMolay, who I didn’t know at the time, invited me to join his group. He had a couple of his friends with him, so I went with him, but I still felt a little out of place. As the day went on, I got to know these guys more, and by the end of the day it felt like we had been friends prior to actually getting to the faire.

When we talk about what DeMolay means to us, we often-times use the word “brotherhood.” When I was a new member, this word didn't really mean anything to me at the time, but another brother went out of his way and made me realize how important brotherhood is. I always think back on the time, and I often wonder whether or not I would be where I am at today if the meaning of “brotherhood” was not made clear to me. For me, brotherhood was not defined until another brother came along and defined it for me, and to this day I still believe that if this had not happened, I would not be as engaged with DeMolay. Recently, I have made it my goal to do the same for someone else. I want to engage with the new members, who may not yet know what we are all about, and show them the true meaning of DeMolay. 

Meet the Candidates: Jacob Beers for State Master Councilor

Convention is just around the corner, so lets take a few minutes to meet the candidates for Elected State Office. Members will get the chance to elect their officers during the Business Session the Saturday morning of Convention. They were all asked to provide a biography and an answer to the three questions below.

If by some strange circumstance we haven’t met yet, my name is Jake Beers and I am hoping to serve as the 83rd State Master Councilor of Pennsylvania DeMolay. I joined Elizabethtown Chapter on July 10, 2011. In 2014, I became Master Councilor with the goal of revitalizing and re-energizing my Chapter. Since then, I have worked with all of the Master Councilors that have come through my Chapter, serving as Scribe for two-and-a-half years and Treasurer for the last six months. I was appointed State Treasurer in August of 2014 and have since served as State Junior Councilor and Deputy State Master Councilor. As State Junior Councilor, I worked to create new Patton Campus weekends that would excite members and allow Pennsylvania DeMolay to grow in ways not yet seen. As Deputy State Master Councilor, it has been my duty to help the corps in whatever way needed, whether it was in planning events, advising, or anything else. In my time as a DeMolay, I have earned the Representative DeMolay Award, Elizabethtown DeMolay of the Year twice, Scribe’s Efficiency Certificate, and the Degree of Chevalier.

This year, I graduated from Lower Dauphin High School in Hummelstown as a member of the National Honor Society, French National Honor Society, and History Honor Society. I was involved in Lower Dauphin’s music program as first-chair euphonium in Concert Band and Low Brass Section Leader, both in my junior and senior years. In the fall, I will be attending West Chester University seeking a degree in Mathematics with a concentration in Statistics. I am an avid football and NASCAR fan, as well as a sports fan in general. My favorite football team is the Jacksonville Jaguars and my favorite driver is Kevin Harvick. In the future, I would like to work as a Sports Statistician.

What are your goals if elected to serve as an Elected State Officer?

If elected State Master Councilor, I want to achieve three main goals. First, I want to encourage members to take charge of their Chapters and their Order as a whole. In my time as an Elected State Officer, I have seen Pennsylvania DeMolay shift in demographics towards a younger base of members. A fixture of my term will be encouraging these new members to take some leadership role in their Chapters - be it a Councilor role, Committee Chairman, or anything else - and their State. Second, I want to improve Chapter-to-State communication. This year, Chapters will have greater ability for communication with their Elected State Officers and Executive Officer’s Staff than ever before. More information on how this will be achieved will be announced at Convention. Third, I want to spread DeMolay to more people than ever before this year. For PA DeMolay to grow in members, influence, and recognition, we must introduce more people to the Order. Chapters and members alike will be encouraged to visit lodges, other Chapters, other Masonic Youth Organizations, and areas within their communities in the name of spreading DeMolay.

Who are your DeMolay influences and how have they inspired you?

I have always looked at “Dad” Dave Berry as my mentor and inspiration throughout my DeMolay career. So often, he does a large portion of the work for PA DeMolay or is very instrumental in various facets of the Order. Rarely, though, does he receive or ask for credit, putting DeMolay ahead of himself. I also look to the PSMCs throughout my DeMolay career, especially those I have worked with, and take from each of them their best qualities and attempt to emulate those qualities.

What is your greatest DeMolay experience or accomplishment?

My greatest DeMolay accomplishment was receiving the Degree of Chevalier last November. At face value, the Chevalier would obviously be my greatest accomplishment, but my reasoning goes far beyond this. The Chevalier is given to reward those who have worked to better their Chapter, with only their Chapter in mind. I felt so honored to be rewarded by my Chapter, knowing that they appreciated what I had done to aid the Chapter in my time as a DeMolay. I hope that I can continue to be worthy of this honor in my time as State Master Councilor and the years to follow.

A Message From the Executive Officer

To my fellow DeMolays and Advisors in Pennsylvania: 

Hopefully, the news had reached you that "Dad" Tom Labagh, who has been serving as Executive Officer for 17 years, decided to step down, and chose me as his replacement. I thank "Dad" Labagh for his many years of leadership, and hope he continues to serve DeMolay in a different capacity!

For those who may not know me very well, I wanted to introduce myself (don't worry, I won't rattle off a laundry list of honors and awards!)

The main reason that I agreed to accept this position was because of how much DeMolay meant to me as a young man. When I joined Elizabethtown Chapter, I was a shy 13-year old, who had a fear of public speaking. Because of Advisors like "Dad" Berry, "Dad" Freedman, and "Dad" Ray, I learned how to overcome that. I went to college in Ohio, so I never had the opportunity to serve as a State Officer, but even so, the DeMolay experience was incredible. 

Since I turned 21, I've done everything in my power to make sure DeMolay continues to grow and thrive.  When I graduated from college, I took a job with IBM as a software engineer, which required me to move to upstate New York.  For 12 years, I worked with Orange-Rockland Central Chapter, as their Ritual Advisor, then later Chapter Advisor, then later Chairman of the Advisory Council. Hands down, my most satisfying work has been those years working at the Chapter level, because I got to mentor DeMolays for a long period of time, seeing them mature and improve just as I did!

I've always tried to remain active with Pennsylvania DeMolay, and that includes an active streak of 19 years being on the Key Man staff, and helping out as an Advisor with Elizabethtown Chapter as best I could.

I'm very thankful to be taking on this role with a strong support system in place. Pennsylvania DeMolay has an incredible set of dedicated Advisors, and unparalleled Masonic support. We are already one of the strongest Jurisdictions! My vision as Executive Officer is to change some policies, and rework the state-level staff organization, to ensure that every Chapter gets the help it needs, and that we provide the best possible support to the DeMolays and Advisors.

Over the next couple of blog posts, I'll be announcing those staff changes, and I strongly encourage you to attend Convention, where I will announce my policy changes. For the Advisors, there will be a Q&A session with me at Convention after those changes are announced, so I can hear your feedback.

Each one of us -- whether a DeMolay or an Advisor -- is a volunteer, working towards a common goal: to help Pennsylvania DeMolay grow, and to make sure it is around for the next generation of young men! I hope to do exactly that, with your help. Thanks for everything you have done, and will continue to do, in that spirit!

Fraternally, "Dad" Greg Schaeffer, Executive Officer

Dodgeball for Dyslexia 2017

The following message is a Public Service Announcement from Elizabethtown DeMolay inviting you to the annual Dodgeball for Dyslexia Tournament. 

Look at that - what a shiny new logo! Dodgeball for Dyslexia is new, improved, and better than ever in its third year of existence, just like its logo. Now, you may ask, “Hey, how can a charity dodge-ball tournament that raised nearly $1,000 last year alone get even better?” which is a very keen and flattering question. The answer is easy: it starts with you. We had a total of 7 teams last year, with strong showings from Westmoreland and Pilgrim, but in order for the level of awesomeness to reach maximum capacity, we need more teams. So, if you are not completely convinced of joining this incredible event, let me suggest three solid reasons of why you should participate in Dodgeball for Dyslexia III.

1.)   It is for an awesome cause

Would you like to reap the benefits of donating to a charitable organization and feeling connected to your fellow members of the human race? Then this tournament is for you. All profits from Dodgeball for Dyslexia are given to the Children’s Dyslexia Centers, which provides tutoring at no charge to children from early elementary through high school who have been diagnosed as dyslexic. Children are eligible regardless of economic status or Masonic affiliation. The positive impact of early intervention on the lives of these children and their families is enormous and inspires our commitment to this program.

2.)   Dodgeball is fun

Dodgeball is a sport. Sports are games. Games are fun. With this undeniable logic, it is safe to assume that you will have the time of your life at Dodgeball for Dyslexia. Whether you are experiencing the thrill of joining comrades in the exertion of physical activity or you simply enjoy hitting your advisors with soft, rubber spheres, this activity is always a boatload of fun. Not just a small dinghy of fun, but a Titanic size boat of fun sans the sinking.

3.)   You can win stuff

If the emotional satisfaction of benefiting humanity and enjoying time with friends and brothers isn’t your cup of tea, you can also win the long sought-after gold, silver, and bronze dodgeballs. The gold, of course, goes to the victor of the entire tournament, but just as important is the silver dodgeball, which goes to the team with the most team spirit, and bronze, which is given to the team who raised the most money to the Dyslexia Centers. So, seek victory and claim a few dodge-balls for your home chapter!

As I promised, three solid reasons to participate in the Dodgeball for Dyslexia tournament on May 13, 2017 at the Spooky Nook Sports Complex in Manheim, PA. If you have any inquiries, feel free to contact Brother Evan Crawford at evane2@ptd.net.

Make a team: make a difference. 

Building Relationships Between DeMolay and Masons

This past weekend, I had the privilege of watching one of the things that makes our organization great. I had the chance to watch the Right Worshipful Grand Master of the Grand Lodge of Pennsylvania Masons, take time out of his schedule and spend it with the DeMolay. The relationship between DeMolay and Masonry is a very important one. After all, one day the members of DeMolay may become Masons themselves. It's always great to see that the "fraternity" aspect that we teach can be exchanged between the organizations.  

This past weekend was PA DeMolay's Grand Master's Class, a membership class in honor of the  Right Worshipful Grand Master, Raymond T. Dietz. Most years this event takes place with the Grand Master stopping in, sitting with us at the formal banquet, speaking to the members during his remarks with words of wisdom, and leaving shortly thereafter. This year was different. This year, the RWGM and the RWJGW decided to challenge the members to a basketball game later that night, and if the DeMolay members won, they all received $5. The members of DeMolay, represented by Mitch Holmes of Templar Chapter and Cody Anderson of Elizabethtown Chapter, won the game and won the $5 for every member in attendance. Although money may have been exchanged, the dollar signs are meaningless in comparison to the memories that were made that night. I saw members rallying and cheering for their team. I heard music playing and a megaphone used by our State Master Councilor Eric Dye (Yes, we gave him a Megaphone.) The Grand Master, who has a busy workload as it is, took the time to play a game with the members. The DeMolays will remember that as a high point throughout their DeMolay and maybe even Masonic career.  

Its not often that members of DeMolay can say that they spent such a great time with the Right Worshipful Grand Master. Sure some may have held meaningful conversation with a GM in the past, but the interaction that took place on that basketball court was priceless. Sometimes the relationship between Mason and DeMolay tends to be more business than anything else. Its important for us to build relationships with the members of the Masonic Fraternity, and occasionally enjoy a laugh or two. Get to know the members in your local Masonic Lodge better. You'll find that the more down to earth our relationships are with the Masons, the more they may help us in the long run. Thank you Mr. Dietz and Mr. Wonderling for making memories with the DeMolay members. It truly meant a lot.

Until next time - "Dad" Joe Pullin      

Meet the Candidates: Jacob Beers

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.  

Greetings,

My name is Jake Beers and I am running for the office of Deputy State Master Councilor. I am a Past Master Councilor of Elizabethtown Chapter, having served from January to June of 2014. This fall, I will be entering my senior year at Lower Dauphin High School in Hummelstown. Here, I play the baritone in the Marching Band and served as the Low Brass Section Leader, helping to teach students music and techniques as well as mentoring the incoming freshmen. I have worked as Student Director of the Lower Dauphin Middle School Play for the last three years, working with the students to better their abilities. I have also acted since 2012, though I have lessened my activity in this field. However, I do appear on the stage on select occasions. I am also an avid auto racing and NASCAR fan.

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

As Deputy State Master Councilor, I hope to improve communication and teamwork between the Elected State Officer corps and the Chapters of PA DeMolay. I feel that communication is a two-way street and can only be successful if both Chapters and ESOs make the effort. If we are successful, we will be able to grow the Chapters on a more individual level rather than growing the state as a whole.

What is your greatest DeMolay experience?

The generic answer to this is “there are too many to pick from,” or some variant of that. Generally, I would avoid the generic, but it is true: over almost five years of DeMolay, it is pretty tough to choose. Since I have to choose just one, though, it would have to be the feeling I had around noon on the day after the Operation N.A.S.H.V.I.L.L.E. Training Weekend. This weekend was one of the largest events I’d seen in a long time that didn't have “Key” or “Man” in the name, and even better: I was the one in charge of it! Sure it wasn't perfect, nor did it go exactly as I had planned, but I felt as though everyone I talked to had a great time and were all very excited for the next weekend. It was a truly amazing feeling to know that my hard work paid off.

Who are some of your DeMolay influences?

I've always looked up to the Elected State Officers, specifically the State Master Councilors. Matt Blaisdell played a huge role in my early development as a DeMolay as he was always willing to talk to me, even though I was 12 and he was the SMC at the time. I also remember him not making a big deal out of being SMC, but working just as hard as he had to get there. I've tried to keep that feeling of humility I saw when I was a new member. Also, Dad Berry does a tremendous amount of work at the PMYF office and I believe he does not get enough credit for it, aside from the standard “thank you” at the end of some events.

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
  

The Honor Apron Quest Begins: A Tale of Three Entries

Pennsylvania DeMolay is pleased to announce that the first three entries have been made into the special drawing for the Past Grand Master Honor Apron!  This special Masonic Youth Apron has been signed by all living R.W. Past Grand Masters of the Grand Lodge of Pennsylvania and will be presented to one lucky Pennsylvania Mason later this summer.

Following a presentation on Elizabethtown Chapter, Order of DeMolay, at the January 8^th District 1 Lodge Officers’ Meeting, Jason Lewis, Secretary for Lodge No. 43 that meets in Lancaster, took the information on DeMolay to his 12 year old nephew, and this was just the beginning of a whirlwind month for Jason and his nephew, Noah!  Jason’s application for the Past Grand Master’s Apron included Noah and two other young men from the Lancaster area. 

Noah attended a laser tag prospect party that was hosted by Elizabethtown Chapter, and – having had a great time – decided to join DeMolay.  He was inducted into DeMolay at the Regional Patriots Class in Reading on February 13th, the same day as Uncle Jason took the DeMolay Advisor Training and submitted the paperwork to become an advisor for Elizabethtown Chapter. 

Okay, let’s do the math: Master Mason Jason submitted the Apron Application listing the contact information for three young men of DeMolay age and eligibility.  That’s worth one entry into the special drawing that will be held on June 1^st.  One of the recommended young men joined DeMolay, giving Jason a second entry into the drawing, followed closely by a third entry because he became an Advisor for Elizabethtown Chapter.  The next step, for as many of two additional entries, is to get one or both of the other recommended young men to join DeMolay.

Pennsylvania DeMolay congratulates “Dad” Lewis on earning the first three entries into the Past Grand Master Honor Apron drawing, and on becoming a DeMolay Advisor; and we congratulate Noah on becoming a member of Elizabethtown Chapter! 

This article was written by "Dad" Dave Berry. Thank you "Dad" Berry for your contribution. 

Be Different Spotlight: Elizabethtown Chapter

The following post is part of a series entitled the “Be Different Spotlight.” This post will display a chapter’s effort to grasp the concept of the theme for this year. Each chapter was challenged by the State Master Councilor, Adam Pritchard, to “Be Different.” 

Challenge Accepted!  This is the story of how Elizabethtown Chapter embraced that challenge...

Our Chapter proudly accepted the challenge and decided to do something different for our Frank S. Land Memorial Obligatory Day by doing something we have never done before. With the cooperation of family and friends of our members, with some kind and courteous Masonic Village Residents helping, we collected nearly 400 gently used books and presented them to the Children’s Dyslexia Center of Lancaster. We presented the books in support of the center's book give away which was held as a part of the Extraordinary Give in Lancaster County on Friday, Nov. 20^th.  This one day, 24-hours of online giving raised over 6.1 million dollars for over 350 charitable organizations.  The Children’s Dyslexia Center had over $7,000 donated to it in just 24 hours.  The books that were collected and donated were available for pickup by anyone who stopped by the Dyslexia Center on Nov. 20th. 

In addition to donating the books, 8 members of our Chapter willingly donated a total of $225 for the purchase of any other books in support of the book drive that brought donors into the center.  Over the past 15 years Elizabethtown Chapter has raised and have been honored to donate nearly $35,000.00 to the center through various fundraisers, which includes our annual chicken pot pie dinners.  Our Chapter Advisor, Dad Jesse Spence, makes a very good chicken pot pie, and if you haven't had one yet I highly recommend it to you! Our next chicken pot pie dinner and special auction of gifts and passes will be held on Saturday, April 16, 2016. 100% of our profits are donated to the center, our state charity that helps kids get the help they need to overcome dyslexia and succeed in school.

Along with presenting the books, 5 of our chapter members helped prepare and serve a luncheon for the Lancaster Lodge of Perfection. The Lancaster Lodge of Perfection, Ancient Accepted Scottish Rite Masons of the Northern Masonic Jurisdiction, is the main sponsoring agency of the Children's Dyslexia Center of Lancaster. We thought that supporting the Scottish Rite in this way was especially appropriate since the founder of DeMolay, Frank S. Land, was an employee of the Scottish Rite Valley located in Kansas City. The officers of Elizabethtown DeMolay were happy with the success of the luncheon and donation of the books, and appreciated the support of family members, friends, residents of the Masonic Village in Elizabethtown, and our advisors, as without them this would not have been possible. 

From the Officers, Members, and Families of Elizabethtown Chapter, Order of DeMolay we want to wish you a Happy and Safe Holiday Season! Merry Christmas and Happy New Year! 

This blog post was written by current Senior Councilor of Elizabethtown Chapter, Blake Anderson. Thank you Brother Blake for your contribution.

Elizabethtown Chapter has completed the challenge to “Be Different.” What has your chapter done in order to change things up a bit? Send in program details or write a post for your chapter and send it to me at JAPullin@pademolay.net.

Hanging "DAD"

In the November 2014 Issue of the Keystone Crusader, "Dad" Tom Labagh, Executive Officer of Pennsylvania DeMolay, shared the details of a very special fundraising appeal that has been launched by DeMolay International: the placing of a portrait of "Dad" Frank S. Land, DeMolay Founder, in the Pillars of Charity Hallway in the Southern Jurisdiction's Scottish Rite House of the Temple.

Located in Washington, DC, the House of the Temple Pillars of Charity Hallway features portraits of the great philanthropists of the 20th Century who have given one million dollars to the Scottish Rite Museum.  Some of the notables with portraits in the Circular Hallway, as it's commonly known, include President Harry S. Truman, General Douglas MacArthur, Astronaut John Glenn, Golf Legend Arnold Palmer and Entertainer Burl Ives.

DeMolay International has partnered with the Southern Jurisdiction of the Scottish Rite to raise a half a million dollars for this project - with a bit of a twist: the funds raised by DeMolay will be returned to DeMolay International to improve the investment package and programs of DeMolay.

In support of this special endeavor, Pennsylvania DeMolay has pledged $25,000.00 to the cause, and "Dad" Labagh has challenged each DeMolay Chapter in Pennsylvania to help raise these funds over the next two years.

During the Volleyball Tournament, on January 10th, Elizabethtown Chapter became the first chapter to support the appeal by presenting a check for $500.00 to State Master Councilor Isaac Holtzer.  In making the presentation, Elizabethtown's Master Councilor, Evan Crawford, joined by the members of the chapter who were at the volleyball tournament, encouraged other chapters to step forward and support this important project.

"Dad" Labagh has asked that all contributions to the "Dad" Land Pillars of Charity project be made by Convention 2016.  Please contact the Pennsylvania DeMolay Office at 800-266-8424 X4 or Executive Secretary Dave Berry at dwberry@pademolay.net for more information.