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      

Which Acceptance Do You Accept?

In the next few weeks, our High School Seniors will be attempting to choose the right College that suits their needs. This blog post will provide some insight in making that decision easier. Today, we have a special guest blog post from "Dad" Peter Brusoe. Pete is a Past International Master Councilor for DeMolay International, currently residing in our Nation's Capital. 

The College search process is nearly at an end for the Class of 2016.  Acceptance letters are out and soon it is time to make a deposit and indicate which school you wish to attend.  Hopefully you have several highly competitive offers with financial assistance, which school do you choose? The one that goes to the NCAAs all the time? The school with the highest female to male ration? The one with the cutest mascot?  Below are some things to think about as you make your final selection.

1) Money: College is not cheap. There is tuition, housing costs, food costs, technology fees, athletic fees, lab fees, book fees, alumni-student partnership fees and student activity fees among other costs.   I have a friend whose study features copies of her children’s diplomas next to a picture of a beach house because it reminds her of how much that college education cost.  You will want to ask yourself the following questions about the financial aid package:

(A) Of the total package, how much is the scholarship component? Several schools have taken to including federal loans in the financial aid summary. This is a bit deceptive because loans are not aid, and you will need to pay them back with interest.  While a $30,000 scholarship from a private college sounds impressive, a $10,000 scholarship at a public university may mean less overall cost.  

(B) Focus on the cost of attendance.  Every school has an estimated cost of attendance that should include estimates for everything that you need to pay for including text books.  Colleges and Universities are increasingly finding ways to raise revenue by adding on new fees.

(C) Will the scholarship increase as tuition increases? Say the cost of attendance is $25,000 and you have a $12,500 scholarship.  Half of your costs are covered. But if tuition goes up to $26,000 now only 48% is covered.

(D) How much does tuition go up every year and who controls this? Most schools should have a reasonable and rational tuition increase every year.  Ideally it should be between 1-2%.  However, if schools have been putting off tuition increases you may get hit with a significant tuition increase during your time there.  It also depends on who controls tuition increases, in New York our state legislature controlled the tuition increases and would do so on the back of the students.

(E) How does the work study program work?  If there is a federal work study component in your aid how many hours a week do you need to work? Are you guaranteed those hours? Do you have a choice among your work study options or do they pick it for you?

(F) Remember the fine print of the scholarship awards:  Many scholarship offers are dependent on you still maintaining good grades the last two quarters of high school; others require that you maintain a certain GPA. Some scholarships like athletics, cheerleading, and band will require that you participate in that activity, if you stop participating the money will probably go away.  If you are doing an ROTC scholarship and you decide not to continue, what money will you need to pay back?

(G) Renegotiate: If your financial aid package is not what you expected, feel free to ask for more, but be specific.  You want to attend this college, but you can’t afford to do this unless your award goes up by a certain amount.

2) On time Graduation Rate:  You will graduate in four years or less. Each school should have statistics on what percentage of their student population graduates in four years.  In more and more advertising materials colleges will cite a five or perhaps a six year graduation rate.  This is great for marketing, but you really want to know if you will graduate on time or not.  How flexible is the school with changing majors? This is an important question as it relates to people changing their minds on programs.  If you go from a Political Science Major to a Chemistry Major will you need to add on time?

3) How often are required classes offered?  Some majors may have a required class that you need to take before taking upper division classes in the field.  If that class is only offered once every three semesters, that may goof up the rest of your academic plans.

4) What credits will transfer and how do they transfer?  Many students come into college with AP, or CLEP credits, or possibly classes at the local community college.  If you can knock out some credits it will enable you to take more classes in your major or some extra electives. However, college credit transferability can be problematic.
(A) You will want to make sure that the college you are going to will accept them, or will only accept them with certain grades. 
(B) It is also worth having the conversation about how they will accept them as equivalent class credits.  If you took English 101 at the local community college, some colleges will say you have three credits, but will still make you take the class again. 
(C) After you enroll, can you take classes at other schools and transfer the credit in?  During the summer you may want to take a couple of classes at the local community college and then transfer them in to get you closer to graduation.  Some schools will not allow you do this after you enroll (the fancy word is “matriculate”) or will require you to get special permission. 

5) Career services:  College is an amazing experience. However, college has a definitive goal in mind. At the end of four years you should be able to start a career.  The school should help you with this through internships or co-operative learning experiences, mentorship and other career services.  Schools should have some statistic about the percentage of their graduates who are employed or in graduate school within six months of graduation.   If your goal is to go to graduate school, you will want to ask where students go to grad school, law school or medical school.

6) What unique experiences does the school provide?  Schools provide outstanding opportunities for students to do neat things.  Things you should look for include study abroad experiences, Semester in Washington, combined bachelors and masters programs, Bachelors and law degrees.  These programs can add value to your experience.

7) Will you have the support that you need at the school?
(A) If you have an EOP or a 504 plan in place, will the school be able to provide you with reasonable accommodations? How supportive is the community? It may be worth asking to speak to a student like you for their experiences.
(B) Is your faith tradition supported on campus?  It is worth checking out the Campus Ministry program, the Hillel, the Newman Center, the Hindu Student Association or the Muslim student association to see what level of programing and support they have for students.
(C) What support does the school provide students for difficult classes?  You will struggle with some classes in college.  I was horrible at calculus, but thankfully UAlbany had free tutoring on Tuesday nights in the Academic Support Services office.  I was there every Tuesday trying to grapple with the material with a very understanding graduate student.
(D) If you identify as LGBT does the school provide support for their students? 

8) Sit in on a class.  I was deciding between two schools for college, one of my mentors said to me “Sit in on the class and listen to the students and the interaction they have, you will notice a stark difference between UAlbany and the other school.”  She was 100% right.  Sit in on a class, maybe do an overnight and experience what it is to be a student there. Make sure that you are comfortable being there.

9) Reach out to DeMolay alumni who went to the school:  Somewhere in our Masonic Family we know someone who attended the university or college that you are looking at attending.  If you don’t know of someone reach out your chapter advisor or deputy executive officer.  There is someone out there who can give you insight or advice.

10) Do not go to the school solely because that is where your love of your life is going or your best friend is going.  College has a way of changing relationships and you do not want to be stuck at a school just because your friend was going there. 

Good luck as you make your decision in the coming weeks!

Franklin's Funds

Ben Franklin's 8 Lessons of Personal Finance, AND YOU!

by Dan Loughin

Chapter Advisor, Reading Chapter

As an amateur historian, I am in awe of those that came before us; the men and women that helped form our country.  One of these men was Benjamin Franklin, whom I’m sure you’ve heard of from the story with the kite and the key, the invention of bifocal glasses or the creator of Poor Richard's Almanac..

But there is more to Franklin than you know.  He not only was once Governor of Pennsylvania, but he also served as the first Ambassador to France, the first Ambassador to Sweden, and the first Postmaster General of the United States.  He was also an author, printer, political theorist, scientist, inventor, civic activist, and diplomat.  He was a true everyman, that I’m sure could dunk a basketball or throw a 90 MPH fastball, had those sports been invented in the 1700’s.

As he was all of these things, he attained great wealth through his life, to the point where he was able to retire at the age of 42.  As the knowledgeable man he was, he released his 8 lessons of personal finance to the general public, so that all may know how he did it.  And I will share them with you now.  Please keep in mind that while these were written in the late 1700’s, they are timeless, and still hold their value.

1) Understand The True Value of Things
If you’re going to go into business for yourself, or you’d be happy working in fast food all of your life, you need to understand that everything has a true value and a perceived value.  The perceived value is quite easy to understand: it is what the average person would pay for something.  The true value, however, is much more difficult to understand.  I’m 30, and I still struggle with this on various different products and services.  Just because something is priced at $20, it does not mean that said item is actually valued at $20.  This is true of everything: from food to cars.  Once you understand the true value of these things, you life, and financial situation, will drastically improve.

2) Be Self-Sufficient
There are plenty of us, most of the residents of this great country in fact, that work for someone else, so this point was made not to encourage running your own business (but if you do, more power to you), but to not rely on anyone else for money.  Understandably, this is incredibly difficult, if not impossible, when you are 12.  But when you reach your 20’s, it starts to become unattractive to anyone to beg your parents for money.  By 30, it’s irresponsible.  By 40, you should be reevaluating your life if you are consistently begging people for money to pay for things for you.  Excluded from this, however, is if you live with your parents in your 20’s and 30’s and pay them rent.  You are not free-loading off of them, as you are paying them money.  This strictly means that you are financially independent of other people.

3) Invest in Yourself
Very simply, you are your best asset.  You make money for yourself.  You experience life for yourself.  Get educated, by either going to school or learning from people who have obtained proper knowledge.  Go to the doctor to keep yourself in healthy shape.  Eat right.  De-stress.  Whatever you need to do to make sure your primary asset is protected is the best investment you can make.

4) Surround Yourself with Friends Who Share Your Values
Plain and simple, make sure your friends are the same “kind” of people you are.  Figure out your personal values, and search out people who share them.  I’m not talking about political or religious values, however; people of differing opinions in religion and politics can help a person grow as an individual.  I’m talking about things like work ethic and family orientation.  If you work harder than anyone you know, and one of your friends is lazy and takes advantage of you, it’s probably best that you are not friends with them.

5) Don’t Compromise Your Integrity for Money
Webster’s defines integrity as “adherence to moral and ethical principles.”  In short, do sell what breaks your personal moral code, what you’ve told yourself you’d never, for an extra buck.  Not only will you feel like you cheated yourself and anyone close to you, but you most likely will kill any chance of much more vast wealth down the road.

6) Steady Diligence Is the Way to Wealth
You hear the rags to riches stories, the one in a million shot that a person hit the huge jackpot at the lottery, that the person took the long-shot bet on the superfecta at the Kentucky Derby, and won over $1 Million.  These are exactly what they sound like: once in a lifetime rarities that don’t happen to the average person.  Franklin was saying that if you work hard, save hard.  Don’t do things just to keep busy that won’t pay you (like 15 hours of video games on the weekend).  If you stay on top of your work and your spending, you will eventually have financial wealth.

7) Time Is Money
Everyone has heard this phrase before, but Franklin is the first one to be attributed to the saying.  Very simple, time is a finite resource.  We get no more or no less than we are given when we are born.  Money can grow, time cannot.  If you stay diligent with your work and saving early on, then you can cash in your time on the back half of your life, and do things that really matter to you.  Don’t let other people suck your time away.   You are protective of your money; why not your time as well?

8) The Accumulation of Money Is a Means to an End

I’m sure you’ve heard “money isn’t everything” or “money is the root of all evil” or “money doesn’t buy happiness.”  While true at the core, these sayings are flawed.  While money isn’t everything, if you value time as money, it becomes everything.  Money is not the root of all evil, greed is.  And while MORE money doesn’t buy happiness, you’ll  need money to live, and if you live correctly, you’ll be happy.  Take stock of what you want to do and how you want to do it before you start.  You don’t want to work in your 90’s out of necessity.  Use money to be able to retire as early as possible, and enjoy what life has to offer when you’re able to.

Who will be the next John Steinbeck?

Have you read "Of Mice and Men," "The Pearl," "The Red Pony," "The Grapes of Wrath," or "Cannery Row?"  These, and 27 other major works were authored by Senior DeMolay John Steinbeck, (1902-1968) who received a  Pulitzer Prize in 1940 for "The Grapes of Wrath," and a Nobel Prize for Literature in 1962 "for his realistic as well as imaginative writings, distinguished by a sympathetic humor and a keen social perception.”

Brother Steinbeck was a charter member of Watsonville Chapter in Watsonville, California, in 1921, and was inducted posthumously into the DeMolay Hall of Fame on June 16, 1995.  To learn more about Bro. Steinbeck, take a look at this link to a

Biography of John Steinbeck.

If, like Bro. Steinbeck, you enjoy creative writing, think that you have a knack for putting words on paper with style and a pizzazz and are an Active DeMolay, then we have a challenge for you: the annual  Kach Essay Contest.

The Scottish Rite Paul R. Kach Essay Competition awards $300 to each Region winner (two winners from each of the ten regions) and $1,200 for the national winners (two national winners.)  There are two competition categories, the first for young men in the 11th grade and above and the second for those in the 10th grade and below.  Entries in the 2015 essay contest must be titled: "100 Years More of Frank S. Land's Vision."  The content of the essay is of primary concern, but proper grammar and spelling will also be factors in the judging.  The essays must be an original work with a minimum of 1,000 words and a maximum of 1,500 words.  All essays must be submitted to Executive Officer "Dad" Tom Labagh by March 31, 2015.

Complete details on the Kach Essay contest have been mailed to all Pennsylvania DeMolay Chairmen, Chapter Advisors and Leadership Team Members.  A copy of the informational pamphlet is also available at the DeMolay International Webpage under Resources:Forms;2015 Kach Essay at:

http://www.demolay.org/resources/forms/

We challenge all of our active DeMolays in Pennsylvania - and in all Jurisdictions - to emulate Bro. Steinbeck, pick up a pen or settle in behind your keyboard of choice, and share your thoughts on what the vision of DeMolay will be for the next 100 years!

A Free Ride

Many young people who are going off to college covet the words "free ride" - meaning that they go to school without cost for four years. Very few people actually get to enjoy such an experience and when they do, it's usually because of a sports career or genius level scores on aptitude tests. So, what's the average student to do? Apply to Antioch College, of course!

No, you've never heard of it. No, it doesn't have a football team, a pool, or guy in a mascot costume. It does, however, have a 160 years of tradition and a way for you to go to college for free! Yes, that's right - FREE. Don't believe me? Check out this article over on Yahoo! Finance and get the details!

http://financiallyfit.yahoo.com/finance/article-113840-11763-4-how-to-get-a-106000-college-education-for-free?ywaad=ad0035&nc

On a side note, I know today's article was short, but we have a special guest article coming from "Dad" Dave Berry, Executive Secretary of PA DeMolay, later this week, so keep checking back!

Frat! ~ "Dad" Seth Anthony

You deserve nothing. Remember that.

Today was one of those days where I was experiencing a writer's block of sorts. After having recently completed the Masonic Youth Minutes, I'm now putting the finishing touches on the next issue of the Keystone Crusader. This means that I have done a lot of writing in the last two weeks. So, as I normally do in times like these, I turn to other bloggers for inspiration. As usual, I found some of that inspiration over at the Art of Manliness blog.

Recently, they posted an article on personal finance. Now, many of our members think they are too young to worry about money management. However, from the first time you collect a paycheck, you are managing your money. Most of us do this in a pretty poor fashion, but sometimes we can learn to adjust our habits and stabilize our financial well being.

In this article, entitled "4 Personal Finance Principals that Would Your Grandfather Proud", author Baker discusses some ideas on handling money. The four key points are Resourcefulness, Awareness, Negotiation, and Non-entitlement. Rather than rehash them here, I'll let you read the article for yourself. I will make one more addition to this discussion, however.

If there is one thing Generation Y / Millenials (meaning someone born after 1980) are despised for, it's the "entitlement" attitude. I have criss-crossed the Commonwealth speaking to Lodges and Masonic bodies about the Masonic Youth Groups and young Freemasons. At almost every one of these events I hear the previous generations lament how they thoroughly abhor young people who seemingly feel like they "deserve" things without working for them. They gnash their teeth and stomp their feet when I tell them what they need to do to attract young members and how they have to let them have a say. I have been called various sundry names and told in no uncertain terms that "if they want the fraternity to change for them, then they can go somewhere else." Well, that's certainly a way to get new members, now isn't it?

At one of these events, I had a Past Master say something that I never thought of before, but that was incredibly profound. As I was getting chewed on by some of the older members, he raised his hand and waited to be called on. Then, in a simple tone of voice he said "Hey guys, you may not like his generation or their attitudes, but remember on thing - we raised them that way." Wow! Talk about a face palm moment!

Now, I don't disagree with the previous generations. We, as young people, do have an undue level of self worth that most of us haven't earned. Yet, each of us is a product of the generations that have come before. There are certain personality traits and generational attitudes that come with our age group; but we needn't fall into the norm. We, as DeMolays, have proved ourselves better than the masses. Take some time to think about what you have and where you are going. Be thankful for that and not always lusting after the next great thing.

As the article says "You deserve nothing. Remember that."

Frat! ~ "Dad" Seth Anthony

What are you doing with your life?

As young people, it's easy to think that you have to do things in a certain order. You go to elementary school, then middle school, then high school, then college, then get a job. It's a road map society tells you to follow. However, those who really achieve in our society rarely follow a road map. I've blogged before about wondering if I've really done something with my life. I believe that I am (thanks to my current job.) There are those who are my age that have done way more though. Just check out this link - http://www.businessideas.net/blog/business-ideas-that-made-these-teens-millionaires

These people are under the age of thirty and have net worths more than I will make in an entire life time. While money isn't everything, youth is a gift only granted once. As a DeMolay and a young person in America, are you living the dream that you have for yourself? Today is an opportunity that really will only come around once in  life time!

Frat! ~ "Dad" Seth Anthony