Presidential Debate at Patton Campus!

The following blog post was written by the members of the Communications and Media Department at Key Man University. Here are their thoughts. 

On Thursday night at 7:00 PM in the multimedia room, several members of the KMU16 staff will be holding a mock presidential debate. “Dad” Peter Brusoe from the Brotherhood and Membership department will be personifying former Secretary of State and Democratic Presidential nominee Hillary Clinton. “Dad” Dennis Hunter of the DeMolay Education department will be portraying Republican candidate and businessman, Donald Trump. Lastly, “Dad” Dan Loughin will be representing the Libertarian Party candidate and former governor of New Mexico, Gary Johnson. This debate will hopefully show examples of how a proper debate should be handled; with an emphasis on facts and the discussion of important issues, rather than going on with insults and bickering. Though from an entertainment stand point, I do hope its not too overly factual and that we can enjoy some good natured jabs. Regardless of their political affiliation, I wish the best of luck to each candidate.

I do wonder however if “Dad” Brusoe will take his role a little too seriously, and clear his browser history prior to the start of the event.

~Noah B., Senior Editor of the 2016 KMU Communications & Media Department.

UPDATE: Due to unpopular(Brusoe) opinion, we’ve been inclined to mention that Green Party Presidential nominee, Dr. Jill Stein, will be represented by “Bro” Eric Baker in the debate as well.

UPDATE: We’ve been informed that the debate will be taking place at 7:00 PM Thursday evening, rather than the originally posted 9:00 PM. We hope that you can adjust your schedules accordingly, and still join us for this event.

To see more blog posts from the members of KMU check out the KMU website at https://keyman.pademolay.org/blog/

PA's Senior DeMolays - Kendig C. Bare

The history of PA DeMolay is fairly vast. Hundreds of thousands of young men have called a PA Chapter home. Some of those DeMolays went on to lead ordinary, uneventful lives, filled with service and love. Others preferred the spotlight, fulfilling a deep desire to affect the world around them; of the latter, one stands out to me as a DeMolay worthy of emulation.

Bro.  Kendig C. Bare, colloquially known as “KC” by his Brothers and friends, was an early member of Lancaster Chapter. Born on November 5, 1913, KC was at the perfect age for DeMolay when Lancaster Chapter was founded in October of 1928. It is an interesting side note that Lancaster Chapter was instituted in a ceremony overseen by someone you should all know about – “Dad” Ralph C. Minehart, Founder of PA DeMolay.

KC was an active member of Lancaster Chapter, rising to the position of Master Councilor in September, 1932. His biggest goal was to have Lancaster Chapter publish a better newsletter. He quickly assigned a committee and got to work. The Chapter published the first issue of the Sentinel during KC’s term, with his older Brother, Howard, a PMC himself, at the helm as Editor. When KC completed his term of office, he took over the Editor’s desk and retained it for the next 14 months.  For his work on the Sentinel, KC was honored as the first “DeMolay of the Year” for Lancaster Chapter.

However, honors and awards did not satiate Bro. Bare’s appetite for service. In 1933, Lancaster Chapter undertook a major campaign to host the 1934 Conclave of the Associated Chapters of the Order of DeMolay in Pennsylvania. Bro. Bare headed up this committee, which did indeed win the bid to host the event. KC put in hundreds of hours of work to arrange all of the details for the Conclave. Everyone was very impressed with the event Lancaster Chapter put on. Riding high on this success, Bro. Bare made a fateful decision. He would run for State Master Councilor.

At this time in PA DeMolay history, one did not have to serve in another elected office to be State Master Councilor. While it was unusual for someone to jump straight to the top, it can and did happen, mostly thanks to politics. Think of the situation; Bro. Bare just arranged and hosted a very successful Conclave. Everyone around the Commonwealth knew of the success of the Sentinel, his newsletter. Finally, the vote was taking place in his home town, where several members of Lancaster Chapter could be mustered to bolster his vote count. All of these things combined to help KC get elected State Master Councilor for the 1934 – 1935 term.

KC’s claim to fame in that office was the development and publishing of the Keystone Crusader, the first newsletter of the Order of DeMolay in Pennsylvania, which is still printed today. Initially published out of Kendig’s home in Lancaster, the “Key Cru,” as it is sometimes called today, has been the main channel for distributing DeMolay information in Pennsylvania for close to eighty years.

So well liked was Bro. Bare, that, upon completion of his term as SMC, at the age of 21, he was inducted into the DeMolay Legion of Honor. The Degree of Chevalier had not yet been developed, so the Legion of Honor was used to show the Order’s enthusiasm for Bro. Bare’s hard work and dedication.

KC’s service to DeMolay was far from over, however. He would go on to serve on the Advisory Council for Lancaster Chapter for a number of years. He was later elevated to the rank of District Deputy for the area surrounding Lancaster, where he would administer and assist several other Chapters.

Unfortunately, I have not been able to locate much information on Kendig’s personal life following his DeMolay career. We know he remained a life-long resident of Lancaster, but we do not have record of his profession, outside of one important distinction. He was married, but had no children.

At the age of 37, in 1950, Kendig was elected as the Mayor of the City of Lancaster. He managed to serve only nine months, before being called to the service of his country to help win the Korean War. He served at the rank of Captain with the United States Army. In his absence, his older Brother, Howard, took over the reins of the City while his Brother performed his service. Upon his return to the States, Kendig was re-instated as Mayor and would serve another full term, before retiring from that office in 1958. The City of Lancaster honored Bro. Bare by naming its public safety building after him, which still stands today.

Kendig Bare was a paragon of service, both to his community and to Pennsylvania DeMolay. He passed away in 1989, leaving one heck of a legacy. Throughout his life he showed dedication, patriotism, and his ability to communicate well. All of these traits are something every DeMolay should try to master, ever keeping in mind the example of Bro. Bare.

Frat! ~ “Dad” Seth Anthony

 

Addendum: Following the publishing of this article, "Dad" Eric Ullom, PSMC, sent me a picture of Bro. Bare's PSMC key. Yes, that's right, a key - just like the Blue Honor Key. Prior to the institution of the PSMC jewel, Pennsylvania awarded keys to its PSMC's. Sadly, this key was sold at auction to an unknown buyer. If you know who owns this item, please let us know at webmaster@pademolay.net. We would really like to bring back to Pennsylvania!

Inaugural Trip 2013 was a blast!

What's harder than waking up over 90 youth and Advisors of DeMolay, Rainbow and Job's Daughters at 5 am for a bus trip to Washington, D.C. for the 2013 Presidential Inauguration? Well, getting them to calm down on the bus ride home, of course! 

After spending the day in Washington D.C. with hundreds of thousands of other people all across the world, everyone who went on the PA DeMolay hosted trip either had a story or photo to share. Don't believe me? Check out these great photographs and commentaries from members, Advisors and DeMolay supporters who went on the trip! If you also have any photographs or stories to share, send them our way and we'll add them to the blog!

Vice President, Joe Biden giving Jennifer Walters (PA Rainbow) Andrew Prescott 

(DeMolay IMC) Angela Lennox and "Dad" Matt Blaisdell a friendly wave.

Photo credit to Matt Blaisdell. 

  “It was a lot of fun being at Washington DC, watching the president get inaugurated for the second time. It was a great experience and I'm glad I went.” – Phil Cancilla, Templar Chapter Member

Your State Officers, Alex Rauschenberger, Isaac Holtzer. Alex Temple and Matt Maple 

and Kaitlin Nemec take their eyes upon the site seeing value of our Nations Capital!

Photo credit to Kaitlin Nemec

  “I had a great time. It was my first Inauguration and it was a lot of fun. Looking around the bus (one the ride) back, it was easy to see the camaraderie and friendships everyone had made throughout the day. It made me proud to be an American.”

 – Nikki Schafer, Grand Worthy Advisor of PA Rainbow

Okay, I'll admit, it's harder to herd 90 people into a group for a photo
 than to herd a bunch of cats! Nevertheless, the results were great!
Photo credit to Matt Blaisdell

PA State Officers and DeMolay International's International Master Councilor standing for a photo with George Washington Masonic Memorial Executive Director, George Seghers with a  donation to this great monument!

  “Washington D.C. was a lot of walking and a lot of fun!” –Alex Faulds, Westmoreland Chapter Member

State Officers enjoying a photo in front of their "hopefully" 

soon to be  State Officer Transportation, a Douglas DC-7! 

What do you say, "Dad" Tom Labagh? Can they travel in style?

Photo credit to Kaitlin Nemec

   President Barack Obama riding in the "beast", the vehicle with one of the

   highest security known to man! Of course, he's greeting the parade goers with

  a full smile on his face! Photo credit to Matt Blaisdell.

"I thought the trip was fun even though it was really cold. Seeing the  inauguration in DC and not just on TV was a really  inspirational experience." 

- Jenny Chappell, Miss Congeniality of PA

There are plenty more photos of the trip if you want to check them out! Go to:

https://www.facebook.com/media/set/?set=a.10151171536896846.437578.713501845&type=1

It was a great trip and I hope Washington D.C. is ready for the next DeMolay trip, because I guarantee, I sure am!

- "Dad" Matt Blaisdell

DeMolay Taught Me to be a Loser

Today's post is another from a special guest. "Dad" Peter Brusoe is a Past International Master Councilor and is active with Nation's Capital DeMolay. He's a good friend of PA DeMolay and we're happy to share this article.

DeMolay has taught me many things. DeMolay ceremonies honed my public speaking skills to allow me to be able to speak extemporaneously in front of groups. DeMolay gave me preparation to run meetings in a professional manner, it also gave me some great life experiences.  One of the best things that it did was to learn how to lose, and to lose well. 

Before I joined DeMolay I had run for three offices. Student Council in 1^st Grade (the cutest girl won) Student Council in fifth grade ( I lost, my opponent smeared me because my handwriting was messy and I wouldn't be able to take good notes at the student council meeting) and Marching Band Librarian (I won!).  How many times as a young person do you get to vote or run a campaign? Not often. Then I joined DeMolay and there were these elections every six months and I was given a tutorial in winning and losing elections.  

I ran for Master Councilor the first time and I lost to my good friend and DeMolay brother Patrick Filiberto. Something weird happened.  I think I was gracious in defeat. Pat did an AMAZING job as Master Councilor and we quickly became the best chapter in New York State.  Losing was a good lesson,  life went on, programs went on, everyone was still friendly and brotherly.  I remember there were still hurt feelings from those student council elections.  I thought that it was something unique to our chapter.

When I went to my first state convention, it was a three way competition for Deputy State Master Councilor.  It was suspenseful hearing the names read out loud.  Was it going to be our guy from the eastern part of the Empire State, or would it be one of the two guys from Western New York.  The guy from the east won, and the two guys from the West stood up.  I wondered if they were going to challenge the vote, or ask for a recount.  Rather they stood up and said they were yielding their votes to the guy who had won, and congratulated them and sat down.  No visible anger, no tears, it was a class act.  Perhaps it was because we were New Yorkers, and everyone knows that New Yorkers are the most polite people on the planet.

My first DeMolay International Congress in 2000 two guys were running for International Master Councilor and International Congress Secretary.  The roll call of votes was going through and my preferred candidate from Georgia did not get the votes.  I then saw him stand up at the end of the election and do the same thing that New Yorkers did.  That pretty much sealed it that it’s a DeMolay thing.  It’s truly a great example to live by.

Seeing these examples of people running, and what people do after gave me the confidence to run for offices.  In my non-DeMolay activities I have run for a number of offices, in part because running for DeMolay offices gave me the confidence to put my name out there for election, or in some cases appointment.  I have won or been appointed to my fair share of offices, but I have also lost a fair number as well.  When Gordon Bombay asked if Losing was funny, Les Averman famously said “Well, not at first, but once you get the hang of it.”  Losing never gets easier, but it’s how we respond to losing that matters. 

This past Tuesday, at the request of several of my neighbors, I put my name on the ballot for a local office.  After having served in a number of fraternal, community, church, building association, school, and social organizations I was making the big jump. Voters in my part of DC would see the names “Obama,” “Romney” and “Brusoe” all on the same ballot.  I shook hands, stood out in the cold, talked about issues from trees falling down, banning city use of pesticides, and zoning regulations.  

That night while I was at work refreshing the national exit polls and updating information on federal elections, I kept refreshing the local DC Board of Elections to see how many votes were by my name.  Early votes looked promising, the young working class votes looked really good, then the retired votes and the property owners started to come in and there was a huge separation.  The percentage of votes kept creeping closer to 100% and finally it hit 100% and there were not enough votes outstanding between my opponent and I.  I lost.  I opened up an email, drafted a quick note to my opponent asking if she was still awake, and could take my concession phone call, as well as thanking her, congratulating her and letting her know she has my full support.  She was gracious and congratulatory.  We sent out warm and appreciative emails thanking each other.

Would I have done that if I wasn’t in DeMolay? Probably not.  But DeMolay gave me the confidence and the example to lose, and when I lose, to lose well.

The Wisdom of John Dickinson

As we  march through this year of politics, I often find that looking back on some of the leaders of our nation continues to be useful. We all know the big names - George Washington, Thomas Jefferson, John Adams, and Benjamin Franklin. However, we often overlook some of the other key players in our nation's history. They are the lesser known Founding Fathers. These men were no less brilliant, as their quotes show. Take some time to think about them and what they mean. How can you apply them in your chapter and take control of you organization?

Our Founding Father for today is someone you might have heard of and not even know it. John Dickinson, the namesake of the Dickson Law School, played a major part in the founding of our country and of Pennsylvania

The Wisdom of John Dickinson

"Nothing is more certain than that the forms of liberty may be retained when the substance is gone. In government, as well as in religion, "the letter killeth, but the spirit giveth life"" - "The Political Writings of John Dickinson"

"Kings or parliaments could not give the rights essential to happiness. ... We claim them from a higher source - from the King of kings, and Lord of all the earth. They are not annexed to us by parchments and seals. They are created in us by the decrees of Providence, which establish the laws of our nature. They are born with us; exist with us; and cannot be taken from us by any human power without taking our lives. In short, they are founded on the immutable maxims of reason and justice. It would be an insult on the Divine Majesty to say that he has given or allowed any man or body of men a right to make me miserable."

"Let us take care of our rights and we therein take care of our prosperity. Slavery is ever preceded by sleep" "The Political Writings of John Dickinson"

"As Congress is now to legislate for our extensive territory lately acquired, I pray to Heaven that they may build up the system of the government on the broad, strong, and sound principles of freedom. Curse not the inhabitants of those regions, and of the United States in general with a permission to introduce bondage [slavery]"

"No free people ever existed, or can ever exist, without keeping the purse strings in their own hands. Where this is the case, they have a constitutional check upon the administration, which may thereby by brought into order without violence. But when such a power is not lodged in the people, oppression proceeds uncontrolled in its career, till the governed, transported into rage, seek redress in the midst of blood and confusion."

The Wisdom of William Penn

With the Republican Presidential nomination looking more certain, it seemed like another "Wisdom" article is in order. This article is part of series that consists of thoughtful quotes from leaders of our country in the past. You'll recognize most of the names, but in many cases not the quotes. Take some time to think about them and what they mean. How can you apply them in your chapter and take control of you organization?

Today, I'm going a bit askew - instead of a national founding father, I'm going with a more localized person. We all know that Pennsylvania is named after William Penn, but how many have really read his thoughts and wisdom?

The Wisdom of William Penn

• "I expect to pass through this world but once. Any good therefore that I can do, or any kindness or abilities that I can show to any fellow creature, let me do it now. Let me not defer it or neglect it, for I shall not pass this way again."

• "Right is right, even if everyone is against it, and wrong is wrong, even if everyone is for it."

• "A good end cannot sanctify evil means; nor must we do evil, that good may come of it...To do evil that good may come of it is for bunglers in politics as well as morals." (From Some Fruits of Solitude)

• "Force may make hypocrites, but it can make no converts." (Letter to Lord Arlington, while imprisoned in the Tower)

• "The humble, meek, merciful, just, pious and devout souls everywhere are of one religion and when death has taken off the mask, they will know one another, though the diverse liveries they wore here make them strangers."

• "There is a zeal without knowledge, that is superstition. There is a zeal against knowledge, that is interest or faction; there is a zeal with knowledge, that is religion; and if you will view the countries of cruelty, you will find them superstitious rather than religious. Religion is gentle, it makes men better, more friendly, loving and patient than before."

• "Truth often suffers more by the heat of its defenders, than from the arguments of its opposers. Never marry but for love; but see that thou lovest what is lovely. Sexes make no Difference; since in Souls there is none..."

• "Between a Man and his Wife nothing ought to rule but Love. Believe nothing against another but on good authority; and never report what may hurt another, unless it be a greater hurt to some other to conceal it."

• "If thou thinkest twice before thou speakest once, thou wilt speak twice the better for it."

• "Friendship is the union of spirits, a marriage of hearts, and the bond thereof virtue"

• "There can be no friendship when there is no freedom; Friendship loves the free air, and will not be fenced up in straight and narrow enclosures."

• "Speak properly, and in as few words as you can, but always plainly, for the end of speech is not ostentation, but to be understood."

• "Equivocation is half way to lying and lying the whole way to hell."

• "Inquiry is human; blind obedience brutal. Truth never loses by the one but often suffers by the other."

• "He that has more Knowledge than Judgment, is made for another Man's use more than his own."

• "Fear and Gain are great Perverters of Mankind, and where either prevail, the Judgement [of God] is violated."

• "No pain, no palm; no thorns, no throne; no gall, no glory; no cross, no crown."

The Wisdom of John Adams

As the final days of the primary elections wrap up around our country, I find myself reflecting back on the great leaders of the past. This article is part of series that consists of thoughtful quotes from leaders of our country in the past. You'll recognize most of the names, but in many cases not the quotes. Take some time to think about them and what they mean. How can you apply them in your chapter and take control of you organization?


The Wisdom of John Adams

• A desire to be observed, considered, esteemed, praised, beloved, and admired by his fellows is one of the earliest as well as the keenest dispositions discovered in the heart of man.
• A government of laws, and not of men.
• Because power corrupts, society's demands for moral authority and character increase as the importance of the position increases.
• Democracy... while it lasts is more bloody than either aristocracy or monarchy. Remember, democracy never lasts long. It soon wastes, exhausts, and murders itself. There is never a democracy that did not commit suicide.
• Facts are stubborn things; and whatever may be our wishes, our inclinations, or the dictates of our passions, they cannot alter the state of facts and evidence.
• Great is the guilt of an unnecessary war.
• Here is everything which can lay hold of the eye, ear and imagination - everything which can charm and bewitch the simple and ignorant. I wonder how Luther ever broke the spell.
• I always consider the settlement of America with reverence and wonder, as the opening of a grand scene and design in providence, for the illumination of the ignorant and the emancipation of the slavish part of mankind all over the earth.
• I have accepted a seat in the House of Representatives, and thereby have consented to my own ruin, to your ruin, and to the ruin of our children. I give you this warning that you may prepare your mind for your fate.
• I must study politics and war that my sons may have liberty to study mathematics and philosophy.
• If we do not lay out ourselves in the service of mankind whom should we serve?
• In politics the middle way is none at all.
• Let us tenderly and kindly cherish, therefore, the means of knowledge. Let us dare to read, think, speak, and write.
• Liberty cannot be preserved without general knowledge among the people.

The Prize Fight of the Week

The election season always seems to take its toll on community organizations. Brotherhood may reign supreme in DeMolay, but everyone has their own political passions that can sometimes bleed into the fraternal world. Every person is welcome to their opinions and ideas, but we must be careful to not infringe on anyone else when expressing our own. Whether you believe yourself to be conservative or liberal, libertarian or green, or any other part of the political spectrum, there is a time and a place to discuss those opinions; DeMolay should rarely, if ever, be that time and place.

"But, "Dad" Anthony, isn't government an important part of DeMolay teachings?" you ask. Why, yes it is! However, there is a line to be drawn between government and politics. In DeMolay, we are welcome to discuss government until the cows come home, but politics is something we should avoid. To help you understand this difference, I direct you http://www.differencebetween.com/difference-between-government-and-vs-politics/ where a great article details the specifics.

In our Chapters, we should talk about the political process and how those elected to those positions are performing. What we should avoid is heated debate over specific issues. Let me give you an example. Let's say your local congressmen has signed a bill that opposes a controversial issue. You are welcome to discuss the statements he publicly makes regarding the bill, and even the community reaction. What you should avoid doing is discussing the pros and cons of his stance or inviting debate about the topic.

It's important for our members to recognize the way our democracy works and be able to participate in it when they are of age to do so. So, don't be afraid to discuss government in your Chapter, but an avoidance of politics is always a good policy to have.

Frat! ~ "Dad" Seth Anthony

P.S. - This is one of my favorite videos about government and politics. While it relates to government in Ireland, it's a great way to think about this topic.

The Wisdom of Thomas Jefferson

As the final days of the primary elections wrap up around our country, I find myself reflecting back on the great leaders of the past. I'm going to run a series of articles over the next couple of weeks that mainly consist of thoughtful quotes from leaders of our country in the past. You'll recognize most of the names, but in many cases not the quotes. Take some time to think about them and what they mean. How can you apply them in your chapter and take control of you organization?


The Wisdom of Thomas Jefferson

• The democracy will cease to exist when you take away from those who are willing to work and give to those who would not.
• Power is not alluring to pure minds.
• What country can preserve its liberties if its rulers are not warned from time to time that their people preserve the spirit of resistance?
• Timid men prefer the calm of despotism to the tempestuous sea of liberty.
• A free people [claim] their rights as derived from the laws of nature, and not as the gift of their chief magistrate.
• I would rather be exposed to the inconveniences attending too much liberty than to those attending too small a degree of it.

Senior DeMolay Highlight - Mel Carnahan

I took a break for the popular Senior DeMolay Highlight series last week, but today I'm back with another entry. We've talked about actors, entertainers, athletes, and explorers, as well as an international political figure. However, we haven't discussed any of the famous members of our government here in the United States. Today, I bring you the a tragic tale of a Senior DeMolay who's life was cut short before he could really show the impact that our Order had on his career. Today, we discuss

Melvin Eugene Carnahan

Former Governor of Missouri

Bro. Mel Carnahan was born in the small town of Birch Tree, Missouri, in 1934. His father was a state Representative, which would later impact his decision to become involved in politics. He had one brother, Robert, and was said to be a very loving son. While hailing from Missouri, Carnahan spent most of his adolescent life living in the District of Columbia while his father served his term of office. It was during this time that Carnahan became a member of Anacostia Chapter, a part of Nation's Capital DeMolay, but you can surely know that his Missouri roots prompted him to join.

He attended George Washington University, leaving the school with a business degree, after which he joined the United States Air Force. He attained the grade of 1st Lieutenant and spent most of his career in the Office of Special Investigation. Upon discharge, he attended the University of Missouri School of Law and earned a Juris Doctorate from that institution. In 1954, Mel married Jean Carpenter, and fathered four children with her - Russ, Tom, Robin, and Randy.

Politically, Carnahan was a popular democrat, who started out his career in the Missouri House of Representatives. In 1980, he was elected State Treasurer. Mel ran for Governor of Missouri in 1984, but lost the Democratic primary. Had he won, he would have faced another important political figure - former Attorney General John Ashcroft (who served as Governor of Missouri for 8 years.)

In one of the countries different political systems, the Lieutenant Governor of Missouri is elected separately from the Governor (they don't run as a slate, as is done in PA.) Carnahan was able to get elected Lieutenant Governor in 1988. This poised him to run for Governor again in 1992, in an election he would soundly win, becoming the 51st Governor of Missouri. He went on to serve as second term.

In 2000, Bro. Carnahan decided to run for United States Senator against his old political rival, John Ashcroft. The campaign was intense, with Carnahan criss-crossing Missouri on a daily basis, trying to ensure his election. In doing so, his son Randy would fly his father to each campaign stop in a small Cessna airplane. On Oct. 16, 2000, just three weeks before the election, his plane crashed into a forested area, killing Mel, his son Randy, and his campaign advisor, Chris Sifford.

Due to odd election laws in Missouri, Carnahan's name could not be removed from the ballot. For the last three weeks of the election season, his wife, Jean, continued to campaign for him using the slogan "I'm still with Mel!" In an unprecedented event, the deceased Carnahan won the election by a two percent margin, catapulting the race to national attention. With the seat being technically vacant, the Governor of Missouri appointed Jean Carnahan to fill the seat her dead husband would have held.

Of his DeMolay career, Mel said “I have many fond memories of my time as a DeMolay member. Along with my home and my church, DeMolay was one of the major influences on my life during those early formative years. One of the most important lessons I learned from DeMolay was the need for respect—respect for your parents, respect for women, respect for your family and friends, and respect for your community. I also appreciated the many wonderful friendships I was able to make within my chapter. DeMolay provides young men with the tools they need to assume leadership roles and accept the many civic and personal responsibilities that lie ahead of them. Most important of all, DeMolay builds strong character and instills the values that will continue to make this country a great one. I want to thank DeMolay for the difference its organization has made in my life, and I am confident that its principles will continue to inspire young men to realize their potential. ”

Bro. Carnahan was a Chevalier, a Legionnaire, and was inducted into the DeMolay Hall of Fame in 1999 - just months prior to his untimely death.

Bro. and "Dad" Carnahan showed that his Mission was to control public policy and help those who lived in the State of Missouri. What can you learn from how Mel completed his Mission?

Frat! ~ "Dad" Seth Anthony

Did you say bicameral?

This morning I drove on to Patton Campus to be greeted by Westmoreland Chapter who were preparing to visit the Capitol in Harrisburg as part of their My Government Day observance. "Dad" Bruce Neubauer, the Chapter Chairman, asked if I would talk to the young men and coach them on how to interact with the politicians they were about to meet. The Chapter was lucky enough to secure time with the State Senator from their home area. I asked the members if they understood what a Senator was. I was met with a blank, deer in headlights look. We then had a discussion with everyone about how government in Pennsylvania works and why it's important to them. As I sad down to write this post, I wondered out loud what I should write about. Matt Blaisdell, DSMC, who is sharing my office, responded "... how about My Government day?" Perfect! So, we're going to learn about PA government with today's post.

Pennsylvania is a Commonwealth, not a State. That history could fill an entire post by itself. However, for the moment, know that in PA they are equivalent. The Commonwealth is lead by the executive branch, consisting of Governor Tom Corbett, Lieutenant Governor Jim Cawley, Attorney General Linda Kelly, Auditor General Jack Wagner, and State Treasurer Robert McCord. These folks manage the government of the Commonwealth.

Now, like the federal government, we also have a bicameral (meaning two part) legislative branch. Known as the General Assembly, it includes 50 Senators and 203 Representatives. These are the men and women who create laws within Pennsylvania and modify existing laws on the books.

The job of interpreting those laws is left to the judiciary, which is composed of 60 judicial districts, most of which (except Philadelphia) have magisterial district judges (formerly called district justices and justices of the peace), who preside over preliminary hearings in felony and misdemeanor offenses, all minor (summary) criminal offenses, and small civil claims. Most criminal and civil cases originate in the Courts of Common Pleas, which also serve as appellate courts to the district judges. The Superior Court hears all appeals from the Courts of Common Pleas not expressly designated to the Commonwealth Court or Supreme Court.The Supreme Court of Pennsylvania is the final appellate court. All judges in Pennsylvania are elected; the chief justice is determined by seniority.

I also asked the guys what the difference between a Democrat and a Republican. I got some varied answers, but again, that's a topic that is more than this blog post can handle. However, in the past decade, no political party has been clearly dominant in Pennsylvania. This, combined with Pennsylvania's rank of 6th in the country in population, has made it one of the most important swing states. Democrats are strong in Philadelphia County, Delaware County, Erie County, Allegheny County, Lehigh County, Northampton County, Luzerne County, and Lackawanna County (which, for those keeping track, are counties with large cities in them.) Republicans are strong in Lancaster County, York County, Franklin County, Westmoreland County, Butler County, Blair County, Lycoming County, and Cumberland County (which are more rural counties.) Swing counties in the state include Bucks County, Chester County, Berks County, Dauphin County, Cambria County, Beaver County, and Mercer Counties. In general, the Democrats are strongest in the large metro areas, particularly Philadelphia, Pittsburgh, Erie, and Allentown, while Republican support is widespread in rural areas in the central Allegheny Mountains and in the northern counties.

Furthermore, Pennsylvania is unique in the way it governs on a local level. Pennsylvania is divided into 67 counties. Counties are further subdivided into municipalities that are either incorporated as cities, boroughs, or townships. This where I have to give a shout out to my father, who has worked as the Manager of a municipality for the majority of his career. One county, Philadelphia County, is composed solely city of Philadelphia after it was consolidated in 1854. It is the only county like this.

There are a total of 56 cities in Pennsylvania, which are classified, by population, as either first, second, or third class cities. Philadelphia, Pennsylvania's largest city, has a population of 1,547,297 and is the state's only first class city. Pittsburgh (311,647) and Scranton (71,944) are second class 'A' cities, respectively.

The rest of the cities, like the third and fourth largest—Allentown (107,815) and Erie (103,571)—to the smallest—Parker with a population of only 738—are third class cities. First and second class cities are governed by a "strong mayor" form of mayor–council government, whereas third class cities are governed by either a "weak mayor" form of government or a council–manager government.

Boroughs are generally smaller than cities, with most Pennsylvania cities having been incorporated as a borough before being incorporated as a city. There are 958 boroughs in Pennsylvania, all of which governed by the "weak mayor" form of mayor–council government.

Townships are the third type of municipality in Pennsylvania and are classified as either first class or second class townships. There are 1,454 second class townships and 93 first class townships. Second class township can become first class townships if it has a population density greater than 300 inhabitants per square mile. There is one exception to the types of municipalities in Pennsylvania: Bloomsburg was incorporated as a town in 1870 and is, officially, the only town in the state.

I hope you learned a little bit more about how your government works in PA. The next time you get to meet a State level political official, keep this mind. They'll be impressed with how much you know!

My special thanks to Wikipedia, which does a great job of explaining much of this! 

Frat! ~ "Dad" Seth Anthony

DeMolay, Politics, and Fraternity

This week our Commonwealth held its primary elections. Most of the candidates were for local offices, with some looking to gain seats in the State courts. As I've written in previous blog posts, I'm not a huge fan of the blatant political games, but I've come to realize that politics are a necessary part of any human social interaction. Whether you think about it or not, interpersonal politics play a massive role in our everyday lives.

I'm also drawn to this subject as I have been watching Game of Thrones, the new series on HBO. I actually read all of the novels relating to this series before it came out. It is one of my all time favorite pieces of literature. While it contains a large amount of sordid material, it's the politics in the series that really draws my attention.

So, as I sat down to write a blog post of some sort, I realized that a discussion about politics might be in order. "Politics" has become a dirty word in the English language. It's come to be associated with under-handed deals, back-stabbing, in-fighting, and every other kind of maltreatment in humanity. It seemed, in my mind anyways, that the best place to start with a political discussion would be at the definition of the word. According to Google, politics is defined as:

noun (plural) /ˈpäləˌtiks/ 

politics, plural

The activities associated with the governance of a country or other area, esp. the debate or conflict among individuals or parties having or hoping to achieve power
• - the president's relationship with Congress is vital to American politics
• - thereafter he dropped out of active politics
The activities of governments concerning the political relations between countries
• - in the conduct of global politics, economic status must be backed by military capacity
The academic study of government and the state
• - a politics lecturer
Activities within an organization that are aimed at improving someone's status or position and are typically considered to be devious or divisive
• - yet another discussion of office politics and personalities
A particular set of political beliefs or principles
• - people do not buy this newspaper purely for its politics
The assumptions or principles relating to or inherent in a sphere, theory, or thing, esp. when concerned with power and status in a society
• - the politics of gender

What does that tell us? It seems that politics is generally divided into two categories - those dealing with administering and governing organizations and people or maneuvering for personal gain. I'm not going to deal with the temporal or governing ideas. Rather, I think it's important that we take a look at the idea of using politics to get ahead.

People are inherently trained to dislike the phrase "playing politics," but we all do it. It's a necessary part of life. If you didn't use politics, you'd never be a leader in any group or organization. You'd never accomplish much of anything. People get mad if they think you have used some method to get ahead of them. But, that's what this world is about. Getting ahead inherently means that you left someone behind, doesn't it? That's the nature of the beast, because we all want to get ahead. 

DeMolay is politics. I can't sugarcoat that. When you become a leader, it means you had to get elected, which means you played politics. Becoming a State Officer is a huge political game. We don't like to think of it as that, but it is. That's how elections are won and lost. However, there is a Brotherly way to go about this. Stating facts and saying what you are going to do as a leader is the right way. Slinging mud and tearing other people down is the wrong way. Learning to play the game as an upstanding citizen is the first key to the whole deal and that can take a life time by itself.

So, I encourage you - don't get angry or disheveled at the idea of politics. Learn to work within the political realm. If all else fails, remember the idiom - "Don't hate the player, hate the game."

Frat! ~ "Dad" Seth Anthony