Thank You For Serving

On this special Veterans Day version of the blog, I'd like to just take the time to thank our Veterans who have served our country. Many of our DeMolay members and advisors, past and present, have served our country. Their efforts should not go unnoticed.

Patriotism is one of the seven core lessons we learn in DeMolay. We all have a special place in our hearts for our country, but some take it a step further and serve in some branch of military.  Members of the military sacrifice their lives everyday to make sure our families are safe here in America. They believe in our country and its principles. They continue to fight for their country because they know it's worth fighting for. We salute you for your dedication.

Do you have something in your life that is worth fighting for? I know for me, to answer that question, family is a big thing I would fight for. My mom, step dad, cousins, friends, they're very important to me. DeMolay to me is family, which is also worth fighting for. I believe in this organization and everything it teaches, so I would continue to work to improve it and make it better.

Take the time today to recognize those around you who have served in the military. I have a few friends overseas right now who I wish I could thank in person. Past or present, they all deserve a simple thank you for their service. On behalf of PA DeMolay, thank you for serving!

Until next time - "Dad" Joe Pullin

Embrace Veteran's Day

Today is Veteran's Day, which is a federal holiday dedicated to honoring those who have served our country in every field of sacrifice and service. Many communities are having Veteran's Day services and businesses are offering discounts to those who have served. This, however, isn't really the importance of Veteran's Day. Rather, we, as DeMolays, should seek to understand what Veteran's have done for us and work to bring those lessons into our daily life.

Yesterday, I was visiting an antique store in Eastern PA. I came across a booth that was fairly sparse, with just a couple of tables set up at the front. On the tables were a number of artifacts from WWII. Behind the tables stood an older gentleman, bundled up against the cold of the building. As I perused his items, we struck up a conversation. He explained that he was a WWII Veteran who served in Germany. He talked about meeting Russian soldiers and trading goods with them. His knowledge of military history was wonderful and I'm quite thankful he shared his stories with me.

At the end of our conversation I thanked him for his service to our Country. While I didn't purchase anything from him, I could tell that just being able to connect with a young person and share his story meant something. Today, I would encourage each and every DeMolay to talk to a Veteran and learn about their service. You'll be glad you did.

Frat! ~ "Dad" Seth Anthony