Films Every DeMolay Should See: Remember the Titans

This year, State Master Councilor Eric Dye has been promoting the theme "Lights Camera Action: PA DeMolay Goes Hollywood." All of the weekends and activities have been planned around a movie or genre to help enhance the quality of the program. It seemed fitting to post a blog about movies that members of DeMolay should see. Over the remaining months you will see a few of these posts highlighting a specific move that you may want to check out.  

For anyone that knows me, I am an avid sports fan. This goes beyond the game itself for me, as some of my favorite movies of all time include sports films. One of my all time favorite sports movies has always been Remember the Titans. The movie stars Denzel Washington as Daniel Boone, the Head Coach of the T.C. Williams High School football team. The film takes place in Alexandria, Virginia in the year 1971, a time in which racial discrimination was still a concern in Virginia. Members of the T.C. Williams football team were not welcoming of the new members of the team or the new Head Coach, as they expressed their displeasure and got into fights constantly. Community members expressed there dissatisfaction of the changes made as well, causing disturbances for Coach Boone and his family. Coach Boone decided that the team needed to find away to get past their problems and work together. He took the team to training camp in Gettysburg, in which they worked harder than they ever have before. Although the process may have taken a while, the players became a unified team at the end of training camp. The team became a powerhouse team in pursuit of a state championship. The entire film highlights the adversity that took place in order to accomplish a common goal. 

So what makes this a movie that every DeMolay should watch? Some of the important lessons that are taught in this movie, are the same lessons we teach in DeMolay. Some of those lessons include comradeship, tolerance, teamwork, and overcoming the odds to meet the goals at hand. Facing adversity is a big lesson in this movie, and in DeMolay we can come in contact with that same problem, realizing that it comes with the territory of being a leader. One of my favorite quotes in this movie is when Bertier tells Julius he doesn't play hard enough, he tells Bertier "Attitude reflects leadership, Captain." I always felt this lesson was important. As a leader, our attitude and reactions are most important for others to follow our lead. Lead by example, others will work hard if you do as well. This movie is also based on a true story, which makes the lessons taught mean so much more. Another reason you may want to check this movie out is because of the up and coming stars that appeared in this movie before they became big names in the industry. Those stars include Ryan Hurst, Donald Faison, Kate Bosworth, Ryan Gosling, and a very young Hayden Panettiere.

To this day, I still enjoy this movie like it is the first time I ever saw it. Hopefully this review inspired you to check out the film, as it is an all time classic.   

Until next time - "Dad" Joe Pullin 

Random Act of Kindness

The other day I was looking around on Facebook and saw a story that really caught my attention. “Dad” Labagh shared a story from David Miller, the current Deputy State Master Councilor of Virginia and graduate of KeyMan University. David was at a gas station filling up his truck. He still had a long distance to travel, while only having just about $12 on him. He used all of the cash he had and started to pump his gas. As he was pumping, he realized that the pump was filling more than he paid for, and in a panic, tried to figure out how he was going to pay for it. As he walks to the cashier to figure out what happened, Before he had a chance to go inside, the man in line behind him told him to keep pumping because he put $40 on his pump. David was amazed that a random stranger would do such a good deed to make sure he could get home.

When I first read this story, and even now, I found it really great that there are still good people that willingly do selfless deeds for people that may not even know. It made me think when the last time I did something like that. Sure I've done the normal opening doors for people and I gave a cashier a dollar for a small child that was a dollar short at the Elizabethtown Fair, but nothing to this caliber. As part of DeMolay, we are taught to be courteous of others, but an occasional random act of kindness never hurt either. David will remember this good deed for the rest of his life. How can we affect the lives of others. I challenge everyone reading this blog post to go out and perform a good deed for someone, whether someone you know or don't know. 

Until next time - "Dad" Joe Pullin

    

PA State Officers Go Spelunking...

... well, not really.

Imagine yourself walking descending down to almost one hundred feet below the surface and you come across a DeMolay Degree. This past weekend, Matt Blaisdell, DSMC, Alex Rauschenberger, SSC, and "Dad" Labagh, EO had that opportunity. First off, to clarify, they didn't trudge through the dirt with a pale and shovel. Rather, they attended the Virginia State Association of DeMolay who hosted their annual Grand Masters Class at Luray Caverns in the Shenandoah Valley. After a three hour drive from Patton Campus,the group met up with the Virginia 's State Master Councilor, PJ Shuey, their Deputy State Master Councilor, Robert Marsters, along with some others from  Virginia and Region two. They had a light lunch and just shared fraternal bonds until the degrees began. Alex was heard to say "It was amazing to see not just active members of Virginia there, but other jurisdictions as well! Not to mention, the ritual preformed by the members was great!" 

Following the degree, "Dad" Labagh was approached by a familiar figure; later to find out it was our very own "Dad" Eric C. Johnson, 49th State Master Councilor of Pennsylvania DeMolay. With a few minutes to spare, Matt, Alex and "Dad" Labagh made their way to the 4,000,000 year old cavern where Virginia DeMolay hosts their DeMolay Degree. After seeing some amazing stalactites and stalagmites and some even more amazing ritual by members of Virginia DeMolay, the group was privileged to listen to the largest stalactic-pipe organ. Go have yourselves a listen at the video below. "It was really cool, and I recommend anyone who enjoys some good ritual, good brotherhood and some great stalactic-pipe organ playing, tag along next year with us and I guarantee you won't regret it!" Matt said.

Take Control! 
Matt Blaisdell

The Boy is Back In Town

I'm back from my whirl-wind trip of Masonic Week, after which I'm pretty tired. It was a good trip, though. I was one of the first 175(ish) people to join the Masonic Order of Athelstan in the England, Wales, and Provinces overseas, and became one of the first members of Susquehanna Court No. 74, domiciled in Allentown, PA. I'm also pretty sure that I am the youngest member of the group here in the United States. If you're really interested in what all that is, you can check out http://www.athelstan.org.uk/.


I didn't just do Masonic stuff while I was on my little trip - DeMolay got some time too. After a long day of Masonic goodness in Alexandria, I drove  back to Fairfax to spend some time with "Dad" Zack Panitzke before coming back to PA. He suggested we go to his local Chapter's ritual practice so I could see some of the guys from Key Man 2010. On the way we snagged "Dad" Peter Brusoe, Past International Master Councilor and Chief Operating Officer for Nation's Capital DeMolay. A short dash later found us in Falls Church, VA, home to E.A. Mroz Chapter, which meets at Kemper-Macon Ware Lodge. The Chapter had a great ritual practice and I especially enjoyed catching up with the guys and their advisors. I even did a little Key Man sales pitch for the members that were there. Hopefully we see them at Key Man 2011! 

Following my visit, "Dad"'s Brusoe, Panitzke, and myself all stopped by the Fez Bistro for a fantastic dinner of Moroccan cuisine. I ended up leaving VA about 10:30 Wednesday night, pulling back into Elizabethtown at 1 a.m. on Thursday.


My travel doesn't stop there, though! Tomorrow I'm trekking North with part of the Convention staff to work on Convention 2011 (held at the Mountain Laurel Resort in White Haven, PA.) From there, we'll shoot back down South for Patriots Class on Saturday. I hope to see everyone there!


Frat! ~ "Dad" Seth Anthony

This weeks forecast: Sporadic Posting

Good day everybody!

This is just a quick update to let you know that I will probably be a little off kilter when it comes to posting for the next week or so. Beginning today, I'm hitting the road for the next 5 (ish) days. This afternoon I'll be heading down to Alexandria, VA, to attend the annual Masonic Week activities. What is Masonic Week? Well, in short, it's an annual event where several small Masonic groups get together and host joint meetings. You can find out more here. During this trip, I'll be staying with "Dad" Zack Panitzke, who has assured me that I will be enjoying some time with the fellows of Virginia DeMolay as well (possibly at a ritual practice.)

I'm heading back to PA late on Wednesday or early on Thursday, which should put me back in the office for at least a short bit on Thursday afternoon. Then, on Thursday evening, "Dad's" Panitzke and Morse (Assistant Directors of Convention) will be invading Patton Campus so that we can get up nice and early on Friday to head to the Mountain Laurel Resort in White Haven, PA (the site of Convention 2011.) We'll be staying there Friday night, only to get up and head down to Reading for the annual Patriots Class on Saturday.

It's going to be a whirlwind week, but one I'm greatly looking forward to!

Oh, and don't worry guys, there will still be Fezzy Trivia on Friday!

Frat! ~ "Dad" Seth Anthony

Region II Spotlight: Virginia

DeMolay International divides its "Jurisdictions" (generally meaning a State or Country) into Regions. Pennsylvania is part of Region II which includes New York, New Jersey, Maryland, Delaware, Virginia, Nation's Capital, Ontario (in Canada, eh?) and Italy. Our region has a long history of excellence, and is renowned for how well we work together in planning Regional Conferences and events such as the Mid Atlantic Tournament of Champions (MATOC for short.)

However, the average DeMolay doesn't really get to interact with members from other Jurisdictions unless he goes to one of these events. One of the most interesting things in DeMolay is how different each Jurisdiction can be while still working within the guidelines set forth by DeMolay International. In an effort to familiarize you with our sister Jurisdictions from our Region, this blog will present a series of "Region II Spotlight" articles to give you some information about DeMolay in Region II.

Region II Spotlight on Virginia

Virginia is one of only four Commonwealths in the country (which means it's not technically a state. The other three are Kentucky, Massachusetts, and Pennsylvania!) Nicknamed "the Old Dominion State" it is sometimes called the "Mother of Presidents" as 8 of our nation's leaders have called Virginia home. It's capital is the historic city of Richmond, which served as the capital of the Confederacy during the Civil War. With roughly 8 million residents, the State is a study in diversity, with the relatively urban Northern area (including Fairfax and the D.C. suburbs) standing in stark contrast to the rugged beauty of the Shenandoah Valley and Southern climes.

Currently Virginia DeMolay has 448 members meeting in 14 Chapters. These are divided into five regions, each composed of three to five Chapters. Each region elects a Regional Master Councilor and Deputy Regional Master Councilor during the annual Conclave (that's Convention for the PA folks!) Also elected during the Conclave are the State Master Councilor (currently Bro. Nick Cook) and Deputy State Master Councilor (currently Bro. P.J. Shuey.) Each of these positions serves for one year. Combined, these offices make up the "State Council" for Virginia DeMolay, similar to the "State Officer Corps" we have here in Pennsylvania.

Uniquely, Virginia also has a State Representative DeMolay who is chosen from all of the RD's within the Jurisdiction. The chosen DeMolay must complete an interview in front of a panel of Advisors who challenges his personal philosophy and morality. This is a tough process, and ensures that the young man chosen as the State RD is truly an outstanding member of our Order.

The young men of Virginia are aided by Executive Officer "Dad" Mike Williams and his State Staff of advisors. These adults function similarly to the Executive Officer's Leadership Team that we have in Pennsylvania.

Pennsylvania has many ties to the other States within our Region, and Virginia is no exception. Several Virginia Advisors would be immediately recognized by PA DeMolays, including "Dad" Tom Sellers (who works with MATOC and has served on Key Man staff), and "Dad" Zack Panitzke, formerly of Erie Chapter, who is now working with a Chapter in Northern Virginia (pictured at right.)

So, next time you're visiting the George Washington Masonic Memorial in Alexandria, or maybe hitting the beach on the Atlantic coast, remember to look up a Virginia DeMolay Chapter - they love to have visitors!

Frat! ~ "Dad" Seth Anthony