Meet the Candidates: Dylan Kirk for Deputy State Master Councilor

It's almost time for the annual PA DeMolay Convention, so why not get to know our candidates for State Office. We have two candidates for the office of Deputy State Master Councilor. Here is our first, Bro. Dylan Kirk of Westmoreland Chapter. 

Hello! My name is Dylan Kirk and I have been a member of Westmoreland Chapter for nearly five years. I've spent the last two years as an Elected State Officer, currently serving as State Senior Councilor. I am 17 years old and finishing my junior year of high school. I am running for the office of Deputy State Master Councilor to further my DeMolay experience and to give back as much as I can. After serving one term as Master Councilor in my home chapter, I believed it was time for me to further my experience and join the state line. In larger chapters, once you become Master Councilor, that’s the extent you can go since you have new members wanting to move into the chairs. So, although I am still active in my chapter, I try to act as a leader to the newer DeMolay members and let them run the chapter. After all, they are the future.

What is your greatest DeMolay experience or accomplishment?

My greatest DeMolay experience or accomplishment would have to be becoming an ESO. It has taught me so many things like planning events, creating and meeting deadlines, time management, and one which I have improved a lot in, being able to speak off the cuff. Along with being an ESO you get to meet so many people, especially the DeMolay members. It’s great to talk to them at events and get to know them, knowing that I could be someone they look up to, that inspires me to be a good leader.

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

I have had so many influences in DeMolay. Several Advisors, DeMolays, past State Officers. They have all influenced me and taught me many things. I don’t think I would be the person I am today without them.

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

My goals if elected to serve as DSMC are to help unify the state and spend time with the West, helping them grow stronger. I want to contribute to individual growth, this is something that has been somewhat lost in DeMolay. Many members are just in DeMolay to have fun, which is great, but that’s not the only purpose of DeMolay. So I hope to encourage teaching the virtues of DeMolays and bettering members.

DeMolay Time and Free Time

The following blog post was written by Brother Austin Chase, Region C Youth Representative, and PMC of Westmoreland Chapter. 

What does a DeMolay do in his free time when he's not in school or working? Some DeMolay members might like to play sports, play video games, sleep, drink chocolate milk, or practice their ritual. Every DeMolay has their own go to activities that they enjoy.  

During my free time, I like to play video games with my friends. When we're not playing video games, we do other things like go to the gym or go get something to eat. Other DeMolays in my Chapter like to do various other activities during their free time. One member is part of the swim team for their school. One member plays flag football. Another member is in the band and also plays for their high school Volleyball team. 

Some of us get together outside of DeMolay events and spend our free time together. Sometimes we get together to play basketball, listen to music, or play video games. The best part of DeMolay is that it provides you lifelong friendships that last even outside the Chapter banner.

Austin Chase, Region C Youth Representative
    

Meet the Candidates: Dylan Kirk for State Senior 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.

My name is Dylan Kirk and I am running for the office of State Senior Councilor. I am a Past Master Councilor of Westmoreland Chapter. This fall I will be entering my junior year of high school. Throughout my four years in DeMolay, I have earned several awards including my lamp of Knowledge and my Representative DeMolay Award. Some of my interests are baseball, hockey, and movies, my favorites are: the Cars trilogy, Saving Private Ryan, The Sandlot.

What are your goals if elected to serve as an Elected State Officer?
If elected to State Senior Councilor, I hope that I will be able to bring new ideas to help improve PA DeMolay. I also hope to help the individual chapters, a goal of mine is to visit each chapter at least once, so that we, as state officers, can have better communication with the chapters to help them improve as well.

What is your greatest DeMolay experience or accomplishment?

Although I have had many great experiences, varying from chapter events, to becoming a state officer. I’d have to pick going to the Naval Academy in Annapolis Maryland. I was Master Councilor of my chapter at the time and I chose to do that for My Government Day. It was a great experience that I will never forget.

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

Of all the great people I have met and gotten to know in DeMolay, whether they are from my chapter or the state, many of them have taught me valuable lessons. Two of my greatest DeMolay influences are Adam Neubauer and Isaac Holtzer. Adam recruited me into DeMolay and was my mentor, at least I saw him that way, before the bro tie program. Isaac became State Master Councilor shortly after I joined. While he was SMC, he still participated in chapter events and I was able to observe his leadership style in the chapter and on the state level. I was able put that towards my own leadership skills, especially with being a state 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. 

Arnold Palmer: Pro Golfer and DeMolay Legionnaire

With tie recent passing of DeMolay Legion of Honor recipient Arnold Palmer, PA DeMolay's Deputy State Master Councilor, Brother Jacob Beers wrote this blog post. Thank you Brother Beers for sharing your meaningful and heartfelt story. 

Sunday night, I was coming off of a very good weekend of DeMolay. Saturday marked another great Autumn Day for the Masonic Village of Elizabethtown where I was able to talk to a few prospective members for Central PA Chapters and spend time with friends across the Masonic Youth Groups. Later in the day, the ESOs and I worked on final planning for Jacquestoberfest and worked on other State issues. Sunday, we invested 16 new Legionnaires into the Legion of Honor with an amazing ceremony back at the Masonic Village of Elizabethtown.

However, not all of the weekend was as perfect as it would seem to have been. At 8:58 PM, I received this update from CBS Sports:

“BREAKING: Arnold Palmer, golf trailblazer known as ‘The King’, dies at age 87; had 62 PGA Tour wins”

I was immediately saddened. Just one year ago, I had the chance to meet the golfing legend. Not only did I meet him, but I had the chance to be a part of his Legion of Honor Investiture Team performing the 2nd Preceptor part, truly an honor within itself. Looking back on it now, I don't think I appreciated that moment enough. I don't think I really noticed until now that a man who seemingly had everything - trophies, medals, championships, Presidential recognition - could be so proud, so honored, to be given this recognition from an organization such as ours. This was one of the most eye-opening experiences of my life, or at least it is now when my hindsight is 20/20.

The DeMolays that were there were able to talk with him in his office for a while after the ceremony had finished. I can remember one of the members from Westmoreland Chapter asking of a table full of embedded medals of Palmer’s many tournament wins something like, “what are these empty spaces for?” To which he brilliantly replied, “those are for my next wins.” The man was so confident and such a joy to be around that I wish I could have stayed longer and asked him more, but the only question I got in was this: “What made you want to open a golf course in China?” His reply was something along the lines of this (I'm paraphrasing): “Golf is something I've loved ever since I played it as a boy. They [China] didn't have golf over there and I wanted to spread what I love to them so they could enjoy it, too.” Whether that's exactly what he said or not, the point is clear: Arnold Palmer wanted to spread what he loved to people that didn't have it so they could love it themselves.

I didn't write this, initially, with the idea of plugging DeMolay into it, but I feel as though I can't not do it. If we all, as DeMolays, spread what we love (hopefully, DeMolay falls into that category) to people that don't already know how great this group is, maybe we, too, can spread passion for DeMolay as Palmer spread passion for golf throughout his life. Though Palmer himself was never a DeMolay, I feel connected to him. Of all the Legion of Honor Conferrals I've been a part of, it is his that I felt was one of the most meaningful. Like I said earlier, a man that had everything was so proud to be honored by some little youth organization called DeMolay. 

Arnold Palmer was one of the greatest men I have had the honor of dedicating anew to the faith of our fathers, as the Ritual prescribes. I can only hope that this distinction from a group of young men whom he had never met, but whose ideals were those that would provide the foundation of a successful future for themselves and their country, was as great of an honor to receive as it was to bestow on The King himself.

Letter in DeMolay!

In 2014, DeMolay International designed a program called the DeMolay Varsity Club. This program allows members, advisors and sweethearts the opportunity to fill out an application so they can "Letter in DeMolay," similar to how an athlete can letter on the High School Varsity level. This achievement relies on a few key elements; leadership, involvement, knowledge and planning.

A member or sweetheart can earn a "letter" by doing all of the following:

• Mentor a new member
• Teach chapter members a new skill
• Serve in a leadership position
• Attend 6 Chapter Meetings and 2 other chapter events
• Plan a new event
• Bring in 1 new member or advisor
• Complete and earn the Representative DeMolay Award
• Complete and pass 1 Leadership Correspondence Course
• A member also must learn 1 new ritual part to perform at a meeting or public event

An advisor can also earn a "letter" by doing the following:

• Recruit a brand new advisor to the advisory council
• Lead and work with chapter members to create and execute a brand new event

A total of 8 people have earned the "letter" in Pennsylvania. Here are the people that have earned it so far:

• Alicia Daniels (Reading Chapter)
• Tyler Moyer (Pilgrim Chapter)
• Eric Dye (Allentown Chapter)
• Andrew Santilli (Chester Pike Chapter)
• Brian Martin (Carlisle Chapter)
• "Dad" Brett Otto (Carlisle Chapter) 
• "Mom" Kelly Otto (Carlisle Chapter)
• Adam Neubauer (Westmoreland Chapter)

The program concludes June 30th, so there is still time to earn yourself a "Letter in DeMolay." Fill out the application and earn yours today! 

Until next time - "Dad" Joe Pullin 

 

Thanks to some special Advisors!

Today's post comes from a special guest - "Dad" Bruce Neubauer of Westmoreland Chapter. "Dad" Neubauer prepared this piece as a personal exercise, never expecting it to be used as a blog post. However, after reading it, I realized that he did a great job of summing one person's positive experiences with DeMolay. I hope you enjoy it!

Four short years ago I got involved in DeMolay. My wife thought it would be good for our son. We inquired and had a lot of questions but we agreed that it was the thing to do. Our son joined and really enjoyed the experience. We had a couple young men that held the Chapter together and an Advisory Council that cared deeply about DeMolay. Shortly after we joined, we had a few more young men added to the ranks. Our Master Councilor agreed to stay on for another year. In the meantime, our Council grew by a few more members when "Dad Holtzer" and I joined the board. We could see that our DeMolays wanted to travel. They got excited about "the Judge" (PA DeMolay's travelling gavel) and the road trips began. We were fortunate over the next couple years to grow the Chapter. We were up to 9 or 10 active DeMolays. We even added another advisor or two. We were a very active Chapter and traveled all over the State. At the last two Conventions we even won some awards; most miles traveled was one of the favorite of the Chapter!

During this time we adopted the "Unplugged Theory" of adult involvement and let the DeMolays run the Chapter. This was hard because we did not have any DeMolay leaders. All of our young men were new. At times other than the meetings the advisors worked hard to educate the DeMolays on how to run committees, have fund raisers, and many other things. During Isaac Holtzer’s term you could see some young leaders developing. During Adam Neubauer's term we again continued  to grow and you could see the ritual come along on top of  having more activities with the Rainbow girls. We still had our issues, but they were addressed at the Councilors meetings. We were not totally "Unplugged" in these meetings. At times we had the feeling that the DeMolays might have thought that we were too tough.

In the beginning of March we had our Installation of Officers and Bro. Dominic Bruno was installed as Master Councilor.  We currently have about 14 active DeMolays. After the Installation was completed, Isaac Holtzer and Adam Neubauer asked if they could come up front. At that time Isaac stated that they had two Advisors that they were going to honor. He commented about how these Advisors were always there and never said no. They took them everywhere they wanted to go. He then called up "Dad" Holtzer and myself. "Dad" Holtzer looked at me and I at him and said the same thing - "did you know about this?" We looked at the other advisors and they all shook their heads.The young men then presented us with the DeMolay Medal of Appreciation - a little known award used to show thanks for service to DeMolay.

We found out that  about  five months before Isaac and Adam, along with our other DeMolays,  felt they needed to do something to honor "Dad" Holtzer and myself. They took a vote of the DeMolays and it was unanimous. They took it upon themselves to complete the paperwork and mail it to "Dad" Dave Berry, Executive Secretary. The enveloped arrived full of cash and change (pooled together from the young men) as the members didn't want to risk the surprise by having the Advisory Council write a check. "Dad" Berry knew right away that this was being done by the DeMolays of the Chapter. Our DeMolays and "Dad" Berry kept this quiet all the time. The DeMolays were so proud of what they had done.

I can tell you words cannot explain how humble we were by the experience. Not many times in my life will I ever receive an award as important as this one. This came from the DeMolays and that means the world to me.

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

Musings from Westmoreland

Today's post is by "Dad" Bruce Neubauer, Chapter Chairman of Westmoreland Chapter, located in Greensburg, PA. "Dad" Neuabauer wrote this article unsolicited and sent it to PA DeMolay. I enjoyed his thoughts and he graciously allowed me to post it here. I hope you enjoy it!

You might think DeMolay is just about the young men, but it's not. DeMolay is also about the Advisors. You might say that this comment does not fit in with the "Unplugged" concept. But remember, Unplugged does not mean disconnected. I hope you find this story interesting. I have seen some things lately that I thought were amazing.

Westmoreland DeMolay has a very long and exciting history in PA. In the olden days the Chapter was very active in ritual competitions and sporting events. We understand they had a Chapter with a lot of members. Over the years the members got involved with other activities and a lot aged out and moved on. Westmoreland Chapter was lucky to continue to have a few young men to keep it alive. Our hats go off to these young men, because it would have been easy to go dark. Westmoreland continued to have a good Advisory Council that did not want to see the Chapter close.

About 3 years ago Westmoreland started to get a few more young men. They joined one at a time. Now we know that the guys are to try and recruit their friends, but they need help. Before a member is going to ask a friend, he must believe it is the right thing to do. In the beginning, the young men would not ask anyone to join. Some of our Advisors talked up DeMolay how the young men could join. There were Masons that thought DeMolay was gone. Westmoreland had a sports prospect party that summer and two young men had come because of the interest sparked at the Masonic meeting with a friend. Both guys joined with in a couple weeks. It is very important that the adults never stop talking about DeMolay because the young men need your help.

All of a sudden we had about 6 young men, who were 12 and 13 years old, wondering "What am I doing here?" When they sat through the first business meeting none of the young men knew what to do. At that point the Advisors did a lot. They had to help with ritual, explain how to make a motion, and why you needed one in the first place. The new members were very nervous. We had a Master Councilor That was trying to work with the members and stayed on for an extra term or two until the younger guys were ready. Later that year we had an Advisor that went to a leadership weekend and found out from our Master Councilor that the Advisors were way too involved in the meetings. The Advisors started to back off and it was not easy. This was right before "Unplugged" debuted as a concept. When we read the "Unplugged" article one of our Advisors absolutely did not agree with it because he felt the guys were not prepared to run the Chapter. He thought they did not have the tools needed to be successful. Upon further review the Advisors felt that it would work if you stayed connected when the members needed help.

This now bring us to today. Our guys are now between 12 and 16. We have a truly "Unplugged" but not disconnected Chapter. This does not mean they are own their own. As advisors, you have to know when to get involved. Our young men are working on the "Take Control!" program. The Young men have seen a couple terms and now know some of the things they need to do, such as Scheduling dates with your meeting place, setting a budget for activities, following up with who is going and much, much more. At the Councilors meeting the Chapter Advisor is part of the meeting. This is where the young men review the activity.

We have seen the young men "Take Control!" of the Chapter. They are taking pride in the ritual and Master Councilor puts together a meeting agenda and has copies for everyone. Over the past few meetings the transformation in the Chapter is been amazing. The older members are helping the newer members. We just had a Prospect party with four prospects. But remember, he guys will not ask friends to join until they believe. We can see where the members of Westmoreland Chapter are working as a team by the way everyone had a great time at the party.

Finally the Advisors of Westmoreland Chapter have had a lot to do with the young men gaining the confidence and learning needed to succeed. As an advisor, you must never stop asking your friends, family, or Brothers if they know about DeMolay. The Young men are learning how to be leaders and the Advisors are using their skill to help them learn. As advisors think of the rewards when you can sit back and say WOW what a change.

You be the Judge.

Today's post is from a special guest - Bro. Adam Neubauer of Westmoreland Chapter, who also serves as State 6th Preceptor for PA DeMolay.

While looking at the current and past holders of "the Judge," it dawned on me, many people may not know what "the Judge" stands for or what the purpose of it really is.  Back in 2005,  The Judge was made to honor Brother Justin D. Killian, PSMC and presented by "Dad" Rodney Boyce, Deputy Executive Officer. While reading the transcript of the presentation, something "Dad" Boyce said struck me. "Once in a while someone comes along that sets the bar a little higher for all those who will follow in his footsteps.  Over the past three years I have had the distinct privilege of working with a young man who has done just that— set the bar a little higher." 

Now, keep that in mind while you read the rest of this post. The Judge was also made to encourage Chapters to visit other Chapters at their various events and meetings. The Judge, which has called Westmoreland Chapter it's home, has been a big hit at our Chapter. We were first introduced to the Judge January 2, 2006, and since then we've been passionate about getting it back! The Judge program has even inspired us to go above and beyond to introduce "mini-judges" to other chapters. The goal for them is to support further involvement in Chapters in our area! Like "Dad" Boyce said  before, The Judge was given to honor someone who set the bar higher. What can you do to set the bar higher?


- Bro. Adam Neubaur, State 6th Preceptor

Special Guest Post - Westmoreland Holds Installation

What's that you say? Another guest post? Yes! Not to be outdone by Allentown Chapter, I received this article from Bro. Isaac Holtzer of Westmoreland Chapter about their recent Installation. Thanks for the article, Isaac!

Westmoreland Chapter Order of DeMolay had its Installation of Officers on February 6th, 2011. Leading the way for Westmoreland is Bro. Isaac Holtzer the new Master Councilor. Westmoreland is already winning PA DeMolay competitions, but the new Master Councilor wants to at least place in every competition by Convention 2011. Westmoreland’s first challenge is win DeMolay Madness. With new officers and a great attitude Westmoreland is going to have a great term!

Westmoreland Road Warriors

Today's article is brought to you by "Dad" Bruce Neubauer of Westmoreland Chapter, located in Greensburg, PA.

What do you think about when you hear visitations points? I bet you think about taking a trip to a DeMolay Chapter and getting points for the competition. I don't want to say that this is not important, because it is. When the guys from Westmoreland visit another Chapter we take the visitation form to to get signed and send it in for points. Our members enjoy traveling and want to win the competition. But, how about we think about visitation points in a different way. Instead of points, think about visitation ideas and thoughts.

What I've have learned about visitation points is that it is not just a number on a piece of paper; it is indeed a powerful tool. Our members  at Westmoreland Chapter first started traveling to get "the Judge" (the PA DeMolay travelling gavel.) That might be how we started, but it has grown from there. Now, don’t get the wrong idea. Westmoreland is still dedicated to bringing "the Judge" back to Greensburg. But now we look forward to travelling for other reasons too. As Advisors, we do not talk about the competition. We just say there is an activity coming up and the DeMolays ask at a meeting "...who wants to go?" Fortunately we have the advisors that like to travel and enjoy the events just as much as the young men.

I would like to take my story back to Key Man 2010 for a minute. Key Man proves the idea that in DeMolay, the members and advisors you don't know are just friends that haven't not met yet. We came home from Key Man and a couple months later one of our members said that he wanted to go to an installation at a Chapter that a friend he met at Key Man belonged too. Without asking where the Chapter was, the answer from the transperation advisor was "Sure!" Then we found out the Chapter was North East Chapter in Philadelphia. But you know what, the answer was still "yes."  Our member went on the visit out of friendship and brotherhood. He didn't want to make this visit for points - he wanted to make it personal.

This past Sunday one of our Appointed State Officers from Westmoreland Chapter was asked to help at an installation of officers at Friendship-Bray Chapter. We had three other members ask to come along. At the last minute another office needed filled and one of the guys coming along agreed to fill in. Again this does not sound like a cut-throat points based competition. It sounds like brotherhood. It also sounded like a chance to capture one of the most illusive pictures in PA DeMolay history - a shot of "Dad" Rick Freedman, a long time Philly area resident, wearing what can only be described as a Pittsburgh Steelers collar. Great work!

As I was riding home from Friendship-Bray I started thinking how important it is to support other Chapters. I feel that one of the most important days in a Master Councilor's term is the Installation. It would be great if you could get all the nearby Chapters to show support.

The advisors of Westmoreland DeMolay are very proud of our young men. They have certainly caught the spirit and gotten the meaning of DeMolay.

If you let Westmoreland know when you are having an installation, We might just be there.

"Dad" Bruce Neubauer is the Chairman of Westmoreland Chapter. He has attended the last two Key Man Conferences and is quickly becoming a familiar face around PA DeMolay. He is actively involved in the Tall Cedars of Lebanon, where he serves as a District Deputy Supreme Tall Cedar and was elected to the Board of Directors. He also does a great job explaining how important the funny hat they wearreally is (its called a "pyramid" by the way) . This editor certainly appreciated it and will wear his proudly.

Hey, unplug the jar, would ya?

Westmoreland Chapter, located in Greensburg, PA, has quickly become one of the greatest adopters of the Take Control! and Unplug concepts. The interesting part of their story is that they were initially one of the more skeptical groups out there. I fielded many questions from Westmoreland on just want it meant to "Unplug." They were working with a younger generation of DeMolays (mostly under 15) and weren't quite sure that it was time to cut the proverbial apron strings just yet.

"Dad" Bruce Neubauer and I talked at length about the idea and how best to apply it in his Chapter. Slowly, but surely, the Advisory Council started taking less and less of a role in the stated meetings, but more of a role before and after them. In this way, they were able to help the guys work up their agendas and prepare for what they were going to talk about. They found that the young men were able to run efficient meetings, with less chatter, that lasted shorter than they had in the past. After the meetings the Advisors would debrief the guys on what worked and what didn't, followed by how they could improve in the future. A little constructive criticism goes a long way!

The last part of this equation was finding a way for the Advisors to become more conscious of how they were behaving in the stated meetings. They took an old concept, the money jar, and applied it to this situation. Each time an Advisor speaks at a stated meeting, without being called upon by the Master Councilor, they  have to put $1 in the jar. By the looks of the jar, there isn't much talking going on during the meetings anymore! This is a fabulous way to become more aware of what you are doing within the stated meetings. Most of the time you don't even think about how you could be effecting the situation.

Thanks to the Unplug jar the Advisors of Westmoreland are becoming more conscious of how they help their guys. This in turn has produced visible changes in how their Chapter is run, all for the positive. So, how have you been "Unplugging?" Tell us about it at webmaster@pademolay.org!

Frat!~"Dad" Seth Anthony

This is why we do this...

The PMYF Adult Leader and the PA DeMolay Superhero School weekends are now behind us, and things are starting to settle back into the regular groove here at the PMYF office. Both events went off fabulously, and we're hearing rave reviews from all corners of the commonwealth.

As you can well imagine, these events don't just plan and execute themselves. Many hours of preparation go into creating these weekends, and when it's all over, the memories of enjoyable experiences are hopefully the outcome. Truth be told, we rarely hear about how these weekends impact on members and advisors, especially if it's in a good way (the old adage that you'll hear more complaints than compliments is very true!) So, to our sup rise and delight we received the following letter via e-mail from a DeMolay advisor that reminds us just why we do this!

To Pa. DeMolay,

This weekend Westmoreland Chapter took 10 boys and 4 Advisors to Super Hero Weekend. We have 12 boys, and the other two wanted to come also, but family commitments would not make that possible. As we, the advisors, were getting ready to head out we thought 10 boys… 3-1/2 hours in cars… WOW is this going to be a challenge! The boys were excited and loud, but the trip was ok. The weekend was great. The boys all said they had fun and even learned a little stuff. They really like the swimming, dodgeball and basketball. They also liked the Super Hero part.

It was a very busy weekend and the next thing we knew it was time to load the boys up for the return 3-1/2 hour trip. You would have thought they would have fallen asleep; no way. Part of the trip they talked about who took the Crown. By 3:15 we had returned the boys home. I think the other advisors were done by then also.

At 5:00 PM we needed to be at the Greensburg Masonic Center for the DeMolay Meeting. Before the meeting started, while the boys were setting up the room, some of the advisors were talking about the last couple of weekends at E-Town. All the advisors were laughing so hard about the stories told. Now it is time for the meeting.

We were told that Steel City Chapter was coming for the JUDGE. At start time they were not here yet. Knowing they were coming from E-Town also, we started the meeting 15 minutes late. According to the rules of the JUDGE the visiting Chapter must be present from the beginning of the meeting to the end of the meeting. We are about 15 minutes into the meeting and there is a knock at the door. They made it, but according to the rules they might not get the JUDGE. What happened next was amazing.

When the meeting was almost over and they were under the Good of the Order, the M.C. Nolan Westerlund asked the Steel City boys to step out for a moment. He then asked the Chapter what they should do about the JUDGE, because, at this point, I will tell you that our boys are very passionate about the JUDGE. They feel that it “belongs” in Westmoreland Chapter. After some debate they called the Steel City boys back in and gave them the JUDGE. I will also say they did find out when their next meeting was so they could bring it back “home.”

The reason I feel this story is important, is to show that they DO pay attention, even when you do not feel they are listening or learning what DeMolay is all about. This was a prime example of DeMolay at work. The boys of Westmoreland Chapter thought more about Steel City, and they took into consideration that they took time to visit, and therefore set the rules aside to help their brother DeMolays.

To the State Officers past, current & future, the Executive Officer and staff, the Pennsylvania Masonic Youth Foundation:
You might not hear this very often, but you make a difference in the lives of not only the boys but also Advisors. This weekend, even thought the boys of Westmoreland Chapter did not say it, they were paying attention to the workshops, and put a lot of what they learned into action last night.
Great job!

Sincerely,

Bruce Neubauer, Sr.

Advisor-- Westmoreland Chapter-- and I am very proud of it!


This is a great story from a Chapter experiencing a renaissance in excitement, enthusiasm and growth. So, what's your Chapter's story?