From DeMolay to the Big Leagues

At a young age, we all have hopes and dreams to become something above and beyond, such as a doctor, a lawyer, a professional athlete, or a famous movie star. For some, those dreams change over time, realizing other ambitions that come to us later in life. For others, they set every goal to make sure that this dream becomes a reality. For one Senior DeMolay from New Jersey, his dream to become a Professional Baseball Player is becoming more of a reality every day. 

In the 2017 MLB draft, the San Diego Padres selected Tyler Benson, a recent Senior DeMolay of Phoenix Chapter in New Jersey, who was playing for Outfield for Bloomsburg University. After just a few short months, Benson has already been promoted twice, currently playing for the Single-A Fort Wayne TinCaps. 

After all this excitement in his life, he still remembers his time in DeMolay and took a conversation with Past State Master Councilor of New Jersey, Matt Hoffman. Tyler stated that his favorite memory of DeMolay was "Playing in the 2012 NJ State Flag Football Tournament under the lights with his home chapter - Phoenix Chapter." He went on to say "To see everyone from all around the State coming together, it was really a cool experience to just have fun with everyone. And of course, I’m naturally a competitive person so I loved the competition, even though we barely lost in the championship." When asked what is one take away from DeMolay, he states "Brotherhood. No matter how long we are away from each other, we are always there for one another and our conversations pick up where they last left off."  

Although Tyler is not finished with his journey, his dream is being fulfilled by playing baseball everyday as a professional. This story proves that dreams can become a reality if you put the work in to make it happen. Thank you to "Dad" Peter Brusoe and Brother Matt Hoffman for sharing this story. Keep up the great work Tyler Benson, and I hope to see you in the big leagues sometime soon. To see an article on his promotion to Single-A ball, click the following link.
http://www.dailyrecord.com/…/tyler-benson-montvi…/467483001/

Until next time - "Dad" Joe Pullin  

Films Every DeMolay Should See: Rudy

As I mentioned last week, I am a big sports fan. This weekend being Super Bowl Weekend, it seems fitting to highlight another football movie in our must see section of the blog. This time, the movie we will discuss is Rudy.

The film stars Sean Astin (yes the guy from Lord of the Rings) as a High School student named Daniel Ruettiger, whose dream is to attend the University of Notre Dame and play football for the Fighting Irish. Although Rudy does not possess the grades, skill, or money that it would take to get into Notre Dame, he still has the passion and decides to try his hardest to achieve this dream. 

As predicted, he does not get accepted to Notre Dame, so he decides to attend a Community College nearby with the hope that his grades will be good enough to transfer to Notre Dame. To further pursue his dream, he meets a groundskeeper at Notre Dame and offers to work for free. Instead the groundskeeper hired him at minimum wage. Rudy also went through tutoring to help make his dream possible. 

So what makes this a movie that every DeMolay should watch? The overall theme of the movie is that Rudy was able to overcome the odds. Everyone in Rudy's life was telling him that this dream was impossible, and Rudy was able to prove them all wrong. It took a lot of hard work and dedication, but ultimately his goal was met. The support of his coworkers and teammates showed throughout the movie as well. One of the best scenes in the movie is when the team convinces the coach to give Rudy a chance by laying their jerseys on the coaches desk.

Another reason DeMolay's in Pennsylvania will appreciate this movie is the discovery that Rudy had Dyslexia. PA DeMolay raises money for the Children's Dyslexia Centers in hope that we can help make a difference in the learning of at least one child. This gives a real life spin on what it takes for a person with Dyslexia to overcome and achieve success. 

Hopefully this review encourages you to check out this film, as this is a classic movie that never gets old. 

Until next time - "Dad" Joe Pullin