Dining Etiquette for Gentlemen

One of things I constantly harp on with our Elected States Officers is dining etiquette, especially when attending Masonic functions. It's a simple set of skills to learn and it goes a long way towards making one seem more professional.

Check out this video from the Art of Manliness that gives the basics of creating a good dining experience.

 



 

The Importance of Words

Today's post comes to us courtesy of "Dad" Peter Brusoe, Past International Master Councilor, Advisor with Nation's Capital DeMolay. Enjoy!

I was talking with a DeMolay and he mentioned that he had the best grade in his entire high school English class.  Not satisfied with that accomplishment, he then recounted how he did better than this student, and that student, and some other student.  My first reaction was why weren’t these students in DeMolay? My second reaction was that I cautioned him that hubris was not good for the soul.

He said, “ ‘Dad’ Brusoe, what’s hubris?”
“You have the best grade in English and you don’t know what hubris is?” I jokingly teased him.
 
“ ‘Dad’ Brusoe, you don’t need to have a good vocabulary to do good in English.” I was promptly informed.

 I suggested to him that you may need a good vocabulary to do well in English in a less jocular tone of voice.

For those of you who do not know, Hubris is defined as excessive pride or self-confidence.  Most frequently this quality is found in Greek tragedies and causes the downfall of a character.  We all tend to be guilty of suffering from it from time to time.   We may not use the word often, but it is a good word for scrabble as well as when you are discussing the human condition, or in SAT examination preparation.  

Perhaps the DeMolay was right.  Maybe you don’t need a good vocabulary to do well in English.  In this inane academic world focused on standardized testing we are losing part of our culture. Winston Smith would think that we’re entering the world of newspeak.  

You do need a good vocabulary to do well in life and in college.  The words you use act as signaling cues to other people about your level of education, your degree of sophistication, which books you have read, and your general interest in the world around you. 

There is nothing worse than asking someone you just met “How are you?” and they mumble “good” or “OK”

Consider for a moment the word “good.”  A lot of things are “good” but is the quality of Mom’s meatloaf the same type of good as the latest Pop song? Are they the same type of good as the last Eagles Football game?  Are they the same type of good as Keyman?

Of course not. 

Mom’s Meatloaf was savory, delicious, appetizing, succulent, tasty and mouthwatering.
The latest pop song was emotional, enjoyable, has a fun beat, is catchy, and is energetic.
The Eagle’s game was well-played, high scoring, emotional, edge of the seat excitement.
Keyman was fun, eye opening, unique experience, exhilarating, athletic.

Every year we get older the number of new words we learn decreases dramatically.  Part of this is that most popular fiction and news that we read is written at a middle school reading level.  As an organization that believes in the importance of education we should constantly be looking at improving our vocabulary.  There are two sites on the internet that you can do this. This year let us commit to learning one new word each week.

There are some great websites that help you with this, I would recommend several of them to you:

http://wordsmith.org/words/today.html

http://www.merriam-webster.com/word-of-the-day/
http://www.wordthink.com/
http://dictionary.reference.com/wordoftheday/

Creating PA DeMolay's Social Media Policy

In light of recent news, both internally in DeMolay and externally in the general public, the staff here at the PA DeMolay office discussed creating a social media policy for DeMolay in Pennsylvania. After some debate, it was concluded that best way to create this policy would be to include those that it would directly impact - namely the DeMolays and Advisors.

During our recent flag football tournament, a workshop was held to develop a social media policy. Every person attending the event was invited to participate. More than 50 DeMolays and Advisors gave their thoughts and input as to what they thought was important in a social media policy. After more than an hour of work, the group came up with some general statements, that will be later worked into an official policy. The statements are as follows:

• Those affiliated with DeMolay in Pennsylvania should practice common sense when utilizing social media.
• Recognizing that all social media interactions can represent the organization, we ask that DeMolays and Advisors remember the Seven Cardinal Virtues when interacting with others, whether online or in real life.
• Personal posts, photos, or other shared items should be understood to be public, with no expectation of privacy.
• Brothers and Advisors are encouraged to use social media as a learning experience to reinforce the values of DeMolay and help everyone grow. The use of positive peer pressure to assist in this process is encouraged.
• Concerns related to social media should referred to the Advisory Council for review.

Obviously this is not a complete policy, but it's a good start. The group worked very hard and great discussion between DeMolays and Advisors took place. I would like thank everyone that participated - you made a direct impact on the way PA DeMolay operates!

If you are a DeMolay or Advisor from Pennsylvania, and you would like add your two cents, comment on this post!

Frat! ~ "Dad" Seth Anthony

A Dedication to Life

During the annual PA DeMolay Flag Football tournament, held this past weekend, members and friends of PA DeMolay gathered on the lawn near Memorial Hall to dedicate a newly planted maple tree to the memory of "Mom" Patty Palo. Patty was an advisor for Erie Chapter who lost her battle with cancer earlier this year. She left a legacy of love and caring and many in PA DeMolay were the benefactors of her wisdom and advice.

Below, you'll find a video of the dedication, under the direction of Bro. Matthew Maple, State Master Councilor.

 

Kudos to Recruiters

Rather than writing some long winded article covering an obscure topic, today I want to simple offer some congratulations and "thank yous." There are about 75 days left in 2013. For PA DeMolay to reach its membership goal, we need about 70 members. So, we're looking to recruit one member a day for the rest of the year. It seems like a big goal, and it is, but some DeMolays have already gone above and beyond the call of duty for membership and I want to recognize them for their efforts.

Since 2013 started, two DeMolays from PA have earned their Blue Honor Key - Bro. Adam Neubauer of Westmoreland Chapter and Bro. (now "Dad") Tom Moyer of Pilgrim Chapter. Each of these guys recruited 10 new members during their DeMolay career. Both Pilgrim and Westmoreland Chapters have grown because of it and they continue to have excellent programs. It proves that more members makes everything in DeMolay better!

A shout out also goes out to Bro. Cameron Fitzsimmons, of Erie Chapter, who has earned his Founder's Membership Award, for recruiting 5 new members. He is well on his way to the Blue Honor Key and the hard work he has put into recruiting new members really shows when you visit Erie Chapter.

Membership recruitment isn't always easier, but it's most definitely necessary. It's easy to get tired of hearing the message of "Get new members!" over and over again, but it's the only way we grow as an organization!

Thank you Tom, Adam, and Cameron for helping DeMolay in PA grow!

Frat! ~ "Dad" Seth Anthony