The Kingdom of DeMolay

Have you heard about the KINGDOM OF DeMOLAY, yet? The KINGDOM OF DeMOLAY is a developing online virtual world, or community, where DeMolays, Advisors, Sweethearts and possibly even prospects will be able to gather and meet and interact using avatars (simulated characters) for gaming and competition, discussion, socialization and learning. Yes, learning-- this is not just a video game-- and the possibilities of this are mind-bending.

Can you imagine going to a DeMolay meeting, without ever leaving your home?

Or a Ritual practice?            Or a soccer game?           Or a sailing competition?

NO?            THEN, WATCH THIS, and come back to read the rest of this blog!

Interesting, isn't it? Just a little tiny peek at what is being "built" for us.

http://www.kingdomofdemolay.org/ will be the URL but access is not available, yet.

John E. Lester is the lead programmer on the project. He is well-known in the development of the Second Life community. His biography is included in the PDF file of an explanatory PowerPoint program presented to me at the Executive Officer's Conference. Check it out, here.   http://www.deldemolay.org/flyers/DeMolayInternationalMarketingPresentation.pdf

The Graphic Designer of this Kingdom

RJ Kikuchiyo, is a 20 year veteran of 3D design for media. His real-world experience in machining and set design for the film industry adds to the ability to use the tools effectively and produce works of realism depicting historic and accurate objects and places. He now finds the virtual reality world known as “Second Life” to be a creative expression of experience that can be shared, and he is using his skills in the tools of "Second Life" to animate an incredibly realistic environment for the KINGDOM OF DeMOLAY.

Here is a link to Kikuchiyo’s description of the selected central location site for the "Kingdom."      http://www.renecote.com/kiku/?p=2528

Here you can see a tentative Map of the Kingdom has been revealed.  It is complex, and will have multiple levels of play and interaction.  Prospects and non-affiliated parties will be able to explore a basic level, and members will be able to progress further into the realm, and to access features reserved only for members. 

http://www.renecote.com/kiku/?p=2515

Here are some links to other location scenes:
http://www.renecote.com/kiku/?p=2488
http://www.renecote.com/kiku/?p=2595
http://www.renecote.com/kiku/?p=2652
http://www.renecote.com/kiku/?p=2290
http://www.renecote.com/kiku/?p=2348

The following test videos will show you more of the complexity of the site where DeMolays will be able to meet and interact:


RHODES FLY-OVER



RHODES OLD TOWN GRAND MASTER'S PALACE



And, yes, it does look like that-- Dad Williamson and Dad Boyce and I were there a few years ago!

Here is an unsolicited (and very complimentary) review of the development of the Kingdom of DeMolay by someone who is active in the Second Life virtual reality world. He talks a language that I don't fully comprehend, but what I do understand further convinces me that DeMolay International is on the right track with a first-class team of visionaries who are going to give DeMolay International something that no other youth organization has!

http://metaversesailing.net/category/open-sims/kingdom-of-demolay/

Here is a link to a blog written by ONE of the animators or designers (of HAIR no less!) The video she refers to was removed, but, read of her enthusiasm for the project! This is new ground being plowed-- this is a cutting edge world, and people OUTSIDE of our usually secluded fraternal community are looking in and getting excited about something WE are doing! This hasn't happened for DeMolay since before Dad Land died in the late 1950s!

http://fashiondestiny.blogspot.com/

These are just a few glimpses of something that I think will be very exciting for the DeMolay program.  DeMolay International has committed a very large amount of funding to this project, which also includes some traditional radio, TV and poster-style promotion.  Hopefully it will also make use of a marketing campaign on Facebook and other social media. 

It will take a long time to build all the details of the Kingdom, and then it will take a lot of members using it to make it really valuable to us all.  Look for details in the future months, and we hope everyone can be active in the Kingdom by the new year!

“Dad” Thomas R. Labagh

Executive Officer