Social Media: Pros and Cons

In the early part of the 21st century, social media has become a staple in the culture of society. Teenagers and adults alike constantly check their Facebook timeline for the latest status updates, browse Instagram for the most recent photos and search Twitter for the most popular trending topics. Just like all  things in life, social media has some advantages and disadvantages.

Advantages to Social Media:

1. Social media allows users to have a worldwide connectivity. It allows a person to connect with other people they haven't seen or talked to in a very long time. It can also introduce users to people they haven't met before. Facebook, among all the others, can help lead a person to find job opportunities, meet love interests and track down product and service referrals

2. Social media allows users to find others with a common interest. Facebook and other forms of media allow you to like or join groups that you may be interested in. This will allow users to meet others with the same interest, creating communication opportunities.

3. Facebook, along with all of the other forms of media, can provide a great promotional tool. Are you trying to promote your local DeMolay Chapter? DeMolay Chapters across the world have created Facebook pages allowing members to connect and promote the activities they have to offer.

4. Information travels at an incredible speed through social media. News topics are promoted on the internet shortly after an event takes place. Facebook, Twitter and others help spread that recognition even faster.

Disadvantages to Social Media:

1. As I stated above, news travels fast. This often times allows false rumors and news headlines to surface. People will share a topic before finding out whether the information is accurate.

2. Although social media can bring people together, it does not have the power to force them to interact with each other in person. Personal social skills are often lost because we're too focused on social media and the internet,

3. We're always told to think twice before acting. With social media, the lesson should be to think twice before posting. Once information is on the internet, it can't be taken back. Employers have access to Facebook as well and often times check a person's page before hiring them. Although it may not seem fair, colleges and employers may use information found on that page to determine whether to accept an application or decline one.

4. Bullying has always been a worldwide problem, but social media introduces a new form of torment; cyber-bullying. As the title describes, this is bullying taking place on the internet and social media for the whole world to see. This can often times be a problem for our youth of today.


These are just a few of the advantages and disadvantages of what can be an ongoing topic. So what should we take out of this post today? It's very simple; be cautious of what is being posted on the internet. Think about the effects of what is being posted on social media before you post it. Facebook, Twitter, Instagram and others can be essential tools to help us grow in our lives, if used properly and not abused.

Until next time - "Dad" Joe Pullin
     

Keystone Crusader - 50 Years Ago This Month

One of the goals for our 90th Anniversary Year has been to publish the entire back catalog of the Keystone Crusader online in a digital format. The Keystone Crusader (sometimes called the Newsletter of the Associated Chapters of PA DeMolay) has been published since the early 1930s, with a break from 1942 to 1960. It recounts the history of PA DeMolay in a way that no other medium can just, such as newspapers recount the history of the towns they serve.

This project took a major step forward last week when Bro. Alex Rodriguez, State Senior Councilor, put in the time needed to scan and catalog every issue of the Key Cru that we have. Thanks to his hard work and dedication, we now have a digital copy of every issue of the Keystone Crusader in our possession. It is my goal to get these issues published online before Convention 2014 - and hopefully much sooner than that.

As I get time, I've been going through the issues and reading them, discovering some interesting historical pieces along the way. Today, I want to share with you what was happening in PA DeMolay 50 years ago this month - February of 1964. Let's take a look, page by page (you can click the image of the page to make it larger.

Starting with page one, you'll see the familiar title of the Keystone Crusader, which has been in use almost continuously since the early 1930's (except as noted above.)

The first headline you'll notice contains the name of three prominent PA DeMolay Chapters that are still active to this day - Westmoreland, Allentown, and Templar. These Chapters were being recognized for their placement in DeMolay International competitions. Templar was recognized as the No. 11 Chapter in DeMolay International, which at the time, was high honors (considering there were thousands of active DeMolay Chapters in the United States at the time.) Templar was also honored, along with Westmoreland and Allentown for their newsletters. Allentown continues to have a great newsletter today - I wonder how the Allentown's DeMolay Herald would compare with their Newsletter today?

On the second page, we find lots of small boxes of text with news about changes and updates to the PA DeMolay program. Interesting to me is the Letter from the Editor, which describes how the Keystone Crusader was a subscription publication and that anyone wishing to receive it would have to pay the subscription cost each year. That's certainly different than how we operate the Crusader now!

We also find a note about Chapters wanting to participate in the "State" Conclave for 1964. The annual meetings of PA DeMolay were referred to as Conclaves until the 1990's, when the more pragmatic word "Convention" was adopted. Of special note is all the competitions that were to be held at Convention that year. Imagine if all of our sports tournaments happened in one weekend at Convention!

On page three, we find an interesting article from the folks at Carlisle Chapter. I think this is especially pertinent now, as Carlisle Chapter has recently reemerged and is an active participant in PA DeMolay today. The Chapter was being recognized for performing a Father's Program, including a nice prayer that was printed here that was original included in a book by Gen. Douglas MacArthur. They noted that DeMolay does a great job of thanking our mothers, but we often overlook our fathers, who also deserve such recognition. Perhaps the folks from Carlisle can revive this program!

One other interesting note on this page - Chapters locate din college towns were being encouraged to invite college students to check out the Chapter. While this may be tough in today's market, it does remain an interesting idea for recruitment!

 Page four marks the last page of this issue, but there are still some good facts to be pulled. While Westmoreland may pride itself on being a Chapter that does a lot of visitations today, they were no where to be found in 1964. The leader at that time was from the Harrisburg area, the former West Shore Chapter. Also included in the list of strong visitations Chapters were Templar, Susquehanna, Beaver Valley, and Reading.

We can learn a lot about our past as DeMolays by just simply reading and understanding what has come before us. Often, we find that our best ideas are ones that were tried by those that have come before us, but were lost in the sands of time. I hope you've enjoyed this look back and I hope to do more of these articles in coming months, at least until I get the full back catalog posted online. Until then...

Frat! ~ "Dad" Seth Anthony
 

Documenting History

I try to keep an eye out for interesting pieces of DeMolay history. Recently, an Advisor from another jurisdiction (whom I can't remember at this moment) posted a copy of a letter from DeMolay International explaining the changing of the DeMolay logo in 1934. It provides and interesting glimpse into the past of DeMolay.

Click on image for a larger copy.

"Dad" Land was willing to change the organization and its emblems. Are we willing to make changes like this or are we too stuck in our ways?

Frat! ~ "Dad" Seth Anthony

A History of the "Keystone Crusader"

We have sometimes been asked by the State Officers, "Why do we still have to print a monthly publication?  Couldn't we just use email, or a service like Constant Contact?"  There are a lot of reasons, actually, and some have to do with who does and doesn't have internet access, or, if they have it, when they actually make use of it.  In truth, the most reliable form of communication is still a basic printed newsletter or flyer, published on a regular monthly (or more often) schedule.  But there is another reason-- and it has to do with history.  In the future, when someone wants to know what happened in Pennsylvania DeMolay, the first place they will look is in the history file of the Keystone Crusader.  Yes, there is a fairly complete (we think) history file of all, or at least, most of the issues since it began publication.  And it is very interesting reading, for someone who wants to know what happened in the early years of DeMolay in Pennsylvania, and to see how the organization evolved.

We don’t know why the name was chosen when plans began to formulate for the issuance of a statewide newsletter in 1931, but it’s not difficult to surmise that combining the “Keystone State” of Pennsylvania with the image of a mounted Knight Templar participating in the medieval Crusades to the Holy Land was the most popular among a list of possible names. Or, perhaps the creators were well aware of the use of an architectural keystone, and expected it to be the most important stone in the PA DeMolay structure. What we do know for sure is that, after 3 years of discussion and planning, the first issue of the Keystone Crusader, Vol. 1, No. 1, was finally published in October 1934.

It was initially a very slick publication, professionally printed by an offset process on glossy paper, and funded by subscriptions paid by Chapters and individuals. It looked great, but it didn’t have much useful or interesting content in it. By 1936 the staff had had their fill of trying to get both news-oriented cooperation and subscriptions from the Chapters, and in an editorial in their last issue, they all resigned.

The publication resumed a year later in 1937 and was published sporadically until Vol. 7, No. 2, March 1942, when World War II interrupted all DeMolay activity for several years.

It wasn’t revived until 20 years later, in 1962, when, inexplicably, they went back and started with Vol. 1 No. 1 again, but this time it was a production of a publications committee assigned by the State Master Councilor. Sometimes it was produced on a ditto machine (advisors and teachers will remember the unusual light-headed feeling and the unique smell of the ink) and other times it was printed on a mimeograph machine (a very cheap direct-impression ink printer) and later by photocopy. Publication apparently stopped in 1967, and it was replaced by a newsletter produced by the Executive Secretary.

In 1978 publication resumed again, without volume and issue numbers, but it was published quarterly very consistently until the early 1980’s. In 1982 the Keystone Crusader began a bi-monthly schedule when the State Officers were given the responsibility for its complete production.

In the 1990’s the Keystone Crusader began a monthly schedule which, while not always fully adhered to, has improved the communication about programs and activities in PA DeMolay. The look of the publication changed often, as the State Officers had different levels of typewriter and, later, computer

competence, and variable sense of design.

At the beginning of the new millennium standards were established that kept the look of the publication consistent, and it changed less frequently.

Printed and mailed copies continue to go out in black and white, but a full color version is posted on www.pademolay.org each month.   As of this date, the publication has not been regularly distributed by email, but you can be sure that the Keystone Crusader will continue to evolve to best serve the interests of Pennsylvania DeMolay.

In our constantly evolving world, it's great to see that traditions like the Key Cru can still be meaningful and have an impact.

S&F,

"Dad" Tom Labagh, EO for PA

Key Man: Day 4 - Do you want fries with that?

As Key Man rolls along, we find ourselves with another newsletter in our hands! So, hot of the presses, I'm happy to present:

The Quarter Pounder, Issue 2

On another front, we've finally had some rain here at Patton Campus, and hopefully today will be a little cooler than it has been.

Until next time!

Frat!~"Dad" Seth Anthony

Key Man: Day 3

This is going to be a short one, but I wanted to share the Conference newsletter with everyone. They Key Men have decided to call it "The Quarter Pounder," so enjoy!

The Quarter Pounder - Tuesday Edition

Frat!~"Dad" Seth Anthony