Senior DeMolay Highlight - Alice Cooper

After a long week of Key Man, my mind is pretty well shot. I sat here for quite some time trying to think of something to blog about, and then it hit me! One of the things that surprised many of the Key Men this year was that Alice Cooper was a DeMolay. There are actually many famous Senior DeMolay's who are not members of the Hall of Fame. So, as a part of a new, on-going series, I'll be highlighting the lives of some DeMolay Alumni who went on to make a name for themselves!

Vincent Damon Furnier a.ka. Alice Cooper - Rock Star

Alice Cooper was born on February 4, 1948, in the home of Rock and Roll and Mo-Town - Detroit, MI. His father was a lay preacher of mixed ancestry. He attended grade and middle school in Detroit, but following some illness, they moved to Phoenix, AZ, where he would attend High School. It was during High School that his interest in music began, when he participated in a talent show. He would go on to form and front several bands. He became Alice Cooper in 1968 when he joined a friend's band and changed its name to that same moniker. It is important to note that "Alice Cooper" is merely a staged character that has become  synonymous with the actor. He chose the dark version of the character as a change from the rock stars of the day who were being portrayed as heroes instead of villains.

Cooper's act would become famous for his stage antics, which included a live guillotine and other props. It was purported that he bit the head off of a live chicken on stage once, but in reality the chicken merely fell off the stage was killed by the crowd. The idea behind the story proved too amazing though, having lived on through urban legend to the present day.

Cooper toured heavily through the 1970's and 80's, releasing several albums and cementing his status as a rock and roll legend. His empire now covers music, television, movies, and more. He will be touring with Rob Zombie on the "Gruesome Twosome" tour, which starts soon.

Other random facts about Cooper:

• He is a self described "born again Christian."
• He is an avid golfer.
• He is a huge fan of the Simpsons.
• He is a recovering alcoholic.

If you want some more information, you can go read the full biographical sketch over at Wikipedia. So, what is your DeMolay legacy going to be?

Frat! ~ "Dad" Seth C. Anthony

DI Numbers Updates

The following facts and figures come to us from "Dad" Jeff Kitsmiller, Executive Director of DeMolay International.  In doing a little 5 year history review on membership, he was able to report the following list of the the top ten Jurisdictions for initiating the most new members.....

Missouri.....857

Northern California/Hawaii.....695
Texas.....654
Southern California.....637
Bolivia.....623
Ohio.....563
Florida.....539
Pennsylvania.....518
Oklahoma.....465
Washington.....457

... and the  top ten Jurisdictions for gaining the most positive growth.....

Missouri.....+389
Florida.....+231
Italy.....+133
Pennsylvania.....+70
Ontario (DeCan).....+65
Wisconsin.....+51
Georgia.....+41
Texas.....+37
South Dakota.....+31
South America.....+29

...and lastly the largest percentage of membership growth over the last five years...

South America.....+216.7%
Manitoba (DeCan).....+100%
Italy.....+94.2%
South Dakota.....+87.9%
Ontario (DeCan).....+70.3%
Saskatchewan (DeCan).....+57.6%
Florida.....+54.7%
Missouri.....+51.1%
Wisconsin.....+29.5%
Connecticut.....+28.4%

It is NICE to be on two of these three lists, but it also tells us that while we are doing well, relatively speaking, there is much to be done by ALL of us to bring DeMolay back to the grandeur of its former years.

State Master Councilor Matt Blaisdell's Mission: Control! program has identified the single most important Mission that we should all attempt to accomplish this year:  JUST ONE.   If each member would get just ONE new member this year, we would effectively DOUBLE our active membership.

JUST ONE!   Can you do that?  Of course you can!

"Dad" Tom Labagh
EO of PA DeMolay

Chronicles of a Key Man

Written by Matt Blaisdell, State Master Councilor of Pennsylvania DeMolay

The Key Man Experience can be different  for everyone  involved. For some, it can be the very first step towards making a difference. Key Man, Pennsylvania DeMolay's premier leadership conference, turns 26 this year. In 1986,  "Dad" Samuel C. Williamson took a a giant leap for DeMolay and began the first ever Key Man Conference. Needless to say, it has come a long way from lenghty workshops and note taking but, since that inaugural conference, Key Man has moved to a reality Conference for the members and Advisors to take part in! Every member has the opportunity to create their own Chapter and control their term how they please (with the help of a designated Chapter Advisor and Chairman to make sure they don't overspend any Key Man money!)

Last night, myself and over 70 other DeMolays and Advisors from across North America, had the pleasure of witnessing a new young man make his DeMolay promises at Key Man 2011. While this was going on, I had a short flash back on my very own DeMolay career, which began in this young man's shoes at the 2003 Key Man Conference. Eight years ago, the 4' 8" me walked through the doors of Patton Campus with only one thought in my mind "what is a Key Man and am I one?" With all these overwhelming thoughts roaming through my head at the age of 12, I didn't know what to do! I went through the week as the Chapter's Treasurer (mainly for the pride of being able to write "official" checks at such a young age!) Nevertheless I survived the week and ended up leaving Patton Campus with the biggest DeMolay pride I could imagine!

Earlier, I looked back at my first DeMolay experience and those that followed and I wonder what other people's DeMolay experiences are. Perhaps you were there at the first Key Man Conference. Perhaps you attended the 25th anniversary Conference  as an Advisor or a member. I spoke with a few members throughout the day about their favorite DeMolay memories and experiences and the answers are astounding! Take a minute to view the video and even comment with some of your favorite Key Man, or DeMolay experiences. The best knowledge is shared knowledge!

Online Civility

Today was one of those days where I didn't have a clue as to what to write about. As usual, I shot over to the Art of Manliness blog and looked for something interesting. Lo and behold, I found a great article that pertains to all young people today - especially our young men.

The internet has become the main mode of communication for almost all age groups. As different generations begin to gel on the web, it seems that more and more people are getting in trouble for things they say or do online. Personally, I've had the experience of having to fire someone from their job for poor judgement that they used online. They didn't think it was fair, but when it pertains to the business, all bets are off.

So, take a moment, and read this article on how to be Civil and a Gentlemen on the Internet.

Frat! ~ "Dad" Seth Anthony

Who Cares About History? Part Two

In our blog post of  June 27th we talked about our dismay that the Founder's Cross of "Dad" Paul Miller Moore fell into the hands of an antique shop that sold it on E-bay to an unknown purchaser, and an important piece of PA DeMolay history may now be forever lost to us. We'd still like to talk to the purchaser, if he/she ever stumbles across this blog.

We also discussed the general history of the Founder's Cross, and have since come up with some more specific information about the Pennsylvanians who received the Founder's Cross from "Dad" Frank S. Land.  There were NINE (9) total, and all were presented within 2 years; 6 at the same time, suggesting that "Dad" Land attended a PA DeMolay Conclave in June of 1939.

Louis U. Strassburger, Germantown, PA
R. E. Past Grand Commander of PA
Executive Officer for Eastern Pennsylvania, 1937-1939
Awarded December 15, 1937

James N. Deeter, St. Marys, PA
R. E. Past Grand Commander of PA
Executive Secretary for PA DeMolay, 1957-1961
Awarded June 22, 1939

James A. Wieland, Pittsburgh, PA
Deputy Emeritus for PA DeMolay, and Past Potentate and Recorder of Syria Shrine
Awarded June 22, 1939

Kendig C. Bare, Lancaster, PA
Past State Master Councilor of PA DeMolay, 1934-1935
A Lancaster attorney; Mayor of Lancaster 1951-1958
Awarded June 22, 1939

Wilbur L. Minich (Abe), Harrisburg, PA 
Chapter Advisor for Pilgrim Chapter
Awarded June 22, 1939

William A. Hoffman, Beaver Falls, PA
Affiliations Unknown
Awarded June 22, 1939

W. I. Hurst, Johnstown, PA
Accountant or financial officer for the city of Johnstown
Awarded June 22, 1939

James N. Wilson, Erie, PA
Affiliations Unknown
Awarded October 28, 1939

Paul Miller Moore, Aliquippa, PA
Past Grand Commander of Knights Templar of Pennsylvania, and Most Eminent Past Grand Master of the Grand Encampment of Knights Templar of the United States of America
Awarded October 28, 1939

If anyone can give us more detail about any of these men-- family, education, employment, etc.-- we'd be glad to add it to their record.

And someday, perhaps, DeMolay International will post a listing of ALL the recipients of the Founder's Cross as a part of their commitment to preserving the heritage of the Order of DeMolay.

"Dad" Tom Labagh
EO of PA DeMolay