vol. xxvi no. 2 h h december 2016 · dyslexia center for the future. ... james & eda dean mario...

H H HVOL. XXVI NO. 2 December 2016

The men and organizations pictured tothe right are those who have made a

$10,000 or more commitment to support theValley of Pittsburgh Children’s Dyslexia CenterEndowment Fund.

As Freemasons, we have always beenbenevolent and charitable. For Scottish RiteMasons, our Charity is to teach children withdyslexia how to read. It is important in givingthem social confidence.

The teaching method is the Orton-Gilling-ham program. It is a one tutor – one studentratio. This method is very expensive butextremely effective. It costs approximately$5,000 a year for each child. Our goal is toraise $2,500,000 to endow the Children’sDyslexia Center for the future.

To make it easier to make this commitment,you can spread out your $10,000 donationover a ten year period. Call Bro. Ray Dietz,33°, at 412-369-9500 for information. Thefuture of our children is our most importantmission. I encourage each of you to haveyour picture on this page and be a BUILDERof this Masonic benevolence.

Your donation is tax-deductible. Thomas K. Sturgeon, 33°

Deputy for Pennsylvania

VVaa ll ll ee yy oo ff PP ii tt tt ss bb uu rr gg hhTeaching children with dyslexia

Demosthenes Agoris Edward & JeanAiello

Robert & JaniceAmend

Emery & CarolAnden

David & CarolBagaley

Fred & KathyDonatelli

Robert Eckbreth James Ecker &Donna Murtha

James & EllenFlanigan

Raymond & LynnDietz

Raymond & DorothyJames

James & LisaJenkins

Robert & P.J.Jones

Paul & PennyKappel

Benjamin Henderson

John L. McCain

Bruce A. Robinson

Bob & CharleneWells

John McCutcheon Jay & JoanneMcElravy

Roy & Sara JaneMcCullough

Joseph A. Schrock, Jr. James W. SeelDon & GinnySauer

John & Jerry Williams

Jeff & SharonWonderling

James & JillWest

Builders Council Enrollment Form

I pledge the sum of: � $10,000 � $15,000 � $20,000 � $25,000

With payments in equal installments over a period of: � 3 years � 5 years � 10 years.

This pledge will be payable: � Annually � Semi-annually � Quarterly � *Monthly

*Monthly payments may be made only by credit card.First payment of $ is enclosed.

Deduct my pledge from my credit card when due:� MasterCard � Visa � American Express

� Discover � Other . Number Exp. date Name you would prefer in recognition:

� This gift is anonymous.Signature

Name

Address

City State Zip

Ph. ( ) Date Mail to: Builders Council, 3579 Masonic Way,

Pittsburgh, PA 15237-2700.

Valley

of

Pittsburgh

Valley

of

Uniontown

SupremeCouncil GroupValley of Pittsburgh

Classic

Car Club

Valley of PittsburghLegion ofHonor

James & AnettaWest

Richard & BetteRodibaugh

John & JudyMcCombs

Mark & PattyBliler

Jeff & SusanBiddle

Robert & JacquelineBeatty

George H. Cox Rick & ReneeCross

Donald & DebraGreen

Wally & LeahGrossett

Erich & RayleneGumto

Harvey & CarolGumto

John & RuthHabel

Leland A. Hale, Jr. Jeff & Lauren Heiger

Howard & SharonFlynn

David & SandyKearns

David & JudyKielman

John Kovac George & JudithLewis

William & BarbaraMagnotti, Jr.

Frank R. Mangery Jack MarshPaul & JackieKauffman

Donald & BarbaraMurphy

John & ValerieNicklas

Raymond & JoyNicklas

Ronald & KarenPlesh

D. William RobertsJack & CarolMiller

Thomas & JoanSturgeon

Kurt & NancyTesche

Gregory Triko George & NormaVance

S. Timothy WarcoSamuel & JudySpanos

Glenn & MaryMiller

Dr. Glenn & RobertaMiller

William Shaw William Slater, II

Chartiers

Lodge No. 297

F. & A.M.

30th

Masonic

District

Homestead AmityMcCandles

Lodge No. 582F. & A.M.

Lodge

No. 45

F. & A.M.

Washington

Lodge No. 164

F. & A.M.

“We make a living by what we get, but we make a life by what we give.” – Bro. Winston Churchill

Avalon

Lodge No. 657

F. & A.M.

OakdaleLodge No.669In Memory ofW. Robert &Marion Jones

Infinity

Lodge No. 546

F. & A.M.

PittsburghCommandery

No. 1Knights Templar

Unified

Lodge No. 2

IOOF

to read – one child at a time!BB uu ii ll dd ee rr ss CC oo uu nn cc ii ll

You’re Lodge, Club, or Name could be here! Call 412-939-3579.

James & EdaDean

Mario & LindaDeBlasio

Bill & HeatherDickey

The Grand Master of PennsylvaniaRaymond T. Dietz

during tough times. We introduced a literacy program to

provide underprivileged children and theirparents with resources to succeed in learningto read. We completed major renovations to the

Masonic Temple/Masonic Library and Museumof Pennsylvania to generate revenue and assistin the cost of maintaining the historic buildingby renting space for banquets, weddingreceptions and other special events. We continued successful programming, as

well. I’m proud to report that we recentlysurpassed the $1 million donation mark indonations to Help for Our Heroes since R.W.

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December 2016 The Rite News .H H H H H H H H H H H H H H H

Dear BrethrenIt’s been almost a year

since I began my service asyour Grand Master withLady Lynn by my side. As we have traveled

throughout this beautifulCommonwealth, we havewitnessed the steadfastcommitment of our brethrenand their ladies to ourbeloved fraternity. Masonry is more than

attending meetings andvolunteering at fundraisers.It’s about caring for oneanother, our youth, ourelderly, our communitiesand those in need. Inessence, it’s about spreadingthe selfless type of love,integrity and compassionwe see amplified during thisholiday season – but commit-ting to it year-round, so thatit is a part of who we are,not just what we do. With your support, we

have spearheaded many newefforts over the past year. We updated our image

with a more modern logo,website and magazine. We developed a Lodge

Almoner’s Fund that hasblessed many of ourbrethren and their families

Past Grand Master SteveGardner began the Changefor Our Troops program in2001. And just a few weeksago, at our One DayMasonic Journey, wewelcomed over 950 meninto our Grand Lodgefraternity and because ofthe Grand Lodge initiativewe welcomed 1537 MasterMasons into the ScottishRite. Looking forward to 2017,

may we all resolve to renewour commitment to ourMasonic family, support ourMasonic Charities, giveback to our communities,encourage our youth andassist our brethren and theirfamilies in their time of need.Lynn and I wish each and

every one of you a veryhappy, healthy and prosper-ous New Year. We give thanks for you,

our Masonic family andask God’s blessings on thefuture of our belovedfraternity.

Sincerely and fraternally,

Raymond T. DietzR.W. Grand Master

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H H H H H H H H H H H H H H H H H H H H H H H H H H H H H H H H

D. William Roberts, 33°, [email protected] - 412-576-5856

The Rite News magazine is the official publication of the Valley ofPittsburgh, AASR, District of Pennsylvania, Northern MasonicJurisdiction, USA. Opinions expressed are those of the author(s). In-formation is obtained from correspondence, press releases, Masonicpublications and miscellaneous sources, which in many cases, can-not be verified. Published four times a year. Copyright© 2016, Valley of Pittsburgh, 3579 Masonic Way, Pgh, PA,15237. 412-939-3579. [email protected]

THE RITE NEWSVOL. XXVI NO. 2 December 2016

D. Todd Ballenger, 33° . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .FeaturesDr. Glenn D. Miller, II, 33° . . . . . . . . . . . . .ColumnistRev. John M. Piper, 33° . . . . . . . . . . . . . .ColumnistP.J. Roup, 33° . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .ColumnistAustin R. Shifrin, 32° . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .ColumnistJeffrey M. Wonderling, 33° . . . . . . . . . . . .ColumnistMark E. Bliler, 33° . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Proof Reader Kenneth B. Brooks, 32° . . . . . . . . . . .Photographer

December 2016 The Rite News .

“Merry”.Being happy and merry is usually

tied to circumstance and they areoften only fleeting feelings. They arenot necessarily a way of life. Thistime of year, while circumstantial innature as it comes about once ayear, reminds us of the reason forour collective sense of good cheerwhether it is heartfelt or just inresponse to someone else’s goodcheer. The reason for this season ofgood cheer is solely because of theprovidence and provision that Godhas given his people. God, in his lovefor his children, has brought Lightinto the world.

His Light radiates from the verycore of Creation and is there for allto see and experience. We see thecelebration of this Light displayed allover the place, in and on houses, ontrees and bushes, in our parks, andup and down our streets. While some

In This Issue Message from the Commander-in-Chief

David W. Morgans, 33°

In Memoriam 8The Modern Vitruvian 9

by P.J. Roup, 33° Message from the Thrice Potent Master 11

by Sam H. Jessee, 32°Wonderling Wonders 12by Jeffrey Wonderling, 33°

Upon the Checkered Pavement 13by D. Todd Ballenger, 33°

Your Healthby Glenn D. Miller II, 33° 14 - 15

National Scottish Rite Day 16 - 17 - 18Message from the Sovereign Prince 19by William J. Wiker, 32°

Message from the Most Wise Master 23by Robert B. Malwitz, 32°

Masonic Calendar 23From the Desk of the Valley Secretary 24

by Donald M. Murphy, 33°“I Believe, I Believe!” 25

by John Piper, 33°Services Directory 28 Valley Officers 30

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H H2016 2017G20

H H H H H H H H H H H H H H H H H H H H H H H H H H H H H H H H

Brethren, it’s that time of yearagain when we will begin to

hear and use the expressions of“Happy Holidays!”, “HappyHanukkah!” or “Merry Christmas!”It’s a time of year when good cheerseems much more prevalent in oursociety in general. It’s a time whensmiles may overtake our moreexpressionless faces as we greetfriends and strangers alike. However,this time of year can also bring abouttimes of depression for those whomiss departed or absent loved ones.It can also be an anxious time forsome as they worry and fret overgetting to all the holiday gatheringsor finding the right gifts to give orthrowing the perfect party. For thosethat have had personal tragediessuch as health concerns or loss ofjobs this also can be a particularlydifficult time, especially, when somany around are “Happy” and

"Believing that good and true men can be trusted to act well and wisely, thisSupreme Council considers it the duty of the Fraternity to impress upon itsmembers the principles of personal righteousness and personal responsibility,to enlighten them as to those things which make for human welfare, and toinspire them with that feeling of charity, or well-wishing, toward all mankindwhich will move them to translate principle and conviction into action."

– Declaration of Principles

SAM BILLBOB

T.T.G.O.T.G.A.O.T.U.Thursday, February 2 - 7:30 pm

STATED MEETINGOF THE FOUR

COORDINATE BODIESA Stated Meeting of the Four Coordinate

Bodies of the Ancient Accepted Scottish Riteof Freemasonry in the Valley of Pittsburgh,PA will be held at the Greater PittsburghMasonic Center on Thursday, February 2,2017 at 7:30 p.m.

Business will be transacted in the Lodgeof Perfection 14°; Council of Princes ofJerusalem 16°, Chapter of Rose Croix 18°and Consistory 32°.

Officers of Chapter of Rose Croix 18° willpreside.

3rd Stated Meetingof the 2016 - 2017 Scottish Rite Year

H Ladies & Children InvitedH Entertainment by AmbridgeHigh School Steel Band

H Enjoy a Fellowship Dinnerbefore the meeting!

$10.00Served from 6 p.m. - 7 p.m.

Reservations a Must! 412-939-3579

David W. Morgans, 33°Commander-in-ChiefRobert B. Malwitz, 32°Most Wise MasterWilliam J. Wiker, 32°Sovereign Prince Sam H. Jessee, 32°Thrice Potent Master

ATTEST: Donald M. Murphy, 33° Secretary

may be displayed for secularreasons, the root inspiration behindthem is to reflect the Light of Godto the world. It is in God’s Light thatwe find true reasons to go waybeyond “Happy” and “Merry” all theway to “Joyful”, “Peaceful”, and“Content”. You see joy, peace, andcontentedness are ways of life andare not fleeting in nature. They arenot tied to circumstance; in fact,they are sometimes most powerfullyexperienced when circumstancesare bad.

Joy, peace, and contentednesscan help us not just weather thetragedies of life but thrive in them.We have hope in our despair be-cause of the Light of God is shiningin us and through us. The Light andLove of God is a powerful well fromwhich we can draw strength,courage, insight, joy, peace, andunending love. My wish, hope, andprayer for you and your families isthat you are not only Happy andMerry in this holiday season but thatyou also find and experience theJoy, Peace, and Contentment ofliving in the Light and Love of yourLord throughout all of 2017 andbeyond. v

Ambridge HighSchool Steel Band toperform at February2 Stated MeetingThe Ambridge Area High School

Steel Drum Band, under thedirection of Todd Hartman, has receivedregional and national recognition for itsoutstanding musical ability, unique style,and infectious energy. Sal Aloe foundedthe ensemble with the help of PhilSolomon, a local steel pan builder. TheLate Richard Zana took the reins a fewyears later and took the program to newlevel of popularity beyond "BridgerCountry" during the 1990's. After Mr.Zana's retirement in 1999, Todd Hart-man took over and has been leading theprogram ever since.

Since its inception in 1988, the steelband program has grown from fivestudents to an average of eighty bandstudents, grades 9 - 12, enrolled in threelevels of classes spread over four peri-ods during the school day. For the pastsixteen years, the traveling performinggroup has developed into one of themost sought after high school ensem-bles in the area, averaging forty to fiftyshows annually. Their repertoire reflectsa diverse collection of styles includingtraditional Calypso & Soca, Swing,Afro-Cuban and Latin-Jazz, Classical,and Pop-Rock.

The band was one of three highschool groups from across the nationselected to perform at two of the Ameri-can Association of School Administra-tors National Conferences, one of whichgave them an opportunity to open up forSteven Spielberg's keynote address inSan Francisco. They have been to threeNational School Board Conferences,and performed for over nine thousandengineers and vendors from all over theworld at the annual Association for Ironand Steel Technology's InternationalConference. The band has shared theHeinz Hall stage with the PittsburghSymphony Pops and has appearedannually in B.E. Taylor's popular Christ-mas show.

The most prestigious accomplishmentto date came when they played with themarching band in the 2004 Tournamentof Roses Parade in Pasadena, Califor-nia. It marked the first time in the 115-year history of the parade that a steeldrum band collaborated with a marchingband in the same unit. v


H H H H H H H H H H H H H H H H H H H H H H H H H H H H H H H H H H H H H H H H H H H H H H H H H H H H H H H H H H H H H H H H

DAVID

Are Your Valley2016/2017 Dues Paid?

Did you know youcan pay your annualdues by credit card online?

The Scottish Riteyear runs from August 1 to July 31. Ifyou have not paid your 2016/17 duesplease go to:

www.scottishritenmj.org

Don R. AltmanJack G. ArmstrongAlbert R. Barnes Sr.Russell G. BeenerPhilip S. Bendle Jr.Jack D. BerringerMelvin M. BouchatGeorge E. BurglyWellington Curry Jr.Alfred R. DudleyLester C. EdwardsJack L. EicherRobert W. FitchJohn C. GaebelDavid H. GoetzDavid GrahamKenneth C. HackneyJames F. HawkinsRobert E. Hebner

Fred A. JacksonCharles P. KennedyRaymond J. KohlerCarl R. KovalcikRonald L. KuhnsRoy S. LeffardEdward J. LeismanRoger M. LewisLouis MannoAnthony A. MarascoNeil A. MasonRobert T. McElhoseJames R. McGooganWalter MichalakRobert E. MillerGary E. MoodyDonald E. MorfordClifford D. Naylor

Robert W. NorcikEdward R. OwensFrank W. Peterson Jr.Thomas R. PletcherHerman E. ReynoldsAndrew D. RuschakRobert J. SchmidtRichard W. SchohnWilliam H. ShenkleWalter H. SpencerRobert L. Sterbutzel Jr.Harold L. StilesCharles D. StreatorRobert F. TurnerDwayne E. WellingHarold G. WilkersonRobert B. WolfFrederick J. WyantCharles O. Zebley

Since our last issue, the following brethren have been called home.

In Memoriam

“Well Done, Good and Faithful Brother”

May it be his portion to hear from Him who sitteth as the Judge Supreme


HELP WANTEDBrethren, the Valley of Pittsburgh is in need of

members who have good listening and com-munication skills to be part of the new Brother toBrother Valley calling program. We are looking formen who have genuine concern for others and whohave time to make phone calls to the members of ourValley.

This program is NOT about membership retention,recruiting workers or cast members. This program isNOT about asking our members to do anything orasking them for money for late dues or donations.This program IS about connecting with our brothers ina personal way to see how they are doing, to updateour contact information, and to let them know that theBrothers in the Valley care about them. It’s our obliga-tion to care for our Brothers and we can only showhow much we truly care through Brother to Brothercontact.

This is a well thought out program and the Valleyhas training and resources available to help you getthe most out of your time talking with members. Thisprogram not only benefits the ones being called butalso the ones doing the calling as it will broaden yourfriendships in this great Fraternity of ours. ContactWill Johnston, Second Lieutenant Commander, at412-977-3714 or [email protected] or call theScottish Rite office at 412-939-3579 if you are inter-ested in becoming a member of the Brother to BrotherTeam. Thank you. v


Robert E. Fisher Jr., 33° Harry E. Killen III, 33° Arnold D. Palmer, 33° Harold W. Smeltz Jr., 33° J. Barry Stout, 33°

Mama told me a story a long,long time ago, not like any

that I'd ever heard, all about a littlegirl mama used to know.

Seems like a lifetime ago, thoughI remember it so well. It was a Christ-mas Eve I'll never forget as far as Ican tell.

We were sitting at the kitchentable, it was only my mother and me.I was dreaming of Christmas morn-ing and all the presents under thetree.

Dad wasn't doing that well andmoney was scarce that year. Mamafound a way of telling me without meshedding one tear.

She told me a story of a little girland a Christmas long ago, whocame from far away, a place where itrarely snowed.

Santa was just a dream to her, but

she believed so much inside, thatChristmas was going to be special,so she knelt by her bed and shecried.

"Lord, let Santa remember me ifnot just this one time. I promise Iwon't ask for much, maybe a dolly Ican call all mine."

She closed her prayer andthanked the Lord for all that shereceived. She knew that Santa wouldreally come if only she believed.

She wrote a letter to Santa,unfamiliar to most girls and boys.Though her list was long and full, onit there were no toys.

Only things we take for granted,like new shoes or underpants, hairbows for her sisters and gloves towarm her brothers' hands.

At the bottom of her list she asked,if it not be too much, for a brand new

baby doll she could hold and love and touch.Then Christmas morning came and she looked

beneath her tree, Not a present to be found as far asshe could see. She didn't give up hope as she hearda knocking sound. When she opened up her door, agreat big box she found.

She called out to her mother and dad, brothers andsisters too, She said, "My prayers were answered,there's something in here for all of you."

Her daddy got brand new boots, her mother newunderpants, her sisters got beautiful hair bows, herbrothers warm gloves for their hands.

Buried deep beneath the box was a brand newbaby doll and a note that said, "Merry Christmas, Ilove you one and all."

I'll never forget that story because much to mysurprise, I saw the true meaning of Christmas shiningin my mother's eyes.

For those of you who are wondering, as if youdidn't know, The little girl in Mama's story was mymother long ago. v

Mamas Christmas Miracle

Peace on EarthGood Will to Men

Dylan was speechless.He sat in the station of

the Senior Warden, unsure ofwhether he should scream,laugh, or try to wake himselffrom this terrible dream. Heglanced to his right and caughtHenry’s eye. He seemedshocked, too.

Fine, he thought. If the Lodge wants toelect the Junior Warden ahead of me, theycan have him. He sure isn’t getting myhelp.

Henry could see the disappointment onDylan’s face. The tellers were still tidyingup from the ballot, so he took advantageof the distraction and approached Dylan.

“Smile. Be gracious and accept theSenior Warden’s chair again when theelection continues,” he whispered.

“Are you kidding me? I’m done. Theycan have him,” Dylan hissed back.

“Trust me. Stay where you are. TheLodge needs you, just not right now.Chin up. Be classy, and we’ll talk after themeeting,” he concluded with a pat on theshoulder before he returned to his chair.

After the meeting, Henry took a seat inthe corner of the fellowship hall at what heconsidered a safe distance from the restof the brethren. When Dylan entered,Henry held two cups of coffee in the air asa signal to join him, which Dylan did.

“If he thinks for one second that I’mhelping him, he’s lost his mind,” Dylanspat. “In fact, I’m going to do everything Ican to make it miserable for him. Did youhear him? A Mardi Gras party? Yeah,right. Oh, and a night at the theater?Gimme a break. He’s going to bankruptthe Lodge. And for what? No one is goingto come.”

Henry said nothing.“Oh, I have so many ideas,” he said,

imitating the Worshipful Master elect. “I’mgoing to do this, that, and the other. Ha!”

Henry said nothing.“He wants to invite the families of all the

Past Masters. Are you kidding me? Howare we paying for that?”

Henry said nothing.“Yeah, and more money to grow the

charity fund. Dream on.”

“Remind you of anyone?” Henryasked with his eyebrow raised.

“What? Who? Not me.”“Yes, you. Let me remind you

how we met. You were that kidwho wanted to change strawberrynight.”

“Yeah, but. . .”“Don’t interrupt me. You wanted surf

and turf,” Henry continued. “And what didI say?”

“You objected. Strenuously. You insistedthat it was strawberry night. But that’s notthe same. I’m . . .”

“Quiet. I haven’t finished. You’re soquick to talk. I wish you were quicker tolisten,” Henry joked.

He was used to Henry’s snark - loved it,actually. Dylan rolled his eyes, but didn’topen his mouth.

“You wanted surf and turf. I grumbled,but I gave in. Do you know why? Don’tanswer, that was rhetorical,” he addedquickly, smiling. “Because you were eagerand I could see you believed in it. Not onlythat, but we never know what will workuntil we try it. Your surf and turf idea wasone of the best. Eva still talks about thatnight, and if I had been a stubborn fooland tried to undermine you, it never wouldhave happened. Understand?”

Dylan was silent.“That was a real question. You can talk

now,” Henry said, taking another sip of hiscoffee.

“I don’t think they are quite the same,but I see your point,” Dylan admitted. “Thebigger problem for me is that I deserved tobe Worshipful Master. It was my turn.”

“There’s no such thing as your turn, atleast not in the sense of it being yourGod-given right,” Henry said. “It’s your turnwhen you have the most votes, or no oneopposes you. I voted for you. I’m disap-pointed that you didn’t win. If I’m honestthough, I think you’re only going to getbetter the longer you’re involved. Maybethis extra year as Senior Warden will makeyou an even stronger Master.”

“Still, I did a lot of work,” Dylan said.“You did. And none of it will go to waste.

Your plans will keep. They will get better ifyou pay close attention to the things that

The Election

The Modern Vitruvianby P. J. Roup, 33°



work and the things that don’t this comingyear. Learn from his mistakes, but alsolearn from his successes. You want toknow my philosophy?” Henry asked.

“Isn’t that what you’ve been yammer-ing at me for the last ten minutes?” Dylanquipped back with a grin.

“No matter what your current or pastrank, your biggest achievement, or yourstrongest opinion regarding the Fraternity,you owe your complete loyalty to those incharge. Whether it’s the Master, DistrictDeputy, the Grand Master, or the Com-mander-in-Chief, your duty as a Mason isto help make his vision a success. Youdon’t have to like everything, you don’thave to understand everything, but it’syour responsibility to carry it out to thebest of your ability.

“Cathedrals had one set of plans,” hecontinued. Dylan could see that Henrywas on his soapbox and knew better thanto interrupt. He also sensed he waslearning something profound. “One set.Not a set for the laborers to gripe about,another for the quarrymen to debate, andyet another for the artificers to question.Chartres would look more like somethingfrom an Escher print if that were thecase. One set of plans - drawn by theMaster and followed by all. That’s howMasons should work.”

Dylan was speechless. He knew Henrywas right. He just stared at Henry and thefire in his eyes.

“That’s it,” Henry said. “Here endeththe sermon.”

“I never thought of it that way. Andyour one hundred percent right. I’ll beright back,” Dylan said. “I’m going to gooffer to head up the Mardi Gras commit-tee.”

Henry simply smiled. v

Happy Hanukkah

MAKE RESERVATIONS NOW!Enclosed is my check payable to Hiram’s Riders in the amount of:

$ for reservations.

Name

Name

Phone ( ) Questions? - 412-576-5856

E-Mail Mail to: Hiram’s Riders, GPMC, 3579 Masonic Way, Pgh. PA 15237

Friday Evening, December 16Fellowship Hour: 6:00 p.m.

H Cocktail Shrimp, Cheese Tray. OystersDinner: 7:00 p.m.

H Prime Rib, Chicken Cacciatore, Scrod RonnySalad, Mashed Potatoes, Vegetable, Dessert

H Door Prizes H Wine & Beer

ALL MASONS & FRIENDS WELCOME!

Shannopin Country Club

Windmere Road, Ben Avon Heights

1.

2.

3.

4.

5.

6.

7.

8.

$30perperson

$20per

person

CHRISTMAS LUNCHEON RESV. FORM

Enclosed is my check payable to Lodge of Perfection in theamount of $ for reservations forthe annual Christmas Luncheon at Shannopin Country Club.Name

Phone ( ) For info. call 412-939-3579

Entree Choices: Fowl Fish Beef

Note: If you desire to sit with a particular party, please includetheir name/s with your Reservation. [ ] check if table of 8

Mail to: GPMC, 3579 Masonic Way, Pgh. PA 15237

Saturday, December 10 - 10:30 a.m.

Cookies Pizza Soft Drinks

Photos with Santa H Gift for each Child

Greater Pittsburgh Masonic Center

Entertainment by Magician TJ HillA FREE Children’s Party for Scottish Rite Masons & Guests

sponsored by the Valley of PittsburghHosted by Pennsylvania Council Princes of Jerusalem

William J. Wiker, 32°, Sovereign Prince

Christmas in the Valley


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Holiday EntertainmentAssigned Seating(tables of 8 available)

Please List Guests (first & last name)

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Saturday, December 3Social Hour 11:00 a.m.

H Door Prizes H Cash Bar

Entrees: Chicken, Beef, Fish



Congratulations to all newlyraised Master Masons and,

especially, all new 32° Scottish RiteMasons.

Welcome to the Valley ofPittsburgh! We hope that yourjourney into The Ancient AcceptedScottish Rite is rewarding, produc-tive, and enlightening. And, asyou’ve no doubt heard, “as we travel thepath of Masonry, many more lessonssurely await us.”

In early September, I had the privilegeof attending the Fall Membership / Lead-ership Conference at the Scottish RiteMasonic Museum & Library in Lexington,Massachusetts. This conference washosted by the Supreme Council Member-ship and Leadership Committees andbrought together fellow AASR brothersfrom several states. The weekend confer-ence provided several opportunities foreveryone to learn what other Valleys aredoing, the problems and challenges facedby the AASR, Valleys, and members,as well as challenging each Valley toexamine its activities and perspectivesto address members’ needs and how toposition itself to effectively reach out tonew and future members. Here is what Ilearned:

1. The Valley of Pittsburgh is fortunate.2. The Valley of Pittsburgh is facing

many of the same challenges as mostother Valleys.

3. The future of the Valley of Pittsburghis only as bright as its willingness andability to attract new members.

Let’s start with some facts about ourValley:

• In the last five (5) years, membershipin the Valley has decreased by approxi-mately 22%;

• The percentage of current memberages 20-29 is less than 1%;

• The percentage of current membersage 50+ is almost 90%; and

• Over 50% of our members are 70 orolder.

During the Conference, a discussiontook place that addressed the best prac-tices of identifying, attracting and retainingnew members to the AASR. The strate-gies identified and opinions expressedmade it clear that we (that means you) asa Valley must actively communicate withand market ourselves to men that are of

a different (younger) generationwith different perspectives andbehaviors from our own. To dothis, we must first understandthose perspectives and behav-iors. To understand, we mustchange our perspectives andbehaviors without judging.

Consider this: Today’s 18-year-old was virtually an infant on Sep-tember 11, 2001, has always had theInternet and, not surprisingly, alwaysutilizes its resources to make decisionsregarding everything, and is smarter andhas accomplished much more than mostof us did by the age of 18. With regard tothis last point, if you don’t believe it justask any high school graduate to talk aboutwhat it takes to graduate, let alone to beadmitted to college. If you have a childthat is a recent graduate, you know.

Now, ask yourself how you, as an indi-vidual, and we, as a Valley, communicatethe many and wonderful reasons we areScottish Rite Masons or, more generallyMasons, to new and prospective mem-bers. If the answer takes more than 10seconds or does not include a hyperlink,you’ve probably just lost that new orprospective member.

So, how can we better attract andretain members?

Specifically, improve the Valley’spresence and identity in your social mediaaccounts. Take and post pictures, sharethose pictures with the Valley webpage,link and share articles that provide apositive (and accurate) image of Freema-sonry in general.

Also, when you interact with a new orprospective member, refrain from convey-ing your thoughts or knowledge by fram-ing them with “this is how it’s always beendone”, “back in my day…”, or other suchcomments. Instead, actively listen to theirquestions and ideas and encourage theirparticipation.

Generally, examine your level of partici-pation in your Lodge and your Valley.

• Are you communicating a positiveimage of Freemasonry and the ScottishRite, its values and goals, and the re-wards of membership?

• Are you fostering relationships withnew and prospective members that willallow them to build upon the solid founda-tion of our Fraternity and to become better

men? • Are you facilitating the future? During the Conference, we were asked

to consider the following question: “If notyou, then who?”

Who will be the next first-line signer ofa Petition, the next elected officer in yourLodge or Valley, the next event organizer,the next exemplar in a degree, the nextstage crew member, the next …?

During our events, sit with and talk tothe new members, listen to their ideas andquestions, introduce them to other mem-bers, and encourage their participation.

As Scottish Rite Masons and membersof the Valley of Pittsburgh, we must doeverything we can to perpetuate the futureof our Fraternity. v

Welcome New Valley MembersBy Sam H. Jessee, 32°, Thrice Potent MasterGourgas Lodge of Perfection

Walk-a-Thon Raises$10,388.00 for

Valley Learning Center



by Jeffrey M. Wonderling, 33°R.W. Junior Grand Warden1st Lieutenant Commander

Wonderlingonders!

Dear Scottish Rite Brethren,

What a great day for Freema-sonry in general, and in

particular, our beloved Scottish Rite.I would like to congratulate andwelcome all of our new members.

Our gratitude is the order of theday to Right Worshipful GrandMaster Raymond T. Dietz for makingthe One Day Masonic Journey areality. Also, kudos to Illustrious Bro.Thomas K. Sturgeon for once again“going rogue” and hatching theunheard of plan of Masons joiningthe Scottish Rite “Free of Charge”.

This column is penned under thepremise of “Wonderling Wonders”.Well I must admit that when I firstheard the idea I “Wondered” if hehad finally gone off the deep-end.Hmmmmm?????

What has made Bro. Tom aneffective leader of our Craft is thathe is more than willing to push theenvelope and fight tooth and nail forwhat he believes is right, and hemost certainly is not afraid of tryingnew ideas and avenues to better ourorganizations. I can only imaginethe conversations that took place inthe hallowed halls of Lexington whenthe news broke. What little I know ofthe workings of Supreme Council,this had to be a tough sell and I’ll letyou in on a little secret, it must havetaken a significant amount of time,effort and negotiation to get it done.His tenacity got it done. So, was itthe right thing to do? Who knows--time will tell. But why in the world letfolks join for free. Hmmmm??????

After little contemplation theanswer is simple. It is a test drive.Those who have been participatingin some of the events in your Valleywill agree that the Scottish Riteexperience has markedly improvedover the last several years. IT ISAWESOME TO WATCH AND BE APART OF THE TRANSFORMATION.The fraternal bond is strong betweenus and there is something for every-body to enjoy. There is a job foreveryone who wants to contribute.

As I see it, it is up to us to backBro. Sturgeons effort and vision. Itis up to us to make sure each newcandidate gets a great “test drive”.Whether you are a new member orhave been around awhile, whenattending a Valley function leave theintrovert at home and bring the extro-vert with you. Strike up a conversa-tion with someone new. I’ll clue youthat the person on the other end isjust as shy as you are. It starts with asimple “Hello, how are you”? Myname is Jeff. What’s yours? WhatLodge do you belong to? Before youknow it you will find common ground.I have made my living by askingpertinent questions in order to findcommon ground. The irony is pro-fessionally I am building a relation-ship to sell a product and make abuck. But fraternally I am building arelationship to make a (as GrandMaster Dietz coined the phrase thisyear) “Fraternal Friend Forever”.You can indeed enrich your life andthe life of a Brother every time youattend a Valley function. It’s up toyou. v

Saturday October 29, 2016 1537 new 32nd Degree Masons!

.30-30 Riffle Winner

Norman E. Flaherty, 33°

Hiram’s Riders President, Bro. Ronald Troy, (left)and Bro. Mark Bliler, 33°, Co-Chairman of the Club’sFund Raising Raffle for Charity, present the winner ofthe .30-30 Henry Wildlife Tribute Riffle to Bro. MartinE. Herman of Carnegie, PA, a member of Centennial -Lafayette Lodge No. 544. The drawing, based on thePA Lottery, was held on Labor Day, September 5.

Note: Next drawing for a Masonic Tribute Rifle ison Wednesday, November 30. Next drawing for theWildlife Tribute Rifle is on Monday, December 19.Tickets are still available for both rifles. But hurry forthe Masonic Tribute Rifle, November 30 is fastapproaching. Use coupon on page 26. v

Bro. Norman E. Flaherty, 33°, wasrecently elected as the EminentViceroy of Constans Conclave.Knights of the Red Cross of Constan-tine stationed at Johnstown, PA.

Bro. Flaherty, is a member andPast Master of Infinity Lodge No. 546,a Past Most Wise Master of the Pitts-

burgh Chapter of Rose Croix, a Past DDGM of the38th Masonic District, a Past Most Excellent GrandHigh Priest of the Grand Holy Royal Arch Chapter ofPennsylvania, and a past presiding officer of manyother York Rite bodies, and currently serves as Presi-dent of the Sewickley High Twelve Luncheon Club,Chapter No. 759, which meets on the fourth Tuesdayof the Month at the Sewickley Masonic Village.

He can be reached at: [email protected]. v

Check our Web Site Regularly for New Events

www.valleyofpittsburgh.org WHE

NAL

LELSE

FAILS READ

THEDIRECTIONS

December 2016 The Rite News Page 8.December 2016 The Rite News .

I was a sophomore at FurmanUniversity when I first saw Mr.

Scrooge.There he was with his pristine waist-

coat, silver pocket watch dangling from achain fob, coal black tail coat, and top hat,glaring out at the gathered crowd andsnarling, “Bah Humbug!” This was, ofcourse, not an actual Dickensian appari-tion, but the head of the English Depart-ment, Dr. Rudy Bates. Neither was Ipassing by along a snowy London street,but instead, comfortably situated at theedge of the stage in the university play-house on a December evening in SouthCarolina. Hardly the picture of a coldVictorian winter.

Nevertheless, there I was, a part ofaudience and rather cheerful student bodytaking in the special celebratory activitiesthat accompanied the Christmas seasonat my alma mater - caroling by candlelight, attending a Moravian love feast, andthe capstone - a dramatic reading of AChristmas Carol, by Charles Dickens,presented by the English Department andfeaturing our own real-life Scrooge.

The stage was bare, save for threesimple lecterns, evenly spaced in front ofthe plain black curtain. Each stand wasaccented by a potted red poinsettia at itsbase. As the lights dimmed, the actors -English professors - took the stage led byDr. Bates, our beloved Scrooge. Throughthe years, some of the supporting playerswould change, but Scrooge was (and stillis, in my mind) always Rudy Bates. Ironi-cally, this was not far from the truth outsideof the theater as well.

Dr. Bates had a reputation not entirelyunlike that of the character he was so fondof portraying. To English majors such asmyself, he was the toughest, most aggra-vating, and utterly challenging professor inthe department - and we loved him. Tofreshmen, however (or anyone takingbasic composition and rhetoric, which hehated teaching), Dr. Bates was Scrooge -frightening, mean, and intolerable. Butthere was much more to him than whatwas on the surface. It only took persever-ance (and more than a bit of discomfort) topeel back the layers to find the real manhidden inside.

Lessons from the PastDr. Bates, for me, was much like

Scrooge, who in turn is a reflection of somany of us. That is to say, our outwardattitudes and actions are greatly coloredby the issues facing us every day. In thisregard, we are very much products of ourenvironment, reacting to the twists andturns that meet us along life’s pathway. Butthat doesn’t have to change the essentialparts of our character. This was the pur-pose of Dickens’ Ghost of Christmas Past.Misfortune is part of life, but to allow it toshape your character can be devastating.As blogger Bob Welch notes, “It’s said thatbitterness is like swallowing poison andexpecting the other person to die. Wrong.The victim of bitterness is ourselves.”Scrooge’s first ghost is a reminder of hisfirst loves - family, friends, and an enjoy-ment of life for its own sake. Today, we areoften so caught up in the minutiae of ourown ambitions that we forget to look at allthe gifts that we should be thankful for thatwe take for granted. Looking positively onwhat we have, as opposed to focusingincessantly on those things that we want,is a step toward the light.

Living in the NowWhen Scrooge first encounters the

Ghost of Christmas Present, he is immedi-ately blinded by the spirit’s overwhelmingbrightness. You would truly have to beblind not to understand Dickens’ referenceto spiritual enlightenment and the positiveattributes that joy brings. It is an emotionthat is overwhelming and infectious andmore often than not, acts as a catalyst toheal, both physically and mentally. Ameri-can author Washington Irving once said

that, “A kind heart is a fountain of glad-ness, making everything in its vicinityfreshen into smiles.” The influence that wehave over one another is tremendous. Weshould use such power as a force forgoodwill and by enriching those around us,we will rediscover the joy in ourselves.

The Future in FluxThough the most frightening of Dickens’

apparitions, the Ghost of Christmas Yet toCome holds the key to Scrooge’s redemp-tion. Yes, the ghost brings with him thethreat of death, but it isn’t mortality that isScrooge’s condemnation. It is the fear ofdying with the wrong legacy. The poorspirit in which old Ebenezer chooses tolive his life leaves him destined for aneternity of unrest. But thanks to his “friend”and business partner, Jacob Marley,Scrooge discovers that he has the powerto change the future - as long as he iswilling to change himself. This is themessage for all of us: our time here islimited and we should endeavor to giveour very best to one another and spreadjoy, love, and light in all that we do.

No, we do not have the power tochange the past. But as Scrooge discov-ered, we do have the ability to shape thefuture, to bring good things to all people,and to reap our own rewards in the joys ofothers. And as for Dr. Rudy Bates, I sawthat light through the gruff exterior andbenefitted greatly from his teachings therest of my time in college. I even saw himsmile - twice, I think - and was nearlyblinded by the experience. Mr. Dickenswould have been proud.

On Saturday, December 10 at 7:30 p.m.and Sunday, December 11 at 2:00 p.m. atthe Greater Pittsburgh Masonic Center,the Ghost Light Theater Company willproudly present, A Christmas Carol, ARadio Play by Philip Grecian, based onthe classic novella by Charles Dickens.

We invite you to come and share in thiscelebration of the holiday season with aunique twist on this classic story.

Tickets are $12 and are on sale now,but if you delay, you won’t stand a ghost ofa chance in seeing this spectacular talecome to life!

Phone 412-939-3579. vD. Todd Ballenger, 33°, is a Past Thrice

Potent Master of the Lodge of Perfection anda proud member of the Ghost Light TheaterCompany. This is for Dr. Rudy Bates, whochallenged me not only to read and write tothe best of my ability, but more importantly toTHINK FOR MYSELF.

You can read more from Bro. Ballengerat his blog, The Luminosity of Souls(luminosityofsouls.blogspot.com)

Upon the Checkered Pavement

D. Todd Ballenger, 33°, Feature Writer





One of the classification systems foratrial fibrillation (Afib) is based

upon the frequency and duration of theepisodes. The American College of Cardi-ology (ACC), American Heart Association(AHA), and European Society of Cardiol-ogy (ESC) all endorse the following classi-fication system. This system has 4 distinctcategories: First Detected, Paroxysmal,Persistent, and Permanent. First Detectedis defined as only one diagnosed episode.All patients with Afib are initially in this cat-egory. Paroxysmal Afib, which accountsfor approximately 25% of patients, is de-fined as recurrent episodes that stop ontheir own in less than 7 days. PersistentAfib, which also accounts for approxi-mately 25% of patients, is defined as re-current episodes that last more than 7days per episode. Permanent Afib, whichaccounts for approximately 50% of pa-tients, is defined as an ongoing long-termepisode as its name implies. In general,the longer a patient stays in Afib, the lesslikely it is that treatment will be able to re-store normal sinus rhythm.

In addition to these 4 categories, theACC/AHA/ESC also categorize Afib basedupon other characteristics of the patient.Lone Atrial Fibrillation refers to patientswho do not have any clinical or echocar-diographic findings of other cardiovasculardisease such as hypertension, enlarge-ment of the left atrium, related pulmonarydisease, and are under the age of 60years. Nonvalvular Afib refers to patientswho do not have a history of rheumatic mi-tral valve disease, a prosthetic heart valve,or mitral valve repair. Secondary Afibrefers to patients that suffer Afib in the set-ting of a primary condition that could beresponsible for the Afib such as an acutemyocardial infarction, cardiac surgery, pul-monary embolism, hyperthyroidism, peri-carditis, myocarditis, pneumonia, or otheracute pulmonary diseases.

Evaluation and diagnostic testing forpatients with newly diagnosed Afib includea thorough history and physical examina-tion, bloodwork, electrocardiogram (EKGor ECG), transthoracic echocardiogram,possible transesophageal echocardio-gram, possible exercise or chemical stress

medications that can slow the heart rate(or whether the medication dosage needsto be decreased if the heart rate does notincrease enough with exertion).

A detailed discussion on the treat-ment options for Afib is beyond the scopeof this article. In general, the goals oftreatment in patients with Afib are to mini-mize the risk of stroke secondary to clotformation in the left atrial appendage, andto maintain hemodynamic stability and tol-erance of symptoms related to the abnor-mal rhythm. Patients with Afib have abouta 7% higher risk of stroke per year ascompared to people of their same age whodo not have Afib. Anticoagulation withwarfarin (coumadin), dabigatran, rivaroxa-ban, or apixaban essentially normalizesthis risk.

The two main approaches to maintainhemodynamic stability and symptom toler-ance are Rate control and Rhythm control.Rate control is the recommended treat-ment for most patients with Afib, especiallythose that have minimal or no symptomsduring episodes of Afib. Medications suchas beta blockers (metoprolol, atenolol),non-dihydropyridine calcium channelblockers (diltiazem, verapamil), cardiacglycosides (digoxin), and sometimes anti-arrhythmic agents like amiodarone areused to keep the heart rate closer to thenormal rate of 60-100/minute duringepisodes of Afib. Rhythm control is atreatment approach that can be utilized forpatients who are very symptomatic duringepisodes of Afib, are not doing very wellwith Rate control therapy, or who do notwish to be on long term anticoagulationmedication. A long list of antiarrhythmicmedications are available for use in an ef-fort to maintain normal sinus rhythm in-cluding amiodarone, sotalol, flecainide,propafenone, dofetilide, ibutalide, quini-dine, procainamide, and disopyramide.For patients who do not convert to normalsinus rhythm with antiarrhythmic medica-tions, electrical cardioversion can be at-tempted. Electrical cardioversion is alsoutilized in urgent situations where the pa-tient becomes hemodynamically unstabledue to the Afib.

Radiofrequency catheter ablation hasbecome much more common over thepast two decades as a therapy for patientswho fail to maintain normal sinus rhythmwith antiarrhythmic medications and/orelectrical cardioversion, as well as a firstline therapy for many patients. In this pro-cedure, flexible wires (catheters) arethreaded into the heart via veins in the armand/or groin. Radiofrequency energy is

test, and a possible holter monitor or eventrecorder. The history of the patient’sepisodes is one of the most importantpieces of information because further test-ing and subsequent treatment can be de-pendent upon whether the patientexperiences any symptoms or is asympto-matic during the episodes of Afib. Routinebloodwork including electrolytes, renalfunction, and a complete blood count areperformed to assess for possible etiologiessuch as electrolyte imbalance, chronic kid-ney disease, anemia, hyperthyroidism, andinfection. If chest pain is associated withthe episode of Afib, cardiac troponin levelsmay be checked to assess for a possiblemyocardial infarction (heart attack). Theelectrocardiogram is used to make a defini-tive diagnosis during an acute episode ofAfib. If paroxysmal Afib is suspected butan EKG reveals normal sinus rhythm, anoutpatient holter monitor may be used for24-48 hours in an attempt to document theabnormal rhythm. If the episodes of Afibare even more infrequent, an eventrecorder may be used on an outpatientbasis for up to a month or longer.

A non-invasive transthoracic echocardio-gram (TTE) is usually performed in newlydiagnosed Afib and when there are majorchanges in the patient’s clinical status.Three of the main reasons that an echocar-diogram is performed is to assess for pos-sible valvular disease (increases risk ofstroke), left and right atrial size (enlargedatria increase risk of Afib becoming perma-nent), and to assess for a possible clot inthe left atrial appendage (increases risk ofstroke, especially if cardioversion is per-formed, and often prompts anticoagulationwith coumadin). A transesophagealechocardiogram (TEE) offers much bettervisualization of the left atrial appendageand is thus a much better test to assess fora left atrial appendage thrombus/clot. Thistest is often performed if an urgent electri-cal cardioversion is planned. Exercise orchemical stress tests are also performed attimes to assess for possible coronary ar-tery disease as a contributing factor for thedevelopment of Afib, and to assess the pa-tient’s heart rate response with exertion todetermine whether they would benefit from

Your HealthDr. Glenn D. Miller, II, 33°, Chairman

Valley of Pittsburgh Medical Committee

Atrial Fibrillation – Part 2


sent through these catheters creating heatthat destroys (ablates) the upper layer ofcells on the inside of the heart in the re-gion where the Afib originates. In rare in-stances, catheter ablation is used todestroy the atrioventricular node (AV node)which is where the heart’s electrical sig-nals travel from the upper chambers (atria)to the lower chambers (ventricles). Thisprevents the heart from beating very fastduring Afib by cutting off the electricalcommunication between the upper andlower chambers of the heart. However,this procedure requires that a permanentpacemaker be implanted at the same timein order to ensure the patient will have anadequate heart rate. v


Support Your Valley of Pittsburgh Social Events and Special Activities!

Check out theCalendar of Events

on page 23.

PROU

D TO BE A 32° FREEMASON

VALLEY OF PITTSBURGH

G� �

Blue Ride Members make Donation to Shrine and Valley Charity Funds

Representatives from the Shrine and the Valley of Pittsburgh received $1,500 donationchecks from the annual Blue Ride Charity Fund-raising event sponsored by WashingtonLodge No 164 and the Blue Knights Chapter No. XVI. Pictured (L to R) Jim Everard,Shrine Road Runners; Rick Cross, Washington Lodge No.164; Erick Gumto, ShrinePotentate; David Richards, Chairman, Blue Ride; Bob Malwitz, President, Children’sLearning Center; Dave Morgans, Valley Commander-in-Chief; Rodney Bush, BlueKnights; Mark Harmon, Blue Knights.

Scottish Rite Tribute Contest Winners!Turn to pages16, 17 and 18to view thosewho attendedthe Tribute tothe ScottishRite first-rateevent. All inattendancethoroughlyenjoyed theevenng of fun,food, wine andfrivolity!

Check our Valley Facebook page.

Go to Facebook.com andkeep up-to-date with news,discussions, and events.

To celebrate Natio the Valley of Pitts

carpet – literally.As our more than 15

were welcomed by sea wide HOLLYWOOD sign Greater Pittsburgh Maso

At the entrance door valet before being sent d welcomed by the Valley’

After being photogra keepsake, they were gre

National Scottish Rite Day Celebration H H H

toast to welcome them to the transformed ballroo a DJ, beer, champagne, wine, and a constant s one to remember at the Scottish Rite. v

H H H H H H H H H H H H H H H H H H H H H HH H H H H H H H H H H H H H H H H H H H H H


Continued on page 18.

onal Scottish Rite Day, sburgh rolled out the red

50 guests arrived, they rchlights and a 35-foot- n at the driveway of the

onic Center. rs, they were met by a own the red carpet to be

’s presiding officers. aphed for their framed

eeted with a champagne

H H H A Red Carpet Evening to Remember

om, decorated in red, gold, and black. Live music, supply of heavy hors d’ouevres made this evening

v





National Scottish Rite Day Celebration cont’d

Thanks Brethren for attending - We hope you enjoyed our Scottish Rite tribute!

A Red Carpet Evening to Remember

Photos by Kenneth B. Brooks, 32°

talents and skills with which theyare imbued; and everybodyneeds to attend. If nobodyattends our meetings andevents and this lovely edificestands empty, friendships don'tdevelop, boredom sets in andthe Valley dies.

To the Fall class. . . you havejoined what, I believe, to be the

best Valley in Pennsylvania. You can par-ticipate in great Masonic work, as well asbe involved in a lot of "off-labor" fun. Andthat's fun not only for you, but also yourfamily and friends, baseball games, bingo.movie night, holiday parties for both adultsand kids, even a theater group and muchmore. It's all here.

As for you “old-timers", come and meetour new brothers. Show them the friend-ship and welcome for which we areknown. We have a treasure so precious inthat the more we share it, the greater itgets.

To all my Brethren, may your holidayseason be a joyous one and may theNew Year find you both healthy andprosperous. v

So, I sat down to write thismonth's article. As I sat

looking at a blank sheet or paper,l started to think of the diversegroup of men I've met in Masonryand the friends I've made, fromthe cowboy in Oklahoma to thedoctor in Pittsburgh, devoutChristian and observant Muslimand Jew. Men of every race . . .and all brothers. We all share the samepeculiar morality disseminated throughallegory and symbolism .

We have great advantages in theValley of Pittsburgh . Over five thousandmembers to start with; with drive, talent,initiative and leadership in abundance.Couple that with a first-class facility, andyou have the formula for a successfulfraternal enterprise. The formula, but notthe answer.

The critical element in arriving at theanswer is PARTICIPATION by both newmembers and old, grizzled members likeme. Experienced members (I don't wantto say old members) need to welcomenewcomers as brothers, and new mem-bers should be willing to share the many

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Looking to the FutureBy William J. Wiker, 32°, Sovereign Prince

Pennsylvania Council, Princes of Jerusalem

The Business CasualDress Code

Sounds great, doesn’t it? No moreconcerns about what to wear. But

what exactly is business casual? Thequestion was placed on Facebook and gotquite a few answers ranging from “Notjeans, but not a suit” to “Nice blouse,pants, light jewelry. No suits, no t-shirts,certainly no jeans – even black ones, nologo wear.”

Others said, “In my previous jobs,everything had to be tucked in, no athleticclothes. Oh, and if a boss said “you lookcasual,” that was a hint to not wear theclothes again.”

There seems to be agreement on: “Formen: trousers/khakis and a shirt with acollar. For women: trousers/knee-lengthskirt and a blouse or shirt with a collar. Nojeans. No athletic wear.”

But then this got a response of, “Idisagree, no khakis.”

No khakis? Khakis aren’t jeans andthey’re practically iconic when paired witha blue dress shirt! Granted that look says,“I didn’t want to wear jeans but I didn’twant to wear black dress trousers and awhite shirt so here’s my compromise.”

So there’s a lack of consensus in whatactually defines a business casualwardrobe. All most people know is theydon’t want to see too much of a col-league’s body, including feet.

We’ve clearly moved from the formalityof business wear to the super casual workenvironment of jeans and t-shirts, andeven flip flops and shorts, to the nebulousmiddle ground of ‘business casual’. It’shard to define and many people, havetried.

We also want clothes that can go fromwork to play because no one has time togo home and change and not a lot ofpeople want to bring a change of clothinginto the office.

Business attire is prevalent in today’ssociety but we have not seen much inno-vation in this area of fashion.

North American men and women arebecoming more fashion-savvy and arelooking for pieces that reflect their per-sonal, unique style and fit. With globaliza-tion and the Internet, mass-customizationis in great demand and very achievable.

So, what is business casual? It seemsthe jury is still out on this highly undecidedissue of casual ? dress. v

Its Our 10th Anniversary

Christmas Dinner PartyAnd all Master Masons are Invited to Attend!

H Greater Pittsburgh Masonic Center H Friday Evening, Dec. 16 H

AppetizersShrimp Cocktail,

Artisan Cheeses with Fresh Fruit, Oysters on the Half Shell,

Spanakopita, Lollypop Lamb Chops with Mint Jelly

SaladGreek Village Salad

EntreeRoast Prime Rib of Beef

Chicken CacciatoreScrod Ronny

SideRustic Mashed Yukon Gold PotatoesButtered French Peas and Pimentos

Breadworks Rolls and ButterDessert

Raspberry Cheese Cake

Happy Hour: 6:00 p.m., Beer & WineDinner: 7:00 p.m.Call 412-939-3579 for Reservations or

Use Reservation Form Below

- RESERVATION FORM -Enclosed is my check to Hiram’s Riders in the amount of: $ for reservations.Name Phone ( ) E-Mail

Mail to: GPMC, 3579 Masonic Way, Pgh. PA 15237 - Questions? - 412-576-5856

H H H H H H H H H H H H H H H H H H H H H H H H H H H H H H H H H H H H H H H H H H H H H H H H H H H H H H H H H H H H H H H H H H


Louis AbateScott T AbrahamAlex M AdamcykJames E AdiseyNicholas D AliBradley D AltieriMark S AltomariJustin J AmenoNeal S AndrusThomas J AnkeChristopher J BalentineLeonard S BaranowskiBrian J BarbieriGalen D Bargerstock Jr.James M BarnesRonald M BarsottiChris W BarthKermit A BartoeGerald J BasalygaMichael A BereshJeffrey A BerkowitzPaul BernaboDuncan D BerrymanDonald R BildhauerFrancis C BischoffJohn B BitelerRichard J BlahutEdward G. BloomerJason L BonaceDavid J BonifatiBrett A BoyceEdward A Boyd Jr.Keith J BrannonRobert P BrinkleyMark G BrownPatrick C BrownTerrence A BruceRobert A BurkettCharles L CainJohn A CaligiureJohn C CarilliThomas R Carnahan

Joel M DompierDavid G DoppJesse W DoscherJoseph C Douglas Jr.Donald A DruciakHarry T DuCarmeBlake F DunbarJohn P DziruzynskiJoseph V DzurkoMichael A DzurkoJohn H EalyRichard S EbbittJeffrey M EiflerJeffrey S EliasCraig F ElliottDonald R ElliottDwight D ElliottLeslie H Elliott IIIWilliam J EmlingEric T EnosStephen L EstochinMichael D FazenbakerPatrick W FeltonKerry R FieldsJeffery R FigardGuy A Flament Jr.Anthony L FletcherMichael G ForiskaMichael L Foster Jr.Jerry C FrankosJordan L FreiAaron W FrenchWilliam C GallagherShane M GannanLuis L GarinoClinton E GastgebGregory L GayarskiJohn J GearingShawn R GeigerKenneth E Girty IIILouis W GiulianiMarc A Glowczewski

Henry P Goetzman Jr.Wilbur S Boodman IIIDavid J GordonGregory N GrimmJoshua A GrimmVincent A GrudowskiRonald A GuidasBruce G GunnoeMatthew J Gurtner Sr.Robert D HansonDavid P HapchukBlake A HauserRyan L HerringtonRyan W HessRobert S Hester Jr.Aaron L HobaughScott A HolmesIsaac W HoltzerThomas R HoolahanJeffrey D HooverAntonio J HoriZachary R HuffmanJames W HutchinsonCephus JohnsonGlenn B JohnsonEric J JohnstonMark P JohnstonNathan A JohnstonShawn M JonesAnthony B JordanAnthony B Jordan IIDavid B KaminskyRobert J KellawayMichael K KellerKevin G KennedyDylan K KevechRobert L KingScott R KingstonLarry D KnouseJason M KnoxEdward J KoneskiTristan M Kozel

Fredrick P KridlePaul J KubincanekRobert J KwiatkowskiGarrett C KynorDavid M LanglandsRichard LaszczynskiAdam J LawrencePatrick A LearyMatthew J LeavyGeorge T LegamskyJeffrey J LeglerRobert D LehrianJames B LemleyJeffrey R LeversRobert A LewickiKevin G LockhartRobert C Loehr Jr.Gary A LongJ Edward LoukotaRobert W LovicGreer C LukensBrian T MaddenPeter J MagnottaJacob D MagnottiDavid H MaierEdward J MaldovanDaniel F MalloyDrew E MankoMichael C MarcusJohn T MargieRobert C MarionEarl W Martin IIIRobert E MassieFrank A MatejcicCharles H MathewsRobert T McCahillCharles F McCarthy IIIE Scott McClainFillmore H McClainKeven A McCloskeyAlan J McClureJoel E McDonald

Edgar R CarterKevin J CarusoBaige A CastoBristin L CastoWilliam T CauleyEric M CauthornEdward W CheckJohn J ChristianJohn B ClingerBradley DCollierWalter G ConnellLucas F ConradScott B CookWendell R CooleyPeter A CorbettNathan R CosgroveWayne P CosgroveSpencer A CountourisJeffrey L CoxBrian K CramerDean E CrockettTodd A CrothersJason L CrowAlbert Csorba Jr.Barry CrumrineDouglas CusheyKevin CusheyRobert CusheyJames B CusterJohn DalyRichard DavanzoFrank DavinFrank Davis IIRandy DavisRonald DavisGary DeanDonovan W DeAngeloBlaine A DeLouisAnthony J D'ErcoleRoger K DeWittRobert B DicksonJohn R Dinkel

Welcome to the 409 Master Masons who became 32° Scottish Rite

H H H H H H H H H H H H H H H H H H H H H H H H H H H H H H H H H H H H H H H H H H H H H H H H H H H H H H H H H H H H H H H H H H


Michael J McDonaldGavin L McDonoughThomas J McGeeGerard A McGrew Jr.John P McIlwainDavid L McIntireJames R McIntireJeremie F McKnightFrank D McLaughlinDavid J McPeakJohn L MeekRonald W Mellinger Jr.Phillippe A MelogranePerry A MenearChristopher B MercerLarry A MertzChristopher J MihalicColton MillerRodney B MillerJohn C MillikenJohn H MillikenWayne R MinnicksAnton R MirielloTodd V MiscovichShawn MulacBrien P MurphyDale E MyersBenjamin T NefflenBrian R NelsonLouis A NelsonAdam P NeubauerSeth R NeusteinSterling G NevilleDaniel E NguyenRobert D NicholGary L NoskaNicholas P NutterJoseph T OcharzakJoshua T OlahJustin L OndikRichard M OpsatnikCharles S Owen Jr.

Scott C OwenJohn J PalaurosGeorge L PanzakPatrick A ParkinsonMichael J PattonRalph C Patty JrEric L PaulJeffrey J PennettiFrank A PersiaCharles T PickupIgor V PimkovJeremiah R PisanoBrian C PitchfordJoseph G PodolinskiKeith R PolickKevin B PolickLucas A PoloffJames W PopielarcheckDavid A PorupskyPatrick A ProudMark A RahrAllen D RandallPeter M RandazzoJames M RansbottomWilliam C ReahardRandall M ReddyDavid A RedmanJeffrey L RedmanWilliam A ReinhardEric J RichterJoshua J RitenourPedro Rivera-MonteroDevlin J RobinsonIvan L RodriquezMichael W RogersMichael G RokaJoseph M RomanelliReynaldo Rosario-OrtaDavid J RoyJames P RubinoJohn R RuddJohn K Ryan

Dale T SadowskiArthur R SalvatoreJames A SampsonKenneth E SarverRodney B SarverJames W SaxonGlen W SchadeJoseph M SchanckJoseph W SchanckTimothy G SchandelMichael D SchloerRobert J SchmellaRobert T Schwaderer Jr.Robert C Schwanbeck VReed J SchwertzMichael E ScimioRichard A ScottShawn R ScottWilliam A Seelhorst Jr.Wesley S Semple Jr.Scott H SereneRaymond A Sevacko IIIMichael J ShalloWayne E Sheatter Jr.John H ShookAnthony L ShraderJeffrey A ShraderDavid ShragerEdward D ShultzTyler C ShultzJon T ShumarJanson J SimsScott SimsJeffrey C SinesMatthew R SinesNicholas S SkowronskiAndrew C SlaterWilliam Slater IIIThomas C SloanNicholas J SmerilliHarvey R Smith Jr.Robert D Smith Jr.

Robert D Smith Sr.Brian T SmouseChristopher A SmythGerald D SnyderJason D SnyderBrandon P SpellmanJoseph F StalveyJames E Stambaugh IIJames E Stambaugh IIIJason L StambaughCharles D StayrookChristopher B SternLouis D SternFrank D StetarCameron J StishDouglas J StoberskiRobert R Stone Jr.Harry G. StratigosMatthew J SvonavecBrian R Swartz IIGary J SyrekChristopher C SzuminskyRichard L SzyjkoRobert C ThummClifford W TolandAaron A TomeyShawn J TornblomEdward TraczynskiJames W TurnerKostyantyn UkrayinetsEric M UllomMax E UllomTodd A UmstottRichard A ValentineRichard J ValentineRichard Z ValentineRobert James ValentineJames C VanceShawn L VarchettiCharles M VaskoJoseph J VinayJustin B Virgili

Evan M VogelsbergerLarry A WallachKevin A WalterMichael E WalterMark D WaltersRobert L WasalaskyEvan D WeaverStanley J WeaverDaniel J WelchAlbert S WellsBarry M WhiteJames E WilkesTed M WilkesWyatt C WilkesJeffrey R WilliamsAaron J WilsonJohn M WilsonBrian S WiltroutKevin T WisniewskiLester R WolfeLeo A Worst Jr.Tommy A WynkoopJames L YanowskyBrandon D YatesHenry M YoccoThomas D Yocco Jr.Ernest B YodersScott J YorkJeffrey M YoukersTheodore A YoungRobert A YuskoJames C ZerfossCharles F Zurcher

Masons in the Valley of Pittsburgh at the One Day Masonic Journey



Just wanted to touch base with our group,and hope everyone is doing good as we

welcome the Christmas holidays. I was hoping to get everyone together

for a car club meeting before the end of theyear. We will soon be in hibernation for thewinter, our cars tucked away til spring.

I have followed up on two businesses thatoffered $100 donations to the clubs fund, andshould have it soon.

I have printed Certificates of Appreciationand thank you letters to send to the busi-nesses, Fire Department, and Ross Policethat supported our cruises this year.

Our Fall Cruise was a huge success, andthe turnout was wonderful. I am especiallyproud of how each Car Club Member tookcharge of the cruise, their assignments, andhow we are on "auto pilot" when it comes tosetting up and doing our work. After 4 years,we are a small club, but each and every oneof you make me PROUD to be a part of sucha wonderful, helpful, and friendly group ofpeople.

I recently became a dual member ofOakdale Lodge No. 669, and at my firstmeeting I performed the evenings program,on police K9's. To my surprise, while expect-ing to field dog questions while chatting afterthe event, the first two comments were fromcar enthusiasts that have been to ourcruises, and knew of the club. It was a nicething to hear. It made me want to workharder for the club.

If anyone has suggestions, comments, orideas to make the cruises better, please letme know.

On a personal note, at the cruise I hadone of the members of a Pittsburgh basedCamaro Club approach me about my car. Igave him a Valley Car Club business card,and last week he contacted me and asked ifmy car would be part of the 50th anniversaryof the Camaro display at the January WorldOf Wheels at the Convention Center. I washonored and I may possibly do it. Keep intouch, and Happy Holidays! v

News from the Car Clubby Bob Chambers, 32°

President

Thanks to the Pittsburgh Steelers,this decorative sculpture by

Charles Keck of New York that originallyadorned the steel portals of the oldManchester Bridge, is now on displayyet again on the North Side.

From 1915 to 1970, the bridgecarried traffic over the Allegheny Riverfrom Pittsburgh's Point to the NorthSide. When the bridge was demolished,the Pittsburgh History & LandmarksFoundation saved the decorative sculp-ture. The two figures here are frontiers-man Christopher Gist and Chief

Guyasuta of the Seneca, the western-most nation of the Iroquois Confeder-acy. They guided 21-year-old GeorgeWashington during his expeditionthrough this region in 1753.

That expedition set in motion aseries of events that resulted in thefounding and naming of Pittsburgh in1758.

Pittsburgh's coat of arms––and blackand gold colors––come from the familycoat of arms of Sir William Pitt theElder, the British statesman for whomPittsburgh was named. v

From the Pittsburgh History Book

Place a ‘Masonic License Plate’on your car. (call 412-939-3579 forapplication)

Show You’reProud to be a Mason

Purchase a sheet of vinyl 3”fade resistant ‘Car Badges’ 6to a sheet in various colors.

$10.00 Valley T-Shirt - all sizesavailable - $12.00

When ordering individually, add $2 for mailing. Save! Purchase Pin, Badges & T-Shirtfor $25 Incl postage. Send check payable to Valley of Pittsburgh, 3579 Masonic Way,Pittsburgh, PA 15237. Questions? 412-939-3579

Masonic PinProud to be a Mason

$5.00

Valley Golf Shirt$35.00

Limited! GPMC DedicationCeremony Special PostalCancellation. $5.00


The leaves are turningbright colors and will

soon fall. The temperature isslowly falling and the crisp airreminds us of the change ofseasons. Fall is upon us andour Valley. This season will bevery busy for your Valley aswell as for each of us.

Our national day of thanksgiving re-minds us of family and how much wehave to be thankful for this fall season.True, there will be football games (rolltide roll) and parades and Santa willmake an appearance I am sure. Therewill be turkey's galore and stuffing andmashed potatoes and even pumpkinpie. And it is all held together by family.

The Children's Christmas party andthe adult Christmas luncheon will alsobe on tap and we look forward to visit-ing with you at both events. Again it isa time for families to come together infriendship and fellowship.

The end of the calendar year bringsChristmas and New Years. We reflect

on our heritage and plan for thenew year.

We as Masons have somuch to be thankful for thatspace does not allow all thereasons to be listed. Suffice it tosay we have our family in all itsmanifestations. Brethren take

time to enjoy the season.Finally, remember that in February at

our stated meeting we will have a familynight. Bring your significant other, chil-dren, all your family and guests. We willbe entertained by the Abridge HighSchool Steel band. They have played allover the world and it should be a greatnight so do plan on joining us for thisevent. Remember the meal is $10 perperson and the show is free. v

RECEIVE VALLEY NEWSBY E-MAIL

Share your e-mail address with The Valley of Pittsburgh

Simply send a message to:[email protected]

September 2016 The Rite News .

Membership Chairman’sMessage

Greetings Brethren! On October29th, at the One Day Masonic

Journey, the Valley of Pittsburgh led theway in the state, initiating 409 new ScottishRite Masons! This is the largest class theValley has had in quite some time, and wecertainly don’t want to let the opportunityto retain these members slip through ourfingers. I had mentioned before that theincentives to join this time around wouldessentially allow Scottish Rite to sell itself,but there was more to it than that. One ofyou, whether that day or previous to it,spoke to each one of these men and toldthem the benefits of being a Scottish RiteMason, and what it meant to you to be ableto call yourself one. I have a hard timebelieving that these masons merely joinedto add 32° to the end of their name. Theysaw the value of a waived initiation fee, thefirst year free of dues, and the convenienceof a 3 hour class. Now it is our turn to showthem the full value we have to offer.

The Valley has a lot of events comingup, and we need to make these newbrethren aware of them. We can advertisein our bulletins and magazines, send emailblasts. use our Facebook page, but we alsoneed to spread the word on a personallevel. Be a Scottish Rite ambassador inyour blue lodge. The lodges are the lifelineof the Valley, and are a great place to reachout. Whether you enjoy our social events,degree work, Ghost Light productions. orjust being in the company of your ScottishRite brethren, surely you have a passionfor being here. Share it with others, thatthey too can find their niche in our Valley. v

William G. Johnston, 32°Membership Chairman

A New Year - A New ChallengeBy Robert B. Malwitz, 32°, Most Wise MasterPittsburgh Chapter of Rose Croix

CALENDAR Masonic & Other Events

2016 - 2017GPMC - Greater Pittsburgh Masonic CenterMVS - Masonic Village at SewickleyMVE - Masonic Village at Elizabethtown

December 2016 03 - Valley Christmas Party04 - Steelers at Heinz Field vs Giants 07 - Grand Lodge Quarterly - Philadelphia10 - Children’s Christmas Party - GPMC16 - Hiram’s Riders Christmas Party - GPMC25 - Steelers at Heinz Field vs Ravens

January 201724 - High 12 Luncheon - MVS28 - Fellowship Breakfast - GPMC

February 201702 - VALLEY STATED MEETING - GPMC15 - Enchanted Evening - MVS22 - Lunch & Learn - MVS - 412-749-686225 - Fellowship Breakfast - GPMC28 - High 12 Luncheon - MVS

March 201723 - Lunch & Learn - MVS - 412-749-686225 - Fellowship Breakfast - GPMC28 - High 12 Luncheon - MVS

April 201706 - VALLEY STATED MEETING - GPMC

April 2017 cont’d25 - High 12 Luncheon - MVS29 - Fellowship Breakfast - GPMC

May 201717 - Lunch & Learn - MVS - 412-749-686223 - High 12 Luncheon - MVS27 - Fellowship Breakfast - GPMC

June 201701 - VALLEY STATED MEETING - GPMC17 - Shrine Gun Bash21 - Lunch & Learn - MVS - 412-749-686227 - High 12 Luncheon - MVS30 - Fellowship Breakfast - GPMC

July 201725 - High 12 Luncheon - MVS29 - Fellowship Breakfast - GPMC30 - Blue Ride

August 201704 - Masonic Day at Kennywood09 - Lunch & Learn - MVS - 412-749-686222 - High 12 Luncheon - MVS26 - Fellowship Breakfast - GPMC

Schedule updated monthly: www.valleyofpittsburgh.org

From the Desk of the Secretaryby Donald M. Murphy, 33°

The Valley of Pittsburghhad a wonderfully suc-

cessful class on October 29th.We initiated 409 new membersinto the “Fraternity of Choice.”I would take this opportunity toinvite all our new members toparticipate in our activitieswhenever possible. Always watch ourpublications and web site for announ-cements of upcoming events. Alsoremember, we always have entertain-ment along with our Stated Meetingsand everyone is encouraged to attendand enjoy what we offer. We havesomething for everyone. Bring yourMasonic and non Masonic friends. It’sa good way to introduce a potentialmember to Scottish Rite masonry inthe Valley of Pittsburgh.

We look forward to seeing moreand more members take advantage ofthe opportunities for fellowship andenjoyment that we have available.Make it a point to join with your friendsin the Valley for at least one of theactivities during the next severalmonths.

“We strive to be a fraternity thatfulfills our Masonic obligation to carefor our members.” Our officers workdiligently to serve the needs of themembers while maintaining the qualityorganization we all enjoy. As always,collection of dues is one of our mainchallenges. To date about 80% of ourmembers have paid their 2016-2017dues. We need to receive checks

from the remaining membersas soon as possible. If youknow of someone who needshelp paying their dues, pleaselet us know. For those whohave not yet sent your check,don’t forget to help our learningcenter if possible. During the

upcoming holiday season we alwaystry to remember our sick or shut inmembers. If you are aware of abrother who needs a call or a visitduring the holidays please call theoffice or our Hospitaler, Vito Urso, 33°.

One of our goals is to stay in touchwith all of our members. As men-tioned above, if you know of a memberwho needs a call or a visit, please con-tact the office. We want all of ourmembers to know that the Valleycares. We have opportunities forvolunteers to help with the ScottishRite Brother to Brother calling pro-gram. If you have the time, let usknow and we will help you get started.

We are looking forward to a greatyear. Your participation in the Valleyactivities will make it a resoundingsuccess.

Our office is open Monday thruFriday from 8:00 AM to 4:00 PM toserve our members. If any memberhas a problem or needs to makereservations for an event just dial 412-939-3579. We will do our best to helpin any way possible.

Best wishes for a happy and pro-ductive holiday season. v



A Real Eye OpenerAwaits You!

The George WashingtonNational Memorial

Alexandria, Virginia

Dedicated to the memory of Brother GeorgeWashington, the first President of the UnitedStates and a Mason.

The George Washington Masonic NationalMemorial is more than a colossal memo-

rial and museum. It is a tourist attraction and des-tination; research center and library; communitycenter; performing arts center and concert hall;banquet and celebration site; and meeting site forlocal and countless visiting Masonic lodges andorganizations.

However, first and foremost, it is a memorial tohonor and perpetuate the memory, character andvirtues of the man who best exemplifies whatFreemasons are and ought to be, Brother GeorgeWashington.

This magnificent structure is privately fundedthrough the grateful contributions of Freemasonsand others, and remains open to the public,seven days a week. Our Vision is “To inspirehumanity through education to emulate andpromote the virtues, character and vision ofGeorge Washington, the Man, the Mason andFather of our Country.”

The George Washington Masonic NationalMemorial was built in the 1920s through contri-butions by more than two million AmericanFreemasons. v

`tç çÉâ {täxThe Spirit of Christmas

ã{|v{ |á cxtvxThe Gladness of Christmas

ã{|v{ |á [ÉÑxThe Heart of Christmas

ã{|v{ |á _Éäx4Have a Great Holiday!



FELLOWSHIP

GPMC

Last Saturday of the Month(except December)

Served by: Ohio Valley Rainbow Girls

Hosted by:The Valley of Pittsburgh

per person$600

Buffet Features:Scrambled Eggs, Sausage, Bacon,

French Toast, Potatoes, Toast, Milk, Coffee, Tea, Orange Juice

9:00 a.m. - 10:30 a.m.


Join Us!

Iam an old movie buff. The firstthing I do most mornings is

turn on the TV and look andsee what movie is playing onTCM (Turner Classic Movies)and then decide whether towatch that film or not. As weapproach the Holiday season,one of my favorites will certainlybe shown over and over again…"Miracle on 34th. Street." As you allknow, it is the story about a Macy's Santa{who really is Santa}, and a young girl,Susan, who has been taught by hermother not to believe in Santa Claus. Astime goes on she begins to think the oldman might just be the real article, but onChristmas morning the item she wished foris not among the gifts that are there underthe tree. The child is totally devastated,but her mother, who had finally comearound to believing the old man wasSanta, told her that she was wrong intelling the child not to believe in the oldgentleman and that she must believe andher wish would come true eventually. Ontheir way home from a party, Susan keepssaying over and over again, "I believe, I

believe!" and ultimately her wish doescome true! Watch the movie to see

what her wish was! Belief is an important aspect

of this holiday season. A comicsong heard from late Novembertill Christmas is "Grandma got

run over by a reindeer" with therefrain over and over again, "As for

me and grandpa, we believe!" Along with the 70's pop group, the

Monkees , "I'm a Believer!" As a ministerIt stands to reason I am a believer [sur-prise..surprise!] …. a believer in the spiritof Santa and a believer in God. But I

certainly am not alone. As freemasonswe all affirm a belief in a Supreme Being.Without that affirmation of belief, none ofus could have been accepted in the Lodgein the first place, let alone the ScottishRite. So my belief in God is my paramountbelief as it is yours. But I believe in theChristmas and Chanukah traditions of giftgiving.

Santa will be visiting both of my littleMethodist churches in the Mon Valley inDecember. And he will be here at ourMasonic Center on December 10 and I willbe accompanied by four little believers, mygrandchildren. Hope to see all you fellowbelievers there too! v

by

Rev John H. Piper,

33°

"I Believe, I Believe !"

See Events Calendar on page 23 for 2017 dates

Call 412-749-6862


Henry RifleCompany is

delighted to recognize this ancientand honorable fraternal order with the new

Henry Golden Boy Freemasons Tribute Edition in.22 LR rimfire, proudly featuring imagery instantlyrecognizable by Masons everywhere on its brightlypolished silver receiver.

To further set off this striking masonic tribute edition,the select American walnut stock depicts GeorgeWashington, our first President, in full Masonic regalia,with apron, trowel, and Warden’s column, standing ona “temple” floor in front of a Masonic staircase, in apainted tableau bordered by scrollwork in the samestyle as the receiver.

H H H H H H H H H H H H H H H H H H H H H H H H H H H H H H H H H H H H H H H H H H H H H H H H H H H H H H H H H H H

Henry Masonic Tribute Rifle’ Raffle for Charity

The tribute edition’sleft side carries theSquare & Compass, theplumb and level, the letter“G” which stands for bothGod and Geometry, the All-Seeing Eye ofGod as the symbol of divine watchfulness,and the words Brotherly Love, Relief & Truthalong with Faith, Hope, & Charity, all in raised24K gold relief against a background of classicfloral engraving.

On the right side,black and white mosaic

squares represent thefloor of King Solomon’s

Temple to illustrate “humanlife, checkered with good and evil”.

Ascending stairs remind a member of thepath to higher levels of Freemasonry, withanother “G” at the top as the ultimate goal.

Hurry, Hurry, Hurry - Tickets: $5.00 each are still available.Drawing: Nov 30 - PA Lottery 3 digit evening number.

G

H H H H H H H H H H H H H

Tickets: $5.00 each. Drawing: Nov. 30PA Lottery 3 digit evening number.

- Masonic Tribute Rifle -Here’s my contribution check for the School for Dyslexia.$5 $10 $20 $50 $100 payable to Hiram’s Riders Charity Fund.Name

Address

City State Zip

Phone

Email

Mail to: Hiram’s Riders, Greater Pittsburgh Masonic Center, 3579 Masonic Way,Pittsburgh, PA 15237. Please include a stamped, self-addressed envelope forconfirmation.

Questions? 412-576-5856 or [email protected]

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Henry's new Wildlife Edition rifle comeswith an engraved gold deer head on the

right side of the brass receiver and octagonalbarrel. Whether you need a hard-hitting riflecapable of fast repeat shots in the bear countryof Alaska or a light rifle for deer hunting in themountains of Pennsylvania, Henry's newWildlife Edition rifle will provide the accuracyand reliability you can count on.

The drawing for a lucky winner willbe on Monday, December 19, Just in time forChristmas. Enter as often as you like! Complete the coupon below and mail.

Questions? 412-576-5856 [email protected]

Henry Wild Life .30-30 Rifle Raffle for Charity

Tickets: $5.00 each. Drawing: Dec. 19PA Lottery 3 digit evening number.

- Wild Life .30-30 Rifle -Here’s my contribution check for the School forDyslexia. $5 $10 $20 $50 $100 payable to Hiram’s Riders Charity Fund.Name

Phone

Email

Mail to: Hiram’s Riders, Greater Pittsburgh Masonic Center, 3579Masonic Way, Pittsburgh, PA 15237. Please include a stamped,self-addressed envelope for confirmation.

Questions? 412-576-5856 or [email protected]

Enter both Raffles - Send one check!

Millions of school children with dyslexiaendure frustration and demoralization on

a daily basis as they struggle to acquire skills thatmany of us take for granted. If your child is strug-gling with reading and writing, how do you know ifdyslexia is the cause? Where can you go forhelp?

For over two decades, the Scottish RiteMasons, Northern Masonic Jurisdiction, havebeen national leaders in the effort to help childrenand their families overcome the painful obstaclesof dyslexia. With 49 active Dyslexia Centers in 13states, the Children's Dyslexia Centers tackle thechallenge of dyslexia head-on, both by providingfree tutoring for children with dyslexia and bytraining a growing cadre of highly skilled anddedicated tutors.

Dyslexia is an inherited neurological disorderthat affects the way people learn to read andspeak as well as how they process thingsmathematically. Some famous dyslexics includeThomas Edison, Winston Churchill, Walt Disney,Tom Cruise, Leonardo DaVinci, and WhoopiGoldberg.

Dyslexia affects one out of every five people,and affects boys and girls in equal numbers.Children left with untreated dyslexia often sufferdevastating personal consequences. It is thenumber one reason teenagers drop out ofschool, and is a primary factor in juvenile delin-quency.

Research reveals that children with untreateddyslexia become underachieving adults unable tocontribute to society at their fullest capacity.

Dyslexia is, however, a treatable condition.Children with dyslexia need professional help,and the earlier they receive it, the greater theirchances of achieving normal, fully functional lives.

This is Why We Do It!

H H H H H H H H H H H H H H H H H H H H H H H H H H H H H H H H H H H H H H H H H H H H H H H H H H H H H H H H H H H

H H H H H H H H H H H H H

Tickets: $5.00 each Drawing: Dec. 19 - PA Lottery 3 digit evening number.

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- Advertising Insertion Order Form -Enclosed is my check in the amount of $ for insertions as indicated below. 1st Line 2nd Line Heading requested Business or Service name Address Phone City State Zip

ACCOUNTING & TAXATION Richard A. Reynolds, CPA 412-795-4194www.RichReynoldsCPA.Com

ADVERTISING SPECIALITIES Grimes Advertising 412-921-1325 Eddie GrimesAIR AMBULANCE SERVICE Ross & Ross, Ltd. 804-516-4602 Allen W. Ross www.rnr2insure.usATTORNEYS Robert X. Medonis & Associates Wills, Estates, Litigation 412-531-3131Henry Miller, III, Esq. 412-566-2565

Wills, Estates, Real Estate [email protected]

AUCTION SERVICES Johnson Auction Service 724-457-1100 Mark K. Giles 147 Flaugherty Run Rd.AUTOMOTIVE American Classics, Street Rods - 814-268-1234 Dennis A. Liegey, 1026 3rd Ave., Brockway, PA Flynn’s Tire & Auto Service 724-346-370118 Locations www.FlynnsTire.Com

W. L. Davison Forensic Services Since 1986 412-551-1491BAKERY/ESPRESSO BARPatti’s Pasticceria 412-896-6246 Patti Macey, [email protected] & POWER TRANSMISSION Gipson Bearing & Supply Co. 412-462-7960 Craig Gipson www.gipsonbearing.comCATERING Hudson’s Catering 724-4438-2025 Richard Hudson www.UniontownCatering.com Party Line Catering 412-882-7110 Brian MeadorCHIMNEY REPOINTING & REBUILDING Coffey Contracting Co. Inc. 412-341-1127 Tom Coffey [email protected] JOCKEYDJ Nick Barcio 814-860-1258www.DJBarcio.com

FINANCIAL PLANNING Allegheny Investors Ltd 412-831-3159 Donald E. Sauer, CFP Daley & Associates 724-926-8588 John T. Daley www.daleyplanning.netFUNERAL SERVICE Jefferson Memorial Cemetery & Funeral Home Pleasant Hills 412-655-4500George Irvin Green Funeral Home

Munhall Donald Green 412-461-6394 Readshaw Funeral Home

Pittsburgh -Kevin R. Dieterle 412-882-3850FUNERAL SERVICE cont’dSlater Funeral Homes 412-563-2800Mt. Washington, Scott Twp., Bethel Park Warco-Falvo Funeral Home 724-225-1500

Tim Warco, Washington, PAYoung Funeral Home Ltd 724-283-3333William F. Young, Jr., Butler, PA

HEATING & AIR CONDITIONING Bergfelt Heating, Cooling & Remodeling Bro. Eric Bergfelt, Sr. 412-761-5774 Ralph Dankmyer, Inc. 412-431-5326 Installation & Service 412-600-7070HOME REMODELERSUnglo Construction LLC 412-977-8924Building, Renovation & Remodeling PA069933

INSURANCE Colonial-Fleming Insurance, Inc.Michael Misour 724-274-6333

Doege Insurance Agency, Inc.Buzz Doege 412-351-8820

Rodgers Insurance GroupJames M. Wehur 412-922-1651

JEWELERWerner Jewelers Since 1969 412-367-2336Pines Plaza Shopping Center

LANDSCAPING Alex Landscaping 724-327-2539 Alex Walters [email protected] SHOP Johnston Machine Works, Inc. Bob Johnston 724-695-7730MEN’S CLOTHING & FORMALWEAR Chilbert & Co. Formalwear & More Ray Petronio 412-264-3700MOTORCOACH TRANSPORTATION Budget Charters 724-246-1982 Gary F. ShimshockMORTGAGES Paul E. Klaus, President/CEO 412-559-4030 Wholesale Rates [email protected] McCarrison Plumbing Co. 412-795-2529 Ronald L. McCarrisonJohn R. Meyers Plumbing, Inc. 412-787-2370Since 1972, John R. Meyers

PRINTING Unity Printing 724-537-5800 Lisa Frederick www.unityprinting.comREALTOR Harry Anderson - Northwood 412-487-3200 [email protected]

Coffey Contracting Co. Inc. 412-341-1127 Tom Coffey [email protected] REPAIRS Mazza Shoe Repairing 412-341-7493Vincent M. Mazza 618 Brookline Blvd.

STEEL BUILDINGS Bennett Buildings Inc. 1-888-827-8335 Bob Bennett [email protected] TOWING Marchand Auto Service’s 724-222-2580 24 Hr. Towing & RecoveryTRAILERS Barnyard Trailer SalesGregg Wilson 724-438-7658

TRAVEL Worldview Travel 412-344-4845 H. Carl Brandtonies [email protected] & STUMP SERVICER & R Tree & Stump Service 724-455-7378Brian Ritenour - 724-640-2011

TRUCKING / TARPAULIN SYSTEMS Bee Mac Trucking 1-800-282-8781Rick MacklinDRAGONFLY INDUSTRIES 412-614-0953Heavy Highway Construction, Joseph A. [email protected] Trucking Service Inc. 724-468-8100 Donald L. Cox [email protected]

VIDEO SECURITY Enterprise Video Systems 724-940-2333 Tim Heeter www.evideosystems.comVIDEOGRAPHY SERVICE The Perfect Image 1-866-438-5146Gregory S. Wilson PerfectImageDVD.com

Valley of Pittsburgh Masonic Services DirectoryValle

y ofPittsburgh

“The Valley of Pittsburgh Masonic Services Directory’s advertisers subscribeto providing high quality customer service, delivered with a sense of warmth,friendliness, individual pride, respect, honesty, and fraternal spirit.”

MASONIC SERVICES DIRECTORY

FOR OFFICE USE

West & Associates, P.C.C. Arthur West III, Attorney at Law

Ph. 412-486-2800Website: www.west-legal.com

Real Estate, Personal Injury, Estates

Mail to: The Rite News, 3579 Masonic Way, Pittsburgh, PA 15237

2 line listing

($40.00 - 4 issues)


Automatic Tarps for Dump Trucks & FlatbedsTruck Tarpaulin SystemsDigital Vinyl Sign Printing, all sizes Flatbeds: 8’ to 24’ Aluminum Vince Merlot 50 yr. member 1-800-443-8277

10 Plum St. Verona, PA 15147



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Date Visitor Home Time (ET)DECEMBER 201601 Stars Penguins 7:00 PM03 Red Wings Penguins 7:00 PM05 Senators Penguins 7:00 PM08 Penguins Panthers 7:30 PM10 Penguins Lightning 7:00 PM12 Coyotes Penguins 7:00 PM14 Bruins Penguins 7:30 PM16 Kings Penguins 7:00 PM17 Penguins Maple Leafs 7:00 PM20 Rangers Penguins 7:00 PM22 Penguins Blue Jackets 7:00 PM23 Devils Penguins 7:00 PM27 Penguins Devils 7:00 PM28 Hurricanes Penguins 7:00 PM31 Canadiens Penguins 7:00 PMJANUARY 201708 Lightning Penguins 1:00 PM11 Penguins Capitals 8:00 PM12 Penguins Senators 7:30 PM14 Penguins Red Wing 7:00 PM16 Capitals Penguins 7:00 PM18 Penguins Canadien 7:30 PM20 Penguins Hurricane 7:00 PM22 Bruins Penguins 12:30 PM24 Blues Penguins 7:00 PM26 Penguins Bruins 7:00 PM31 Predators Penguins 7:00 PM

FEBRUARY 201703 Blue Jackets Penguins 7:00 PM04 Penguins Blues 8:00 PM07 Flames Penguins 7:00 PM09 Penguins Avalanche 9:00 PM

PENGUINS HOCKEY SCHEDULE2016-2017



VALLEY OF PITTSBURGH OFFICERS August 1, 2016 - July 31, 2017

GOURGAS LODGE OF PERFECTION 14°Sam H. Jessee, 32° . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .Thrice Potent MasterShawn P. Lang, 32° . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .Deputy MasterBrian T. Wilding, 32° . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .Senior WardenZack S. Morgans, 32° . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .Junior WardenJeffrey R. Jones, 32° . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .OratorDavid L. Moore, 32° . . . . . . . . . . . . . .Master of CeremoniesEric S. Teasdale, 32°. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .GuardPENNSYLVANIA COUNCIL, PRINCES OF JERUSALEMWilliam J. Wiker, 32° . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .Sovereign PrinceErastus Z. Allen, 32° . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .High PriestJoseph G. Whitaker, 32° . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .Senior WardenRobert M. Polander, 32° . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .Junior WardenCharles H. King, 32° . . . . . . . . . . . . . .Master of CeremoniesMitchell D. Goldstein, 32° . . . . . . . . . . . .Master of EntrancesPITTSBURGH CHAPTER OF ROSE CROIX 18°Robert B. Malwitz, 32° . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .Most Wise MasterJames C. Mayes, 32° . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .Senior WardenJoshua S. Freeman, 32° . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .Junior WardenCharles J. Anthony, 32° . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .OratorDavid B. Firda, 32° . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .Master of CeremoniesJoshua S. Miller, 32° . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .GuardPENNSYLVANIA CONSISTORY 32°David W. Morgans, 33° . . . . . . . . . . . . .Commander-in-ChiefJeffrey M. Wonderling, 33° . . . . . . . . . . .1st. Lt. CommanderWilliam G. Johnston, 32° . . . . . . . . . . . .2nd Lt. CommanderPeter A. Leary, 32° . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .OratorAnthony J. Corcoran, 32° . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .ChancellorRobert H. Nelson, 32° . . . . . . . . . . . . .Master of CeremoniesRichard H. Kucera, 32° . . . . . . . . . . . .Engineer & SeneschalChristopher A. McNeal, 32° . . . . . . . . . . . . .Standard BearerMatthew A. Boice, 32° . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .GuardPaul J. Roup, 33° . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .TreasurerDonald M. Murphy, 33° . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .SecretaryVito A. Urso, 33° . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .HospitalerDennis R. Johnston, 33° . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .TilerCharles M. Bombich, 33°, Peter A. Leary, 32°, Joseph G.Whitaker, 32° . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .MFS Representatives

EXECUTIVE COMMITTEE

David W. Morgans, 33°, ChairmanErastus Z. Allen, 32° . . . . . . . . . . . . William G. Johnston, 32° Sam H. Jessee, 32° . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .Shawn P. Lang, 32°Robert B. Malwitz, 32° . . . . . . . . . . . . .James C. Mayes, 32°Donald M. Murphy, 33° . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .Paul J. Roup, 33°William J. Wilker, 32° . . . . . . . . . .Jeffrey M. Wonderling, 33°Vito A. Urso, 33°,Trustee . . .Thomas K. Sturgeon, 33°, Active

TRUSTEESVito A. Urso, 33°, Chairman

Jeff A. Biddle, 33° . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .Keith J. Caito, 33°Thomas M. Gasmire, 33° . . . . . . . . . . . .Sam H. Jessee, 32° David W. Morgans, 33° . . . . . . . . . . .Robert B. Malwitz, 32° Donald M. Murphy, 33° . . . . . . . . . . . .George W. Polnar, 33°Richard A. Rodibaugh, 33° . . . . . . . . . . . . .Paul J. Roup, 33°

William J. Wiker, 32°TRUSTEES EMERITUS

Patrick G. Blackwwell, 33° . . . . . . . . .Donald H. Coester, 33°Charles W. Doege, Jr., 33° . . . . . .Robert E. Dunkelman, 33°William J. Ebertshauser, 33° . . . . .Edward H. Fowler, Jr., 33° Stephen A. George, 33° . . . . . . . .Robert R. Havers, Sr., 33°John W. Hisiro, 33° . . . . . . . . . . . . .Dennis R. Johnston, 33° Albert L. Kappeler, Jr., 33°. . . . . . . . . . . . . .Robert Mellon, 33° Donald E. Sauer, 33° . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .Walter L. Sykes, 33°

Kurt R. Tesche, 33°SECRETARY EMERITUS TREASURER EMERITUSElwood R. Schultise, 33° D. William Roberts, 33°

ALLEGIANCE

The bodies of the Scottish Rite, sitting in the Valley of Pittsburgh,Pennsylvania, acknowledge and yield allegiance to the SupremeCouncil, 33°, Ancient Accepted Scottish Rite of Freemasonry for theNorthern Masonic Jurisdiction of the United States of America whoseGrand East is in Lexington, Massachusetts, and whose Officers are:Ill...John Wm. McNaughton, 33°, Sovereign Grand Commander,Ill...Thomas K. Sturgeon, 33°, Deputy for Pennsylvania. Other Activemembers for Pennsylvania are: Ill...Jeffrey W. Coy, 33°, Ill...GeorgeNakonetschny, 33°, Ill...Robert J. Bateman, 33°.

+ + +

Date Visitor Home Time (ET)

FEBRUARY 2017 cont’d11 Penguins Coyotes 8:00 PM14 Canucks Penguins 7:00 PM16 Jets Penguins 7:00 PM17 Penguins Blue Jackets 7:00 PM19 Red Wings Penguins 3:00 PM21 Penguins Hurricanes 7:00 PM25 Flyers Penguins 8:00 PM28 Penguins Stars 8:30 PMMARCH 201701 Penguins Blackhawks 8:00 PM03 Lightning Penguins 7:00 PM05 Sabres Penguins 5:00 PM08 Penguins Jets 8:00 PM10 Penguins Oilers 9:00 PM11 Penguins Canucks 10:00 PM13 Penguins Flames 9:00 PM15 Penguins Flyers 7:30 PM17 Devils Penguins 7:00 PM19 Panthers Penguins 1:00 PM21 Penguins Sabres 7:00 PM23 Penguins Senators 7:30 PM24 Islanders Penguins 7:00 PM26 Flyers Penguins 12:30 PM29 Blackhawks Penguins 8:00 PM31 Penguins Rangers 7:00 PMAPRIL 201702 Hurricanes Penguins 5:00 PM04 Blue Jackets Penguins 7:00 PM06 Penguins Devils 7:00 PM08 Penguins Maple Leafs 7:00 PM09 Penguins Rangers 7:00 PM

On Stage - Reservations NOW! Call 412-939-3579

December 10 at 7:30 p.m. H December 11 at 2:00 p.m.



CRUISE RATES

Inside Cabin. . . . .$589 per person

Balcony. . . . . . . . .$927 per personPrices subject to change.

Call 800-435-1077

BOOKNOW!

BOOKNOW!

Rates include all port charges, government fees and taxes. No air or transfers are included in the above rates.Air will be available, call for quote. Option to depart January 6, 2017 will be given. Final pament is due at time of booking. A valid passport is recommended for travel.To make reservations, call ALL SEASONS TRAVEL and ask for the VALLEY OF PITTSBURGH Mexican Riviera Cruise. 800-435-1077 or 724-483-7989.

JANUARY 7 - 14, 2017SAILING ABOARD

CARNIVAL CRUISE LINE – MIRACLE

Cruising to: CABO SAN LUCAS & PUERTO VALLARTA

from Los Angeles, CAPer person price based on double occupancy

Valley of Pittsburgh Mexican Riviera Cruise

Valley of PittsburghGOURGAS LODGE OF PERFECTION Greater Pittsburgh Masonic Center3579 Masonic WayPittsburgh, PA 15237-2700Ancient Accepted Scottish Rite of FreemasonryNorthern Masonic Jurisdiction, USAInstituted 20 January 1852Office Hours: Mon. - Fri., 8:00 a.m. - 4:00 p.m. Phone: 412-939-3579 Fax: 412-939-0560 Web: www.valleyofpittsburgh.org E-mail: [email protected]

NONPROFIT ORG.U.S. POSTAGE

PAIDGREENSBURG, PAPERMIT NO. 1234

To our Members and Friends

David W. Morgans, 33°, Commander-in-ChiefSam H. Jessee, 32°, Thrice Potent MasterWilliam J. Wiker, 32°, Sovereign PrinceRobert B. Malwitz, 32°, Most Wise MasterPaul J. Roup, 33°, Treasurer Donald M. Murphy 33°, Secretary

TrusteesJeff A. Biddle, 33° Keith J. Caito, 33° Thomas A. Gasmire, 33°

George W. Polnar, 33° Richard A. Rodibaugh, 33° Vito A. Urso 33°

Happy New Year2017

vol. xxvi no. 2 h h december 2016 · dyslexia center for the future. ... james & eda dean mario...

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