We will be broadcasting LIVE from the House of the Temple on May 19, 2012, from 6pm until Midnight to raise funds for the Rebuilding the Temple Campaign. The Web-a-thon will be broadcast over the Internet at www.scottishrite.org. Make a donation to the Rebuilding the Temple Campaign online, by phone, or on Facebook!

Help us hit our goal of $1 Million by donating to the Rebuilding the Temple Campaign to restore and preserve the House of the Temple!

For more information, contact the Development Office at (866) 448-3773 or rheffelfinger@scottishrite.org.

Allison Godfrey

Allison will be graduating from American University in May 2012 with a BA in History and Sociology. Prior to working with the development office at the House of the Temple, Allison volunteered with the John McCain campaign in 2008, interned with the history division of the U.S. Marine Corps in the spring of 2010, and worked at her school’s Career Center as a resident social media expert. She was an intern at the House of the Temple in 2010-2011. Allison was born and raised on the south shore of Massachusetts in Plymouth County and is a true New England girl at heart. She moved to Washington D.C. to attend school at American and pursue her dream of working at a historic site. Her love of history and historic preservation aside, her number one love is the Boston Red Sox (with the New England Patriots and Boston Bruins as close seconds).

Jay Patterson

Jay worked for 29 years at ABC News in Washington for World News Tonight, Good Morning America, Nightline, 20/20 and many other prime time shows. He has been responsible for coverage at the White House, Capitol Hill and Washington, including Presidential Campaigns and national press conferences and has been a member of the White House Press Corps covering the President for over twenty years.  Jay received an Emmy, DuPont and Peabody Award for his 9/11 coverage. Jay will work with the Membership Services’ Associate Director, Ill. Stan Dodd, 33° to develop new and innovative membership programs and videos for the Orients and Valleys. He served as Worshipful Master of Herndon Lodge #264 in 2005 and was awarded Outstanding Master of the Year in Virginia.

Elizabeth Sizemore 

Elizabeth joins the Supreme Council from a Logistics company in Williamsburg, Virginia. She will be working in the Grand Commander’s office. She went to Longwood University in Farmville, Virginia and graduated in 2010 with a BA in Sociology and a minor in Women and Gender Studies. She completed an internship with a women’s domestic abuse shelter with the United Way. After graduating with her Bachelor’s degree, she worked as a tutor and substitute teacher. Elizabeth considers herself from Virginia Beach but is also a “Navy Brat” – growing up in Florida, Nevada, California and Texas. In her free time, she enjoys swimming, hiking, and going to the beach.

2012 Scottish Rite Photo Contest

The Supreme Council, 33, SJ, is having its third annual photo contest. We are looking for photos that feature Masonic people and activities from your hometown. Did you attend the reunion and get one of that brother in his costume? Or, how about backstage when Bro. Joe was sleeping on the job? The brethren at the last Masonic dinner? How about those cool artifacts you have in the museum? Or the kitchen crew serving lunch?

In 2011 we received hundreds of great images. Check out the winners and others we liked in this slideshow:

The 2012 Scottish Rite Photo Contest is looking for your images!

Categories this year are:

Outdoor - Shots taken outside including a Masonic subject – anything from buildings to architecture and events and activities held outdoors.

Details – Shots taken of Masonic objects or subjects, as long as it is a tight composition of a detail.

Spontaneous – Shots that are fun, unrehearsed, and un-posed at your Masonic events.

Digital – Shots that are created or drastically altered in software like Adobe Photoshop; Images greatly manipulated with “buZZ,” “Flood,” or other filters; photos with artistic borders; use of other new photo altering technology. Photo must be of a Masonic subject.

Traditional – Shots of your Masonic happenings that don’t fit the other categories, but you think they should be considered.

Photos will be featured on the scottishrite.org website and in the Scottish Rite Journal magazine. Prizes will be awarded in each category.

Official 2012 Scottish Rite Photograph Contest Rules

Term

The Scottish Rite Photograph contest begins January 1, 2012 at midnight (12 a.m.) U.S. Eastern Time and ends May 31, 2012 11:59:00 p.m. U.S. Eastern Time.

Who May Enter

Contest is open to everyone, other than employees of the Supreme Council, 33^rd, or persons living in the same households of such employees, whether or not related.

How to Enter

Each entry consists of a single image. To enter, email image (each image in a separate email) to Heather Calloway at hcalloway@scottishrite.org; include the following information: your name, address, city, state, zip, or foreign equivalent, telephone number, email address, Masonic affiliation, if any, and a photo caption. You must also state which category (1-5) you are submitting your image for consideration. All submissions must be made by email, NO hard copies accepted.

The categories for entries are: (1) Outdoor, (2) Details (3) Spontaneous (4) Digital and (5) Traditional. All photographs must have something to do with Freemasonry, the Scottish Rite, or any appendant Masonic organizations or philanthropies.

Each entrant may submit entries in any Category he/she wishes and may submit entries at different times during the entry period, but no entrant may submit in total more than (10) entries.

Each entry must comply with the following requirements:

Photographs must be in digital format. Only online entries will be eligible. No print or film submissions will be accepted for entry into this Contest. The photograph need not be taken with a digital camera; scans of negatives, transparencies, or photographic prints are acceptable. All digital files must be in JPEG or JPG format, and must be at least 1,600 pixels wide (if a horizontal image) or 1,600 pixels tall (if a vertical image). Questions about size, please email us.

The photograph, in its entirety, must be a single work of original material taken by the Contest entrant. By entering the Contest, entrant represents, acknowledges, and warrants that the submitted photograph is an original work created solely by the entrant, that the photograph does not infringe on the copyrights, trademarks, moral rights, rights of privacy/publicity or intellectual property rights of any person or entity, and that no other party has any right, title, claim, or interest in the photograph. In the event that the submitted photograph infringes on directors and such rights the entrant will indemnify and defend Supreme Council, SJ, its officers, and employees from any liability, claim or action.

The photograph must not, in the sole and unfettered discretion of the Supreme Council, contain objectionable or inappropriate content.

Prizes

First Place, Second Place, Third Place, Honorable Mentions in each category.

Prizes: Special Items from the Scottish Rite Store and other items to be announced

Judging

Judges will select finalists in each Category from among all eligible entries based on the following criteria: (1) Creativity 50%; (2) Photographic quality 50%.

Entries selected in round one will proceed to round two. In round two, judges will collectively select winners in each category. Winners will be chosen on or around May 31, 2012, and notified by email. Decisions of the judges are final.

License

By entering the Contest, all entrants grant an irrevocable perpetual, nonexclusive license to the Supreme Council, SJ, to reproduce, distribute, display, and create derivative works of the entries (along with a name credit) in connection with the Contest and promotion of the Contest, in any media now or hereafter known, including, but not limited to: on the Scottish Rite website; on display at a potential exhibition of winners; in a book published by the Scottish Rite; publication in theScottish Rite Journal magazine or online highlighting entries or winners of the Contest, or for any other purpose as the Council may decide.

Display or publication of any entry on an Authorized Party’s website does not indicate the entrant will be selected as a winner.

Winners List

Entrants are responsible for complying with these Official Rules. Winners’ names will be available online at www.scottishrite.org/photocontest after May 31, 2012.

Click here to register for the conferences.

“Good Morning Brethren!”
“Your mission, should you decide to accept it, is to join us at one of the three Scottish Rite leadership conferences in San Diego, St. Louis or Baltimore. There you will receive your instructions on membership, leadership, finance, development, and much more, to be disclosed upon your arrival. Be careful on your journey to meet us, and be sure to share this information with other like-minded Brethren who will also accept the challenge. As always, should you or any of your team be caught, the Secretary will disavow any knowledge of your actions. This message will self-destruct in five seconds. Good luck.”

Mission Possible: The 2012 Scottish Rite Leadership Conferences

Tentative Conference Agenda
Friday
Appx. 9:00-11:30 AM, time subject to change
Sentinel Training
General Secretaries Meeting
Scottish Rite Fellows Meeting
Lunch, on your own
1:00 PM Conference Opening
1:30-4:45 PM Strategic Planning and dialogue sessions
5:00-5:15 PM Grand Commander’s Closing
5:30 PM Reception, Cash Bar

Saturday
7:15 AM Continental Breakfast
8:00 AM Membership Initiatives and Update
10:00 AM Break
10:15-12:00 PM Program Development Update
12:00-1:00 PM Lunch
1:30-3:15 PM Menu Selectable Conferences
3:30-5:15 PM Presentation of the 4th Degree A.A.S.R.
5:15 PM Handling Matters Yet Unseen

Our Host Locations:

March 9-10, San Diego, California, Hosted by the Valley of San Diego
Hotel: Towne and Country Resort and Conference Center, 500 Hotel Circle North, San Diego, CA, 92108
Rates: $115 single/double; Phone: 888-231-3058
Website: towncountry.com

March 23-24, St. Louis, Missouri, Hosted by the Valley of St. Louis
Hotel: Hyatt Regency St. Louis at the Arch, 315 Chestnut Street,
St. Louis,  MO 63102
Rates $115 single/double $155 Regency Club;
Phone: 314-655-1234; Website: stlouisarch.hyatt.com

April 20-21, Baltimore, Maryland, Hosted by the Valley of Baltimore
Hotel: Sheraton Inner Harbor, 300 South Charles St., Baltimore, MD 21201
Rates $149 single/double; Phone: 410-347-1827
Website: sheraton.com/InnerHarbor

Registration Fees:
Member: $175.00, (conference materials, reception, one breakfast and one lunch)
Spouse: $50.00, (reception, one breakfast and one lunch)

Click here to register for the conferences. 

An Invitation to all Knights of St. Andrew

First National Gathering
An Event 19 Years in the Making

The Guthrie, Oklahoma Knights of St. Andrew, with assistance from the St. Louis, Missouri Chapter, will host the first ever National Gathering of Knights in conjunction with the Guthrie Valley Spring Reunion, March 30 – April 1, 2012. KSA members, as well as knights from other “Black Cap” Scottish Rite service organizations from across the nation, are invited to participate.

Purpose & Objectives

Chapters of the Knights of St. Andrew have sprung-up across the country over the past 20 years. Each Chapter is independent – several even use other names like Order of the Thistle – but every Scottish Rite “Black Cap” group has the same basic objectives:

Assisting the General Secretary of their Valley with Reunion help
Contributing to charities benefiting children and as sponsored by their Valley

Why a National Gathering?

This first ever National Gathering is planned to coincide with the Guthrie Valley Spring Reunion in 2012. The goals of this Gathering are to:

Improve communication between Chapters through camaraderie
Equip Chapters to better serve their Scottish Rite Valleys, and
Increase effective support to Charities sponsored by respective Valleys

Break-out session will give each chapter an opportunity to discuss what’s working well in their Valley and open dialogue between chapter members which will carry forward even after the Gathering has concluded.

More Details and Registration Information

Check the links on the “First National Gathering” tab of the website www.ksaguthrie.org  for more details and a registration form. Bring your Lady; bring your fellow Knights; bring your bragging rights to the KSA National Gathering in Guthrie, OK, March 30 – April 1, 2012. (Registration requested by January 17^th.)

Questions? Contact:  KSAofGuthrieOK@dittmar.net

IN DEO FIDUCIA NOSTRA

FROM THE GRAND ORIENT OF HEREDOM AT WASHINGTON, DECEMBER 1, A.L. 6011

To all the Bodies and Brethren of the Ancient and Accepted Scottish Rite for the Southern Jurisdiction of the United States:

SORROW! SORROW! SORROW!

DEAR BRETHREN: A great affliction has fallen upon us—the sharp blow of an expected and grievous calamity. Our venerable and beloved Brother

CHRISTIAN FREDERICK KLEINKNECHT, JR., 33°

of Maryland, our Past Grand Commander, will be seen by us no more in this world. It was not so long ago, when our Supreme Council closed, that he stood in the circle of the brethren around the altar and repeated with them the solemn words of parting: “It may be that we shall not all again assemble together in Council.”

Bro. Kleinknecht was born February 14, 1924, in Washington, D.C., where he graduated from their public schools. His major interests were writing and business, but World War II descended and put an end to his transition from classroom to commerce. He served in the Navy and, with millions like him, gave to the world the precious gift of freedom.

In 1947, he took a job at the House of the Temple, learning about the Scottish Rite from the ground up. This hands-on approach remained the trademark of Fred, as he liked to be known, throughout his fifty-six years at the Supreme Council. Within a year of joining the Temple staff, Fred married his childhood sweetheart, Gene Elizabeth Kamm, a life-partner in the truest sense, and they had four children: Gene Ellen, Henry, Scott, and Joan. Gene’s confidence in Fred’s potential was the turning point in his life, and with her encouragement and support, he studied accounting at Benjamin Franklin University.

In 1949, he began his Masonic journey in Maryland’s Silver Spring Lodge No. 215. He joined the Scottish Rite in Baltimore in 1950, received the rank and decoration of a Knight Commander of the Court of Honour in 1955, and was coroneted an Inspector General Honorary of the Thirty-third Degree in 1959. He was also a member of Mt. Pleasant Chapter No. 13, R.A.M., King David Council No. 19, R.&S.M., St. Elmo Commandery No. 12, K.T., Boumi Shriners, the National Sojourners, and many, many other Masonic organizations.

In the Supreme Council, Fred applied his education to reforming the bookkeeping methods, quickly saving the Rite tens of thousands of dollars. His initiatives demonstrated his leadership potential. From accounting, he moved up through numerous administrative positions at the House of the Temple.

By 1966, the then current Grand Commander, Luther A. Smith, placed Fred in positions of increasing responsibility, leading to his appointment as Assistant to the Grand Commander on January 1, 1966, and Acting Grand Secretary General on January 1, 1967. The Supreme Council endorsed Bro. Smith’s confidence and elected Fred Grand Secretary General and S.G.I.G. at-large on September 28, 1967. He served in this position for nineteen years until the Supreme Council elected him Sovereign Grand Commander on October 23, 1985.

Immediately, Fred set about repositioning the Order within the context of a changing world. To accomplish this mission, Fred sought quality. He said, “Because Freemasonry lives not just for today, but for generations to come, we must be first class in whatever we do.” Working closely with his staff, Fred initiated profound innovations in every area of Scottish Rite endeavor and brought an Ancient and Accepted Order into the new millennium.

Fred knew that building strength for tomorrow’s Rite meant growing financial support today. He rebuilt the Rite’s endowment infrastructure and helped generate forty-seven state and local Scottish Rite foundations. His commitment to securing a sound financial future benefited the House of the Temple itself. He established the House of the Temple Historic Preservation Foundation, Inc., and in just twelve years, its endowment enabled construction of the Pillars of Charity Alcove and the Scottish Rite Hall of Honor to recognize major donors.

The annual Scottish Rite Calendar Program, an effort Fred began in 1989, has enabled much-needed improvements in the House of the Temple, including reconstruction of the Temple’s damaged grand entrance steps and completion of the Cornerstone of Freedom Hall, the Hall of Scottish Rite Regalia, the George Washington Memorial Banquet Hall, the Burl Ives Room, the Americanism Museum, the Albert Pike Museum, and the total renovation of the Rite’s most valuable scholarly resource, the Supreme Council Library. In 1991, Fred approved the creation of the Scottish Rite Research Society and supported it in word and deed, becoming member #1.

Following Grand Commander Albert Pike’s lead, Fred officially presented a copy of the Revised Standard Pike Rituals to the Supreme Councils of Prince Hall Scottish Rite Freemasonry. Wanting to debunk long-standing fictions about Freemasonry, Fred manned forceful action against an extremist faction within the Southern Baptist Convention that tried to condemn Freemasonry. He also took unprecedented steps of meeting with high Vatican officials in Rome and in Washington.

Internationally, Fred appointed a Deputy to oversee Western Europe and Africa, restored a regular Scottish Rite presence in Portugal, established new Supreme Councils in Togo and the Ivory Coast, and reestablished the Scottish Rite in Bulgaria, Croatia, the Czech Republic, Hungary, Poland, Russia, Slovenia, and Romania.

At home in the U.S., the Rite responded to a nation in need. Immediately following the terrorist attack on the World Trade Center and the Pentagon, the Southern Jurisdiction pledged $1 million to the Families of Freedom Scholarship Fund to assist children and spouses of 9/11 victims. Fred encouraged the expansion of the RiteCare Speech and Language Disorders Clinics with direct and indirect support.

These few facts, briefly sketched, highlight only a small portion of Ill. C. Fred Kleinknecht’s service to the Supreme Council, 33°, for the Southern Jurisdiction, U.S.A. His eighteen-year tenure as Grand Commander was exceeded only by Grand Commanders Albert Pike and John Henry Cowles. A family man who valued his wife, children, and grandchildren above all else, Fred extended that love and loyalty to his church, country, Freemasonry, and, most of all, to the Scottish Rite. Rapid and resolute, Fred rejuvenated the Scottish Rite and inspired dynamic activity in every area of our order’s mission. The Kleinknecht legacy of leadership will inspire us for years to come.

REQUIESCAT IN PACE, FRATER.

The funeral for Ill. C. Fred Kleinknecht, 33°, Past Grand Commander, will be held at the House of the Temple, 1733 16th St. N.W., Washington, D.C. 20009, 202–232–3579, on Tuesday, December 6, 2011, at 11:00 a.m., officiated by Rev. W. Kenneth Lyons, 33°, G.C., Grand Chaplain of the Supreme Council. In lieu of flowers, the family requests that contributions be made to the House of the Temple Historic Preservation Foundation, Inc.

Proceeds from the sale of this will benefit the House of the Temple Historic Preservation Foundation’s Rebuilding the Temple Campaign.

The Christmas ornament depicts the sphinx of Power, one of two sphinxes that flank the entrance to the House of the Temple.

The ornament sells for $25.00 plus shipping.

Limited quantities of the second annual ornament are still available.

Visit www.scottishritestore.org or call toll free 1-800-445-9196 for your limited collectible souvenir of the House of the Temple.

Three stories illustrate positive changes in children’s lives as a result of Iowa’s Scottish Rite grant funding. At age 2, Zac was almost impossible to understand, and being a bright child with a lot to say, he was frustrated. Speech therapy was provided at his day care site by St. Ambrose graduate students and over the course of a year and a half, Zac made amazing progress and his speech is now understandable to everyone.

Keeshana, age 4, was difficult to understand and struggled in learning early literacy skills. After 2 semesters of work with graduate students and idea sharing by the Clinical Instructor with the teacher, Keeshana has fewer problematic sound errors, is more understandable, and is much more engaged in early literacy lessons. For Keeshana, implementation of the See the Sound/Visual Phonics strategy provided an acceptable way to move and actively use her body while learning, and opened the door to the magic of letter names and sounds.

Ginny, age 10, came to the RiteCare Clinic after several years of speech therapy in her local school for a distorted R sound. Her progress had been minimal through the years and most of her R sounds remained distorted. As a result of innovative therapy techniques for skill training, awareness building, and behavior change, Ginny was released after only 4 months of treatment.

The partnering of St. Ambrose University Master of Speech-Language Pathology Program with Friendly House preschool programs and an affiliated daycare center in Davenport, IA has been beneficial to the preschool programs, while at the same time, providing invaluable experiences for graduate students in speech-language therapy and early literacy skill development. The Friendly House Program Assistant Director shared these comments: “We are extremely grateful for the expertise the St. Ambrose students bring to our programs. Since 2009, they have provided prevention, enrichment, assessment and treatment to children enrolled at our two sites. This adds quality to our programs that we could not afford if we had to purchase these services, as well as offering a real life, real kid experience which is extremely valuable for the (St. Ambrose) students.”

Submitted by Russ Risley

The trowel and gavel used in the ceremony were those used by George Washington to lay the cornerstone of the U.S. Capitol on September 18, 1793. The Bible was that used in the funeral of George Washington.

As the Scottish Rite of Freemasonry quickly approaches the centennial of the headquarters opening, we are pleased to announce the launch of the Rebuilding the Temple campaign. While still a site to behold, the House of the Temple has had few structural improvements since its completion, and it is our duty to prioritize the preservation and promotion of our headquarters in Washington, D.C. for our Masonic brethren and the general public. Essential projects include structural rehabilitation, accessibility and safety, preservation and education, and an endowment for future maintenance.

Check our website for regular updates on the Rebuilding the Temple campaign.

Photo on main web page and this page: Heather K. Calloway.

Masonic Emblematic Chart, 1840-1850, probably New York, National Heritage Museum, Special Acquisitions Fund, 90.20. Photo by David Bohl.

The National Heritage Museum announces a call for papers for its biannual symposium, “Perspectives on American Freemasonry and Fraternalism,” to be held on Saturday, April 7, 2012, at the Museum in Lexington, Massachusetts.

The National Heritage Museum is an American history museum founded and supported by Scottish Rite Freemasons in the Northern Masonic Jurisdiction of the United States.  As the repository of one of the largest collections of American Masonic and fraternal objects, books and manuscripts in theUnited States, the Museum aims to foster new research on American fraternalism and to encourage the use of its scholarly resources.

The symposium seeks to present the newest research on American fraternal groups from the past through the present day.  By 1900, over 250 American fraternal groups existed, numbering six million members.  The study of their activities and influence in theUnited States, past and present, offers the potential for new interpretations of American society and culture.  Diverse perspectives on this topic are sought; proposals are invited from a broad range of research areas, including history, material and visual culture, anthropology, sociology, literary studies and criticism, gender studies, political science, African-American studies, art history, economics, or any combination of disciplines.  Perspectives on and interpretations of all time periods are welcome.

Possible topics include:

• Comparative studies of American fraternalism and European or other international forms of fraternalism
• Prince Hall Freemasonry and other African-American fraternal groups
• Ethnically- and religiously-based fraternal groups
• Fraternal groups for women or teens
• Role of fraternal groups in social movements
• The material culture of Freemasonry and fraternalism
• Anti-Masonry and anti-fraternal movements, issues and groups
• Fraternal symbolism and ritual
• The expression of Freemasonry and fraternalism through art, music, and literature
• Approaches to Freemasonry – from disciplinary, interdisciplinary, or transnational perspectives; the historiography and methodology of the study of American fraternalism

Proposals should be for 30 minute research papers; the day’s schedule will allow for audience questions and feedback.

Proposal Format: Submit an abstract of 400 words or less with a resume or c.v. that is no more than two pages.  Be sure to include full contact information (name, address, email, phone, affiliation).

Send proposals to: Aimee E. Newell, Ph.D., Director of Collections, NationalHeritageMuseum, by email at anewell@monh.org or by mail to33 Marrett Road,Lexington,MA 02421.

Deadline for proposals to be received is December 15, 2011.  For more information about the National Heritage Museum, see www.nationalheritagemuseum.org.  For questions, contact Aimee E. Newell as above, or call 781-457-4144.