Ill. Ralph C. Shelton II, 33°
Spring is rapidly passing as summer looms before us, and with the change of seasons, we happily report positive change in our Valley. In May, we participated in the Orient-wide Reunion, where all 29 degrees were presented theatrically. This biennial event includes more than three days of degrees – we gather to dine and enjoy fellowship with our Scottish Rite brothers from all over California. The next biennial reunion will be at Pasadena, and I’m sure our Valley will attend in numbers.
Our engagement continues to increase along with our membership. We welcomed another seven members to our Valley this past weekend, and the following Monday had increased attendance – not just a 10% increase over average member attendance, but our partner group has grown even more.
Ten months have now passed since my appointment, and it seems a good time to look back as well as forward. We have experienced an increase in membership, an increase in attendance and engagement, more partner support, and presented two excellent reunions. We have held two successful Super Breakfasts – this last the most successful in many years. We have moved to our new home, Orange Masonic Center, which is more centrally located, and presents a more Masonic environment, where we can hold public facing events as well as our meetings, reunions and social activities. We have successfully completed another year of the Valley Membership Achievement Program, and our Knights of St. Andrew are up and running, ready to welcome our new Masters of the Royal Secret. These are all outstanding, and you can be proud of your Valley Leaders for their hard work making OC Valley a success.
Looking forward, we have commenced supporting efforts of the Orange County blue lodges in outreach to those inquiring about Freemasonry, and in July we will host our first Setting Maul Dinner. This event welcomes the new Master Masons of Orange County, along with their significant others, and the Masters (and significant others) of the Orange County lodges.
I hope you will excuse me for an article that is longer than usual, but the time has come for some special recognition.
Hon. James McCallion, 32°, KCCH, our Venerable Master, has been leading our Valley education program in all its forms for quite some time. He remains our classroom chair, and is now assembling classroom presenters for reunions as well as rolling out the Academy of Reflection program and overseeing our participation in the VMAP program, mentioned above. He has worked tirelessly to hold his part of our Valley together during challenging times, and we have benefitted from his efforts.
Another challenging role is that of Director of the Work, and Hon. James Olivier, 32°, KCCH, has been juggling that role along with a few other hats – he has been the degree master of all five compulsory degrees, a key cast member, primary stagecraft person, Prelate, fill in Chaplain and a Scottish Rite Fellow. As we move forward, he now has cast members from which to draw a team of degree masters, allowing him to focus on the primary role of DOTW, and we are welcoming stagecraft members again.
Bro. James Segerstrom, 32°, has been a faithful officer and a dedicated Knight of St. Andrew. When those ahead of him stepped aside, he was thrust into the role of First Knight, and has taken on the challenge with gusto. The OC Valley was the birthplace of many of the Orient’s KSA programs, including Pasadena’s, and it was Pasadena that recently conferred the degree on several of our OC members, bringing that full circle, and enabling our chapter to become fully functional again. Bro. James has worked diligently to resurrect the KSA in our Valley, and I am sure it will be the backbone of future Valley leadership. Keep in mind that, while serving our Valley in this capacity, he has also served in leadership roles in other Masonic organizations, and is next in line to be Potentate of El Bekal Shrine, where I have no doubt he will bring a youthful perspective to that Temple.
All of your leaders are deserving of recognition, of course. All of the members who take part in the various aspects of the Valley also. Truly, if someone’s name or image appears in this publication, they deserve applause, but I wanted to highlight these three, who have stepped up during a time of uncertainty and transition and acquitted themselves admirably. I know they must have looked askance at the coming change, but they have stayed the course. Their trust and support has been invaluable.
Read this newsletter carefully, so you don’t miss any of the exciting upcoming Valley events, and we look forward to seeing you on June 10.
