Tuesday the 17th of January, at 7:00 pm, the Portland Valley Scottish Rite will communicate the 11th & 12th Degree of the Ancient & Accepted Scottish Rite of Freemasonry, “Elu of the Twelve or Prince Ameth” & “Master Architect”.
Due to some unforeseen difficulties including personnel, illness, weather, etc. we will now be communicating both the 11th and 12th degree on the 17th of January.
All Scottish Rite Members of the 10th° or higher are welcome to attend. Visiting Brethren will need current dues card showing membership in the Scottish Rite. Attendance is exclusively for members of the Scottish Rite, as with all of our events, this is not open to the public.
Schedule
6:30 pm Dinner
7:00 pm Degree
After the Communication of the Degrees there will be a social in the Members Lounge.
Confirmations on Facebook of attendance will not be counted for dinner. Please RSVP by email to officemanager@portlandsr.com for dinner reservations by no later than 11:00 am on Monday the 16th. Any requests that come in after the cut off will go on the standby list.
On Tuesday, January 10th, 2017 we will be having another State of the Rite Meeting.
There will be short reports by various officers & members on the status of projects in the works as well as the exciting upcoming events.
*Body Heads will talk about what they have coming up in the future
*Membership committee will discuss growth and retention
*Club organizers will report on the formation of new Clubs in the Valley
Dinner will be just $10 and it’s Taco Tuesday!
Please RSVP for dinner by emailing officemanager@portlandsr.com
Schedule
5:30 pm Social
5:30 pm Clark Trust
6:00 pm Body Head Meeting
6:30 pm Dinner
7:00 pm State of the Rite
Tuesday January 3th, at 7 pm the Rite Night Guest Speaker will be Brother Birol Yesilada, 32°. Brother Birol is a professor at Portland State University and his talk will be on Methods of Conflict Resolution. This is definitely one not to miss!
Schedule
6:00 Social & Body Head Meeting
6:30 Dinner
7:00 Presentation
Visiting Scottish Rite members welcome. Dinner is just $10. Please RSVP for dinner by 11am Monday the 2nd at officemanager@portlandsr.com
“He who exercises government by means of his virtue may be compared to the North Polar Star, which keeps its place and all the stars turn towards it.”
Confucius
Likely the most difficult activity for an individual is determining which path to take in our life—which way is our own personal “True North”. Which way will lead us to an exceptional and rewarding life on this planet?
Deep down, we as humans recognize our mortality and that our time in this body and with these senses is limited—that soon, what we are physically will deteriorate, turn to dust and be scattered in the wind. With this ever present burden of truth we naturally seek the shortest path to the quickest result, and even more so will devise or create instruments and tools that allow us to reach our preconceived destination as quickly and efficiently as possible.
The universe has no preconceived notion of time, no mortality to weigh or balance in its internal struggle of right or wrong, success or failure. We however, must chart a course if we are to reach our destination. In doing so, we must have a point of reference, a point with which to not only starts us on our path but also a reference to determine how far we have traveled and even more importantly how far we may have wandered off our course.
Our minds are constantly at battle with what we believe to be the truth and what actually is the truth. One day we may think we fully understand the meaning of a thing and then the next we find that we were mistaken. Pursuit of Masonic light (knowledge) is a journey, an adventure that will lead us to many fascinating discoveries which aid us in the creation of a map of our future. However, like any traveler it is very important that we do not become so focused on the traveling that we lose sight of the knowledge (destination) that we seek.
The North Star represents the individual as the “point within the circle”. It is an example of the boundary line of our duty to God and to man, beyond which a man should not allow his passions, prejudices or interests to betray him.
The North Star, the brightest star in the Ursa Minor constellation, is that ever-present symbol in the night sky reminding us that there is “universal truth” and it is this truth that we must align ourselves with as we circumscribe our actions to better understand our creator, our role within the universe and our relationship to the divine architect.
I wish you well brothers on your masonic travels and may you always find your true north.
Larry Roberts 32° KCCH, Portland Valley Personal Representative. Member of Modesto Lodge 206, Esoterika Lodge 227 and Research Lodge 198.
Greetings Brethren, On Tuesday December 6th starting at 6:30 pm the Portland Valley Scottish Rite will be having a Social to celebrate the Holidays in December. All Scottish Rite members are invited to come and bring a guest.
There will be horderves but no formal dinner this evening. The appropriate attire is Holiday festive so feel free to break out your best/worst Christmas/Hanukkah sweater for the evening.
To adequately allow us to provide snacks please RSVP for this event by email at officemanager@portlandsr.com no later than Monday December 5th at 11:00 am.
Tuesday November 29th the Portland Valley will be having the first Valley Club Night. This event will kick off the formation of the new Clubs at the Rite, if you have a club you want to form or an idea for a group that can enhance the Valley this is a night not to miss.
Ideas for clubs include, but are not limited to; Blue Lodge Degree Team Business & Professional Group Investment Club Cigar Club Music Club Education/Esoteric Club Entertainment Club Game Clubs (Card Games/Poker/Pool/Darts)
Golf Club
Hunting/Fishing Clubs
Motorcycle Association
Gun/Skeet/Trap Shooting Club
Skiing Club
Speaker’s Club
Stage Craft Club
Beer tasters Club
There will not be a meal this evening but there will be a Social in the Members Lounge from 5:30 – 6:30. Dress code is casual.
The Portland Valley will be having a Workman’s Dinner Tuesday November 22nd to celebrate and thank the hard working crew and cast’s that came together over the Reunion to help make the magic happen.
Tuesday November 15th will be the Stated Meeting night for the Portland Valley Scottish Rite.
The Oregon Consistory #1 will be opening so all Scottish Rite members 32nd° and higher are welcome to attend. We will also be voting on petitions of new members. All Members and current Officers are requested to attend to decide the future of theScottish Rite Portland Valley.
It will be Taco Tuesday with a Taco bar provided by Bridges Cafe & Catering of Portland. Dinner will be $10 per person.
Schedule 6:30 pm Dinner 7:00 pm Stated
Following the Stated there will be a Social in the Membership Lounge.
Please contact officemanager@portlandsr.com for reservation for dinner.
Many of you likely now have the Valley’s annual membership renewal form on your desks and are getting ready to pay your dues. However, look carefully! There is a place on the form to donate to the Oregon Scottish Rite Educational Foundation. Many Brothers contribute each year to this tax-deductible fund for the Masonic purpose educating the youth of our Oregon communities. The work of this charity is directly impactful to our community and aligns with our Masonic tenant of becoming better men by virtue of our good works.
Annually, the Educational Foundation (EF) seeks worthy students across the Oregon to award with scholarship grants. It is desired and hoped that our humble investment in the students ultimately selected will assist them not just to earn a college degree, but possibly more importantly to develop the intellectual tools and habits that will foster a long and satisfying career and life.
In 2016, the Portland Valley EF committee selected four special students from over 25 applicants. Thirty-five high schools in our Scottish Rite Valley, which ranges from Portland to Astoria, were solicited. This year our first selection was Skye Meredith Gates Walker who lives in West Linn. Ms. Walker posed with her mother Gina for the picture below. Skye was awarded the Schmidt award for her academic excellence and exceptional extramural activities, especially for her demonstrated passion for theatre. Her long-term aspiration, possibly first fostered by a letter exchange in second grade with Pres. George Bush, is to make a difference and protect our ecosystem by developing a career in environmental and animal protection law and activism.
Award winner Skye Walker with her mother Gina
Mr. Dang Minh Duong is an exceptional young man. His academic record and extensive volunteer and work history are clear evidence of a purpose-driven life. He aspires to be primary family care physician serving a rural community, a choice not made in a vacuum. Mr. Duong has been a member of the Medical ICU under the Critical Care Academic Associate program at OHSU and was awarded the Benjamin Gilman International Scholarship permitting him to intern at the Center for Social Medicine in Loni, India. He will be the first member of his family to have a college degree, and excels in his pre-med program. In the photo below Mr. Duong receives our grant check from committee member Shaman Anderson, 32° KSA. Mr. Duong lives in Clackamas, Oregon.
Dang Duong, receiving our award from SR Ed. Foundation Committee member Shaman Anderson
It appears that West Linn produces many promising future leaders. Last year Mr. Bradley Olson won a SR grant, and this year his sister Leah Olson was awarded one as well. What is more, Ms. Olson and Skye Walker are school peers and friends. Leah Nicole Olson wants a career in public service, particularly to improve the excellence in education for all socio-economic groups, especially the disadvantaged. Leah is academically excellent and helped lead her team to win the state championship in the high school Mock Trial competition. She plans a law career where she can translate her passions into action and produce positive outcomes for our community. Leah poses with her mother Callie Olson below.
Leah Olson and her mother Callie Olson
Our final selection was Mr. Brayden Tyler Pene, also remarkably from West Linn! It is ironic that we write this note during the 2016 World Series of Baseball because someday Mr. Pene may play in one. He is a gifted athlete, and received baseball scholarship offers from several colleges including two prominent ones located in this state. He is also an exceptional student, maintaining a 4.0 GPA. Brayden ultimately aspires to a career in medicine, stimulated in part by the surgical and healing process he experienced personally due to a sports injury. And, like the third leg of sturdy stool, his long cultivated spiritual reverence enhances his character and serves to balance his other personal strengths. These three facets of Brayden’s character make him an excellent candidate for Scottish Rite encouragement. Brayden and his mother and father, Misty and Steve Pene, are presented in the photo below.
Brayden Pene, with parents Steve and Misty Pene
We Scottish Rite Masons of Oregon should be proud to encourage these individuals and the mature citizens that will likely develop as they transition into their future careers.
Submitted for the Portland Valley Board, Wayne K. Ford, 32º KSA Other PV Board Members: Paul Temple, 32º KSA and Shaman Anderson, 32º KSA
All Portland Valley Brethren be sure to let your Candidates know they are invited to join us for our Setting Maul Dinner. Tuesday, November 8th, 2016 we will acquaint Master Masons with the benefits of Scottish Rite membership.
This invitation is extended to all Masons who wish to attend, however, only Master Masons who are not members of the Scottish Rite [along with their partner!] will receive complimentary dinners as our special guests.
Reservations are Required for everyone! Please Email officemanager@portlandsr.com by November 7th no later than 11 am.
