Tuesday the 20th of February, at 7:30 o’clock pm, the Portland Valley Scottish Rite will confer the 21st Degree of the Ancient & Accepted Scottish Rite of Freemasonry of the Southern Jurisdiction of the United States of America, “Noachite, or Prussian Knight”.
All Scottish Rite Members of the 20th° 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.
The Duties of the Degree are; “Be humble and modest, trusting in God. Be steadfast and courageous in the face of adversity”
The Lesson of the Degree is; “The downfall of evil is certain. A free and independent judiciary is necessary to human progress. Journalism should be fair, just and responsible.”
Schedule
6:45 pm Dinner [Meatloaf and mashed potatoes]
7:30 pm Scottish Rite University Intro
7:45 pm Degree
After the degree there will be a cast party and 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 the Monday before the event. Any requests that come in after the cut off will go on the standby list.
Please join us for the…
2018 Sweetheart’s Dinner at the Portland Scottish Rite on February 6th
The Dress Code is Semi-formal, with a 1950’s flair. We’ll have raffle prizes, presentations, a themed photo booth and live music from the “Voice” of Frank Sinatra, John English!
6:00pm Cocktails and photo booth in the banquet hall
7:00pm Officers and ladies introductions
7:05pm Buffet opens & Live Music starts
7:45pm Valentines presentation
7:55pm Raffle winners announced
8:00pm Live Music continues
9:00pm Closing Remarks
Dinner is $20 per person and features:
Braised Brisket & Brown Mushroom Gravy, roasted parsnip and squash with chipollini onion confit with waldorf salad (apple, raisin, celery, walnut)
I’m speaking “Masonic” when I think about what has happened in the last 60 years with respect to finances. It is my opinion that we have failed to keep up with the times as we’ve experienced them. As an example, when I became a Master Mason the dues at the lodge were about $40.00 per year. A new home was about $30,000 and a new automobile was about $2,500. Now in 2017 that automobile sells for about $30,000, about 12 times the 1957 price and those dues I mentioned are only up about 3 to 4 times in the same period. The Masonic lodge and all the other concordant bodies have been subjected to the same pressures as all other entities. The difference is that most everyone yearly adjustments to stay up with those pressures.
The result as we are experiencing it today, is the Masonic and Masonic related organizations are suffering to the extent that some are being forced to sell their properties and then merge with others. Some of these units are doing much better mainly because of wills and bequests that have come their way in years past. It is my opinion that the heyday of generous wills and bequests is waning and will continue to do so.
There is no organization that I know of today that survives with their members paying from $6.00 to $12.00 per month which is close to the actual amounts being paid by us. It’s my observation that our members think little of going to a nice restaurant with their wife and spending at least $100 for dinner and libations. I’m not suggesting we stop going to a nice restaurant for dinner or stop doing anything else, but it is certainly time to examine our poor habits of supporting our Masonic activity. The bottom line of all this is that we should be paying something in the neighborhood of $30 to $40 per month for dues. Country clubs, social clubs and athletic clubs,
which many of us belong to, will cost from $100 to $600 per month. Compare the value we derive from our Masonic membership and the value received at other memberships. We are currently the custodians of the greatest fraternity in the world. One day the young men of today will have an opportunity to be the leaders and the success they will enjoy depends upon how and when we confront this problem.
Walt Johnson 33° Grand Cross, Executive Director for the Orient of Oregon.
Nearly my entire career as a Scottish Rite Mason in the Portland Valley has been dedicated to keeping our historic building. Believe me when I say that everyone on the Executive Board is equally dedicated and has fought very hard as well.
Today, I spoke with our S.G.I.G and asked if he would allow me to give the decision regarding the sale of our historic building to the membership and he has graciously allowed me as the PR of the Portland Valley to make that decision.
On Tuesday we will present what we are up against financially and allow our membership to vote on this difficult decision to keep or sale our building.
Let me state that regardless of how the vote on Tuesday goes, I am dedicated to serving our membership to the best of my ability and in whatever capacity I’m allowed to do so. I have never forgotten that I work for you my brothers and I know that you put a great deal of trust in me and the Portland Valley leadership to ensure that we are here for many years to come.
I would like to give great thanks to our S.G.I.G. and the Executive Board for all of their hard work and support on this issue. They have all worked tirelessly and had a lot of sleepless nights regarding this issue and they deserve our gratitude for their efforts.
I look forward to seeing all Portland Valley Scottish Rite members on Tuesday for this historic vote.
Spes mea in Deo est
Larry Roberts 32°KCCH
Personal Representative Portland Valley Scottish Rite
We learn, beginning in our Blue Lodges, that charity along with making good men better are among the primary foundation stones of being a Mason. As Scottish Rite brothers we build on that foundation, and in Oregon one of the cornerstones of charity is the Oregon Scottish Rite Speech and Language Charity.
The mission of your Oregon Scottish Rite Speech and Language Charity is providing financial assistance to our Universities and other institutions that help young Oregon children who have a verity of communication needs.
During this past summer, your Oregon Scottish Rite Speech and Language Charity provided funding for more than 350 children to attend special camps where masters-level students, studying to become SLP’s (Speech Language Pathologists), acted as camp counselors. The SLP students gained hands-on experience assisting children afflicted with Autism, Apraxia (speech sound disorders), dyslexia, Cerebral Palsy who were non-verbal, and who had expressive and receptive disorders.
The Speech and Language Charity seeks out opportunities to provide service to children statewide. A recently funded research project at Portland State University was a Distance Learning or Telecommunications program. This program successfully provided therapy to young children with stuttering issues in a number of areas around Oregon (See attached map).
The Oregon Scottish Rite Speech and Language Charity is working diligently to increase service to Oregon children who struggle with communication and are now reaching more children than ever before in its long history. This holiday season, remember that the Oregon Scottish Rite Speech and Language Charity is a 501(c)3 and all donations are tax deductible and welcome.
Tuesday the 19th of September, at 7:30 pm, the Portland Valley Scottish Rite will confer the 17th Degree of the Ancient & Accepted Scottish Rite of Freemasonry of the Southern Jurisdiction of the United States of America, “Knight of the East & West”.
All Scottish Rite Members of the 16th° 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.
The Duties of the 17th Degree are; “To work, to reflect and to pray. To hope, to trust and to believe. To teach the truths that are hidden in allegories and concealed by the symbols in Freemasonry.” The Lesson of the degree teaches; “An army of martyrs have offered up their lives to prove their faith or benefit mankind.”
Schedule
6:00 pm Body Head Meeting
7:00 pm Dinner [Bratwurst & sauerkraut]
7:30 pm Scottish Rite University Intro
7:45 pm Degree
After the degree there will be a cast party and 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 the Monday before the event. Any requests that come in after the cut off will go on the standby list.
Symbolic Freemasonry, and by extension to some degree the Scottish Rite, frequently confronts the question of in what way, and even whether to engage in benevolent activities outside of the Freemasonry itself. What action would make our efforts unique and be integral with our Masonic teaching? With so many established non-Masonic charitable organizations directly accessible to each of us, what distinct value is being added by a Lodge action in this arena? These questions are best decided within each of our Lodges, of course, and cannot be answered here. However, the following quote may provide some direction:
“… the promotion of wisdom, strength, and beauty, in the form of patronage for the very arts and humanities about which we have always taught, is the best philanthropic hand that Masonry can extend to the world. A Lodge seeking to do good works will choose this course over all other options, because it speaks directly to the principles laid down in our several lectures, as well as to who we are and what we should become as Masons.”[1]
The work of our Oregon Scottish Rite Educational Foundation exemplifies the use of our philanthropic hand. It encourages the study of the arts and humanities among our Oregon youth. Our members, and our predecessors, who have supported the Foundation have enabled us to extend that hand to many hard working students over the years. This year the Foundation has selected once again a number of excellent students to receive our help toward their goal of being well-educated and contributing members of our society. In 2017, we were able to assist six impressive students from the Portland Valley.
The prestigious Stan and Jayne Schmidt Scholarship was awarded this year to a Portland Valley student, Ms. Willow Rakoncay. Ms. Rakoncay graduated from Beaverton High School. She plans a career in theater, with a goal of being a technical director of theaters. In fact, she has been accepted into the very selective theater arts program at DePaul University. Since the sixth grade, Ms. Rakoncay has been in 40 theater productions, three internships, and has written a short play presented at a local Renaissance faire.
Willow Rakoncay
Ms. Lauren Kang presented many accomplishments to recommend her to us. She earned a nearly perfect GPA at Jesuit High School. A driven intellectual interest in Chemistry led to perfection in the classroom, motivated her to create a new Chemistry club at Jesuit to help her classmates succeed in this challenging subject, and qualified her for a paid biochemistry research internship at Lewis and Clark College. Her demonstrated accomplishments outside of school include ten years of classical violin study, and 200h of community service in hospitals, shelters, and churches. Ms. Kang aspires to become a pediatrician. As a first step, she will earn a biochemistry degree at Washington University.
Mr. Jeremy Shahan was the runner up for the Walt and Shirlee Peters Scholarship this year, which is awarded annually to one outstanding applicant planning a career in natural science, mathematics, or related fields. Mr. Shahan plans to attend Oregon State University, where he will decide on a career in electrical or computer engineering, or in mathematics. Mr. Shahan graduated from Aloha High School. His recommenders stated, “Jeremy is a pure mathematician and a possible visionary,” and “shockingly analytical and brings a profound wisdom to the study of (English) literature.” These comments provide evidence of Mr. Shahan’s breadth of ability and interest, particularly in the Arts and Sciences that Masons revere.
Jeremy Shahan and Father Doug
Mr. Dang Duong was the Peters Scholarship award winner in 2017. In an unusual move, the committee again selected him for an award this year due to his continued, exceptional progress at Oregon State and financial need. Last year’s blog entry summarizes this man very well: “His academic record and extensive volunteer and work history are clear evidence of a purpose-driven life. He aspires to be a primary family care physician serving a rural community.” Since then Mr. Duong completed his junior year in pre-med at OSU and completed a competitive internship delivering medical services in rural India. Mr. Duong’s family home is in Clackamas, Oregon.
Mr. Dang Duong with his mother
Portland resident, Mr. Jeff Cui is a clever communicator with excellent written communication skills. He graduated from Sunset High School with an exceptional GPA, earned an IB Diploma (International Bachelorette) at Sunset, and was a leader of Sunset’s National Honor Society. His recommenders describe a person of strong character, rounded interests, and an accomplished academic talent. Mr. Cui is also a musical talent, studying the violin for twelve years. He will be studying electrical engineering at USC (University of Southern California).
Jeff Cui with his mother
Ms. Lena Grover is an enthusiastic learner, advocate, and leader. While maintaining an excellent GPA at Grant High School, she was an outdoor school student leader for three years; president of the Environment club; and was on the yearbook staff for three years, one as the editor. Her recommenders described her as insightful, practiced at thoughtful discourse, a careful detailed researcher, and a compassionate classmate and advocate. During the year after graduation, Ms. Grover paused to travel and develop several employment and life experiences. Next year she has decided to attend Central Wyoming College. It has an exceptional and unique program in environmental science. Ms. Grover ultimately aspires to teach environmental science at the high school level.
Mrs. Lena Grover and father Br. Peter (Doktor) Grover
Thus, once again our philanthropic hand has been extended. We are confident that the individuals it has touched will continue to develop into outstanding members of our society. Brethren, remember that it is through your contributions and bequeaths that we can maintain and strengthen the Foundation’s success.
Submitted for the Portland Valley Board of the Oregon Scottish Rite Educational Foundation,
Baker – Joseph John Fontana
Baker – Fredrick Joseph Licurse
Coos Bay – Fritz Hugh Thomas III
Portland – Steve Wayne McCathern
Roseburg – David Spencer Jackson
Salem – Don Lee Broxson
2017 Honourmen – 32°, Knights Commander of the Court of Honour
Baker – Donald M. Burrows
Baker – Joseph Kent Maier
Eugene – Zachary Adam Blalack
Medford – Bruce A. Kundert
Portland – Wayne Keith Ford
Portland – Bruce A. Kent
Portland – Nathan Robert Neff
Portland – Richard Sean Nowacki
Portland – Michael David Robinson
Portland – John William Tucker
Portland – Matthew Ryan Turcotte
Roseburg – Randy Jay Haugen
“Every man’s life ends the same way. It is only the details of how he lived and how he died that distinguishes one man from another.”
-Ernest Hemingway
In this degree the lodge is no longer in mourning but is still in deep sorrow which is symbolized by the black altar cloth with silver tears and takes place on the anniversary of the passing of Master Hiram.
This degree again reminds us that our time here is short even for the wise and the just man and that we should not cling to worldly things but rather to measure our age not by years but by our deeds.
“While we think a thought we die…Death is the portion of every man.”
-Albert Pike
Many of us are so worried about collecting and keeping what we have that we forget, in reality, we really own nothing. Everything is simply borrowed…even our own bodies are borrowed from the earth and will be return there soon enough.
We tend to slave away at jobs we hate and buy cars we can’t afford in an effort to look good at a stoplight to a stranger we’ve never met and will likely never see again. In short, the things we own and covet, if not careful, tend to own us.
I once was told a story that explained this coveting perfectly. It is called The Monkey’s Fist:
Hunters in third-world countries will take a coconut and cut a small hole just big enough for the monkey to fit their hand through. Inside the coconut they will put a peanut or something the monkey craves.
Sooner or later a monkey will come along and smell the treat, put their hand in the hole, grab the peanut, and won’t be able to pull their hand out. The hole is small enough to put their empty hand in, but not big enough for a hand clutching a fistful of peanut to be removed.
At this point you would think the monkey should realize, “Hey, I’m stuck” and drop the peanut. But they don’t. They want the treat and are unwilling to surrender it. So they pull and pull, refusing to drop the peanut, and the hunter walks up on them with a club… and now the monkey is dinner.
If the monkey would just have surrendered that single peanut they would have been free. But because they coveted the peanut so much they lost their ultimate freedom.
I wonder how many of us would be caught by the hunter if we found our cell phones in a coconut that only our open hand would fit in, but when we grasp our cellphone we were unable to remove it.
The moral of the Monkey’s Fist is that we must constantly be looking at those things in our lives that we are unprepared to let go of and ensure that those precious things are worthy of our love and devotion. Because if they are not, then they are a vice and can cause us harm mentally, physically or spiritually.
Finally, Freemasonry… like all great philosophies, teaches us to remember and contemplate our own mortality.We don’t beat the grim reaper by living longer, we beat the reaper by living well with the time God has given us.Death comes for us all….what matters is the love that we’ve shared, the compassion we’ve shown and the suffering we’ve eased during our time on this earth.
Larry Roberts 32° KCCH, Portland Valley Personal Representative. Member of Modesto Lodge 206, Esoterika Lodge 227 and Research Lodge 198
