Ill. Thomas R. Labagh, 33°, Class Honoree

The presiding officers of the Valley of Allentownhave chosen Illustrious Thomas R. Labagh, 33°,as the Fall 2011 Class Honoree. IllustriousBrother Labagh is well known in theState of Pennsylvania, presently serv-ing as the Executive Director of thePennsylvania Masonic YouthFoundation. He has served inthis position since its foundingin 1982 by then RightWorshipful Grand MasterSamuel C. Williamson.Previously, Bro. Labagh hadbeen a staff director forDeMolay International inKansas City, Missouri.

Brother Labagh is a native ofRidgewood, New Jersey, theson of Barbara and the lateEverett L. Labagh, Past GrandCommander and Past GrandRecorder of the GrandCommandery of New Jersey. He is agraduate of Ridgewood High Schooland Montclair State College, earning a BAin English. He joined Freemasonry because of hisactivity in the Order of DeMolay in New Jersey. He

was raised by his father in Fidelity Lodge No. 113,Ridgewood, NJ, in 1977. He is a Past Master of

Abraham C. Treichler Lodge No. 682,Elizabethtown, PA, where he continues

to confer degrees, mentor candidates,and serves as a member of the

Audit and Dues Committees. Brother Labagh was coroneted

a 33° Mason in the year 2000 atthe Supreme Council AnnualSession in Pittsburgh. A mem-ber of the Valley of Harrisburg,he serves as the Director ofWork in charge of all of thedegree productions. He hasplayed numerous stage rolesincluding Abraham Lincoln,General George Pickett, and

Constans and more recentlydirected Valley productions of “A

Christmas Carol” and “The Storyof the Crucifixion.” He is also an

Honorary Member of the Valley ofNorthern New Jersey.

Brother Labagh’s DeMolay service isextensive. A Past Master Councilor of RidgewoodChapter, he served as State Master Councilor for

continued on Page 3

Ill. Thomas R. Labagh, 33°, Class Honoree

Valley of AllentownA.A.S.R., N.M.J., U.S.A.

Volume 86 FALL 2011 NUMBER 2

Recipient of the Supreme Council’s “Brother Franklin Award-Honorable Mention, 2007-2008, 2009-2010 & 2010-2011”

PAGE 2 THE MESSENGER FALL 2011

ELECTED AND APPOINTED OFFICERS2011-2012

MUHLENBERG LODGE OF PERFECTION, 14°

Dwight D. Kondravy, 32°..............Thrice Potent Master

David M. Howells, Jr., 32° .....................Deputy Master

Ronald C. Dickert, 32° ..........................Senior Warden

Richard D. Hess, 32° .............................Junior Warden

Robert H. Hoffman, III, 32°.................................Orator

Timothy J. Hodgdon, 32° ..........Master of Ceremonies

Dennis L. Robinson, 33° ..............................Hospitaler

David W. Evans, 32° ...................Captain of the Guard

Mark F. Traupman, 32°.............Tyler for all four Bodies

LAFAYETTE COUNCIL PRINCES OF JERUSALEM, 16°

George W. Young, 32° .......................Sovereign Prince

James A. Roach, Jr., 32° ............................High Priest

Mark D. Gall, 32° ..................................Senior Warden

Thomas J. Hodgdon, 32°.......................Junior Warden

Jan L. Boggess, 32°..................Master of Ceremonies

James P. Haja, 32° .......................................Hospitaler

Lloyd L. Roberts, 32°....................Master of Entrances

BETHLEHEM CHAPTER OF ROSE CROIX, 18°

Aaron R. White, 32° .........................Most Wise MasterGerard F. Palagonia, 32°.......................Senior WardenRobert P. Johnston, II, 32°.....................Junior WardenJeffrey A. Moser, 32°, M.S.A. .............................OratorRobert W. Bunch, Jr., 32° .........Master of CeremoniesLaszlo Toth, 32°............................................HospitalerBryan K. Fritz, 32°.......................Captain of the Guard

LEHIGH CONSISTORY, S.P.R.S., 32°

Raymond B. Greer, 33°...............Commander-In-ChiefRonald J. Norcross, 33°....First Lieutenant CommanderStephen Gardner, 33° ....................Second Lieutenant

CommanderWilliam M. Glose, III, 33°..Treasurer for all four BodiesLarry G. Newhard, 33° .....Secretary for all four BodiesRobert J. Egner, 32°...........................................OratorCurtis L. Proctor, 32° ...................................ChancellorWilliam P. Sacks, 32° ................Master of CeremoniesGerard A. Machado, 32°...............................HospitalerKirk E. Muller, 32° .....................Engineer & SeneschalJ. Ronald Dotsey, 32°.........................Standard BearerDale H. Ott, 32°........................................Color BearerGeorge Skaff, 32° .......................Captain of the GuardThomas P. Murgitroyde, IV, 32° .......................Sentinel

TRUSTEES

James J. Dowling, 33°Lawrence F. Hilliard, 32°, M.S.A.

Kenneth G. Rinear, 33°George B. Hixon, 32°

Leonard C. Newman, 32°

Ill... John Wm. McNaughton, 33°Sovereign Grand Commander

Ill... Jim S. Deyo, 33°Grand Lieutenant Commander

Ill... James L. Tungate 33°Grand Secretary General

Ill... Richard W. Elliot, 33°Grand Treasurer General

ACTIVE MEMBERS FOR PENNSYLVANIAIII... Russell W. Baker, 33°, Deputy ...................................ElizabethtownIII... C. DeForrest Trexler, 33° ...................................................MacungieIII... Thomas K. Sturgeon, 33°.....................................................ImperialIII... William L. McCarrier, 33°.........................................................ButlerIII... Jeffrey W. Coy, 33° .....................................................Shippensburg

ACTIVE EMERITUS MEMBERSIII... Arthur J. Kurtz, 33°.....................................................ElizabethtownIII... George R. Moad, 33° ........................................................Camp HillIII... Drew W. Washabau, 33° ................................................GreensburgIII... Richard G. Hawk, 33°................................................Clarks Summit

ALLEGIANCEThe Bodies of the Ancient Accepted Scottish Rite of Freemasonry in the Valley ofAllentown acknowledge and yield allegiance to the Supreme Council of Sovereign GrandInspectors General of the Thirty-Third and last Degree of the Ancient Accepted ScottishRite of Freemasonry for the Northern Masonic Jurisdiction of the United States ofAmerica whose Grand East is Lexington, Massachusetts. Its officers are:

EDITORIAL STAFF

THE MESSENGER...ISPUBLISHED QUARTERLY ASTHE OFFICIAL PUBLICATIONOF THE 32° SCOTTISH RITEBODIES OF THE VALLEY OFALLENTOWN, 1533 HAMILTONST., ALLENTOWN, PA 18102

NEXT ISSUE: WINTER 2011/2012

ARTICLES DEADLINE:NOVEMBER 15, 2011

MAILING DEADLINE:DECEMBER 30, 2011

STAFFLARRY G. NEWHARD, 33°THOMAS R. LAWALL, 33°RICHARD T. BUTLER, 33°

KENNETH W. McCARTY, 33°VALLEY OFFICE STAFF

PHOTOGRAPHERSROBERT T. HAHN, 32°, M.S.A.

RICHARD T. BUTLER, 33°KENNETH G. RINEAR, 33°

VALLEY SECRETARYLARRY G. NEWHARD, 33°

610-433-3232Fax: 610-433-4943

E-Mail:[email protected]

Webmaster: Emery J. KohutE-Mail:

[email protected]

Website:www.valleyofallentown.com

Lehigh Consistory E-Mail:[email protected]

VALLEY OF ALLENTOWNTOLL FREE

PHONE NUMBER866-239-3473

Office Hours:Monday thru Friday8:30 am to 4:00 pm


Ill. Thomas R. Labagh, 33°(continued from page 1)

New Jersey in 1976-1977. An Active Member of theDeMolay International Supreme Council since 1999,he has served as Executive Officer for DeMolay inPennsylvania since 2000. Actively involved on manyprojects and programs, he is currently Chairman ofthe Ritual and Regalia Committee.

Brother Labagh has served, from 1998-2010, theGrand Lodge of Pennsylvania as Chairman of theGrand Lodge Committee on Internet Services, whichcoordinates the Grand Lodge’s public website. In pre-vious years he served as the Secretary of the GrandLodge Committee on Matching Charity Grants from1999-2002. He presently serves as a Consultant tothe Editorial Staff of the Pennsylvania Freemasonmagazine.

Brother Labagh is a member of Corinthian ChapterNo. 224, Royal Arch Masons, Goodwin Council No.19, Cryptic Masons and Cyrene Commandery No. 34,Knights Templar, and serves on the GrandCommandery Committee on Youth Activities. He isalso a member of York Forest No. 30, Tall Cedars ofLebanon, Ubar Grotto, M.O.V.P.E.R., Zembo Shrine,and Trinity Conclave of the Red Cross of Constantine.He is a Past President of the Pa-Masonic Homes HighTwelve Club No. 629, a Wolcott Foundation Century

Club member and served for 4 years as an electedofficer of the State High Twelve Association.

Brother Labagh has been honored with theRainbow Grand Cross of Color in 1984, the GrandMaster’s Award in 1985, the DeMolay Legion of Honorin 1986, Richmond Lodge No. 230’s Masonic ServiceAward in 1987, Club High Twelve Man of the Year in1989; the Guild of the Leather Apron (DeMolayAdvisor of the Year) in 1994, and in 2005 he receivedthe HODEGOS Award from the Grand Lodge ofPennsylvania for a Lifetime of Service to Youth.

He is an Eagle Scout of Troop No.5, Ridgewood,N.J. where he was involved as a leader in Cub Scouts,Boy Scouts, and served as Harvest DistrictMembership Chairman in the Pennsylvania DutchCouncil from 1996-1998.

In his community, Brother Labagh is an Elder in theDonegal Presbyterian Church, PCUSA, where heoccasionally preaches and participates in Missiontrips. He is a Past President of the Rotary Club ofElizabethtown and a two-time Paul Harris Fellow. Heand Ginny, his bride of 32 years, have fourgrown children; Kira, David, Michael andKari.

I am deeply humbled to havebeen elected to serve asSovereign Prince of LafayetteCouncil, Princes of Jerusalemfor the Valley of Allentown. We,as your elected officers, thankyou.

Did you ever sit down to write a message for anotice and try to put down on paper what you reallywant to say? I have read messages in ourMessenger going back to 2008. What can I tell you orask of you that haven’t already been written? I wasreminded that we can always promote membership.When you received your proficiency in your lodgeyou should have acquired a certain amount of knowl-edge about Freemasonry. When you were asked bya brother to become a member of the Valley ofAllentown what information did he give you? Did hetell you that we have a two day Reunion in May andNovember where you can attain the 32°? Did he tellyou about the four stated meetings with a programthat we have throughout the year? Did he tell you thatyou could participate in degrees, help with makeup,or work in wardrobe, sing in the choir, be a stage

hand, a prompter or a greeter for members and visi-tors when they come to the reunions? Did he talkabout the Christmas Party for children, an EasterEgg Hunt, A Family Picnic, a Good Friday Breakfastand our memorial service for those Brethren whohave traveled that unknown highway? Did he call youor talk with you about the degrees or ask if you hadany questions about the Reunion? Were you intro-duced to other Brethren in attendance at theReunion? Are we as members of the Valley ofAllentown discussing with prospective members theopportunities available to them. The Valley ofAllentown is a Great Valley and the camaraderie hewill develop by participating in one of these areas ispart of our Masonic Brotherhood.

The upcoming October Stated Meeting will beheld on Tuesday the 11th at 7:30PM in the MoulsonRoom. The program for the evening will be guestspeaker Brother Lloyd L. Roberts, 32° who will pres-ent a program on the Flag. Please join us for anenjoyable evening. Light refreshments will be servedafter the meeting.

Fraternally,George W. Young 32°, Sovereign Prince

Sovereign Prince’s Message


Three from Valley Receive 33°A week long meeting of the Supreme Council for

the Northern Masonic Jurisdiction concluded onAugust 30, 2011 in Chicago, Illinois, with the confer-ral of the 33rd Degree upon members of the ScottishRite who were selected for outstanding service toScottish Rite, Freemasonry and humanity. Amongthe group were three from the Valley of Allentown.

Ill. Gerald J. Nagle, 33°, hadbeen installed Thrice PotentMaster of Muhlenberg Lodge ofPerfection in 2008. He was madea Mason in Pulaski Lodge,No.216 in 1957 (a fifty year mem-ber) and elected its’ WorshipfulMaster in 1968. A graduate ofPottsville High School, Brother

Gerald is a retired Lineman Leader for PPL Utilities.He joined the Valley of Allentown in 1957, (anotherfifty year member) and has served as SectionalRepresentative for 9 years.

He is a Past Presiding Officer of Mt. City RoyalArch Chapter, No.196, and Regal Council No.65 andConstantine Commandery. He is currently Treasurerfor his Lodge, Chapter, and Council. He was DivisionCommander from 1988 to 1991. He is a Noble ofRajah Shrine and a Past President of the SchuylkillShrine Club. He is a recipient of the Knights of theYork Cross of Honor. He is Past Eminent Governorof York Rite College No.11. He is a 50 year memberand trustee of Tall Cedars of Lebanon. He wasSovereign of Mary Conclave, Red Cross ofConstantine. Brother Nagle is a member of ErinCouncil No.74, and Schuylkill High Twelve Club, theRoyal Order of Scotland, the Pennsylvania Lodge ofResearch, and the Academy of Masonic Knowledge.

He is a member of the First United MethodistChurch in Pottsville, where he has served asTrustee. He served two years of Active Duty in theU.S. Army, and five years in the Active Reserves.

Brother Nagle is married to the former Jeri Haferand they are the parents of three children; Jeff, andtwin daughters; Jennifer, and Jill.

Ill. Bruce E. Fox, 33°, wasinstalled as Sovereign Prince ofLafayette Council, Princes ofJerusalem in 2009. Raised aMaster Mason in Portland LodgeNo.311, he served as WorshipfulMaster in 1995. He was DistrictDeputy Grand Master of the 50thMasonic District from 1998 to

2003. He was a member of the Fall Class of 1992Valley of Allentown.

He is a member of Monroe Royal Arch ChapterNo. 281 and he is a member of the Red Cross ofConstantine. He has been awarded the DeMolayLegion of Honor.

He is a graduate of Bangor High School andattended Delaware Valley College. He is selfemployed in Environmental Services and was previ-ously employed as shift supervisor of a local textilemill.

He is married to the former Sharon Kay Mottern,and they are members of the Richmond UnitedMethodist Church. They are the parents of TiffanyMyers and Samantha Brenner.

Brother Bruce is presently the Chairman of theLower Mount Bethel Township Planning Commissionand is Director of the Richmond Lions Club.

Ill. Brad R. Steigerwalt, 33°was installed Most Wise Masterof Bethlehem Chapter of RoseCroix in 2009. He is a member ofJordan-Martin Lodge No.623 andserved as Worshipful Master in2005. He is presently theMasonic Education Chairman forthe 10th Masonic District and is

also the CHIP coordinator for the 10th MasonicDistrict. He is a member of Catasauqua Royal ArchChapter No. 278, a member of Rajah Shrine andGeneral John J. Sullivan Council, Allied MasonicDegrees.

Brother Brad is a graduate of Parkland HighSchool in Allentown, Pa. and holds a Bachelor ofMusic Degree in Music Education fromSusquehanna University. He is employed as a musicteacher in Northampton Area School District.He is married to the former Kerin Melervey.They are members of Faith Lutheran Churchin Whitehall.

Article correction from the Summer 2011Newsletter

In the “New Officers” article,Brother George W. Young, 32° and his wifeare members of the Presbyterian Church of

Catasauqua and their oldest son isRobert W. Young.


Ill. Brethren and Brethren,Our summer months are waning. As you reflect on thesummer, I hope memories of enjoyable moments fromthe Valley picnic at Emmaus Community Park will cometo mind. Nearly 300, including brothers with family andfriends savored the blue sky, fellowship, food and bever-age. Children sampled the games, ate snow cones andcotton candy. To the delight of numerous hurlers, sever-al officers and brothers were dunked into the water tank.All proceeds from the picnic benefitted our LearningCenter. Be sure to circle August 4, 2012 on you calen-dar for the Annual picnic next year!Fall and winter routines are beginning to guide our daysin the Valley office. The officers are gearing up for theSeptember and October Stated Meetings. Each of thefour 2011-2012 Stated Meetings will include a program.On November 5th and 12th, the Fall Reunion will occur.Director of the Work, Ill. Bro. Todd Baringer, is schedul-ing some degrees not presented for some time. Ill. Bro.Thomas Labaugh will be our Class Honoree. He willattend both days and take a role in one or two of thedegrees. Check the Valley calendar in “The Messenger”or on the Valley website (www.valleyofallentown.com) tokeep abreast of all scheduled activities.In May, Valley officers were installed for their 2011-2012term. It was an honor for me to offer remarks on theoccasion. Most of my remarks were published in the

summer issue of “The Messenger.”Allow me to highlight one topic – thechallenge. “… (Y)our duty, to act wellthe part given you.” Our combined duty is the future ofthe Ancient Accepted Scottish Rite,and this Valley in particular. It rests with each one of us.Only through all our combined labors will the Valleygrow and remain viable. Membership is the foundationfor the Valley’s success. Without growth, our fraternity,our Valley will cease to be. Share your love of theScottish Rite with brother Masons. I challenge and encourage you and each brother to:

• add one brother as a new member of our Valley• offer one suggestion you think will increase your

active participation or of others*• volunteer to help out on one day of the Fall or

Spring reunion**I hope to see you at the Fall Reunion!

Raymond B. Greer, 33°Commander-in-ChiefLehigh Consistory

*send suggestions to:[email protected]**send/call (610-433-3232) your name to theValley to learn how you can participate

Commander-In-Chief’s Message

Thrice Potent Master’s MessageGreetings Brethren,I am both thrilled and honored at theopportunity to serve the Valley ofAllentown as the Thrice PotentMaster of Muhlenberg Lodge ofPerfection for the 2011-2012 term.

In keeping with the message of our IllustriousCommander in Chief at the Installation, I know that all ofthe officers in the Valley bodies are coming up withideas for events to be held to foster a greater participa-tion of the membership and increase members' activity.We are attempting to follow the Sovereign GrandCommander's suggestion of following the I-C-E princi-ple. The two Fall Stated Meetings and the Fall Reunionare right around the corner. I am pleased to havesecured our junior Past C-I-C as the speaker for ourSeptember meeting. Ill. Bro. Ken Rinear, 33°, will be giv-ing a presentation on Famous 33rd Degree Freemasons- Prominent Leaders in Industry, Government, and theMilitary. It should be very enjoyable. On Dec 3rd, weare scheduled to make the annual trip out to theElizabethtown Village to visit with brethren from theValley, and hand out the Holiday gift baskets. The Lodge

of Perfection sponsors this event every year, it is alwaysa great time for us, and it is always very well receivedand much appreciated by the folks in Elizabethtown. Inthe Spring, we will be having our 2nd Annual ValleyEaster Egg Hunt, sponsored by the Lodge. We had agood first run last year, and we are looking to grow theevent this year. It is for all members and their childrenand/or grandchildren. As of right now, we are tentative-ly scheduled for the morning of Saturday, March 31st.As the date draws nearer and everything is finalized, wewill be sure to update everyone. If you are interested injoining us or helping out with either event, please feelfree to contact any Lodge officer. Lastly, we are also inthe works of seeing who would be interested, and tak-ing steps to organize a Valentine's Dance for membersand their ladies in Feb 2013. If anyone has any ideas asto an event they might like to see instituted, don't hesi-tate to suggest it to us. We would like to see nothingmore than everyone involved in the activities of theScottish Rite we all love.

Thank you,Best Fraternal Regards,Dwight D. Kondravy, 32°


It was great to see so many brothers back outfor the Valley of Allentown Family Picnic againthis year! Were you there? Did you bring yourfamily? If not, let me tell you that you weremissed and let me explain why you should besure to attend next year!

First, there were a wide variety of activities forthe children and grand-children of any age.There were games like bean-bags and ladder-ball, spin-art, skee-ball, horseshoes, and a moonbounce. I don’t believe that there was anytimewhen the moon bounce or the spin-art were notbeing used!

What woulda masonicevent be with-out food?!Our caterer,Cheryl Gruberand staff, didan amazingjob! She wasable to feedthe estimated300+ people who showed up for the event.Everyone had plenty of food and drink, and it wasall very well done! There were also yummy snackslike snow cones and cotton candy. And thanks toour new pavilion (the Arts Pavilion), we had enoughroom to accommodate everyone, with room leftover!

Once again we were able to raise money for thelearning cen-ter while hav-ing fun! Thedunk tankr a i s e db e t w e e n$700 and$1300 dollars(dependingon whetheror not you

include a couple of very generous competitors).There were many familiar faces in the tank, and Iwould like to thank them all for their humor and theirhumility. Thank you to Ill. Doug Robinson, 33º, KirkMuller, Ill. Stephen Gardner, 33º, PGM, Ill. Ronald

Norcross, 33º, Ill. Maurice “Bennie” Heater, 33º,Dwight Kondravy, and George Young. Also, thanksto everyone who donated money to attempt to sink

these brothers (whether you hit the target ornot!). There were also the usual raffles formany, many different prizes. Between theseseveral activities, we raised close to $2,000for the Learning Center!

There were more people helping with thepicnic this year than I can mention here.Almost every officer attended the picnic andhelped out. I do need to make a specialthanks to Dick Hontz and Gladys Hontz forreserving the park and all their help! Also a

special thank you to our Ill. Secretary, Larry G.Newhard, 33º for paying all the bills and the numer-ous millions of other things he did for the picnicbehind the scenes.

Thank youall for comingand sharingthe day withus. If youmissed it thisyear, makesure that youcan make itnext year! Inthe meantime,I am looking for several members to help me withdeveloping new and better ideas for next year. Ifyou think that you have some good ideas for nextyear’s picnic, please call the office and give yourname to the secretary; I’d be happy to have youhelp out on the picnic committee! Onceagain, thank you all for coming, and I hopethat you all will be able to join us next yearon August 4, 2012!

WHAT A PICNIC . . . by Brad R. Steigerwalt, 33°,Picnic Chairman


Fourth Annual Saturday with Santa December 10th, 9:00 AM to 12 Noon

The Fourth Annual Saturday with Santa will be held on Saturday December 10th at 9:00AM in the Moulson Room of the Scottish Rite Cathedral.

Members are encouraged to bring their children and grandchildren for a fun-filled morning featuring a variety of Christmas crafts and a visit with Santa and Mrs. Claus.

Breakfast and light refreshments will be available throughout the event.

As in past years, there will be a photographer taking complimentary

pictures of the children with Santa. Additional copies of photos will be available for purchase.

Please use the form below to make a reservation. There is only capacity for 75 children, so please reserve early to avoid disappointment.

This event is being planned by the Officers and Past Most Wise Masters of Bethlehem Chapter, Rose Croix.

We look forward to sharing the holiday spirit with you and your family!

Saturday with Santa Booking Form Your Name ____________________________________________________________

Phone No. ____________________________________________________________

Children’s Names ____________________________________________________________ Please mail your completed form to Valley of Allentown, 1533 West Hamilton Street, Allentown, PA 18102 by Friday December 2nd.


Ill. C. DeForrest Trexler, 33°, Grand Secretary General,accompanied by Ill. Norman L. Christensen, 33°, Deputyfor Wisconsin, represented the Northern MasonicJurisdiction in Moscow, Russia for the Celebration of the15th Anniversary of the Constitution of the SupremeCouncil of Russia during June 9-12, 2011. This was thefirst international gathering hosted by the SupremeCouncil of Russia and also the first visitation by ourSupreme Council to that jurisdiction.

Visit to the Kremlin Twenty-eight guests from twelve visiting jurisdictions

were entertained on Thursday evening by attending asuperb performance of Prokofiev’s ballet Romeo andJuliet at the Grand Kremlin Palace Theater. The follow-ing morning the guests were treated to a guided tour ofthe historic Kremlin grounds, church and state buildings,including a private tour of the impressive St. Vladimir, St.George, and St. Andrew Halls within the Great KremlinPalace, which generallyare not open to the pub-lic. Afterwards, the partyexperienced a lunch ofGeorgian regional spe-cialties at a local restau-rant. That evening, joinedby Sovereign GrandCommander AlexeiTrubetskoy and manymembers of the hostSupreme Council, theguests participated in aprivate dinner cruise onthe Moscow River. Food,libations, and fraternalconviviality were enjoyed in abundance, as well as spec-tacular twilight views of the Moscow skyline.

Supreme Council ConvenedAfter another round of sightseeing on Saturday morn-

ing, the Convent of the Supreme Council of Russia con-vened at 3:00 pm in the Library Room of Moscow’sPresident Hotel. In addition to Ill. Brothers Trexler andChristensen, representatives of the Supreme Councilsof the following jurisdictions, dressed in full regalia oftheir respective offices, were individually introduced andreceived in the body of the Convent: Finland, France,Germany, Greece, Italy, Latvia, Portugal, Romania,Serbia, Slovenia, and Turkey. A Moral Report was pre-sented on the development and current status ofFreemasonry in Russia, its place in culture and society,and the challenge “to make the fundamental principlesof tolerance and brotherly love common for the entireworld.” Remarks also were offered to the assembled

brethren by Russia Grand Master Andrei Bogdanov.The Supreme Council of Russia is actively pursuing

plans to constitute new supreme councils in Ukraine andBelarus. Scottish Rite brethren from both countries werepresent in the meeting.

Fraternal Greetings ExchangedParticularly effective remarks were offered by Ill.

Friedrich Wilhelm Schmidt, Past Sovereign GrandCommander of Germany, who alluded to the traumaticexperiences shared by both countries during the lastcentury and expressed hope that the fraternal good willthat permeated this gathering would be a harbinger of abetter and more harmonious future.

Ill. Brother Trexler conveyed fraternal greetings to ourRussian brethren on behalf of Sovereign GrandCommander John William McNaughton and theSupreme Council of the Northern Masonic Jurisdiction,assuring them of our gratification at their progress and

that “your success is ourjoy.” He also expressedappreciation for the warmhospitality and fraternalcourtesies extended dur-ing the current visit.

These remarks weresimultaneously translatedinto Russian for the bene-fit of the Russian brethrenin attendance.

Fraternal Hospitality The festivities culminat-

ed on Saturday eveningwith a Gala Dinner in theWhite Room of the

President Hotel. In keeping with Russian custom, glass-es were raised in an interminable number of toasts. Ill.Brothers Trexler and Christensen joined in the spirit ofthe occasion by proposing toasts to Russian-Americanfraternal amity.

Despite the relatively brief existence of the RussianSupreme Council, its members exuded fraternal enthu-siasm and, in the best Scottish Rite tradition, could notdo enough in looking after the welfare and comfort oftheir foreign guests. Ill. Todor Kostov, 33°, GrandSecretary General, and his wife Anna, were primarilyresponsible for the meticulous planning and manage-ment, as well as the warm hospitality, of the AnniversaryCelebration in Moscow.

It is of special note that Brother and Mrs. Kostov wereguests of the brethren and ladies of the Valley ofAllentown in Philadelphia during the 2010Annual Meeting of the Supreme Council, NMJ.

HISTORIC SCOTTISH RITE CELEBRATION IN MOSCOW

To all my Brethren,As I sit to pen

this message toyou, the LaborDay Festivities in

my household have come to a closeand my children are preparing toreturn to their second week ofschool. How quickly the summerhas passed us by as we enter theautumn of 2011. With the approachof this beautiful season, it alsobrings with it the time of the yearwhen we begin to prepare for ourValley’s Fall Reunion. As I workedto plan out this season’s reunion, Ihad many conversations with ournew Commander in Chief, Ill. Bro.Raymond B. Greer, 33°. Our discus-sions covered many different topicsrevolving around the reunion suchas how to keep in touch with theSovereign Grand Commander’sidea of ICE, continuing to includethose degrees that are not con-ferred often, as well as gettingthose brethren involved in the workwho continue to ask for parts. Inorder to assist me in achievingthese goals, I asked theCommander to afford me the timeto set these wheels in motion. Withhis approval, we look to have a full2 day reunion this November 5thand 12th. Within these 2 Saturdayswe look to do the following:

First, we plan on returning to a bitof traditionalism by conferring the4th degree live. The DVD versionwill be slightly retired for a time. I’vehad the pleasure of directing ourValley’s version of the 4th Degree inthe past and I can proudly boastthat I believe our live version com-pares quite strongly to the DVD. Inaddition, by conferring this degreelive, we have the opportunity to getmany of our brethren on stage toparticipate in degree work. TheValley has been very fortunate thatso many of you have been voicingyour enthusiasm to participate inthe work, but until now we have

been very limited on available partsin the degrees due to the specialschedules of the last few reunions.With the abundance of roles thisdegree contains, many brethrennew to the stage will get an oppor-tunity to take part in the conferral.

This reunion will indeed be a fulltwo days by all means. We havescheduled 11 degrees to be con-ferred in all. We will be doing thoserequired degrees, but will be con-ferring a few that we haven’t seenfor some time. On the agenda willinclude the 5th and 17th Degreeson the first Saturday. Also plannedwill be the 21st, 29th and 30thdegrees the following week. Someof these have not been seen for 10years and this is a great opportuni-ty to get out your Passport and getthese degrees stamped in yourbook.

There will also be a bit of a twistto an old favorite on the agenda thisyear. The Banquet scene of the16th Degree will be live duringlunch across the street at theScottish Rite Center. The cast willbe in full costume conferring thedegree amidst the brethren and wewill all participate in the conferral ofthe degree. This will be held on thefirst Saturday and I encourage thatwe fill the Scottish Rite Center insupport of our cast and candidates.

As we get closer to November,our schedule will begin to fill up withrehearsals in preparation of the twodays. We have a great deal of workahead of us and the stage crew,costume and make up departmentwill be extremely busy. We wel-come those volunteers to assist inany way. Please spread the wordamong our brethren, let’s fill theauditorium for these two days andmake our Fall Reunion a tremen-dous success.

Fraternally Yours, Ill. Todd R. Baringer, 33°Director of Work

Fall Reunion 2011SATURDAY, NOVEMBER 5, 2011

8:00 A.M. - CLASS ORIENTATION8:30 A.M. - OPEN MUHLENBERG LODGE

OF PERFECTION, 14ºDWIGHT D. KONDRAVY, 32º,THRICE POTENT MASTER

8:45 A.M. - PREFACE TO THE INEFFABLEDEGREES

9:00 A.M. - PRESENTATION OF THE 4º - DEGREECAPTAIN - ILL. TODD R. BARINGER, 33º

9:30 A.M. - RECESS9:45 A.M. - PRESENTATION OF THE 5º - DEGREE

CAPTAIN - RONALD C. DICKERT, 32°10:15 A.M. - RECESS10:30 A.M. - PRESENTATION OF THE 14º -

PRESENTED BY MUHLENBERGLODGE OF PERFECTION PASTTHRICE POTENT MASTERS - DEGREECAPTAIN - ILL. TODD R. BARINGER, 33º

11:20 A.M. - CLOSE MUHLENBERG LODGEOF PERFECTION, 14º

11:30 A.M. - OPEN LAFAYETTE COUNCIL, PRINCES OF JERUSALEM, 16ºGEORGE YOUNG, 32º,SOVEREIGN PRINCE

11:45 A.M. - PRESENTATION OF THE 16º -OPENING SCENE. DEGREE CAPTAIN,ILL. LLOYD D. PITTENGER, 33º

12:00 P.M. - LUNCH12:30 P.M. - PRESENTATION OF THE 16º -

BANQUET SCENE DURING LUNCH1:15 P.M. - CLOSE LAFAYETTE COUNCIL,

PRINCES OF JERUSALEM, 16º 1:30 P.M. - OPEN BETHLEHEM CHAPTER OF

ROSE CROIX, 18º - AARON R. WHITE,32º, MOST WISE MASTER

2:15 P.M. - PRESENTATION OF THE 17º - DEGREECAPTAIN - ILL. ARTHUR D. MOREY, 33º

3:00 P.M. - RECESS/TOUR OF BUILDING3:30 P.M. - PRESENTATION OF THE 18º -

PRESENTED BY BETHLEHEMCHAPTER OF ROSE CROIX PASTMOST WISE MASTERS - DEGREECAPTAIN - GEORGE B. HIXON, 32º

4:15 P.M. - CLOSE BETHLEHEM CHAPTEROF ROSE CROIX, 18º

SATURDAY, NOVEMBER 12, 20118:30 A.M. - CLASS ORIENTATION9:00 A.M. - OPEN LEHIGH CONSISTORY, S.P.R.S., 32º

ILL., RAYMOND B. GREER, 33º, COMMANDER-IN-CHIEF

9:30 A.M. - PRESENTATION OF THE 21° - DEGREECAPTAIN - KRAIG D. HESS, 32°

10:15 A.M. - RECESS10:45 A.M. - PRESENTATION OF THE 29º - DEGREE

CAPTAIN - ILL. BRUCE E. FOX, 33°11:30 A.M. - RECESS, CLASS PHOTO/GREET

SOVERIEGN GRAND COMMANDER12:00 P.M. - LUNCH

1:00 P.M. - PRESENTATION OF THE 30º DEGREE CAPTAIN –ILL. KENNETH G. RINEAR, 33º

1:45 P.M. - RECESS2:00 P.M. - RECEPTION OF CLASS HONOREE,

HONORED GUESTS AND VISITORS2:45 P.M. - RECESS3:00 P.M. - PRESENTATION OF THE 31º - DEGREE

CAPTAIN – ILL. GUY R. BIEBER, 33º3:45 P.M. - RECESS 4:00 P.M. - PRESENTATION OF THE 32º - DEGREE

CAPTAIN - ILL. RAYMOND B. GREER, COMMANDER-IN-CHIEF 33º

4:30 P.M. - CLOSE LEHIGH CONSISTORY, S.P.R.S., 32º


Director of the Work’s Message...


Two from Valley of Allentown receive M.S.A.The Pennsylvania Council of Deliberation’s Annual Meeting was held onJuly 8th and 9th, 2011 at the Seven Springs Resort, in Champion,Pennsylvania. The General Meeting of the Council convened at 1:00 P.M.on the 9th and was presided over by the Deputy for Pennsylvania,Illustrious William E. McCarrier, 33°. The Right Worshipful Grand Master,Illustrious Thomas K. Sturgeon, 33°, was the honored guest speaker. Healso addressed the brethren and ladies at the evening banquet. The M.S.A.Awards were presented during the banquet ceremony. Brother LawrenceF. Hilliard, 32°, a member of our Board of Trustees and our second recipi-ent, Brother Robert T. Hahn, 32°, who for over 15 years has served as theValleys’ photographer. After making the presentation of this year’sM.S.A. Awards, the Deputy announced the names of next year’srecipients that included from the Valley of Allentown, BrotherJohnathan R. Tobias, 32° and Brother Leroy E. Leibenguth, 32°.

THREE WERENOMINATED

TO RECEIVE THE 33°...Three brethren from the Valley of

Allentown were nominated to receivethe 33° next year in Cleveland, Ohio.

Congratulations to these worthybrethren who have been chosen for

their prominent service to our belovedScottish Rite or to their community.

Kraig D. HessGeorge B. Hixon

Bruce L. Castor, Jr.

My Brothers,As I begin my second year as Organist/Choir

Director for the Valley of Allentown I am honored to beinvolved with this Valley that has such a long-standinghistory of fine presentations of degree work offered atour Reunions. There is a tremendous amount of per-sonal preparation and dedication by our brothers tothat work evident every time the curtain goes up.

I have been involved with choirs both as a singerand director for almost 50 years. It was during thoseearly years singing in church choir that I developed mydeep love and respect for the organ. Over the years Ihave had the opportunity to play some of the largestand finest organs on the east coast. Often I am asked“how can anyone know how to operate all those knobsand buttons?”, and as I look at an organ I wonder thesame thing. Once I sit down at the console it’s as

though it becomes an extension of me. The organ andI become one.

The Valley Choir can have the same effect on you.There will always be an “audience” at our Reunions sit-ting behind the candidates. Instead, why not try sittingup in the balcony as a member of the choir? The seatsare great, and the brothers are both helpful and sup-portive. Rehearsals are few and the rewards are many.For more information contact me at (610) 845-0708 orthe Valley of Allentown office at (610) 433-3232. Don’tstand by and wonder “how is anyone able to do this?”Take the step. Become a member of our choir andbecome an active part of our Reunion tradition.

Fraternally, Ken Schneider, 32°Organist/ Choir DirectorValley of Allentown

Director of Music’s Message...

After fifteen years, excitement contin-ues to prevail at our Learning Center.Prior to our meeting of August 16, I spokewith Brother Steven Pekock, 32° Directorof Development at our Lexington HeadQuarters. He informed me that a one for

two (1 for 2) matching Grant was offered to the Valleyof Allentown’s Learning Center for up to $10,000.00.In other words, if we earn $20,000.00 in a selectedproject a sum of $10,000.00 would be given by ananonymous donor or Benefactor. This challenge hasbeen accepted by your Board of Governors.

Coincidental, odd or Devine guidance. Call it whatyou wish, but $20,000.00 was the exact sum thoughtto be attainable for this year’s main Fund Raiser, ourWalk-A-Thon, to be held October 16, 2011 at 12:30PM. Registration is $15 for adults and $5 for children.After the walk, join everyone for a chicken dinner. $15

for adults (half a chicken with all the fixin’s) and $8 forchildren (chicken fingers, fries, and more). For moreinformation call Brother George W. Young at 610-837-5177 (H) or 610-216-3081 (C) or email him [email protected](e-mail).

This total sum of $30,000.00 is almost half thesum that is needed annually for us to perpetuate thismeaningful Charity.

Through the combined efforts of both BrotherGeorge Young, Chairman and Ralph Desiderio (par-ent of a student in our program). We have teamed upwith the local newspaper “The Morning Call” as ourMain Sponsor for this year’s Walk-A-Thon.

Hopefully our Charity the “Children’s DyslexiaCenter” currently billed as one of the Valleys best keptsecret, won’t be anymore. So Mote it be.

Maurice “Benny” Heater, 33°Vice Chairman

Message for the Children’s Dyslexia Center of Allentown


Holland America Line’s m.s. Maasdam was built in 1993 with gross tonnageof 55,451 and carries a maximum of 1258 passengers. The regular cabinsare a nice size ranging in size from 185 to 290 square feet. She features aninterior motif that pays homage to the historical Dutch East an West Indiacompanies of the 17th through 19th centuries, the centerpiece of thiselegant ship features Luciano Vistosi’s “Totem,” a monumental sculptureusing nearly 2,000 glimmering pieces of glass, prominently displayed in asoaring three-story atrium.

PORTS OF CALL SAILING FROM FORT LAUDERDALE ARE:HALF MOON CAY, ST. CROIX, ST. KITTS, ST. VINCENT, BARBADOS,ST. LUCIA AND ST. MAARTEN

COST PER PERSON FOR CRUISE BASED ON DOUBLE OCCUPANCYINCLUDING PORT CHARGES AND GOVERNMENT FEES AND TAXES:Category “K” Inside stateroom on Main Deck ..................................$1290.93Category “EE” Outside stateroom on A Deck ....................................$1440.00Category “DD” Outside stateroom on Main Deck.............................$1560.93Category “C” Outside stateroom on Lower Promenade Deck ..........$1740.93

NOTE: OTHER CATEGORIES MAY BE AVAILABLEAir Fare is Separate and will quote best fare at time of booking.Please note: due to weather at this time of year we suggest that you arrivethe day prior to sailing. A block of rooms is being held at the Hampton InnSuites for the night of February 5 at the rate of $154.29 including continen-tal breakfast, tax, transfer from Fort Lauderdale Airport to the Hampton Innand transfer from the Hampton Inn to the Cruise Terminal.

Join Commander-in-Chief, Raymond B. Greer, 33°

11 Day Southern Caribbean CruiseM.S. Maasdam

February 6 – February 17, 2012

FOR INFORMATION CONTACTDOUG ROBINSON AT 215-752-1807

OR FOR RESERVATIONS AND MOREINFORMATION CONTACT:

MARY O’KEEFE FORRESTELO’KEEFE TRAVEL AGENCY, INC.

249 SECOND STREET PIKESOUTHAMPTON, PA 18966

TEL: 215-953-6900

Dear Brethren,

We are trying something new on our first reunion day Saturday,November 5th. We will have the Miller Blood Mobile stationed at theScottish Rite Center from 1:30pm through 5:30pm We are looking forblood donors to help earn a modest goal of 20! There is advancedregistration by calling the office at 610-433-3232. When you registerwe’ll provide you with information and a time slot for your donation.For each unit donated we’ll get a $10 donation from Grand Lodge,which will go toward our Children’s Dyslexia Center of Allentown.

Please won’t you help!

Valley UpcomingEvents...

October 2011:SATURDAY 1st .........Bucks Region - Oktoberfest - 6pmSUNDAY 2nd .............33rd Annual Dinner S.R.C. - 3pmTUESDAY 11th.............Valley Stated Meeting - 7:30pmSATURDAY 15th ...................Officers Seminar - 8:30amSUNDAY 16th...5K Walk Event for Dyslexia - 12:30pmTUESDAY 25th..............Executive Committee Meeting

7:30pmNovember 2011:SATURDAY 5th..................................2011 Fall ReunionSATURDAY 12th................................2011 Fall ReunionTUESDAY 15th ...................Newsletter article deadline

2011 winter issueTUESDAY 22nd .............Executive Committee Meeting

7:30pmDecember 2011:SATURDAY 5th .............Christmas Gift Basket Delivery

to our members in E-Town TUESDAY 6th...............Bucks Region General Meeting

6pmSATURDAY 10th...........4th Annual Saturday with Santa

9amFRIDAY 30th ............2011 Winter “Messenger” mailing


LEHIGH CONSISTORYVALLEY OF ALLENTOWNANCIENT ACCEPTED SCOTTISH RITE1533 HAMILTON STREETALLENTOWN, PA 18102

NON-PROFIT ORGANIZATIONU.S. POSTAGE PAID

PERMIT #199 - ALLENTOWN, PA

Called off from Labor . . . . . . May 16, 2011 - August 15, 2011

William Johnson Kibler

William August Wetterau

Edward Joseph McGee

Donald James Eckley

Stanley Peter Cordek

Kenneth Navarron Smith, Jr.

David Williams Crane

Simon Merbaum

Nelson Charles Moll

Maynard Harold Underkoffler

Woodrow Charles Neff

Leonard Antonio Juliani, M.S.A.

Kenneth Titus Wildonger

Willard George Bachman

Merritt K. Freeman, 33°

Edward Russell Long, Sr.

Richard Allen Clauser, 33°

Grant Wilson Roth

Jenkin Jones

Leon Stanley Christman

Louis Joseph Wisser

Merritt Harrison Bossard

James Vernon Pedano, M.S.A.

Raymond Anthony Rockovich

William Charles Dimler

Robert Gibson McKay

William Edward Bartholomew, Sr.

William Henry Heimbrook

Harold Harvey Dennison

Gene Walker Fickes

Wilbur Guilbert Person

James Gooden Irwin

David Snyder Leibgries, Jr.

John Stewart Brown

CHANGE OF ADDRESS

Name ___________________________

Address__________________________

City_____________________________

State ____________________________

Zip _____________________________Please return entire page including your old address.

Documents

Ill. Thomas R. Labagh, 33°, Class Honoree