1. education
2. alumni and reunions

THE BILLBOARD
NOVEMBER 2014
For The Valley of Billings, Orient of Montana - serving Eastern Montana Scottish Rite Members
Special points of interest:
Message from PR
Bob Hanson 33°
Page 1
Message from VM
Chris Rubich 32° KCCH
Page 2
Message From Deputy in
Montana
David L. Nielsen 33°
Page 3
178th Reunion
Page 4
Officers 2014 Page 2
To The Celestial Lodge:
Richard G. Ingram
1921—2014
A FEW WORDS FROM YOUR PERSONAL REPRESENTATIVE
I want to thank the
membership
for
their decision to
purchase new wigs
and beards. As you
all know the old
ones were terrible.
We have needed
new beards and
wigs for a long !me. I think that it is
important to have nice looking and
realis!c looking a"re for the many
degrees that we put on twice a year.
Also the tablo will look so much more
realis!c when we do that in the spring.
the 7th and 8th. We have a large class
and we need to make it a reunion that
all of the candidates remember. I
would ask that every member of our
Sco!sh Rite come and spend some
"me with these new men. Bob Snow
said he would put on a hot breakfast
for the Men, Saturday morning in
Dinning room star!ng at around 7:00
AM, $5.00 a plate. How can you beat
that? It is sure nice to be able to have
a breakfast for our reunion. There will
be a dinner a"er the reunion also
everyone is invited to the dinner call
for reserva!ons please.
At our last dinner we had a pre#y full
house but I want to fill up our dining
room at this next dinner. We will have
the Sandy Rubich cookie jar event at
the December mee!ng and I know that
everyone will enjoy all the nice treats
that will be up for sale. If you would like
to make a jar for this event please feel
free to be crea!ve and have a lot of fun
making a jar. The program for the night
will be the Feast of Tishri, so all the
honor men in tux please. Bob Snow has
promised a great dinner and everyone
knows that he has never let us down
yet. Call the office now to make your
reserva!ons the date is November 5th,
6:30 dinner
What a wonderful !me with new men
joining our organiza!on and everyone
joining in to make it memorable for
all.
The lastly, I want to talk about is our
Reunion that is coming on November
1
Bob Hanson
Personal Representative
FALL REUNION
NOVEMBER
07th AND 8th
Message from The Venerable Master
The end of
October
already?
Tempus
fugit
I
guess.
October was
a big month
for the Billings Valley as we had
our Pumpkin Patch Banquet and
its associated events. I have
heard the Pumpkin Patch Party
on Friday went well as did the 1st
time ladies luncheon. I have not
heard on the banquet itself but
my thanks go out to the
Language Clinic Board for all its
work on these fundraisers.
Without these brothers we would
not be able to complete our
charitable responsibilities near as
well as we do.
The next major occurrence for
the Valley is the Fall Reunion
on November 7th and 8th. I
know the degree teams are
working hard to be ready for this
great event, I just returned from a
4th degree practice. We have 5
candidates already petitioned
and paid for this reunion, more
would be better and we can
accept petitions until the day of
the reunion.
Candidates are
important, degree teams are
important,
stage
crew
is
important,
but
the
most
important people are the
sideliners. To give a great show
for the candidates we need to
have as many brothers as
possible on the sideline. These
new brothers are joining our
organization and hoping to learn
from us. We cannot help them
with this goal unless there are
brothers on the sidelines to great
and help the new brothers.
Our November meeting is the
Feast of Tishri, for the Honormen
these means we get the honor and
privilege of wearing out tuxes,
for the other brothers same dress
code as usual. Given that we have the
Feast, we will try to keep things short
upstairs, a meeting is in the air
depending on how long the programs
go. I hope to see as many of you at
this great meeting as possible, it is one
of our two observances and the
brothers should do their best to be
present.
It may seem like forever away but
the December meeting is only
about 5 or 6 weeks away. This is
one of the biggest meetings of the
year as it is elections and then
installation of officers. I hope to
see as many brothers and ladies
present as possible to welcome in
the new slate of officers. As with
the last two years we will be having
the cookie jar raffle/auction at the
December meeting. This has been
a great fundraiser for the
Language Clinic Building Fund
and I hope this year will be better.
The cookie jars this years are being
handled by Patty Murphy. I would
like to give a huge thank you to
Patty for taking over this fundraiser
with the death of the previous
chair. In honor of its founder the
cookie jars have been renamed to
“Sandy’s Cookie Jar Raffle.” I
for one am greatly appreciative of
the name change to honor Mom
and I hope her idea of a fundraiser
can not only continue but grow to
help the Language Clinic in
perpetuity.
As brothers we have all professed
to be in search of light. What have
we done to search for this light?
Have we studied the ritual for
verbiage and meaning?
Have we
researched the meaning behind the
Scottish Rite degrees?
Have we
studied with the Knights of Saint
Andrew with their research? Have we
just given lip service to our statement
of interest in light? I would encourage
all the brothers to look for ways to not
only help the Valley, but help
themselves in the search for light.
Scottish Rite offers multiple ways to
increase in knowledge. There are the
2
LODGE OF PERFECTION
ELECTED OFFICERS
VM
Chris W. Rubich, 32° KCCH
Senior Warden Jason M. Smith, 32°
Junior Warden
Lewie C. Fletcher, 32° KCCH
Orator
Thomas V. Hornung, 32° KCCH
Almoner
David B. Bergeson, 33°
APPOINTED OFFICERS
Treasurer
David L. Armstrong, 33°
Secretary
Michael J. Welton, 32°
Prelate
Ronny Aasterud, 32°
MC
Sean McDuffee, 32°
Expert
Lindy Graves , 32°
Assistant Expert Charles Rubich, 32°
Capt. of the Host Nicholas A. Degel IV, 32°
Tyler
Jason Koehn, 32°
Organist
John O. Baber, 32° KCCH
CHAPTER OF ROSE CROIX
ELECTED OFFICERS
Wise Master
Jeffrey J. Dresch, 32° KCCH
Senior Warden Stephan A. Bradley, 32°
Junior Warden
Mark T. Olsen, 32°
Orator
COUNCIL OF KADOSH
ELECTED OFFICERS
Commander
Michael J. Welton, 32°
1st Lt. Commander Daniel E. Massey, 32°
2nd Lt. Commander Ronny C. Aasterud, 32°
Orator
Sean McDuffee, 32º
CONSISTORY
ELECTED OFFICERS
Master of Kadosh David B. Bergeson, 33°
Prior
John P. Wilson, Sr., 32°
Preceptor
Daniel E. Massey, 32°
Minister of State
three levels of the Master Craftsman
course studying Scottish Rite and
blue Lodge, there is also the Knights
of Saint Andrew which meets the 3rd
Wednesday of each month to discuss
the degrees. Aside from these there
are many ways to help out in the
Valley, I encourage everyone to find
a new way to participate. Have a
great remainder of the fall.
CHRIS
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THE RITE CORNER
DeMolays and Masons. Ed graduated to
became a law school professor and later the
Dean of the Law School.
While I was pursuing my career in Helena
and Ed in Missoula, our encounters were less
frequent. When we did see each other from
time to time, we each silently shared the
reminiscence of DeMolay.
“DeMolay Memories ”
David L. Nielsen, 33°
Deputy in Montana
One day, during the year I was serving as
Grand Master of Masons, I received a call
from an agent with the Federal Bureau of
Investigation. He had been given my name
and telephone number from the Grand
Secretary.
He told me Ed had been
nominated for a Presidential appointment to
federal position and he was doing a
background check. He said Ed belonged to
the Masons and needed to know if Masonry
was a subversive organization. Having
recently returned at that time from the 275 th
Anniversary of the Grand Lodge of
Massachusetts, I was fresh on the great
history that Masons played in the formation
of this country and our individual liberties
found in the Bill of Rights. I may have told
him that the only conspiracy that I knew
Masons participated in was the fight for
independence in 1775 and the establishment
of the United States Constitution in 1776.
To his surprise I remarked that the first
Director of the Federal Bureau of
Investigation, J. Edgar Hoover, was a Mason
and especially a 33° Scottish Rite Mason.
He was interested in this explanation of the
nature of Masonry. I never did ask if Ed got
the appointment but I certainly hope so.
I recently had the honor of attending the
Grand Banquet for the Montana Masonic
Youth Convention, which was a
combined event of State DeMolay and
Job’s Daughters, and bringing greetings
from the Orient of Montana, A&ASR.
The convention had the trappings of the
old DeMolay Conclaves that I attended
as an active DeMolay but included a
concurrent statewide meeting of the four
Montana Bethels for Job’s Daughters. The message I left with the DeMolays and
The young men were handsome and the Jobies was that the brothers and sisters they
young ladies lovely.
meet in their respective organizations will
always have a special bond that endures over
The youthful energy from the DeMolays time. Though Masons and Scottish Rite
and Jobies was exciting just to be in their brothers know this is true, I wanted to
presence. The night triggered memories reassure the DeMolays and Jobies that it is
of my personal experiences as a Montana equally so with them.
DeMolay and the brothers that I met then
and
encountered
later
in
life. I was chagrined that I have not visited a
Particularly I recalled Ed Eck, who was DeMolay chapter in years but with this
from Lewistown and the son of a recent renewal of DeMolay excitement, I
pharmacist.
Ed was State Master plan to change that. I suggest that we
Councilor in 1966. Ed was a little older all make time to visit a DeMolay
than me and after his term as State
Chapter, a Rainbow Assembly,
Master Councilor, I did not run across
his path until I entered Law School at the and a Job’s Daughter Bethel. It will
University of Montana. There was Ed in be a rewarding experience for us and for
the class ahead of mine. He was the them.
same patient, gentle, thoughtful man that
I remembered from years before.
Though we had not seen each other since
DeMolay days we still shared that
special bond of the brotherhood being
3
MEMBERSHIP:
Contact information
Michael J. Welton 32°
[email protected]
259-6683
2014—86 Members Past Due
This equals to over $11K
ARE YOU PAST DUE
2015 Cards are now
in the Office
You can pay online or drop off
at the office/mail in
MIC’S PICKS
Extract from
“Masonic Prayers
and Graces’
By Revd Neville Barker Cryer
Nr. 56 page 24
For another Raising occasion:
Falling leaves is a time we know
Of mellow fruitfulness
Our Brother’s at fruition now,
A Master Mason, he’s become, no
less.
We hope in time he surely may
Further progression in Masonry
make
To Chapter, Knight Templar or Royal Arch
It’s up to him his choice to take.
Lord, pray, bless him, and this our
food,
As we meet here to dine,
May we recall the absent, Lord
At his full autumn time.
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REUNION
NEW WIGS and BEARDS:
The Executive Committee has
passed a motion to replace all the
VERY OLD wigs and beards.
7th and 8th
November 2014
SCHEDULE OF DEGREES
Friday - November 07st, 2014
6:00 P.M.-Class Roll Call & Instruction
6:30 P.M.-Fourth Degree
Secret Master:
The Fourth Degree teaches us to be
careful, to watch over ourselves and
those bound to us by virtue’s ties, to
practice virtue; shun vice; and place a
sentinel at our lips.
Degree Chairman :
Christopher W. Rubich, 32°
7:00 P.M. Fifth, Sixth, Seventh
Communicated.
Board President and Treasurer
model a new wig and beard.
7:30 P.M. - Eight, Ninth, Tenth,
Eleventh, Twelfth & Thirteenth
Degrees: Communicated
8:00 P.M. - Fourteenth Degree Perfect Elu:
Degree Chairman :
E. William Murphy, Jr.,32° KCCH
9:00 P.M. – Fifteenth, Sixteenth and
Seventeenth Degrees : Communicated
Saturday – November 8th
7:00 –8:15A.M. Hot Breakfast
8:30 A.M. - Class
178th Reunion
Memory of to
Floyd V. “Creeky” Creekmore
1916– 2014
Come help support our five
candidates: Dave Schantz; Pete
Boothroyd; Erik Zalenski; Corb
Strommen; and Steve LaFurge.
Roll Call.
8:45 A.M. - Eighteenth Degree
Knights of the Rose Croix:
The Eighteenth Degree teaches us, by
the mystic ladder, the three principal
rounds of which are , FAITH, HOPE,
and CHARITY, the aspirant may surely
hope to arrive in due time at the
Celestial Lodge above, and find joy in
the presence of the GRAND MASTER
OF THE UNIVERSE.
Degree Chairman :
David L. Armstrong, 33°
to perpetuate the memory of the notable
architects who felled and prepared the
cedars of Lebanon for the Temple of
Solomon.
Degree Chairman :
Gordon W. Lockwood, 33°
11:20 A.M. - Twenty-third, twentyforth, twenty-fifth, twenty sixth, twentyseventh, twenty-eighth and twenty-ninth
degrees Communicated.
12:00 – Noon,
Lunch.
1:00 P.M. - Thirtieth Degree Knight
Kadosh:
The Thirtieth Degree teaches us the SACRED
KNIGHT (the work “Kadosh” signifying
“Sacred”) stands apart from all sects, is free
from ambition; opens his arm to all men, and
has no enemies save vice, fanaticism and
superstition.
Degree Chairman:
Stephen R. Hanser, 32° KCCH
2:15 P.M. - Thirty First Degree
Communicated:
2:30 P.M. - Thirty-second Degree
Master of the Royal Secret:
The Thirty-second Degree teaches us that the
true mysteries of religion have been preserved
by the Masonic Fraternity; and that opposition
to bigotry, superstition, and all the passions and
vices which disgrace human nature is the prime
duty of every Scottish Rite Mason.
Degree Chairman :
Stephen D. Marsh, 33°
Banquet:
6:30 PM Ladies are invited.
10:15 A.M. – Nineteenth, twentieth
and twenty-first degrees
Communicated
10:30 A.M. - Twenty-second Degree
Knight Royal Axe or Prince of
Libanus:
The Twenty-second Degree teaches us
4
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SCOTTISH RITE LANGUAGE
CLINIC
www.ritecarebillings.org
Greetings everyone, our fund
raiser has concluded and due to
all the effort from many we have
done very well. Following is a breakout of funds received to date.
365 Club $3367 from 9 Brothers plus a partial from another.
Banquet
Live Auction $4575, Ticket Sales $6903 less materials
Donations $8454 less flyer costs
Silent Auction $2580
Banquet costs to date -$4529.30
Ladies Luncheon $2632
Pumpkins for Kids after all costs $163.33
Total for all activities
currently $$24,827.13
Masonic Riddles
Festive Board
Q. What did the Junior Warden say when the
Steward was about to serve double helpings at
the Festive Board.
A. Halve it and begin.
Finders Keepers
Q. Where do you find Freemasons?
A. It depends where you lost them.
Freemason or Not?
Q. When is a Freemason not a Freemason?
A. When advancing to the East in the Second
Degree, he turns into a winding staircase.
Language charity fundraiser
I would like to thank all of the Volunteers, Sponsors, and every one who
helped make our banquet, ladies
luncheon and our pumpkins for kids a
success
You made all the work worth while
The tally is not in yet but I think we
can give ourselves a pat on the back
for raising a lot of money for the kids
We have got it started again.
We can do better next year
Thank you
Bill Lewis
The Knights of St. Andrew
3rd Wednesday 6 PM at the Rite.
$20 for Life Membership.
——————————
Building Kitchen Fund
Sean did an outstanding job on the 13th
Degree.
Association Loan: PAID IN FULL
Thank you to all the Brothers and Families
that donated to the cause. After the Insurance payments were received and all your contributions the fund
looks good. Thanks to a special significant donation the fund is
now in the black.
The account has been reconciled back to day one with a little surprise in finding more moneys that were tagged for this fund and
not included in current balance.
Current Balance: $5,985.69
Thank you to those who have Donated over the years
5
Next meeting is 19 November at 6
PM and the 14th Degree will presented.
All Black Hats are encouraged to
join. This is a gathering of Brothers,
not a rigid course of instruction.
Learning and Service to the Rite is
our goal.
Magic City Chapter just finished an exciting weekend of Ritual, competitions, fun, and
Brotherhood. Four young men and three advisors represented Magic City Chapter. We
came together with DeMolay’s and Job’s Daughters from around the state and a few out
of state visitors for the first Montana Masonic Youth Convention Great Falls Montana.
This was the first event of its kind and a mass amount of work was completed. We
participated in ritual competitions, conducted candidates through the initiation
ceremonies, assisted in performing the Legion of Honor and Majority Ceremonies.
Escorted the Montana Miss Job’s Daughters Contestants during
their Pageant. Finally, held vital, but long and passionate
Magic City Chapter Order of discussions on bylaws for Montana DeMolay, had some fun and
DeMolay
got very little sleep.
Master Councilor - Cole Obrist-Peabody
Senior Councilor
- Stephen Rea
Junior Councilor
- Madison Dickey
Senior Deacon
- Conner Dove
Junior Deacon
- Izaiah Long
Senior Steward
- Zakkary Winch
Junior Steward
- Paul Alverez
Chaplain/Marshal
- Aydin Abel
Chapter Advisor,
Brother Dan Massey, 32o . (406) 206-0337
During the weekend, I really noticed how well behaved these
young men and women were, how well they jelled and rallied
together to get things done. There were visitors from Canada and
Missouri. They quickly melted into the sea of participants were
doing ritual or judging or just cleaning up. It was just a really
good sight to see. The other thing that I noticed was how much
people changed and grown over the last few years. I know that
massive changes occur during the teen years, however, the
strength, leadership, and poise shown by these young men and
women is just inspiring.
On the home front, Magic City Chapter has a few candidates for
the future and the boys are motivated after such an awesome weekend. We are going to the Corn Maze
before Halloween, are going to participate in the Holiday Parade, and have Obligatory days scheduled over
the next few months. As always, if you have any questions about DeMolay or know of a young man that
would be good for DeMolay, please contact me.
Thanks,
Dan Massey
Chapter Dad
Help us find young men for our adults to be advisors.
13 November 2014
7:00 PM
At the Scottish Rite
Formal Meeting
Officer Installation
AMBASSADOR Corner
178th Fall Reunion
7th and 8th of
November
Brothers now is the time to get
your petitions into the office.
Once I receive a petition with
$150 application fee, I will send
you a copy of the Bridge to Light
so you can better understand what
will be presented with in the short
evening and a day of information
better known as the 29 degrees of
the Scottish Rite.
Michael J. Welton
Billings Scottish Rite Secretary
Come support your DeMolay
6
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MEAL MENU
BY RED FEZ CATERING
CONTRIBUTIONS
Chicken Wild Rice Soup
Center Cut Grilled Pork Chops
With Apple Sauce
MANY THANKS TO THOSE WHO
CONTRIBUTE TO
SCOTTISH RITE PROGRAMS
Sage Dressing
Home Fried Potatoes
Scottish Rite Language Clinic
General Fund
Jerry Hoffman
In Memory of Edna Hein
Clarence Hein
Banquet Sponsor Donation
Hanson Chemical Inc
Billings School District #2
Charles L. Fred Irrevocable Trust
Relishes
This is
REAL
VOLUNTEERS
NEEDED
BUILDING
REPAIR
MANAGER
DEGREE
TEAMS
STAGE CREW
Rolls with Butter
Pumpkin Pie
With Whipped Cream
ONE
AMBASADOR
FOR EACH
BLUE LODGE
Language Clinic Endowment Fund
In Memory Esther Weinand
Jack & Charlene Humphrey
Transportation Van
None
Building/Kitchen Fund Raiser
None
RESERVATIONS REQUIRED
259-6683
MAKE OR CANCEL
By MONDAY AT 10:30 AM
before Dinner
WE HAVE TO PAY
FOR ALL RESERVATIONS
YOU MAKE
THANK YOU
“Koffee
Klatch”
7:30 AM to 9
MEAL PRICE NOW
$11.00
NO SHOWS WILL BE
No reservations
needed,
just show up.
BILLED
AM
Just a $1.00
Due to Reunion on the
8th Breakfast will be at
the Rite in the Dinning
room.
7:00-8:15 AM
$5.00 per Plate
Every
Thursday
Breakfast.
08 November
If not Cancelled by 10 AM
The Monday before
7
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U.S. Postage Paid
Non Profit Org
Billings, MT
Permit No. 724
Billings Scottish Rite Bodies
514 14th Street West
Billings, MT 59102-5216
Tel: (406) 259-6683
Fax: (406) 256-0695
PR:
[email protected]
PR:
[email protected]
SEC: : [email protected]
Return Service Requested
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Need to Know Information
CALENDAR OF EVENTS
Times: 6:00
6:30
7:30
7:30
PM Executive Meeting
PM Meal
PM Stated Meeting/Program
AM Monthly Breakfast
05 Nov Feast of Thishri—Ladies Welcome
Prog: Deacon David Kenat—Speaker
Lodge of Perfection
Venerable Master
Chris Rubich
01 Nov
Shoe Fitting 8-11 AM
08 Nov
Breakfast at Scottish Rite 7:00 AM
19 Nov
Knights of St Andrew 15th Degree
Chapter of Rose Croix
Wise Master
Jeffery J. Dresch 32°KCCH
Council of Kadosh
Commander
Michael J. Welton, 32°
7th/8th Nov
Master of Kadosh
David B. Bergeson 33°
178th Fall 2014 Reunion
03 Dec
Stated Meeting, Officer Election & Install
Program: Officer Installation
At Dinner—Sandy’s Cookie Jar Raffle.”
13 Dec
Breakfast at Western Emporium on King
Consistory
REUNION 7TH & 8TH
8
Visit the Supreme Council
www.scottishrite.org
1733 16th Street, NW, in
Washington, D.C.