M HONORING OUR VETERAN BROTHERS:
How Your Valley Can Help As Scottish Rite Freemasons, we care about and recognize the service and sacrifices the members of our armed services make. It is with heartfelt gratitude that we acknowledge and support these brave men and women. “As we express our gratitude, we must never forget that the highest appreciation is not to utter words but live by them.”—John F. Kennedy ! Supreme Council Veterans Committee
Robert J. Bateman, 33°, Chairman Russell W. Baker, 33° Philip R. Elliott, Jr., 33° Randall R. Milone, 33° James O. Dill, 33°
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Brethren,
it is for this reason the Supreme Council Veterans Committee is asking every Valley in the Northern Masonic Jurisdiction to form a Veterans Committee within your Valley if you do not already have one. We encourage you to appoint several veterans to serve on the committee. Following are just a few examples of ways in which our Valleys are honoring veterans to ensure they receive the recognition they so greatly deserve: The Valley of Youngstown has a Veterans Program where they gather on the Monday closest to Veterans Day and have dinner with several distinguished guests
portraying presidents Abraham Lincoln, George Washington, William McKinley, and others. The Valley also has a couple of their veteran members speak at the event to honor the occasion. In 2019, Sovereign Grand Commander Dave Glattly also presented Veterans Awards to approximately 30 Brothers. The Valley of Philadelphia’s Kilwinning Chapter of Rose Croix started a clothing drive in the spring of 2020, asking members to donate gently used business clothing in order to provide proper attire for veterans going on job interviews. The Most Wise Master’s garage became the collection site for eighteen suits, seven sports coats, 30 pairs of dress slacks, 36 dress shirts, and 40 neckties, which were donated to the Military Order of the Purple Heart. Also, the Valley of Philadelphia gave a $1,000 donation to the Veterans’ Member Center to support their job training and placement programs.
The Northern Light
