Harrisburg Whodunnit

by PJ Roup, 33˚, Editor, Active for Pennsylvania

In October, the Valley of Harrisburg transformed into a speakeasy for their Roaring ‘20s Murder Mystery Dinner Theater Night. Five actors and a production manager from Without a Cue Productions performed their whodunnit, “Dead Men Don’t Speakeasy,” for a crowd of over 130 costumed members and their guests, including Ill. Bro. Larry Derr, the Right Worshipful Deputy Grand Master of the Grand Lodge of Pennsylvania, and Ill. Bro. Thomas R. Labagh, Active Member of the Supreme Council, assigned to the Valley of Harrisburg. The surprise “murder victim” was “Mr. Big”—Ill. Bro. Paul Mummert, Director of Work for the Valley. It took several months to plan and get all the pieces in place, but it was a rousing success. Lynn “Bud” Baker, 33°, Commander in Chief, reports that it’s just one of the many events that the Valley has planned in an effort to showcase the value of Scottish Rite membership. “Upcoming events include a Valentine’s Day Dinner and Dance, a Chicken BBQ and Cigar Smoker with entertainment, and a Seafood Feast,” he said. “In March and October, we have scheduled a Bingo & Buffet hosted by Rose Croix and the Princes of Jerusalem.”

Earlier bingo events spontaneously led to a ladies’ group, meeting monthly at the Valley. “It started with about eight ladies getting together to make the bingo prizes better,” said Baker. “Last month, they had around 30 ladies, and more will be there this month. They have food and drinks and a lot of fun with each other.”

All of this activity has led to a significant uptick in attendance. “We feel if you give the Brethren value for their membership, they will come to the events and meetings.” The results are undeniable. Several Brothers attended their first Scottish Rite meeting specifically because of the social activities. “We have even had Brothers come who have not been to a Stated Meeting for over 30 years, so I think things are working,” commented Baker, who also noted that when he asked one of these prodigal Brothers what brought them out, the response was, “My wife wanted to attend the ladies gathering, so I didn’t have a choice!”

“The Commander in Chief has also empowered the officers to add educational programs of value to the Stated Meetings, and moved the meetings from a forum-style setting into a lodge room setting where everyone is comfortable with the decorum and traditions of Masonic meetings. It makes for a more pleasant Fraternal experience,” said Active Member Labagh. “Ill. Bro. Baker has not been afraid to make changes to longestablished traditions in the Valley to achieve his goal of making the Valley of Harrisburg a more welcoming, fun, and nurturing environment. He has eliminated many of the repetitive and mundane practices of the past to provide more valuable use of time at meetings and Reunions.”

There’s no mystery here. With a little bit of creativity, any Valley can reinvigorate their membership with fun and exciting social activities and a new look at the way they traditionally operate. The Valley of Excellence program has also been a motivating factor. Having won this distinction for two consecutive years, change was necessary for the Valley to excel further and meet more stringent requirements. The Valley of Harrisburg is evolving in a very positive way, and when asked, “Whodunnit?” Brother Baker is quick to say that, “We’re all working together to give the members what they want from the Fraternity.”