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VOL. 1, Issue 3

February 2022

Scottish Rite

The Ashlar

Valley of Columbus, Orient of Georgia

Serving Scottish Rite Masons in the Chattahoochee Valley

Personal Representative's Message

Joseph F. Oelgoetz

32° KCCH

colpr@gascottishrite.org

Personal Representative

to the SGIG

Brethren,

I hope this note finds you and yours happy and well. I thank all those Brethren who have participated and supported the Valley with their presence at our Lodge of Perfection meetings on the third Friday of each month. Your attendance is so very welcome. I thank you, for your support, from the bottom of my heart. For those that have not attended in recent months, I invite you to join us for fellowship, to share bread together, and to enjoy the programs that will be presented at each meeting.

We enjoyed our annual Robert Burns Festive Board during our January gathering. Those in attendance were treated to a great steak dinner with all the trimmings, a recitation of Brother Burns’ history given by Honorable Brother Harry Ross (Past Commander of the Knights of Saint Andrew), a delivery of the Toast to the Haggas by Brother Jonas Barlow (Commander of the Knights of Saint Andrew), and several toasts to God, Country, Masonry, and the Scottish Bard, himself.

We also recognized Honorable Brother Ron Provencher, 32 KCCH with his patent from Supreme Council, Holly Shaw with a Lady Honey Bee award for her support, and Double Eagle Award Recognition. Did you know that with your attendance and participation in our Scottish Rite events, that you gain Double Eagle Award points. Another reason to come and participate here in the “Valley”.

Hold the third Friday in January – January 20, 2023 – for next year’s Robert Burn’s Festive Board. I big Thank You goes to the Knights of Saint Andrew who put on this event.

All Black Caps should consider joining the Scottish Rite, Valley of Columbus’ Knights of Saint Andrew Chapter. The objective of this organization is to provide leadership, fellowship and service opportunities to our 32 Brethren who currently wear the Black Cap. Membership is only open to our Black Cap brethren, and they can only hold office in the chapter. Red and White Cap brethren can be elected by the Chapter to become honorary members, but cannot hold office. The Chapter holds two meetings during our Lodge of Perfection: The Robert Burns Festive Board in January; and the Knighting Ceremony and Installation of Officers in June. Our Tartan is the Black Stewart, and several Knights wear their kilt featuring the tartan of the Chapter. If you are interested in becoming a Knight, please contact either the Commander: Brother Jonas Barlow; or the General Secretary: Honorable Brother Roger Buterbaugh. There is a Knighting Fee which covers the cost of several items that you would wear to designate you as a Knight. There are no annual dues. Please consider joining and have fun in providing support to the Valley with your service as a Knight and fellowship with like-minded Brothers.

This month’s Lodge of Perfection meeting will feature Chief of the Fire Department of Columbus as our guest speaker. Prior to the program we will enjoy a great meal together for an opportunity for fellowship. Your lady is our guest. Please invite your Lodge Brethren to introduce them to the Scottish Rite.

We were pleased to meet with our RiteCare partner, The Autism Learning Center of Columbus, on January 17th, to provide them with their first quarter RiteCare grant. We were given a tour of the facility and discussed how the Valley can provide further assistance. Additionally, the Director, Nichole Hilmes agreed to provide an update to our membership at the March Lodge of Perfection meeting. In attendance were Honorable Brother Torrey Knight, 32 KCCH, Venerable Master, Illustrious Brother Phil Harris 33, Chairman of the Executive Committee & RiteCare Chairman, Illustrious Brother John Ohrt, 33, and myself. It is incredible work that our RiteCare partner do for children with Autism in our community. As Scottish Rite members, you can be proud in your support of such a worthy RiteCare partner as The Autism Learning Center of Columbus.

Please consider participating in the Scottish Rite, Valley of Columbus. We have great plans to meet the needs of our membership and require support from our brethren to carry out these plans. Consider joining a committee, work on the stage crew, do a part on one of our Degrees, or simply attend our monthly Lodge of Perfection meetings. Your presence will always be welcome.

Warmest Fraternal Regards, Joe

Joseph F. Oelgoetz III, 32° KCCH

Personal Representative to the

Sovereign Grand Inspector General of the

Orient of Georgia

Key Notes from the Valley

Scottish Rite Valley of Columbus - 2022 Officers

Lodge of Perfection

Venerable Master Torrey Knight, 32^o, KCCH
Senior Warden Baron Conklin, 32^o, KCCH
Junior Warden Roger Buterbaugh, 32^o, KCCH
Master of Ceremonies Rossi Ross, 32o, KCCH
Expert Bob Lyon, 32^o, KCCH
Assistant Expert Ditmar Chavez, 32^o, KCCH
Captain of the Host Russell Ward, 32^o
Prelate Dennis Buchanan, 32^o
Tyler Scott Lavelle, 32^o

Chapter Knights Rose Croix

Wise Master John Ohrt, 33^o
Senior Warden Rossie Ross, 32^o, KCCH
Junior Warden Bill Block, 32^o, KCCH
Master of Ceremonies Scott Lavelle, 32^o
Expert Torrey Knight, 32^o, KCCH
Standard Bearer Jonas Barlow, 32^o
Guardian of the Temple Larry Cox, 32^o, KCCH
Tyler Richard Luna, 32^o

Council of Kadosh

Commander Bob Lyon, 32^o, KCCH
1^st Lt Commander Tony McCool, 32^o, KCCH
2d Lt Commander Ed Lynch, 32^o, KCCH
Chancellor Harold Culpepper, 32^o, KCCH
Master of Ceremonies Ron Provencher, 32^o, KCCH
Tercopiller Jonas Barlow, 32^o
Draper Bayardo Reyes, 32^o
Junior Deacon Bill Buffton, 32^o, KCCH
Bearer of the Black Stand Mark Stillwell, 32^o
Bearer of the White Stand Brian Pierce, 32^o
Lt of the Guard Jacob Robideaux, 32^o

Consistory

Master of Kadosh Sidney Cooley, 32^o, KCCH
Prior Roger Buterbaugh, 32^o, KCCH
Preceptor Harry Ross, 32^o, KCCH
Chancellor Russell Ward, 32^o
Minister of State Bayardo Reyes, 32^o
Prelate Phillip Jones, 32^o
Master of Ceremonies Torrey Knight, 32^o, KCCH
Expert Ed Lynch, 32^o, KCCH
Assistant Expert Tony McCool, 32^o, KCCH
Captain of the Guard Matthew Dewinter, 32^o
Steward John Adams, 32^o

Venerable Master

Comments

Dear Brethren of the Valley of Columbus,

In January, we were treated to another Burns Night. This is an annual program hosted by the Knights of St. Andrew and it celebrates the life of the great Scottish bard Robert Burns. We express our appreciation to the Knights for another successful program.

This month the Valley will have a special guest from the Columbus Consolidated Government. We have invited the Fire Martial, John Shull to be our guest and speaker. Please come out and support the Valley and hear what should be an informative talk from the Fire Martial.

The March program tentatively will feature a program from the Masonic Youth in Columbus. We have a commitment from the Rainbow Assembly to do two short lectures: the Rose Talk and the White Leather Apron lecture. These are Rainbow Ceremonies and very impressive to witness. We also hope to have representatives from DeMolay present to present their ceremonies. We also look forward to having the Autism Learning Center representatives present to give us an update on our partnership with them.

Brethren, please remember that except for a few meetings, our programs are open to your wives and family members. Also, invite a friend or colleague and spread the word of the good works we are implementing here in our Valley. It was Albert Pike who said, “What we have done for ourselves alone dies with us; what we have done for others and the world remains and is immortal.” I remain…

Fraternally yours,

Torrey Knight, 32° KCCH

Venerable Master

Valley of Columbus

Torrey Knight, 32° KCCH

Roger Buterbaugh, 32° KCCH

General Secretary

Comments

Brethren, we are working hard to collect the 2022 dues from those who have not yet paid. It's especially important that we collect all outstanding dues now (they were due no later than December 31, 2021). A new roof on the Scottish Rite Center, property insurance, and paying per capita to the Supreme Council, along with other obligations, have left our coffer a little lower than we would like for it to be. Receiving dues that are still outstanding will place us in a more viable financial status.

There have been a few instances when we reminded a Brother that he has not paid his 2022 dues and his response is, "I must have - I have my 2022 dues card". Having a 2022 dues card does not mean you have paid your dues! Last fall the Supreme Council sent out the dues notices and 2022 cards together to members of the Valley of Columbus. The letter included says that they are sending the dues card in good faith that the Brother will pay his dues. We have found that some are putting the dues card in their wallet without reading the letter or dues notice. Then when we remind them that their dues are due, they say they don't because they have a valid dues card. If you get a phone call or e-mail from us, that means you have not yet paid your dues regardless as to whether or not you have a 2022 dues card. If you are unsure or have a question, contact me at (706)322-3091 or at colsec@gascottishrite.org.

Bottom line, please pay your dues so that the Valley of Columbus will remain financially strong.

Fraternally yours,

Roger Buterbaugh, 32° KCCH

General Secretary

Valley of Columbus

THE SCHOLARSHIP APPLICATION PORTAL OF THE SCOTTISH RITE FOUNDATION OF GEORGIA IS OPEN…

The Scottish Rite Foundation of Georgia, Inc. was established August 26, 1980. Its purpose is to give financial aid to gifted Georgia students and provide funding for Georgia RiteCare speech and language disability clinics for children. The Foundation supports the charitable efforts of Georgia's Scottish Rite Freemasons.

Scholarship Application

College of Freemasonry

Solomon’s Masonic Learning (SML)

SML is a virtual learning environment developed by the Solomon Lodge #822 Education Committee to assist the Master with instructing the Brethren in all areas of Masonic education. Using the Zoom platform, the Education Committee coordinates and schedule Masonic learning presentations and when available, guest speakers, all in a virtual setting. While the time may not always be ideal for Georgia Masons, Valley of Columbus members are always welcome to attend when their cable-tow allows. The next scheduled session is Thursday, 10 February 2022 at 1430 EST. To attend please register at the button provided here. After registering and host approval, you will receive a confirmation email with the Zoom details for joining the session. You can also visit us at www.sml822.com, (be sure to review the 2022 Schedule). Session readahead for the February session corresponds with the College of Freemasonry articles listed in this issue of The Ashlar.

Understanding Logic

What is Logic.mp4

What is Logic?

This video explains: deduction, abstraction, law of non contradiction & syllogisms. (video source)_______________________________________

Speculative Freemasonry (Reason and Nature)

By Brother Hector N. Mujica, 32°, KCCH, Valley of Alexandria, Orient of Virginia, February 2013

Reason is to me and many other Speculative Freemasons the capstone in the pyramid of ideas, which we may describe as the “Search for MORE Light”. It is to many of us the foundation to the never-ending quest we are set in the search for knowledge, the search for the empirical truth of our nature and the search for Enlightenment of our minds.

Reason as a process of thinking and as it is used by a Freemason becomes a key to understand our surrounding Universe. We use reason in addition to our acquired knowledge of nature in addition to the current studies of the natural processes in our Universe - it is, as I say used by many of us, as a tool to seek truth and intellectual Enlightenment.

As we add and apply this tool to the appropriate use of all scientific findings, we may accept or reject the formulation of theories, and we make use of the foundations of a logic-thinking pattern. To me these concepts are without a doubt some of Freemasonry most critical components, and we used them in understanding the Craft. These foundations – seeking knowledge - many scholars will argue are the primordial building blocks of our Order; we as Freemasons must acknowledge these time tested key principles of the human intellect, as we continue searching for more Light.

As I dwell in the implications that the acquire knowledge of nature that Science as provided us, using basic Logical thinking elements, and using reason as a process, with all the implications attached to it, and connecting these to the multiple freemasonic concepts learned by us, I shall discover new paths leading me to a better understanding of many esoteric Masonic components, thus helping us – me and my Brothers – to comprehend the principles and landmarks of the Craft.

In our limited understanding of the universal forces that govern nature, we make great efforts in the attempt to comprehend our true nature and our human existence in time and space. Thus, once we dwell into this intellectual arena, while using Reason we cannot ignore the questions that will arise in any inquisitive mind. We come suddenly to the realization that we have created ourselves an intellectual conflict - inherently bound to happen - as we process all the acquired knowledge and our own set of acquired beliefs.

This conflict is that of being the concept of reason per se - as it is universally understood - and as we are supposed to use it as Freemasons, and the “imposed or dictated” believes and dogmas of multiple doctrines we find in our society, which presented to us as truth by so many institutions.

If we are given time to process and think about these doctrines, each one of us develops a conceptualization about critical issues such as faith, morality, ethics, about concepts of deity and about concepts of religion.

We find ourselves in this “conundrum” when we think about any type of driven belief, which involves any of the hundreds of religions, faith and multiple deities that we humans have created through the history of mankind. Because without a doubt, different cultures through the history of mankind and in the eons of time of human existence, have created all those religions and deities to satisfy the hungry need of a faith that we humans have.

Studying our Freemasonic landmarks, and our learned philosophical principles, I came to realize that any of these religions and their gods and their multiple concepts, shall and must be the inherently reserved right of every person’s mental and spiritual “decision making process” and thus it is his choice while using his free intellect.

By using these words I express my most solid conviction of the freethinking philosophy that is underpinning this short presentation, and I happen to believe this freethinking it is one of the key principles of Speculative Freemasonry. As I found it is necessary to establish a priori, that in my mind, any divine revelation, any miracle or divine intervention and any religious dogma must never be part of the Freemasonic creed.

I furthermore dare to postulate, that it is possible this could be the explanation of why, in the Book of Constitutions, as well as in our worldwide fundamental landmarks of our Freemasonic order; it is demanded of us not to ever promote, question, discuss or criticize any of the religious belief of a brother, nor exert or influence in any form a brother thinking process with respect to religion, while inside our Temples.

Once these fundamental thinking principles are understood and are used with wisdom, we could come to realize and discover that by using Reason as a foundation, adding logic in the processing of concepts, basing our understanding in all scientific knowledge, Mathematical and Geometric concepts, we as Freemasons may now really search for more Light.

Light which in turn will guide us to the concept of truth thus we may seek deeper understanding, and while in the process acquiring more knowledge. That is how, I have found the path to intellectual freedom and with it arriving, as a result of thinking freely, I discover one more of the so called “Freemasonic Secrets” which in my mind it is – That we must always liberate the intellect and the human spirit by allowing the mind to explore and seek new knowledge.

Our Order has eclectically selected and adopted allegories, used representations, and has imparted accumulated knowledge. We have chosen multiple ways of presenting these Freemasonic ideas. Many past civilizations have contributed in the building blocks used by our Craft, this’ acquired knowledge has been inherited by us.

We esoterically represent this knowledge, these ideas, with symbols and we are the possessors of current and ancient wisdom, as I repeat, we express these ideas, concepts and wisdom through many symbols. Freethinking as a process has been frequently inculcated and forcefully recommended as it is one of our most basic tenets; it is and must continue to be one of the foundations of our Freemasonic philosophy. We, I, us, have inherited these Freemasonic principles; it is my duty, it is our duty to preserve them for future Freemasons.

We have used reason as a force in helping our understanding of the universe, we have learned through its use, about geometry, architecture, astronomy and all the sciences. We have found and discovered which are the governing laws of nature, which are the known facts about life on Earth and what it’s our precarious place in the Universe.

Thus we have captured a glimpse of the fundamental principles of our existence. Not only as biological entities but as complex multidimensional creatures of this Universe, a universe as it is known to us and perceived by our senses and mind in this moment in space and time.

Multiple philosophers, and many great Speculative Freemasons of the past and present day, have held that Reason alone, being the product of thoughtful contemplation, could reveal the archetypical truths we so obstinately search, in much the same way our well known Geometricians and Philosophers such as Euclid and Pythagoras, used reason to deduce their geometry theorems, centuries before others could find them and figured out the implicit scheme.

Other thinkers have maintained and believed that reason involved an empirical faculty, as well as the practical application of it. Epistemologically speaking, Reason cannot be defined as a process in which reason is used, as this assertion will be per se a circular argument. This dilemma has been the source of endless arguments, papers and essays written by hundreds of Philosophers, ergo: I will find myself in much deeper water that I am capable to handle if publicly attempt to elucidate the issue. Therefore I am assuming the comfortable position of letting each person dwell into that parameter and assess the definition. More simply put, I reserve the right to let my private convoluted brain processes handle the topic of what this human faculty – Reason - is.

In either case, I find reason to be intermeshed, intertwined with nature, but I think that unlike nature, mans' way of reason has become nowadays tainted, vitiated, clouded – which in my mind, it is in the present day much less excusable than it was in the past for our ancestors; as we have nowadays easy access to the proper and necessary ways to improve our understanding of the surrounding Universe. We now have access to all sorts of information and the tools to use these pieces of information, in order to acquire knowledge.

As Freemasons we know this is as part of our daily reality, but we must sort them out and should grasp these speculative concepts as they are constantly presented and placed right in front of us; to understand them and to learn from them it is our intellectual challenge and duty.

Reasoning as a process, as I say earlier, it’s unfortunately nowadays tainted, clouded - similarly - as I have no doubt it was in the past - by those notorious and ever present enemies of the human intellect; these factors are thus hindering our Freemason’s path in the quest for freethinking and the search for truth. As we may see and witness this phenomena now a days in the cloud of ignorance that surround us, in the lack of religious tolerance displayed publicly, in all the superstitions promoted by blind minds, in the rule of fear instigated by shrewd manipulators, in any and all dogmas imposed on our society by many institutions, in our persistent socioeconomic and racial rankings, in our cultural prejudices and on every imposed agenda of any religion.

Reason, then, it is for me the faculty used in comprehending nature and ourselves, a tool to learn about nature, and will always be a fundamental part or key element of the speculative Freemasonic thinking process and therefore as an extension the enlightenment of our minds. Nature was and is, just that – Nature. It is the natural status of the real world that surrounds us. It is not in my mind the realm of something supernatural, as I see nature not divine or demonic, nor something godly, but the empirical or rational "entity” of which the Universe was, is, and will be.

Nature could be understood as I said earlier through reason; through logic, through scientific inquiry and discovery; using these elements a Freemason who seeks knowledge and with the use of an open mind of free inquiry, will find that nature shall yield it’ s secrets. We as Freemasons must seek this knowledge and through it seek the truth of our existence.

Finally then Brethren, there is progress in our minds as reason used as a process will yield a better understanding of the nature of our Universe, it shall enhance our quality of life, it will guide us in our pursue of happiness, thus, allowing us reaching harmony, tolerance and acquiring wisdom. For each and every one of the enlightened Freemasons, who wish to achieve equilibrium in the context of the Universe, Reason becomes its revelation. Understanding nature its real connection to us, and thus each one of us may find and connect to what each one of us believes is the Great Architect of the Universe. (GAOTU)

In my mind it is this enlightenment, which I can only find in Freemasonic Philosophy, which it does not abolish nor opposes the myths, fantasies and illusions created by religions concerning the nature of deity; at best it reduces our limited concept of GAOTU to a sort of unique deity. A God internally defined by each and every Freemason brother, a unique entity in his own conceptual spiritual universe, whom is nevertheless subject to the laws of nature.

Some brothers could consider my intellectual position or Freemasonic thinking rather extreme or maybe a philosophical position border line heretic from the religious point of view, they could not be more wrong or farther from the reality of my mind. As we study examples of a similar philosophical thinking in existence; that is for example the thinking of many of our nation founding fathers. Some people may called it Deism; a position that originated from the same fertile soil in the era of Enlightenment and the same time of the foundation of our Speculative Freemasonic Order, in France, in England, in Scotland and in Germany.

We as Freemasons in our early stages of existence were postulating our freethinking, and were structuring our underlying philosophy and finally setting our landmarks as the Craft has them nowadays. The establishment and the prevailing religions of that era, immediately accused Freemasons as being twisted, satanic or atheistic. Without a doubt it is possible many “Deists”, “Humanists” “Freethinkers”, became actually labeled, Atheists, but the malicious use of the term did not stop all those who created the foundations of Speculative Freemasonry in Europe, and brought it to our country.

These Philosophical thinking brought a label to our believe in a supreme being that was symbolized in the original and ancient Masonic lodges as the "Great Architect of the Universe", certainly it was not conceived as any of the pre established Gods. What I mean as an example: any of the Greek gods, or a Jewish Elohim god, or any of the Egyptian gods, or the Christians god or the Muslims god. It was thought not to be called Oauramazda, Allah, or Zeus, or Jesus or Isis, or any other name from any older or present religion or culture.

Therefore Brethren I must strongly state my believe that Freemasonry has given us a key to our intellectual freedom and stated that we must always defend the right of each Freemason brother and of any human being to be absolutely FREE to use reason to conceptualize GAOTU as he chooses it to be; as it is a Freemasonic principle that it was carefully thought out to be a foundation of our order and it always must remain like that. I postulate that: Never ever any Religion shall dictate the inner workings of the spirit and mind of a Speculative Freemason.

I am that I am. To the Glory of the GAOTU -

Original Document

Committee Reports

Committee Nomination or Self-Volunteer

The Executive Committee has provided the following Committee Nomination or Self-Volunteer Form to help select personnel for the active committees including those outlined in the Strategic Plan. If you are making a nomination, please visit the link below to verify current members of each committee first.

CLICK HERE for the Committee Nomination or Self-Volunteer Form

Reports Submissions

As a Committee Chairman for any Valley standing committees, it is your responsibility to keep the Executive Committee Chairman and the Brethren of the Valley of Columbus apprised on all committee updates. Committee reports are due monthly prior to the Executive Committee Meeting held on the third Wednesday of every month. Furthermore, regardless of a cancellation meeting due to legal holiday, the Committee Chairman shall still submit a committee reports prior to the third Wednesday of each month.

Committee report should include but are not limited to any changes in committee members; the status of any actions in the planning process, in the execution progress, or completed since last report; any requirements (financial, volunteer or otherwise); request for information; collected funds or expenditures; and any projected deadlines.

CLICK HERE for the Committee Report Form

College of Freemasonry

The Scottish Rite of Freemasonry Master Craftsman course is now available for purchase. CLICK HERE and sign up today! I look forward to our first meeting at 6pm, 23 February and 30 March 2022 at the Scottish Rite Center, Valley of Columbus. Those who have purchased or are thinking about purchasing the Master Craftsman Course and planning to attend the Columbus Scottish Rite, College of Freemasonry Master Craftsman classes, please CLICK HERE to register and download the the Symbolic Lodge "starter" reading material below. As we neared February, I sent emails to all the local Lodges in the Valley to be read in their next communication meeting. Having all Lodges aware of the Master Craftsman course (now starting), Books and Courses (now available through the Scottish Rite website for order), with a brief explanation of the location and time, I realize this will be a slow start and turn out with room to grow...nevertheless, I hope to see you in the Valley of Columbus Master Craftsman program where we can grow together.

While the Scottish Rite Education Symposium and Festive Board Committee did not meet in the month of December it has engaged in minor email traffic to keep the planning process active. Despite the email traffic however, there are no new developments to report. To recap, the Scottish Rite Education Symposium and Festive Board is an Orient wide event currently in the planning process. The current planning Valleys consist of Atlanta, Augusta, Middle Georgia, and Columbus. The primary planning group is meeting monthly and have further divided into two committee – The Education Symposium Committee and the Festive Board Committee. It is early in the planning process, but the Valley of Columbus has two voting members on the Education Symposium Committee, Hon. Bro. Torrey Knight (Venerable Master) and Bro. Cameron Davis (Director of Knowledge Management & Communications). The Education Symposium Committee would be responsible for setting the agenda for the Education Symposium and lining up its list of speakers as well as several other smaller tasks. The event is planed as an “in-person” event with some virtual aspects for the summer of 2022. The College of Freemasonry Committee will keep the Valley of Columbus apprised as the planning process develops and solidifies.

Symbolic Lodge Quiz 1 Material

Monitor and Guide - 3rd Edition (History section)

Philanthropy/RiteCare

Please visit the RiteCare Page.

Valley RiteCare Page

Fundraising

As Freemasons, we are taught to practice charity and to care, not only for one another, but also for the community as a whole, both by charitably giving, and by voluntary efforts and works as individuals. Philanthropy and Operational Management requires funds which we cannot meet without a strong and active Fundraising Committee. Unfortunately, committees do not run themselves and furthermore require leadership to drive efforts. The Valley is in need of a Brother who is willing to serve as the Fundraising Committee Chairman and provide that leadership. Someone who can fulfill one of the most pivotal roles in our portfolio of committee to insure we do not fail in this important endeavor. We have worked very hard to establish our RiteCare provider and we have now committed to the many children and families who seek the service of the Autism Learning Center to allow it to fail. If you are that Brother, please contact the Executive Committee Chairman or the General Secretary immediately.

Currently, the Fundraising Committee is working on the 2022 fund raising goals in order to understand the types of fundraising necessary to support our operational needs as well as our charitable requirements. We are also looking for brothers to head up various fund raising activities such as golf tournaments, Turkey Shoots, various raffles and possibly a BBQ competition. We have a lot of ideas but we need brothers to help carry these projects out. New ideas are welcome also, especially if it comes with a brother or two that can work on it.

Strategic Planning (Long Range Planning)

Work is behind schedule on the "Be a Scottish Rite Mason" membership page for our public website. The page is intended to assist the Membership Recruitment Committee in meeting their strategic goals or 20 new Masters of the Royal Secret per year. It is also intended to complement the Be a Scottish Rite Mason app which is uniquely designed to answer questions, provide information, and contact information for potential candidates. The apps can be shared through email, text, website, and QR code to name a few. To download these app, click the following link: Be a Scottish Rite Mason or scan the QR code in the footer.

As always, to view the strategic assessment presentation, CLICK HERE or visit the Ashlar Resources on the College of Freemasonry page. The presentation is best viewed if downloaded first and viewed with PowerPoint.

Valley Membership Achievement Project (VMAP)

Goodbye 2021, Hello 2022. The VMAP is full of information as provided by the HELPFUL members of the Scottish Rite. Thank you Joe Oelgoetz, Jonas Barlow, Roger Buterbaugh and Cameron Davis! One of several things we can learn from the VMAP is the importance of tracking and keeping activity and event information throughout the year. This will help Columbus Scottish Rite in several ways by outlining; what we have done, should be doing, needs to be done and can be done. Here's to another fruitful year. Thank you all. The VMAP Pre-Report is here for your review. All blocks have been filled in and completed. To complete the 2021 VMAP, I am waiting on two pictures form the Feast of Tishri and Renewal of Remembrance. CLICK HERE to learn more about VMAP.

Knowledge Management & Communications (KMC)

MailChimp is the marketing automation platform and email marketing service for managing mailing lists and creating email marketing campaigns to send to Scottish Rite members used by the Supreme Council. MailChimp has also been adopted by the Valley to manage its email campaigns. The below derives from data captured since our last Executive Committee Meeting. I am looking to capture similar data for quarter and annual periods moving forward.

7 emails sent to 189 members in the Email Distribution
Average email open rate 40%; Average button/link click rate 11.8%
Email Campaigns Sent:
- Jan 10 – Master Craftsman (MC) – o: 40.2% (76) c: 4.8 (9)
- Jan 10 – Solomon’s Masonic Learning (SML) – o: 37% (70) c: 2.6% (5)
- Jan 7 – The Ashlar – o: 57.7% (109) c: 10.1% (19)
- Jan 7 – Robert Burns Night – o: 53.7% (101) c: 9.6% (18)
- Dec 31 – Kentucky Disaster Relief – o: 45% (85) c: 2.6% (5)
- Dec 23 – Christmas Message – o: 50.3% (95) c: 3.2% (6)
- Dec 21 – Solomon’s Masonic Learning (SML) – o: 51.9% (98) 3.2% c: (6)

Dividing our email campaigns into 4 categories (social, communication, education, and charity) allow us to estimate member interest based on email open rates.

Social – 57% (Campaign(s) – Burns)
Communication – 53% (Campaign(s) – The Ashlar and Christmas Message)
Education – 46% (Campaign(s) – SML, MC)
Charity – 45% (Campaign(s) – Kentucky Disaster Relief)

The Ashlar - In the last distribution, I included an option to schedule a service call with me to help members gain access. I also provided an option to use a generic sign-in if the member does not want to establish an individual Google Account. To date, none have used this option. I have also deployed a simple survey to try and capture members who are having issues accessing the Ashlar and would like assistance. The Ashlar has received the following Unique Visitors and Page Views:

71 Unique Visitors (this number is a difference of 38 members between visitors and email opens and would be an indication of a minimum of 38 members with issues accessing the Ashlar noted above)
877 Page Views
Ashlar development & publication – As noted above, communication rated 2 of 4 with 53% of our membership interest. With these ratings, we should continue publishing the Ashlar on a monthly basis. To be successful, the Valley must be consistent and dependable with its publications and therefore, members with contributing sections on the Ashlar must be more vigilant to the timeline and submit input in a timely manner.

Master Craftsman (MC)

1 participant

Due to the low turnout at the launch of the Master Craftsman, the KMC Committee has re-launched course awareness with an email campaign and social media advertisement on our private Facebook page. The MC course has previously been reported in the Ashlar. We have also created a registration form to sign-up for the course. As you can see from above, education ranked 3 of 4 on the estimated member interest assessment from email open rates. This program needs regular emphasis and advertisement. The Education (College of Freemasonry) Committee needs to “sell” the program by writing “ads” that spark member interest which can be incorporated into the email campaigns and social media advertisements. If such products are produced by the Education Committee, I can include them to these different advertisement methods.

Solomon’s Masonic Learning (SML) is hosted specifically for the members of Solomon Lodge No. 822 in Germany, so the time is not ideal for Georgia. Nevertheless, these classes have been offered to the Valley of Columbus. At the most recent session, the Valley had the following engagements:

5 registered
1 attend

JotForm is the digital form platform used by the Supreme Council and therefore has been adopted by the Valley for its digital form requirements.

2 forms created this month (Burns & MC)
8 forms in circulation
- Feedback – 1; Zoom – 1; Committee nominations – 0; Contact us – 4; Committee Report – 7; Sickness and Distress – 1; Burns – 18; MC - 0

Autism Learning Center Website

Work on the ALC website is ongoing. While the initial discussion surrounding website revamp, the ALC has only provided guidance for the links page and staff members. The following outlines the current status:

Links updated
50% Complete with staff photo update
0% Complete with staff bio updates

Audit

In accordance with the Valley of Columbus By-Laws, Article IX - Auditing, "At their meeting in December of each year, the Executive Committee shall appoint an auditor whose duty it shall be to audit the books and vouchers of the Secretary, Almoner, and Treasurer, and report to the Executive Committee in writing prior to the December meeting." The Executive Committee has elected to hire Ann McNeer from Master Tax Solutions Inc. to conduct our audit and complete the necessary Form 990.

Form 990 is the IRS' primary tool for gathering information about tax-exempt organizations, educating organizations about tax law requirements and promoting compliance. Organizations also use the Form 990 to share information with the public about their programs. Additionally, most states rely on the Form 990 to perform charitable and other regulatory oversight and to satisfy state income tax filing requirements for organizations claiming exemption from state income tax.

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No update for the following committees:

Membership Recruitment

Membership Engagement

Building

Finance

Sustainment

Stage

Vol. 1, No. 3 - Feb 2022

Page updated

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