Basil Manly, IV MD, 33°
2 Chanticleer Drive, Greenville, South Carolina 29605–3106
drbz@aol.com

Before his death, Ill. John I. Smith, 33°, S.G.I.G. in South Carolina and Grand Minister of State for the Supreme, Council, established the John I. Smith Charities, Inc. In Nov. of 1998, the trustees of this foundation offered a challenge grant of $500,000 to the Greenville and Spartanburg Bodies if they raised an equal amount in 14 months to build a center in Greenville to serve the upstate area of South Carolina. Trustees of the Scottish Rite Foundation of South Carolina authorized acceptance of the challenge.

Members of Greenville and Spartanburg Scottish Rite Bodies raised the sum of $500,000 to match the challenge grant for this purpose. This will provide the building, paving, landscaping, furniture, and equipment for the center. The matching funds were raised with the help of numerous members, individual friends, and foundations. Completion of the building is expected by December 31, 2000. Therapy for affected children will begin right after January 1, 2001. This new facility is adjacent to the Greenville Scottish Rite Center.

Many distinguished Brethren and guests participated in the dedication on December 2, 2000, of the new John I. Smith Center for Children with Language Disorders in Greenville, South Carolina. Pictured above at the front of the center (front row, l. to r.) are: Frank S. Holleman, III, Deputy Secretary, U.S. Department of Education; Ill. Basil Manly, IV MD, 33°, Trustee and Chairman Upstate Board of Directors of the Scottish Rite Foundation of South Carolina; Bro. Greely R. "Guy" Palmer, Jr., 32° K.C.C.H.; Ill. William A. Moseley, 33°, General Secretary of Spartanburg Scottish Rite Bodies and Member Upstate Board of Directors; Ill. Donald L. Smith, 33° Trustee and Member Upstate Board of Directors; Ill. John E. John, 33°, Trustee and Member Upstate Board of Directors and President Emeritus of Furman University; Bro. Allen B. D. Chandler, 32°, K.C.C.H., Member Upstate Board of Directors; Ill. Charles W. Mitchell, 33°, General Secretary of Greenville, S.C., S.R. Bodies and Secretary Upstate Board of Directors; Ill. H. Wallace Reid, 33°, S.G.I.G. in S.C. and Grand Minister of State, Supreme Council; Ill. C. Fred Kleinknecht, 33° Sov. Gr. Cmdr. of the Supreme Council. Also pictured (second row, l. to r.) are: Bro. Stanton D. Loring, 32°, liberal contributor; Ill. John W. "Jack" Grady, 33°, Office Assistant of Greenville S.R. Bodies and Member Upstate Board of Directors; Ill. Richard L. Swecker, 33°, Venerable Master Greenville Lodge of Perfection and Member Upstate Board of Directors; Ill. Barry A. Bankes, 33°, Consulting Architect and Member Upstate Board of Directors; Ill. Frank T. Dill, 33°, Member Board of Directors and liberal contributor; Ill. J. Thomas Henry, 33°, Director of Work Greenville S.R. Bodies and Member Upstate Board of Directors; Ill. W. Eugene Bondurant, 33°, Former General Secretary Greenville S.R. Bodies and liberal contributor; Bro. John E. Bradley, 32°, K.C.C.H., Secretary of Greenville S.R. Bodies, Trustee, and Treasurer S.R. Foundation of S.C. and Member Upstate Board of Directors; Bro. James F. Hawkins, 32°, K.C.C.H. and liberal contributor.

A ceremony of dedication of the building was held December 2, 2000. Mr. Larry Loftis played the organ prelude, accompanied the songs, and played the postlude at the conclusion of the ceremony. Bro. Greely R. "Guy" Palmer , Jr., 32°, presented the National Colors and gave the Toast to the Flag. Bro. Wally Mullinax, 32°, K.C.C.H., was Master of Ceremonies and led the pledge of Allegiance to the flag. The national anthem and "America the Beautiful" were lead by Mr. James Broussard, who then entertained the audience with several seasonal songs. Ill. Basil Manly, IV, 33°, Personal Representative of the S.G.I.G. in Greenville gave the welcome and recognition of special guests. Dr. Hardy Clemons, Pastor Emeritus of the First Baptist Church gave the invocation and later the benediction. M.W. Gilbert L. Martin, 33°, Grand Master of Masons in South Carolina was present to assist at the dedication of the center.

Additional distinguished guests and Brethren participating in the dedication of the new Greenville, S.C., John I. Smith Center for Children with Language Disorders were (l. to r.): Mr. Frank S. Holleman, III, Deputy Secretary U.S. Department of Education; Bro. Wallace A. "Wally" Mullinax, 32°, K.C.C.H., Chairman Dedication Committee and Member Upstate Board of Directors; Mr. Robert A. Jolley, Trustee of Jolley Foundation; Mr. Wilbur Y. Bridgers, Trustee and Secretary John I. Smith Charities, Inc.; Dr. Hardy Clemons, Pastor Emeritus First Baptist Church, Greenville, S.C.; Ill. C. Fred Kleinknecht, 33°, Sov. Gr. Cmdr.; Ill. H. Wallace Reid, 33°, S.G.I.G. in S.C. and Grand Minister of State of the Supreme Council; Ill. Basil Manly, IV MD, 33°, Trustee S.R. Foundation of S.C. and Chairman Upstate Board of Directors; Mrs. Genevieve L. Sakas, liberal contributor; Mr. James E. Jolley, Trustee of Jolley Foundation; Ill. John E. Johns, 33°, Trustee S.R. Foundation of S.C., Member Upstate Board of Directors and President Emeritus of Furman University; Ill. and M. W. Gilbert L. Martin, 33°, and Grand Master of Masons in S.C.

Also, Ill. C. Fred Kleinknecht, 33°, Sovereign Grand Commander, brought greetings from the Supreme Council and dedicated the building. Honorable Frank Holleman, Deputy Secretary, U.S. Dept. of Education, gave the principal address. Ill. H. Wallace Reid, 33°, S.G.I.G. in South Carolina and Grand Minister of State for the Supreme Council, recognized the foundations and individuals who had made significant donations. A prediction of snow the evening of the ceremony reduced the attendance somewhat, but over 300 members, guests, and supporters were present for the dedication. After the ceremony and ribbon cutting, tours of the almost completed facility were conducted, then light refreshments were served in the dining hall of the Scottish Rite Center.

The new children's center will house the collection of Ill. John I. Smith's Masonic memorabilia and the library of the Greenville Scottish Rite Bodies in addition to the area for treating the children. The Valley's members are excited to know that a Scottish Rite Childhood Language Disorders Center will soon be open in the upstate area. Mrs. Martha McDade, who has been the director of the center in Columbia since it began in 1987, will administer the Greenville center as well as the center in Columbia with the assistance of several part-time speech pathologists in each location. She is a certified speech pathologist and is a nationally known leader in the field.

All of the Greenville Brethren are pleased that the long-sought goal of a treatment center in the upstate area of South Carolina will be a reality right after the turn of the year 2001.