S. Brent Morris, 33°, Grand Cross
Director of Membership Development

Each Leadership Conference provided solutions to issues facing Masonry today.

(Please click here to view more images from the Conferences.)

S. Brent Morris, 33°, Grand Cross, Director of Membership Development, looks on as Grand Commander Ronald A. Seale, 33°, demonstrates the kind of ‘magic’ that doesn’t work in revitalizing and energizing Valleys. The theme of the 2004 Leadership Conferences was “Things That Work.” It’s not smoke and mirrors or sleight of hand that will help your Valley; it’s hard work consistently applied to a good plan.

More than 1,000 leaders of the Scottish Rite and their ladies attended the three regional Leadership Conferences this spring: Phoenix, Arizona, March 26-27; Jacksonville, Florida, April 23-24; and Wichita, Kansas, May 14-15. Each conference was an opportunity for current and future leaders to share and to learn about pressing issues. It was also a wonderful opportunity for them to expand their circle of friends while enjoying the beauty of each conference site.

Each conference began promptly at 1:00 on Friday afternoon. Ill. Robert R. “Rob” Lyons, CPA, Grand Cross, spoke on “Avoiding Trouble” and told Valleys about protecting their tax-exempt status, filing their form 990s with the IRS, and complying with other critical tax requirements.

Charles N. Kaufman, 33°, Deputy in South Dakota, conducted a session with the ladies: “Are We Listening?” He heard from them about how our Valleys involve ladies and families in their activities, and how they can do even better.

Each Valley was invited to nominate relatively young and fairly new members to be “Regional Scottish Rite Fellows.” The Fellows met with Grand Commander Ronald A. Seale, 33°, and discussed four broad questions: 1) How could Scottish Rite better serve its existing members and their families? 2) How could Scottish Rite better serve Masonry? 3) How could Scottish Rite better serve its community? 4) How could Masonry make itself more attractive to potential members? The Fellows were then commissioned by the Grand Commander to return to their Valleys and implement one new program they learned at the Leadership Conferences. There will be a follow-up meeting for Fellows sometime in 2005.

The registration table in Phoenix was manned by some of the many volunteers from the Valley of Phoenix. It was the hard work of dozens of volunteers at each conference city that made the 2004 Leadership Conferences so successful.

One of the most exciting recent advances to come out of the Supreme Council is the new Sentinel database system, available to Valleys through the Internet. It allows Valleys to immediately update address and information changes on their members and to access such changes from the Supreme Council and the U.S. Postal Service. Dean R. Alban, 33°, Director of Information Systems, explained the benefits of Sentinel and presided over a computer lab that gave attendees the opportunity to “test drive” Sentinel.

Ill. William G. Sizemore, GC, Grand Executive Director and Director of Education and Americanism, met with Americanism Chairmen and discussed the Supreme Council’s programs in this important area. Earl E. Ihle, Jr., 33°, Director of Development, joined the Orient Development Chairmen in reviewing objectives and methods for fund-raising at the Valley, Orient, and Jurisdictional levels.

Saturday morning started promptly at 8:00 with a six-minute video opening that traced the history of Freemasonry from the Goose and Gridiron Tavern in 1717 to the formation of the Scottish Rite in 1801 to the Supreme Council today. (This dynamic DVD is available from the Supreme Council for $10, including domestic S/H.) SGC Seale and Ill. S. Brent Morris, GC. Director of Membership Development, opened the session with a memorable reminder that “It’s Not Magic” but hard work that leads to success in the Scottish Rite. After presenting the colors, pledging allegiance to the flag, and introducing dignitaries, the morning began with three sessions.

Valleys were divided by size (small, medium, and large) to discuss “Valleys’ Biggest Issues and Specific Solutions.” These interactive presentations were moderated by Ill. Bros. Robert E. Winterton, Sr., Personal Representative in San Diego, California; Robert G. Davis, GC, Secretary of Guthrie, Oklahoma, and William R. Miller, SGIG in Washington. This was an opportunity for Valleys to share their successes with each other.

Richard B. Smith, 33°, Personal Representative in Lake Charles, Louisiana, spoke on “Reviewing Operational Best Practices—Do They Work?” He had reviewed the best practices submitted by Valleys across the Jurisdiction to share the best of the best.

Freemasonry is a voluntary association, and our workers are all volunteers. Deputy Kaufman, led a session on “Motivating Volunteers: Why Do They Do What They Do?”

Following the morning sessions, all the men adjourned for lunch. The ladies had their own morning programs and luncheon: The Heard Museum of Native Cultures and Art in Phoenix, a fashion show in Jacksonville, and shopping at the “Bradley Fair” in Wichita.

The three afternoon sessions began after lunch. Again the Valleys were divided by size to discuss “Establishing and Maintaining Positive Relations with Blue Lodges and Concordant Bodies.” Ill. Brothers Winterton, Miller, and Kaufman moderated the discussions. The emphasis was again on Valleys sharing their solutions with each other.

Grand Commander Ronald A. Seale, 33°, listens to comments from a Fellow at the Wichita conference. Over 250 Fellows were nominated by their Valleys and selected by the Grand Commander to attend the conferences. These are young (in age or Scottish Rite membership) members who have been commissioned by the Grand Commander to help implement change in their Valleys.

George R. Adams, 33°, Deputy in the District of Columbia, and Robert Davis discussed “Creating a University of Freemasonry in Your Valley.” The Valleys of Washington, D.C., and Guthrie, Oklahoma, have established exceptional educational programs that offer their members a new dimension in Scottish Rite participation.

Ill. Smith followed up his operational best practices with “Reviewing Social Best Practices— Are They Fun?” The most successful social events from around the Jurisdiction were highlighted for the attendees.

SGC Seale held a final session with the Fellows to wrap up their discussions of how the Scottish Rite can be of greater service. Each Fellow was reminded of his commission to work in his Valley and of the follow-up meeting in 2005.

Promptly at 3:00 pm all attendees assembled for the closing session. Ill. Bros. Seale and Morris reminded the members that success is not a matter of magic and encouraged each Brother to go back to his Valley and implement one new idea from the conference. The officers of the Supreme Council then conducted a brief but moving closing ceremony that emphasized to all present their common bond as Master Masons. The members left the room in silence while listening to the Josh Groban song, “You Raise Me Up.”

Immediately following the closing, the attendees, their ladies, and the conference hosts assembled for a reception with delicious food and warm fellowship. All agreed the conferences provided a wonderful and inspiring time. However, as Grand Commander Seale pointed out to everyone, the true measure of success will be how many new programs from the Conferences are tried in the Valleys.

S. Brent Morris is Director of Membership Development for the Supreme Council, 33°, S.J. He retired from the federal government as a mathematician and has taught at Duke and Johns Hopkins Universities. He is Past Master of Patmos Lodge No. 70, Ellicott City, Maryland; a Fellow of the Philalethes Society; Editor of Heredom, the transactions of the Scottish Rite Research Society; and author of many scholarly works on the Craft. Ill. Morris is the only full member in the United States of the world's premier Masonic Research Lodge, Quatuor Coronati Lodge No. 2076, founded in London in 1886. During the 1999 Biennial Session, Ill. Morris received the Scottish Rite's highest honor, the Grand Cross.