William G. Sizemore, 33°, G.C.
1733 16th Street, NW, Washington, DC 20009-3103

The answers to today's challenges were written in the past.

Following his address to a DeMolay Honorary Legion of Honor dinner at Kena Shrine Center in Fairfax, Virginia, on March 16, 2003, Ill. William G. Sizemore, 33° (second from left), shared fellowship with M.W. Frederick Garrison Martin III, 33°, Grand Master, Grand Lodge of Virginia (right); Ill. Howard K. Smith, 33°, Executive Officer for DeMolay in Virginia; and Bro. Ronald E. Heald, 32°, Deputy, Northern Virginia Region, DeMolay International. Photo: Bro. Arthur W. Pierson, 32°, Pierson Photography, Falls Church, Virginia

It is a real pleasure for me to be here tonight and to share in this DeMolay Legion of Honor banquet and celebration. This occasion and this special moment in history remind me of the DeMolay ritual. Many of you remember, I am sure, the words of the Seventh Preceptor, spoken as he places the last jewel in the Crown of Youth. They certainly have a special resonance during this time of national crisis. The Seventh Preceptor says: "In all the crises of our nation's history, youth has risen up as its defender. . . . I commend to you most earnestly the virtue of good citizenship-that patriotism which will make you live worthily for your country as well as die bravely for it if the need should arise."

Certainly, the future holds great challenges, but the answers to those challenges, if we will listen to them, were written in the past. That is one of the great values of DeMolay. Each of the young men who has knelt at the altar of DeMolay has been taught the seven cardinal virtues on which to build a successful and productive life. These same virtues are key to our nation's future. For many, these answers were underlined when they knelt at the altar of the Scottish Rite and were told in the Degrees that a man must hold the honor of his country as precious as his own honor.

Any Navy man can tell you the importance of anchors and charts. Without them, the same tides and winds which allow a ship to carry people and materials to far ports will cause a ship to drift helplessly without direction. The same is true of a life. Without an anchor, without a sense of principles when adversity presses against us, we are morally adrift. For a ship to fulfill its purpose, it must have an anchor to steady it when in port and a chart to guide it when at sea. Both DeMolay and Freemasonry provide anchors and charts to their members. And because our members often become leaders of men in enterprises and undertakings both great and small, DeMolay and Masonry provide stability and purpose to our communities, our nation, and our world.

Among the many distinguished Brethren attending the DeMolay Legion of Honor dinner were (l. to r.): M.W. George H. Chapin, 33°, Past Grand Master of Virginia; Ill. David Kruger, 33°, Past S.G.I.G. in Virginia, Past Grand Secretary General, Emeritus Member of the Supreme Council, 33°; M.W. Frederick Garrison Martin III, 33°, Grand Master, Grand Lodge of Virginia; Admiral Sizemore; Bro. Warren L. Baker, Curator of Collingwood Library and Museum on Americanism; Ill. Howard K. Smith, 33°, Executive Officer for DeMolay in Virginia; Bro. E. A. "Doc" Vierick, Jr., 32°, Dean, DeMolay Northern Virginia Preceptory; Bro. Ronald E. Heald, 32°, Deputy, DeMolay Northern Virginia Region. Photo: Bro. Arthur W. Pierson, 32°, Pierson Photography, Falls Church, Va.

The room this evening is filled with successful men and women. It is an honor to be part of such a gathering. You have shown the result of a life based on values. For some of you, those values were taught in DeMolay, for others in Masonry, or for others in your homes or places of worship, or at the knee of some respected and beloved elder. But you all share a life of honor.

It is vital that the generations to come should have that same chance, the chance to build successful, productive, and honorable lives. People sometimes wonder why the leadership of DeMolay and other Masonic organizations spends so much time, effort, and resources on membership. The reason is simple. We do so because we know the world of the future will grow progressively more complex. We know that the need for values and for education in values increases, just as our challenges increase. We know that the need of men and young men to spend quality time with each other is greater now than ever before. DeMolay and Masonry are not luxuries to be indulged in if time happens to be available-they are necessities for which opportunity must be made as surely as for food and rest.

The Order of DeMolay teaches seven great lessons.

• The first is love and respect of parents. This is a wise beginning. The relationship of parent and child is the most basic of all human relationships and the cornerstone on which all other relationships are built.
• The second lesson is reverence for sacred things. Every faith tradition has ideals, locations, and even physical objects it holds sacred. Recognizing this sense of the sacred is the beginning of the great teaching of toleration central to every Masonic Order. When we learn to respect what another holds sacred, even if our own faith does not lead us to the same belief, we have learned a fundamental requirement for success in any field. Only when we accept people as people can we build understanding-and only through understanding can we build peace and prosperity.
• The third great lesson of DeMolay is courtesy. Lord Kenneth Clark, the author of the famous TV series Civilization, was once asked if courtesy wasn't just so much hot air. "Yes," he said, "it probably is, but, like the hot air in the tires of your automobile, it makes the ride so much smoother for everyone." In our personal relations, in business and in diplomacy, simple courtesy is often the difference between success and failure.
• The fourth lesson is comradeship. I need not tell you how important that is. Each of us is aware of the truth that Masons can and do trust Masons, and that our obligations are real. No man can bear the burdens of life alone, and while our main- stay is the love of a good wife and caring family, still the closeness of our fraternal Brothers can make all the difference in dealing with the twists and turns of life.
• The fifth lesson of DeMolay's ritual is fidelity. Especially as we grow older, we treasure faithful friends. Whether we are speaking of business associates on whom we can rely or on the fidelity of the men and women of the Armed forces, fidelity is the steel that strengthens our nation. The young man who learns that great lesson through DeMolay will be well served in times of adversity and challenge.
• The sixth lesson of DeMolay is cleanness, and the ritual makes it clear that we are speaking of moral rectitude rather than physical soap and water. It means thinking clearly and cleanly, rather than seeking loopholes or straining interpretations by which we can take advantage of situations and people. The man is far ahead who learns, as a youth, the value of cleanness of mind and thought, and who practices that in his daily life.
• And, finally, there is DeMolay's Seventh Preceptor, with his lesson of patriotism and citizenship. Today, as our nation leads the war on international terrorism, this capstone lesson of DeMolay is key to our nation's strength and global peace.

Generation after generation, the Order of DeMolay, in partnership with the Masonic Fraternity, has instilled valuable lessons during the years of youth and into the adult lives of its members. I honor the Order, and I am deeply gratified to have spent the evening with those on whom the Order has conferred its highest honor. Together, we create an important and stabilizing foundation for our communities and our nation. Together, we can mount a defense of American and Masonic ideals that will defy and defeat the forces of intolerance and terrorism which now rack the world. Together, as a force united on sound principles, we, as DeMolays and Masons, can contribute significantly to a world where all can live in prosperity and peace.

William G. Sizemore served on active duty in the U.S. Navy from 1944 to 1982. Since 1989, he has served the Supreme Council as Grand Executive Director. He has been a Master Mason since 1948 and a member of the Scottish Rite since 1955. He is a Past Master and Past High Priest, R.A.M., and an active member of several Appendant Bodies and Masonic organizations.