163 Years of Scottish Rite Masonry in Pittsburgh G The Magazine of the Valley of Pittsburgh VOL. XXIV NO. 4 H H H June 2015 Honor the Flag of Freedom Flag Day June 14 H H H H H H H H See page 20. GOLF FOR DYSLEXIA VVaalllleeyy ooff PPTeachingiitttt sschildrenbbuu withrr dyslexiagghh he men and organizations pictured to Tthe right are those who have made a $10,000 or more commitment to support the Valley of Pittsburgh Children’s Dyslexia Center Endowment Fund. As Freemasons, we have always been Robert & Janice Emery & Carol David & Carol Robert & Jacqueline Jeff & Susan benevolent and charitable. For Scottish Rite Amend Anden Bagaley Beatty Biddle Masons, our Charity is to teach children with dyslexia how to read. It is important in giving them social confidence. The teaching method is the Orton-Gilling- ham program. It is a one tutor –one student ratio. This method is very expensive but extremely effective. It costs approximately $5,000 a year for each child. Our goal is to Raymond & Lynn Fred & Kathy Robert Eckbreth James Ecker & James & Ellen raise $2,500,000 to endow the Children’s Dietz Donatelli Donna Murtha Flanigan Dyslexia Center for the future. To make it easier to make this commitment, you can spread out your $10,000 donation over a ten year period. Call Bro. Ray Dietz, 33°, at 412-369-9500 for information. The future of our children is our most important mission. I encourage each of you to have your picture on this page and be a BUILDER of this Masonic benevolence. Leland A. Hale, Jr. Jeff & Lauren Raymond & Dorothy James & Lisa Robert & P.J. Your donation is tax-deductible. Heiger James Jenkins Jones Thomas K. Sturgeon, 33° Active Member of Supreme Council Builders Council Enrollment Form I pledge the sum of: $10,000 $15,000 Frank R. Mangery Jack Marsh John & Judy Roy & Sara Jane Jay & Joanne $20,000 $25,000 McCombs McCullough McElravy With payments in equal installments over a period of: 3 years 5 years 10 years. This pledge will be payable: Annually Semi-annually Quarterly *Monthly *Monthly payments may be made only by credit card. First payment of $ is enclosed. Deduct my pledge from my credit card when due: Ronald & Karen D. William Roberts Bruce A. Robinson Richard & Bette Don & Ginny MasterCard Visa American Express Plesh Rodibaugh Sauer Discover Other . Number Exp. date Name you would prefer in recognition: This gift is anonymous. Signature Kurt & Nancy Gregory Triko George & Norma S. Timothy Warco Bob & Charlene Name Tesche Vance Wells Address Homestead Amity City State Zip Lodge Washington Infinity Lodge Valley McCandles Ph. ( ) Date No. 45 Lodge No. 164 No. 546 of Lodge No. 582 Mail to: Builders Council, 3579 Masonic Way, Pittsburgh Pittsburgh, PA 15237-2700. F. & A.M. F. & A.M. F. & A.M. F. & A.M. toBB readuu –i oneill childdde eat arr time!ss CCoouunncciill Help the Endowment Fund for Dyslexia Mark & Patty George H. Cox Rick & Reneé James & Eda Mario & Linda Bill & Heather GROW! Bliler Cross Dean DeBlasio Dickey Make a Pledge or a Donation! GOAL: $2,500,000 100% 2,500,000 2,375,000 Howard & Sharon Donald & Debora Wallace & Leah Eric & Raylene Harvey & Carol John & Ruth Flynn Green Grossett Gumto Gumto Habel 90% 2,300,000 2,125.000 80% 2,000,000 1,875,000 Paul & Penny Paul & Jackie David & Sandy David & Judy John Kovac William & Babara 70% 1,750,000 Kappel Kauffman Kearns Kielman Magnotti, Jr. 1,625,000 60% 1,500,000 1,375,000 50% 1,250,000 Glenn & Mary Dr. Glenn & Roberta Jack & Carol Donald & Barbara John & Valerie Raymond & Joy Miller Miller Miller Murphy Nicklas Nicklas 1,125,000 40% 1,000,000 875,000 30% 750,000 Joseph A Schrock, Jr. James W. Seel William Shaw William Slater II Samuel & Judy Thomas & Joan 625,000 Spanos Sturgeon Oakdale 20% 500,000 30th Chartiers Lodge No.669 375,000 In Memory of Masonic Lodge No. 297 W. Robert & 0% 250,000 District F. & A.M. Marion Jones James & Annetta James & Jill Jeff & Sharon West West Wonderling GOAL $2,500,000 *RECEIVED *from donations, bequests, Pittsburgh Valley Supreme Unified pledges & fund raisers. Valley of Commandery Council Group “We make a living by what of Pittsburgh No. 1 Lodge No. 2 Valley of we get, but we make a life Legion of Knights by what we give.” Uniontown Pittsburgh IOOF Honor Templar – Bro. Winston Churchill H H H H H H H H H H H H H H H H H H H H H H H H H H H H H H H THETHE PLEDGEPLEDGE OFOF ALLEGIANCEALLEGIANCE by Red Skelton, 33° • Patriot • Painter • Author • Poet MASTER MASON • Song Writer and “I don’t want to be called ‘the greatest’ or ‘one of the greatest’. Let other guys claim to be the best. I just want to be known as a clown because to me, it means you can do everything -- sing, dance, and above all, make people laugh.” “I - me, an individual, a committee of one. Pledge - dedicate all my worldly goods to give without self pity. Allegiance - my love and my devotion. To the Flag - our standard, Old Glory, a symbol of freedom. Wherever she waves, there is respect because your loyalty has given her a dignity that shouts freedom is everybody’s job. Of the United - that means we have all come together. States - individual communities that have united into 48 great states. 48 individual communi- ties with pride and dignity and purpose, all divided with imaginary boundaries, yet united to a common purpose, and that’s love for country. Of America, And to the Republic - a state in which sovereign power is invested in representatives chosen by the people to govern. And government is the people and it’s from the people to the leaders, not from the leaders to the people. For which it stands. One nation - meaning so blessed by God. Indivisible - incapable of being divided. With liberty - which is freedom and the right of power to live one’s own life without threats or fear of some sort of retaliation. And justice - the principal or quality of dealing fairly with others. For all “ - which means it’s as much your country as it is mine. “Since I was a small boy, two states have been added to our country and two words have been added to the Pledge Of Allegiance - ‘under God’. Wouldn’t it be a pity if someone said, ‘That’s a prayer’ and that would be eliminated from schools, too?” Bro. Richard ‘Red’ Skelton, 33°, was raised a Master Mason in Vincennes Lodge No. 1, Vincennes, Indiana in 1939. He joined the Scottish Rite, Valley of Evansville, Indiana in 1940. In 1995, he received the Supreme Council’s coveted Gorgas Medal. His, now famous, explanation of the Pledge of Allegiance was first performed on his TV show, The Red Skelton Hour on January 14, 1969. G (It won 42 awards and was twice read into the Congressional Record.) June 2015 The Rite News Page 4. H H H H H H H H H H H H H H H H H H H H H H H H H H H H H H H Fly the Flag! Flag Day, June 14 H Independence Day, July 4 In This Issue Message from the Commander-in-Chief In Memoriam 6 Donald W. Boehm, 33° Rev. ‘Sammy’ Knappenberger, 33° Honored 7 Upon the Checkered Pavement 8 “These are all honorable men” by D. Todd Ballenger, 32° Message from the Thrice Potent Master 9 n my 40 years as a with language not suited for a church ser- by P.J. Roup, 33° IMason, I have seen mon. These were the root problems The Modern Vitruvian 10 many acts of fraternal causing the congregational split. by P.J. Roup, 33° brotherhood, as we all On a November evening, I attended Message from the Sovereign Prince 12 have. Most involve financial aid and the meeting with 8 other brothers from our by Austin R. Shifrin, 32° monetary gifts to Masonic charities, or lodge including Dick Smith. As a scared Message from the Valley Secretary 13 brothers aiding each other, but I wit- 26 year old, I decided to keep my mouth by Donald M. Murphy, 33° nessed one 36 years ago by a man shut. The Minister immediately launched Enchanted Evening 14 named Dick Smith. into a tirade calling us everything under Message from the Most Wise Master 16 Richard A. Smith, the Senior Warden the sun, complete with table fist pounding by Robert F. Dunkle, 32° of Guyasuta Lodge #513 when I served and his usual abrasive language. We sat Your Health 18 as Master in 1978 and about 23 years my there quietly enduring his wrath until he by Dr. Glenn D. Miller, II, 33° senior, was a bull of a man who stood said….”If you don’t stop renting to these My Grandfather 19 6’7”, and weighed about 275 lbs. He was people, you are not honorable men”, at by Rev. John H. Piper, 32° stronger than a country ox, but truly a soft which point Dick Smith said “STOP”…….. Services Directory 24 spoken gentle giant who would do any- and there was a long silence. Dick Valley Officers/Masonic Calendar 27 thing for a brother in need. leaned forward in his chair, put his giant In 1976, our lodge purchased the old hand up to the Minister’s face and in a 1st Presbyterian Church in Ingram for a firm but measured voice said……”Don’t permanent home, where we still meet you EVER question the honor of these today.