The Grand Holy Royal Arch Chapter of Pennsylvania

GRAND HOLY ROYAL ARCH CHAPTER OF PENNSYLVANIA
MID-YEAR COMMUNICATION

PARIS D. ALUNNI MOST EXCELLENT GRAND HIGH PRIEST
Office of the Grand Secretary, Masonic Temple
Philadelphia, Pa., February 28, 2008

To the Members of Grand Chapter:

Companions:
The June Communication of the Grand Holy Royal Arch Chapter of Pennsylvania will be held in the York Rite Room, Greater Pittsburgh Masonic Center, 3579 Masonic Way, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania 15237-2700. Grand Chapter will open Saturday June 14, 2008, at 2:00 P.M.

The Grand Banquet will be held at the Greater Pittsburgh Masonic Center, Saturday evening, June 14, 2008, at 6:30 P.M. There will be a social hour at 5:30 PM. Ticket prices for the Banquet and Entertainment are $40.00 per person, with a choice of Prime Rib, Veal Oscar, or Crab Cakes. Reservations with payment and choice of entree must be sent to Companion Donald C. Wobb, DDGHP, 831 Golfview Drive, McKeesport, Pa. 15135-2117; telephone 412-751-2859.

BANQUET AND ENTERTAINMENT DEADLINE JUNE 4, 2008

The Headquarters is the Hampton Inn, McKnight Road, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania 15237. Room rates are $104.00 plus tax (1 to 4 guests per room). Reservation may be made by calling 412-939-3200, or access the hotel online through hamptoninn.com. You MUST mention CONVENTION CODE MGP to obtain the preferential rate. Check-in time is 2:00 P.M.; check out time 11:00 A.M.

The above room rate includes “On the House-Hot Breakfast” served in the hotel lobby from 6:00 A.M. to 10:00 A.M. A 24 hour workout facility is available to all in-house guests, along with complimentary high-speed wireless Internet service.

HOTEL RESERVATION DEADLINE MAY 23, 2008

Rooms not reserved by this date will cancel and revert to the regular reservation system.

Driving directions: from the PA Turnpike East, take exit 57-Monroeville; follow rt. 376 west to Blvd of the Allies, to rt. 279N, to exit 11. From PA Turnpike West, take exit 28-Cranberry, follow rt. 19S to rt. 79S approximately 9 miles to exit 10-Venture Street, ten turn right at the light. Hotel is one mile on the left.

MESSAGE OF THE M. E. GRAND HIGH PRIEST

Greetings Companions:

     Greetings from your Grand Chapter! During the past few months I have been visiting subordinate Lodges, Councils and Commanderies as a member of the respective Deputies, Division Commanders or Grand Body Officer’s official party. The response has been positive, and the hospitality and cordiality greatly appreciated. I would encourage all of you to avail yourself of this opportunity to make ourselves known throughout the fraternity. I have also been visiting subordinate Chapters, some by invite and others by my choice, and am very happy about what I am observing. Yes, some chapters have problems, primarily membership and finances, but they are greatly overshadowed by the effort they put forth to receive the Grand Party and “doing it right”. The attitude and spirit exhibited by these Companions is exceptional, and I personally appreciate it. I have encouraged the Chapters with problems to seek the assistance of their respective Deputy and work on it on a local level. I have pledged the support of Grand Chapter in all cases and stressed that resolution must come from within and not be imposed from without.

     I am in the process of scheduling my visitations for the central and western part of the Jurisdiction and invitations are welcome. My itinerary is posted on the Grand Chapter web site paholyroyalarchchapter.org and is frequently updated, so please consult it as I will be happy to include you in my party.

     I have participated in a Table Chapter conducted by St. John’s Chapter in Carlisle. It was very well done and was an enjoyable evening. I encourage other chapters to consider hosting such a program, as I believe many of our Companions are unaware of its existence and perhaps it could promote some interest. A number of York Rite Programs and One-Day Conferrals have been held and reports indicate that they were quite well done and successful. Thank you to all who worked to make these a success.

     At the Grand Chapter level we are continuing to establish a solid foundation from which we can continue to grow. This takes time, but we are progressing in a positive direction. My sincere thanks go to Companions Richard Evans, G.S., John Lane, G.K., and Richard Meredith, G.S., for their work and support, as well as a pledge to continue our efforts well into the future.

     Companions, you are invited to our June Communication in Pittsburgh. I look forward to seeing you there. Thank You.                                                                                                                                                                                    Fraternally,
Paris D. Alunni,
Most Excellent Grand High Priest

MESSAGE OF THE M. E. GRAND SECRETARY

Companions:

We continue to make steady progress in our efforts to modernize the administrative functions of Grand Chapter. By the time you read this, we will be well on our way to completing our program to catch-up on our printing requirements.

We have developed new printing sources and techniques for our Red Book, which saves production time, is technically efficient, and costs less. Our Annual Proceedings publications have likewise been brought almost current. The conclusion and resulting benefit from all the effort is much simpler methods of document production with accompanying fiscal responsibility through lower expenditures.

We have changed our telephone service to Cavalier Telephone and we are beginning to see savings in our costs in this area. We ask that when you call the Grand Chapter office – and you are encouraged to do so – that you have your questions or problems outlined on paper, or at least in your head, so that the actual time spent on the phone can be utilized most effectively.

We have been promised a highly productive and entertaining Communication in June 14th. If you are within or anywhere near the western part of the Commonwealth, the Officers urge you to be present. The Pittsburgh Companions are going all out to make this one of the most outstanding Chapter events in a long time.

In the coming months, I will be emphasizing the necessity for each Chapter Meeting Notice to include a message from the High Priest. Many, perhaps most, Chapters have a long-standing tradition of requiring the current High Priest to speak to the members in writing; however, many Chapters do not.

When we stop and reflect on our local Chapter membership, we realize that the only contact most members have with their Chapter is through the Monthly Meeting Notice. There can be many reasons why, but the point is we need to maximize our communication with our members. We need all our Companions to feel a close bond to their chosen Masonic Chapter.

Every High Priest should include a brief message in the Notice. It should be his own words, even if just two or three sentences. It must not be written by the Secretary or some other person. A member Companion cares most about the character of the High Priest, not how eloquent or “wordy” his writing might be. I’ll be in touch with your Chapter!

Fraternally,
Richard L. Evans, Jr.
Most Excellent Grand Secretary