Ceremony of Institution

This ceremony, which was to be used to formally establish new Chapters, is one of the oldest pieces of ritual written by Dad Marshall. The style and flow of the ceremony are much like the other ceremonies that he wrote for the Order. The ceremony was conducted by the Grand Council, or other adults representing them, so the Officers performing the ceremony would act as Grand Master Councilor, Grand Senior Councilor, Grand Junior Councilor, Grand Scribe, Grand Chaplain, Grand Marshal, and Grand Senior Deacon. The Grand Officers would open the chapter much like chapters are open today. The Grand Master Councilor would then briefly outline DeMolay and obligate the incoming Master Councilor. Although the Ceremony of Institution is no longer used, many of its key elements would be recognized as part of our Chapter installations today. Below are scanned copies of the original text; take a look and see how many similarities you can find.

From Dad Land's Speech Notes

Origin of Ancient Masonry—Masonic Digest 1942

The Long Beach Masonic Club July 30^th heard a talk on the “Archaeological Origin of Masonry” by Dr. O.J. Kinnamon, one of the two survivors of the group of 22 men who opened the tomb of King Tut.

The speaker, who spent two decades in excavating tombs and temples of Egypt, said:

“Masonry did not have its beginning in Europe in the seventeenth century. I do not know where or when the principles of Masonry had their beginning. But years of archaeological study in Egypt show that it came into Egypt in the days of Pharoahs, maybe from India, and there are signs that it came to India from the continent of Mu.”

Dr. Kinnamon related that in 1580 B.C. the ruler of Egypt sought to educate his people and when he found it was not practical he summoned a group of young men and taught them personally in his palace and that a secret order along the lines of Free Masonry was evolved; that in 1200 B.C. Solomon came to Egypt from Palestine to study, married a daughter of the Pharoah, carried the idea of the order back to Jerusalem and built the famous temple in Jerusalem. This temple was almost identical to ancient temples found in Egypt.

The speaker described the unwrapping of the mummy of King Tut and the revelation that when many layers had been unwound from the middle of the mummy they found the Masonic apron.

Senior DeMolay Spotlight

Chris Danner

This month’s Senior DeMolay spotlight is Chris Danner. Chris was initiated into Walt Disney Chapter in Michigan on July 28^th, 1982, and took the DeMolay Degree on October 19^th, 1982. Chris received the Degree of Chevalier in 1988 and the Legion of Honor in 1997. He is a Past Deputy State Master Councilor of Michigan DeMolay, and served as a professional staff member there for several years. Outside of DeMolay, Chris’ professional accomplishments in the world of musical theater include:

• Company Manager for the national tour of Dear Evan Hansen
• Former Company Manager for the Kinky Boots National Tour
• Former Company Manager for the national tour of Newsies
• Former Company Manager for the national tour of The Lion King

Reflecting on the 36^th anniversary of his DeMolay Degree, Chris said:

“Today is a good day to talk about DeMolay.

I am sitting at my desk backstage, which consists of a folding 6ft table.  To my left is a custom road box filled with a printer, shredder, label writer, office supplies, and my mini ice machine. (Yes, I like ice in everything!).  The overhead speaker is above me with music piped in from the stage.  Today is a b-roll shoot (the video snippets you see of shows for commercials, tv interviews, and lobby advertisements), so the numbers are being rehearsed a few times, then recorded.

Once a week we receive a mail pouch from our main office in New York City.  I have my mail forwarded to me from my home in Fort Lauderdale.  Today, is a good day, because I opened up the Fed Ex with everyone’s mail and discovered a letter addressed to me from my Lodge with my 2019 Dues card.  I opened up the envelop, signed my card and put it in my desk organizer.  My desk organizer is filled with business cards, dues cards, post-its, paper clips, a fidget spinner, and my Jacques DeMolay 700 Years Coin which I use more than my fidget spinner.

I wanted to give you an inside look of the very glamourous life (joking) of a Company Manager for a Tony Award Winning Musical.  There is a lot that goes into the development and start a North American tour.  If I weren’t organized and able to handle difficult situations I am sure I would drown with the work load.

Dear Evan Hansen, is my 18th National Tour that I have worked on.  I have been to every State in the USA (except Alaska) and to about 40 countries over the past 19 years on the road.  I love what I do, and I owe a lot of my success to DeMolay.

DeMolay provided opportunities that were not available to me in school, including public speaking, confidence, financial and time management, organizational skills, and especially quality friendships.  I was introduced to DeMolay at a pivotal point in my life – I could have easily gone down a dark path but chose DeMolay.  I am forever grateful and never forget the lessons it taught me.”

Come back next month for more letters from Dad Land, spotlights on Senior DeMolays who have done remarkable things, and fascinating pieces of DeMolay history!