Scottish Rite Expresss

Consistory Meet & Greet

Join us on Wednesday, September 30, 2009 for a Consistory “Meet and Greet.” This simple event is a chance to stop in, say hello to a few of your friends, and enjoy the fellowship of Scottish Rite. There will be snacks and drinks available. The Consistory meet and greets are open to anyone, so feel free to invite your non-Masonic friends as well. The library will be open from 4:30 pm to 7:30 pm.

As the reunion is fast approaching, we thought having some additional “Meet and Greets” might be worthwhile. Therefore, will be hosting Meet and Greets on October 7 and 14, leading in to the fall reunion. We encourage you to bring a prospective member to Scottish Rite with hope he will petition the fall class.

3rd Degree

Normally, I do not include 3rd Degrees in the SR Express but this Tuesday, September 29th Glenn Clark, son of the Master of Kadosh Mark Clark, will be taking his 3rd Degree in Capital Lodge #110. Lodge will open at 7:00 pm with the 3rd Degree to follow. If you happen to have Tuesday evening, open please consider attending.

Scottish Rite Degree Practices

Tuesday, September 29, 2009
18th Degree – 7 pm (Auditorium)
22nd Degree – 7 pm (Tapestry Lounge)

Wednesday, September 30, 2009
14th Degree – 6 pm (Auditorium)
8th Degree – 7 pm (Auditorium)

Scottish Rite Fall Reunion

The Fall Scottish Rite Reunion will honor George R. Carr 33° Grand Cross. It will be held on October 16/17 (degrees 4-18) and October 30/31 (degrees 19-32). We will be balloting on petitions on Wednesday, October 7th, so please submit them as soon as possible.

Included in this reunion is the annual Double Eagle Gala, the highlight celebration of the Consistory year. This year the gala will feature the High Society Big Band, a Masquerade ball themed party, and a fully catered banquet. The exciting event is $35 per person and we would like your payment and reservation prior to October 23rd.

The formal invitations will be sent this week. The dress for the Gala is black tie optional. Should you like to wear a masquerade mask, feel free to do so but it is certainly not required.

Should you like to buy a table of eight for your party, you may do so. There are a limited number of these reserved tables available for $280 each and full advance payment is required.

Consistory Meet & Greet

Consistory Meet & Greet

Join us on Wednesday, September 30, 2009 for a meet and greet. This simple event is a chance to stop in, say hello to a few of your friends, and enjoy the fellowship of Scottish Rite. The Consistory meet and greets are open to anyone, so feel free to invite your non-Masonic friends as well. 4:30 pm to 7:30 pm. In the Library on Second Floor.

There will also be Meet and Greets on October 7 and 14 with a chance to bring prospects to let them learn about Scottish Rite fellowship

Pictures from the Fall Kick-off

First four pictures are by Kevin Christians 32°

Fall Membership Kick-off

Master of Kadosh, Mark Clark 33° invites you to the annual Fall Kick-off to the Fall activities. This is designed to remind everyone of the camaraderie we enjoy as Scottish Rite Masons and the upcoming Fall activities, especially the Fall Reunion and Gala.

IT will be reminiscent of the meetings of our ancient brethren, as they gathered for song food and fellowship at their festive boards. A great meal of Iowa Chops will be served.

There will be a special program introducing the Scottish Rite to non-Scottish Rite Masons. Iowa Chop dinner with baked potato, vegetable, salad and dessert for only $10. Come for Fellowship, come for fun.

Prospective Master Masons and prospective Scottish Rite Masons are FREE! You can earn a free dinner by bringing a prospective member(s) with a completed Scottish Rite petition & fees.

The evening will begin with a social hour at 6:00 pm with dinner to follow. There will be a short program following dinner introducing Scottish Rite to the prospective members. Building tours will also be available

Now is the time to ask that Master Mason friend of yours to join Scottish Rite. Cost is $10 for SR Masons. However, SR candidates are free. If you bring a candidate with a signed & paid petition , your dinner is free as well. Remember the Fall reunion is in honor of George R. Carr, 33° G. C.

If you plan to attend please contact the office (288-8927 or rsvp@dmscottishrite.org by September 21.

6:00 PM Social Hour

7:00 PM Dinner

Grilled Iowa Chops

8:00 - Introduction to the Scottish Rite

The Lost Symbol

In anticipation of Dan Brown's Novel The Lost Symbol due out Wednesday a Web Site has been set up to address questions. It is sponsored by the Masonic Society, The Masonic Service Association and the George Washington Masonic Memorial

Endings/Beginnings

Nick Stahl watching the monitor.

The movie making is finishing up at the Consistory. They were supposed to finish the filming today and they will be moving on to other locations in the city.
By Saturday this room will be cleaned and set for the Grand Commander's Reception and back to normal.
These folks will be moving out and we will get the place ready for the Kick Off dinner and the Reunion. Everybody should be downloading the petitions and asking their friends to join the George Carr Class.

Those who join both the Scottish and York Rite George Carr Classes have a special discount. You can join both Orders for $300. Or if you are a York Rite Member and want to become a Scottish Rite Member also you will receive a $100 discount. If a Scottish Rite member and wish to be a member of the York Rite you may join the Des Moines York Rite for a $65 discount. A petition may be downloaded by clicking on the link on the right.
The Fall Kick Off will be on September 23. For $10 you may come and help get ready for this exciting Reunion. Invitations will go out soon for this. You should also know that if you bring a prospective member with a signed petition both your dinner and the prospect will be free. In any event the prospects will receive a free dinner.

In addition any member of the Spring 2009 Class or any of the 2008 Classes can just bring a friend (Mason or not) and both will eat for free.
A new Master of Kadosh was elected tonight (Don Driscoll) and Mark Clark describes himself as a "lame duck" - I don't think that is accurate. Mark will continue to give his full measure of service to our Consistory and let us help him honor our friend George Carr by inviting our Masonic Friends to seek much more light by becoming a Scottish and York Rite Mason.

Dates for up coming events are on the column on the right. Please plan to attend your Scottish Rite. See you at the Consistory.

Quarterly Meeting and Elections

The schedule for the Quarterly Meeting and Elections is as follows:

Wednesday September 9, 2009

6:30 PM - Dinner, generally $5, no rsvp needed
7:30 PM Quarterly and elections !

Movie Making IV

The trucks are still there, the crew is still working and the movie is being made.

Huge lights covered for protection were sitting outside the building this morning.

The monitoring equipment was set up in the Tapestry Lounge and the lights were too dim to get a good picture but I tried some anyway.
But the real fun was going on in the Library which is set to look like a living room. Obviously of someone who drinks a lot and saves the bottles. They were rehearsing and running lines and there were about 10 - 15 people standing and watching the proceedings.
The director is the man in the white shirt (I think) - at least he was giving notes and running things and cutting a line here and there. I could have stayed all day to watch but I did not want to be in the way and I could not have taken many more pictures anyway.
You can see the lights on top of the bookshelves. Boy they better put those back right when they are done. Kurt and I worked for about two weeks getting the Library set up and he catalogued the books.
I was talking with Ben as I left the building tonight. He is the grey haired guy taking light readings in the little movie below. He described their job as "Carney workers with a good dental plan."
I noticed on the Feedjit that we had been "found" and are getting some traffic from a site here in Des Moines called absolutedsm.com I hope the film folk don't mind that they have been "found"
This is Connie, who graciously let me take just one more picture. I also got a big hug as I left.
The little movie below will give you a brief idea of what was going on and give you an idea of what will be happening tomorrow and next week. I won't be back down (unless Nick calls and asks me to take more pictures) I did not get to see Bill Hamilton again as he is off at "Charlie's Apartment painting a mural on the wall. I found out from our Senior Warden in Arcadia that he is quite a talented muralist and had painted some murals here in Ames. His father is a stand in for Jack Nicholson (one of my favorite actors) So unless something happens and I get a call-back that will be all the reporting on the Movie Making....Click here to see today's album. Click on the arrow in the bottom left to view.

Movie Makers

They are still there. It seemed somehow quieter today. Perhaps because I was tired or just getting used to them being there. Quiet professionals doing their jobs and working hard to produce a great product.

They were real flowers and made the 33rd Degree Room smell like a funeral parlor.

Colored gels to provide the right atmosphere for the Pawn Shop.

Lots of people behind the scenes working, waiting, filming.

Mr. Stahl, in focus this time.

They either tolerate or

seem amused by my incessant snapping of photos.
(Much like the members of the Consistory when I shoot an event.)
Actually when I took this shot the filming was waiting for the noon time bell concert from St. John's to end so they could continue with the shoot.
They wanted to know how much longer the bells would be ringing.

Mr. Stahl again. He cleans up nicely.
Looks like he could be going to a funeral (or a Masonic meeting)

He apologized to me for getting in the shot. I was trying to get a shot of him because he is the one who is in charge of the shoot. (Or at least he seems to be. Always says "Rolling" and then it gets super quiet and "Cut" when the scene is finished.

Click here to see the Album for today.

More Movie Making

They were filming on the front steps this morning when I got to the Scottish Rite Masonic Center. I had to wend my way through technicians, grips, juicers, and security guards.

The camera is on a little track so it can slide back and forth without jumps.

There are semi-trucks full of equipment all around the building. However the reason I took this picture is because it shows the Consistory Building reflected in the windows of the building across the street. ( American Enterprise)


The "office" set in the auditorium was not supposed to be a lawyer's office as I guessed yesterday but rather the pawn broker's office. The actor was in place and they were taking levels when I got these shots.
Below is Nick Stahl, one of the stars. I did not get a great shot of him but I did not want to interrupt the proceedings. And it is fuzzy. I will try to get a better shot sometime.
Everybody has a job to do and they are sort of like a swarm all over the place. It is great.

Rolls of tape are among the "necessaries" They use it all over for all sorts of things.

They had a couple of monitors set up where you could see what the camera was seeing.

This was not a real policeman. Real policemen eat dougnuts and this one was eating a granola bar.

The library has become a living room.

You can view all of the pictures I have taken by clicking here. Album 1 Album 2