Featured Image: Officers of Allentown DeMolay shown with certificates for the seven competitions they won at this year’s annual Pennsylvania DeMolay Convention held in Gettysburg, including Most Outstanding Chapter of the Year. Shown are, from left to right: Senior Councilor Jay Kupis, Chaplain Daniel Hollenbaugh, Senior Councilor Ethan Flanagan, Junior Deacon Jonathan Rhoads, Marshal Justin Ortiz, and Master Councilor Miles Green, who is holding the certificate for Outstanding Chapter of the Year. Allentown DeMolay is a Masonic youth organization for boys 12-21 that meets in Allentown’s Masonic Temple.
The Allentown Chapter of the Order of DeMolay International, a fraternal youth organization for boys 12-21 sponsored by a local Masonic group, was named the Most Outstanding Chapter of the Year in all of Pennsylvania for the 2017-2018 competition year on Saturday at Pennsylvania DeMolay’s annual convention held in Gettysburg, PA.
The Chapter, which meets in the Allentown Masonic Temple located on Linden Street across from Allentown’s West Park, finished second in last year’s competition.
The Chapter earned the most points in the year-long competition for Large Chapters (50+ members) and the most points overall among the 21 DeMolay Chapters in Pennsylvania.
DeMolay was founded in 1919 in Kansas City, Missouri, and in 1926 in Allentown, by local Masons who wanted to help boys in their community.
The Allentown Chapter is sponsored by Allen-Beauceant Commandery No. 20 of the Knights Templar, a Christian Masonic group, but membership is open to any young man of good moral character aged 12-21 who believes in a supreme being and who is recommended by two members and a Mason.
The organization is a character and leadership debelopment organization based on seven cardinal virtues (filial love, reverence for sacred things, courtesy, comradeship, fidelity, cleanness and patriotism), which are represented in Chapter meetings and other ceremonies by seven candles around an altar upon which the Chapter places a Holy Bible or other sacred text (to represent religious liberty) and a set of school books (to represent intellectual liberty), and around which is placed the flag of our country, to represent the seat of civil govefnment, without which there can be neither religious nor intellectual liberty.
The Chapter also finished first in several other competitions, including ones for most other chapters visited, most miles traveled visiting other chapters, the total of Leadership Correspondence Course lessons completed, an Obligatory Day Competition held at a recent state-wide event, and second in the DeMolay Month and Membership Goal Percentage competitions.
The Chapter’s current presiding officer, who is called the Master Councilor, is Miles Green, a rising Junior at Emmaus High School; he received the Chapter’s Awards for visitations and Chapter of the Year in behalf of the Chapter.
Five other officers of the Chapter also attended the Convention and received the other awards.
The Chapter is run by the young men, who follow Robert’s Rules of Order in their business meetings, and supervised by a 15-member Advisory Council headed by Edward John White, a Senior DeMolay, Past Master Councilor, and Past State Officer.
The Chapter will be holding its semi-annual Open Installation of Officers on Sunday, July 29, at 2:00 p.m. at the Lehigh Masonic Lodge, which is located at 2120 Route 100 in Macungie.
The public is invited to attend.
For questions about DeMolay International in general or Allentown DeMolay in particular, please contact Chapter Chairman Edward John White via email at edwhitemagic61@gmail.com or via telephone at 610-739-3414.
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Information and image provided by:
Edward John White
Chairman, Allentown DeMolay Advisory Council
Allentown Masonic Temple
