Welcome to recap of the 2007-2008 State Installation of Officers!

November 3, 2007

The day began very early!  An 8am breakfast was held in honor of the Grand Master of Freemasonry in Missouri, Bruce R. Austin, at the Scottish Rite, Valley of Kansas City and hosted by the Past Masters of Kansas City.  Immediately following breakfast, the Most Worshipful Grand Master was formally escorted into his Area Meeting by Missouri DeMolay State Officers Justin and Kristofer Woods. 

At 11 a.m. Deputy State Master Councilor, Justin Woods, opened his meeting for incoming state officers.  He welcomed them and told them about his plans for the upcoming year and the expectation and anticipation of meeting his goals with the help of his officer team.

At 12:30 p.m. a team of Knights from the Walt Disney & Cockerham Priory performed the Knighthood Investiture and received six more Knights into the Cockerham Priory. 

Nine boys experienced the amazing degree work of the Initiatory and DeMolay Degrees.  It was a spectacular presentation of the Degrees and there were many compliments on the performance!  Congratulations to George L. Walters, Robert Goldberg, St. Charles, Independence, and Mochila Chapters for their new members.  A very special congratulations to some of our 2006-2007 State Squires who became DeMolay on Saturday - Nathaniel Thomason, Blaine Moreland, and Jeremiah Wheeler!

After the Degrees, everyone adjourned to the kitchen to have dinner. The Missouri DeMolay State Mother’s Club and a few special Dad’s prepared a wonderful meal and provided lots of pasta salad – at the incoming SMC’s request, of course!  Thank you to all of the State Mom’s!

The 2007-2008 Installation of Officers for the Jurisdiction of Missouri opened to the new officers being introduced.  The installing marshal, Jeffrey C. Kitsmiller, Jr., PSMC, invited in the following officers:

State Master Squire – Liam Huntsucker

State Senior Squire – Brandon Steensgaard

State Junior Squire – Zack Deason

State Squire Chaplain – Tyler Waldon

State Squire Marshal – Michael Braun

State Squire Recorder – Macio Harris

State Squire Treasurer – Jeremy Trent

State Area Master Councilor – Area 1 – Nick Fox

State Area Master Councilor – Area 3 – Cole Short

State Area Master Councilor – Area 4 – Billy Rollins

State Area Master Councilor – Area 5 – Bobby Williamson

State Area Master Councilor – Area 6 – Scott Buttrey

State Area Master Councilor – Area 7 – Douglas Stalling

A special entrance was made by the following officers…

State Almoner - Jamie Phillips

State Chaplain – Dan Best

State Marshal – Brock Harrison

State Scribe – Brandon Cockerham

State Sir Knight - Drew Hinkle

And from the curtain came the State Line Officers….

State Junior Councilor – Mike Jones

State Senior Councilor – Kris Woods

State Illustrious Knight Commander - Gabe Eggers

Deputy State Master Councilor – Ryan Cockerham

And, finally, the curtain came up to reveal the 2007-2008 State Master Councilor

Justin Alexander Woods

Installation proceeded with Installing Officer Cory C. Meyer, PSMC leading the way.  Missouri’s new State Squire & DeMolay officers made promises and vows and are on their way to an incredible year. 

State Master Councilor, Justin Woods, began his remarks with a brief explanation of his goals. 

§        Charity! Missouri DeMolay will be giving and supporting the RiteCare Language Clinics.  He requested each chapter add a fundraiser to their term planning to help with donations and also to volunteer time to the clinics.  (A donation was collected after this announcement and $347.87 was collected!) 

§        Missouri DeMolay has been #1 in the world in positive growth & membership and he wants to make sure that we continue the tradition through excellent membership programs and providing incentives to members that participate. Justin also encouraged retention in your chapters by making sure that you have fun events as well as service and fundraisers.

§        Continue to improve communication.  Promote the website and the e-newsletter.  Encourage the Area Master Councilors to cooperate with their chapters and to share the events they are having with the rest of the state .

§        Adult recruitment.  Justin is hoping to network with our various Masonic sponsors to encourage them to support DeMolay at the chapter level by being an advisor.

§        Refocus on the precepts outlined in the ritual.  Recall the importance that the lessons taught in the ritual are for your every day lives.  Excellence in ritual is the exemplification of showing the world around you that you believe and live what is being taught. 

 Dad Robert Cockerham, Executive Officer of Missouri DeMolay was introduced and then began a very special ceremony for WGM Bruce R. Austin to invest him into the Honorary Legion of Honor

Dad Cockerham provided some remarks and invited mom’s and state leaders up to thank them for their time and service to the Order.  Each were presented with the new Howie Damron CD with the new song “I’m Living DeMolay”. http://www.howiedamron.com/ .  The Executive Officer appointed a new director – Cory Meyer, Director of Charity.

Junior Past State Master Councilor, Cory Meyer, was invited to give his remarks.  He gave individual thanks to Dad Steve Pelak, Dad Ralph Sturdavent, Pamela Baker, and Dad Robert Cockerham.

Justin had some special thank you’s to his family, Dad Nick Walker, Dad Andrew Schumacher, Dad Cockerham, and to his special greeters from Job’s and Rainbow. 

A short presentation by newly installed State Jr. Councilor Mike Jones regarding membership for November and December and a slide show recapping state events for 2006-2007 and introducing the new state officers was presented by Beth Woods and then the ceremony moved into closing and retiring of State Master Councilor, Cory Meyer, the new 2007-2008 Missouri DeMolay Jurisdictional Officers and the Installing officers.

(link for slide show)

All adjourned to take pictures, congratulate the new officers and to the DANCE!

Some extra special thank you’s to some behind the scenes help on Saturday ~

Excalibur Chapter Advisors, Ron Hickey, Bill Dean & his stage crew, Dad Kaeser, Frank S. Land Chapter (Especially Joe Fritz, Tristin Stewart, and Benjamin Seelbinder), Chelsea Ditto, the Schumacher family, & the State Mom’s