Grand Master's Message
November  2004

It gives me great pleasure to bring you greetings from the Grand East during this very busy month of November.

My Brothers, your team effort and personal dedication and hard work are enabling this Grand Jurisdiction to achieve so many worthwhile goals this year. Programs such as our Child Identification Program (CHIP) and the Scottish Rite Learning Center have not only helped countless families and
individuals from all walks of life, they have helped spread the word, to those with little previous knowledge about the craft, that Freemasons humbly and selflessly contribute much and contribute often to their communities.

Our Youth Committee continues to meet monthly to plan and implement strategies to help strengthen and support our youth programs. We are collaborating with Demolay and Rainbow leaders to identify methods for recruiting new sponsors and advisors. It is hoped that Demolay Chapters and Rainbow Assemblies can be revitalized through a careful welding of innovative ideas from new people and invaluable experiences from those who worked so successfully with our youth in the past. It is my goal to bring back three Demolay Chapters, that are in darkness, before our next Grand Lodge Annual Communication in May 2005, thereby giving us a total of five Chapters. That is an ambitious goal given the changes that have taken place in families and society, in general, over the years. However, I believe the potential to attract youth is inherent in the principles underlying Demolay and Rainbow and perhaps many youth are actually searching for the benefits of such membership. We are charged with igniting the passion that will once again to make Demolay and Rainbow thrive in Rhode Island.

I am overwhelmed with the support given to our Veterans’ Memorial Monument fundraiser. To those who have contributed, I thank you for your generosity. To those who have not yet had the chance to contribute, please take the time to participate in the completion of this permanent symbol of our gratitude for the sacrifices made by our brothers in defense of this great country. The fundraising appeal form can be found in this issue of the Freemasons paper.

I congratulate Brothers Wyman P. (Skip) Hallstrom and Sidney Glifford on receiving their Scottish Rite 33rd Degree this past September at the Scottish Rite Supreme Council, held in Milwaukee, Wisconsin. My Brothers, you have both given so much to our craft and we are all very proud of you both.

Compilation of The Grand Lodge Yearbook is well underway. Picture sessions are still available so please take the time to have you and your lady’s picture taken so that you will be included in this attractive yearbook. For those who wish to be included in the Business/Industry section, please provide the needed information at your earliest convenience. This section will provide Brothers the opportunity to support the businesses and services offered by fellow Brothers. Remember, there is no cost to have your pictures taken or to be listed in the Business/Industry section, but, clearly, for this project to be a success, a substantial number of books must be purchased. The Yearbook will not only make a great gift, it can be a great conversation piece for your home or business... or both. This one of a kind book is yours for only $34.95. For more information, contact Brother Joe Neto at 401-2550783 or 401-736-5152.

The Grand Lodge Semi-Annual will be held on Saturday, November 20th, 2004 at Grand Lodge.  The Semi-Annual provides you, my Brothers, with a forum for voicing your ideas and concerns. Don’t just be an observer who later ends up dissatisfied with the results. Be a participant. Seize the opportunity to make a difference!

The Grand Lodge Fall Festival will be held on the evening of our Semi-Annual in the Imperial Room at the Rhode Island Shrine in Cranston, RI. I hope that you will be able to join us for a night filled with great fellowship, good food, and wonderful music. Tickets are limited to 200 people and are available only through the Grand Lodge Office.Look for more details in this issue of our Freemasons paper.

It continues to be a pleasure and an honor to represent you and our Grand Jurisdiction at concordant bodies in and out of our state. From September through early November, I attended the following: the Scottish Rite Supreme Council Session in Milwaukee, Wisconsin; the annual communications of North Carolina, Delaware, West Virginia, Ohio, Kentucky, Virginia, and Maryland; and the Shrine membership seminar held in Tampa, Florida. The issues that we face here in our Grand Jurisdiction are essentially no different than those in our sister jurisdictions. Consequently, these visits provide invaluable opportunities to share ideas, innovations, and initiatives which, in turn, can be brought back to this jurisdiction and contribute to a dialogue regarding similar issues.

Maureen and I invite you to accompany us on the Norwegian Dawn, April 17th through April 24th, 2005, for a seven night New York to the Bahamas cruise. If you are planning on joining us, please make your reservations. For more information, please see the advertisement in our Freemason paper. In closing, Maureen and I wish you and your loved ones inner peace and joy during this Thanksgiving season. We all have so much to be thankful for even though the turmoil and distractions of daily life sometime obscure what is really important. This certainly is not an easy time for our country or the world, but, thanks to our military, we continue to live in a land that is free. Let us not forget to pray for our brave women and men in the military and their loved ones who watch and wait.
In particular, pray for those who are on the front lines and risk their lives every day and beseech the Grand Architect of the Universe to protect them and bring them all safely back home.

God Bless the United States of America and God Bless our fraternity.

Fraternally,
Bradford L. Barco
Grand Master