Valley of Portland

Why Mentoring Young Men Through DeMolay, etc. MATTERS

June 12, 2023 by Valley of Portland

Today, young men are often described as being “in crisis.” During the past 50 years, at exactly the same time when women have made massive advancements, young men have been falling behind. This is true not because women’s success comes at young men’s expense, but because young men are facing new and very serious challenges. What are these challenges? And why does mentoring young men through programs such as DeMolay and in other ways point to a powerful solution? Let’s take a couple of minutes to explore this crucial topic.

Statistics Paint a Challenging Picture

If we review statistics and trends pertaining to young men in education, relationships, the workplace, etc. right now, a shadowy picture comes into focus. Today, the top 10 percent of America’s best students are 2/3 female; the bottom 10 percent are 2/3 male. Boys are far more likely to fail to graduate from high school. More than 60 percent are single. Nearly 75 percent of “deaths of despair”—suicides or overdoses—occur among men, many of them heartbreakingly young.

Seeds of Despair … Flowers of Hope

Why is this happening—and happening now? Though the causes are complex, many sociologists, writers, and political leaders identify a breakdown of the family and the resulting absence of positive male role models for young men as a key destructive force. A blog post by Pediatric Associates spotlighted the critical impact of having a positive role model for a young man versus not having one: “Boys will seek approval from their fathers from a very young age. As human beings, we grow up by imitating the behavior of those around us; that’s how we learn to function in the world. If a father is caring and treats people with respect, the young boy will grow up much the same. When a father is absent, young boys look to other male figures to set the ‘rules’ for how to behave and survive in the world.” It’s therefore critical—in a world where so many fathers are absent from young men’s lives—that these “other male figures” have a positive effect on a young man’s growth. That’s where mentoring young men—through formal organizations such as DeMolay Maine and in less structured settings—comes in.

An Impact That Lasts a Lifetime … or More

Put very simply, our young men don’t need more TikTok videos … or bad habits … or dead-end pathways set before them. They need a positive male mentor who can identify with their experience, be their friend, and provide an example to look up to. They need someone who will help them navigate through negative experiences and empower them for future challenges. They need someone who will help them build self-confidence and deepen their sense of purpose and ethical conduct in life.

Statistics from mentoring.org show that mentored young people are 90 percent more likely to become a mentor themselves. Given the serious new challenges they face, isn’t mentoring young men a great way to pass the torch and create a brighter future for our young brothers?

Want to Learn More About the Valley of Portland?

Additional information about the Valley of Portland is available here and at our website here. Interested in learning more about local events? Visit our website and subscribe to our newsletter to stay up to date and informed about upcoming events.

New brothers interested in completing the application process can do so by filling out the online application here.

Fascinating Facts about the Portland Masonic Event & Wedding Venue

May 8, 2023 by Valley of Portland

Just how amazing is the Portland Masonic Event & Wedding Venue? Pretty darn amazing! In fact, the Portland Press Herald hailed it as “some of the most magnificent interior spaces in Maine.” Let’s take a couple of minutes to walk through Fascinating Facts pertaining to the “Portland Masonic” as we take a guided tour through some of what this wonderful venue offers!

The Reading Room

Fascinating Fact: During World War II, the Scottish Rite Reading Room served as an Armed Forces Recreation Area, sponsored by the USO.

If you’re a certified Mainer, you’re very familiar with common Maine surnames such as Deering, Preble, Allen, and Drummond. Well, The Scottish Rite Reading Room is dedicated to Scottish Rite Masons in those venerable Maine families, as well as other Masonic families throughout Maine history. Featuring a majestic fireplace and an antique conference table, the Reading Room also includes original pool and snooker tables.

The Armory

Fascinating Fact: The Armory displays the first American flag ever flown by a Masonic Commandery in the United States of America.

Home to hundreds of lockers where York Rite Masons store their uniforms and personal effects, the Armory features a gorgeous Tiffany stained glass portrait of the Knight’s Templar (a large organization of devout Christians during the medieval era). During World War II, the Armory’s floor was replaced so it could be turned into a beautiful parquet dance floor for USO dances, so our soldiers could be sent off in style—dancing the night away—before going off to war.

Corinthian Hall

Fascinating Fact: Corinthian Hall is home to one of the largest working pipe organs in Maine, rivaled only by the one in the Merrill Auditorium next door.

One of Maine’s most majestic halls, Corinthian Hall—named after its architectural style—features striking Corinthian pillars that adorn the area’s two stories. The north side of the hall features a memorial to Augustus G. Schlotterbeck, a merchant and Mason whose will left the Portland Masonic the $1 million necessary to pay off the mortgage. Two eye-catching Tiffany stained glass portraits flank the Schlotterbeck memorial.

The Drummond Auditorium

Fascinating Fact: The Drummond Auditorium has—until now—featured resplendent plays only attended and enjoyed by Masons. But that could change. (See below.)

Between its terrace and the balcony, the Josiah H. Drummond Auditorium can comfortably accommodate up to 400 audience members. The scene of countless Masonic plays over the years, the stage features striking, hand-painted canvas scenery pieces, antique props, and costumes. The auditorium boasts a full pipe organ, a balcony for the orchestral ensemble, and a fully functioning light and sound system.

The Masonic Temple Foundation is raising funds needed to open the Drummond Auditorium to the general public. They need your help! To donate, please visit here.

Photos courtesy of Portland Masonic Gallery

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Want to Learn More About the Valley of Portland?

New brothers interested in completing the application process can do so by filling out the online application here.

What Does Masonic “Dedication to God” Look Like?

April 10, 2023 by Valley of Portland

Although Freemasonry is not a religion, Masons are a very “God-centered” brotherhood. If you go to the Mission Statement on the Valley of Portland’s website, you’ll see that Masons ground their lives by passionately embracing “dedication to God, family, and country.” What does this Masonic dedication to God “look like”? What impact does it have? Let’s take a few minutes to explore this.

An Inclusive Brotherhood

While it is true that Freemasonry embraces core religious principles in a Creed, it is welcoming and tolerant in its admission of men of many religious faiths. To become a Mason requires that you believe in (a.) God, the Creator of all things, who is recognized as the Grand Architect of the Universe and, (b.) eternal life, to which our present life is a preparation.

Let’s take a look at each of those two articles of faith, one at a time.

God, the Creator of All Things

For a Mason, the supremacy of God as Creator calls us to love God’s Creation deeply and ACTIVELY. As the saying goes, “Love is a verb.” And, for a Mason, that means that loving Creation means loving your fellow men and women, being a good role model for children, helping those in need, and more. That’s why, for example, the Valley of Portland’s Mission Statement calls for “teaching and emulating the principles of Brotherly Love.” And that’s why the Valley of Portland so ardently supports such efforts as the Blue Envelope Appeal, which allows Masons and members of the community to donate funds in a high-impact way that changes countless lives for the better. Through this crucial annual effort, we (a.) assist distressed Master Masons, their widows, and their orphans financially and physically through the Grand Almoner’s Fund, (b.) equip children with dyslexia with the skills they need to approach learning with eagerness and without fear, (c.) provide financial support to hundreds of students each year to help with the high cost of college, and more.

All of this comes directly out of Masonic dedication to God. All of it is about ACTIVELY loving and supporting God’s Creation, particularly those most in need of love and support.

What Eternal Life Asks of Each of Us

The Masons’ second article of faith—a belief in eternal life—is not just a belief, but a calling. Masons believe that scriptures from various religions can offer profound truths, one of which is found in the story offered in Mark 10:17 of the Christian Bible, when a young man asks Jesus of Nazareth, “What shall I do that I may inherit eternal life?” Masons observe that Jesus’ answer stressed how crucial it is to ACTIVELY help the poor and those less fortunate.

So what does Masonic dedication to God look like? Here at the Valley of Portland, we strive each day to make it look like a dedication centered on SERVICE—to our brothers, the local community, and to the profound spirit of “In God We Trust.”

Want to Learn More About the Valley of Portland?

New brothers interested in completing the application process can do so by filling out the online application here.

American Founding Fathers Who Were Masons

March 7, 2023 by Valley of Portland

You’ve heard their names all your life: George Washington … Benjamin Franklin … Samuel Adams … Ethan Allen … Paul Revere. You knew these astonishingly brave and gifted men were some of America’s great Founding Fathers. But did you know they also were Masons?

As it turns out, Freemasonry had a crucial role to play in shaping the character and actions of many Founding Fathers. In fact, nine of the 56 signers of the Declaration of Independence were Masons—including John Hancock—and at least seven other signers are believed by historians either to have been Masons or people who had ties to the brotherhood.

But things didn’t stop there. The profound influence of Founding Fathers who were Masons continued well beyond 1776. As we fought against the British in the Revolutionary War (1775 to 1783), 33 of the 74 generals of the Colonial Army were Masons. And when America created its Constitution—a beacon of hope to all who cherish freedom—13 of the 39 signers of the great document were Masons.

A Foundation of Character That Helped Create a Great Nation

While they had a critical role in helping to launch America, the Founding Fathers who were Masons—particularly the most famous ones, such as George Washington and Benjamin Franklin—rarely, if ever, talked openly about the connection between their political views and their masonic association. Nonetheless, historians almost universally assert that it was Masons—famous Founding Fathers plus more obscure brothers—who were the ones pushing their American homeland to break free from Great Britain and become its own constitutional republic. As historian James Brown wrote about Benjamin Franklin and his contemporaries: “What influence Freemasonry may have had on the life and character of Benjamin Franklin can only be conjecture, but that it did influence him and his contemporaries in the great struggle for American independence seems beyond doubt.”

Ideas and Values That Were Ahead of Their Time

What is also beyond doubt is that the Founding Fathers who were Masons were men ahead of their time, deeply committed to living and sharing values and ideas that would become cornerstones of democracies around the world. One succinct way to describe what Freemasonry is all about is: “Creating better men and a better world.” America’s great Founding Fathers who were Masons did this by fighting for separation from Great Britain, which they saw—correctly—as the one vital way to create religious freedom and other liberties throughout America.

Want to Learn More About the Valley of Portland?

Additional information about the Valley of Portland is available on our about page. New brothers interested in completing the application process can do so by filling out the online application here.

Best Freemasonry Podcasts and Blogs

February 8, 2023 by Valley of Portland

If you’re like most Masons, you feel you are on an earthly and spiritual journey to become everything you can be as a man, a friend, a family member, and a member of your community. How can you deepen and enrich your understanding of that journey—and your place within it? One of the most appealing and valuable ways is to listen to freemasonry podcasts and read Masonic blogs. Here are some of the best!

PODCASTS

Masonic Central Podcast

Billed as “the podcast about Freemasonry by Freemasons,” Masonic Central Podcast features illuminating, character-building conversations with some of Freemasonry’s most engaging thinkers, writers, leaders, entertainers, and other newsmakers. Featuring both one-on-one interviews and round-table discussions, the podcast helps the listener delve into many of Freemasonry’s most engaging and interesting intellectual and spiritual aspects, including its meaning, works, and ideas.

The Freemasons Podcast

Begun in 2019, this podcast features members of various lodges in Connecticut offering sometimes-edgy, often-playful discussions of a wide variety of topics of interest to Freemasons. Most of the guests are younger brothers who specialize in needling themselves as well as some of the other Masons who appear on the program. This Freemasonry podcast is hosted by Right Worshipful Brother George Mudry. To watch the podcast and its memorable guests—rather than simply listening to it—you can visit its YouTube channel here.

BLOGS

Freemasons for Dummies

This highly enriching “read” is the official blog of author Christopher Hodapp, author of the popular book Freemasons for Dummies. Since first arriving on the scene in 2005, Freemasons for Dummies has been the top-selling introductory guide to the Masonic fraternity and its many related organizations. Among other topics, Mr. Hodapp’s blog features some of the material featured in the revised 3rd Edition of his best-seller, including updated information, statistics, websites, and more.

The Midnight Freemasons

This blog features a group of Master Masons illuminating key topics of Masonic interest—each from his own unique perspective. Among the many interesting and eye-opening topics you’ll find discussed in the blog are history, trivia, travel, book reviews, and great quotes. More often than not, things are spiced up with a bit of humor!

Want to Learn More About the Valley of Portland?

New brothers interested in completing the application process can do so by filling out the online application here.

How Did Masonic Values Impact U.S. History?

January 11, 2023 by Valley of Portland

There’s no doubt about it: From George Washington to Mark Twain to Louis Armstrong to Cy Young, Masons have contributed mightily to American culture. But the most lasting contribution of these Masons—and countless others—is the Masonic values that helped govern their lives, and which, in turn, helped shape the great nation whose story they are such a part of. Let’s take a moment to explore just how Masonic values have impacted our beloved country.

Foundation Values for the American Colonies

Though national bestsellers such as Dan Brown’s The Lost Symbol have spun fanciful versions of Masons’ contribution to American history, the actual impact has been much richer. As a values movement that emerged from the Reformation, Freemasonry was the first highly influential organization to espouse religious toleration and liberty—core Masonic values that Masons helped spread throughout the American colonies.

“Yearning to Be Free”

Even prior to the signing of the Declaration of Independence, Masonic values were fully taking flight—in ways that often were impressively ahead of the times. To cite just one example: Freemasons in Boston in 1775 were part of a British garrison that granted local Black freemen the right to affiliate as Masons under the banner of African Lodge No. 1. Its leader, a freed slave named Prince Hall, later signed some of the nation’s earliest anti-slavery petitions. In this way, African Lodge No. 1 represented the first black-led abolitionist movement in American history. Nearly two centuries later, Masonic values and membership were embraced by both the father and grandfather of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., as the quest for civil rights in America deepened.

Masonic Values of the Founding Fathers

It is no coincidence that some of America’s greatest Founding Fathers—including not only Washington but also Benjamin Franklin, John Hancock, and seven other signers of the Declaration of Independence—were Freemasons. All these heroes rejected the European notion that one overarching authority should dominate the exchange of ideas.

To this day, this revolutionary new outlook is found in one of the greatest symbols associated with Freemasonry: the eye-and-pyramid of the Great Seal of the United States, as seen on the back of the one-dollar bill. Begun on July 4, 1776, The Great Seal’s design commenced as an order from the Continental Congress. Its Latin maxim—Annuit Coeptis Novus Ordo Seclorum—is commonly translated as “God Smiles on Our New Order of the Ages.”

An Enduring Legacy and Impact

The Masonic values that served as such a profound influence on our Founding Fathers and our early republic have endured and been strengthened by later Masons–who became everything from Presidents of the United States to musical giants to great athletes to great writers and thinkers. Just as they all owed a debt to the Masonic values that helped shape their lives, we now owe a great debt to them for the ways in which their values helped forge and shape America.

Want to Learn More About the Valley of Portland?

New brothers interested in completing the application process can do so by filling out the online application here.

The 3 Great Principles of Freemasonry

December 12, 2022 by Valley of Portland

Here at the Valley of Portland, we join our masonic brothers around the world in being serious-minded about becoming our best selves and in offering caring, devoted service to others. As we discussed in our recent blog “What is Masculinity? A Valley of Portland Response,” we emphatically believe the world needs more men of honor—more men whose lives are grounded on unwavering values and principles. For Freemasons, there are 3 Great Principles of Freemasonry that are absolutely crucial to a man becoming all he can be: Brotherly Love, Relief (Charity), and Truth. Let’s take a few minutes to look more closely at each of these 3 Great Principles, and at how membership in the Valley of Portland helps you uphold them.

Brotherly Love

Every true Freemason will show tolerance and respect for the opinions of others, and behave with kindness and understanding to his fellow creatures.

Relief (Charity)

Freemasons are taught to practice charity and to care not only for their own, but also for their community as a whole, both by charitable giving and by voluntary efforts as individuals.

Truth

Freemasons strive for truth, requiring high moral standards and aiming to achieve them in their own lives.

When you join and become fully involved with the Valley of Portland, you’ll see every day how these 3 Great Principles of Freemasonry “combine forces” to empower you and make you all you can be—to yourself, your family, your community, and to God. You’ll see that—by living these 3 Great Principles—you can work to bring about loving kindness in the home, honesty in business, courtesy and civility in society, fairness in work, pity and concern for those less fortunate, resistance of evil, help for the weak, forgiveness for the penitent, love for one another, and—above all—reverence and love for God.

A Special Word about Relief (Charity)

As you go deeper into your Freemasonry journey, you’ll be struck—time and again—by how much the 3 Great Principles of Freemasonry complement and empower each other. Without a true embrace of Brotherly Love and a courageous embrace of Truth, your efforts at Relief (Charity) might lack the passion and effectiveness they otherwise would have. But when you DO embrace all 3 Great Principles, you’ll see how life-changing your works of kindness and charity for others can be.

You’ll also see specific ways we here at the Valley of Portland “walk the talk” to lovingly help those in need. As we discussed in our recent blogs “Valley of Portland Urges Support of the Blue Envelope Appeal” and “Valley of Portland Partners with Maine Masonic Charitable Foundation,” we remain actively focused, year-round, on how we can better serve our local communities and our neighbors living in them. It all comes down to building your life on a firm foundation of principles and values. That’s the Freemason way.

Want to Learn More About the Valley of Portland?

New brothers interested in completing the application process can do so by filling out the online application here.

Valley of Portland Urges Support of the Blue Envelope Appeal

November 8, 2022 by Valley of Portland

Here at the Valley of Portland, we strive every day to “walk the talk” regarding our Scottish Rite values. Because Service to Humanity is one of those core values, we Masons are givers and doers—continually donating our time, talent, and resources to help others. This values-driven mission helps Scottish Rite Masons positively impact thousands of lives each year.

Why Donate to the Blue Envelope Appeal?

Each year, the Blue Envelope Appeal offers you the chance to donate funds in a high-impact way that changes countless lives for the better. Your donation—pooled with those of your Masonic brothers—empowers and enhances your community by:

Assisting distressed Master Masons, their widows, and their orphans financially and physically through the Grand Almoner’s Fund;
Equipping children with dyslexia with the skills they need to approach learning with eagerness and without fear;
Providing financial support to hundreds of students each year to help with the high cost of college;
Allowing visitors to experience the home of our new Masonic Hall of Fame, the Scottish Rite Masonic Museum & Library, as it works to restore, preserve, and share one of the largest collections of Masonic memorabilia and fraternal artifacts in the world.

Compete in a Kind-Hearted Contest

Each year we turn our Blue Envelope Appeal into a fun, kind-hearted contest to generate maximum participation. This year will be no different! Your donation to the Blue Envelope Appeal will help the Valley of Portland compete with the rest of the Northern Masonic Jurisdiction in a service-to-humanity contest in which we will recognize the Top 3 Valleys in the following categories:

Total dollars donated by members to the Blue Envelope Appeal;
Total number of members donating to the Blue Envelope Appeal;
Highest percentage of members donating to the Blue Envelope Appeal.

The winning Valley in each category will be highlighted in our 2023 Impact Report and receive widespread recognition on social media. And here’s another huge incentive: Donors from the three winning Valleys will be entered in a drawing to win a shopping spree to The Masonic Marketplace.

Living Our Values Today and Tomorrow

You should have received your Blue Envelope Appeal information in the mail in October. If you did not and/or have any questions about the effort, please contact the Valley of Portland here.

If you have already mailed your donation, THANK YOU! If not, we urge you to mail your donation soon. Join your fellow Scottish Rite Masons in helping to make the world a better place!

Want to Learn More About the Valley of Portland?

New brothers interested in completing the application process can do so by filling out the online application here.

What is Masculinity? A Valley of Portland Response

October 20, 2022 by Valley of Portland

The debate has raged since the 1960s, if not before: What is masculinity? What should a man do and be? What is a “real man” versus a man who embodies “toxic masculinity?” One look at national bestseller lists reveals that, if anything, interest in the topic is growing stronger by the day. Titles that tackle the subject include The Masculinity Manifesto, The Mask of Masculinity, Reinventing Masculinity … it goes on and on. So here at the Valley of Portland, we wanted to take a few minutes to look at this deeply important topic and share our perspective on it.

A Foundation of Values

Abraham Lincoln famously said: “A house divided against itself cannot stand.” But is also cannot stand if it lacks a strong foundation. Here at the Valley of Portland and among our Masonic brothers worldwide, we believe that foundation is comprised of the enduring values we’ve cherished and upheld for centuries—as they apply to today’s men and today’s world. Think about it: We are living—sadly—in a world where lying … bullying … cheating … demonstrating a lack of respect for women and/or for people from other cultures, and more … are too often met with male silence or with outright male affirmation. One critical way to battle this tide is by men stepping up and rejecting it. And we believe one clear pathway for doing that is by actively embracing the Masonic values we lay out in our Mission Statement, which reads:

It is the mission of the Scottish Rite of Freemasonry, Northern Masonic Jurisdiction, to improve its members and enhance the communities in which they live by teaching and emulating the principles of Brotherly Love, Tolerance, Charity, and Truth, while actively embracing high social, moral, and spiritual values, including fellowship, compassion, and dedication to God, family, and country.

“The World Needs Men of Honor”

As discussed in the video “Not Just a Man. A Mason,” we Masons have, for 300 years, helped men become the best version of themselves. We don’t do that by giving them a gym pass or changing their diet, or helping them navigate the business world. We do that through our fraternity and by inviting each man to take an oath of Service, Integrity, and Brotherly Love—placing THOSE values at the center of what they embrace as true masculinity.

A Final Word

In his book Understanding Manhood in America: Freemasonry’s Enduring Path to the Mature Masculine, Robert G. Davis asserts that the road to the “mature masculine” is not an easy road; it involves work, perseverance, and a commitment to personal responsibility. Stated another way, it involves a deep commitment to living a values-centered life. Here at the Valley of Portland and throughout the Masonic world, that is exactly the kind of masculinity we strive to manifest each and every day of the year.

Want to Learn More About the Valley of Portland?

New brothers interested in completing the application process can do so by filling out the online application here.

Valley of Portland Partners with Maine Masonic Charitable Foundation

September 20, 2022 by Valley of Portland

Corner Stone Lodge, with the help of Brother Rick Olfene’s fundraising and The Maine Masonic Charitable Foundation’s Matching Grant Program, proudly supports the Westbrook High School Football Boosters with a $2,000 donation presented by WB Mike Chambers and RW Jonathan Rosen.

Here at the Valley of Portland, we enjoy the comradery of brotherhood while maintaining a deep devotion to our core Scottish Rite values. One of the most important is Service to Humanity. We uphold this value by seeking—each day of the year—to enhance our local Maine communities by teaching and emulating the principles of Brotherly Love, Tolerance, Charity, and Truth.

To powerfully and effectively “walk this talk,” we proudly partner with the Maine Masonic Charitable Foundation.

Members of Triangle Lodge #1 giving bikes at the Portland Public Library. From left to right: Marlon Welch, Chris Camire, Misha Pride, Michael Chambers, Jody Hersey, Frank Klingensmith, Justin Wesley, Carlo DiCelico, and Wayne Leonard.

Uplifting Mainers and Maine Communities

With its high-impact focus on assisting local individuals, families, and communities in need, the Maine Masonic Charitable Foundation performs the life-changing work of building strong, inclusive communities that enrich the lives of all Maine residents.

What impact has this had so far? Just this past year, the Foundation issued 390 grants in partnership with the Lodges, which provided more than $750,000 to local community nonprofits, towns, and organizations across the state. In so doing, the Maine Masonic Charitable Foundation continued to be a powerful force for good in efforts such as supporting suicide prevention, improving literacy in children and adults, reducing food insecurity, and reducing violence.

Initiatives that Transform Lives

In partnership with the Valley of Portland and 176 other Masonic Lodges across Maine, the Maine Masonic Charitable Foundation engaged in a wide number of local community-empowering initiatives. Among the life-enhancing programs supported are:

The Bikes for Books Program … which encourages young students to read and receive a chance to win a bicycle. Thanks to this Masonic program, librarians, school teachers, and administrators across Maine have seen a dramatic, positive impact on youngsters’ reading habits;
Nonprofit Maine Healthcare Organizations … including NAMI (National Alliance on Mental Illness), which provides suicide prevention training in Maine communities, along with the sponsorship of Bike MS®: Great Maine Getaway, which raised more than $400,000 for MS research in 2021;
Unified Champion Clubs … a multi-year partnership with the Alfond Youth & Community Center and Special Olympics Maine. These clubs foster a community of inclusion through sports competition;
Maine Boys to Men … multi-year grants helping to further the organization’s training capabilities to reach communities across Maine, including work with the Wabanaki People.

Bob Jewett and Shaun West present a check to the South Portland H.S. Football Boosters.

For more information about the Maine Masonic Charitable Foundation, visit their website or email Susan Scacchi, Executive Director.