Ohio DeMolay

Making A Difference

From Dad Shaw

Ohio Buckeye Priory

Ohio State Court of Chevaliers

News and Views

TO OHIO DEMOLAY:

Friday, August 7, 2009

Today, I am pleased to announce that Dad Martin Woodworth will be assuming the Adult Leadership duties for Ohio DeMolay. Over the past six years it has been my honor to serve Ohio DeMolay as the Executive Officer. As a Senior DeMolay, being given the privilege of serving in this capacity is beyond anything which can be expressed in words. Thank you. Dad Mike Watson for recommending me for this position.

During the past six years, while everything hasn't gone 100% to plan, I think we have made some significant progress in certain areas and right now are ready to turn the corner to bigger and better things for Ohio DeMolay. We have instituted new Chapters and brought some back to work who were just barely hanging on. We started the Squires program for those too young to become DeMolays which has produced a number of new DeMolays once they were old enough to join. We won our first Heartland Ritual Competition. We won membership awards and even helped start a new chapter in Michigan. We started programs to ensure the finances were more closely addressed and started creating budgets for activities. We started programs to help raise funds to assist with our education training programs. We worked to improve communications and fraternal relations with Rainbow, Jobs Daughters and the Pythagorans by holding several joint activities. We helped raise money for charities and are preparing to expand this work in the future. We expanded communications, starting the DeMolay Yahoo group and changing the monthly newsletter to electronic distribution. Overall, our communication now reach twenty times our original distribution list. We started regular communications being sent to our elected Masonic Leadership. We had our first ever Regional Coordinator and for only the second time a Regional Representative. We also had the Grand Master of DeMolay from Ohio. We started the Ohio DeMolay Hall of Fame to recognize outstanding Ohio DeMolay Leaders.

I would like to thank the Governors, State Committee Chairman, Chapter Advisors and DeMolays who have helped Ohio DeMolay out over the years while I was Executive Officer. I would also like to thank my wife and daughter for many times traveling alone to meet at an event because I had to be there early, being patient when I had to skip a family event for a DeMolay event or when they had to do something for me at home while I was off doing DeMolay business.

While I am stepping down as Executive Officer, I still plan on attending and helping out with Ohio DeMolay, just probably more of my efforts will be focused on helping out the Southwestern part of the state. Again I would to thank everyone for this unbelievable opportunity to serve Ohio DeMolay as Executive Officer.

In DeMolay Service,
Dad Shaw