DeMolay Sweetheart Dance, Official Visits of Bethels #38 and #107 and #86, #99, and #110, and Night at the Museum

From my calculations, I owe you a few blog entries, so I suppose I will start now before I'm three entries behind.

On February 12, I was lucky to attend the Demolay Sweetheart Dance. It was so much fun, and I was amazed at the number of people that attended. I was excited because more girls from my Bethel attended than ever before. It was really fun to see all of the other girls for the first time since All Day School of Instructions. I danced with everyone and was really impressed with some of the dancers, especially James Gordon, who's the current State Master Councilor. I had no idea that he could dance like that. I shared a slow dance with Lynn and talked and danced with everyone. The lemonade was really tasty, but the trip to McDonald's before the dance was even more hilarious because we were all in our semi-formals.

Then, on February 19, I attended a number of events, the first of which was the Official Visit of Bethels #38 and #107. I had a great time, and I was so happy to assist in the initiation of a new member, pro-temming Chaplain and doing the Inner Guard's part when necessary. Almost all of the stations were filled, and I was happy to present the new member with her gift from the Promotion Committee. I was also happy to see my friend, Jamie, presiding in the East. We were originally Honored Queens together, and I also crowned her as Junior Miss Indiana Congeniality 08-09 so we have been good friends for several years. The girls did a wonderful job in the ceremony, and I'm sure that it was very special for the initiate.

From Bethel #38, Speedway, I sped to Bethel #99, Plainfield. I pro-temmed Third Messenger there, and it was an extremely short Official Visit with the candidates absent, but they informed us that they will be initiating them soon. I am looking forward to that. The Official Visit went well, and I was happy to see the sidelines filled. Three Honored Queens sat side by side in the East, and I was happy to see that. The food and fellowship directly after the meeting was fun, as always. The Daughters had made pizzas for us so I was a bit suspicious when one of them made the remark that "she wasn't going to eat it." Everyone was very excited because it was nearly time to leave for Night at the Museum.

Finally, after shifting luggage from one trunk to another, we were off to Louisville. I was really excited because it was my first trip to Kentucky. The drive was hilarious, but if I learned anything, I learned that Genesis and I can never sleep when we're together. The most hilarious part of the drive was when Vicki's pants were wet, and after trying all the other methods we could think of, we dried her pants by hanging them out the window, that is, until they started "knocking" against the window to let us know that they wanted back inside. We were pretty late so Genesis and I decided we'd stick together since neither of us knew where anything was. We watched the girls do their experiments to solve a mystery, mostly because we missed the instructions. Then, after a short snack, it was time to begin the scavenger hunt. Genesis and I went together with some of the little girls from Bethel #107, but we had some issues when we lost them in all the mayhem and could never hear exactly what we were supposed to be looking for. When we got lost, we started playing games. We learned one thing: Genesis drives much better drunk than she does when she's sober, at least according to a simulation. We almost missed the IMAX presentation, but I made it in just in time to get blinded and dizzy from the screen. I thought the film was interesting. It was all about how Boeing made its 787. After that, the scavenger hunt really began-for our luggage. That was much more difficult than the scavenger hunt for information. Finally, everyone found their things, and I laid down to sleep next to the girls from Kentucky. The morning was chaotic as everyone reloaded their things and went down to breakfast with bedheads and sleep in their eyes. Even though Genesis and I had a very late night, we still didn't manage to sleep at all on the ride home. Overall, it was a fun time and fabulous experience that I'm trying to duplicate here at the new Children's Museum at Terre Haute.

Well, tomorrow, I shall see many of you again. I can't wait, and I am looking forward to the rest of this term!

All Day School of Instructions

It has been some time since I last blogged, and for that, I apologize. It's been a while since I attended a state event since we haven't had any. I'll be back into the habit soon enough.

For the first state event of the new term, we had All Day School of Instructions. In the morning, we went over some of the events coming up in this term, including the Night at the Museum promotional event that I am so excited to attend. We also talked about Pageant and Ritual Contest, among other events, but those are two of the most important and also the two that I would probably encourage you to participate in the most. Grand Bethel Executive Committee presented a skit, and I cannot tell you which was the more amusing: Becca, who did a performance of Kesha in the middle of the skit, with blue lips I might add, or Raquel, who was the three friends from the East with two balloons taped to her shoulders. Maybe it was Holli though, who played a child for whom nothing was going right. It was absolutely hilarious. Then we broke into two separate groups: the adults and the Daughters with Grand Bethel Executive Committee. During this time, the girls were divided by station and learned the particular ins and outs of their ritualistic work. Rachel and I assisted by leading the group of Messengers, bouncing ideas off one another and talking about subjects like Grand Bethel and how to explain Job's Daughters. I think the girls really learned a thing or two. Finally, it was time for lunch, and it was very tasty. Then we gathered together once again to listen to a man who worked in the Cyber Crimes division of his police department. He was a very interesting speaker, and he taught us how to be safe on the Internet. Hope was definitely embarrassed when she was consistently admitting to making most of the mistakes on the Internet, especially on Facebook. It was a very good presentation, and he was quite funny. Finally, Genesis and I brought up the rear, explaining our philanthropic projects, which you can learn more about by reading the issue of the February edition of the Bethel News or checking out the flier on the Bulletins page.

I'm looking forward to Saturday's dance, and I promise that I will blog much sooner next time. I'm sorry for the delay, but better late than never! I hope to see everyone soon! Have a happy Valentine's Day full of Job's love!

Official Visit of Bethels #44 and #54 and DeMolay Installation

Well, once again, I must begin this post by apologizing for all the time that has elapsed between now and the actual event I attended.

On Saturday, November 20, I left for Crown Point. I had a good time there, and I was fortunate enough to be able to participate in the Ceremony of Initiation as Guide. I was so happy that I even managed to get the girl's honor bands on. That was the hardest part of being Guide. I still can't do my own honor band either. It was a good time, and I received a lot of presents and even a Justin Bieber folder. The Ceremony went well, and I was able to speak to the girls as well as the initiates before the meeting. The best part of the day was that I broke the tradition. If you're wondering what tradition, I mean that the last time I visited Bethel #44, Crown Point as Junior Miss Indiana Congeniality, I fell down the stairs. This term, I am happy to report that I have not fallen at all. The meal was tasty, though I ate it on the run as some of the other girls and I made our way to Valparaiso for a DeMolay Installation.

The DeMolay Installation was incredible. The adults did a wonderful job performing several ceremonies, which I had heard about, but rarely seen. I was probably most fascinated by the Ceremony that took place before the Installation even began. It was a tribute to our National Anthem, "The Star Spangled Banner." It was really impressive, and it shed some light on what precisely the song is about and why we sing it. I also was privileged to see the Ceremony of the Lights, which explains the seven cardinal virtues of a member of DeMolay, which are similar to the teachings of Job's Daughters, and the Flower Talk, which is a tribute to those that have raised us, and in which the members present their mother or sometimes father or grandparent with roses. They has roses left, and my "tiara girls" as they referred to Amanda G., Samantha B., Madison M., and I were given the remaining roses. The boys were great, and the newly installed Master Councilor was practically speechless, but his speech was from the heart, and that's what really matters. I also left with extra sandwiches. I left with flowers and food so in my opinion, it was a very good day.

Well, I hope everyone is preparing for a wonderful Installation, term, and holiday season. I hope to see you all soon, hopefully at some of the Installations and most definitely in the new term. Stay busy and warm.

Official Visit of Bethel #22, Arch Presentation, Shrine Youth Dance, Bethel #121's Go-to-Church Sunday, and Ruth Goss

I'd like to start this blog by apologizing for its tardiness. I have been trying to maintain my blog, but recently I changed classes, and this is what has prevented me from blogging.

Last Saturday, I was fortunate enough to attend the Official Visit of Bethel #22, Bloomington. Their ceremony was really cute with using the little cards to spell out "Job's Daughters" and use the letters to explain the principles of our Order, and as usual, the food was great. I must say that I was so happy to return. Their Bethel is really blossoming, considering we reinstituted them only three years ago. I was fortunate enough to be a part of that ceremony, and I am really proud of the growth they have undergone over the last few years.

After the Official Visit, Tiffany, Brettney N., my mom, and I went to the Arch presentation. I learned a new game called "Cows" on the way. Apparently, you look for cows and shout out "My cows!" Then, if you're losing, you look for graveyards, which kill one of the other person's cows. It was quite hilarious because even though I wasn't playing, I was still looking for cows and graveyards. I am sorry Bethels #53 and #37 for missing your Official Visit, but this was a very good promotional opportunity where I was to speak on behalf of Indiana Job's Daughters. This was the first time Indiana has ever done this ceremony, and since there was no part exclusively written for Job's Daughters, so Tiffany and I were able to really tailor the speech for this to Indiana Job's Daughters. Though the production had some technological difficulty, everyone was quite touched when the star of the show, Jessica, an actual patient from the Hospital, walked through the Arch. She was so cute. Despite the technological difficulties, everyone seemed to walk out with more knowledge about all the Masonic family organizations, and I received many compliments on my signing to "God Bless America" to conclude the program, which brought many people over to out promotional display after the ceremony. I sat in this tiny car, and I tried on this humongous crown from Daughters of the Nile. I thought the Miss Indiana crown was big, but I was wrong. We came home with around three prospective members, so I think it was a success.

After I had some dinner, it was time for the Shrine Youth Dance. I had a really great time, and I thought the turnout from all three youth organizations was pretty good. I don't know how long it has been since all of the youth leaders were together. I had a great time dancing, and it was just an overall good time. The music was really loud, but everyone seemed to be having fun. It was great to see such a good turnout from the other Bethels and hear about the second Official Visit of the day. I heard there was some craziness in the East, but I won't name any names. You all know who you are. Genesis made remarks for the first time at the second Official Visit, and I heard she did a pretty good job. Then, I was commended on my sign language again in front of the entire dance. Thank you, everyone who attended, and as I don't see Penny and Mandy often, I want to thank the two of you for teaching me "God Bless America" in sign language. I never thought I would get so much use out of it.

After a late night on Saturday, I went to Go-to-Church Sunday for Bethel #121. It was too small to form the cross, but instead we went to the front of the room and sang "Nearer My God to Thee" while we assumed the Attitude of Prayer. It was a really beautiful church. I found myself admiring the stained glass windows for quite a bit of time. I got some great breakfast at Hardee's and took advantage of the opportunity to promote Job's Daughters, so I was pretty happy to take part in this event.

Unfortunately, the same day I heard that Ruth Goss, Past Supreme Guardian from my Bethel, Bethel #2, died. She was a great lady, and we honored her by forming the cross at her viewing on Wednesday night. There, I saw some of the most important moments of her life, and there was a picture of her with my Bethel just a year ago. I want to think Bethels # 5 and #121 for helping us form the cross. The Honored Queen of my Bethel, Mallory Howard, carried Ruth Goss's Past Grand Guardian's pin into the cross. She was an incredible woman, and our Order will sorely miss her.

Tomorrow is the last Official Visit of the term, and I would like to thank everyone for their warm welcomes this term. Please let me know when your Installations are, and I will try to make it. Warm wishes for the upcoming holiday season!

Audra Piner

Wednesday night, I attended the funeral of a Past Supreme Guardian, Audra Piner. I didn't personally know her, but the sincere and genuine emotions at the funeral was a testament to her greatness. It was beautiful, and all around the room were scattered her many keepsakes and photographs. She had collected hundreds of pins from her years in this and other organizations, and one really interesting aspect was all of the gavels she had used. All of the bells that she had collected were distributed to the attenders of her funeral. The cross was large, and the Majority Members paid homage to Audra by joining the ceremony. It was beautiful, and I am truly sorry that our Order has lost such an amazing woman.

Region #5 and #2 Promotion Party and Initiation at Bethel #121

I've had a great couple of days, staying a little bit closer to home for Job's Daughter activities.

Last Saturday, I attended the Region #5 and #2 Promotion Party. It was, of course, Halloween-themed. Everyone wore a costume. I went as a geisha girl in an authentic kimono. I was happy I got to dress up since I am too old to go trick-or-treating now. The other costumes were cool too like Minnie Mouse and Lady Gaga. There was a lot of yummy food, and the door prizes were cute. We played some games, and Raquel, as Grand Bethel Treasurer, and I, as Miss Indiana Job's Daughter and a member of Grand Bethel, answered a few questions about Job's Daughters and discussed how to explain Job's Daughters to prospective members and their families. Best of all, I got some candy!!!

Last night, I traveled just down the road to Bethel #121, Knightsville to assist in the initiation of Harley. I did Chaplain, and members from Bethels #2 and #22 helped fill the stations to get Harley initiated. I know Bethel #121 appreciated the help. She had quite a few family members present to witness her initiation. There were cute Halloween cupcakes afterward, and I think they looked familiar, so I think they were left-overs from the Region #5 and #2 Promotion Party. They were still tasty, even the second time. Overall, I had a good time, and I was happy to bring in another member to our organization.

Well, girls, this term is almost at its close. It has been great to travel so much, and I hope to be able to attend several installations this winter. I have enjoyed seeing you this term, and I am excited for the next term to begin. Look for my article on the Ceremony of Installation in the upcoming Bethel News Issue.

Official Visit of Bethels #42 and #24 and Coronation Ball

This weekend was another very long weekend for Indiana Job's Daughters.

Early Saturday morning, my mother and I met Anita and began the seemingly endless journey to New Albany for the Official Visit of Bethels #42 and #24. It was worth it when I arrived to Tootsie pops on the tables and a few minutes until breakfast. Of course, breakfast was wonderful, and I began to meet both the Daughters and the candidates for that day. I also got to meet the Jobie-to-Bees who were initiated into the Bee program at Bethel #42. I really enjoyed that because it was the first time I had ever seen the Jobie-to-Bee ceremony, and it didn't hurt that the two girls were completely adorable. Then we started into the Initiation. We initiated three new members on Saturday, and I assisted by performing the initatory part for Third Messenger. Overall, I had a great time, and I really enjoyed myself.

Genesis, Anita, my mother, and I had some time to kill before Coronation Ball, but I didn't get to go to Kentucky because Anita was having enough trouble trying to find out where and which direction we were supposed to go. We stopped at McDonald's, and while Anita was talking on the phone, Genesis and I ran across the parking lot to get pictures with the Big Boy, which is a restaurant for those of you who don't know. It was pretty funny because Genesis and I were receiving some strange looks, not much unusual about that.

Finally, we were off to Coronation Ball. I loved the 60s theme. My dress was awesome if I do say so myself. Some of the adults even dressed up. It was so much fun, even though we didn't have as much participation from the other youth organizations. There were some Demolay and some Rainbow Girls there, and I think they had a good time. I spent half of the night changing sashes and tiaras. Maddy won Jr. Coronation Queen, and Amanda Gilbert won Coronation Queen, and I think I will take this opportunity to congratulate them. The mix of music, decorations, and of course, the food, were fun and "groovy." Now I think I finally have the dance for Cotton-Eyed Joe committed to memory. I will probably forget it by next dance though. Overall, I really enjoyed this year's Coronation Ball.

Don't forget about Ritual Revision, ladies. This is the last week to make comments. Please step up and voice your opinions. This is your organization, and this is your opportunity to have a role in what our Ritual may look like in a year or so. You can make comments on iojd.org under the Ritual Revision tab. I will see you all very soon, but until next time, Happy Halloween!